Chapter 43: Foolishness
“Hmph. So, in the end, you couldn’t stop the Summoner from coming here, huh?”
“…I have no words to respond.”
Right in front of me, Princess-sama of Weimar is bowing deeply in apology.
Not just her, but all her attendants are doing the same.
Seeing them like this makes it clear.
Dogeza is just an overwhelming apology, isn’t it?
When someone does this, any normal person would have to forgive them.
Normally.
“Hah, what a bunch of useless fools.”
“!!”
At my words, Princess-sama stiffens, but I can see the knights who are bowing alongside her clenching their fists in the dirt.
“Hey, Princess-sama, your watchdogs are poorly trained, huh? They look like they might bite me at any moment.”
“Wha—!? Stop it, you lot!! You must not defy him!!”
“Ugh… ha, ha!”
As I inform Princess-sama about the knights’ behavior, she hurriedly tries to stop them.
Am I really that scary?
“Sigh… so?”
“Huh?”
“Why did you let that group of Summoners pass through? I told you not to let them come here, right? And yet, they just waltzed in. And now you come here to apologize. What exactly do you want?”
Admos and Weimar are neighboring countries sharing a border.
Since this forest lies within Weimar’s territory, the Summoners must enter Admos’ domain.
Admos and Weimar had just fought a war not long ago.
If the Summoners were to sneak in during such a time, it could ignite a new conflict.
In other words, the fact that the Summoners are here means they have officially entered Weimar.
“Weren’t the border guards informed?”
“W-Well, we definitely informed them! However… the Summoners displayed their power right in front of the border guards, and the guards, intimidated, let them through…”
What a surprise.
To show off their strength and scare the guards, huh? I heard they were drafted into the war against the Demon Tribe, so I figured they’d gained some combat experience, but it seems they’ve grown bolder than I expected.
That aside…
“What a bunch of spineless soldiers.”
“Ugh! I have no words to respond…”
That’s been the refrain for a while now.
“Well, it’s a bit harsh to expect regular folks to handle Summoners. So, what? You just stood by and watched as they crossed the country?”
“N-No! After receiving the report that the Summoners had entered our territory, we rushed to their location to try and persuade them! We insisted that we were not under your control! We begged them to turn back immediately! But Lord Nara… ah, about this Summoner’s name, Lord Nara refused to listen and instead said he would free us from your grasp…”
Hearing Princess-sama’s account, I couldn’t help but facepalm and look up at the sky.
“How did you try to persuade this… Nara-kun?”
“Huh? Um, we told him that we were not under Maya-dono’s control. That he was not the villain people say he is, and we asked him to return to his country immediately.”
Wow, just as I expected.
“Yeah. How do you think he felt when you said that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Calling me ‘he’ like that? It’s hard to believe you’re not under my control when you say that, right?”
“…Ah.”
“I can’t stand this world… it’s full of idiots…”
I really feel like crying at how foolish everyone is.
“I-I apologize… it was completely unintentional…”
“Sigh, whatever. So, this Nara-kun thinks you’re under my control and is coming here to ‘free’ you, huh?”
“Y-Yes, it seems that way…”
Well, even if they tried to use force, they wouldn’t be able to stop Nara-kun and his crew, who have gained combat experience. If they had, it would have made it seem credible that Weimar was under my control, and it could lead to another war.
Honestly, telling them not to let the Summoners come here was just a way to mess with them.
Maybe I should let it slide this time.
“Still, this Nara-kun, acting all righteous, is such a hassle.”
As I said that, I realized something.
“Hm? By the way, isn’t there another Summoner this time? What’s their name?”
When I asked, Princess-sama shook her head vigorously.
“Well… it seems they are not accompanying them this time.”
“Not accompanying them? Wouldn’t having both of them together increase their chances of winning? What are they thinking?”
“I-I’m sorry. I have no idea.”
Ah, she thinks she’s being blamed for this.
“I’m not blaming you. Besides, you wouldn’t have any way of knowing the circumstances of another country.”
“Haha. I appreciate your generous words.”
…No, Princess-sama…
Sigh, whatever.
“Anyway, I’ll talk to this Nara-kun once. Tell the border guards at the Forest Entrance to let him through if he arrives.”
“Y-Yes! Understood!”
“Alright, you can go now.”
“Yes! Excuse me!”
With that, Princess-sama stood up and left with her attendants.
As I watched them go, I felt a presence behind me.
“…That rumor isn’t wrong.”
“…The counterparts are denying it, so it must be false.”
“No… that excuse is weak, isn’t it?”
“Shut up.”
I know that.
That Princess-sama’s attitude.
She’s clearly looking down on me, right?
She’s just assuming she’s under my control, isn’t she?
With an attitude like that, it’s no wonder Nara-kun would misunderstand.
Sigh… the royalty in this world really are a bunch of fools.