Chapter 211: A Woman’s Question and Securing Beds

"Then I will ask you, Hiroyuki-sama. Why are you going from the royal capital to Lübeck now?"

Rosalier’s expression had changed completely from a moment ago, and she asked with a stern face.

"From the look of it, this seems like a move. The most convincing reason would be that you lost a political struggle with the current Torrestia royal house and fled the capital, but..."

Rosalier stared at me as if weighing my worth.

"...Were you the one who planned the attack on us?"

"...Information from the villages you passed through confirmed that you have many Dules. And that you are leaving this country."

"I see. And if I said I cannot tell you, what would you do?"

I said that to test Rosalier.

Their purpose is to free Dules.

And only Dules who are being abused.

But earlier she and Nadja had said together that I was not such a target.

Then why confirm our plans?

"...I will do nothing. I may watch you."

With that answer from Rosalier, I understood her purpose.

"It is fine. I will not inform on you."

Apparently she suspected I might be a spy.

"That... I know. You are Lilli’s benefactor. And Nadja brought you. ...I am sorry. Doing this kind of thing, I cannot help looking at people with suspicion..."

Rosalier bowed her head.

"Well, that is how it is. Do not worry about it. It cannot be helped."

I was in no position to talk about other people.

I had been looking at them, Lilli included, with suspicion too.

Lilli herself had at some point taken Rine outside.

Lilli and Rine’s voices came from outside.

"I need to trust people a little more, like Lilli and Nadja."

"Did something happen with me?"

When Rosalier said that with a wry smile, Nadja appeared from the back.

"Yes. I was saying you are innocent."

Rosalier wore a mischievous smile.

"Anyway, I am an immature one!"

Nadja turned away as if sulking.

"It was a joke."

Rosalier soothed Nadja while laughing.

This must be how the two of them usually are.

Warm, and somehow nice.

After that, Nadja and Rosalier did not return to the heavy atmosphere of Rosalier’s earlier talk, but they listened seriously to what I said about the current state of the royal capital.

"I see. Has the capital settled down?"

"Yes. Nobles going from the capital to Lübeck for shopping and such should start appearing soon. If the people you attacked were nobles of the current Torrestia kingdom, you will be wanted."

"That is right. They still cannot move the army, so it will be a request to the adventurers’ guild, but if this place is found that way, they will definitely send the army."

After my warning, Birga added information.

An adventurers’ guild... so there is such a thing.

Perhaps that request to exterminate the giant rats in the underground waterway was also from the adventurers’ guild.

"Heh, so that is the procedure."

"...That kind of odd job, putting in a request to the adventurers’ guild is the quickest."

Saying that, Birga looked at me with cold eyes.

Little by little, Birga’s eyes on me seem to be growing stricter.

"My, my, a strict Dule."

Seeing that, Rosalier said it with a soft smile.

In an instant Birga’s face turned bright red.

"I, I am not a Dule!!"

Birga, at the height of anger, slammed the table and shouted.

"Oh, oh, I am sorry. I was sure you were Hiroyuki-sama’s Dule..."

Rosalier apologized with a bewildered expression and looked at Nadja sitting beside her.

"S-sorry. I also thought you were a Dule..."

Scratching her head, Nadja bowed too.

"Th-then, the others are..."

"The others are all my Dules. Ah, Rine is different."

I answered the question Rosalier threw while still looking bewildered.

"Rine..."

"Ah, the woman who is with Lilli."

This time I answered Nadja’s question.

"I-I see. Got it. Assumptions are a frightening thing. Haha, hahaha."

Nadja gave a dry laugh.

Beside her, Rosalier also gave a dry laugh.

...

The talk heated up, and partway through it became talk while we enjoyed the cooking the villagers had made.

Neither I nor Nadja and the others brought up probing topics, but that they also tossed the talk to Muriel and the others was purely pleasing.

All the more so because prejudice toward Dules had been especially common lately.

Before I noticed, the sun had set, and the magic light Rosalier had lit in the evening brightly illuminated the room.

"Oh, it has already gotten this dark. Shall we take our leave soon?"

"Yes, that is right. I still want to talk, but you must be tired from the journey, so rest well."

Rosalier and Nadja stood.

"There are beds in the next room, so please use those."

Rosalier opened the door leading next door.

I stood from my seat and headed for the door.

Peeking inside, it was a vast room, and there were many beds.

"This is a nap room for when something happens. They are simple beds, so I think they will be hard to sleep on, but please bear with it."

"Better than sleeping on the ground. Thank you."

When I held out my hand, Nadja also held out hers and shook it.

"Ah, that is right. Do not touch that armor."

Armor was displayed at the back of the room.

Ah, come to think of it, Nadja had changed here.

"That is something the people here gathered money and bought for me. It is not mine, so I leave it here, but it is important, so do not touch it."

"Yes, got it."

As I thought, Nadja is adored by the people here.

After hearing the explanation through, they saw us to the entrance of the house.

"Then, see you tomorrow."

"Good night. Lilli, we are going home."

"Ah, un..."

Nadja and Rosalier greeted us and left this house.

Rosalier tried to take Lilli home, but for Lilli the reply was unclear.

Perhaps she had not talked enough yet.

Even so, the three went home together on good terms.

"...Muriel, what do you think?"

While seeing the two off, I asked in a small voice so no one would hear.

"I think it is fine to trust them."

"That is right... Birga?"

"There is no such thing as too much caution."

Yes, Birga is careful.

"That is right, then... who is it!?"

I had entered the house and closed the door, but right after that I noticed a presence outside and called out.

"As expected, Hiroyuki. It is me."

The one who peeked her face from the door was Lilli.