Chapter 77

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"Excuse me."

An unexpected situation arose, and Georg entered the parlor to report it to his parents. The diplomats, who had been prostrating themselves in a row in front of him, hadn't moved since William had first noticed them.

"Georg! You're just in time!"

The king, more delighted than his parents, greeted him first. Georg wanted to report immediately, but he couldn't possibly ignore the king.

"Lord Stewart refuses to accept the reward. Could you try to persuade him?"

… How did the conversation turn to rewards, and what happened to the issues with the Imperial Kingdom?

"No, Your Majesty. I cannot accept the reward."

The family had already confirmed that accepting the reward would bring no benefit to the Stewart family, only more trouble.

"Can't you somehow accept it?"

… The king is persistent. Georg thought this matter had been resolved at the previous banquet.

"Look, you all risked your lives to defeat the slime. You deserve to be rewarded."

"Your Majesty, as I said before, we did what was expected of us. I cannot accept the reward."

… Has this issue been dragging on for a long time? His parents look tired. It seems they are relieved that the king's attention has shifted to him. This is terrible.

The poor diplomats, having prostrated themselves, have lost the timing to raise their heads. Their legs must be numb by now.

"Ah, right! Emma! You must apologize to Emma for hurting her. She looked quite hurt… so I'll raise your rank by two levels!"

Is the king being stubborn? Prince Task, standing next to him, looks completely confused.

"… Emma has already recovered… No, if that's the case, perhaps Emma can give her response later?"

Though it's a pity for Emma, he will have to find a way to decline later. Right now, he has more pressing matters to deal with. He looks at his parents, who seem satisfied with the king's agreement.

"Father, there's a bit of a problem…"

"What is it?"

The expression on his father's face speaks volumes without words. He's already at his limit.

"Um… our… security… is a bit… off…"

"Security!?"

Both parents look bewildered. Their house only has the gatekeeper, Evan, and no bodyguards. There are no surveillance cameras or alarm systems like in the previous world.

"Yes. Our home security… NyaCom (cat) and Valsoc (spider)…"

"Nya! NyaCom and Valsoc!?"

Georg glances at Prince Task, who looks harmless.

---

A little while back, when Joshua had barely survived Emma's critical hit, a scratching sound came from the outside of the door. This was Komay's way of knocking, scratching the door with her front paws.

"Nya!"

The three brothers, Joshua, and Martha rushed to the door, realizing a cat in the hallway was not a good sign. They had hidden Komay in a back room before the king arrived, but she must have come out on her own. Martha opened the door and let out a small scream.

"Ah!"

"What's wrong, Martha? … Oh!"

"Ugh!"

"Ah…"

"… This is serious! Lady Emma, hide behind me!"

William, Georg, Emma, and Joshua left the room in that order, each letting out a gasp of surprise.

There, Komay sat proudly, displaying her prey in a neat row. She had brought them in to show Emma.

In the previous world, Komay would sometimes bring cicadas, cockroaches, mantises, and grasshoppers to the front door for the Tanaka family. They were gifts, as if to say, "Since we're not good at hunting, we'll share these with you." Sometimes, only the wings of cicadas were left, and it was best not to think too deeply about where the bodies went.

However, this time, the "gifts" were ten (I counted) people dressed in black, lying unconscious (I hope they're alive) in a neat row.

"Komay!"

This is a diplomatic crisis… Joshua and Martha are shocked, but the three brothers recognize the unconscious people. The brothers collapse to their knees.

All the people Komay brought in were dressed in black from head to toe, with their faces covered except for their eyes, making it impossible to identify them. They looked exactly like the stereotypical ninjas from the previous world.

"Why are there 'ninjas' lying in our house?"

Kneeling on the floor, William sighs. He doesn't know if real ninjas from the past dressed like this, but they certainly looked the part.

"Nya!"

Komay, proud of her accomplishment, sniffs and approaches Emma. She's cute. So cute!

"Obviously, they must be related to the Imperial Kingdom?"

Japanese-like = Imperial Kingdom.

"Huh? The Imperial Kingdom?"

"Are they from the Imperial Kingdom?"

Georg's words make Joshua and Martha realize the gravity of the situation. The thought of representatives from a friendly nation lying unconscious in the Stewart household is not a good omen.

This is the first time Georg and William have thought a gift of cockroaches would have been better, and they both hold their heads in their hands.

"Nya, nya, nya♪"

Emma pets Komay, who reports proudly.

"What!? There are five more in the attic?"

"Nya, nya♪ nya♪"

"Are the ones in the attic… caught in Violet's web?"

"Nya♪"

Wait, Violet wasn't let out of the bug house today… Are our pets too free?

Martha, who has been listening to Emma's conversation with Komay, hangs her head in resignation.

"Lady Emma, please only talk to the cats inside the house… For now, I'll gather the men of the house. If the king sees them in front of your room, it could become a serious issue. We'll move them to an empty room."

---

On the way to an unused room (note: there are more unused rooms), they encounter Kanchan and Cho-chan, each carrying an additional ninja.

"… How many ninjas have infiltrated!?"

At the banquet and today's visit, there were no Imperial Kingdom representatives with Prince Task. They couldn't have come alone, but it seems the ninjas were with them all along, unseen.

"… If these ninjas hadn't come to our house, they could have completed their mission in the kingdom without being noticed…"

Even Leonardo and Georg, who are sensitive to their surroundings, didn't notice the ninjas' infiltration. They must be highly skilled.

"… Probably, not even the king, the diplomats, or anyone in the palace knows about them…"

William, looking at the ninjas lying in the spare room, wonders if it would have been better if no one knew.

Thanks to Martha's quick thinking, the men carrying the ninjas were trusted servants from the palace who were used to the chaos Emma caused, so the news hasn't leaked outside the Stewart household.

However, ninjas are likely a secret matter in the Imperial Kingdom. If their presence is known, the Stewart family's future is uncertain.

"Even if there were one or two, we could handle it, but there are 17 in the house alone? How are they getting food? The Imperial Kingdom is facing food shortages…"

The ninjas, all dressed alike, were as light as Joshua could carry, and they were emaciated. While ninjas need to be light, it seems difficult to secure food for 17 people without being noticed. Especially since all international travel is by ship, where water and food are precious.

"Sister… Is that what you're worried about?"

William's gaze is cold. But hunger is a serious issue, and it's natural to be concerned.

"Lady Emma is so kind."

Joshua's colored glasses have been upgraded after the critical hit.

"Martha, can you ask the kitchen for something nutritious and easy to digest?"

Food is important.

As Martha heads to the kitchen, Ryu-chan enters, carrying two more ninjas in her mouth.

"Nya! Nya, nya♪"

Ryu-chan's proud face is just like Komay's. She rubs against William, demanding to be petted.

"More… How many more are there?"

William pets Ryu-chan, enduring her strong headbutts. Our cats are not just cute.

"Nya♪ nya♪"

Ryu-chan, looking satisfied, is petted by William, who answers her.

"There's one more. She says one of the diplomats in the parlor is disguised as one of them."

Ryu-chan's words are translated by Emma.

"One more… So there are 20 in total. And one is disguised as a diplomat… How can two words from Ryu-chan mean so much!?"

Is it not strange that she can understand cat language better than the language of the Imperial Kingdom?

Georg is skeptical of his sister's translation. She seems to understand almost all the conversations, but the cats only meow.

"Cat language is about feeling."

"Unya♪"

As the ninjas from the attic, wrapped in Violet's web, are carried into the room, a cat language lesson is held, but no one understands it.

Lately, I've been thinking I want a NyaCom too.