Northern part of the Broidwan Empire
「……」
The great general, who had come for an inspection, froze the moment he saw it.
This place where he had sent them should have been nothing but empty wasteland.
「This is quite early, General.」
「It has been a while, Yaju.」
「Yes…….Is this what you wanted to see?」
「Yes. It is.」
There was a reason his superior had fallen silent.
Yaju, who had expected this from the start, placed his hand on the handmade fence and continued.
「At first, it was just a small cabin. But during the rainy season, no dragons appeared and we had too much free time. Then Tricia said her body was getting dull and started cutting down trees with an axe in each hand. The soldiers who were also bored thought it would be a waste to let the lumber rot, so they began expanding the cabin.
After repeating this day after day…… this is the result.」
Centered around a two-story wooden building, structures far finer than those in a clumsy town stood in neat rows. The great general…… Kishara could not close his open mouth.
「……You built an entire town just to kill time?」
「We did not intend to, but it ended up that way.」
「I see.」
What had been created could not be undone.
「I did not know you all were this skilled at building. A report came in that the embankment in the southwest collapsed from the heavy rains of the rainy season. Would you like to go and try building one there?」
「You must be joking.」
The great general’s rock-like expression made it impossible to tell how serious he was.
Just then, a tall woman came walking over with lumber on her right shoulder and a dragon on her left.
「What’s this? Kishara…… you’re already here?」
「You look as energetic as ever.」
「Hah! I’m so bored I feel like I’m going to die.」
She tossed both loads from her shoulders and cracked her neck loudly with a series of pops.
「Perfect timing. Want to play with me for a bit?」
「……I don’t mind.」
This was the typical outcome whenever these two battle-loving people met.
Yaju thought about stopping them for a moment but let out a sigh and gave up.
It would be pointless to try.
「Kishara-sama. Tricia.」
「What?」
「What is it?」
The two, full of fighting spirit, turned toward him with sharp glares, clearly hating the idea of being stopped.
Yaju, looking tired, pointed to a single spot that would normally make anyone shrink back.
「This place can be developed later to attract residents. It would be troublesome if it gets destroyed. So please use that wasteland over there.」
「Got it.」
「Can’t be helped.」
Realizing they were not actually being stopped, the two walked side by side toward the designated area.
It was their honest reaction because fighting was their common hobby, something they both loved.
「Yaju-sama. Is this really alright?」
「If you think it is a problem, then you go convince those two and stop them.」
「……No. I believe that is impossible for me.」
His subordinate who had quickly tucked his tail and fled received a sharp glance, causing Yaju to sigh once again.
He understood that the two were frustrated from only hunting dragons all the time. He understood, but he wished they would vent their energy in some other way.
A roar and an explosion rang out.
That was the signal. The empire’s top-tier powerhouses had begun their playful bout.
-0-
Selswin Republic Capital
「Excuse me, Marisan-sama.」
「What is it?」
The mature witch, who had been writing in her private room at home, stopped her hand when the butler entered after a single knock.
She was none other than Marisan, the prodigious witch that the republic was proud of and widely known for her beauty.
「This package has arrived from the Univance Kingdom.」
「For me?」
「Yes.」
She accepted the small package offered to her with reverence.
While thinking that some noble must have fallen for her on his own during her recent visit, she looked at the package and grew even more puzzled upon seeing that the wax seal bore the crest of the Univance royal family.
After seeing the butler out, she took a knife from her drawer and peeled off the wax.
When she carefully unwrapped the well-packed bundle, she found a familiar name.
『To the respected witch, from Argusta von Draguknight』
Marisan chuckled softly at the unusually formal wording and checked the contents.
Inside were a letter and a platinum plate sandwiched between wooden boards.
Wondering 『Why something like this?』, she picked up the plate and froze at first glance.
The delicate yet bold engraving was on a level she could never achieve herself. Yes. Even the patterns and special words carved into the plate formed a single work of art.
Overwhelmed by its beauty, she examined it from above, below, and at every possible angle.
It was a piece that made her heart dance far more than any expensive jewel could.
After savoring the plate for as long as she could, she finally remembered the letter.
Wondering 『What on earth is this about?』, she opened the letter, glanced at it, and a vein popped on her forehead.
She crumpled the letter in her hand into a ball, threw it at the wall, and did not forget to stomp on it for good measure.
The witch vented her anger on the letter until it subsided, then glared at the platinum plate on her desk with eyes that looked as if her soul had left her body.
「Fine. Very well…… you little brat! I will show you the true power of a serious me!」
For about ten days after that, no matter how many times she was summoned, the witch Marisan refused to leave her home.
According to the butler speaking to the soldiers who had come to fetch her, she was hysterically shouting 『There is a battle that I can never lose! And it is happening right now!』 from inside her room and would not come out.
As a result, she ended up receiving a pay cut for the money she spent buying new plates after rewriting them countless times and for neglecting her duties.
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