CH 157

Before setting out ...

***---***

The day after I guided the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shiota, I was told that since it was Sunday in Japan, the counselor would be dispatched at the beginning of the week, so I decided to finish my errands on the Volzard side.

After breakfast at the boarding house, I was ready to go.

Today as well, I thought of telling Beatriche my plans for the day before I acted, but that would mean I would end up spending more time with Beatriche, and it felt a little unfair.

So, I decided to start the day after greeting the chairman and Manon in the morning.

The first place I went to was the chairman's room.

"Good morning! Yuika ..."

When I entered without checking, the chairman was in the middle of changing clothes.

"Kyaaaa, Kento, you pervert!"

"I, I'm sorry!"

I turned around in a hurry, but the chairman sprouted horns.

"It's bad manners to enter a maiden's room without knocking!"

"I'f foffy ..."(I'm sorry ...)

Uu ... I wondered if the chairman could use magic that strengthened her body without chanting, because my cheeks were about to be torn off.

"Really ... I won't forgive you if you suddenly barge into another girl's room."

"Yes, I'm reflecting ..."

While puffing out her cheeks and showing that she was angry, the chairman stroked the cheeks she was pinching and chanted in a whisper.

"Mana, oh mana, oh mana that governs the world, gather, gather, gather in my hands and heal."

The chairman kissed my cheek, that the pain had disappeared from due to healing magic.

"Good morning, Kento."

"Good morning, Yuika."

"How is your morning?"

"Yeah, Beatriche has started to manage my schedule, so I've decided to let her know my schedule for the day every morning."

"Could it be, you didn't want to spend too much time with just one person ... Did you come here thinking that?"

"Yeah, and I'm thinking of eating lunch with the four of us."

"Is that so, then, I'll forgive you for peeping."

No, no, I thought I was punished enough, but I couldn't say that.

"Then, are you going to visit Manon after this?"

"Yeah, that's what I intend."

"You can't suddenly enter Manon's room."

"I know. If she's changing clothes, I'll wait until she's done changing before entering, so it's fine."

"I see ... What, then that means you're going to enter after you finish watching her change clothes."

"Ah ... Umm, I'll call out to her in front of her door."

"Very well. Are we having lunch at the garrison's cafeteria?"

"Yeah, that's the plan."

"Then, how about a nap with Nero?"

"That's right, let's take a nap together today."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it now."

Finally, the chairman gave me a carefree smile.

But, if the four of us take a nap next to each other, one of them will be away from me.

That's unfair, so maybe I should sleep while holding one of them.

Should I choose Beatriche, who looks comfortable to hold, or the chairman?

"Kento ... What are you imagining?"

"Hiii! N, no, I'm not imagining anything ..."

"I wonder if that's true ... It looks like you're getting a perverted look on your face ..."

"R, right, I'll have one of the Kobold Corps arrive at Yuika's place so you can move quickly."

Just like Beatriche, I decided to have Hert act as both a marker and an escort for the chairman.

"Hert will watch over you from the shadows, so call it when you need it."

"Yeah, understood. Nice to meet you, Hert."

"Wafuu, nice to meet you, Yuika."

Hert happily wagged its tail as the chairman stroked its head.

After I stroked Hert, I hugged the chairman again before diving into the shadows and heading to Manon's house this time.

Unfortunately, Manon had already changed and was in the middle of breakfast with her family.

I was going to peek after all? Hey, everyone is equal ... that's what it meant.

I was thinking of intruding at the breakfast table, but it was a little hard to go out because the parent and children where sitting around the dining table happily.

Especially the younger brother Hamill, who looks down on me, so I'll at least wait until breakfast was over.

I knocked on the front door just as her mother, Noela, was cleaning up and Hamill was getting ready to go to school.

"Yes, who is it?"

"Good morning, Manon, it's me."

"Kent? W, wait a minute."

Huh? Even though I was at the entrance, Manon seemed to have gone away by the sound of her footsteps.

Eeehhh ... Maybe, I'm not welcomed?

"What's the matter, Manon, who is it?"

"It's okay, I'm leaving now, so wait!"

"Leaving ... Is someone waiting for you?"

"I, it's fine, so wait."

It seemed that mother and daughter were having a conversation at the top and bottom of the stairs, but what happened with Manon.

I was left in front of the entrance and waited for a while ... I thought I heard footsteps rushing down the stairs again, and it seemed that she was taking a deep breath on the other side of the door.

"I, I made you wait ... Good morning, Kent."

"Good morning, Manon, you look cute this morning as well."

"Hauu ... Thank you ..."

When she was sitting at the breakfast table, she was dressed in a baggy shirt and pants like when we first met, but with a green plaid skirt, a bright green blouse, and a light beige sweater, she changed into girly clothes.

Even though Manon was cute as it was, she hastily changed her clothes.

I gently hugged Manon, whose forehead was dripping with sweat.

Yeah, Hamill was glaring at me from the top of the stairs.

"Manon, let's have lunch together at the garrison cafeteria today."

"Yeah, that's fine, but what happened so suddenly?"

"Yeah, actually ..."

I also told Manon that Beatriche would manage my schedule as my secretary, and when I told her that it was to equalize the time we had to meet with each other, she was convinced.

"But, isn't Kent having a hard time?"

"No way, I want to be with everyone, so I thought we'd all have a meal together."

"That's fine, but Kent works too hard ... Don't overdo it."

"Yeah, and I've decided to have Hurt stay with you so I can move to Manon anytime ... Please, Hurt."

"Wafuu, leave it to me, Goshujin-sama."

"Nice to meet you, Hurt."

"Nice to meet you, Manon."

Manon and Hurt seemed to be doing well.

Well, it's my genus, so they don't hate my future wife.

"Then, Manon, see you at lunch ..."

"Yeah, have a good time."

"I'm off."

I also gave morning greetings to Noela and Hamill, hugged Manon again, and decided to go out.

Yeah, it's nice to feel like a newlywed.

Hamill was grinding his teeth.

My secretary, Beatriche, was still at the mansion.

I gave morning greetings Klaus-san and Marianne-san, told Beatriche about my plans for the day, and started my activities.

My destination was Camilla's office in Lastock, but she was nowhere to be seen.

When I looked for her, I found her in the room Count Gleisner was staying, gracefully enjoying tea.

Seriously, even though I, the Maou, have been busy since early morning ... What am I saying.

"Good morning, Count Gleisner. Good morning, Camilla."

"Oh, you're early this morning, Maou-dono."

"Good morning, Maou-sama."

"Would you treat me to some tea, too?"

"Yes, right away ... Tea for Maou-sama ..."

Camilla and Count Gleisner were facing each other across the table, so I sat next to Camilla and faced the Count.

"On the evening of star day, the fast horse arrived at the royal castle, and the contents of the news was also delivered to Havre."

"Oh, then, how did that guy Havre react?"

"About that, it would be quicker for you to see it."

"See ... When you say that, is that the magic tool from before?"

"It's not a magic tool, but well, that kind of understanding is fine for now."

I took out a tablet from the shadow storage and asked them to watch the video of Havre's state that was secretly taken.

"What, even the Prime Minister was sucking up to him ..."

"Ridiculous, I have no intention of marrying such a man."

"But, taking advantage of Camilla's absence from the royal capital, isn't he planning to talk about the wedding on his own?"

"Even if the story is decided by my father the King, I will not let such a rebel do as he pleases."

"Camilla-sama, let's distribute this story in writing to the Lords. The rebellion of the Calvine family and the tyranny of the Prime Minster are now clear. We should attack them as enemies of the kingdom."

"Yeah, with all the evidence so clear, we can't let it go unnoticed. I'll gather my troops and strike Havre Calvine!"

Knowing about Havre and the Prime Minister's strategy, both Camilla and Count Gleisner were furious, but haven't they forgotten the most important thing?

"Wait, wait! Aren't the two of you forgetting something?"

"Maou-sama, can you lend us your strength in the fight against Havre?"

"Are you stupid? Don't ask me that. In the first place, what are the soldiers stationed in Lastock fighting for?"

"What are they fighting for? Ah ..."

"Remember? A lot of the soldiers in Lastock were gathered in preparation for the outbreak of monsters."

"Th, that's right ..."

Less than 10 days have passed since the horde of commanded Orcs attacked them.

After that, the soldiers of the former Second Prince faction stationed in Bamata were summoned to Lastock, and the Knights of the Royal Guard attached to the idiot Princes were added, increasing the strength of the force.

Even if they were hit by a large-scale outbreak of monsters, they might not be easily crushed.

"At present, there may be an interception system in place against the maximum outbreak of monsters, but if the soldiers are pulled out from here, will it be possible to properly protect the city of Lastock? If Lastock is breached, won't there be damage to the inland area?"

The blood rushed to their heads and they stopped thinking, but I don't think they have the military strength to go to the royal capital to subdue Havre.

"But, I can't let Havre do as he pleases."

Count Gleisner seemed to be angry as someone who had supported the same faction.

"The other day, I had a little talk with my genus Reinhardt, and I think that the most unsatisfactory situation in the current situation is for Havre to enter the royal castle with his soldiers."

"Maou-sama, no matter how much the soldiers are nobles, to even go inside the royal castle ..."

"But, the Prime Minister is an accomplice, right? Can you say they absolutely won't?"

"It's certainly not absolute, but ..."

"Then, wouldn't it be better to first send the Knights of the Royal Guard as messengers so that the remaining Knights in the castle won't let Havre's soldiers enter?"

Count Gleisner also agreed with my story."

"Camilla-sama, it's true what Maou-dono says, it will be troublesome if we let soldiers into the royal castle. Let's let the remaining Royal Guards strengthen the defense here."

"Understood, call for Forst or Kirsch!"

At Camilla's instructions, a messenger ran to call the commander of the Royal Knights who were attached to the former Second and Third Princes.

"Maou-dono, you said that what you showed us earlier was from two days ago, but are Alphonse-sama and Diethelm-sama okay?"

"I've had Diethelm delivered meals that Camilla prepared, and I have also delivered a warning letter to Alphonse, so the rest is whether he believes it or not."

"But, if Alphonse-sama doesn't take any measures ..."

"It's possible, but I can't protect those who don't believe my words. Isn't Torvil, the staff officer, going to do something about it?"

At present, Torvil was controlling Alphonse, but Alphonse's presence was essential for things to proceed as desired.

If Alphonse was poisoned, Torvil, without his backing, would be left untouched by the faction's nobles.

"That's true, Torvil will take action ... We have no choice but to hope."

"Also, the First Prince's faction also received the news via the fast horse, and it seems that there are those who insist that they should return to their territories and prepare for Barshania, and those who insist that they should continue marching."

"With Bernst-sama and the others dead, there is no longer any reason to fight."

"That's right. However, it seems that some nobles are thinking of expanding their territory or changing their territory in the confusion."

Camilla, who heard the story, let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Haa ... Do they really think that the royal family will allow such tyranny?"

"I think they're thinking of colluding with Torvil behind the scenes to move Alphonse-sama ..."

Just as Count Gleisner had surmised, the anti-war Count Saruel was secretly connected to Torvil, but rather than colluding with him, he seemed to be threatening him.

Even with Torvil, it would be troublesome if the faction's leading figure would leave at a time when the disturbing Second and Third Princes were finally gone, and Alphonse was about to seize the throne, so they seemed to be struggling with how to deal with it.

"The First Prince's faction has also been monitored by my genus, so if they continue to march, they will contact me immediately."

"But, if we were to fight, it would only make Havre happy, and more than anything else, allocating our fighting strength to that would be neglecting our preparations against monsters ..."

Unlike in the case of Havre, this was an opponent that was coming at them, so they had no choice but to allocate their strength, but the problem was where to get that strength from.

Count Gleisner and Camilla seemed to be calculating in their heads, but soldiers don't just suddenly appear.

"It can't be helped. If Count Saruel's faction advances, I will stop them."

After hearing my words, Camilla's expression suddenly brightened.

"Maou-sama, can you lend me your strength?"

"Because, you don't have enough troops to spare, do you?"

"Yes, but with just Maou-sama's army ..."

"Well, we stopped over 30,000 troops in Barshania. Do you think we'll fall behind some of the First Prince's faction?"

"I'm sorry. I said something impertinent."

If I remembered correctly, I heard that Kabasa Pass had a narrow area that wasn't suitable for a large army to pass through.

Let's ambush them there and have them play with my genus.

Or rather, I'll throw it all to Reinhardt.

[ I'll let you entertain them, Reinhardt. ]

[ Buhahaha, leave it to me. I'll do it to the best of my ability, to entertain them. ]

Yeah, I'm a little worried about overdoing it, but it should be fine.

"Camilla, is the reconstruction of the city of Lastock going smoothly?"

"Yes, fortunately, human damage was limited, and unlike before, we have received material support, so things are progressing smoothly."

"Fortunately, it's the off-season for farming, and I've arranged for people in my territory to accommodate those who have lost their seeds."

Count Gleisner looked proud of himself, but if he had supported them sooner, the damage could have been less.

Well, it would be troublesome if they ignored the main point and got in trouble again, so I wouldn't push it.

After that, I showed the video of Havre to Oswald, the commander of the Knights of the Royal Guard, who rushed over after receiving the news, and when we were having a meeting about sending a messenger to the royal castle, Hert suddenly showed up.(TN:Oswald Kirsch, 3rd Prince Commander)

"Goshujin-sama, please come back because Yuika is having a hard time."

"Ehh? What happened?"

"Umm ... Someone died."

"Eeehhh ... Okay, I'll be right back, so go ahead."

Camilla, who was listening to the story next to me, turned pale and seemed to be slightly shaking.

"M, Maou-sama ..."

"I still don't know what happened, but I think it's a bad situation. I'll let you know when I know more, so Camilla should focus on Resenburg."

"I understand ..."

If one of my classmates died, public opinion in Japan might become harsher against Camilla.

Anyway, I should hurry back to Volzard for now.