Sasaki and Peeps - Volume 4 - Chapter 4

<Territory and Expansion>

As always, we paid a visit to Count Müller’s estate and were immediately brought to the reception room. The count was already there. And of course, Peeps sat on his little perching tree on the low table between the sofas. Once we were all settled into our usual spots, the conversation began.

“I apologize for yet another long absence, Count Müller,” I told him.

“You needn’t worry,” he replied. “I’m sure you two have a lot going on.”

“I am truly sorry for causing you undue distress while we’re taking care of your beloved daughter,” said Peeps.

“Please, there’s no need,” said the count. “I’m the one imposing upon your goodwill.”

Like always, the three of us were the only ones in the room. A maid had been present earlier preparing our drinks, but she was gone now, leaving only our steaming, tea-filled cups sitting in front of us. Next to them were expensive-looking snacks. Peeps had been provided with specially designed tableware, as always.

“Several unexpected occurrences delayed our return,” explained the sparrow. “Depending on how matters unfold, those issues may cause us to be away for longer again. I apologize in advance and hope you understand.”

“Forgive me for being blunt, but has something happened over there?” asked Count Müller. “I’m more than willing to hear you out, if you are at liberty to share. I would like to help you two in any way I can.”

He was basically saying the exact same thing as Lady Elsa. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I thought.

“A sea dragon from this world has appeared in that one,” Peeps told him. “This man and his comrades have been busy dealing with it. I’d be very grateful if you could inform us of any sightings of things from his world here in ours.”

“What? A dragon…?” repeated Count Müller, taken aback by the sparrow’s explanation. He quickly followed up with another question. “Could this dragon have used the same magic as you, Lord Starsage?”

“I know not the reason for its appearance, but I believe the chances of that are low.”

We never told Count Müller about the reptilian expelled into modern times. Perhaps that resulted in a slight misunderstanding. These creatures had not voluntarily crossed between worlds, but rather, a variety of factors seemed to have pushed them across the barrier. After we explained things in more detail, he seemed to get it.

“I see,” he said. “In that case, I shall put together an investigation of my own.”

“There is no need to go all-out in your searching,” replied Peeps, “but if you notice anything, please tell us.”

“Understood, Lord Starsage.”

Wow, I thought as I looked at the count. He really takes the initiative, doesn’t he? And as always, he simply adored the Lord Starsage. I wondered how he’d react if he found out about that video getting leaked. Not that I would ever tattle on Peeps and ruin his reputation, of course.

Once Peeps and I had explained the situation on our end, the count broached a new topic. “By the way, Lord Sasaki, I have some urgent news as well.”

“What is it, my lord?” I unconsciously sat up a little straighter at the word urgent. It had been around one month here since our last visit, and the conflict over who would be Herz’s next king had been heating up. That was plenty of time for trouble to occur. I steeled myself for news of the court—only to be caught completely off guard by what the count said next.

“Prince Lewis is currently visiting your territory, Lord Sasaki,” he said.

“My territory? You mean the Rectan Plains?”

“That’s correct.”

That was certainly not the place I’d been expecting. Prince Lewis was the first prince of the Kingdom of Herz. He and the second prince, Adonis, were the ones competing for the crown. The country was split between the two factions, and I was pretty sure Count Müller and I were on the latter’s side. So Prince Lewis had essentially jumped straight into the middle of enemy territory.

“Does this have anything to do with what you told us last time?” I asked.

“It does indeed,” replied the count.

Prince Lewis was moving to invade the Ohgen Empire and bringing all the nobles supporting him along for the ride. Or at least, those were the rumors Count Müller had relayed to me during our previous visit.

I basically forgot all about that until his name came up, but I think I’ll keep that to myself. We’d been so busy in Japan lately that I’d started forgetting what was happening in the otherworld. Sorry, guys.

“You’re building a fortress along the border, yes?” prompted Count Müller.

“Ah. Is that why, my lord?”

I thought back to how I’d left essentially everything in Mr. French’s lap. Thanks to his popularity and cooking talent, my territory’s development was going swimmingly. With the addition of several large golems, work was proceeding so fast it would put modern construction companies to shame. We were on track to finish well ahead of schedule.

“Forgive my asking,” I said, “but has the prince paid you a visit as well, my lord?”

“Yes, he has—personally, just last week.”

“Where is he now?” asked Peeps.

“It’s been a few days since he left for Lord Sasaki’s lands.”

“Which means he’s probably already arrived…”

“Is Prince Adonis with him as well?” I asked.

“No, he isn’t,” responded the count. “He only brought some nobles from his own faction.”

At the moment, I had a few different ideas as to why Prince Lewis would be visiting my territory. None of it went beyond the realm of speculation, however, since I hadn’t actually talked to the man. And if I was going to find out, sooner would be better than later; if he ended up quarreling with Mr. French or the other workers, it could cause a mess. I didn’t want to put them through that kind of stress. I should probably head straight there.

I’d be facing someone at the very highest stratum of aristocratic society. I had arrogantly entrusted Mr. French with my domain, but what if Prince Lewis and his people wouldn’t even listen to him?

Never in a million years did I expect a boss-level character to come barging into my domain. “I’d like to head there immediately,” I told the count. “With your permission, of course.”

“Would you mind if I came along?” he asked.

“Not at all.”

“Apologies for involving you in our mess, Julius,” said Peeps.

“My own town is so close by, it naturally concerns me as well,” the count explained. “In fact, I should be the one going there to deal with it. I’m terribly sorry for placing this burden on the two of you.”

“We’ll be heading straight there,” replied Peeps. “Are you all right with that?”

“Yes, I am. And thank you.”

After confirming Count Müller was ready to go, we immediately set off from his estate. And with a burst of teleportation magic, we warped right to Baron Sasaki’s territory.

Just like our last visit to the Rectan Plains, our plan was to take to the air with flight magic and move over the site. I wanted to get a bird’s-eye view of how things were coming along.

Our vision flashed black, and Count Müller’s estate disappeared. We now saw an endless blue sky all around us, grasslands below stretching all the way to the horizon.

Right in the middle of those plains, however, was a spot where the plant life was now gone—a busy, chaotic area. Last time we’d seen a few structures with their upper portions near completion. Now we could see one that looked like a building, though not yet finished. If you looked up the word fortress on an internet search engine, you’d probably find something similar. It was rough and made of stone, and while it looked simplistic on the outside, you could easily tell how sturdy it was.

Other tall stone walls were being erected around it. They’d been equipped with bartizans, and on their sides were small windows, likely crenels. The design seemed to imply its purpose was not simply a dwelling, but a place to do battle. The space within the walls was vast—perhaps it was meant to house large quantities of soldiers.

Both the walls and the fortress itself were under construction in various places, but the building had proceeded far enough that I could envision the completed product. A few more days in Japan, and it would probably be ready to move in.

Nearby, I saw carriages lined up in several places. They must have been transporting supplies to the fortress on a pretty large scale. Even a casual glance revealed three digits’ worth of them, at least.

“Work seems to be proceeding apace,” remarked Peeps.

“Baytrium has become a hub for those traveling here and back from other towns,” said the count. “People have gathered from all over after hearing rumors of this land. I have no doubt many have fled their old lives to come here.”

“Rumors, my lord?” I asked.

“Many of Herz’s nobles are still in dire financial straits after the Ohgen Empire’s assault,” he explained. “I should think many have set taxes quite high in order to recover. When their subjects hear of large-scale, well-paying development work elsewhere, they will flock to it.”

Several months had passed here since the development efforts began. That was more than enough time for rumors to spread and people to start making decisions. All around the main construction area with its fortress and walls was a sprawling settlement—bigger even than the construction site itself—of tents that housed the site’s workers. You could even see a few log houses here and there. It was starting to resemble a little town.

Like before, a host of golems was moving about the construction site. But now there seemed to be even more. Had they hired more casters? I could make out people who looked like magicians here and there, waving staffs around.

“I am impressed they would come so close to an enemy nation’s border,” said Peeps.

“For those involved,” the count replied, “the choice is being killed in an attack tomorrow or starving to death today.”

“I would have liked to leave something behind, even something minor, that the kingdom’s people could cling to.”

“I have been too weak. For that, I am deeply ashamed.”

“No, pay me no mind. My words meant nothing.”

Hearing Peeps’s words and seeing his eyes grow distant put me in a somber mood, as well. I looked at his face from the side; it exuded more dignity than usual, and I felt I was seeing a glimpse of Peeps the statesman. Although on the surface, he was nothing more than a normal Java sparrow.

But now I understood how much faith others were putting in my domain. The conversation had grown pretty heavy, and I was really feeling the pressure.

“Shall we descend?”

“I’d like to say hello to Mr. French first,” I told the bird.

“Very well.”

After observing the progress from the skies for a little while, we used flight magic to decrease our altitude. Peeps, as usual, was helping Count Müller. We landed right next to the fortress, and someone ran up to us immediately.

“Sir! It’s so good to see you again! A-and you, too, my lord!”

“I apologize for my long absence, Mr. French.”

“No need,” the man replied. “I should be thanking you for coming.” Mr. French was in his work clothes again. Recently, I was more accustomed to seeing him like this than in his chef outfit. “I must say, you came at a very good time.”

“Should I take that to mean Prince Lewis is already here?” I asked.

“Oh? You already know?”

“I just heard about it from Count Müller.”

“Then could you possibly lend us some assistance? You’ve done a lot of good by us, but there isn’t a soul here who can speak directly to a prince.”

“Of course—and it is I who should apologize for putting you in this situation. I’ll deal with it right away. Would you mind showing me to him? If anyone’s been wounded, I’ll have a look at them first.”

“No wounded, at least. Here, he’s this way.”

Mr. French hurried us across the work site, toward the opposite side of the fortress. We left the construction area and passed through the tents, before reaching a spot where several carriages waited in a line.

I’d seen them from the sky, but up close I could tell how lavish they were. These certainly aren’t the type commoners would be using to transport goods. I could see many more in other areas that might be used for transport, but the ones in this vicinity were very different. These were luxuriously decorated for use by nobles and royals. I could see quite a few knights and maids on hand, as well.

There were a lot of carriages here. The one in the center seemed the most ornate, but many others were dazzling in their own right. Of course, the first prince would never come to the border on his own—he’d bring a retinue of nobles along.

Mr. French headed straight to the middle of the row of carriages, and a knight quickly hailed him. If it had been just Mr. French and me, he probably would have turned us away, but this time, we had the count with us. The knight must have recognized his face, and we were able to get a meeting with Prince Lewis.

We were shown to what had to be the most exorbitant, garish carriage in the vicinity. As we stood next to it, a familiar face peered out from the window—the young man who had stood next to the throne during our audience with the king. It seemed he was indeed Prince Lewis.

“Oh?” he said. “Count Müller, what are you doing here?”

“The lord of this land wishes to greet you,” explained the count, kneeling on the ground as he spoke. “I have accompanied him.”

I, as Baron Sasaki, followed suit, hastily assuming the same position. If I’d been alone, I definitely would have screwed up and simply bowed. Next to me, Mr. French had bent the knee in the same way.

“Hmm? Well, that’s very thoughtful of you,” said the prince, his eyes darting from the count to me.

Several knights—serving as guards, no doubt—stood right next to the carriage. They were probably his personal entourage. Even with the count present, they maintained their sharp gazes, ever vigilant. Since we supported the second prince, Adonis, we were the enemy faction. The knights were probably on edge, having set foot in what was essentially hostile territory.

I decided to greet the prince as well, hoping to alleviate the tension. “It is my great honor that you have graced me with a visit, Your Royal Highness. I am Sasaki.”

“I remember seeing you during an audience with my father,” remarked Lewis.

“I’m honored once again that you remember, sir.”

In contrast to his younger brother’s handsome charm and winning smile, the elder brother had a kind of gloominess about his expression as he gazed at us. I could feel him looking me up and down, appraising me. His long hair and mild way of speaking only strengthened the impression.

As a blood relative of Prince Adonis, Prince Lewis’s features were similarly handsome. He was definitely a heartthrob in his own right. And yet the dreary way he moved and spoke and his gloomy visage were the total opposite of his brother.

“You initiated direct negotiations with my father in front of us all,” Lewis noted. “Anyone would remember.”

“I’m terribly sorry for my actions at the time, sir,” I responded. “They were out of line.”

He seemed to recall my face with no trouble. That brought me no joy, however, since I’d already cast my lot with Prince Adonis. I’d honestly prefer he just forget about me.

Count Müller must have had complicated feelings as well. This prince’s whims had separated him from his daughter for the time being. But he far outranked us, and the count had to bow to him. Hope we can figure out what he’s here for and send him on his way quickly.

“Sir, may I have a word?” I asked.

“Very well. What is it?”

“As you can see, sir, this land is desolate. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for causing you such a grave inconvenience. If you wish, we would be able to entertain you much better elsewhere.”

Thanks to my deals with Mr. Joseph, I had quite a bit of pocket money to use on whatever came up. I’ll wine and dine him until he’s satisfied and send him back to the palace, I thought.

But the prince furrowed his brow at my words. “There is much here, is there not? A splendid fortress is under construction, after all,” he pointed out, his eyes moving to the incomplete structure standing behind us.

The fortress was already big enough to be seen over the surrounding tents, even from out here. Through the unfinished walls, you could catch glimpses of the large golems moving about. Talk about an otherworldly construction site.

“Is the fortress of interest to you, sir?” I asked.

“I am the first prince of this kingdom,” he replied. “Our relationship with the empire across the border is precarious; I believe it’s only natural I should come to observe a major development undertaken so close by. And I believe my father was the one who originally suggested all this.”

“I apologize for speaking out of line, sir,” I said. “You are quite correct.”

Could he have come here to use this border fortress as part of the succession dispute? The prince was right; this had all come about after an exchange between Duke Einhart and the king. And it would be easy for him to show up and snatch away the fruits of the landowner’s labor. I was a new baron—and very far from the capital.

Plus, this would give him a means to keep Prince Adonis in check. First the Lady Elsa incident and now this? Maybe he’s one of those “I always get what I want” types.

“It’s fortunate you two have shown up together,” continued the prince. “Give me a tour around the fortress. I don’t mind if it’s still in progress. This land would be on the front lines in a war with the Ohgen Empire. As one who may rule the kingdom, I must have a good sense of its scope.”

“It is as you say, sir.” How was I supposed to refuse? I had no choice but to nod and agree. The count didn’t offer any objections, either.

The prince gave a little smile. “A good response,” he noted. “Let’s be off at once, then.”

Seeing our reactions, Prince Lewis alighted from his carriage. The knights stationed near the cabin all moved, surrounding him in a tight formation that said Do anything even slightly suspicious, and we’ll cut you down without question.

That was the party Count Müller and I had to lead to the fortress.

Prince Lewis’s surprise inspection was quite the event for those working at the site. I feel so bad for them. Just moving from the carriages to the fortress created a big stir. Even though the prince insisted to everyone that they didn’t need to stop working, they all groveled on the spot.

Walking through them as this happened was very uncomfortable.

Mr. French came along, too, helping us show the prince around. As we headed to the fortress, he was able to field questions about everything from how many people currently labored in my domain to their future plans and schedules. I couldn’t be more thankful. Eventually, we came right up to the front of the fortress.

“It looks several times stronger and more solid than it appeared from afar,” Prince Lewis remarked.

“I’m honored to hear it, sir,” I replied.

“I see many golems about. I assume they’re being put to good use?”

“Yes, sir. Thanks to the golems, work has been proceeding exceedingly smoothly,” I answered, merely passing on what Peeps had told me. Without those golems, we probably wouldn’t have made even half this much progress. With the combination of magic to make objects float and the golems’ brute strength, there was no need for things like tower cranes. They were also working wonders hauling supplies from Baytrium.

“I’m curious to see how the inside is coming along,” said the prince. “May we enter?”

“O-of course, sir!” exclaimed Mr. French, nodding enthusiastically. “Right this way!”

We followed him as he began to walk toward the entrance. Peeps and I hadn’t seen the inside yet, either. We all streamed into the structure, the prince’s knights included.

The first thing I noticed were military facilities, such as guardrooms and cafeterias for soldiers, as well as storehouses for holding supplies. I also saw a full array of everything a lord in the outskirts might need, such as offices, reception rooms, and a guest room. It seemed the crew really was treating it like a local noble’s estate.

At the moment, the interior was all exposed stonework—not concrete, I reminded myself. The stones had all been precisely measured and cut, though, so the place didn’t look too shabby. No need for modern wallpaper here. Once they brought in some carpets and furniture, things would really start to shape up. It looked crude by modern standards, but it was more than adequate for this world. It’s like a theme park castle.

I did spot a few areas that looked unfinished, however. The finishing touches must have required a human rather than a golem to get them just right.

After giving the place a once-over, we moved to an upper-floor balcony. From here, you could see everything around us—the city of tents and the plains beyond. A table and chairs had been set up, though I wasn’t sure when they had arrived. Some women in maids’ outfits were already present, preparing tea. A moment later, the knights surrounding the prince moved in to pull out a chair and perform other small tasks for their lord.

The people Prince Lewis brought with him probably set this up while we were observing the interior. I looked around again and noticed the nearby workers were all gone. I felt bad for getting in the way of their tasks.

The prince took a seat at the table, while the rest of us stood around it, facing him. Naturally, his knights stood behind him, glaring at us.

“This workmanship is much more impressive than I’d expected, Baron Sasaki,” he said.

“I’m honored by your compliment, sir.”

“You must have very skilled craftsmen working for you.”

“That is correct, sir.” I hadn’t personally done anything at all. I wanted to hand off the credit to Mr. French and the others who were actually putting in the work. But considering the prince was from an opposing faction, I hesitated. Best keep our conversation as short as possible.

“I’d like to ask you something,” said the prince. “How many troops do you think we could potentially station here?”

“Well…” Having passed all these decisions off, I groped for an answer.

Count Müller quickly stepped in to help. “We do not yet have an exact number, sir, but I would imagine it could hold five to six thousand without issue.”

“That’s far better than nothing,” noted the prince. “But considering the enemy’s numbers, it leaves me uneasy.”

“I believe there are yet more things to be concerned about, sir,” replied the count. “Nearby villages were razed in the previous scuffle. As this place is relatively isolated, securing supply lines would require much labor. When the Empire attacked us, we found enemy troops setting up ambushes as far into Herz as Baytrium’s outskirts.”

“Oh, I’m aware of the need to maintain the roads.”

The prince’s concerns were reasonable. The Ohgen Empire had mobilized over ten thousand soldiers during their previous invasion. If not for the dragons living in the big hole, even this fortress we were working on so diligently would quickly be taken by the enemy.

“Sir,” said the count, addressing the prince. “There’s something I would very much like to ask.”

“And what would that be?”

“Have you already made up your mind on invading the Ohgen Empire, sir?”

Way to cut straight to the point, I thought. The knights around us all visibly tensed. How much had they been told?

“Yes, I have,” replied the prince with a casual nod, as if it were the most natural response in the world. “And I’d like to have your cooperation when the time comes.”

“We have pledged our allegiance to the Herzian royal family and to His Royal Highness Adonis,” returned the count. “If you and he are to ride out and conquer the enemy, we vow to serve as your swords and fight until the very last man.”

“Be frank, Count Müller. You can admit that you want no part of it,” said the prince, offering a smirk in front of all his subordinates.

“……”

The count faced the prince’s provocation in silence. Watching these two attractive men confront one another was like looking at a scene from a painting. It made me—an average Joe—want to turn right around and exit stage left.

“Forgive my rudeness, sir,” said the count eventually. “But do we have a chance at winning?”

“Well, naturally,” replied Prince Lewis. “I have no intention of throwing away my own life.”

Count Müller’s forward suggestion would have normally drawn at least one critical comment from the knights. But they all stayed silent and watched the two nobles. Were they curious about their lord’s intentions as well?

“If you don’t mind,” replied the count, “I’d like to ask the reason for your confidence on this matter.”

“I do mind,” the prince returned. “Very much, in fact. Would you have me reveal my entire strategy right here?”

“No, I would never—”

“This is not some jest, Count Müller,” interrupted Prince Lewis. “I am no fool.”

“I apologize for overstepping, sir.” The count bowed his head meekly at the prince’s scolding.

Keeping the count in his peripheral vision, the prince reached for a freshly brewed cup of black tea sitting on the table. He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip. Behind him was the fortress balcony, overlooking the great plains along the border. Seeing him enjoy his tea so elegantly against this backdrop felt once again like gazing at a work of art.

“In my mind’s eye, I can already see our soldiers, clear as day, striking a decisive blow to the Empire. You need only follow my instructions, and I shall skillfully bring our nation out of its current predicament.”

“……”

Count Müller stared at Prince Lewis, clearly wanting to say something—but he chose to remain silent.

Ugh, this is so uncomfortable. Just watching them is giving me a stomachache. Though politically speaking, we may have been enemies, this man was the first prince of Herz. If the count pressed any further, the knights waiting to the side would not stay silent. And obviously, this wasn’t the kind of situation where some backwater baron might insert his own opinion.

In desperation, I glanced over to my shoulder at Peeps. The sparrow, however, gave no response, calmly pretending he was merely a bird. He was acting so birdlike, in fact, that for a moment I worried he had been swapped out without me knowing.

Meanwhile, our party, which had been standing under a bright sun, was momentarily blanketed in darkness. At the same time, we heard a roar as something passed over us in the sky. I looked up, and there it was—a huge dragon. One of the golden dragons Peeps had summoned had passed very close to the fortress. Had it picked up on the bird’s presence and come to check on him?

The knights around Prince Lewis looked flabbergasted. In a panic, they drew their swords and readied themselves. Mr. French and Count Müller, on the other hand, seemed used to it—their expressions were no more excited than if they’d just caught sight of a sweet potato seller rolling into the neighborhood.

“Is that one of the dragons rumored to be nesting nearby?” asked the prince.

“Yes, that’s corr—”

But before I could finish my sentence, Prince Lewis raised one of his arms toward the dragon. Now what’s he doing? I wondered.

Then, moments later, magic blasted out from his hand. It was an unchanted attack spell that sent a fireball the size of a person straight at the dragon.

Someone shouted an astonished “What?!” but I wasn’t sure who. I was just as shocked as they were. Attacking a dragon with magic? Of all the things I could have seen coming, that was not one of them. It was so sudden I could only stand there, dazed.

The fireball zoomed through the air and connected with the dragon’s tail, exploding and covering the surrounding sky in a storm of flames.

Naturally, that brought the dragon to a sudden halt. Then the creature swiveled in midair to face us. From what I could see, it was unharmed. I couldn’t make out a single scorch mark on its radiant golden scales.

A moment later, it opened its jaw and gave a huge, threatening roar, spreading its wings and appearing to take up a fighting stance. It was still pretty far away from us. But because of how large the dragon was, it was plenty intimidating.

“S-Sir?!” cried Count Müller. “What are you doing?!”

“Count Müller, I’d like you to observe the dragon’s reaction,” said the prince.

“Its reaction?” repeated the count. “I don’t—”

As soon as it turned in the direction of the fireball—toward us—it let out a roar of obvious anger. Now flames were rising out from its throat. I was afraid they’d cook the fortress and everyone inside.

Its frightening eyes swiveled before fixing on our group. But not long after it opened its mouth to try to threaten us again, it suddenly shook.

Its gaze was still focused on our party on the balcony, but it had begun to reluctantly fold its wings. Halfway through its ear-splitting roar, it fell silent and stopped, its mouth hanging open. It paused there in the sky and took no further action, simply continuing to stare at us.

My assumption was that the dragon was looking at the little sparrow nestled on my shoulder. Perhaps it had gotten angry at being hit with fire, then spotted its master near the source of the attack and was now unsure of what to do.

It was so terrifying a second ago, I reflected. But now it almost seems a little cute. Even the way it grumbled, now meek, struck me as charming.

“Well, what is going on here?” asked the prince. “Why does the dragon not attack us?”

“Sir, please come inside the fortress, quickly!” shouted the count.

“Why? I see no movement from our dragon.”

“But—!” Grasping the situation, Count Müller was making a show of trying to distance the prince from the dragon. The knights nearby were on the same page and kicking up a fuss of their own.

But Prince Lewis remained seated in his chair, looking up at the sky. “It may have no interest in humans, but I attacked it without warning. What strange sort of dragon wouldn’t be angry with us? In fact, it looked as though it was about to strike back and then hesitated.”

“……”

Apparently, the prince had caught on to what those dragons in the hole were really about. And yet I couldn’t believe he’d shot one with magic as soon as he saw it. What a terrifying display of courage—he was checking his theory with a game of Russian roulette. If Peeps hadn’t been here, everyone present would have been roasted a fine golden brown.

For a negative, gloomy character, he sure took the initiative. He reminded me of those YouTubers who voluntarily did dangerous stunts for views.

“What do you think, Count Müller?” the prince asked.

“I know not what goes through the minds of dragons,” replied the count. “But for now, I believe we should prioritize your safety. I do not know how long it will hold, but please come back inside the fortress.”

The count had his sword drawn and was standing among the knights at Prince Lewis’s side. He clearly planned to continue feigning ignorance about the dragons. Mr. French, for his part, was now white in the face, his knees shaking.

“Hmm…,” murmured the prince, seeming lost in thought as he looked over everyone on the balcony without a care for the count’s advice.

In the meantime, there was a change in the sky. After a short interval staring at us, the dragon turned its head away, then spun and flew off as it had originally planned, without doing a thing.

Its tail, which had been straight and taut a few moments ago, was now a little droopy. That made me curious. Was the dragon trying its best to be considerate of us? When I thought about it that way, I began to feel an attachment to these neighbors of ours, and I thought once again how nice it would be to have a big pet.

“Behold,” announced the prince. “The dragon leaves.”

As we looked on, the dragon did, in fact, fly off into the distance. After a leisurely flight, it settled into the great hole in the middle of the plains. Apparently, it had been on its way back home. Had it found food elsewhere? Or had the warm sunlight enticed it out for a walk?

Once the dragon had vanished out of sight, everyone relaxed. The knights and Count Müller lowered their swords and breathed sighs of relief.

A moment later, the count advised the prince, “Please, sir, I believe it best if you refrain from such actions in the future.”

“Aren’t any of you curious as to that dragon’s origins?” asked the prince.

“I suppose so, sir,” replied the count, “but there is no need to provoke the beast.”

None of the knights objected to his remark; they probably agreed. In fact, they looked like they were happy the count had said something.

“Baron Sasaki,” said the prince, “I would hear your viewpoint on the dragons living in that vast hole.”

“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” I replied, “but unfortunately, all I know is that they haven’t attacked anyone. Although, I have heard that behavior may not apply to people crossing the border. There have apparently been casualties among the Ohgen Empire’s forces in the past.”

“What I want to know, Baron,” replied the prince, “is your opinion on that very ecology.”

“I would guess that inside that hole, or perhaps somewhere else near the border, is something keeping them here,” I suggested. “However, I have not yet tried to confirm this theory for fear of the dangers involved.”

“And your perspective on why that one left, despite my attack?”

“They say some dragons exhibit greater intelligence than humans, sir. I would venture to guess it’s much the same as how we will swat at a fly that annoys us, but we won’t chase after it to strike it down. Perhaps they only see us as flies, sir.”

I knew it was a lame excuse. But the prince didn’t have any means of verifying the truth. If he ordered people to investigate, we might have to get the dragons to try a little harder. Hopefully, whatever troops he sent would give up at that point. Though it wasn’t the nicest strategy, it would be far less costly in terms of human casualties than invading the Empire.

“So then you know very little at present,” said the prince.

“I am terribly sorry to admit it, but you are correct, sir,” I replied.

After that, we spent some time conversing, and I learned that Prince Lewis would be staying near the fortress for the next few days. In addition to observing the commoners at work, he would be sending investigative teams to nearby villages wiped out by the Empire.

The fact that he’d come all the way to this backwater location to personally take charge made his position on invading the Empire seem more trustworthy. That said, I couldn’t imagine the Kingdom of Herz taking down the Ohgen Empire, no matter how clever the tactics. I’d caught a glimpse of the size of the enemy’s forces in the past, and I’d never forget it. Plus, since we supported Prince Adonis’s faction, we felt a resistance toward going along with the first prince’s plans.

When I consulted with Count Müller, he urged me to focus on my own business and insisted he would look after the prince and his people himself. He knew that the funds for the territory’s development were being covered by my trade in the Republic of Lunge, so he was being considerate in that regard. I decided to take him up on his kind offer, since our time in the otherworld was limited.

I was already quite busy back in Japan. If I missed another visit, close to a month could pass without me. I felt bad for the count, but in that light, this was the only choice I had.

We set off from the Rectan Plains and headed straight to the Republic of Lunge, remembering to hop back and forth between modern times and the otherworld to ferry our goods into the warehouse prior to our visit with Mr. Joseph. I’d written up a memo of the products he requested in advance and brought everything on the list.

Peeps set to work teleporting the extremely heavy storage containers—each one must have weighed several tons—with his magic. I was pretty used to this process by now, and I could tell we were becoming more efficient; we managed to finish up after only a few trips.

Eventually, we arrived at the Kepler Trading Company’s reception room. As always, I sat down on the sofa and greeted Mr. Joseph across the low table. “I’m very sorry for my extended absence, Mr. Joseph.”

“No, don’t be,” he replied. “It’s no problem, Mr. Sasaki.”

The casual, familiar exchange soothed me. Both worlds had begun to get a little out of hand as of late, so I found the predictable routine very comforting. The things I said had been thought out beforehand, and his replies were all expected. Thank you, Mr. Joseph—you’ve brought this corporate drone some much-needed peace of mind.

Like every other trip, we handed over the goods, had them assessed, and exchanged the money. I made about five thousand Herzian large gold coins on the sale. That was another two thousand more than our previous deal. We brought extra since it had been two days since our last visit, and it had paid off. I couldn’t help but wonder if I even needed any more money.

Whether it was funds for our life of relaxation or the development of my barony, we already had more than enough stored away. I’d have to allow for maintenance costs in the case of the latter, but it seemed fitting to raise that money through management of the territory itself going forward.

As the deal came to a close, someone familiar paid a visit to the reception room. There was a knock at the door and then a voice: “Excuse me, but I heard Mr. Sasaki was here.”

“Oh? Mr. Marc, you’ve returned,” called out Mr. Joseph. At his prompting, the visitor immediately opened the door, and from the hallway appeared the very man Mr. Joseph had named.

“It’s so good to see you again, Mr. Sasaki,” said Mr. Marc. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be here to greet you when you arrived.”

“No,” I said, rising from the couch. “I must thank you for stopping by—I know how busy you are.”

We both bowed our heads. Then, once Mr. Marc was in the room, Mr. Joseph spoke up.

“You’ve come back at the perfect time.”

“Were you by any chance visiting the Kingdom of Herz?” I asked.

“There was a matter that couldn’t be settled by correspondence, so I headed there personally,” he answered. His shoes and the hem of his pants were speckled with dirt. He must have heard about our visit upon his return to the Republic and run straight here. Now I feel really bad. Come to think of it, he’s been back and forth between the two nations quite a lot. He seems so busy, and all because of me—Baron Sasaki.

“I’m terribly sorry for causing you so much trouble,” I said.

“As someone born and raised in Baytrium, what you’re doing means a lot to me. I’m proud to work for the benefit of my hometown, so please don’t worry about it.”

Count Müller, Mr. French, Mr. Marc—it seemed like I was burdening everyone around me these days. But since they were all such good people, they kept saying that they didn’t mind and not to worry. But I just didn’t feel right leaving things as they were. And that was why, this time, I’d brought a new product specifically to rectify the problem.

Though perhaps “product” wasn’t the right word, since I didn’t intend to sell it. Instead, I meant this equipment to be used mainly among my inner circle.

“I can’t keep burdening you like this, Mr. Marc,” I told him. “So I’ve brought something especially for you, to improve your work in the Kingdom of Herz. Do you have time to hear me out?”

“I’m incredibly grateful for your concern,” he replied. “And yes, I have plenty of time.”

“Does this have anything to do with that bag you brought in?” asked Mr. Joseph, his eyes darting to the suitcase set beside the sofa.

“Yes, it does.”

This was an item I’d brought without being asked, separate from the deals we’d hashed out beforehand. I was already standing, so I opened the case and placed the item on the low table in front of me. Naturally, Ms. Futarishizuka had been the one to source it back in modern times.

To the untrained eye, it looked like an AV amplifier with a black metal exterior. The front featured a liquid-crystal display and several buttons, while on the back were rows of holes for hooking in a variety of cables of different sizes. It weighed about two kilograms, so it was fairly heavy.

As one might expect, Mr. Marc and Mr. Joseph were at a loss for words. As I smugly placed it onto the table, the former asked, “Forgive my ignorance, but what sort of item is this?”

“This is a tool much like the transceivers I brought in the past.”

“Oh? Now that is interesting.”

In fact, this device was a transceiver. But being a stickler about words and definitions with people from this world was pointless, so I didn’t worry too much about it. I idly wondered if this word from another language would be passed down through the generations, its meaning altered.

When I told them it was a wireless radio, both of the men changed their expressions and gazed at the box with intense fascination.

In more concrete terms, this was an amateur radio. Despite the moniker, however, it was a pretty costly piece of equipment; just one went for several hundred thousand yen, about the same price as a brand-new midsize motorcycle. I could only afford to make this kind of offer because I was able to convert valuables from this world into yen.

In truth, use of the machine required additional work, such as setting up antennas and preparing a power source. You also needed special knowledge to operate it. I didn’t even know if this world’s ionosphere was located at the proper height.

Thus, my idea was to experimentally connect the Marc Trading Company headquarters in Lunge to its branch in Baytrium in conjunction with the development of my barony. If they were able to use it properly, Mr. Marc’s workload would decrease considerably. I explained as much, abridging the more complicated parts.

“So it’s a tool for conversing across national borders…,” murmured Mr. Marc. He stood next to the low table, a look of surprise on his face. Mr. Joseph stared at the radio in silence.

“You need specific knowledge in order to use it. And it needs a specific type of fuel to work, just like the transceiver batteries I introduced previously. My idea is to experiment with it as a means of communication between the Mark Trading Company offices.”

I’d prepared a few different types of generator to use as a power source. Recently, stores were selling a lot more compact varieties that used gas cylinders as fuel and powered things like portable stoves. And if I absolutely had to, I could bring over a diesel generator, so I figured we’d manage.

More difficult would be teaching them how to use the device. Its manual was written in Japanese, so it would be up to me to read the explanations aloud to Mr. Marc and the other company employees. I’d never gotten into amateur radio myself, so I would also be starting my otherworld ham radio life from zero.

“Do you intend to sell this tool as well, Mr. Sasaki?” asked Mr. Marc hesitantly.

“I do not,” I answered. “I intend to limit its use to this group.”

“Is that because of how its fuel source works?”

“Yes, that’s right. It needs a special kind of fuel—and a lot more than those transceivers do. It would never be able to spread to the rest of the world.”

“I see…”

Mr. Marc had immediately started asking questions. I could be somewhat flexible if I switched out some of the sugar or chocolate we regularly brought for diesel fuel, but that would be to our own disadvantage. Monopolizing an electric power source in the otherworld seemed much more worthwhile.

And so with greed in my heart, I continued my explanation. I’d told all this to Peeps beforehand and already secured his agreement. During that conversation, he also told me all about electrical usage here. It seemed they learned about electricity through lightning and magic. From experience, they learned to wear insulating clothing in order to resist lightning magic.

However, Peeps wasn’t aware of it ever being used for industry. He’d never heard of generators before, either. Basically, while magnets were common, they hadn’t yet discovered Faraday’s law.

I had a feeling a big reason for that was the existence of monsters and magic. There were many creatures in this world more powerful than humans. Even if you put a lot of work into building a power plant, it would be difficult to distribute the electricity produced to various settlements. They couldn’t even keep their roads in usable condition half the time—the idea of maintaining power lines was a pipe dream. Even if electricity proliferated, it would likely be limited to a few major cities.

On the other hand, this world had magic—a super-convenient means of producing illumination, creating water, making objects float, and exterminating monsters. I could easily imagine that becoming a major obstacle to not only the development of electricity, but scientific advancement in general.

For this world, I thought, the continued development of magic is likely the proper way to go. Depending on how much flight and barrier magic improved, these people might even start colonizing space ahead of those on Earth. The chance to see how this world developed was like a kind of extravagant entertainment provided me by my beloved pet sparrow.

“Is this item being used in other places?” asked Mr. Joseph eventually.

“No—this one is the first of its kind,” I replied.

“Should I take that to mean it’s the first of its kind on this continent?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“…I see.”

He looked really serious about this—almost scarily so. His expression was more intense than I’d ever seen it.

His concerns about its use in other places confirmed for me that this world had yet to advance to the point of long-distance communication. If the merchants of Lunge hadn’t heard of it, then even if it existed, it had to be extremely rare.

This all lined up with what Peeps told me. The fastest method of communicating with someone far away was to employ flight-capable familiars or magicians to relay your message. It was like the magical version of the messenger pigeons and express couriers of the Edo period.

They might be faster than those couriers of the past, but depending on the distance covered, delivering a message could often take over a day—and it would generally take two or three to travel internationally. What’s more, I’d heard that letters got lost in transit or were stolen by highway bandits on a regular basis. According to Peeps, teleportation magic wasn’t very common.

When I asked if there were any more “magical” means of communication, he began an academic lecture about how one might harness the weak mana waves produced and scattered across long distances whenever large-scale magic was used, and so on and so forth. That was all still under research, though; no one had made it a reality yet.

“It pains me to ask this, but would you agree not to give this product to anyone else? And if possible, I’d like to keep its use within the Marc Trading Company a secret.”

“I understand,” I replied. I had no problems with Mr. Joseph’s request. Besides, I hated to think what might happen if I refused him, so I obediently nodded. This was more serious than simply threatening the interests of messenger familiars and magical express couriers—refusing Mr. Joseph could mean picking a fight with every trading company in Lunge.

I was keenly aware of the nature of his apprehensions. Back in modern times, tens of billions of yen might change hands in the couple of minutes it took to relay a message.

“You’re free to review all future records of any correspondence we engage in,” I told him.

“…Are you sure?” asked Mr. Joseph.

“I fully understand your concerns in this regard.”

“Thank you. I’m glad to hear it.”

Our objective—our only objective—was a life of leisure with as little trouble as possible. We were merely using the Kepler Trading Company as cover to scrape together a meager livelihood. Once the development of my territory was taken care of, I wouldn’t mind smashing the thing while Mr. Joseph watched. I didn’t want anyone to come and assassinate me for harboring ambitions, like they did to Peeps.

“Mr. Marc,” I said, turning to him, “do you have time after this? I’d like to give you a rundown on how to use this tool. It requires some technical knowledge even just to set up, so I wanted to do it together to show you.”

“A-are you sure I should be touching it?” he stammered.

“I know you didn’t ask for this, but will you lend me your assistance anyway?”

“Actually,” said Mr. Joseph, “may I join you?”

“Certainly,” I replied.

Following our meeting, the three of us formed a lively ring around the radio and whiled away the time. Despite having checked everything in advance, it took more time and effort than expected to get the antenna and everything else set up.

The next day, we were able to pick up waves being sent from another location I’d already prepared for that purpose—our room at the inn in Baytrium.

To tell the truth, Ms. Futarishizuka was the one who taught me how to use the radios. As she set up the antenna with practiced hands, she told me it had been a long time since she fiddled with a radio like this. I’d already discovered her interest in mobile games, cars, and motorcycles; next up was apparently amateur radio.

Thanks to her, the hurdle to starting out was lowered considerably. But as a result, she’d been the one to do most of the setup work. I’d simply made a note of all the steps between powering it up and beginning transmission—and brought the fully set-up device into the otherworld. Most of the buttons on the box were totally beyond me.

The older the wiser, as they say.

The day after finishing our business in Lunge, we returned to Herz. Our first stop was the Baytrium branch of the Marc Trading Company—formerly the Hermann Trading Company. I explained the radio equipment to them just as I had with Mr. Mark and Mr. Joseph. I’d had Mr. Marc write a letter to the person in charge, so the conversation went smoothly. For the time being, they planned to trade news at a specific time each day. Hopefully that would alleviate some of the stress on Mr. Marc.

Unfortunately, this meant that for the foreseeable future, I’d be stuck doing after-sales service on the machines I’d brought over. I had only told them the bare minimum needed to work the radios; I didn’t really understand them to begin with. But I planned on enjoying myself and learning about amateur radio as I worked.

In any case, that concluded our business, and we returned to our lodgings in Baytrium.

“That took more time than usual,” noted Peeps. “What would you like to do about magic practice?”

“I’m thinking it might be nice to take a break and relax for a while,” I told him.

“Yes, I very much agree. And I shall join you.”

After that, I settled onto the living room sofa and spent some quality time with my pet bird. We talked about this and that as he perched on the little tree set on the low table. I felt at peace. This was precisely what I’d been working so hard for.

“Hmm,” I said. “What should we do about dinner?”

“Won’t we just have the usual?”

“Now that Mr. French is working hard somewhere else, I think it would be bad for appearances if we visited his restaurant too frequently,” I explained. “I do have another suggestion, though. Why don’t we spend some time exploring the other restaurants in town instead?”

“Would it not then be best to visit the Republic of Lunge?”

“Actually, that’s a really good idea, Peeps.”

Economically speaking, Lunge was more prosperous than Herz, so we could expect its eateries to be of higher quality as well. And we’d already had a couple of pretty extravagant meals there, thanks to Mr. Joseph’s hospitality.

A gourmet eating tour of the otherworld? I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the time. I’d been exerting myself so much lately, and this would serve as a good reward.

But maybe I jinxed it—because just then, there was a knock at the door. The voice of our suite’s maid came from the other side. “Lord Sasaki,” she called, “there is a messenger from House Müller here to see you. He says it’s urgent—and that he needs to speak with you immediately.”

“All right,” I called back. “I’ll be there shortly.”

I couldn’t ignore an urgent message from the count. I glanced at Peeps; he flew up from his little tree onto my shoulder. Once he was settled, I poked my head out from the guest room into the hallway. In front of the door was a knight—one I thought I recognized. Probably one of the count’s usual guard.

“Baron Sasaki,” he said after seeing my face, “we’ve received an urgent message from Count Müller.” He took an envelope from an inside pocket and held it out to me. It was sealed with the count’s family crest.

“Thank you for coming all this way,” I replied.

“My instructions were to bring this to you as soon as possible.”

“All right. Shall I open it here, then?”

“Yes, if you would.” The knight offered me a letter opener. Grateful for the gesture, I took it and popped open the envelope. Inside was a neatly folded letter. Naturally, I had no idea what it said, but I unfolded it and pretended to read through it anyway.

Sounding anxious, the knight asked, “Is something amiss, my lord?”

“I apologize, but I’ll be leaving at once. I have the letter now, so may I be excused? I’ll make sure to see the count personally within the next day or two.”

“Pardon me, but has something happened to the count?”

“No, nothing like that. Don’t worry.”

“I understand, my lord,” replied the knight. “In that case, I’ll be taking my leave.” The maid led the knight out to the front door, and their footsteps quickly faded.

Once we could no longer hear them, I rushed back into the living room and immediately questioned Peeps.

“What does the letter say?”

“It says that Lewis has been taken captive by Imperial troops,” he replied, having already read the letter from his vantage point atop my shoulder.

“……”

This news was especially shocking considering the adorable little mouth used to deliver it. I was speechless.

“Now that you’ve received the letter, he wants you to return to your barony should the issue remain unresolved. The letter seems to have been written yesterday—we received it very quickly.”

The count must have sent it via messenger familiar or magical express courier, which spoke to how frantic he was. “We really shouldn’t ignore this, should we?”

“It would be one thing had this occurred in another noble’s lands,” answered Peeps, “but it took place in yours. Now that we’ve been informed, we cannot feign ignorance. We’ve already received the letter, so there can be no excuse.”

“Could I ask you to send us straight there, then?”

“Of course. We’ll be off right away. I’m concerned about the dragons as well.”

We’d barely gotten back to our lodgings, and we were already heading off to the Rectan Plains. It looked like we’d have to take a rain check on our eating tour of the Lunge Republic.

Thanks to Peeps’s teleportation magic, we reached our destination in the blink of an eye, leaving our lodgings behind and arriving in the Sasaki barony a moment later. We immediately went to find the investigative team led by Prince Lewis. But on the way, we ran into Mr. French’s acquaintance, the master builder. Apparently, he’d been awaiting our arrival, and he asked us to accompany him.

We agreed without objection, and as expected, he led us to the very group of carriages we were originally headed for. There were fewer than before, likely because Prince Lewis had taken several escorts along on his trip to the surrounding areas. Still, over half remained.

Count Müller was already there, speaking with some knights and nobles beside the row of extravagant vehicles.

“Count Müller,” I called out to him, running over. “I apologize for making you wait.”

“Lord Sasaki!” he replied. “No, I should apologize for calling you out here like this.”

I didn’t want to put any extra stress on the master builder after he’d already guided us here, so I said I’d inform him as soon as the situation simmered down and suggested he go home for the day. I requested he relay the same message to Mr. French, as well.

“How’s the situation, my lord?” I asked the count.

“A group of soldiers snuck onto our territory and raided a merchant caravan on its way here from Baytrium,” he explained. “Prince Lewis’s investigative team ran into them by chance and fought valiantly to protect the commoners. Unfortunately, the prince’s party was captured and taken along with them.”

“……”

What a nightmare. I got the feeling my position as a baron was on the line here. The prince, on the other hand, was in an extremely good position. I’d thought for sure this was a kidnapping targeting the prince personally—but in a situation like this, I’d have to lend him my full cooperation. In fact, if I didn’t, I could be executed for treason.

All the knights and nobles present were giving us stern looks. If anything happened to the prince, their heads would be the first to fly. They must all have been desperately trying to think of how to pin the blame on someone else.

“It’s been a full day since the attack,” continued the count. “We sent a team to the location to investigate, but they haven’t turned up much. We were just putting together a unit to expand our search into the Empire’s territory.”

“I see.”

It would be one thing if the incident was confined to the area around the fortress—but if we were talking about crossing national borders, this was an emergency. And the next group sent to investigate would be in far, far more danger than the first.

“Then we should go out to search for him at once,” I concluded.

“I’ve recruited a few of those working here into the search party as well. I apologize for co-opting your workforce like this, but I hope you understand. I’ve also sent for more people to join us from Baytrium.”

“That is all completely fine with me, my lord.”

As I was speaking to Count Müller, the knights and nobles were ceaselessly arguing with each other about whose fault this was, or whose head would be on the chopping block, or who was authorized to send troops. Pretty scary stuff. Feels like I have a front-row seat to all the most unfortunate aspects of the kingdom, I thought, though I supposed I couldn’t blame them; they wouldn’t be long for this world if they volunteered and failed.

“I’d like to set out right away,” I said. “Could I get someone to show me the way?”

One of the knights, a man around twenty, answered me. “R-right away, my lord!” he said. He was covered in dirt and mud; he’d probably been present for the prince’s kidnapping and had been the one to bring back word. That would make him far more culpable for what had happened and was probably why he responded immediately even to a noble of the opposing faction.

“I don’t need to prepare anything,” I told him. “Are you ready to go?”

“Huh?” said the knight. “Oh, um, my apologies, my lord. I’ll g-go gather some people—”

“Baron Sasaki’s magical skills make him as strong as a thousand men,” interrupted the count right away, backing me up. “That skill is part of the reason His Majesty saw fit to bestow him with a title. Time is of the essence. Let’s not waste it finding more men—the baron can search for the prince more efficiently by himself.”

His explanation held a lot more weight than mine would have. He’s probably pretty panicked right now. I wasted no time adding, “If my going alone makes you uneasy, you’re welcome to return here immediately after showing me the way. I’m sure the count will regroup and leave right away with another search party.”

The knight who had volunteered as a guide paused to consider this for a moment. “Understood, my lord,” he said eventually. He was reluctant, but still nodded in the end. It seemed the blood splattered on his armor wasn’t just for show. “I’ll bring you there at once.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “Let’s head out.”

Though Prince Lewis and Prince Adonis had different perspectives, they were still brothers. The former might be the leader of the opposing faction, but I couldn’t simply leave him to die.

Our search party was composed of the knight from Prince Lewis’s retinue who had agreed to lead us to the site, a handful of knights of Prince Adonis’s faction that Count Müller had assigned to guard him, and me. Urgency had dictated a small but elite group.

It took about two or three hours to reach our destination on foot. The trouble had occurred in a part of the forest bordering the Rectan Plains. The Niekam Forest, if I recall correctly. I wondered if this was the same area I wandered around in with Prince Adonis and Count Müller. We’d run across a village under attack by orcs and gone to the people’s aid—the whole thing was still fresh in my memory.

A path, evidently cleared just recently, now wove through the dense foliage, just large enough for a single carriage to pass through. I’d heard they started maintaining the roads in conjunction with the fortress’s construction; this path must have been part of that effort.

As soon as we arrived at the location, the knights turned back toward the fortress, fearing more Ohgen Empire soldiers might be lurking about the area. It seemed a reasonable response, considering the prince’s party had been well escorted.

We could see fresh traces of battle in the area; a scorched carriage and the bodies of those cut down and left behind. The previous unit had already identified the corpses, and we could see evidence of people having rummaged through clothing and belongings. As far as I could see, all of those who had fallen were commoners. I’ll bet the VIP corpses have already been retrieved.

“I see a few bodies that appear to belong to Imperial soldiers,” noted Peeps.

“Like that one over there wearing the armor?” I asked.

“Yes. That armor belongs to an official soldier of the Empire,” the bird murmured back, staring at the corpse.

Now that nobody else was around, I was free to chat with my distinguished Java sparrow. And chat we did, discussing the corpses and their belongings that littered our surroundings. He was right—I spotted a few other soldiers, each wearing the same armor as the first. Compared to the kind worn by Herz’s knights, they lacked a certain flair. If you were being charitable, you might say they were plain but sturdy. As for the casualty ratio, we saw a few dozen dead on the Herz side, but only a handful of Imperials.

I’d already gotten the rundown on what happened from my guide. Apparently, the enemy force had included one particularly talented magician. Prince Lewis’s party outnumbered them, and as soon as he confirmed they were from the Empire, he’d given the order to rescue the merchant caravan. The knights who entered the fray were then met by that magician, who proceeded to quickly mow them down.

“I find it curious that some of our neighbor’s soldiers are present among the dead,” I remarked.

“I’m quite interested in that fact as well,” agreed Peeps.

“Maybe the dragon Prince Lewis attacked decided to pout— aggressively.”

“I doubt it’s anything like that. It is possible, however, that they let some invaders through. I instructed them to threaten anyone crossing the border in the plains, but they would be unable to handle any forces that detoured around—or those that already lurked within the kingdom.”

“You mean they could have been sending a few people over at a time.”

“I’d imagine so.”

We looked around for a while but didn’t see anything that might lead us to Prince Lewis. We found none of his belongings, either. I’d asked my guide if he knew anything about the magician, but unfortunately he didn’t—just that the person wore a robe and kept their hood pulled far over their face. The knight hadn’t gotten a good look at them.

“Maybe we should check a little farther out,” I suggested.

“I agree.”

Peeps and I strayed from the path and stepped into the woods. The sun was beginning to set, so we used an illumination spell for our search. It was incredibly inefficient; the foliage was so dense we could barely see in front of us. If Imperial troops were lying in wait nearby, we’d be sitting ducks. I kept up a barrier spell at all times to guard against any sudden arrows or magic that might come flying.

We’d been wandering around the forest for a little under an hour when we heard a voice call out, “Excuse me, um, who might you be?”

It sounded like a young woman; she’d probably noticed the light from our illumination spell. She spoke gingerly, and her voice shook. I doubted she was an Imperial soldier, but I had no proof.

“Can we go look, Peeps?” I asked softly.

“It could be a trap,” the bird warned. “Remain vigilant.”

“Will do,” I replied, directing my steps toward the voice.

After a short walk through the trees, I spotted the source—a young woman who appeared to be in her midteens, as I’d expected. She had shoulder-length brown hair, with large, bright, charming eyes. Her clothing marked her as a village girl; she held nothing in her hands. I could see cuts in the edges of her skirt and sleeves. Pretty light clothing for walking alone in the forest after nightfall.

When she saw us, her eyes widened in surprise. “B-black hair and yellow-toned skin…,” she stammered. “Pardon me, but might you be Baron Sasaki?”

“Yes, that’s me,” I replied honestly. “Why?”

“Ahhh!” Her expression immediately brightened. “How fortunate!”

Her expressive face and youthful demeanor were quite lovely. I threw a casual glance at Peeps, but he didn’t respond. I decided to stop and hear what she had to say.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry, my lord,” she said. “My name is Natalie. We were attacked by Ohgen Empire soldiers on our way from Baytrium to your lands, and I’ve been wandering in the forest ever since.”

“Are you alone? What happened to the others?”

“Several others captured along with me aided my escape, my lord. They told me to get help. But eventually the sun went down, and I don’t know which direction to go to reach a human settlement.”

She must have been with the caravan Prince Lewis tried to rescue, I thought. I gave her a closer look, and sure enough, I could see several specks of blood on her clothing.

But just to be sure, I asked, “Are the other captives nearby?”

“Regarding that, my lord, would you be willing to hear the whole story?”

“Yes, of course.”

Overcome with emotion, she launched into an explanation. According to her, Prince Lewis was being held in a nearby village. Just as the escaped knight had informed us, his captors were Imperial soldiers. The group responsible had raided a nearby settlement and set up camp there to make further preparations.

Miss Natalie told me she’d been wandering the forest, trying to find someone and tell them what she knew. By modern Japanese standards, she would have been in middle school or high school. And yet she didn’t wail or cry—she delivered her own description of the events with a firm clarity. What an impressive girl for someone so young.

“That must have been very difficult for you,” I said.

“My lord, won’t you go and save them?” she pleaded.

At least Prince Lewis was alive. That was a relief. He was the first prince, after all, so the soldiers had probably decided he would be useful, despite his kingdom’s state of decline. The Empire had been shying away from a direct attack due to the recent appearance of dragons nesting along the border; a roundabout approach like taking hostages must have appealed to them.

Meanwhile, Natalie’s request was a godsend for me.

“Then would you mind showing me the way to the village?” I asked her.

“O-of course, my lord!” she exclaimed. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

Now that I had a guide, it was time to go rescue the prince.

Miss Natalie led us through the forest for a time until eventually we arrived at a settlement among the trees. Incidentally, the entrance to the village was familiar to me; it was indeed the very same place where Count Müller, Prince Adonis, and I had exterminated the orcs. This was the site of my debut monster battle in the otherworld.

I was now gazing at it from a distance with Miss Natalie, since we’d spotted lookouts stationed around the entrance. They were all dressed as villagers, but there was no telling who they really were. It’s already pitch-black outside, I thought. What are they being so cautious about?

“Miss Natalie,” I said, “I’d like you to hide somewhere farther from the village.”

“What?” she replied, astonished. “Surely you don’t intend to go alone, my lord?”

“I’m only going to scope things out. I’ll be back to get you soon.”

“…I understand. Please be careful.”

Once she’d left, I made my way around to the opposite side of the settlement. After thoroughly checking we were alone, I turned back to Peeps and said, “I want to save the prince as quickly as possible—even if we have to take him alone.”

“Yes, I believe that will best set the others’ minds at ease,” the bird agreed. He was probably referring to the count and Mr. French.

With no objections from the distinguished sparrow, I decided to swiftly sneak into the village. I easily leaped over the flimsy fence surrounding it. Back when I first met Peeps, I’d have balked at the idea, but now I was able to proceed without hesitation.

I could see people around the settlement—men holding spears and swords. I guessed they were serving as lookouts, like the ones near the entrance. It seemed like they had the village completely under their control.

The area was dotted with houses where the villagers lived. Hiding in their shadows, I searched for the village chief’s dwelling. Miss Natalie had told me what to look for; apparently that was where they were keeping the prince. It was the largest, fanciest house in the village.

Many of the structures still had their lights on, so I had no trouble getting around even without an illumination spell. There weren’t too many buildings, either, so I located my destination with ease. Evading the watchful eyes of the guards, I crept into the shadow of a shed standing next to the building.

“I’d like to try to sneak in,” I whispered to Peeps. “Is that all right?”

“I’m concerned about this skilled magician they have with them,” he replied.

“Yes, exactly.” Though it seemed unlikely, if someone with abilities as incredible as Peeps showed up, things would quickly take a turn for the worse. In that case, we could forget about saving the prince—we might not even make it out alive. But hesitating wasn’t going to get me anywhere. “Can I leave that to you?”

“Yes, I will remain vigilant. You may focus on searching for Lewis.”

“Thanks. That’s really helpful of you, Peeps.”

With the sparrow’s approval, I finally stole into the chief’s dwelling, using flight magic to float up and into a second-story window.

Inside was an empty hallway. Doors lined the walls; I could see light leaking out from one of them. There was a staircase just ahead, and I could hear voices from below. I listened in but couldn’t make out Prince Lewis’s voice.

“Miss Natalie said he was being held on the second floor,” I whispered.

“The room with the lights on, perhaps?”

According to Miss Natalie, aside from the prince, others had been taken prisoner in this village, just like her. The majority were villagers, while the rest were from the merchant caravan. She also explained that most of them were young women. They must have been the ones who distracted the Imperial soldiers long enough for her to escape.

But it was unlikely the prince was among them. Miss Natalie said that as soon as they arrived at the building, he was taken to a separate room. That means we should probably check the rooms with the lights off.

“Should I just open them up?” I wondered aloud.

“I see no problem with that.”

I decided to start with the darkened rooms and reached for the door farthest from the stairs. It wasn’t locked. Careful not to make a sound, I cracked open the door to get a look inside through the gap.

“……”

In the darkness, I could see someone tied to a thick support beam in the middle of the room. Rope was wrapped around her stomach and arms. She was slumped on the floor, her head hanging limp. She seemed to be another village girl like Miss Natalie. I could make out her wide skirt spread across the floor. Part of it had a large tear in it, revealing her leg and thigh; her undergarments had been lowered to her feet.

As I looked more closely through the dark, I could make out bruises on her arms and legs. I saw something white and clouded scattered about, among other signs of violence. A red liquid was pooling on the floor. Not good.

“……”

I cast a glance to the bird on my shoulder and saw him give a little nod—his go sign. Several of those captured were from a merchant caravan heading to my barony. I was acutely aware that they were all traveling out of calculated self-interest. But I was still part of why this had happened, if indirectly, and it weighed on my conscience.

If this girl was alive, I wanted to at least cast some healing magic on her, though rescuing Prince Lewis was still my primary objective. I figured that if she made a fuss, I could simply have Peeps use a spell to put her to sleep. With these thoughts in mind, I stepped into the room.

I was greeted by a creaking of the floorboards under my feet. Ignoring them, I pressed on, shutting the door behind me. That caused the girl to respond. She pleaded, her voice weak, as though she was barely managing to form the words.

“…Ple…please help.”

“……”

She turned to me and lifted her face. She looked like a teenager, and though she wore neat makeup, her cheeks bore bruises. I gestured for her to keep silent, and she answered with a slight nod. There would be no further talking; she simply looked up at me with desperation in her eyes.

Seeing that she had calmed down, I walked over to her side. If nothing else, I needed to heal her. Once there, I got a much better view of her face. She’s extremely lovely, I noted, giving her a closer look.

The light filtering in through the window illuminated her silhouette. She was gorgeous—and yet at the same time she seemed so ephemeral. She emanated sorrow. The scene before me defied my common sense—it was utterly unreal. I felt like I was gazing at a work of art, a photograph taken with some difficulty by a renowned photographer. And the subject of that photograph was here before me—a lovely young woman.

Since changing jobs, I’d been running into a lot more younger women, even at the workplace. But I felt my consciousness stolen by the one sitting in front of me, such that those other exchanges paled in comparison. Just looking at her made my heart beat uncontrollably.

I immediately squatted beside her and cut her ropes. To do so, I made use of a spell that created a gust of wind—the one I’d learned alongside the fire spell. Narrowing its effective scope to produce a local, sharp wind was a great substitute for a knife. I couldn’t let anything else wound her beautiful skin, so I took great care as I worked. A second later, I saw the bruises from the ropes, and felt a dagger drive into my heart.

“……”

It was at this point that I began to think something was strange. How long has it been since I’ve been this conscious of the opposite sex? The pounding in my chest was almost as bad as when I cooked that thirty thousand-yen-per-gram chateaubriand in my apartment kitchen. My heart had been racing that day; I’d been so worried I’d mess up the heat level and dry out the meat.

Something else occurred to me at the same time. I recalled a very similar feeling coming over me not long ago. It had happened in front of my apartment while I was talking to my neighbor. I remembered being so overcome with lust for her that I found it difficult to resist. I’d fled into my apartment and used healing magic on myself in the bathroom—the incident was still clear in my memory.

But my doubts came just a moment too late.

The girl, now freed, brought her face close to mine, and with a sweet, syrupy voice that sent a chill down my spine, she spoke into my ear.

“Thank you, Baron Sasaki.”

I shivered as her arms wrapped around my back, pulling me into a tight embrace. Somehow, my heart started racing even faster—so much so that the raw odor near my face didn’t even register. My shoulders trembled; I wanted to reach my arms around her as well.

The words that followed were irrelevant to me.

“In return,” she whispered into my ear, “I will do you the honor of making you my pet for all eternity.”

A second later, I heard a sharp clink at my neck—the sound of metal on metal.

“……”

Wondering what it was, I brought my hand to it. My fingertips touched something cold; there was now some kind of ring fixed around my neck.

“…What’s this?” I asked.

“To come here searching without a single escort—it seems you’re quite confident in your abilities, Baron Sasaki. It seems my father did indeed grant you lands and a title on account of your skills.”

Her face was so near mine our noses were almost touching. Even this close, she was stunning.

But not enough to blind me entirely. I could see her smug, confident smile—at odds with the ephemeral quality I’d sensed when we first met. Now her lips were curling upward, revealing her delight. Her eyes narrowed, taunting me.

Right then, I felt the pounding of my heart cease—like it had never been pounding at all.

“Let me guess,” I said. “Prince Lewis?”

“What an unprincipled man you are,” came the reply, “to have your heart stolen by a prince of your own kingdom.”

“……”

I realized at this point that I’d been deceived.

And now that I thought of it, I remembered receiving a lecture from Peeps on a spell called Charm. It did just that—charmed a target and forced them to obey you. At its longest, it could last months. And when the charm wore off, the target retained all memory of what had happened. That fit perfectly with what had come over me.

That only raised more questions about the incident with my neighbor, however. Well, actually, whatever that was seemed to stoke my lust and nothing else—it hadn’t charmed me into obeying, it had only turned me on. Either way, I didn’t understand. And had the prince actually cast this spell himself, or was someone else nearby?

“Excuse me,” I said respectfully, “but what is this collar?”

“A slave collar, as you can see,” he replied. “But a very good one, able to force even powerful demonfolk into servitude. The requirement that one must place it on the target personally is rather troublesome. But luckily for me, you seem to be quite the lech, Baron Sasaki.”

“…I see.”

I’d never heard of slave collars before. Automatically wanting an explanation from Peeps, I looked to my shoulder, only to find that he wasn’t there. He must have flown off after the captive girl—actually Prince Lewis in disguise—had ensnared my mind. I quickly looked around the room but didn’t see him anywhere. I suspected he left right when the prince embraced me.

The fact that I’d been so enthralled by the person in front of me that I failed to notice the bird’s absence was terrifying. At the same time, my mind whirled with anxiety. Where did he go, then?

“I have another question, if you don’t mind, sir,” I said. “Are those bruises and stains real?”

“You’re curious about them?” he asked.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, sir.”

“Anything I can use to my advantage, I will—including my own body.”

“……”

I felt goosebumps rise on my skin at the thought of the mess now on my suit. I was immediately overcome with the desire to send it to the cleaners.

This man’s initiative was something else—completely different from the other Herzian royals and nobles who were all focused on position and appearances. Or maybe he was simply a masochist with a penchant for cross-dressing. The way he did his hair alone looked so natural—and his makeup was perfect.

“Sir, what would drive you to go so far?” I asked.

“Getting right down to business,” he said flatly, “I have a task for you, Baron Sasaki.” He took a half step away from me. “Leave this room and put an end to all those downstairs.”

“What? Sir, I must refuse.”

“……”

He ordered me to do something inhumane, and I immediately returned an honest reply. The prince looked flabbergasted. He clearly hadn’t expected me to refuse.

Judging by his reaction, he’d given me the instruction because he was confident in the effects of this so-called slave collar.

At this point, I realized that the entire attack on the merchant caravan had been staged by the prince as bait to lure me in and capture me.

He rallied himself for another try, this time asking for confirmation. “Baron Sasaki, did you hear me?”

“Yes, sir. And like I said, I feel I must refuse.”

“……”

This slave had understood and given an honest reply. Though I had disobeyed, it didn’t seem like there was going to be any kind of punishment. Aren’t objects like these supposed to squeeze a person’s neck if they talk back or something?

“…Why do you not obey my commands?” he asked.

“I’m not sure I have an answer for that, sir…”

I was just as confused. I was pretty sure the collar was on just fine. Maybe he’d gotten a defective product.

My moment of levelheadedness was short-lived, however. All of a sudden, I once again began to think of the prince as very cute. Just being within arm’s reach of him made me desperately want to embrace him and hold him tight. I could practically feel my fondness level skyrocketing, like some character in a laughably easy dating sim. The revulsion I felt at those stains being real and the raw odor assaulting my nostrils faded wholly into the background.

Prince Lewis’s features were handsome—and closely resembled those of his brother, Prince Adonis. That, combined with his youthful appearance, gave him an androgynous charm. And his longish hair tipped the scale even further toward femininity.

Seeing the change in my demeanor, the prince repeated his instruction. “Baron Sasaki,” he said, “kill the men downstairs.”

This time, I wanted to do as he asked—I just wanted to see him smile. I knew it was crazy, but I didn’t have control over my own heart.

But that sensation lasted only a few short seconds before dissipating again. Moments later, we heard an explosion outside the room. I could tell someone was fighting with magic.

“Wait,” said the prince. “There’s something happening outside.”

“……”

I turned to look as well, wondering what on earth could be going on.

Not long after, a cute little sparrow flitted in through the window. It landed right on the frame and looked at us. Guess Peeps got outside, I thought.

The euphoria I felt toward Prince Lewis disappeared completely around the same time the bird arrived. At this point, I was pretty sure that the unexpected racing of my heart had been a magical effect caused by a spell. I hadn’t noticed the prince casting anything, though, so there was likely a third party handling it from the shadows.

And it seemed my distinguished Java sparrow had now dealt with them.

“……”

Peeps said nothing; he simply stared straight at us.

He couldn’t speak in front of others, so I wasn’t able to confirm anything with him. I decided to assume my hypothesis was true and addressed the prince.

“It would seem your charm spell has run out, sir.”

“The familiar serving you is quite talented indeed, Baron Sasaki,” he responded, looking at the bird on the window frame.

Well, yeah, I thought. He’s the Starsage. I wondered how the prince would react if I simply told him that. Instead, I asked, “Was the attack on the caravan bound for the Rectan Plains done under your orders, sir?”

“What would you do if I said yes?”

“Prince Lewis was killed by Ohgen Empire soldiers who had sneaked into the kingdom. Prince Adonis, inheriting his elder brother’s will, takes the throne as the next king of Herz. It’s not hard to imagine such a thing happening in the near future, sir.”

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect the slave collar not to work,” he replied.

“Are you after the fortress on the plains?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Would you mind handing it over to me?” he asked indifferently; he must have figured it was pointless to lie any further.

“Depending on your conditions, I might be amenable to that.”

“Really, now? You sure are a strange one.”

The construction of the fortress on the Rectan Plains was always just a means for me to retreat from court and lead a life of leisure. As long as I could secure Count Müller and Mr. French’s agreement, I didn’t have an issue giving it to someone else in my capacity as baron.

What I was more interested in was the presence of Imperial soldiers here. “There is something else I’d like to ask you, sir.”

“It’s as you imagine,” he replied. “Hence why I’d like to silence the others.”

“Once again, sir, I must ask you to do that yourself.”

Now I was certain that the force attacking the caravan had been under the prince’s own command. The Imperial-looking gear must have been procured elsewhere. This didn’t completely blindside me, but now that I knew the truth, I felt keenly how much effort I’d just wasted. His personality is the opposite of his younger brother’s in every way, I thought.

“Now then, Baron Sasaki,” continued the prince. “What do you intend to do with me?”

“What do you mean, sir?” I asked.

“For example, will you kidnap me and make me your sex slave?”

“I’m rescuing you and bringing you back to the fortress, sir, as originally planned.”

“How very kind of you.”

I couldn’t simply dispose of the prince out here. Peeps wouldn’t want me to anyway. From the very beginning, I’d only ever had one choice. “I wouldn’t want to do anything that would cause Prince Adonis sadness, sir.”

“Would my brother be sad if I died?”

“As far as I can tell, sir, he is a deeply compassionate person.”

Back when orcs attacked this village, he tried to rush out alone to face them. Sure, it was probably a hasty decision on his part, considering we were in a pretty bad situation at the time. But even under such conditions, he still acted out of concern for others. I was pretty sure that counted as deeply compassionate.

Prince Lewis seemed to think this over. “Hmm.”

“Sir?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing.”

“In that case, I’ll go ahead and leave the village.” I didn’t want to be anywhere near all the slaughtering or silencing or whatever. Seeing Peeps return to my shoulder, I went ahead and exited the room.

Ultimately, Prince Lewis returned safely, resolving the matter of his kidnapping. He explained everything using his original story: Imperial soldiers had attacked the caravan, and he’d valiantly rode out to rescue them. Everything that happened at the village would remain between the two of us. That’s the best way to clean things up and avoid causing stress for everyone else.

As for my little contest with the prince, I figured we could call it a draw. I really hoped he learned his lesson from this—or at the very least that he would stop trying to challenge me head-on.

By safely rescuing him, I avoided criticism over the mishap in Baron Sasaki’s territory. The prince himself thanked me for my efforts in front of the others, and that was that. This, too, was something he’d promised me when we left the village.

Miss Natalie, my guide, had been telling the truth; she was simply mixed up in the prince’s big performance. The mastermind himself, however, said he purposely let her escape in order to lure me in. We brought her and the people being held at the village to the fortress as part of the prince’s rescue.

I felt bad for the people made to play the role of Imperial soldiers, though. From what the prince told me during our return trip, they were all dead by the time he arrived downstairs. He said he’d been relieved to be spared the effort. I figured the master magician or whoever had been operating behind the scenes. I ended up asking Peeps about them later.

“I want to know more about the charm spell,” I told the sparrow.

“If you mean the spell that was affecting you,” he replied, “that was the doing of the magician in Lewis’s employ.”

Now that I’d brought the prince back to the fortress, I was done being Baron Sasaki for the time being. We’d headed back to our lodgings in Baytrium, where Peeps could once again speak freely. He conducted his explanation from his usual spot: the perching tree on the low table. I sat in front of him on the sofa, taking a breather.

“I thought as much,” I said.

“I’m sorry,” he responded. “The caster managed to slip through my grasp.”

“If they were able to escape from the Starsage himself, they must be extremely powerful.”

“Extremely careful, more like. Once it was clear the slave collar’s effects hadn’t manifested, they probably gave up and made preparations to flee before I even arrived. Although, that did mean the effects of the spell were quickly undone.”

The bird was right; I’d been released from the second enthrallment almost immediately. I thought for sure Peeps had taken out the caster, but apparently it was merely cover for their escape—in other words, they intentionally abandoned Prince Lewis. Was that really going to work in their favor? Or maybe, just maybe, they were confident I wouldn’t harm the prince?

“I’m a little curious why they didn’t come to the prince’s aid,” I told the bird.

“Indeed. That has been on my mind as well.”

“Did you get a good look at their face?”

“They were completely hidden beneath a hooded robe.”

“I see.” From Peeps’s explanation, it seemed better to let the matter go for now. I’ll just have to keep an eye out, I thought. “Also, I wanted to know more about the slave collar.”

“It is exactly what it sounds like—a magic tool for forcing a target to obey you.”

“And it gets used for slaves and stuff?”

“Yes, that is what most people want it for.”

Peeps had removed the collar Prince Lewis placed on me before we exited the village. Bringing it back would have resulted in all sorts of questions, so I’d buried it there. It had seemed pretty valuable, but then again, I certainly wasn’t strapped for cash, so the decision had been easy.

“The charm spell hit me like a truck,” I explained. “But the collar did nothing.”

“I doubted the collar would have any major effects on you, given how much mana you possess. That was my reasoning for focusing on the magician. Ultimately, however, I used you as a distraction. I apologize. You must be upset.”

“No need to apologize. I’m sorry for being reckless and getting too close.” I basically walked right into the enemy’s spell, after all.

Peeps went on to explain that when using a slave collar, one had to choose an item of the appropriate grade—a distinction mainly determined by how much mana the target possessed. That must have been the logic behind Prince Lewis’s remark about powerful demonfolk. That also helped explain why the magician in his employ had decided to flee so quickly—and why the prince had been so shocked.

The charm spell, on the other hand, had worked on me because the magician on the prince’s side had been amazingly talented. In addition, I wasn’t well versed in such magic. In fact, this was the first I’d ever seen it in action, so I hadn’t been able to put up much resistance.

“Charm is a scary spell, huh, Peeps?”

“That’s precisely what makes it so useful.”

Come to think of it, I was pretty sure Peeps could use the same spell. In the past, he’d suggested it as a way to make money in Japan. I wondered if, before reincarnating as a Java sparrow, he’d used it to make everyone do what he said. I quickly reconsidered, however—his face had been extremely charming back then, so he probably had no need to resort to magic.

“By the way, might you have a preference for cross-dressing men?”

“Huh? Wait, why would you think that?”

“The effects of Charm are frequently dependent upon the target’s own sexual preferences.”

“…Really?”

“When twisting the mind of another, targeting what is already there is always easier.”

“……”

Peeps almost never commented on such worldly, vulgar matters. He was so sharp, too. He’d thrown me such a curveball that I didn’t know how to respond.

“You don’t seem particularly interested in any of the women in your own world, either. Am I wrong?”

“No, no, that’s not true. I’m definitely into the opposite sex.”

“Is that so?”

I’d sent my dirty jacket straight to the wash when we got back, asking the room maid to scrub it down for me. Peeps hadn’t said anything, but wearing it back to my own world would probably invite all kinds of unnecessary misunderstandings. I already felt bad for making the maid handle it.

“Yes,” I told him. “I love girls.”

“You seem to always act as though you’re too old, too worn out for it all.”

“Maybe you’re just imagining things.”

“Recently, we’ve been together almost constantly. I thought perhaps you could use some time alone.”

“…I suppose you’re not wrong about that.” So that’s what he was getting at, I thought.

He was right—lately it seemed like there was always someone close at hand. When I was at work, it was Ms. Futarishizuka and Miss Hoshizaki, and I was increasingly spending my home time with Peeps and Lady Elsa. Compared to the sparrow, who had total freedom in the hotel or villa while I was at work, I had almost no time to myself.

Everything had been so busy lately that the loneliness I’d felt before was like a distant dream. And Peeps was the one to give all that to me. I’m so, so glad I decided to adopt him, I thought with renewed feeling.

“Should we decide on a particular day of the week to give you time to yourself?”

“It’s fine,” I told him. “When I need a break, I’ll speak up.”

“…All right.”

“Anyway, about our plans…”

I was astonished at how thoughtful he was—even taking my more personal needs into consideration. But while I was grateful, I was also kind of embarrassed, so I changed the topic.

There was still a lot to figure out when it came to my relationship with this sharp-witted sparrow.