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Chapter 72. Buffalo Meat Festival In The Wilderness

Soldiers clad in matching leather armor march towards us in five columns.

They seem to wear the same armor as the soldiers patrolling the city. Though called armor, it's more akin to leather clothing. If not for the unified decorations, they'd resemble well-dressed civilians.

Though, civilians wouldn't march with swords at their waists and spears in hand.

Leading them is a particularly well-dressed figure, probably the captain.

"Who's in charge here?"

He shouts with a commanding voice.

"Y-yes, I'm Greva, the overseer."

From among the laborers emerges Greva, the sorry lion.

"What's this all about?"

The captain points to the fallen buffalo carcass.

"W-Well, it's... just as you see?"

Yeah, exactly. Just look at it, and you'll understand.

"Why is the buffalo dead? Did it just drop dead?"

"No, it's not like that. These two over there took it down."

The captain glares at Hagg and Yaralai standing here.

"Oh... those two took it down?"

"Yes, it was quite impressive, really. They faced that massive body with incredible speed and power. Admirable, as beast folk."

The disparity between appearance and reality is striking, especially with this lion-headed one.

"Hmm..."

The captain ponders, hand on his hip.

"Is the minister coming soon?"

He asks his subordinate behind him.

"Yes, very soon... that carriage over there."

A carriage approaches, smoke billowing, weaving through about two hundred soldiers. Unlike what Cherina uses, it's built for speed and efficiency. When the captain raises his hand, the carriage halts beside them.

A middle-aged man steps out. His attire is simple yet impeccably clean and exudes a sense of wealth, reminiscent of a businessman. The middle-aged man inquires of the captain.

"What's going on? Have you already taken down the buffalo?"

The middle-aged man alternates his gaze between the buffalo carcass and the soldiers.

"No, actually, by the time we arrived, it was already in this state. It seems the dwarf and elf over there took it down, but I can't confirm."

After a slight bow, the captain responds to the middle-aged man, evidently his superior or someone of high rank.

"That's Minister Sowa... Minister Blou Sowa, to be precise."

Cherina whispers to me.

"The minister?"

"As I mentioned before, he's the former merchant who now oversees the finances of this country."

"Oh, so that's him."

The only success story of the Pig King that I heard before and Cherina criticized, the former merchant forcibly appointed, must be this Blou Sowa.

"So, what's such a person doing here?"

"I wonder...?"

They discussed among the three, including Greva, for a while, during which Blou occasionally glanced at Cherina. Do they know each other? Cherina standing beside me seems to notice, looking uneasy.

As expected, Blou approaches us.

"It's been a while, Miss Veliero."

"Yes. It's been a long time, Minister Sowa."

"Please, refrain from such formalities. Call me Blou, just like old times."

"But, to address the Minister, His Majesty's right-hand man, in such a manner..."

Blou forces a smile as if swallowing a bitter pill.

"Is that so...? Well, let's set that aside. We have a bit of a problem."

"A problem?"

"Yes, quite a predicament."

"What seems to be the issue?"

"As you can see, the buffalo has been hunted down without permission."

"Hunted down without... but self-defense is allowed, isn't it?"

"Of course, if this were an uninhabited wilderness beyond anyone's reach, that reasoning might hold, but here, right under the kingdom's nose, such reasoning doesn't apply."

"But..."

"Moreover, there's a dispatch team out for this very purpose. Hunting without a request from the Commercial Guild is a significant problem."

When put that way, it's indeed a matter worth considering.

No matter how well-prepared a military force may be, it takes time for them to mobilize. The fact that they're already assembled at this point suggests they might have been preparing to track down buffalo for quite some time.

The country was likely able to mobilize quite swiftly. If the buffalo was hunted down just a bit sooner, it would damage the military's reputation.

This is going to be troublesome. No, it's definitely going to be.

"We need to talk to the dwarf and elf responsible for the unauthorized hunting, but why is Miss Veliero here?"

"I'm here for an inspection."

"Of lumber? Certainly, lumber prices have been dropping lately, but there shouldn't be enough demand to warrant procurement. We use scrap for firewood, so there hasn't been much price fluctuation, and it's not exactly an appealing commodity."

"As expected of the former top merchant of the kingdom. You're still knowledgeable about the market."

"It's just basic knowledge expected of someone handling finances."

"Please, you're too modest."

"So, Miss Veliero being here is just a coincidence?"

"That seems to be the case."

"I see..."

Minister Blou Sowa nods slightly.

"So, this incident would be attributed to the actions of that dwarf and elf."

"What did you say?"

I couldn't help but raise my voice.

"What's wrong? Who are you?"

"My apologies, he's my advisor, Akira."

"...Oh. You're..."

Huh? What? Why do high-ranking officials like the minister know about my existence?

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Akira."

"I'm Blou Sowa."

Blou stares straight at me as if observing me closely. I'm not interested.

"Akira, is there a problem?"

"Huh?"

"Regarding this incident, you seemed dissatisfied earlier."

Caught under Blou's sharp gaze, I flinch for a moment. But the resilience I honed in a black company is no joke; I keep a smile without showing any signs of agitation.

"No, it's just... when you mentioned 'incident,' it sounded as if this were a crime."

"Yes. It is a crime. What about it?"

He bluntly states it.

"Earlier, as Cherina also mentioned, this was a necessary act for self-defense. Of course, had we known the military was mobilizing, such a tragic accident wouldn't have occurred."

"I see. So, Akira, you consider this an accident."

"Yes."

"Hmm, very well. We'll bring in that dwarf and elf for questioning to determine if this is an accident or an incident."

"Just a moment."

"What is it?"

"They are hired as my escorts. If they are at fault, wouldn't the blame fall on me as their employer?"

"Akira-sama?!"

"It's alright."

I silence Cherina, who inadvertently raised her voice.

By the way, there's no actual basis for saying it's alright.

"Oh... I see."

Blou's expression, which had been stoic until now, twists ever so slightly. Is that a smile?

"Then let's have Akira-san come to the castle to provide details. The dwarf and elf will participate in the on-site investigation conducted by the military here."

"Understood."

"Akira-sama... then..."

"I can't let my benefactors be arrested. I'll leave the rest to you."

"I will definitely clear up any misunderstandings."

"That's reassuring. Well then, I'll be off."

"..."

Leaving a worried Cherina behind, I am escorted by soldiers to the carriage Blou arrived in. Blou also boards. I'll throw in a sarcastic remark since I'm a little annoyed.

"My, is it safe for you, Minister, to ride in the same carriage as a criminal?"

"I have confidence I can handle any attacks from you."

Wow. That was quite the comeback.

"...Well, that's true."

He looks like an ordinary middle-aged man, but maybe he's super strong or something. I'd hate it if he were a monster like Hagg...

Of course, neither of us was serious, so we laughed it off lightly.

Now, what to do next?

Rattling in the carriage, I experience my first extradition in another world.

I felt like crying, reminiscent of when I was taken away in a police car ages ago.

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(In third person)

A large amount of meat circulated through the city, bringing back vitality to the city-state of Pilatus in the afternoon.

Three days had passed since the large buffalo had been hunted.

Under the decree of King Pilatus, the cheaply offered buffalo meat restored smiles to the depressed Pilatus citizens.

Each guild belonging to the Commercial Guild, seated in the best position right by the city gate, was busy securing temporary workers to carve up the buffalo meat and overflowed with energy.

But in the chamber of the Veliero Trading Company, which benefited the most, a sinister and heavy atmosphere filled the air, resembling a funeral or wake.

"Melvin. Any word from the royal castle?"

"...No, nothing yet."

How many times had the same exchange occurred since morning? It might have been better to count the large logs flowing down the Liberi River since three days ago.

"..."

There were five shadows in the room.

One of them was Cherina Veliero, the temporary head of the Veliero Trading Company.

She wore the same red leather armor with red chains wrapped around it, black tights under a short red skirt, and red leather long boots. With red hair and red eyes, her entire body was coordinated in a single color.

But her beautiful face clearly showed impatience, with dark circles under her eyes ruining her beauty.

"Melvin, any news?"

"Not yet."

It hadn't been a minute since the last inquiry. Furthermore, Melvin hadn't spoken to anyone during that time, so questioning him wouldn't yield accurate information. But no one pointed that out, understanding Cherina's feelings.

Hagg, a dwarf with muscles like Dharma, played with his chin beard, while the tall and slender handsome elf leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed quietly. His unique Indian-like attire and intricately braided hair spoiled his handsome elf appearance.

Melvin, a close aide of Veliero, constantly refilled tea and liaised with people outside the room.

And there was another person in the room, Narnia, the daughter of the Whale Inn and its poster girl, sitting quietly on a chair.

She had no connection with Veliero, but she had been invited to dine once, and above all, she couldn't bear the worry for Akira any longer, so today she had come to Cherina's place with Hagg and Yaralai. Normally, they would be turned away at the gate, but Cherina warmly welcomed them into the company.

"Veliero..."

Hagg raised his head while playing with his beard.

"Aren't there any trials in this country?"

"Of course, there are trials, but if it's a direct decision by the king, it's different... Regarding this matter, it's not even poaching, so it should fall under the jurisdiction of the security forces with at most a fine."

"Have you contacted the security forces?"

"Of course. We have some people in our hands, so if there's any information, it should come in soon."

Narnia looked up curiously at Cherina's answer. She didn't understand the meaning of having people in their hands.

"Is there any information?"

"...The carriage with Akira-sama did enter the royal castle as it is. However, there has been no response afterward."

Hagg twirled his beard around.

"No response... It's pitiful that we, who should protect, are being protected by him."

"I agree."

Yaralai, who had been silent until now, muttered.

"We have informed the royal castle that there is bail money prepared for Akira-sama's release, but there has been no response at all. It's worrisome that there's no reaction even though a considerable amount has been offered."

"What other possibilities are there?"

"...Normally, it would be interrogation or questioning. But as for possibilities... torture..."

At that, Cherina's teeth gritted audibly.

"Another possibility is that the king himself will directly decide. In this case, all charges and punishments are determined by the king's discretion. Originally, there should be sufficient investigation before such a formality, but since the reign of Pilatus II, that principle hasn't been applied much."

Cherina drank her herb tea awake. Melvin poured her a new herbal tea with a worried look.

"Even if he was taken as a significant witness, a three-day detention is too long. Moreover, both Hagg-sama and Yaralai-sama were released on the spot that day, the scene investigation has long been completed, and the butchering of the buffalo has begun, so there should be no need to ask."

"So we don't know anything..."

"...That's right."

A heavy silence fell in the room. No one moved an inch. Time passed stiffly, but Hagg slowly stood up. Yaralai moved away from the wall and started walking.

"Where to?"

"To the royal castle."

"You surely don't intend to storm in?"

"Hmph. Of course not. But what other choice do we have?"

"You're just escorts, aren't you? There's no need to risk your lives."

"Wrong, Akira, friend."

"Although it's rare for an elf and I to share the same opinion, I'm not the kind of person who would abandon him."

Hagg picked up a large iron hammer hanging on the wall.

"Please wait."

"Stopping us is useless."

"No, it's pointless to rush in without a plan. I will go too."

"You'll just be a hindrance."

"Who said anything about fighting? I'm just going to listen to what they have to say."

"Miss! You can't go! You won't gain anything by heading to the royal castle right now!"

"No, there is one plan."

"A plan...?"

Melvin furrowed his brows.

"Yes. I will request for Akira-sama's release in exchange for a marriage with His Majesty the King."

Determination shone in Cherina's eyes.