Chapter 94

「Three kingdoms?」

「Mercouri, Calamba, and Comotoria」

Althea said as if counting numbers.

「It’s the countries that your women is」

That way of saying is weirdーーbut, I got the story.

Princess Helen in Mercouri, Queen Rica in Calamba, and Princess Aura in Comotoria.

There’s my women in those countries’ head, and Althea is just telling me to use them.

「You should just borrow soldiers from them」

「Isn’t it bad if other countries intervene?」

「It is, normally. It is because the post-war procedure would be troublesome. Because it is normal for the ones that had lent the soldiers to ask for something after winning the war」

I know right.

「That is why, “you” should just borrow soldiers. Not the Siracuza Kingdom’s army, and not the two offsprings of the royal family. You should borrow them. If so, the demand for compensation will go to you」

「To me?」

「Princess Helen, Queen Rica, Princess Aura. I wonder what they would ask from you」

Althea made a slight smile.

It was a little bit mischievous smile.

I see, not Siracuza but me, huh.

I thought about the three.

If it’s Helen, she might not even ask for anything back.

If it’s Rica, she would probably ask me to stay in the harem that she made for me for several days.

If it’s Aura, she would probably hold back and I would need to force her to take what she wants.

Whichever it is, it would end with me just taking care of them.

My women, I will take care of.

「……what, isn’t it such a simple thing」

「You finally understood」

「Yeah. I thought about it too much」

「No, there is no problem with the way you think, and with your measures. Politically speaking, it is not wrong to make the three kingdoms to promise at least neutrality. Being able to do that, it is almost perfect diplomaticallyーーif it is an ordinary person」

「That’s right」

I laughed.

「If so, let’s do something that isn’t normal」

I made Eleanor’s tsukkomi that said “up until now wasn’t normal too” shut up with a flick of my finger.

☆

In the outskirts of Reiusu, on the side of the lake adjacent to the grassland.

I took out the magic cottage there.

Its appearance was just a small cottage just as usual, but I had drawn the lottery using the free tickets ever since I got it, so the interior has become quite something.

Using the place next to the entrance as the living room, four rooms were installed, three of them are used as bedrooms, and one as the kitchen.

Right now, the magic cottage became a 3LDK house.

And in the living room, Delfina and I were sitting across each other.

「Chigris has fallen」

「Well, I thought that it would」

I withdrew from the war for a while after all.

「It looks like the barbarian army has been very eager in that place. That was the last place where the two princesses were seen, and there was no one who had escaped from that place. That’s why, they should be somewhere in that placeーー」

「And so, they’re searching every nook and cranny huh」

Delfina nodded without saying anything.

「They had also requested it from my place. Asking for the information of the whereabouts of the princesses」

「You’re also doing informant business」

「It is just a side job. It is profitable after all」

「And, did you sell it?」

「Yes, I did of course. The mansion where princesses’ーーFiona and Marie stayed, the last place that they were seen, the number of underwear that they wore when they stayedーー」

She said as if counting numbers, and smiled with a grin.

「I had sold all of the information that was profitable」

「You’re really cunning. You haven’t sold the information that they’re here did you」

That’s right, Fiona and Marie are here.

I’m sheltering them until the soldiers from the three kingdoms gathered.

It’s very dangerous to stay in the territory of Siracuza, so I took them to Mercouri’s territory, and to the shore of this lake.

I took them using warp so there are no clues left behind.

Other than Delfina who’s in front of me knowing all about it.

「No way, why would I sell that」

Delfina covered her mouth, giggled and smiled.

It’s a mischievous smile, she’s so pretty when she’s smiling like that.

「It would bring quite some profit, but the loss will be too large. The loss of, making an enemy of you」

「Which is it?」

Is it as a merchant, or as a woman.

「Who knows」

Smiling gently and pleasantly, Delfina dodged the question.

Within my women, Delfina has a little different position than the others.

I’m counting her as my woman.

But, in fact, she still isn’t. Well at least, nominally that is.

Delfina Homers Lanmari.

This woman who has wealth that is equal to a kingdom, she is saying that she wants to marry a man who could buy her including all of her assets.

I still can’t buy her, so nominally, we’re in the “trial period” or “loan”.

Well, that is just a word play though.

Delfina is my woman.

「I don’t know about business」

I brazenly shrugged my shoulders and raised up my palm.

「You should just profit whichever way you like」

「Yes, I will do so without holding back. Actually」

She grinned again.

「I had just sold things to everyone」

「Everyone?」

「To the Queen Her Majesty and the two Highnesses, equipments and expendables. Her Highness Helen had asked with a political reason, and the other two had asked with personal reason」

「He〜」

「Please ask the reason to them personally」

「I’ll do that」

I could somehow understood why Helen, Rica, and Aura did that.

I could, but I should ask it properly later.

☆

After sending out Delfina, I’m in my own room.

The room within the three rooms that I’m usually using.

The magic cottage in the night was very quiet, and has a different atmosphere with the mansion.

I’m lying on the bed, and stared at the Warp Feather intently.

A magic item that I got from the lottery. As long as I have this, they won’t get captured.

『Although, there isn’t any problem if they found you』

「Don’t read my mind」

『It can’t be helped, it flows into me although I’m not doing anything』

「Don’t reply then. When times like that, you should read the airーーno, uhh, it’s nothing」

『What are you getting convinced off, that’s annoying』

「Well, after all, you can’t read the air right?」

『I could read something like very easily, don’t look down on me』

「It’s “Ki” that you can read not “Kuuki(air) right? Things like Youki or Reiki, otherworldly or ghostly things」(Kuuki 空気, Ki 気, Reiki 霊気, Youki 妖気)

『Mumu!』

I chatted with Eleanor about useless things.

Playing with her is somewhat fun too.

『Mu?』

What is it.

『There’s the little girl on the other side of the door』

Eleanor said it like that.

On the other side of the door?

I also concentrated and searched.

There’s really someone there. I’m familiar with this breath.

This breathingーーis it Marie?

『It seems like she’s hesitating』

That seems so.

I waited for a while, but Marie’s presence won’t go away.

With her “hesitating” presence just like Eleanor had said, she is just standing on the other side of the door.

『There’s no end like this』

「I guess so」

I nodded, and stood out from the bed. I went towards the door, and quickly opened it.

「Kya!」

Marie was there.

In the night living room, there’s the appearance of Marie standing in the dark wearing her pajama.

「K-Kakeru-san……」

「What happened. You can’t sleep?」

「No……u〜un, that might, be so」

「……?」

What does she mean?

「Talking while standing is, soーー」

I took a glance at the sofa in the living room.

Let’s talk there, but when I thought of that.

「Uhm! Can I……enter inside?」

She said with a loud voice at first, but her voice suddenly shrunk, and it was almost disappearing in the end.

She was looking down with a flushed face.

Isn’t this.

『It’s probably like “that”』

Ahh, it looks like that.

A sneak visit at nightーーwell, leaving aside if those words are correct to use here, but it’s probably like that.

She came to be embraced.

I could understand that at least, I’m not that insensitive.

That’s good too, I’m not reluctant about that.

The decision that I had taken once had become a hindrance.

The promise that I would make the two, Fiona and Marie queens.

Inside of me, I had thought that I would do that, after I had kept my promise.

That’s why, even now, I’m still thinking of how to pass through on this situation.

ーーbut.

「A-Am I……not good」

Marie said that to me.

She looked up to me, with an expression that she might cry anytime.

With a face thinking that she was rejected, with a face that is almost driven to despair.

「……no」

I shook my head.

I, reflected on myself.

I made a girl……I made Marie make such a face.

『A failure as a man huh』

「……」

I couldn’t say anything back, as rarely as it is, I thought that it’s exactly as Eleanor said.

I pulled Marie to me, and kissed her lips.

「Ah……」

Her face reddened, covered her lips with her hands, and her tears came out.

These tears, I don’t hate it, I don’t hate these tears of happiness.

I placed my arm around her and the back of her knees, and carried Marie’s petite body.

I closed the door, and gently put her down on the bed.

I kissed her once more.

「Finally……」

「Un?」

「I’m finally, Kakeru-san’s woman」

「I see」

「I had……wished for it for so long」

That much huh.

I started to really feel bad about it.

That’s why, I.

「I’ll be gentle」

「Yes……」

Marie closed her eyes.

Just like I told her, I took her very gently.

I did it as gently as I could, the most caring that I could.

Warmly, gently, and caringly, I melted Marie’s heart and body.