Book 3: Chapter 19

In the vicinity of the Jiol Forest Kingdom’s royal castle, there were many estates.

One among them had become vacant due to sudden circumstances──more specifically, it was the result of the coup d’etat attempt that occurred on the day of the dinner party, and it was now being used as the house that the delegates of the Zadark Kingdom are staying at.

The ones staying there were Nanalus who was the diplomat, and the Maid Knight Nino.

Also, the members of the Intelligence Group that were sent out within the Jiol Forest Kingdom would come here to rest in turns.

「Now then……」

In a room of that building that was named the Zadark Kingdom Delegation Building, one man put his arms through the sleeves of a suit.

It was a black suit where one could understand that it was of high quality at a single glance. He had beautiful white hair, and a well-managed white moustache.

Polishing the glasses that used Holy Silver for the frame with a cloth, the man checked their condition.

A gentle old aristocrat with an abundance of experience.

If he were to be described, those words would surely be appropriate.

However, in truth, he would instead be classified as being young in the Dark Continent.

His name was Nanalus. He was the diplomat of the Zadark Kingdom.

As for why he was created with that kind of outward appearance.

That was merely a problem of image.

The negative image held towards Mazoku──things like being wild, fiendish, snatching Humans, there would be no end to it if they were all brought up, but in any case, a violent image followed them around.

The most effective way to overturn this kind of image was a 「gentle and elegant elder」.

Against Nanalus, who gave off an intellectual impression, there was almost no one that thought he 「looked fiendish」.

For those that imagine Mazoku who are just like the typical image people have of Mazoku──for example, Mazoku like Orel and Raktor──they would see Nanalus and have some of that malicious image removed.

And then, Nanalus would slip into the openings of their heart and remove their wariness.

Those with a strong sense of suspicion were the exception, but at the very least, it was a fact that there were many people that became close with Nanalus at the time of the dinner party between the Jiol Forest Kingdom and the Zadark Kingdom the other day.

And then, the many letters that was placed on Nanalus’s desk right now were sent from those people.

Taking a letter into his hand, Nanalus started checking the sender and the contents of the letters one by one.

「Fumu, so this letter is from Count Guutia……」

Nanalus searched for that name in his own knowledge.

If he remembered correctly, that was one of the prominent nobles in the Jiol Forest Kingdom, and although he didn’t have an important position, he should be a person that possessed large influence in politics.

The contents of that letter was an invitation to a tea party.

There were other letters with similar content, but in Count Guutia’s case, the date of it was the problem.

「Goodness……To designate it to today. What a troubling person.」

Count Guutia’s territory was in the eastern part of the Jiol Forest Kingdom.

It wasn’t so far that it would take several days to get there from the royal capital, but it also wasn’t a distance that could immediately be arrived at with a carriage.

To begin with, it was social etiquette to send a written invitation like this with a date that allowed some leeway in time until it was held.

As for the reason why he would purposely designate today despite that, he was most likely anticipating the use of Transfer Magic that only Mazoku could actually make use of.

Even if it was said that the Mazoku had come to the Jiol Forest Kingdom using Transfer Magic, there were very few people that would accept that so readily.

He probably made this kind of sudden invitation in order to ascertain if that Transfer Magic was the real thing or if it was some kind of trick.

「……Well, I am sure it will be fine.」

After putting the invitation from Count Guutia away into his pocket, Nanalus started sorting out the other letters.

「……Fumu. So this one is addressed to Sancreed-dono. Well, I am sure that it is another love letter from some young woman from somewhere. I will send this at the regular call time.」

There were many that saw Sancreed at the parade and the dinner party, as well as people that had conversed with him.

Among those people, there were people who fell in love at first sight or harbored yearning for Sancreed, and a great number of things that seemed like love letters were sent.

Since something like a mail service going to the Dark Continent didn’t exist, they were sent to the delegation building just like this……that is how it turned out.

Since Sancreed accepts those letters and sincerely responds to them, the letters will surely increase from now on.

It seems that similar letters are sent to Fainell as well, but for some reason letters from women are mixed in with the letters from men.

Although they had formed a treaty of friendship, it was predicted that mankind would draw a line in their association with the Mazoku……but after making it public, it turned into this situation.

Incidentally, that sort of letter has not been sent to Demon King Vermudol at present.

As expected, with him being the Demon King, fear probably took precedence and they wouldn’t think of sending him letters.

According to Nino, she says 「I understand Demon King-sama’s charm so it isn’t a problem」.

After roughly sorting out the letters, Nanalus started the construction of Transfer Magic.

Transfer Magic was a magic that was difficult to handle, and moreover, this time it was a place he had never been to before.

Transferring to place he has not seen had an especially high degree of difficulty and would come with risks, but Nanalus needed to do this despite that.

There were two reasons for it.

It was for the sake not letting them realize the limits of Transfer Magic. And then, it was for the sake of not letting the race called Mazoku be underestimated by mankind.

If it was for the sake of that, doing things despite a bit of recklessness was Nanalus’s job.

「……Nu, ugh……」

At Nanalus’s feet, a Transfer Magic Formation was constructed.

Nanalus poured magical power into that formation that emitted a blue light.

Imagining the transferring location with a place on a map, he calculated the distance from his current location and determined the transfer spot.

Having the image and the calculations be even a little off wasn’t allowed.

「……It is complete.」

And so, Nanalus’s Transfer Magic was completed.

The magic formation had a blue radiance, and awaited the final activation words.

「──Gate」

At the same time as those words, Nanalus’s figure vanished from the delegation building.

When the transfer was finished and Nanalus raised his head, the gate of an estate was before his eyes.

「……Wh, who are you!」

「Where did you appear from!」

Seeing people who seemed to be guards wearing partial armor, Nanalus expressed a gentle smile.

「Please pardon the discourtesy. I am the Zadark Kingdom diplomat, Nanalus. Might I be mistaken in thinking that this is the estate of Count Guutia?」

「The Zadark Kingdom……P, please excuse us」

「Please pardon us, for our rudeness……!」

Seeing the guards suddenly go pale and lower their heads, Nanalus breathed a sigh in his mind.

This much of a change in their attitude──It really looks like the negative image towards Mazoku is deeply rooted in them.

Or maybe, suddenly appearing before them with a transfer had been overdoing it.

「Devotedly doing one’s professional duties is not something that should be reproached, so I do not mind it……Now then, might I be mistaken in thinking that this is the estate of Count Guutia?」

「N, no! You are not mistaken, at all!」

While expressing a gentle smile at the trembling guards, Nanalus took out the invitation.

「I have come here after receiving a written invitation from Count Guutia. I ask that you convey my arrival.」

「Ha, hahii! Ple, pl-pl-please wait for a moment!」

For them to be this afraid of me, it makes me doubt my own aptitude as a diplomat……while thinking that, Nanalus gazed at the guard that clumsily headed to the inside of the estate.

On the other hand, he was relieved that the transfer was a success.

This time, he was lucky enough to have transferred in front of the gate, but the possibility of that not being the case was high.

It would have still been fine if it was in the air within the premises of the count’s house, but if it went terribly, it was plenty possible to have transferred inside of building materials such as the gate or the house, one of the so-called transfer accidents.

This time’s success had luck play an extraordinarily large part of it.

In other words, Nanalus had won the gamble, but he didn’t want to do this kind of tightrope walking ever again.

After a short while, someone that had different equipment from the earlier guard──someone who seemed to most likely be a knight of Count Guutia’s territory, and a young Sylphid woman wearing a dress had appeared.

She had silver hair that went to her shoulders, and blue eyes. She was a young lady that had an ephemeral impression and made one somewhat desire to protect her.

That young lady pinched the hem of her dress, and made a bow that still had some inexperience remaining in it.

「Welcome and thank you for visiting the Guutia House today. I am the second daughter of this house, Galeria.」

「I am the Zadark Kingdom diplomat, Nanalus. Today, I have come after receiving an invitation from Count Guutia.」

Nanalus returned the bow to the young lady who introduced herself as Galeria.

Seeing Nanalus like that, Galeria’s cheeks were dyed a faint scarlet.

Nanalus did not give that any particular attention, and while showing a gentle smile, he held out the written invitation that the earlier guards had forgotten to receive.

「Now then, Galeria-sama. If you would please confirm this written invitation.」

「Ah……yes. Well then.」

After receiving the written invitation from Nanalus, Galeria started checking it as if it were really precious.

Before long, after raising her head, Galeria smiled.

「Yes, this is correct. Well then, I shall guide you.」

「Thank you very much. However, Galeria-sama, for you to personally guide me is……」

Normally, guiding is something that a servant would do.

For a family member of a noble to greet him, that could be said to be unbelievable.

「No, I had asked to leave this to me.」

「So that was the case. To think you would show such consideration for someone like me……」

It would seem that Count Guutia is seeking an intimate relationship with the Zadark Kingdom, is what Nanalus guessed.

It would be safe to regard Count Guutia as a person of importance from now on.

「Please don’t say that. Nanalus-sama, you are a diplomat of the Zadark Kingdom after all. Rather, I am worried if I am fit for the role.」

「No, for someone such as me……Whoops, this won’t end at this rate. Oh dear, how troubling.」

Hearing Nanalus say that with a joking tone, Galeria, after showing an expression that said she was taken by surprise, put a hand over her mouth and giggled.

「Fufu, that is true. How silly of me……how embarrassing.」

「Oh dear. It seems that I have brought shame to a lady……Please do forgive me.」

「Well then, Nanalus-sama. Although I may be inexperienced, would you please accept my guidance?」

「Of course. That would be a great honor for this inexperienced diplomat.」

Just as Galeria let out a smile at those words, the knight that stood there like a sculpture lightly cleared his throat.

「Galeria-sama, it is about time……」

「Ara, you are right. Well then, let us start walking.」