Chapter 42
"So, what is it you'd like to know? There are things I can't discuss, and I'll say so, but I'll tell you as much as I can."
Rururia said this not long after we entered the room. We all stood there, a little taken aback—Rufa especially, who had been steeling herself to extract information from Rururia.
"Don't just stand around looking dazed; sit down. Oh, you officer over there, sit beside me. It would be a feast for my eyes if someone like you had tea with me."
Wickhart took the offered seat, and Rufa and I followed, bewildered. Somehow, the elegant impression she'd made earlier had vanished... Where had it gone?
"Rururia-sama, you really shouldn't use such language."
"What's wrong with it? From the looks of you, you've come here to extract information from me, haven't you? To be perfectly honest, I'm sick and tired of it! How many days do you intend to keep me cooped up in this room?"
She seemed to have a lot of pent-up frustration. I suppose this was simply how she was by nature, though.
"But I have one condition before I'll talk." Rururia continued, unilaterally steering the conversation.
"And what kind of condition would that be?" Wickhart asked, having been specifically invited to sit beside her. Rururia grinned.
"Why, of course..."
"Of course...?" Someone audibly swallowed.
"Could you tell me about the delicious foods available in this country—and across the continent?" Rururia's words left us dumbfounded.
"Um... Is that really all you want?" Rufa asked, and Rururia spread her arms wide and shook her head.
"Oh, don't say it like it's nothing. Isn't it possible that I may be forcibly sent back to my homeland just like this? I even had to drift across the sea, only to end up in this situation!? I at least want to taste the local specialties! That's why I'm doing preliminary research!"
"Um... Just because we tell you about them doesn't mean you'll get to eat them..." Rufa's words made Rururia shake her head even more emphatically than before.
"No. That's the one thing I won't compromise on. You're going to report this to your superiors anyway, aren't you? Then be sure to tell them this: Rururia=Fezaris=Bardusa will refuse to budge until she has eaten the delicious food of this country."
"My lady!" Her attendant's tone grew stern, and Rururia looked a little sheepish.
"Fezaris... Are you from the Kingdom of Fezaris?" At Rufa's question, Rururia stuck out her tongue.
"I suppose someone from my own people would notice. Whoops, my mistake," she said with a laugh.
"Fezaris...? I feel like I've heard that somewhere... Ah! That's the country where the famed strategist Doran was from."
At my offhand remark, Rururia's eyes widened. She then rose and came over to me, looked me up and down, and peered into my face.
"You're clearly not a Salshan... are you? Who are you? Why do you know Doran-sama's name? What's your name? Have you ever been to the southern continent?"
Huh? That's strange. I thought I'd already given my name along with Wickhart and Rufa.
"Um... My name is Roa. I've never been to the southern continent, but even Ludeck has heard rumors about Doran-sama, you know?"
"That's a lie. It's true that Doran-sama is talented, but it was only a month ago that his strategy led to victory in a major battle. I can't imagine word of that having reached the northern continent already."
Damn. Since I happened to know when he had made his mark, I reflexively said that the news had reached us, but perhaps rumors of the strategist Doran would not reach our continent for some time yet.
I was trying to think of an excuse when Wickhart cut in.
"If I may be so bold, Roa-dono is a man whom the renowned general our country is proud of, Rays=Stein-sama, personally sought out and recruited into the Tenth Knight Order. He is also the man to whom I swore my loyalty. There is nothing strange about his knowledge extending across the sea."
"Wickhart, that's going a bit far..."
"No, Roa-dono, it isn't. Earlier, you even knew a greeting known only to members of a traveling troupe. I was secretly impressed by the breadth of your knowledge."
Wickhart's assumptions were running wild.
"Wait... That handsome man has sworn loyalty to you? To you???"
Rururia gave me another searching look.
Well, I could hardly blame her.
Her attendant admonished her, and Rururia finally spoke up:
"Ah, that was rather rude of me. Please accept my apologies. Ho ho ho," she said. It was a little late for her to start acting like a young lady now... This was getting tiresome. I would ask her while the conversation was flowing.
"Um... Putting me aside, what were you headed to the Empire for, Rururia?"
"What, me? I came all this way to enter a political marriage with an imperial prince."
Huh...? After revealing that much, was there really anything else she couldn't tell us?
"Are you really allowed to say that?" Rufa asked tactfully, apparently thinking that was a bit much, but Rururia didn't seem to care.
"It doesn't matter. If I'm going to be forcibly sent home anyway, it makes no difference."
She really was throwing caution to the wind.
"Hm? So that means Rururia is...?"
"Yes, I'm Fezaris's third princess. Oh, and please keep speaking to me this way. I may look like this, but I hate stiff formalities."
Yeah. She clearly hated stiff formalities.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
"Um... Even though you're a princess, do you really only have one attendant?"
"No. The rest of my guards were taken to another room, though."
I see. They must have isolated Rururia by herself, since it would clearly be a bad idea to treat her roughly.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
At Rururia's question, Rufa, Wickhart, and I exchanged glances.
We had a clear picture of both her purpose and status, but was there really anything else to ask...?
Seeing that we had no more questions, Rururia sat back down and said, "Then it's my turn!"
After pausing for a breath, she declared grandly, "Now, tell me all about this country's delicious food—in generous detail!"