Time goes back to the morning.
“What’s all this commotion this early in the morning…?”
“I’m worried about getting to work.”
I expanded my Pink Space to Nene, telling her that her and our child were my bigger concern.
Finally, with a long, lingering Deep Kiss, I headed to work.
“Have a good day, my love… ♥”
“I’m off, my dearest Nene ♪”
On the way to work.
Fires, thieves…
There were an unusual number of incidents.
Soldiers moved in platoons along the street.
Ugh, I didn’t want to get involved. As I was nearing my workplace, though…
Enormous, unpleasant black smoke was rising towards the blue sky…
“Fire! Does anyone have a magic tool that can create water!? Call the soldiers!?”
“I heard embers from somewhere spread to the roofs!?”
The buildings in the slums were old.
Dusty. The wooden boards and thatched roofs, which were the building materials, were bound to catch fire if embers flew onto them.
“Wow…”
WHOOSH CRACKLE
My workplace was engulfed in flames and burning.
It seemed like my colleagues, including the small fry, had managed to escape safely.
“Let me go! I have my secret stash in there!”
“You’re the only one who can explain this to the Acting Manager! If you die, we can’t explain it!”
Small fry. Secret stash, huh.
So she was skimming off the top of the magic stones I regenerated, huh.
Hmph, she’s got quite the personality.
The currency of this country isn’t made of flimsy material that melts in fire, is it?
She could just look for it after the fire is out.
Just how much did she save? 100,000?
No, she wouldn’t jump into a sea of fire for that.
… 500,000!
The highest price for redeeming someone from the slums.
But even then, it would take years. It’s practically a legendary urban myth.
“Leeeeet me goooooo!”
“Nooooooo wayyyyyyyy!”
Ughhhh.
My workplace was on fire, so work was impossible.
Incidents were occurring all over the capital.
It would be best to be by the side of my beloved wife and child. ♪
I turned around and headed home… Oh?
Oh my, oh myyyy?
The embassy, amidst this series of simultaneous incidents.
Are they going to the Royal Palace for some sort of inquiry?
Are they planning to curry favor with the King?
A country that shows weakness easily accepts “aid” from other countries.
Once the country stabilizes, they’ll demand back the cost of that “aid,” now multiplied several times over, with a condescending attitude.
And if you refuse to pay in installments…
Because they have leverage, they’ll stir up economic and public order issues within the country.
Rustle rustle rustle Rustle rustle rustle
“Look! That group is from the Holy Nortes.”
“Wow, they all look so tough.”
“Shh. If you get overheard… *glance* You’ll get your face crushed with that blunt weapon.”
“You’re the one who told me to look.”
Holy Nortes (Holy Kingdom).
A religious nation.
Instead of the King.
The Pope is the head of the country.
The King handles domestic issues and organizes them.
The Pope, in response to the organized matters.
It was a country that dispatched its Holy Knight Division, if I recall correctly.
The people at their embassy are really tough-looking men and middle-aged women.
My son doesn’t get flustered by them at all~.
Rustle rustle rustle
“Kyaaa///! ♪”
“It’s Lord Wols~~♪///”
This next group.
I knew it from the excited screams of the women.
I don’t know about their combat skills, but their magic power is at a commoner level.
Still, Wols, the battalion commander who commands a whole battalion.
Bergarth (Republic of the Tower).
Their city is a giant tower.
Oriented towards defense.
When they shift to offense, it’s like thunder.
A strategy that leverages the difference in elevation.
Armies from other countries, if they manage to conquer one of these cities.
They use it as a topic for drinks.
Apparently, it’s something defeated soldiers talk about while getting drunk.
Or so the rumors go.
For the past few years, no country has tried to invade, so there’s no way to confirm if it’s true.
You’d have to search for defeated soldiers.
“B-but still…”
Kyaaa///! Ahhhhn♪///
Wols’s handsome smile is popular with young girls and ladies! ♪
In the middle of the commotion, I feel like throwing a stone at him from behind~~♪
After that, on the great street.
Topics were dominated by the groups heading from the embassy to the Royal Palace.
Passersby who heard that their own neighborhoods were on fire.
They interrupted their conversations and hurried home.
I was about to go home after throwing a stone at Wols and then heading to my house. I’d arrived at the main gate of the Royal Palace.
Rustle rustle Rustle rustle rustle rustle
There was a scuffle at the main gate.
About which country’s group to let through first.
“We are currently negotiating with someone upstairs about who to allow through…”
“There are multiple incidents happening near the embassy! Such a slow response will lead to bloodshed among the citizens!”
“Would you let us through? *Sparkle* We have something very (,,, ) important to confirm♪”
Kyaaa, Lord Wols~~♪♪/// So wonderful!
If the gatekeepers were women, it might have worked.
His gleaming handsome smile was incredibly effective on the women among the onlookers.
Annoyed, I was about to throw a stone—when I noticed something strange about the guards upstairs.
If you ask me what was strange, I’d struggle to put it into words, but.
My long-honed intuition told me something was off about the guards.
“Just open the gate quickly!!”
“You won’t be able to convey our words to those upstairs. Come, let at least us through.”
Come on! Come on! The representative of the group pressed the gatekeeper to open the gate.
What an intimidation. So childish.
Even though their subordinates are blocking everything, they’re…
Showing off their weapons a bit too much… Ah.
“!”
The guards who had been observing from above shot arrows at the representatives who were pressing the gatekeeper.
If they dodged or deflected them, they would undoubtedly be seriously injured.
“What—Tch!”
Tap tap tap!!
“Next! Fire!”
“…”
Kyaaaaa?! Uwaaaaahhhhhh?!
Onlookers… Arrows were flying towards me too.
“We’ve been ordered not to let anyone through from above!”
“This is an international incident!?”
“They shot arrows at us… Should we interpret this as a declaration of war? ♪?”
The siege of the main gate had begun.
I retreated towards my home, where Nene and our unborn child were waiting—
WOOOOooooooo!!!
“Defend the gate!”
“Enemy approaching! The main gate is under attack by brigands!”
From behind, the war cry of an opening battle.
The screams of unfortunate onlookers struck by stray arrows.
Ah, this was going to be a terrible day.
“Please, don’t let any embers. Or rather, even the flames of war, come to my home.”
Waaaaaaah.
Yaaah. Oooohhh.
