Chapter 79

In the early morning at Lastock Barracks, six knights and six horses were lined up in front of the barracks.

There, Kamilla Riesenburg appeared, clad in golden armor.

The six knights welcomed Kamilla with a perfectly synchronized salute.

"Good work, stand at ease!"

"Ha!"

One of the six knights stepped forward.

"The preparations for departure are in perfect order!"

The knight who stepped forward was Rondal, who had been appointed to lead the mission after reporting Gert's concerns to Kamilla and predicting the attack.

"Rondal, though it may be repetitive, what is your mission?"

"Ha! To deliver Lady Kamilla's personal letter to the lord of the fortress city of Volsard, Klaus Volsard."

"What if you are attacked by enemy forces along the way?"

"Ha! We will avoid combat and prioritize heading to Volsard, ensuring the letter is never taken. If we must sacrifice our lives, we will destroy the letter so it cannot be read."

"Right, the primary mission is to deliver the letter to Volsard. And under no circumstances should the enemy see its contents."

"Ha!"

Kamilla handed over an envelope with a golden border, and Rondal received it respectfully, placing it in a leather shoulder bag.

"Rondal, what is your mission after delivering the letter?"

"Ha! To investigate any traces of the escaped slaves, and if any are found, to confirm the existence of collaborators."

"Right, at this point, the activities of the Second Prince's faction are suspected, but we cannot rule out the possibility that they have fled to Volsard by a third party's hand. Investigate carefully without preconceived notions."

"Ha! Understood."

Rondal, tense from the important mission, looked slightly pale.

Seeing this, Kamilla's expression softened.

"Hehe, Rondal, don't be so nervous."

"Ha! But it's a great responsibility to carry Lady Kamilla's letter..."

"Rondal, the letter is indeed important for the future, but it's just a piece of paper in the end."

"Eh, just a piece of paper?"

"Yes, if it's lost, we can rewrite it. Understand? Your lives are more important than a piece of paper. I won't allow you to waste your lives over it!"

"Kamilla-sama..."

"If you feel your life is in danger, destroy the letter so it cannot be read and prioritize your own safety. All six of you must return alive and report. Understood?"

"Ha!"

The six knights repeated in unison and saluted again in perfect formation.

I observed the scene from the shadow world, along with Fred and Reinhardt.

This time, Rondal will lead the envoy from Riesenburg, with Lebich, who was responsible for the second practical mission, serving as his deputy.

The other four are guards, including Gert, who noticed the change in Mr. Kudo, and Paul, who impaled me with a spear.

The six knights left Lastock Barracks, crossed the drawbridge, and rode their horses toward the Forest of Demons.

Lebich called out to Rondal, who was leading the group.

"Rondal, don't rush, the journey is long."

"I, I know! But there might be enemy interference this time, so we can't be too relaxed."

"That's true, but if you push too hard from the start, the horses won't last."

"But there are few obstacles before we enter the forest, and we need to consider the possibility of being targeted."

"Then, let's slow down once we enter the forest. We need to be cautious in areas with poor visibility."

"Understood..."

Lebich's expression turned bitter.

It seems Rondal, burdened by his responsibility, was pushing the horses a bit too fast.

"How about it, Reinhardt?"

"We've just started marching, but indeed, he seems a bit overzealous."

"Is the road safe?"

"No need to worry about that. Zae and the others, along with Alt and the others, are taking care of the high-risk monsters."

Our mission today is to ensure the safe arrival of the Riesenburg envoy in Volsard.

Since the last major outbreak, the Forest of Demons has been in a state of unrest.

The bodies of the goblins and kobolds that Reinhardt and the others disposed of have attracted other goblins and kobolds, and the presence of orcs and ogres has increased.

If their numbers grow to the point of threatening Volsard, we will need to eliminate them, so a few of Alt's group are taking turns patrolling the forest.

Since the Riesenburg envoy will be passing through today, we have kept other monsters away from the road, except for goblins and kobolds.

While it would be safer for the guards if no monsters appeared at all, it might seem abnormal if no monsters were seen at all.

The Riesenburg group wouldn't know that we are secretly eliminating ogres and others.

Seeing the envoy enter the forest and slow down, I decided to return to Volsard.

"Then, I'll go report to Donovan."

"Understood, I'll take care of the surveillance here..."

At the guild, the dissection of the salamanders had begun.

The largest one would be disassembled and its parts auctioned off.

Of the four salamanders we defeated later, two were purchased in their entirety by the Orlando store.

We were able to sell the regular-sized salamanders for 2.5 million hert each.

The price for the largest one would be the auction price minus the guild's fee, which would be transferred later.

Due to the dissection of the salamanders, more people had gathered at the guild, and I felt it would be troublesome to show myself.

I decided to report to Donovan from the shadows.

"Good morning, Donovan."

"Hmm, Kent, what are you doing?"

"No, it's just that there are a lot of people..."

"Hmm, I thought you were being chased by girls."

"N-no, that's not the case."

"What, have you given up to Beatrice?"

"It's not like that! And, did you leave me behind knowing this?"

"Hmph, it's your own fault for getting drunk with such a small amount of alcohol..."

"Ugh... Anyway, the Riesenburg group has set off. We'll guard them without being noticed, and they should arrive by evening."

"Understood..."

After reporting to Donovan, I decided to go to the barracks to introduce Mr. Oda and Mr. Sato to Klaus.

I also decided to check on my classmates.

According to Klaus, the Riesenburg group will not have time to conduct inquiries and will return the next morning, so the teachers have instructed the students not to leave the barracks for the next two days.

Those engaged in forced labor will also have a two-day break.

I don't expect anything to happen, but given the precedent of previous incidents, I can't help but worry.

First, I checked the street in front of the barracks to ensure everything was normal.

Looking from the wall that overlooks the barracks, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

However, when I went to the cafeteria where everyone should be gathered, it seemed there was some commotion.

I thought it might be another conflict caused by Mizawa Sumika's group, but at the center of the commotion were the class president, Manon, and Beatrice.

"I don't understand what you're saying, could you explain it properly?"

Wow... The class president's voice is so sharp...

"As I said, Lord Kent and I spent the night together..."

Beatrice covered her cheeks with her hands, looking embarrassed, while the class president and Manon... Oh, there are yakkai. Real yakkai... Horns are about to grow.

"Wait, hold on!"

"Kento!""Kent!""Lord Kent!"

If the conversation continues, it will definitely go badly, so I jumped out from the shadow world and stood between the three of them.

"Wait, wait, I'll explain, just wait!"

I held back the class president and Manon, who were about to grab me, and first faced Beatrice.

"Beatrice"

"Please call me Leiche..."

"Beatrice!"

"Y-yes..."

"I understand that you've made up your mind and that you care about me, but I don't like this kind of approach."

"But..."

"Nothing happened, but you're trying to make them think something did. That's not fair, is it?"

"But... Lord Kent, I..."

"That, that was because I was half-asleep... It was... involuntary... Ouch..."

"Kento, what do you mean? Explain properly."

"Ouch, Yui, I'll explain, don't pull my ear..."

Alright... Seiza.

My plan to calmly resolve the chaotic situation with a firm attitude was instantly shattered. After explaining that I was drunk from Lieb wine and set up in a morning situation, I was made to sit in seiza.

In front of me, the class president and Manon stood with their arms crossed, and Manon's eyes were wide open.

"So, Kento, what did you do to Beatrice?"

"Well, in my dream, I was playing with Malt and the others... and, I, I kind of petted her..."

Wow... The girls surrounding me are looking at me as if I'm trash, and the boys are grinding their teeth and glaring at me...

Why is Beatrice covering her cheeks with her hands and looking so happy?

"Once we've spent the night together, Lord Kent must take responsibility..."

"But, you didn't cross the line, right?"

"Ugh... W-well, that's true..."

"The kobolds were watching the whole time, right?"

"Ugh... W-well, that's true..."

The class president and Manon are putting Beatrice on the defensive.

"But, I was touched all over my body during treatment..."

"I was spied on in the bath."

"I, I was spied on in the bath by Kent too."

Guh... It's true, but I didn't expect it to be announced to everyone...

"Wow... I didn't expect Kento to go this far..."

"Really a scumbag, the worst."

"Let's execute him, no need for an interrogation."

"Damn, to violate a cute rabbit-eared girl..."

I didn't violate her, just a little petting...

"So, what do you plan to do, Kento?"

"Kent!"

"Lord Kent..."

Seeing Beatrice's happy expression, I feel a bit irritated.

But, it's time for me to make a decision.

I took a deep breath, looked at the class president and Manon, and spoke.

"I'll do my best to get everyone back to Japan, but I plan to stay in Volsard."

"Kento..."

The classmates, who had half-expected this, didn't seem surprised, but the class president looked a bit confused.

"Yui... I want you to stay with me too."

"Kento!"

"But, but I'm sorry! I want Yui, Manon, Leiche, and everyone to be mine!"

After boldly expressing my harem wish, I naturally received boos.

"Wow... You're really thinking about a harem... I'm a bit put off."

"Unbelievable... Overconfident..."

"Let's execute him, burning is good, or maybe water torture first?"

"In a light novel or anime, it might be okay, but in real life, saying it is just... no..."

I only received critical comments from both girls and boys, but that's to be expected.

"I will dedicate my body and soul to serving Lord Kent if he stays in Volsard."

Amidst the boos from the classmates, Beatrice squatted next to me and kissed my cheek.

"I, I will too, if Kent stays..."

Manon also squatted next to me, hugged my right arm, and tried to kiss my cheek, but I headbutted her on the temple.

"Ouch... Manon..."

"S-Sorry... Kent..."

Everyone around us chuckled at Manon's clumsy behavior, but the class president stood there, pale-faced.

It's natural for her to be confused, as I suddenly put her in a position to choose between me and her family.

"Yui... I'm sorry for suddenly bringing this up, but I don't know when we'll be able to return to Japan, so you don't have to decide right away. Until you make a decision, I won't pursue a deeper relationship with Manon or Beatrice."

"Kento... Okay, I'll think about it..."

"Manon and Leiche, is that okay? Especially Leiche, no kissing in public, okay?"

"I'm fine with that. I promised to compete fairly with Yui."

"I'm also fine with that. If Lord Kent stays in Volsard, I will wait."

Manon and Beatrice, considering the class president's feelings, released the arms they were holding.

"Then, I need to introduce Mr. Oda and Mr. Sato to Lord Klaus, so I'll go."

"Kento..."

"What is it, Yui..."

"I'll think about it and give you an answer..."

"Okay, I'll wait."

As I nodded to the class president and was about to leave the cafeteria, Mr. Oda and Mr. Sato were standing at the entrance.

"Good morning, sorry to keep you waiting?"

"No, we just arrived, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I'll show you the way."

Although I said I was fine, critical voices could still be heard from the cafeteria.

"I'm grateful for the help, but..."

"He must have had a hard time, but in the end, he relied on cheats..."

"Hey, Yui, what are you going to do? He's really thinking about a harem."

"Let's start the execution preparations, we have plenty of time today since there's no forced labor."

"Kento, I thought he was okay, but now I'm disappointed..."

Even as I quickly left the cafeteria, the classmates' words lingered in my ears and didn't fade away immediately.

"Are you okay, Kento?"

"Eh... Y-yes, I'm fine."

"Hmm, you don't look fine at all, your face shows it."

"Ugh... Yes, I deserve it, but it's a bit harsh."

"But, you made the decision yourself, right?"

"Yes, that's true..."

"Then don't waver. If you do, it won't be fair to the girls who chose you or to Asakawa, who will make a decision."

"You're right..."

Mr. Oda, who usually seemed strict and hard to talk to, gave me a stern lecture, but he was completely right.

If I waver, the class president won't be able to make a decision.

"Kento..."

"Yes?"

"Show some backbone to the girls who like you."

"Understood."

While he seemed strict in Japan, Mr. Oda now seems to be quite considerate.

"Hey? 'Show some backbone to the girls who like you'... Does that mean I'm considered uncool by others?"

"Hehe, I don't know... But it's true that you lack the intimidation of your true strength."

"Ugh... That's a tough one to argue with."

When I mentioned the Lieb wine that caused the commotion, Mr. Oda swallowed hard.

"We can't let our guard down until we get the students back to Japan safely..."

"I don't know about other alcohols, but the 25-year-old Lieb wine I tasted yesterday was exquisite."

"Ku... Kento, can you get that wine for a celebratory toast when we decide to return?"

"Mr. Oda... I think that's possible, but focus on getting us back to Japan first."

"I understand... I understand, but when we have a plan, I'll ask you for it."

"Understood, I'll ask Dino from the Lieb vineyard next time."

I saw a surprising side of the usually strict Mr. Oda, but I need to be careful not to fail negotiations due to alcohol.

Yes, I've learned the fear of alcohol the hard way.