“Hey, Bert. You aren’t planning to abandon Polpystan, are you?”
“As you can see, Latriche is on edge,” King Bertrand, looking rather weak, replied in a cowering manner.
“Yes, I understand how both of you feel,” Lord Nazel said, waiting for King Bertrand to continue.
“Well, we were also inconvenienced because of Robin’s escape. Moreover, it would be a problem if Polpystan is defeated, since it’s right between Desnim and Myzahn... Therefore, we are currently considering sending reinforcements.”
“It would be ideal if Myzahn simply gave up quickly.”
“Indeed. The fact that they took action now probably means that there’s some reason they’re confident in their victory. I don’t know what that reason could be, though.”
“Polpystan has recently been suffering from poor harvests because of the damage caused by big hoppers. Other manabeasts have also been very aggressive. Perhaps Myzahn has evaluated that the country is growing weaker,” King Bertrand speculated.
“Yes, Sutrena has been exporting food to aid with the shortages, and so have other territories. It isn’t surprising that Myzahn has perceived this need for food imports as a sign of Polpystan’s weakness.”
“Whether you decide to send reinforcements during this incident or not, I believe it would be best to investigate the situation in more detail.”
“Davier’s magic would be really convenient at times like this.”
Lord Davier’s magic was certainly suited for investigations. I’d heard that it was a rare type of magic, so there was probably no one else who had it.
“How about just giving it a try and contacting Davier? Before, the Myzahni Defi trespassed into Desnim via the ocean. There’s no guarantee that Myzahn won’t interfere with Peppel Island, so Davier should hate the idea of his peaceful life being ruined. We might be able to find some common ground.”
“Yes, that’s right. So, Nazelbart, could you please get in touch with Davier?”
“I beg your pardon?” Lord Nazel said after a moment. His displeasure was evident on his face.
“Well, I have a mountain of work to go through, so I’m stretched to my limit. Besides, Davier wouldn’t react if I sent someone inept, would he? You’re the one I can trust the most, right?”
“I understand what you’re getting at, but on that island...”
“Yes, I know. Naturally, the former queen and Mia are also there.”
“If I went there, I feel like I would only provoke those two.”
I anxiously listened to Lord Nazel and King Bertrand’s conversation before suddenly raising my hand.
“Excuse me! Lord Nazel is in an awkward position, so I’ll go in his place!”
King Bertrand and Lord Nazel simultaneously looked at me in shock. Why were they so taken aback?
“I’ve met Lord Davier, so I can recognize his face. I believe I will also provoke Princess Mia and the former queen less than Lord Nazel would. They’ve only seen my true appearance once since I married Lord Nazel, so they might have even forgotten my face by now!”
“Th-That’s certainly true, but Nazelbart’s expression is scaring me...”
“Huh?” When I looked up at Lord Nazel next to me, he smiled gently at me. “But Lord Nazel has the same kind expression as always,” I said, feeling confused.
King Bertrand and Queen Latriche looked at me with concerned expressions, like they wanted to tell me something.
“Is that all right with you, Lady Agnes? Nazelbart’s expression changed in an instant—no, never mind.” I didn’t understand the intention of Queen Latriche’s question.
“Did I say anything strange?” I asked King Bertrand this time.
“Yes, your husband— Hey, Nazelbart, stop it. Don’t glare at me.”
When I looked at Lord Nazel again, sure enough, he had the same gentle smile as always.
“Agnes, you don’t need to worry about what Their Majesties are saying. And you said you will go meet Davier, but what are you planning to do? There’s no guarantee he’ll listen to you.”
“I’ll get on Charite and fly to Peppel Island! She used to be Lord Davier’s wyvern, so I think they’d both like to see each other!”
“Aah, you’re so kind, Agnes. But Peppel Island is a dangerous place where criminals are imprisoned. I can’t recommend going there.” Lord Nazel looked at me with a slight frown, but he didn’t dismiss my proposal. He worried about me, but he always gave me freedom.
I conveyed my intentions clearly to avoid troubling him.
“I will be fine! I will have Torre with me as my guard.”
King Bertrand nodded, looking a little shaken.
“In that case, I shall entrust the task to Lady Agnes. The ship that periodically takes provisions to the island will also depart at the same time you do, so you can go with the crew. According to our reports, things on the island are currently calm, and most inhabitants are easygoing. I doubt any major incidents will take place.”
“Understood. You can leave it to me!” I replied with spirit.
Lord Nazel looked like he also wanted to come along.
“Um, Lord Nazel? I will take care of this job. You’re already terribly busy as it is. And I think there are still many things you’d like to discuss with His Majesty. Besides, if we let things be, there’s a risk of other incidents like Kelly’s taking place. If there’s a chance we can resolve things quickly, I’d like to do what I can...”
“Yes, that’s true...”
“So please just leave everything here to me.”
“Agnes.” Lord Nazel embraced me gently. “You’re a truly kindhearted woman. But if you intend to go, you have to take more guards than Torre. I will feel nervous with just the two of you going. You need another fifty, no, eighty people...”
“Come back to your senses, Nazelbart!” snapped the king. “If you also add the ship’s crew, it will be a massive group! It would be strong enough to invade Peppel Island!”
I also pulled on Lord Nazel’s sleeve.
“Um, Lord Nazel? I would feel guilty making so many people guard me when Sutrena is so shorthanded. So please keep my guards to a minimum and leave the rest at their usual posts, taking care of the territory’s security and handling manual labor.”
“But Agnes...”
“I’ll be all right. I’ll secretly reinforce Torre and all the guards.”
“Their conversations are scary,” King Bertrand muttered as he listened to us.
Queen Latriche also nodded.
“And it’s not just Nazelbart—Lady Agnes is quite a wild card too. In a sense, they’re the perfect couple.”
For some reason, the king and queen spoke to us awkwardly.
“We will inform you if there are any other developments regarding Polpystan. Sutrena is located at the southernmost part of Desnim, so this matter isn’t unrelated to you. If possible, I would like you to talk to Defi too. That will be all.”
We bowed to the king and queen and left the audience chamber.
The situation is worse than I thought. I hope Myzahn decides to withdraw quickly. The key was to have something that made them think it was impossible to win. However, Polpystan was currently weakened from all the calamities it had suffered.
We should also increase the food aid. Sutrena had no intention of directly doing anything to Polpystan or Myzahn, but I couldn’t ignore all the starving people who’d gotten dragged into this conflict. It all depended on how Lord Nazel decided to approach this, but I’d like to at least help feed the hungry people.
I looked up at my reliable partner.
“Don’t worry, Agnes. You should just carry on like you always do. I’m worried about you going to Peppel Island, but I don’t plan on restricting your actions. Well, I’d actually like to keep you locked up somewhere. But you’ve achieved many great results so far, so I want to support you too.”
My actions had been recognized by Lord Nazel, someone who was active on the front lines. I was simply overjoyed.
“I’ll do my best!” I replied, my chest puffed up with pride.