Chapter 107
When we arrived in the city of Milet, petals of welcome greeted us.
The welcome was not limited to flower petals. Stalls lined the streets, while traveling musicians and minstrels played their instruments. On the other side, clowns in gaudy costumes performed tricks, residents laughed, and children ran through the streets shouting.
It had become a grand festival unlike anything one would expect of a frontier city. I had heard about it in advance, but it was livelier than I had imagined.
A victory was a victory, even if our opponents had been monsters, and we had nearly wiped out the monsters infesting Cashew. More importantly, stable public order would lead to future development. Milet was also enjoying an economic boom, so the city's notables and merchants had probably gone all out to demonstrate its safety to people both within and beyond the city.
I told the soldiers to take turns resting, then headed with Velli-sensei and some guards to the mansion Selyure had arranged for us. For some reason, Hardy was part of our group as well, but I decided not to worry about it.
"Welcome home, Lady Romelia."
When we returned to the mansion, Quins-sensei greeted us with several servants.
These servants were people Quins-sensei had selected. They were still apprentices, but I planned to make them my attendants eventually and have them accompany the army.
"Congratulations on your victory."
"You too, Quins-sensei. Thank you for all your hard work behind the lines."
I had left Quins-sensei behind in Milet and dumped every minor task on him, from transporting food and weapons to handling other odds and ends. I heard that half the festivities had also come about thanks to him reaching out to people.
"Are you injured? I heard you crossed swords with monsters."
"No, I'm fine. Velli-sensei saved me when things got dangerous."
When I told him what had happened on the battlefield, Quins-sensei's eyes widened. He looked at Velli-sensei, then examined him from head to toe.
"Huh."
"What?"
Velli-sensei pursed his lips at Quins-sensei's gaze.
"Nothing. I was just wondering if you'd botched something and gotten hurt."
"I didn't. I nearly died, though."
Quins-sensei smiled as though that were a shame.
"Still, it seems you were useful for once. I may have to revise my opinion of you. Make sure you continue protecting Lady Romelia properly."
Quins-sensei said that, but I had no intention of letting Velli-sensei take up a weapon again.
"Rest assured, Quins-sensei. I won't let him do anything like that again."
Though it had been necessary at the time, it had been far too dangerous. In particular, exposing Velli-sensei and the healers to danger had been a poor decision.
We had managed somehow thanks to that strange sensation, but what would have happened if I had not experienced it?
Even now, I still had no idea why that phenomenon had occurred. The same thing had not happened since, and I did not know what had triggered it.
"Lady Romelia. I imagine you're tired from just arriving, but you have quite a few engagements scheduled."
"I know."
Directing troops on the battlefield was not my proper role.
My most important duty was to arrange matters so that we could win the war.
I had to gather weapons and food so the soldiers could fight properly, raise funds to ensure those supplies reached them, and cultivate good relations with merchants and influential people so I could obtain that funding.
My real work began once I returned to the city.
First, I had to show my appreciation to the soldiers and keep the festival lively. A banquet for the city's leading figures was scheduled for tonight. I would attend, meet with merchants and other influential people, and speak with Selyure of the Yarmark Trading Company about our future plans in between. On top of that, there were mountains of documents that only I could approve.
Honestly, I was not sure whether I would even be able to sleep tonight.
"Actually, we have a guest."
"A guest? If it's a merchant, could you put them off until later?"
Ever since the port had begun to take off, I had been inundated with meetings of this sort. I would arrange for them to meet me at the banquet and let that satisfy them.
"Well, actually, the daughter of Baron Mikara is here."
It was not a name I recognized. Velli-sensei seemed not to recognize it either. However, one person did.
"The House of Mikara?"
Hardy's voice rose. The usually composed man with the magnificent beard now looked like a cat caught by the tail.
"You know her?"
"Ah, yes. Their territory borders mine. We have been on friendly terms for some time."
"Have you heard anything?"
"No, nothing."
Hardy hedged. He clearly knew something, but rather than press him, it would be faster to meet her now.
"Let's meet her. Quins-sensei, can you change my schedule a little?"
"Understood. I want to compile the reports on this monster hunt. May I borrow Velli?"
I nodded and gave him permission. Quins-sensei led Velli-sensei toward the study. We would go meet the daughter of Baron Mikara.
"Will you be sitting in as well?"
I asked Hardy, who had followed us. I did not know what sort of person she was, but this might have something to do with Hardy.
Hardy nodded uncertainly, apparently unsure what the right answer was.
We had known each other only briefly, but I had seen him make confident, instantaneous decisions on the battlefield. It was a little surprising to discover that he had this side to him.
I had the servants lead us to the drawing room, with our guards Al and Ray.
When we entered the drawing room, a young woman in a green dress was seated in a chair. When she saw me enter, she rose and bowed.
"I am Romelia von Graham. I understand you are from the House of Mikara?"
"Pleased to meet you, Romelia-sama. My name is Sonea of House Mikara."
Sonea-san pinched the edge of her skirt and lowered her head, her flaxen hair falling forward.
She had an elegant bearing and refined manners, but her etiquette was somewhat old-fashioned. Her family was probably strict about manners. Her dress, however, was not particularly fine, revealing that the family was struggling financially.
As I appraised her, Sonea-san finished her bow and looked straight at me.
"On behalf of my late father and ailing mother, I have come as their representative to congratulate you on your victory, Romelia-sama. I can only bow my head before your great achievement in exterminating the monsters rampaging throughout the kingdom and bringing peace to its people. Under normal circumstances, our house would have sent soldiers to fight alongside you, but we were unable to join you this time because we could not organize our forces in time. Please accept my apologies."
Sonea-san bowed deeply once more.
"Accordingly, I have brought a gift to celebrate your victory. Please accept it."
She held out a sheet of paper listing the gifts.
"Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
I thanked her politely.
The gift had come from a barony that was not particularly wealthy, and I knew it was nothing impressive.
Even so, regardless of its value, it was a welcome gesture.
Many people frowned at the idea of a woman leading an army. The fact that they were willing to recognize me nevertheless meant that my steady extermination of monsters had been acknowledged. Others might come forward to support me as well.
I would have been happier if this had been sincere.
I looked at Sonea-san again.
Her posture was perfectly straight, and her eyebrows were bold and dignified. Her expressions and gestures also showed that she was a strong-willed woman.
And her manner told me one more thing.
Sonea-san treated me politely, but she would not even meet Hardy's eyes, treating him as though he did not exist.
Meanwhile, Hardy was making one expression after another beside me, as though he had completely lost his usual composure. Sweat beaded on his face; he would start to open his mouth as if to speak, then close it again.
It was obvious from their expressions that the two knew each other, and Sonea-san's behavior was deliberate. If so, I could more or less see what their relationship was.
After a while longer of formal pleasantries, Sonea-san said that she would see us again at the banquet scheduled for that evening and took her leave.
She did not meet Hardy's eyes or speak to him even once before leaving.
After seeing Sonea-san off, Hardy let out an unmistakable sigh of relief.
Everyone in the room, even the servant standing nearby, was looking at Hardy with contempt.
I let out a deep sigh.
"What a terrible husband you are. We aren't even formally engaged, and you've already taken a mistress."
"No, that's not it—Lady Romelia."
Hardy contorted his face as he denied it, but what exactly was he denying?
"Which part? From where I'm standing, it looks as though she came to spy on me."
Sonea-san's attitude had made the relationship between them and the reason for her visit obvious.
She had come to see the face of the woman who had stolen her man. What other reason could there be?
"Lady Romelia, shall I cut down this scoundrel?"
Ray placed a hand on the blade at his waist. Yes, he was frightening, so I had better stop him.
"Let's hear him out before deciding. If you tell me the truth, I'll forgive you. You were involved with her, weren't you?"
When I asked him, Hardy yielded at once.
"...Yes. That's right. The territory of Mikara borders mine, and there has been no end to the disputes between us since long ago. To mediate between our two houses, our engagement was arranged before we were even born."
That made sense. It was a common enough arrangement.
Even villages that shared a border often quarreled over conflicting interests, despite belonging to the same country.
Forest resources, rights to river water, and the use of pastureland could all become issues, and stories about someone stealing a pig or sheep were commonplace.
Such matters were fine if they remained personal quarrels, but they could sometimes escalate into conflicts resembling war, so they could not simply be ignored.
Marriage was a common way to quell such disputes.
"So your father didn't know about this, and I stole you away from her?"
"Stole me? In the first place, our engagement was never officially—"
"Silence."
I cut him off sharply.
I had sensed something indecisive in Hardy's behavior.
A resourceful man like him should have made some sort of move by now, yet he had done nothing and simply followed my wishes. I had been wary that he might be plotting something, but it was nothing like that. He had merely been weighing me against another woman.
"So? What are you going to do?"
I asked, but Hardy had no answer. He could not refuse an engagement with me. The future of his entire family was at stake.
On the other hand, he must have shared a fairly deep bond with Sonea-san as well.
They were both intelligent people. Their families were feuding, and although their parents had arranged the engagement, they must have understood that it might put an end to the feud between their houses and been prepared to accept that responsibility.
And because they understood each other's positions and duties, they must also have found things in each other they could empathize with.
There was no way he could compare her with me, whom he had only just met.
"Well, I don't mind. She'll probably be staying here for a while, so make sure you talk things through with her properly while she is here."
I had never intended to become engaged in the first place, so now I had a reason to refuse.
Still, I was a little disappointed in Hardy. I had thought he was a better man.
Perhaps he noticed my contemptuous gaze, because Hardy's shoulders slumped.