After that, I was introduced to Akindura-san to get the full story.
The location was the reception room of the mansion that served as both "Torquetam" and the Tasan family's hideout.
Riv-san and Ishibara went to Riv-san's room, looking bored.
Originally we didn't have much to do with each other anyway, so that was fine.
The ones meeting were me and Munieka-san.
After a short wait, she arrived. I had her shown straight to the reception room.
Akindura — secretary and vice president of the Haiarn Trading Company.
I actually already knew of her, but this was my first time meeting her in person.
A beautiful woman with an intellectual air, her long chestnut hair tinged with red.
She had pale green eyes and wore a neatly fitted women's business suit.
It looked a lot like the Recruit suits from my past life.
She was a Fawn — a white horn poking through the gap in her hair.
One look and you could tell she was a serious person.
"How do you do. My name is Akindura. I serve as secretary and vice president of the Haiarn Trading Company."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Wof."
"I've heard quite a lot about you."
"Ha ha ha... Sorry about that. That rabbit has been causing you trouble."
I was curious what kind of rumors, but I just smiled and let it go.
Being the Night King meant being basically the same species as that rabbit. Way too embarrassing.
"Please, please. I never imagined things would turn out like this… I'm the one who should apologize for making you come all this way."
"No, no. I'm the one who should apologize. I should have pressed the point and warned you more carefully."
We bowed to each other in turn.
I'd done this same dance with Nabel too, come to think of it.
I wonder how he's doing now. Has he gone back to Hydrangea?
"Mister. Miss Akindura. You're not getting anywhere."
Munieka's observation made our cheeks flush.
"Ah, um, well, could we sit down and could you tell me about the current situation with Haiarn?"
"Y-yes. Of course."
Akindura and I took our seats.
As we sipped the tea Munieka had prepared, she explained things to us in careful detail.
The Haiarn Trading Company was growing explosively.
And Haiarn herself was riding that wave of success just as hard.
What on earth had she been thinking. Without consulting the Tassan family or the Kodakusan Trading Company.
She had unilaterally bought up everything and anything across all of Hydrangea.
"And that constitutes grounds for suspicion of rebellion?"
"No. What would constitute rebellion is the name."
"The name?"
"Yes. She renamed the Haiarn Trading Company to the 'Haiarn Trading Empire.'"
"…Ah, naming yourself an empire within a kingdom…"
She's out. Absolutely, unequivocally out.
Declaring the founding of an empire within the kingdom is one thing.
No, she actually did it.
That rabbit. She skipped right over the line.
"I am so, so sorry!!"
Akidundra bowed his head deeply.
"No, no, this isn't your fault, Akidundra."
Her. To cause trouble for such a serious person like this.
And not just that, to put Hydrangea in danger.
Unforgivable.
Un-for-giv-a-ble.
"Master. What will you do?"
"Akidundra, let me ask one thing. Where is Haiarn?"
"On the top floor of the headquarters. But the headquarters is heavily guarded. The Minos units created in the lab are protecting it. It's like a fortress."
Her. She wouldn't have actually created a legion of Minos units, would she?
If she did, that's already two outs. Muñeka, who rarely shows anxiety, looked tense.
"Master, the Minos units are a major problem. If they're spotted, it will be spread that monsters are in the city. Hydrangea would become a battlefield."
"That's...!"
Isn't that already three outs?
I have to go now... that damn rabbit!
I'll head out now. This feels like it can't wait."
"But, sir. Headquarters appears to be fortified. It's incredibly frustrating, but that rabbit is skilled. Infuriatingly so, but undeniably skilled."
How much does he hate that rabbit?
I smiled.
"Don't worry about that. I have a boat."
"A boat?"
"A boat?"
"Yes. So I'll be taking my leave. Munieka. Akindura. Pardon me."
I bowed and stepped out of the reception room, then headed toward Riv's room.
I could hear voices. Was Riv chatting with Isibara?
"Mmm… pudding parfait… specialty shop…"
"A pudding parfait!? What is that, ha! That name is really bothering me, ru!"
"…It is… the most… delicious… dessert… in this world."
"Dessert! I've eaten something called cake with Ruma and Samaniya, ha. Then I went to eat crepes with Bidd, Lupinus, and Pakira! And I ate ice cream at Seilan and Giiza's place! I drank herbal tea with the witch and Nekia, da!"
At some point she'd become friends with the whole female crowd and was now on a full-on sweets binge.
She'd also casually gotten hooked on herbal tea.
But why a pudding parfait specialty shop, of all things?
"Mmm… so that's the deal… I'm counting on you… okay?"
"Understood, ta! I will absolutely build a pudding parfait specialty shop inside the dungeon!"
"Wait, hold on!?"
No, no, no, no — I'm definitely putting my foot down on this one!
"What's wro~ng?"
"What's wrong or what's not — we are not building that kind of thing in the dungeon!"
"Mmm… how mean…"
"No, no, the dungeon isn't a theme park."
Even if dying wasn't a concern, there were limits to how ridiculous things could get.
"But~, Wof. I wannt something like a subjugation village."
"A subjugation village? Ah, I see."
Basically a lodging area, then.
That might not actually be a bad idea.
"Mmm… and there… a pudding cafe… specialty shop…"
"That's going a bit too far…"
"…no good…"
"M-More importantly, Riv. I have a favor to ask. It's a crisis for Hydrangea."
"A crisis… what happened…?"
"Not looki~ng good."
"I'll explain later. Can you get the ship moving? I'm going to go thrash that rabbit right now."
"Mmm… understood… let's go."
The moment Riv lightly raised her hand, the scenery shifted. We were on the bridge.
"This is the head office building of the Haiyarn Trading Company — can you make it out?"
" Mmm... I see it... the... big, noticeable... building... marker point designated... target confirmation locked... and — boom!"
There was a sound of something crashing violently.
Did we arrive?
When the scenery shifted again — what is this place?
It was luxuriously ornate, like a throne room, but somehow flashy and in terrible taste.
Bright red walls lined with nude female statues, bright red carpet over marble floors.
And on the elevated dais, there was a throne.
On either side, beautiful women in bunny-girl outfits stood close by. Or rather, they were rabbit-folk.
They held silver platters of fruit.
And sitting importantly on the throne was—
"Wha—blarghaaaahh?!"
I punched the rabbit that looked like a king at first glance.
I dashed straight in and knocked it flying.
I picked up the rabbit that had tumbled off the throne.
"Sorry about the commotion."
I apologized to the bunny-girl beauties standing there, frozen blankly.
When I returned to the bridge, the ship was gone.