In a World of Reversed Chastity, I Strive to Become an Honorable Male Knight, but Lustful Women Keep Targeting My Body - 267

Chapter 267: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Widow Elf 1

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

The meeting continued until nightfall, but as expected, there was almost no progress. The “Legitimate” wanted to extricate themselves from this civil war as quickly as possible, while the hardliners among the “New” insisted on continuing the fighting. Well, that was only natural. The “New” side held overwhelming military superiority, and they probably didn’t want to end a war they believed they could win in some half-baked manner.

Among the “New,” the ratio of pro-war hardliners to pro-peace members was roughly seven to three. At a glance, the hardliners clearly dominated, but some of those were likely just weather vanes going along with the prevailing opinion, or people who feared being labeled weak if they voiced moderate views. If we could bring that group over, it felt like we might be able to make it an even split… at least in theory.

“Phew…”

After leaving the Senate, I let out a small sigh. I’d expected the negotiations not to go smoothly, but that didn’t make it feel any better. Mentally, I was thoroughly worn out. Outside, it was already pitch-dark. As an ordinary hume, I couldn’t see more than a few meters ahead. The settlement had been built as if hiding beneath the trees, so not even starlight reached inside the village. Without lanterns or other light, even taking a walk would’ve been difficult.

Well, it’d be dangerous anyway. I wasn’t about to go strolling around. Man, I was tired. I felt like having a cigarette. Unfortunately, ever since reincarnating, I’d been strictly non-smoking, so I didn’t have any on me. Maybe I’d settle for alcohol? No, there was still the chance the hardliners might try something again. I’d already had quite a bit to drink. It’d be best to avoid any further heavy drinking.

“…You look worn out, Blondin-dono.”

As I stood there letting the night breeze wash over me with a strange sense of calm, someone emerged from the darkness and spoke. Sonia, who had been standing guard behind me, reached for the hilt of her sword and stepped forward to shield me, but I stopped her with a hand.

“The negotiating partners are rather formidable. It’s taken a toll on me.”

I said that with a smile toward the other party. Standing there was Lady Vanka, wrapped in a poncho. Unlike us, she didn’t seem to have any guards with her. She probably hadn’t come to attack us.

…Well, it was pitch-black out here, so even if there were ambushers, we probably wouldn’t notice. Still, what was Lady Vanka’s purpose in approaching us like this? There was no way she’d come just to make small talk. A warning, perhaps. In any case, it was better not to let my guard down. After all, I’d heard she was as old as Lady Dalaiya. She might be harboring some outrageous scheme or conspiracy.

“I believe it’s a mistake to try negotiating with elves in the first place. …This isn’t a threat, but a sincere piece of advice. You people of Liseben would do well to stay out of our affairs. You’ll only suffer unnecessary losses.”

She said it wasn’t a threat, but it sounded like a straight-up warning to me. I smiled faintly and let my gaze wander into the distance. The elven village, without a single bonfire lit, was as dark as the bottom of a deep well. Nothing could be seen.

“That’s not an option. If you keep fighting endlessly, it’ll cause trouble for us as well.”

In the plans that Chancellor Adelaide and I had laid out to develop Liseben’s territory through industry and commerce, the presence of elves who threatened logistics and food production was a major concern. We needed them to settle down as soon as possible. Besides, I’d heard the “New” had over a thousand troops. I wanted to avoid a situation where they crushed the “Legitimate” and then turned all their remaining forces on us. Liseben’s army numbered only a few hundred at most.

Of course, with backing from the Kingdom of Galea, we wouldn’t be dealing with the elves alone… but Liseben was a remote frontier. It would take considerable time for royal forces to arrive. If full-scale war broke out, we’d have to hold out on our own for at least a month.

“…There’s no need to worry.”

After saying that in a gentler voice than I’d expected, Lady Vanka gave a thin smile. Lit by the faint light spilling from the Senate, that smile was chillingly grim.

“In the not-too-distant future, we will perish. When that happens, this Elfenia… no, Liseben will all be yours. …Ah, except for the coastal regions, of course. Those belong to the merfolk…”

Wait, merfolk exist in Liseben? That’s like the poster child of savage sea tribes. What a headache…

No, no. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about that. This widow had just said something outrageous.

“…Oh? That’s quite a provocative claim.”

“I’m merely stating facts.”

Still smiling faintly, Lady Vanka chugged her wine straight from the bottle. Despite her refined, noble-lady appearance, the rough mannerism somehow suited her.

“…Elves are creatures who value an honorable death above all else. I’ve heard there are rodents in some foreign lands that commit mass suicide. Elves are no different from those rodents.”

“Lemmings, you mean…”

Lemmings, a type of rodent native to the northern regions, were said to commit mass suicide. Well, that was just a folk belief. In reality, it was simply that some fell into the sea by accident during large migratory movements.

…Still, in this world, the southernmost range of lemmings was the far-northern Norl frontier of the Kingdom of Galea. For Lady Vanka, who lived in southern Liseben, to know about them suggested that ancient elves might have interacted with the outside world more than I’d assumed.

“If you’re caught up in this ‘march toward death,’ you won’t escape unscathed either. I recommend withdrawing far away until everything settles. …It won’t take that long, you know.”

“……”

So that was it. She wanted us not to interfere. Factually speaking, the elves were indeed on the brink of extinction. If left alone, most of them would probably starve to death within a few years. Waiting it out wasn’t necessarily a flawed strategy. But in that scenario, the elves in their final throes would inevitably turn into bandits. Small, uncoordinated groups wouldn’t be hard to repel… but we’d still suffer considerable damage.

“Unfortunately, that won’t work for us. My job is to protect the safety and property of our citizens. We absolutely can’t allow a situation where large numbers of vicious bandits and raiders spring up.”

“I see.”

Lady Vanka shook her head slowly, wearing an indescribable expression. She looked genuinely disappointed. I thought for a moment, then glanced toward Sonia. In a small voice meant not to reach Lady Vanka, she whispered, “It doesn’t seem like compromise will be easy.”

“Still, she doesn’t seem like the type who’s completely unreachable. Let’s try stepping into her territory a bit. You can handle the guard, right?”

“…Leave it to me.”

After seeing Sonia nod, I turned a smile back toward Lady Vanka.

“…Just as we have our circumstances, you must have yours as well. Would you be willing to speak with me somewhere more comfortable and tell me more?”

Even if reconciliation was impossible, this was a rare chance. I wanted to at least gather information. For now, Lady Vanka’s true intentions were unclear. Without understanding them properly, there was a high risk of misjudging her next move.

“Well, fine… but there’s one thing I want to ask first. I’m looking for a wine called Rema Wine. Do you have any?”

Rema Wine. It was a familiar name. A wine produced in the city of Rema, the closest city within the Kingdom of Galea to Liseben. That said, Rema Wine was a minor local product, hardly known even within Galea. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly good either. That was why we’d chosen more famous vintages for this banquet. We had our pride, after all.

“Ah, yes, we do. …Could it be your late husband’s?”

For her to ask specifically for Rema Wine, something I’d deliberately avoided, there had to be a reason. And since Rema was nearby, Rema Wine was the most commonly available wine in Liseben. If her late husband had been from Liseben, it would make sense that it was the wine he was most accustomed to.

“…Yes. He used to say, whenever he could, that he wanted to drink Rema Wine again. But here in Elfenia, it’s not easy to obtain. In the end, I couldn’t let him have even a single drop before he… before he died…”

As Lady Vanka spoke, her voice seemed slightly damp. Perhaps she still hadn’t recovered from her husband’s death.

“…I see. Understood. In that case, I’ll have it prepared at once.”

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー