“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”
“What was that pathetic voice?”
After that meeting, the first thing I did when I returned to the inn was loosen my tie, sink into the armchair, and stretch my back. Being constantly alert while not participating in conversations all day puts a lot of strain on my muscles. My bones felt stiff, and with every movement, I heard a series of satisfying cracks. I truly admire those who make a profession out of work like this. After stretching out thoroughly, I must have looked quite foolish in my relaxed state. I apologize for exposing such an undignified sight, but please overlook it this once, as I’ve been striving in a job I’m unaccustomed to.
“I was on guard for over half a day, not just an hour, in that space that felt like a battle of tricksters. My whole body is stiff beyond belief.”
I retorted defensively to Evia’s accusatory gaze, saying it couldn’t be helped.
“That’s why I told you, didn’t I? Solving things by just being violent is so much easier.”
However, that didn’t mean she would simply accept it. I had no grounds to argue with her words, which expressed her exasperation that I had acted too cautiously.
“Ah, I thoroughly understand. I accept it. It was indeed troublesome.”
I meekly surrendered. I had wondered what kind of discussions would take place in a negotiation between nations, but it was horrendous. To be honest, a forceful sales pitch from a salesperson would have been more pleasant to listen to. Each faction stood their ground, observing for any momentary lapse to outmaneuver the other, probing each other’s intentions. There was courtesy, but no room for hesitation. It was a debate that embodied the idea of “eat or be eaten.” Witnessing such a scene, filled with such exchanges, left me mentally exhausted.
“In the future, you’ll have to deal with even more cunning individuals than those.”
“…That’s right.”
And when I thought about it calmly, if I continued to advance, I would eventually have opportunities to interact with the elders of the Demon Lord’s Army, who belonged to long-lived races. A contest of wits spanning decades, with those who could call themselves young despite their lifespans. Just thinking about it felt exhausting.
“Still, was it okay?”
“Was what okay?”
Not wanting to dwell on such thoughts, I tried to change the subject and asked about Evia’s earlier response.
“Well, about the envoy. Isn’t inviting them to the country quite dangerous? It allows them to investigate the country, of course, but more importantly, it’s a matter of public safety. When I went there, there was quite a strong atmosphere of human contempt.”
At that time, I was accompanied by the fathers of Suella and Memoria, so there was no problem, but when I thought about it carefully, I was convinced that if I had gone alone, it would have undoubtedly led to trouble. If a group of Japanese people were to visit, the outcome would be as clear as day. Evia, of course, understood this. I asked her, sharing my personal experience from my visit to the continent, and she understood what I meant and replied.
“Ah, so that’s what you’re concerned about.”
“Concerned? Is it not as big of a problem for the Demon Lord’s Army as I’m imagining?”
From the perspective of the Demon Lord’s Army, which was at war with humans, inhabitants of another world were still humans. If they were to visit as a group, protected by the national army, wouldn’t that provoke opposition? Evia showed no signs of concern. She slowly sat down next to me, and following her gesture of indicating I should straighten up, I sat up properly. She then leaned into me slowly. Lately, or rather, since Suella gave birth, it seems she’s been seeking physical contact more often. I don’t dislike it. In fact, as a man, I’m happy about it. When a woman you like shows you her affection like this, how could a man not be pleased? Wishing it were about something other than work, I put my arm around her shoulder. As if confirming my correctness, her tail swayed.
“Initially, the areas they can see are limited to a very small part of the military facilities. Anything more than that is easily managed. For outdoor inspections, showing off one or two flashy magic spells during military exercises should suffice. It might even be interesting to leave it to Raidou and Nōraifu.”
“I think you should stop. No one would die, but they’d be instilled with some pretty outlandish common sense instead. It’s like how foreign people see Japanese samurai and ninjas as superheroes.”
“But that’s precisely what’s interesting, isn’t it? Jiro, you’re a bad man for stealing their fun.”
Evia chuckled softly, her hair swaying, and the scent of her womanhood, even after work, tickled my nose. My heart gave a slight jump, and she cast a sidelong glance, teasing me, asking if this much was enough. I could only offer a wry smile, thinking that things would likely continue this way.
“…Has there been any progress?”
After exchanging jokes for a while about the results of the meeting, Evia sighed and uttered an uncharacteristically tired complaint.
“But it’s no good. I’m trying to conserve my magic power, but if things continue like this, I won’t be able to maintain a combat-ready state.”
She complained about taking too long. Although less than half of the scheduled time had passed, Evia’s magic power was depleting by the moment. If she couldn’t replenish her magic stock, this was the natural consequence, and it was within expectations. However, this fact seemed to be placing a greater mental burden on Evia than she had imagined.
“I intended to resolve things before it came to this.”
Although she seemed down, she didn’t show it. I gently hugged her a little tighter, and finally, Evia’s lips curved into a slight smile, and she leaned into me with more force. Then, I softly kissed her.
“…”
We parted our lips, which had just touched, and without any signal, we touched again, feeling the softness of her. If I were told to spend time in an environment where oxygen was constantly decreasing, as if submerged in the sea, I wondered how long I could maintain my sanity. At first, I might feel at ease because there was still oxygen, but as the remaining amount decreased, my anxiety would grow, and I might lose the ability to make sound judgments. However, Evia couldn’t afford to show such a reaction. She was the face of the Demon Lord’s Army, their representative. Her words were a message to this world and the foundation for future diplomatic relations. She couldn’t afford to complain or show weakness. I knew she was a strong woman, but even so, thinking that she carried such a heavy burden on these slender shoulders, I felt immense respect. That’s why I thought it was no trouble at all to lend my shoulder and support her as she awkwardly sought comfort.
“?”
I sensed a tense atmosphere. Recalling when and where I had sensed this feeling, my gaze naturally sharpened.
“An enemy, Jiro?”
“I don’t know. But—”
I gently pushed Evia’s shoulder away and stood up, looking out the window. Could Evia, who was minimizing her magic power consumption, not sense this presence? Seeing my wary expression, she must have judged that something was there. She stood up as well.
“This feels unpleasant.”
The sun had already set, and dusk had settled in. A shining full moon hung in the sky, and the surroundings seemed to be peacefully calm. No, it was too quiet.
“…What is that?”
The entire area fell silent, as if not even a single insect remained. As I scanned my surroundings, a shadow appeared in the moonlight.
“Something like a phantom beast?”
Evia, following my gaze, also furrowed her brow at its contour. In the land governed by gods, an ordinary beast would not be flying in the sky. Considering the lack of commotion, perhaps this was common in this land. Ignoring us completely, the beast floating in the moonlight simply soared through the night sky and finally disappeared beyond the mountains.
“What was that?”
“Well, at least the villagers aren’t making a fuss, so it’s probably not an immediate danger.”
As if nothing had happened, and not even with the air of someone who had seen something rare. The return of the subtle sounds of daily life instead made the anomaly more palpable.
“It was an unpleasant sight.”
“You thought so too, Evia?”
Despite it ostensibly being a fantastical creature, contrarily, I felt it was something we shouldn’t have encountered. If it were dangerous, there should have been a warning. The fact that there was no warning meant there was no problem. However, this unease in my chest fueled my anxiety.
“Yes, I could tell even from a distance. That thing wouldn’t blend in with a crowd. Among us, Pascal would be the closest comparison.”
“The Dragon King?”
“Dragons are often spoken of as symbols of disaster. He’s caused quite a few problems in the past. While he’s now under the Demon Lord’s protection, it’s common knowledge that if he’s left unchecked, there will be consequences.”
You understand, don’t you? she asked, and having fought him twice, I couldn’t deny her words. If not properly managed, it would become a natural disaster. The fact that a beast of the same ilk had flown over this village caused me, in hindsight, to feel relieved that nothing had happened.
“Should I ask Kirie-san?”
“If you can confirm it. Though I doubt she’ll tell you the truth.”
If there are potential problems, they should be eliminated as much as possible. Currently, my combat capabilities are significantly reduced. I’d prefer not to stir up trouble unnecessarily, but being caught in a disaster due to ignorance is also unacceptable. Stubbornly maintaining ignorance carries too great a risk.
“It’s better than not doing anything. I’ll go contact her.”
“No, wait. I’ll go with you.”
If we head to the main building, we can contact Kirie-san through the innkeeper. Since mobile phones don’t work, I don’t know how we’ll communicate, but if we can reach her, it’s fine. As Evia and I prepared to go outside, my hand reaching for the door.
“Please wait.”
“!”
A voice called out from the other side of the door. I instinctively stepped back, positioning myself in front of Evia to shield her.
“My apologies for startling you. However, please refrain from going out at this moment.”
Even through the thickness of the door, the muffled voice clearly reached our ears.
“You will explain why, won’t you?”
Evia asked the voice, without flinching. This person was likely one of the escorts or surveillance members provided by the Association. Those recurring stares and presences—he was definitely one of them.
“Yes. The shadow that appeared in the moon earlier was a Moon Fox. It is a beast that dwells in this village.”
The unknown person calmly answered Evia’s question.
“Normally, it stays peacefully in a shrine deep in the mountains, but sometimes it flies around the sky like that from dusk until midnight. It usually returns within ten minutes, but if anything piques its interest, it descends to the ground.”
“Is it harmful?”
“No. It is a divine messenger of Mimamori-sama. As long as it is not harmed, it will not bare its fangs. However, it is the greatest secret of our sanctity. We do not wish for it to be seen by many or to have them grow interested and make contact. It may be restrictive, but we ask for your patience until the mountains become quiet again.”
With that, the voice behind the door fell silent. Evia and I exchanged glances, pondering what to do. We concluded that it would be best not to provoke it and potentially worsen the impression, so we silently returned to the room.
“I thought your bad luck would have attracted it, Jiro.”
“Please stop. That’s tempting fate. If you say things like that, they might come true.”
Evia, who had expected to get caught up in trouble, spoke up. I shook my head, pleading with her to spare me.
“Well, that thought might not be so far off after all.”
“Honestly, please spare me. Divine negotiations for diplomacy. What more do you expect me to do?”
The demoness, apparently finding my relief to be fertile ground for teasing, grinned. I let out a sigh, as if truly exhausted.
Today’s Word: Being told “one more job” happens quite often.
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*The first volume of this novel has been published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year.
The second volume was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The content has been revised and expanded from the version posted on Shosetsuka ni Naro, with the addition of an unpublished interlude.
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