Chapter 232: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Birdfolk

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

It seemed that Lady Uru had her own private intentions that went beyond the national interests of the New Elfenia Empire. As I brought a piece of ginger pork skewered on my fork to my mouth, I fell into thought.

To be honest, I had no idea what motivated her actions, but it was obvious that Lady Uru was far sharper than the average elven foot soldier. I couldn’t let my guard down.

In the first place, I didn’t think I was particularly suited for diplomatic battles like this. I was managing somehow for now, but I couldn’t shake the unease that I might be dancing in the palm of Lady Dalaiya’s hand. It might be time to bring in someone like an advisor. Fortunately, there were several people around me who specialized in this kind of hard negotiation…

“Oooh! Albert-don and Uru-don! Wooo!”

As I was thinking that, those words were suddenly thrown at us. The voice was unbelievably carefree, sounding as if its owner wasn’t thinking about anything at all.

“Oh? Shania-kun, is it?”

When I turned my eyes toward the source of the voice, I saw a sparrow birdkin girl with a rather silly-looking expression. True to her kind, she had fluffy short hair with an interesting mix of brown and white, along with a petite build. She was one of the messengers sent by the “Legitimate” faction—Shania-kun.

“That stuff looks delicious! Let me eat with you too!”

Staring at the mountain of ginger pork piled on the table, Shania-kun said that with an expression that looked like she was about to start drooling. I couldn’t help but feel a warm, fuzzy sensation. I didn’t know her actual age, but all sparrow birdkin had the appearance of young girls. Honestly… She was insanely cute.

“I don’t mind, but…”

I glanced toward Lady Uru and Lady Rike. They were members of the “New” faction (well, Lady Rike had been told by the “New” side not to bother coming back, but still). Sitting at the same table as Shania-kun, who belonged to the “Legitimate” side, might make them uncomfortable.

“I don’t mind at all. I often eat together with Shania-don anyway.”

Lady Uru said that and nodded.

…They ate together? Even though the elves had just been involved in a fight recently… Birdkin really were flexible like that. Meanwhile, Lady Rike leaned close to my ear and whispered.

“That sparrow one… Is she one of those rebel bastards?”

“Rebels” seemed to be the derogatory term the “New” side used for the “Legitimate” faction. That said, the “Legitimate” side called the “New” faction an “illegitimate army,” so it really went both ways.

“Yeah, she’s Shania-kun, a liaison from the ‘Legitimate’ side.”

“So the rebels’ sparrow and our empress’s lapdog are gettin’ along just fine, huh. Damn birdkin…”

After letting out a sigh, Lady Rike downed her wine in one gulp. 

Don’t drink expensive wine like that! What a waste…

“Well, whatever. I’ve already been thrown away by Elfenia anyway. I ain’t got no obligation or right to complain.”

“You’re one of my people now, so isn’t that good enough?”

After lightly patting Lady Rike’s shoulder as she sulked a little, I called over a retainer and had them bring a chair and a jug of water. In any case, neither of them seemed to object. It should be fine to welcome Shania-kun.

“Thank you very much!”

After cheerfully thanking both me and the retainer, Shania-kun sat down on the chair. She then removed her simple sandals, went barefoot, and vigorously washed her feet with the jug of water. Birdkin used their feet instead of their hands to eat, and because of that, they seemed to be very particular about hygiene.

Once she finished washing, Shania-kun gripped a fork with her small, adorable foot and shouted with a smile, “Let’s eat!” before digging into the pork with gusto. Cute. So unbelievably cute.

Ahhh… If I asked Lady Orphan, would she let me have at least one sparrow birdkin assigned as a retainer? Just watching her made my mental fatigue melt away at an alarming rate.

…But if I suggested something like that, there was no way I wouldn’t end up with a spy planted on me. As the lord of Liseben, that would obviously be a terrible idea. Haah…Being a noble really never went the way you wanted it to.

“By the way…”

Something occurred to me, and I shifted my gaze to Lady Uru.

“Did you already know Shania-kun before this? You seem quite close.”

Thinking back, even her very first words had addressed Lady Uru with casual familiarity, like a friend. And if they were already eating together, it was possible they’d known each other for some time.

“We first met after she was assigned to this mansion. That said, since this place allows us to talk without crossing blades with the ‘Legitimate’ side… I thought it best to make use of that opportunity.”

“I see.”

Indeed, the “New” and “Legitimate” factions were practically in a state of severed relations. Without the special circumstance of a foreign lord’s estate, they wouldn’t even be able to talk. That in itself was a problem… Perhaps, if the two sides were ever to reconcile, we would have to act as intermediaries.

To be honest, from our perspective, there was no real need for them to become friendly. But if they kept clashing so aggressively, public order in the surrounding region would deteriorate… And for someone like me, aiming to build an industrial and commercial state (well, commerce was more Chancellor Adelaide’s vision than mine), that was extremely troublesome. If we wanted to draw in large numbers of traveling merchants, we needed them to stay as calm as possible.

“And yet, that idiot… Excuse me, that hardheaded fool… Honestly. I truly apologize for what happened yesterday. That was entirely our mistake.”

After letting out a bitter sigh, Lady Uru bowed her head to me. She really seemed to be having a hard time herself. During the incident with the attack the other day, she’d even apologized with her head practically pressed to the ground… She was stuck in a demanding position, no doubt. Even as an outsider, I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic.

“Well, at least there was no bloodshed yesterday. To prevent a repeat, it would be best to prepare embassies for both sides as soon as possible. That said, I can’t decide everything on my own. I’m negotiating with the people of the city, so please give me some time.”

The Carrera City Council insisted that the elves should not be allowed outside the lord’s estate. Since they were responsible for maintaining public order, that stance was understandable…But it was still a problem for us. The situation was such that bloodshed could break out at any moment.

In any case, if we were going to pursue a conciliatory approach with the elves, we couldn’t keep banning elves and birdkin from the city forever. It would depend on tomorrow’s meeting with Lady Dalaiya and the others, but…We would probably need to negotiate directly with the council soon. Honestly… No matter how many bodies I had, it wouldn’t be enough to keep up with everything.

“So good! All-you-can-eat meat! Liseben really is a paradise of a country!”

In stark contrast to my worries, Shania-kun was beaming with joy. Uuuugh… Cute. Maybe I’d give her some sweets as a souvenir later.

…Come to think of it, I hadn’t spoiled Karina or Lotte lately. Maybe that was why my spirit had been feeling a bit rough. I might need to make time for a proper mental refresh soon.

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー