Chapter 34: A Warning from Princess-sama
“Princess-sama wants to see me?”
One day, Ivern returned from town and said that.
“Why?”
“Beats me? I just heard it from the guards here. They didn’t know the details either.”
“What the hell?”
“So, what are you going to do?”
What do you mean, what am I going to do?
“I’ll pass. I have no reason to meet her.”
When I said that, Ivern looked oddly satisfied.
“Well, I figured you’d say that. Alright, I’ll let the guards know.”
With that, Ivern, who had just returned, headed back to the entrance of the forest to inform them of my refusal to meet with Princess-sama.
Then, a few days later…
“Um, they keep insisting they want to meet and talk…”
“…Why are they so desperate?”
“I don’t know. Apparently, there’s something urgent they need to convey, so they really want to meet. What do you think?”
“Ah…”
Having already turned them down once, the fact that they still wanted to meet must mean it’s something serious.
But since I already made it clear I wouldn’t get involved with Weimar, I doubt it has anything to do with that…
“Ugh, fine. I guess I’ll meet with her once.”
Maybe they’ve caught wind of something related to me.
Given how things were last time, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.
So, I told Ivern I would meet with her, and he relayed the message to the guards.
It seemed they quickly set a date for the meeting, which Ivern brought back.
“How prepared are they?”
“I thought the same thing. It might really be an emergency.”
“Maybe…”
Ugh, this is such a hassle.
Why do problems keep popping up one after another?
I just want to live my life without getting involved with you all.
That inner turmoil must have shown, as the meeting with Princess-sama took place in my yard, guided by Ivern, and from the start, she and her entourage looked quite nervous.
By the way, I didn’t let them into the house.
I couldn’t let them see Meileen, and they definitely couldn’t find out I had a child.
So, I even put up a soundproof Barrier around the house.
Princess-sama and her group were seated at a table set up in the garden.
“Um… I’m sorry for taking your time when you’re busy.”
“Busy? I’m cooped up in this yard all day. Is that some kind of sarcasm?”
I didn’t like one of Princess-sama’s words, and my mood soured even more.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Ivern smacked the back of my head.
Princess-sama and her companions gasped, their faces turning pale.
“What the hell?”
“Stop being so confrontational. The princess is just here to talk. Don’t intimidate her before she even says anything.”
“I’m not intimidating anyone.”
“Your bad mood alone is intimidating. I apologize, Your Highness. Please, go ahead and speak.”
“Ah, thank you. Um…”
Ah, so Princess-sama doesn’t know Ivern’s name.
“I’m Ivern.”
“Ivern…”
Princess-sama said, staring intently at Ivern.
What’s that about?
“Hey, Princess-sama. That guy’s a married commoner, you know? Don’t get any weird ideas.”
When I said that, Princess-sama suddenly looked at me, her face flushed.
“N-No! It’s just that he looks a bit familiar!”
“Oh really? Probably just a case of mistaken identity. So, what do you want?”
Since she was taking forever to get to the point, I prompted her to speak.
Then, after clearing her throat, Princess-sama finally adopted a serious expression.
“Actually, there have been suspicious movements from Admos.”
“Admos? Are they planning revenge against Weimar?”
Admos was the nation Weimar had been at war with until recently.
Weimar had won that war and gained a portion of Admos’s territory along with a hefty compensation.
They must be harboring some serious grudges.
However, Princess-sama’s perspective was different.
“No, it seems that it’s not a retaliation against our country.”
“What do you mean?”
Then what the hell is Admos up to?
“Actually… it seems Admos has recently been in contact with Lindor.”
“…Huh.”
Lindor, huh? That name brings back unpleasant memories.
“As you know, Lindor is currently trying to recover from the incident involving you, Maya. Moreover, news of their actions has reached the other royal families, causing them to lose credibility among neighboring nations. So why would Lindor and Admos be in contact…?”
Princess-sama said that while staring at my face.
She looked like she had come to a conclusion but found it hard to say.
“Go on, just say it.”
When I gave her the go-ahead, she took a deep breath and began.
“…Admos has decided to offer support to Lindor. Even though the war reparations haven’t been settled yet.”
“And then?”
“Admos is trying to curry favor with Lindor. And the return for that is…”
She hesitated again, so I filled in the blanks for her.
“They might ask Lindor to perform the Summoning ritual again… right?”
When I said that, Princess-sama nodded silently.
The magic circle that summoned me was discovered in ruins in Lindor and cannot be moved.
So, if they want to summon someone from another world, they have no choice but to rely on Lindor.
“Otherwise, there would be no reason to support Lindor at this time.”
“I see. Still, relying on Summoning when things get tough? The people in this world really are a bunch of scum.”
“I-I have no excuse.”
Princess-sama bowed apologetically, but I ignored it.
“Still, if they’re going to support Lindor just to get a Summoner, what’s their real aim?”
“I can’t imagine they would want to drag a Summoner into a war between humans.”
“Well, they’d probably resist that.”
I suspect they want to summon someone from the same world as me.
If that happens, humans would look the same.
Honestly, if they summoned someone who had just arrived, they’d probably refuse to fight.
“So, are they planning to invade the Demon Tribe Nation to reclaim the territory and gold lost in the war, or…?”
I trailed off, and Princess-sama looked at me intently.
“Or to hunt down the Previous Summoner, who has become the enemy of the world.”
When I said that, Princess-sama lowered her gaze, her expression grave.
“Originally, the spark for this war was Admos’s attempt to secure you, Maya, through vile means. It’s not surprising if they hold a grudge against you.”
“That’s truly a baseless grudge.”
What did I even do?
I was just trying to protect my own life.
They arbitrarily labeled me as an enemy, and it’s infuriating.
“So? Why did you want to tell me this? Are you trying to butter me up?”
When I said that, the faces of Princess-sama and her entourage twitched.
“Hey. That’s a bit much.”
“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”
Ivern chided me, but I couldn’t see it any other way.
As I was arguing with Ivern, Princess-sama hesitated for a moment before adopting a determined expression.
“…If the Summoner’s target is indeed you, Maya, there’s a possibility this place could become a battlefield.”
“That’s true.”
“Um, well… this is technically within Weimar’s territory, so… if a battle were to occur between Summoners here, it could lead to the collapse of the nation…”
…
Ah, I see what she’s getting at.
“So you’re saying if they’re going to fight, they should do it somewhere else?”
“Y-Yes, if possible…”
Got it.
Still, she’s being surprisingly honest about this.
But…
“I refuse.”
“What!?”
When I turned down Princess-sama’s suggestion, her and her envoy’s faces were filled with shock.
“W-Why…?”
“Why? Let me put it this way: why are you telling me this? You should be telling the ones who are coming to pick a fight with me.”
I haven’t done anything.
I haven’t moved from here.
Yet they’re the ones who are challenging me to a fight, so why should I have to be considerate?
Besides, they shouldn’t even be coming here to fight in the first place.
Hearing my response, Princess-sama smiled wryly and nodded.
“…That’s a fair point. Understood. However, since there is a suspicion, please remain vigilant.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“Then, I will take my leave.”
With that, Princess-sama stood up, bowed, and left.
The Barrier is designed to confuse anyone trying to enter, but it allows for easy exit, so Ivern wasn’t needed to escort her out, and she and her entourage left on their own.
“Come on. Princess-sama is genuinely worried about you, and you treat her like that?”
Once Princess-sama was out of sight, Ivern spoke to me with an exasperated expression.
“Huh? Why should I have to be considerate? If they didn’t want this place to become a battlefield, they shouldn’t have come here in the first place.”
“That’s true, but there’s a way to say things.”
“I don’t want to bow my head to the people of this world, nor do I want to express gratitude.”
When I said that, Ivern let out a deep sigh.
“What about Mr. Bennett?”
“That guy is special because he’s indispensable to Meileen.”
When I said that, Ivern chuckled.
“Looks like Meileen is your standard after all.”
“Of course.”
So, I also dislike the upper echelons of the Demon Tribe Nation that Meileen hates.
If possible, I want the new Summoner to clash with the Demon Tribe Nation.
“By the way, aren’t you going to try to stop the Summoning?”
“Why should I move for some stranger?”
“Stranger? A person from your own world could get abducted again, you know? Don’t you want to stop that?”
“Not really. If it was someone I knew from my original world, that would be a different story, but it’s completely random. If they get Summoned, they just have to accept they had bad luck. Sure, there might be some who are happy about being Summoned.”
“…Even if they’re forcibly abducted?”
“Yeah. There might be those who are fed up with the reality of their world and get all hyped up saying, ‘Otherworld Summoning, here I come!’ when they get Summoned.”
When I explained about that world, Ivern looked at me with an exasperated expression.
“Is your original world… a bit strange or something?”
Maybe it is.