Thunder Squids appear occasionally, and Éclair Dolphins are said to be almost guaranteed, so that part is fine with me, but I didn’t expect Krakens or Scythe Tentacles to be there.
However, many sea monsters are edible, so I’m sure these unusual ones will be delicious too.
I might offer one of the legs to the Dragon King Family, but I intend to secure the rest.
It’s not by chance, but two 30-meter-long Kraken legs and two Scythe Tentacle legs have already been sold to the Hunter’s Guild in Etrada. The Hunter’s Guild was quite pleased, especially with the Kraken, as even two legs from such a massive creature amounted to a substantial amount of meat.
The Oceanlight Falcon is said to be staying in Etrada for a while. Although I believe they will be fine, the two Hydragonewts, having acquired weapons made of Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron in Amister respectively, seem concerned about getting caught up in unnecessary trouble if they were to go to Dragunia now. I wondered how they obtained them, but it turns out they were given them at a bargain price as a reward for helping Crafters who were transporting Feather Drake hides.
“Since you’re here, why not stay a little longer?”
“Oh no, welcome them to my territory. I’ll assign my daughter as a guide.”
And now, they’ve been caught by a noble who happened to be in Etrada. This never happened in Amister, so they were completely caught off guard.
“Though I appreciate the offer, I must decline. I’ve been invited by the Holy Mother Dragon.”
“In that case, my sister shall escort you to Dragunia.”
“No, no, my daughter will.”
It’s quite obvious they’re trying to marry their sisters or daughters off to me. In Amister, I would have firmly rejected them, but since this is Valentia, I’m struggling to decide if I can be so direct.
“Sorry, but I’ve had enough of nobles. Get out of my way, please?”
“That’s right. Besides, we already have an escort, so we don’t need one.”
“We also need to meet His Majesty the Dragon King, so we don’t have time to waste on such trivial matters.”
At that moment, Prim, Mana, and Yuri arrived with smiles. They were smiling, but their expressions were terrifying.
“Silence, you brat!”
“How dare you speak to us like that!”
The nobles, having been told they were in the way and that their offer was trivial, were furious. I can understand that, but if my wife or fiancée were spoken to like that, I wouldn’t stand for it either.
“Selfish people are what I dislike the most. Get lost.”
“Hih!”
“Yuri, why don’t you show them your license?”
“Agreed.”
“!? ”
Seeing my intense gaze and Yuri’s license, the two nobles turned pale. Especially upon learning that Yuri was royalty from Amister, they trembled and prostrated themselves.
“W-we beg your pardon!”
“Aaaah, we didn’t realize you were a princess of Amister!”
“Ignorance is no excuse. Furthermore, we are the wife and fiancée of Lord Yamato here. I am still a minor and not yet married, but my marriage to my elder sister, Primrose of Valentia, has been announced and should have been reported to Dragunia by the Valentian ambassador.”
The reason I had Yuri show her license instead of Mana’s is that Mana’s family name changed after marrying me. While her epithet “Huntress Princess” is famous, it might not be convincing to nobles. Mana herself seemed to understand this, which is likely why Yuri’s license was chosen this time.
“Let’s go. And no, we have no interest in your sisters or daughters.”
“Indeed. It would lower Valentia’s reputation. You should receive due punishment from His Majesty the Dragon King as well.”
While it’s true I have no intention of accepting their sisters or daughters, they were merely seeking a connection with me. I thought it was a normal noble practice, and I wasn’t planning to report it to the Dragon King or lower Valentia’s reputation.
“We need an example. Otherwise, it will be difficult to move around in Valentia.”
“Besides, with Lydia and Ludia, we need to make sure nobles understand the situation clearly, or it could lead to trouble.”
Is that so?
“Even if their father is a Dragon Lord, they are of common origin, so there are bound to be nobles who are jealous. Some nobles might even refuse to acknowledge Lydia and Ludia’s engagement.”
“No, marriage is a personal decision, and why do their marriages need noble approval?”
“There are indeed nobles who think that way.”
This is troublesome. I’ll just ignore them. If they cause too much trouble, I won’t stay silent.
“As long as they aren’t killed. If it comes to that, an investigation will be launched into why Yamato intervened, and the nobles won’t get away with it either.”
“As long as they aren’t killed” – does that mean force is acceptable? Well, I would retaliate if something happened to me.
“Moreover, even if we don’t report it, His Majesty the Dragon King will be informed. This is a gateway to Amister, so any incidents could escalate into an international issue with Amister.”
That’s right. Since there are regular ferries to and from Amister, it’s not surprising that there would be units or personnel directly under the Dragon King’s command. The Valentian Dragon Knights are strong, but their strength comes from their dragon-transformed Dragonian powers, and I’ve heard they won’t cooperate if Valentia is at fault.
While we discussed this, ignoring the nobles prostrating themselves before Yuri, we couldn’t afford to waste any more time here and headed for the Beast Carriage.
“Hm?”
“The Beast Carriage seems to be making some noise…”
“I have a bad feeling about this…”
I couldn’t agree more. And our premonition proved accurate; the commotion was indeed coming from our Beast Carriage.
“For goodness sake, move aside!”
“That’s right. We can’t get out!”
“Don’t be so unfriendly. We’re offering to guide you through Etrada.”
“Yeah, man! Turning down a kind offer like that is pretty harsh, huh?”
Mina and Flam are the ones being harassed. Execution is certain. By the way, where is Raus? He should be able to handle most people, unless they’re High Class.
“Yamato, over there!”
“What!”
I turned to where Prim was pointing, and Raus was lying on the ground. Not only that, but his sword had been stolen!
“Hah, for a kid, you’ve got a nice sword.”
“Be grateful, because we’re going to use it for you… Gyaaaah!!”
“What the hell are you doing?”
With Accelerating Magic, I punched the Dragonewt man holding Raus’s sword. These guys are definitely marked for execution.
“Y-you! What are you doing?”
“That’s what I should ask you. Not only did you beat up my disciple, but you stole his weapon too. Do you think you’ll get away with this alive?”
“Hih!?”
Taking the opportunity, I enhanced my magic power and intimidated the ones harassing Mina and Flam at the Beast Carriage.
“Wh-what do you want, man! Do you know who we are!?”
“I have no reason to know trash like you.”
“Gyaaah!!”
I broke the arm of the Dragonewt who stole Raus’s sword and retrieved it. Then, I blew away the scum who were surrounding Rebecca, Carol, and Yuria.
“Carol, take care of Raus.”
“Y-yes!”
Raus’s injuries are severe, but fortunately, there’s no sign of lasting damage. I left the scene to Prim, who had rushed over, and headed for the Beast Carriage.
“Don’t try to woo my wife.”
“Eek!!”
The intimidation I’d been using, combined with my use of Accelerating Magic, must have made it seem like I appeared out of nowhere, startling them. Not that I care.
“Are you alright, Mina, Flam?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. Um, how is Raus?”
It’s natural for Flam to be worried, as Raus is her brother.
“He’s fine. He was jumped by a group, so he lost consciousness, but Carol is healing him, so he should be alright.”
“That’s a relief…”
Still, Raus is level 39 and skilled in using magic. How could he be beaten so badly, even with the numbers against him? Come to think of it, where are Lydia and Ludia?
“Mina, where are Lydia and Ludia?”
“They went to find the ambassador, who should be waiting for us in Etrada.”
I see. The ambassador to Amister had offered to guide us to Valentia, knowing we were going. I declined because I planned to take our time, but they said they would wait in Etrada regardless, due to preparations. So they went to find that ambassador.
“Don’t move! What are you doing!”
Several guards arrived, but weren’t they too late?
“Th-that guy suddenly threatened us!”
“H-he stole our weapons too! Hurry and arrest him!”
Hey, are you really going to believe those thugs? Of course, you do! The guards are surrounding us.
“Is this considered an act of aggression against Valentia?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s too early to make that judgment.”
Raus and the others are with Mana and Prim, so that side should be fine.
“Remain calm! If you resist, you will be cut down here!”
“Are you willing to listen to our side of the story?”
“The word of criminals is not worth hearing!”
Seeing the thugs smirking, it looks like these guards are in on it. I have no choice.
“Can you still say that after seeing this?”
I threw my license towards the guard who spoke. If they still have something to say, I’ll have to consider Valentia an enemy.
“A license? This… Could it be… You’re the one reported…!”
The guards turned deathly pale.
“Too late…”
Lydia and Ludia arrived, bringing Ragnac Eklade, the ambassador to Amister, with them. Is there a lot of guards?
“A-Ambassador!”
“Captain of the Guard!”
“Yes! Arrest those individuals!”
Following the Captain of the Guard’s orders, the guards, in league with the thugs, began arresting them one by one.
“Wh-why us too!?”
“Did you think we wouldn’t know you were colluding with them? Furthermore, falsely accusing royalty of Amister is utterly outrageous. Understand that your crime is not something you can atone for alone!”
The guards who had surrounded us hung their heads in dismay, but it was undoubtedly a grave offense, as it narrowly avoided an international incident with Amister. I feel for their families, but the crime must be that serious.
“Lord Ragnac, what about these individuals?”
“I apologize. They are hunters called Drake Pain. They have a history of bad behavior and were banished from Dragunia. We heard they recently relocated to Etrada, and we rushed back, but…”
Ah, so that was their preparation – dealing with these guys. We didn’t make it in time, but since we managed to apprehend them in the end, I suppose it’s acceptable.
“Drake Pain’s leader is a level 44 Hydragonewt. It seems you incapacitated him, but since they attacked you, they cannot escape the death penalty.”
A Hydragonewt? Ah, the one I broke the arm of. I see, that explains why Raus was defeated. Raus was indeed outmatched against a High Class opponent. The Hydragonewt was resisting until just now, but after Prim and Mana lent a hand, he was knocked unconscious and taken away.
“What about those guards?”
“They likely received bribes from Drake Pain and were facilitating their actions.”
I figured as much.
“Etrada receives many visitors from Amister, so this is certainly a problem.”
Mana and Yuri had also arrived. As princesses, they couldn’t overlook such issues.
“We apologize. We will report this to His Majesty the Dragon King immediately and strive to restore public order.”
“Please do. Also, regarding the nobles who accosted us, could you investigate their connection to this matter?”
“Nobles? And they accosted you?”
So that report hadn’t reached them.
“Earlier, they tried to force their daughters or sisters on Yamato. We declined immediately, but when we returned to the Beast Carriage and found this, we can’t help but think it’s related.”
It’s possible they’re unrelated, but the timing was extremely unfortunate.
“Is that so… We are truly sorry. That noble will be apprehended immediately, and we will investigate the facts.”
“Please do. Also, we intend to head to Dragunia tomorrow morning. Is that acceptable?”
“Of course. As we have caused you inconvenience through our negligence, that is of no issue whatsoever.”
That’s a relief. Being held up here would have been unbearable.
We were released shortly thereafter and checked into the Amister Royal Family’s customary lodging. Raus also woke up soon after, but he seemed angry at his own incompetence. Although his weapon was recovered, he immediately expressed his desire to evolve into High Class. If he said it was to protect Rebecca and Carol, I couldn’t refuse.
The investigation revealed that Drake Pain had been engaging in similar activities not only in Etrada but in other towns as well. Furthermore, they had ties to the nobles who tried to push their daughters on us, and these nobles had been backing them, which explained why their actions hadn’t been discovered until now. Subsequently, the noble family was dissolved, and the entire family was executed. The Hydragonewt from Drake Pain met the same fate. The other hunters and the bribed guards, along with their families, were made criminal slaves and sent to the Adamantine Steel mines.
The noble who tried to push his daughter on us happened to be visiting Etrada and was deemed uninvolved, thus released. However, he later received punishment for disrespecting the Amister Royal Family, resulting in a demotion in rank and a reduction in his territory.
Despite encountering trouble right after landing in Valentia, it made me realize how peaceful Amister was. Or rather, this is probably the norm.
