“Why are you here? Besides, isn’t it currently sealed off?”
The question of how he arrived here was natural, casting a doubt on the presence of someone who shouldn’t be able to come.
Currently, due to the magic sword incident, the teleportation circles, including those in the dungeon, to the main country are sealed.
So there’s no way this gentleman should be here…
“W-well, that is!”
“I brought him…”
“Suella… are you alright?”
“Yes, somehow.”
As Muil-san was about to boldly declare something, Suella appeared from behind him, interrupting his words.
However, her expression was somewhat tired, and it was obvious that Muil-san, who didn’t look like an old man, had done something questionable.
“Did something happen?”
“Yes, well, if you say something happened, it did. Yes, my grandfather caused a commotion on the other side… we were almost caught by the Military Police, I suppose?”
“You’re not alright, are you? What are you doing, Muil-san?”
“N-no, it’s not my fault, you know? I just brought good news to my son-in-law?”
As expected, after being confessed by Suella that he had caused trouble, Muil-san made excuses, explained his purpose for coming, and looked away.
The prediction was that he tried to eagerly deliver his good news, but the teleportation circle was closed, so he turned back and planned to come again another time. However, he couldn’t wait and acted like a child throwing a tantrum…
“What are you doing…?”
“What’s with that look! A look like I’ve committed a crime!”
“You’ve caused trouble for my pregnant granddaughter…”
“M-mm, when you say it like that… My son-in-law, you’re so mean.”
“You should choose who you cause trouble for.”
While not exactly a headache, his tendency to do something so out of the blue was just like him, betraying his initial impression.
He gave a wry smile, muttering to the slightly sulking Muil-san, and asked about his business.
“So, you have a reason for coming here despite the trouble?”
It would be problematic if he didn’t, and Suella seemed on the verge of exploding…
“That’s right! My son-in-law! I heard you’re participating in the competition to decide the General’s position. Is it true!?”
“Y-yes, it’s true, but where did you hear that?”
“Fufufu, I have my own information network, so this is nothing.”
“For someone with that network, you didn’t know the place was sealed.”
“Don’t be so petty, Suella! Don’t dig up things that are already done! My son-in-law will think you’re a picky woman!”
“For me, I have to create documents, so it’s not finished yet. I’ll tell Mother properly later.”
“Th-that’s not fair, is it? Bringing it up with Smilasta…”
“How many months do you want to shorten our evening drinks by?”
“…Fo-foh, that’s not why I came!”
“You’re dodging the question.”
“I’m not dodging it!”
Being relatives, they put on quite an entertaining skit.
Towards the end, Muil-san seemed to be losing, and in his concluding remarks, he was desperately trying to change the subject.
It seems that even in this otherworld, a man’s status in a family is low.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t escape Suella’s pursuit.
Will I become like that in the future? I thought, urging him to get to the point.
“Ahem! The fact that my son-in-law is participating in the competition is a golden opportunity for our tribe to potentially be awarded the General’s position. The stubborn Elder Council has finally agreed to such a great opportunity for my son-in-law. To help him gain even a little more power for the tournament, I have obtained permission for him to undergo the Spirit Ritual!”
“…I sort of expected the content of the conversation due to Muil-san’s arrival, but you managed to get permission. I thought the story had gone back and forth, and it was settled that a contract would be impossible for a human, or that it would be a waste of time, or that the tradition itself would prevent me, a human, from participating.”
It’s not unheard of for Dark Elves to marry members of other races, though rare.
However, when the other party is human, it becomes even rarer and more complicated.
There are humans in the Demon Lord’s Army’s main country.
They come from various bloodlines, such as descendants of slaves or descendants of humans who originally lived on the continent.
However, generally speaking, humans have a low status on the Demon Lord’s Army’s continent.
To put it plainly, they are the targets of persecution.
After all, their enemy in war is humans, so it’s not surprising that there are those who view humans, even their own kin, with hostility and thus persecute them.
And it’s natural for that to become the norm.
Of course, not all humans are persecuted.
There are certainly humans who have established a solid position.
However, they are likely a minority, and the majority cannot reach that point.
What Carter said about this company having a good environment for humans was probably referring to that.
In this company, there is little prejudice from the employees towards Tasters.
However, the perspective changes with the environment.
In fact, I experienced that treatment just by crossing to the continent for a small errand.
I won’t spout naive platitudes like “let’s all be friends here,” which even elementary school students today wouldn’t say.
I have no right to say it, nor do I intend to.
It’s someone else’s problem, after all.
In this world, it’s like helping refugees from a distant land, or the homeless nearby.
For me, who never paid attention to such things, to suddenly change my mind and try to save them with compassion would be utterly absurd.
In that sense, it was not impossible for humans, who lack power, to be rejected from challenging the sacred Spirit Ritual of the Dark Elves, especially when it came to the traditions of their race.
It was likely the result of the common sense, or rather, the history of the Dark Elves, standing as a wall.
When I decided to marry Suella, her parents and grandfather Muil-san, who were favorable to me as a human, tried to push the marriage forward. However, the surrounding people objected.
They thought it was audacious to allow a marriage, let alone a sacred ritual, to someone they didn’t know, a nobody from nowhere.
They refused to let us do as we pleased.
Although my previous attitude suggested they didn’t think much of me, the moment talk of me potentially becoming a Demon Lord’s Army executive arose, they completely changed their tune. It makes me think Dark Elves are quite fickle.
“What, at first they adamantly refused this proposal, but I got them drunk and made them prepare the documents. After all, they are stubborn. Once the documents are made, it’s ours. The matter of my son-in-law participating in the competition is just a convenient excuse to appease the lower-ranking officials.”
I thought so, but perhaps I was mistaken.
This seemingly not-old old man might be a formidable trickster.
He managed to push through the matter by disregarding logic and claiming that documents made in such a way were invalid.
“And what’s more. If I only brought my son-in-law, it would be seen as favoritism and tarnish his reputation. So, I’ve also arranged for his colleagues… the Testers? Or whatever their name is? All of them will have the opportunity to make a contract with the spirits! This way, you can come without any reservations!”
His consideration for my position was enough to make me realize that Suella had inherited her work ethic from him. However.
“Then please come in a more peaceful manner. Also, as the supervisor of the Testers, this is the first I’m hearing of it?”
“It’s a surprise!”
“I don’t need surprises at work!”
“Exactly.”
I think this playful spirit could be toned down a bit.
There’s nothing more unforgivable than a surprise at work.
“Haa, I can’t let my grandfather’s efforts go to waste, so I suppose I have no choice. I’ll have to talk to Evia-sama about this and get permission to use the teleportation circle.”
“Are you sure? It’s a very important time right now, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is, but this will also serve as a boost and improvement for the Testers. There’s no reason to miss this opportunity. However, it will be difficult to do immediately as the current search needs to be concluded.”
So, it’s understandable that Suella is acting not just as a granddaughter, but as the head of the Tester department.
If she had accepted the offer as a private individual, I would have yelled at her in anger.
Because she can calculate the profit and loss, she can accept this offer even if it means more work.
“Well, you should be happy about this. That’s why you didn’t have any romantic prospects until my son-in-law appeared.”
“Is it my imagination that I have more to talk about with Mother?”
“I haven’t said anything. I haven’t said anything!”
However, from Muil-san’s perspective, Suella’s attitude might seem cold, even though he brought good news.
That’s probably why he keeps showing glimpses of his dissatisfaction.
Since I can understand both of their feelings, I can only offer a wry smile at this conversation.
“Haa, would it work if we framed it as group training?”
“That’s a plausible reason on the surface… but shouldn’t you consult with Keiri-san?”
“Yes, this matter is too big for me to handle alone. Honestly, I’m hesitant to bring this up to Evia-sama when the magic sword search has yielded no results.”
“Is she that upset?”
“Yes, I hear so. Apparently, she’s in a state of emitting unpleasant magic power.”
“My, my.”
Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that she’s capable of doing her job properly and not lashing out for unreasonable reasons.
However, the timing is bad, I think to myself, though I don’t say it aloud.
Normally, the Supervisor would see the benefit in this proposal and give a straightforward green light. But as I thought earlier, the timing is bad right now.
I’m also hesitant to approach the Supervisor when things aren’t going well, especially with the magic sword search not yielding results.
Among the hardships of subordinates, approaching a displeased superior is probably one of the top three most unpleasant tasks.
“What it is, is there someone who doesn’t listen? If so, you should just say so. Alright, for the sake of my dear granddaughter, I’ll do what I can!”
“…”
While that conversation was happening elsewhere, there was a presence energetically trying to move things forward. Suella tried to stop Muil-san, who was nodding with certainty, as if he knew what a supervisor was or not.
“No, this is my job, so I can’t have you go to such trouble, Grandfather.”
“Nonsense, my dear granddaughter is having a hard time. I don’t consider this much of a hardship. Besides, this is a matter I brought up. It’s only fitting that I should be the one to discuss it.”
Muil-san’s words, told with a cheerful laugh, asking me to handle the communication, might indeed have some logic.
In a closer analogy, it’s like an offer of investment or donation.
It might go more smoothly if the person who brought the proposal directly discusses it, rather than Suella indirectly passing it on as a relative.
“If that’s decided, haste makes waste! I must request an audience with Lady Evia!”
Whether he was thinking along those lines or not, his impulsiveness is admirable, even if a bit rash.
“Once he’s decided this, there’s no stopping him.”
Suella, who had observed him for longer than I had, smiled with a hint of resignation, likely imagining what would happen next, and appeared somewhat resigned.
“I have time too, so I’ll help.”
“That would be a great help. I suspect things will get chaotic and we’ll need all the help we can get.”
“So, it’s back to paperwork as the main focus, isn’t it?”
Wondering when it had been since then.
I followed Suella, who was leading the motivated Muil-san, as she walked ahead.
As a side note, I might have been mistaken in thinking that the feeling of a hero challenging the Demon Lord at this moment was similar to the feeling of reporting to a displeased superior.
A word for today:
When you have too much free time, it’s wise to look for things to do, and consider seizing opportunities when they arise.
That’s all for this time.
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