Father sighed. “I’d heard rumors about you, you know. They say that the Ou family’s daughter is a prodigy. And yet I simply can’t wrap my head around something—why do you favor us so? Our victory will not offer you any tremendous benefits. I’m sure you’re aware of this, but the Peacemaker Party is the majority in the palace.”
Father was right. If the Ou family wanted to turn a profit, then they would prefer it if the war wasn’t going in Ei’s favor. They could jack up the prices of products during times of emergencies, after all.
The girl, however, looked up and offered us a cool smile, as if she’d expected father’s question. “I am a merchant’s daughter. I wish for the world to be at peace and I despise war, for it doesn’t help me make a fortune. I wish to make business deals with not only the countries to our south and our north, but also with the regions around them. My dream is to become the greatest merchant in all the lands! In order for me to accomplish that, I need you to win this war. Gen is not the only place to look down on merchants, and while Seitou bustles with opportunities and has made truly wonderful progress with its technological advancements, it’s quite the bizarre country. They claim to have been founded by an ascendant—mystics!—after all. Another reason is that if we were to submit to Gen, it’s us—the merchants and the common folk—who’ll be paying the tribute.”
Father and I had no arguments. She made sense. I couldn’t believe it, though; to think a girl younger than me would have such a firm grasp of both the internal and external affairs of this country.
I glared at Ou Meirin. “I don’t understand. In that case, why do you want Sekiei? Yes, he has some talent, I admit, but not so much that he can impose his will upon others. I don’t believe he’s necessary for your ambitions, so please, find another man.” Sekiei wasn’t suited for a desk job; he was far more talented in combat. This girl had such grandiose dreams, but there was no place in them for Sekiei.
The moment I finished talking, Ou Meirin tilted her head to the side and giggled at me. She sounded like a completely different person than before. “Huh? Lady Chou Hakurei, isn’t it obvious? ★”
I mulled it over for a moment. “What do you mean?” My words were a lot sharper than I intended.
“Lady Hakurei,” Asaka hissed as she grabbed onto my sleeve. I could see Miss Shizuka looking apologetic.
It’s times like this that I have to keep my cool. I took a deep breath.
Before me, Ou Meirin tilted her small body from side to side, her large breasts bouncing with the movement. She looked like she could hardly contain her excitement. “I don’t believe it’s such a strange idea to want to spend the rest of your life next to the one you love,” she said. “Lord Sekiei is such a marvelous man, after all! ♪”
“Wha—?!” I gasped in a strangled tone.
“Oh?” Father sounded like he was biting back laughter as he stroked his beard.
“There, there,” Asaka said in a poor attempt at comfort.
“Lady Meirin,” Miss Shizuka sighed.
I was thrown seriously off-kilter by Ou Meirin’s words but still managed a reply. “H-He’s not someone you can handle. I will repeat myself one more time: please find another man.”
“Huh? It’s one thing if it was General Chou telling me that. Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?”
I saw red. Who am I, you say? I’m only the woman who’s been at Sekiei’s side all these years! I shot to my feet and stalked forward until I was standing right in front of Ou Meirin, glaring into her eyes. “I can tell you what you can or can’t do to him b-because I... I am the only one who...”
“Oops, sorry! I can’t hear you! ♪”
“Y-You little...!”
Suddenly, two loud bangs rang out through the inner courtyard. The birds took to the air in surprise. I spun around, but it didn’t take me long to find the source of the sound: my father. He’d clapped his hands together and when he saw Ou Meirin and I staring at him, he cleared his throat.
“That’s enough, you two. You can continue your conversation after the war.”
“Yessir...” both of us mumbled, looking away in embarrassment. Yes, we’ll pick up from right here after we deal with Gen.
“Lady Meirin,” father started, his expression stern, “I have about three thousand men with me—do you think it’s possible to transport them all to Keiyou via boat in one trip? This would include their horses and all of their equipment. Considering we’re facing off against Adai himself, we can assume that the sea route has been taken out.”
We would be facing down a veritable horde of enemies with a little more than three thousand. However, those three thousand were no ordinary soldiers—they were skilled and experienced veterans who had survived many battles with father and would surely, just like him, have their names recorded in the history books. If we could take the enemies by surprise with a back attack, then we would be able to overturn the situation in an instant.
“Please leave it to me,” Ou Meirin said, clasping her hands together with a bright smile. “I figured that you would want to ask that of me and so I’ve already made preparations!”
She reminded me of Sekiei a little—just a little—and I felt my chest clench uncomfortably. I fiddled with my bangs and pointed out, “It’s true that with a boat, we would be able to transport a large number of soldiers at once, but how’re we to do that? We can’t use the Grand Canal this time of year on account of the strong northern winds. There’s no other way.”
“If we return to Keiyou on foot or on horseback then we wouldn’t be able to put up a decent fight,” father retorted. “Our enemy is the Crimson Wolf, remember?”
He was right. Father wouldn’t stand any chance of defeating one of the Four Wolves if he was exhausted after a lengthy trip back. Or at the very least, he wouldn’t be able to defeat one of them without the battle being a difficult ordeal. Father and I stood in silence, racking our brains, when the merchant girl who should really look more her age puffed out her impressive chest.
“Yes, I’m more than aware! My husband...ahem, I mean, Lord Sekiei and I designed the perfect ship. It has no flaws! We thought of it together while we were enjoying a cup of tea! ♪”