Chapter 79

In the VIP room where we were led by the queen, we rested before heading to the grand hall where the banquet was to be held.

As we were guided by the soldiers, luxurious dining tables lined the grand hall.

In terms of scale, it was even more splendid than when I fought with Genkou.

...It's been a long time.

It took a long time to prove my own innocence.

When I entered the grand hall, I saw the queen and Melty huddled together, looking troubled.

As I approached to see what had happened, they both looked up.

"What's going on?"

"Yes... well, let's be honest, shall we?"

"?"

As I tilted my head, the queen sighed and explained.

Apparently, before the banquet, the scum and the bitch had each shown up in the kitchen and proposed to serve the dishes to me.

They claimed they were repenting and wanted to make amends by serving the food.

The information reached the queen immediately.

Before that, they had each forcibly taken the dishes intended for me and brought them to the grand hall.

The queen was there because she had given the instructions for the preparations.

"Bringing the dishes is quite a pious attitude, isn't it?"

The two of them, sweating coldly, tried to place the dishes at my seat.

However, the queen ordered the soldiers to arrest them.

She had already had them under surveillance and had heard the details from the shadows.

"What are you doing!"

"I haven't done anything!"

As soon as they were arrested, they started to protest.

Here are their reactions when they were caught.

"Yes, I hope there's nothing wrong. Now, take a bite... of the dish you were going to serve Iwatani-sama."

"I won't do such a disrespectful thing!"

"I haven't done anything!"

The two of them, who refused to admit their guilt, kept making excuses while resisting.

"Yes, I believe you. So, eat it."

"That would be disrespectful to the Shield!"

"That's right! I can't make someone eat something that someone else has already started eating!"

"It's fine. I'll just take a little bit on a clean plate."

"No way!"

"No!"

"Make them eat it!"

The soldiers forced them to eat the dishes they had brought.

"So, what happened?"

"The scum went to the bathroom, and the bitch was taken to the infirmary."

Are they stupid?

The scum had taken a laxative, and the bitch had taken poison.

I might have been fine because of my poison resistance, but I have no interest in eating poison on purpose.

However, they showed no sign of repentance.

In fact, it was a proper assassination attempt. It would have been a capital offense.

"What punishment will they receive?"

"Of course, they will be punished. We will make the scum and the bitch suffer until they give up."

"Um... right..."

"It's a good thing we stopped them before they caused any harm. If they had, it would have undone the trust Iwatani-sama has finally gained."

"Right..."

These stubborn ones... their persistence is commendable.

While it's good to be angry, I should also appreciate the queen's enthusiasm in taking preemptive action.

"Make sure to keep a close eye on them. If they cause any harm, I won't hesitate to break our agreement."

"Of course. Ideally, I shouldn't tell Iwatani-sama about this, but to monitor and punish them, I will report their misdeeds regularly until they stop."

"Right... I expected as much."

According to the queen, several shadows were assigned to watch the scum and the bitch constantly.

They are waiting for them to do something wrong.

Every time they do, they will be punished, and their suffering will be shown to me.

It's quite an entertaining setup.

"Yes. So, think about the appropriate punishment. They will surely do it again. We will prevent it in advance and punish them each time until they repent, teaching them how essential Iwatani-sama is to Melromarc."

"...Understood."

After confirming that all the guests had gathered, the queen made a grand announcement.

"I, Miliya Q. Melromarc, express my deepest gratitude to those who have worked hard to resolve this incident. This is a celebration, everyone, enjoy yourselves!"

The people gathered in the grand hall cheered, and I felt that the situation of my participation was fundamentally different from the last banquet.

Last time, I was only thinking about money.

Now, thinking about the country and the future, I realize the situation has become more serious.

"Wow..."

Filo, with sparkling eyes, was distracted by the array of dishes.

This party seems to be divided into a buffet style and a restaurant style.

Important guests are served in the luxurious restaurant style, and if they are still hungry, they can move to the buffet style.

We were seated at a table and enjoyed the dishes that were brought to us.

It felt like a lie that last time we were eating sparingly at the edge of the venue.

"Once you finish the dishes here, you can go and get more from the other side."

"Really!?"

"That's the rule. But keep your human form."

"Okay!"

After finishing the expensive dishes served, Filo skipped over to the buffet side to get more.

Quantity over quality, huh? That's so like Filo.

Somehow, Filo's high spirits remind me of Raphatalia last time.

I glanced at Raphatalia.

"What is it?"

She spoke shyly, as if embarrassed by my gaze.

"Aren't you still hungry? You can go and get more."

"I'm not eating that much anymore!"

"...It's bad for your health. You've been pushing yourself hard, so you should replenish your nutrients."

"...Sigh..."

Raphatalia sighed deeply.

I wonder what's wrong with her.

"Um... what kind of girls do you like, Naofumi-sama?"

"Huh?"

I don't really have a type...

Besides, I don't want to talk about this kind of topic because it reminds me of the bitch.

"Um... do you have a girl waiting for you in the original world?"

"What are you talking about? There's no such person."

There's no way I want to return to the original world for that reason. What is she thinking?

"...Sigh..."

Raphatalia sighed again.

"I don't know what you mean, but I just want to go back to the original world."

When everything is over, I will return to the original world without hesitation. To ask for a reason...

Then, I suddenly remembered that I initially thought I might live in this world permanently.

I started to earnestly wish to return... because I was deceived by the bitch.

I knew it, but the realization made my feelings stronger.

"Shield Hero-sama!"

"Hm?"

I turned to the voice and saw a familiar volunteer soldier approaching.

Ah, the one I signed for is with him.

"I'm glad we could meet safely."

"You guys are fine too... no, that's not it."

I looked at the soldier I signed for.

"The clothes I signed were stolen, right? I'm sorry."

The soldier shook his head vigorously.

"It's okay."

"Good, if you're not bothered. But if I sign again, it might get stolen. What should I do?"

There are some extreme people in this country.

I can't get involved in any trouble.

"Can't be helped. Give me your hand."

"Huh?"

It's not the best solution, but it has to be something tangible.

I shook hands with the soldier who wanted my signature.

"Ah..."

I don't know what a handshake means in this world. If it's rude, I apologize, but this seems appropriate.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. I appreciate your cooperation in that situation. For now, this will have to do."

"...Yes!"

The soldier nodded happily, his cheeks turning red.

He must have been a believer in the Four Holy Teachings or the Shield Religion. That's why he wanted my signature.

...If there are people who want the hand I shook, that would be dangerous.

This might have been premature.

"See you if we have the chance."

"\"Yes!\""

As we were talking,

"Naofumi!"

"Hm?"

Genkou, with a look of anger, walked towards me.

...Sigh.

A soldier who realized the situation tried to stop Genkou.

"Wait!"

"Get out of the way!"

Pushing the soldiers aside, Genkou came towards me.

"...A duel!"

"What, all of a sudden?"

Do you have some kind of obsession with fighting me at every banquet?

"I heard! You changed Mine's name without permission!"

...Sigh. He must have been incited by the bitch.

Looking over, I saw the bitch clinging to Genkou, pretending to cry.

"Shield Hero-sama asked Mama to change my name without permission..."

She's acting. Well done.

Hmm? Her equipment looks different from before.

The luxurious equipment is gone, and it's obvious that it's cheap.

Ah, the queen must have confiscated her equipment.

Serves her right!

"What are you smirking about!"

"Hahaha!"

"Don't laugh! It's pitiful, that name!"

"It's none of my business."

It's her own fault.

Besides, she recovered quickly despite being taken to the infirmary.

"If I win, change her name back."

"Of course, if I win—"

"It stays the same."

"...Right. That's the kind of person you are."

I have no reason to duel.

I have a bad feeling about this...

The crowd parted, and the queen walked over.

"Your Majesty, come on! Tell Naofumi to duel!"

Genkou seems to think that because the scum supported him, the queen will do the same.

"It's not possible."

"Huh?"

Genkou was taken aback by the queen's words.