Negotiation and Peace 2
"A boat, a horse, two spears, and a sword?"
The evening after the end of today's monster subjugation operation.
Walking at the tail end of the group of adventurers who were pulling out of the northern forest, Christo told Patricia about the details of his discussion with Eltharion.
"I am asked to choose one of them."
"Only one? That's stingy, isn't it? But if the other party says so, we have no choice. What does Christo want?"
"No, that's my question. I'm going to give you a gift in exchange. I hope it will be of help to you for all the hard work you do."
"I haven't done anything....... I failed yesterday."
"No, you made the map. That alone is a major accomplishment."
"But I couldn't give you the head of [Mighty Star]. I was a fool and troubled you."
"Did you care?"
"Yes"
"That's why you were fighting hard on the front lines today."
"…………"
Patricia was working extra hard today.
She was brandishing a ridiculously large mace called Holy Water Sprinkler, smashing the heads of the goblins and giant spiders that were coming towards her.
The fighting itself is almost gone, but today, thanks to her, the other combatants are not fighting as if they were fighting. It's mostly just checking traps and scattering [Blue Ashes] in the forest.
At first, adventurers and soldiers who did not know Patricia well seemed to think it was ridiculous that such a pretty young lady could wield a sword, but after seeing her today, no one had such an impression.
As usual, there are many males who look at her huge breasts and the military uniform of Yggdrasil Holy Sword Academy, which clearly shows the leg line, but when the battle begins, everyone is in awe of her beautiful and powerful figure.
With Patricia, there is no danger of death in the event of an emergency――
Just by fighting side by side with her, the men were encouraged and inspired, determined not to be defeated by her.
The girl named Patricia Lowell was the flower of the battlefield.
(She was a skilled fighter and could command.)
Christo squinted his eyes while removing the leaf from Patricia's head.
(From what I saw at the academy, she has at least a minimum of political skills and wisdom. She is an all-around type who can handle everything with ease, like a queen piece in chess ......How did Setanta lose to me when, in addition to this woman, he had Gwendolyn in his group? There had to be a better way.)
Patricia's cheeks flushed when he touched her hair, but she didn't say anything else and just looked down, enjoying Christo's stroking of her hair. Christo took a moment to clean Patricia's red hair and then asked again, [So, what do you want?].
"I'm really good."
"But you need a weapon, don't you?"
"I'll do something about it myself. For the time being, I'll make do with magic and heavy iron weapons. Not only do I have to pay for my living expenses, but I'm also paying for my tuition, but if you give me a weapon, I won't be able to pay you back."
"You don't have to think about the money. You don't have to pay it back. I told you that before."
"You may think so, but it doesn't satisfy me."
Patricia lowered her eyebrows.
"I'm the type of person who can't stand to leave a debt unpaid. I'd rather be owed something."
"You find that kind of relationship easy, huh."
"Well, yes. I agree...... I am aware that I am distorted."
"I suppose it's within the realm of personal differences. But are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I made a deal with him for your sake."
"Let's choose something that benefits both of us. A boat or a horse. Or the Fragarach, which is not in either of our interests. If it is a horse, the question is where to tie it up. If it is a monster, we can't keep it in the stables of the academy."
"There is a way to keep it in the vacant house where you had s*x with me. But it would be difficult, considering the cost of feeding it and taking care of it."
"The boat seems convenient, but it cannot be used in the inland city of the royal capital. At best, you could float them on the river and play in the water."
"Wouldn’t they be angry if we went boating in the royal capital’s moat?"
"Of course, you'll get scolded! Embarrassing rumors will spread at the academy! Please don't do that!"
"Then it can only be used for rafting down the sewers. All that's left is the Fragarach, but...... the sacred artifact is a piece of junk that can't be pulled out of its sheath without a shrine maiden."
"If a shrine maiden has to be human, then I can't use it."
"Hmm. Considering that, I think we should at least choose the spear that will benefit you, what do you think?"
"Gae Assail? Ibar for hitting and Athibar for returning it, right?"
"Yes, and the other spear, Ruin, is so dangerous that it could burn up a city or something, so it would be better to let it sink permanently to the bottom of the swampy mud."
When Christo said this, Patricia let out a troublesome sigh.
"It's getting ridiculous to be asked to choose one thing and then have to worry about it. How about we just kill him and take them all?"
"It's the same thinking as a bandit."
"Can't you? It's normal to plunder conquered lands, isn't it?"
"If the premise is to take everything, then the horse should be the object of the exchange, as we might need to reassign its master. Because it might not recognize us as its masters if we took it."
"It's settled, then. The horse."
"I haven't decided to kill him."
"I understand. If it's going to be hard to keep the horse, let's auction it off in the royal capital. Every year, there are a few people who want to use monsters for horse racing."
So the subject of the exchange was decided to be the horse.
As for Christo, he didn't want to hand over the [Primordial Elixir] to get something he didn't particularly need or want. However, when he thought of Eltharion's pure love for Ulrika, he thought it would be okay to give him at least a bottle of the elixir.
(After Eltharion leaves this place, I can get the other treasures by scavenging in the swamp. In the extreme, there is no need to make a deal with him. But I am willing to give the elixir to Eltharion. Is this also a kind of love......?)
No, he reconsiders that it is not love but mere interest.
Christo wants to know how Eltharion and Ulrika's story ends.
Will their love take a happy turn, or will it end tragically?
In a way, it could be a touchstone for the future of Christo and Melvina.
So this is not love, but a kind of experiment.
× × ×
When they came out of the forest, Netzel was waiting for them in the meadow of the pioneer village, as usual.
Around him stood the leaders of the adventurer party.
When Christo approached them, Netzel looked at him and opened his mouth.
"The peace treaty with the [Mighty Star] is tomorrow. Contact the other side as soon as possible."
"Of course. ――Have they been convinced?"
When Christo asked, Netzel nodded, "Yeah."
By [they], he meant Siegfried and Tiger, the leaders of the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation], and the new bishop who had been sent to Soderholm Castle to take over the newly established bishopric there.
This morning, Christo informed Netzel and the others of the peace treaty, and while the Adventurers' Guild immediately agreed to the peace, the members of the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation] and the bishop were vehemently opposed to it.
What is the meaning of making peace with the demons?
Unlike the dragons, they can annihilate this one by pushing, so it would be better to annihilate them all.
He knew from watching Siegfried and Tiger that the [Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation] was a group of fanatics, but he had no idea that even the bishop who had been sent to them was a radical.
He had thought he was just a carefree old man, sent to a place like this in the countryside.
Christo looked at Siegfried, Tiger, and the new bishop, a large man with a black beard, who were talking about something in the wilderness a little further away. All three men seemed to be in a swarthy mood, even though they were reporting on the results of the day's battles.
"Bishop Benjamin was against it the whole time, but when I told him that this was my country, he withdrew violently in the end."
"Looking at the new bishop's face, it doesn't look like he really gave up on it."
"I am the law in this land. I am everything, Christopher-kun."
"Yes, of course, you are right. Netzel-sama."
Netzel shakes his slack jaw and glares at the great hawks.
"They didn't seem to understand the basics. The food and repairs to the armor are all coming out of my own pocket, you know. ――That's why fanatics are such a pain in the ass."
"Well, thanks to those guys, we were able to drive the holy sword at the [Mighty Star], so it's fine."
An adventurer from a class-A party interjected.
Netzel nodded.
"Christo, I want you to leave for the swamp early tomorrow morning. Five of my men, and ten from the Adventurers' Guild will escort you.”
"Not an escort, but a survey party?"
"Hahaha, you could say that. Nice to meet you, boy!"
The muscle-bound adventurer clasped me by the shoulder.
He didn't like it because his armpits were soggy with sweat.
"Netzel-sama, can I take Patricia with me?"
"No, please don't. I have been entrusted by Count Lowell with her safety. I know that Patricia is a skilled hunter, but there is a big difference between hunting down a bunch of monsters and plunging into a swamp filled with poisonous fog."
"Is it really impossible?"
"No. I can't allow it. If she dies, it will be my responsibility. If you want a good escort, I have five of my men."
"We're with you too!"
(You guys are all a hindrance...)
Because of the soldiers and adventurers following him, he can't even release his true form to get through if he is in danger. It's like being forced to play chess with only the king and pawns.
"Netzel-sama, please make sure your men have enough food for four days. The adventurers should also have four days' worth."
"Leave the peace treaty to me. I'll leave the negotiations to receive the earth magic from the god of the swamp to you."
"Yes, I have no intention of returning empty-handed. Leave it to this Christopher Soderholm."
Netzel nodded [Yes, yes], patted Christo on the shoulder, and turned on his heel.
[My subordinate is good, right?] He yells at the adventurers.
Like I said, I'm not your subordinate―― He's not going to make a counter-argument, because he's already gotten tired of it.
× × ×
Bringing the bread, dried meat and wine provided by the village and returning to the guesthouse where they are staying.
According to Netzel, Melvina was back at the guesthouse, but he could not find her there. Instead, he found a crowd of people in the northeast part of the village―― toward Ulrika's house.
On the bank leading to the guesthouse, he squinted across the fields.
"Christo? What's wrong?"
Patricia, who had been at the entrance of the guesthouse, pulling out a tub, a scrubbing brush, and other things to clean off the dirt, looks up.
"There's a crowd at Ulrika's house."
"Ara... Maybe that herbalist committed suicide."
"Don't say such an ominous thing."
"I'm sorry. ――You're going? check on it, right. I'll clean the mud off of you."
"Thank you"
According to Pontus, Ulrika had not returned for the past few days and her grandmother had been looking for her in a half-mad panic. If Ulrika had returned home this morning, she would have explained to the old herbalist that she was leaving the village.
The old woman cries and clings to Ulrika, but Ulrika chooses the man she loves and runs off―― a hellish sight.
With only two members of her family, it is no wonder that the old woman will lose the meaning of her life if Ulrika, who is the last reminder of her son, abandons her.
Christo denied it, but as Patricia said, it was highly likely that the old woman had committed suicide and caused a stir.
"I'll go check on it after I've finished cleaning the armor."
"Yeah. I'm going."
He crossed the fallow field at a brisk pace and approached the crowd of people.
On the way, he noticed Melvina's presence in Ulrika's house at the far end of the crowd.
He was prepared to think that the old woman had finally hanged herself, but fortunately, there was no smell of death.
Christo spotted the village chief among the men standing around Ulrika's house.
"Ah, Christo!"
"Village chief. What happened?"
"Ulrika has returned."
The chief continued, pointing with his chin at the shingled roof of the pit dwelling.
The other men gathered around Christo.
"But she said she was leaving the village...... She's become friendly with the acting god of the swamp, and they're going to elope together."
"The herbalist is alive, isn't she?"
"She's alive. Why are you asking me that?"
"No... Where is Ulrika?"
When Christo asked, the village chief closed his mouth tightly.
"She's tied to the bed with a rope. What a stupid idea! She has no idea what she's doing, eloping with a demon and becoming a wanderer."
"So why are you all here?"
"We're all keeping an eye on Ulrika so she doesn't sneak out of the house."
A young man answers.
"I see"
"We're going to take turns keeping watch at night. Ulrika is a fool. She's been fooled by the [Mighty Star]."
"It looks like my fiancé is inside, too."
"Oh, Melvina-chan. Ulrika rampaged that we couldn't handle it, but she came and calmed her down. Thanks to that, Ulrika is calm now."
"Can I go inside?"
Christo asked the village chief, who indicated the entrance to the herbalist's house with his hand.
He bowed to the men and stepped into the pit dwelling.
Stepping over the steps at the entrance, he entered and saw wooden walls, thick pillars, and bundles of aromatic herbs hanging from the pillars. The earthen floor was littered with shards of earthenware, and the smell of old herbs lingered in the air.
Looking to the far left, he saw Ulrika on her knees on the bed and Melvina sitting in a chair beside her.
He can feel the presence of the old woman from the basement.
"Melvina"
"Christo-san!"
"Christo?"
Ulrika looked up.
She was still in the same clothes as when he met her this morning.
According to the village chief, she had been tied up with a rope, but it had been placed on the desk next to Melvina. Melvina felt sorry to keep her tied up, so she untied them for her.
As soon as she saw Christo's face, he was sure she would come to him and say, [Christo, help me!], but she unexpectedly lost interest and turned her head to the ground, clutching her knees again.
"What the hell is going on? I know Ulrika was planning to elope with [Mighty Star]."
"She had a fight with her grandmother this morning. Now we've put them in separate rooms to sort out their feelings."
"Your grandmother isn't hanging herself in the basement, is she?"
"No way"
Melvina pulls on the wooden lid handle attached to the dirt floor.
She looked downstairs and let out a small sigh.
"She's fine. She's sleeping."
"I see. ――Ulrika. I think you've kept your elopement partner waiting quite a while, what are you going to do now?"
Eltharion will not move until he makes peace with Netzel.
So, as far as Ulrika is concerned, she is in a position to have some time to spare until the peace is over.
Nonetheless, if Ulrika, who should have returned as soon as she packed her things, doesn't return, Eltharion might get worried and come down to this village to see what's going on.
If that happens, then it will get complicated.
"I don't know."
Ulrika replied with an exhausted look on her face.
Tears began to trickle from her eyes.
"I... what should I do? I told Eltharion that I would leave the village with him. But... if I'm gone, grandmother may lose hope of living. Everyone in the village was very worried about me. When I told them I was going with Eltharion, they all objected."
Melvina takes out a handkerchief and wipes Ulrika's eyes.
Ulrika continued to weep without blinking.
"It happens because you try to act for someone else. Think about what you want to do."
"I-I didn't say that."
"You know how much Eltharion and everyone in the village means to you, don't you? Then there is no way you can weigh them both in the balance and come to a conclusion. In the end, you have to go where your soul leads you."
"I've never thought about what I want to do before. The important things for me are Eltharion, grandmother, and everyone in the village."
Ulrika despaired of finding fault with herself.
"I have no desire to do anything..."
"It's not something to think about too much. Ulrika isn't calm right now. After a good night's sleep, it will come naturally to you what you want to do."
"Y-yes. Thank you..."
"No, don't worry about it."
"Melvina, let's leave this to the chief and the others and go home."
As soon as Christo had determined that Ulrika's mental state seemed to be okay for the time being, he boldly interrupted the conversation between the two.
He's not harassing anyone else.
Eltharion, who would think that Ulrika had been taken, might attack if things went wrong, so he just wanted to evacuate Melvina from this place just in case.
Melvina nodded at Christo's words.
"That's right. Ulrika-san and the others need time to think alone. Ulrika-san, I know it's none of my business, but please talk to your grandmother again after you calm down. ――I was not able to have a proper talk with Onii-sama until the end. I still regret that I should have at least made things right with Onii-sama before he became a mute holy tree."
"――――"
Ulrika nodded.
Melvina smiled and said, [Take care of yourself], and looked up at Christo.
"I'm sorry. Shall we go back?"
× × ×
Unlike the way there, the return trip was a slow crossing of the fallow land.
During this time, Christo told Melvina that he was going as a messenger deep into the swamp.
"As you said before, it's to receive the earth magic from the god of the swamp, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Two days each way. It's a four-day trip. You will stay with Patricia. Patricia might return to the royal capital, though."
"Um, if sister-in-law is going home, I want to go home too. I don't want her to be alone now."
Melvina's expression was earnest.
Christo knows that Patricia is not too depressed, but Melvina is not.
In Melvina's mind, Patricia is a tragic woman who lost her husband and son, and Finn sends people to assassinate her.
It would be absolutely out of Melvina's character to leave Patricia alone to return to the royal capital and take a leisurely trip to Helson territory as well.
It is a pity, but it is because Melvina has such a kind heart that he falls in love with her.
He wanted to respect her wishes.
Christo nodded.
"Patricia will have to study for her exams when she gets home. She will need someone to support her with meals and cleaning. ――I understand. I will go to the Helson territory alone."
"I'm sorry. I couldn't accompany you until the end."
"I'm sorry I couldn't let you grow your wings at all. I've been making you work for the past few days."
"Fufu. Rather than doing nothing, it's better to help everyone. I've enjoyed myself. I met a lot of different people, and I got to see some rare monsters, which broadened my knowledge."
"I'd appreciate it if you said that. I will definitely make this up to you."
"Don't worry about that. It is not between me and Christo-san."
Melvina suddenly fell silent after saying that much.
Christo looked at Melvina with concern. She looked down as if she was lost, then looked up and opened her mouth with a serious expression on her face.
"Um, I'm going to ask you something that doesn't make sense."
"Yeah?"
"If... if I wanted to follow Christo-san's adventures in the swamp, how would Christo-san respond?"
"You want to follow me into the swamp?"
"…Yes. Ah, but I'm not going to bend the navel when you tell me not to follow you! It's just that I genuinely wondered if Christo-san would take me with you if I said such a thing."
Melvina is talking fast.
She wore her blond hair in a braid today, but her forward remarks made the strands of blond hair bounce in front of her blouse.
"I can't take you"
"Ah... yes. I-I know, right? O-ohohoho......"
"The swamp is dangerous, with poisonous mists and many monsters lurking around. The god of the swamp has yet to appear before us, and we only have a glimpse of its true identity from Baron Ixel's records. If the god of the swamp is friendly, that is good, but if it is hostile, the swamp will be a place of death. There is a very high possibility that the mission will suffer near annihilation. There is no way I could take you to such a place."
"But Christo-san is going to [that kind of place], right?"
"I promise I will return safely."
"Onii-sama is!"
Unusual.
Or rather, for the first time, Melvina interrupted Christo's words with a strong tone.
"Onii-sama didn't return. Christo-san may not return either―― I can hardly stand to think about it."
Melvina grabbed the sleeve of Christo's clothes and looked up at Christo with desperate eyes.
"Would you take me with you? I am sure I can be of great help to you. I would protect you even if I had to!"
"That doesn't make sense. If I'm safe and you're not, that would be a tragic end."
"――――"
"Melvina, you are my princess. I can't let you be in danger. You and Patricia are going to stay here and wait it out."
"――――"
"Melvina?"
"I understand."
Melvina said as her shoulders slumped.
"Good girl. Melvina, there is a saying in the world, the right person for the right job. I can't take you to the swamp, but I'm counting on you for everything else. Is that not good enough for you?"
"No"
"I will return safely for your sake. I will return even if I sacrifice all my escorts."
When Christo said that, Melvina smiled vaguely.
"Just kidding. The Christopher Soderholm I know isn't the kind of person who would abandon his allies and save himself. You're a strong and kind person who never abandons his allies. That's why I'm worried. Please. Please take care of yourself too."
"You seem to have a very high opinion of me..."
"What are you saying about the [Hero of the North] who saved sister-in-law Kat and sister-in-law Patricia and saved the pioneer village from the threat of [Mighty Star]?"
Melvina's straight gaze hurts.
In a sense, Christo thought this was a curse.
"That's right. I think a strange horse will be coming to the guest house soon, but please take care of it."
"A strange horse?"
"Yeah. It's an amphibious, bicorn-like creature with a seal's tail. I've already spoken to Patricia."
"A seal's tail, two horns... A subspecies of kelpie, perhaps. What brings this creature to the guesthouse?"
"I found it in the forest and made friends with it. If it looks dangerous, please stay away from it."
"I understand. It is a seal's tail, a bicorn. I'll be careful not to attack it."
"I'm counting on you."
Like the battle on the mountain of the holy tree, Melvina must be under a lot of stress because she is always being left behind by Christo. He would not have to worry about her doing anything dangerous if she was entrusted with the care of [Enbarr] sent from Eltharion.
Christo stroked Melvina's head and looked towards the guest house.
In front of the guest house, Patricia, who had finished changing her clothes, was waving her hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment