『Like hell I’m eating something a half-elf touched!』
The shouting still echoed through the streets.
Every time it hit my ears, my skin crawled and my hair stood on end.
「H-hey, nii-chan?」
One of the adventurers called out to me, but it didn’t matter.
Right now, the only thing in my head was moving my legs forward.
「Whoa, calm down, man!」
He grabbed my shoulder, but I ignored him and kept walking.
The direction of the voice.
The word ‘half-elf’.
From that alone, I could tell, no, I was certain, they were talking about Mizera.
Which meant I had to get there. Fast.
「I’m fine. I’m calm. So let go.」
「No, no, no! Your eyes, man! They’re bad news!」
「You’ve got the same look as when you tried to punch me before! You’re totally pissed off!」
「I ‘am’ pissed off.」
At myself.
Even though Shiro was with her, I still let my guard down…
It should’ve been obvious that a festival like this would mean she’d be interacting with all sorts of strangers, especially men.
Those bastards were still yelling at her.
Mizera was probably terrified right now.
And it was my own carelessness that led to it.
That’s why I have to get to her, protect her.
My anger at myself was bad enough, but my anger toward those men… and toward this country’s twisted customs… was just as strong.
「All the more reason to calm down, damn it. They might attack you too.」
「Haaah… I know. I’m fine.」
Yeah. I’m calm.
Shiro’s with her, so her life isn’t in danger.
But… hearts aren’t that tough.
Emotional wounds are easy to reopen.
「…Then, uh, what’s that?」
He pointed at the test tube I was holding.
Something I’d pulled from my magic storage space earlier, a perfectly safe substance, no risk of death.
「Just some Tatanaknarl.」
「Whaaaat?! You finished it?! You actually completed ‘that’ drug?!」
「Don’t be stupid. I finished it ages ago. This one’s just odorless, tasteless, and spreads easily through the air.」
「We’ll get caught in it too, damn it! Calm down! The others already got the hint and went ahead of you, so it’s fine, alright?!」
It was to prevent them from getting away, so it couldn’t be helped.
This was what you called collateral damage.
…Sorry, but they were shouting whatever they pleased, right?
Then we would do as we pleased as well.
「I have the antidote… so it will be fine, right?」
「You can’t just say ‘it heals’ and go for it!? W-wait!? Nii-chan, haven’t you gotten stronger!? Stoppppp!」
「Help me, everyone! Our groins are in big trouble! Someone stop him!」
Hearing that, more and more adventurers gathered.
There was no way to push through that number of people.
「Aina. Remove them.」
「Yes. Got it.」
「Sorte, Renge, Wendy, mind the stall. Pause sales for a bit.」
「Yes. Understood.」
「Master, do whatever you like with himssu!」
「If Shiro’s there, my lord will be fine… Got it. Take care.」
「「「「Please do not misunderstand!」」」」
The three of them sensed my feelings and sent me off.
Then Aina planted herself in front of the men trying to stop me.
「My liege. Leave this to me. Hit them hard.」
「Alright. I’m going.」
「I want to go too! Let me go! Mizera, my friend, was insulted! I’ll gut them!!」
「W-wait, calm down, whoever you are!」
Beside me, Seren-san was being held back by a group of girls just like me.
Seren-san already had her sword drawn and was advancing slowly, leaning on the blade like a staff, while eight girls tried to restrain her.
『What is this runt…? You planning to take us on? You look like slaves. Where is your master?』
Shiro was shielding Mizera.
She looked ready to pounce and cut them to pieces…. but she was a clever kid.
She must have thought of me and was holding back from striking.
They were looking for their masters.
I intended to shout “Here”, and step up to the two-man group when I finally saw them.
My pupils widened and I took a big step forward, but then I stopped.
「「「「「…」」」」」
「W-who the hell are you?」
「You spoke pretty roughly to one of our people.」
It happened in an instant.
Standing between the men and Mizera were the people who usually ran stalls, led by the woman who sold vegetables. Despite the rough, adventurer-like appearance of the men, they unflinchingly formed a wall to protect Mizera.
「You gonna defend her? She’s a half-elf! Treating half-elves as inferior is normal in the capital!」
「Y-yeah! The nobles decided it!」
「Nobles, huh? Who cares about them. Have they ever done anything for us? Did they help this child?」
The proprietor of the oil stall, a bear-person, cracked his knuckles and glared. The butcher even produced a huge cleaver used for butchering, which he had evidently been using at his stall.
「Y-you dare interfere with the nobles’ decisions!?」
「Hah? This is Einzheil. This is a commercial city. All sorts of people come here. Of course there are half-elves. Only in this country would someone think it’s fine to treat a half-elf like dirt.」
My teeth ground together. Parts of this country were rotten.
…Well, that might be true of any world.
Still, that did not make it acceptable.
「Mizera-chan supplies potions to us. She works on her own. How is she inferior?」
「That’s right. There are plenty of people in our adventurer’s guild who owe her their lives!」
「Thanks to her potions, my comrades survived. She’s not inferior. She’s an upstanding person!」
Now the adventurers stepped up in front of the stall keepers, strengthening the wall. Even the newcomers stood straight and firm.
「B-but it’s allowed… to treat half-elves as inferior!」
「Y-yeah! We did nothing wrong! In this country, it’s permitted!」
「It might be permitted. But this is not the capital. This is Einzheil. My town. I will not allow my people to be oppressed. I am not so patient.」
Origol walked slowly between me and Seren toward the center of the commotion.
Her demeanor had changed completely from usual. She carried himself like a solemn lord.
「This town was built by people who lost their homes in wars and uprisings. Different races, ages, and backgrounds gathered here. The kingdom never helped us. We grew by our own efforts, thanks to many races. We would never turn our backs now. We would never refuse to help our comrades.」
「What a runt…」
「Haha. Calling the lord a runt, are you brave enough for that? I’ll take that on record. Soldiers, detain these people.」
「「「Yes!」」」
「W-what… Lord!?」
Guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding the men with spears raised. The men lifted their hands to show they wouldn’t resist, but their eyes were fixed on Lord Origol.
「T-this can’t be happening…」
「The fact that someone like me, who isn’t a noble, can be a lord here proves that this city isn’t bound by the kingdom. I’m just a halfling. …It’s true that insulting a half-elf isn’t considered a crime in the kingdom. But calling me a runt? I’ll take that as disrespect toward a lord. And disrupting the festival is a serious offense. Be ready for the consequences.」
「Hii…!」
「Take them away!」
「「「Yes!」」」
With Origol’s firm command, the men were led away.
When she began walking toward the people who had stood as a wall to protect Mizera, the crowd parted, clearing a path for him.
「Hey. That was scary, huh? It’s alright now.」
「Ah…」
「You can relax. We’ll protect you. Of course, I’m sure onii-chan will too, but we’ll also stand by you. No matter what anyone says, you’re one of this city’s people.」
Everyone in the crowd nodded to those words.
I pressed my lips together, trying to hide the tremble.
Origol’s words made my chest tighten and my eyes sting with emotion.
「Thank you, everyone… truly, thank you…」
「Hey now, no gloomy faces! If you’re going to say thanks, do it with a smile! Come on, let’s blow away this heavy mood and enjoy the festival! We’ve still got a whole second day ahead!」
When Origol said that, the tension vanished as if it had never been, replaced by cheers and laughter.
I couldn’t help but smile myself.
Now I understood why Origol was loved as a lord, because she could be foolish at times, yet also so dignified when it mattered most.
「Our start was a little rough…」
「Yeah. But it turned out well. This is the best possible outcome.」
「Yes! It’s a wonderful city. Truly.」
「Yeah. It really is.」
From the bottom of my heart.
I was glad I came to this city.
I met Wendy and the others, and they accepted Mizera.
Everything began here.
And I too…
「Hmm…」
「Ah…」
Ah, right. Iris-sama was here too.
Now that I thought about it, Origol’s words had sounded quite critical of the kingdom…
「What do you mean by ‘ah’?」
「Well, um…」
「…Did you really think I look down on half-elves? That I, who maintain relations with other nations, would do something so foolish?」
…Well, you are a member of the royal family of this kingdom, aren’t you?
When I hear talk about nobles, well… you know.
Hm? Ayame-san, what’s wrong? You’re leaning in close… wait, don’t tell me you’re about to kiss my cheek,
「What kind of disgusting face are you making? Lend me your ear.」
「Ah, yes.」
Ah, never mind. I misunderstood.
Though honestly, I did think it was a weird moment for that kind of thing…
But still, was my face really that bad?
「…Listen carefully. Iris-sama’s work involves resolving problems like this. Corruption has been spreading beyond what the king himself can see. That is precisely why incidents like this occur…」
「…My royal uncle is too lenient because of blood ties. Mistakes made by royalty must be corrected by royalty.」
Ayame-san whispered softly, so only Iris and I could hear her, and the sound sent a chill down my spine.
Her uncle… that must mean the king, right?
And by “mistakes of royalty”, does she mean…?
「Still, she’s a good lord. I shall consider this matter in a favorable light.」
「Yes! I think this city is wonderful!」
「You think so too, Seren? Hmm. If someone as straightforward as you says so, then it must be true.」
That sounded rather cryptic on their end as well…
Come to think of it, when Seren-san first arrived, Sicilia-sama mentioned she had important business in this city…
Well, it’s probably something I have no part in anyway.
Matters between the royal family and the empire are far beyond me.
More importantly,
「Milord…」
「Welcome back, Mizera.」
「Yes… I’m back. I’m sorry for making you worry.」
「You don’t have to apologize, Mizera. I’m the one who should be sorry for not getting there sooner.」
「No, it’s fine. Now, milord, since we know what caused it, let’s fix the iron plate and get back to the festival.」
With a bright smile, as if nothing had happened, Mizera tugged on my sleeve and led me toward the stall.
「Ah, hey… wait, don’t pull me like that.」
「If we don’t fix it quickly, the customers will be troubled. The children are waiting too, so come on, hurry up.」
She looked better than I expected, which surprised me.
I thought she’d be pale after what happened… maybe she’s just putting on a brave face so we won’t worry.
For now, we decided to repair the iron plate, close up the stall since it was already late, and all return home together.
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