…Unfortunately, that would only work if Vanel was willing to negotiate on equal terms. If they judged Zegleus to be an inferior nation they could easily overpower, they could just say, “All right, let’s get on with the war, then.” If that were to happen, Zegleus would need to demonstrate that their well-rested, well-prepared fleet could crush the Vanelian fleet─which would be tired out from the long voyage getting here─and that they’d have no chance of being colonized or exploited. For that purpose, Mitsuha conveyed that she wanted to organize a volunteer fleet and get combat practice…while leaving out the part about utilizing the battle to prevent Vanel from radically changing its international policy.
She also issued a gag order to prevent the crews from revealing any details about the teleportation tactic they employed. If the leaders of this country knew what she could do in combat, there was bound to be a handful who might say idiotic things like “Do we really need to spend all this money to rush our warship and weapon development?” or “Maybe we should take the initiative and lay waste to them.” The king, Count Bozes, and Marquis Eiblinger knew better than to make such suggestions, but there were a lot of dumb nobles in the world.
Some would passionately argue for attacking Vanel not out of a desire to conquer or take advantage of Mitsuha, but because they genuinely believed it to be what was best for their kingdom and their citizens, and that their duty as a noble required it. Sometimes incompetent allies were a bigger threat than skilled enemies. Mitsuha couldn’t risk letting them know more than they needed to.
What’s that? You’re wondering if I can trust the crews of the ships to keep quiet? That’s not a concern. They don’t just believe in the Goddess; they know she exists. I swore them to silence on the Goddess’s name, and they ain’t gonna disobey the girl who was bestowed miraculous powers by their deity. Seafarers are known for being deeply religious, and soldiers even more so because they rely on luck to survive on a daily basis. They won’t confess what they know even if they’re tortured.
I also told them to notify me immediately if anyone threatens to harm or fire them for not talking. I’ll give them a place in my territory if that ever happens. But they know to answer, “Mitsuha swore us to silence in the Goddess’s name,” and I don’t think Count Bozes will press any further than that.
“Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you could hold on to these for me!” Mitsuha said.
“You’re always dumpin’ the weirdest shit on us…” the Wolf Fang captain sighed.
Mitsuha decided the best place to store the weapons and ammunition was at Wolf Fang’s base.
“I know, but if I leave it in my territory, the gunpowder might get exposed to humidity or worse, explode in an accident… Can you hold it here in your temperature-controlled storehouse? I’ll pay a storage fee, of course!”
“Fine… Ain’t like you’re gonna stop bringin’ us stuff anyway. I’ll find an empty spot in our storehouse for now, and build a new one just for you. If you got any requests for its dimensions or equipment, put them in the computer. We’ll pay for construction, but I’m gonna hold ya to payin’ rent!”
Wow, he’s building a storehouse for me with his own funds? How generous! I suppose he can easily afford it given the money they’ve made off the dragons and their new supplier business. If he’s willing to accept my payment for storage, it’s pretty much like renting out an apartment. It won’t cost the mercenary group anything in the long run…as long as I keep paying to use it. Well, I’m not planning on dying an early death, so I’ll try my best to keep renting the storehouse until Wolf Fang makes back their investment.
Sweet, that’s taken care of. The three ships exhausted most of their gunpowder and bullets in the battle, but it’s not like they’re gonna encounter another warship and open fire anytime soon. I can keep my spoils here for now.
My work is done!
…In Zegleus, at least.
“Viscountess Yamano, I ask you to please attend this party,” Marquis Mitchell proposed.
I knew it, Mitsuha sighed. She’d been considering a brief return to Vanelian high society as well. A lot had happened and she wanted to get a grasp on the current situation and keep up with her connections. She was at Micchan’s place to plan for Society’s tea parties when the marquis caught her.
Mitsuha responded, “I’ve stopped asking you to choose my parties, remember?” She’d been making her own judgment on party choice since the incident, which had resulted in her attending significantly less of them. She thought that the marquis had given up on reattaining that role.
“I know. I’ve already accepted that,” he said. “This is not me trying to regain that privilege. I’m simply extending an invitation to attend a party celebrating Vanel’s recent naval victory. The party is not about factions, and will be attended by many of the kingdom’s chief nobles, merchants, and military leaders. The invitation extends to foreign nobles who are residing in the capital─”
“Count me out!”
“Wha…” The marquis was under the impression that Mitsuha had come to Vanel to research the land for potential trade, and thought this celebration would be a perfect chance to do so.
There was one problem, however.
“The so-called ‘Count Wondred’ and ‘Viscount Ephred’ will be there, right?”
“Urgh… Well… Actually, no man going by either name will be at this party.”
Huh? There’s no way the king and crown prince would skip this kind of event─oh, I get it!
“Count Wondred and Viscount Ephred won’t be attending, but the king and crown prince will. Is that what you mean?”
“Correct.”
I knew it…
“Then I’m out! The one time I’ve interacted with them as the king and crown prince, they tried to intimidate and trick me into sharing compromising information. I’m not stepping within one hundred yards of them again. I wouldn’t feel safe!”
There was nothing Marquis Mitchell could say to that. There was a good chance the king and crown prince would corner her at the party and make excessive requests, assuming she couldn’t refuse them in front of dozens of other nobles in attendance. She’d made it clear to the marquis that she was afraid of that, so he couldn’t blame her for not going.
What? I was rude to them at that party too? Maybe. But they attended as Count Wondred and Viscount Ephred, and it was after they were rude to me first. That’s not a problem.
Their impudence was brushed under the rug because it was nothing more than the act of a simple count and viscount. But now, I know them as “the king and crown prince who summoned a foreign noblewoman to the royal palace and tried to hoodwink her and pressure her with unreasonable demands.” No one would blame me for being afraid to go near them. It’s only common sense that an underage (-looking) girl, who has no family or retainers nearby, to avoid scary men.
They may be able to strong-arm a noble of their own country to attend the party, but a foreign viscount has no obligation to. I’m not going, and that’s final.
There was another reason Mitsuha didn’t want to go: there might be a lot of men from the navy who knew her. She’d already met plenty of naval sailors at parties, but this time she was afraid there might be personnel from the port town who only knew her as a wealthy Vanelian citizen from an immigrant noble family─certainly not as a foreign royal or noble who was doing business in the capital. That included those she’d met at the bar and the commander who summoned her to his office.
Not that it’d be a big deal if they found out she wasn’t from this country; they were the ones who made the wrong assumption. She hadn’t told a lie, and either way, it wouldn’t change the fact that she was a noble on a private outing. Still, it was best if no one from the port town saw her.
There was also a good chance she’d have to deal with complaints from some people whose orders were canceled─Lephilia Trading had rejected them because they were on her blacklist. Others had tried to order more than the store’s quantity limit. They’ll probably say, “How dare you ignore demands from the Goddess’s chosen soldiers!” That ain’t gonna work on me…