A quiet home.
In the hearth at the center of the room, a pot simmered and rocked gently.
Sitting before it was a man with green hair.
Ruijerd.
I sat across the hearth, facing him.
"......"
".........."
No words were exchanged.
Between Ruijerd and me, there was only silence.
There was nothing to say.
No—rather, there was no room to speak.
Every nerve I had was focused entirely on what lay before me.
Failure was not an option.
Keeping my eyes fixed on the object in front of me with utmost care, I waited for the moment to come.
"!"
And then, the moment arrived.
I slowly reached out my hand…… and turned off the fire under the pot.
But I wasn't done yet.
I mustn't rush.
I stayed perfectly still like that for about ten minutes.
After ten minutes had passed, I finally spoke up.
"Ruijerd, are you ready?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Taking those words as my cue, I reached for the item set aside nearby.
It was pure white, rough to the touch, and shaped like an egg.
Not "shaped like" anything—it was an actual chicken egg.
"......"
I cracked the egg, poured it into a bowl, and beat it with chopsticks.
I performed the entire sequence of motions fluidly, as though I had been practicing it since the day I was born.
The child of three shows the man of a hundred.
Once you learn to ride a bicycle, you never forget how, no matter how many years pass. It's exactly the same thing.
No—perhaps I hadn't even needed to practice.
Perhaps I had been born knowing these motions.
In other words, it was instinct.
The egg was now fully beaten.
I repeated the process one more time.
Two bowls of beaten egg, ready to go.
Setting them aside for the moment, I reached for the pot's lid.
"……Alright."
I lifted the lid, peered inside, and nodded.
Freshly steamed white rice sat there, bubbling softly.
A warm fragrance of just-cooked rice spread through the room.
Saliva pooled in my mouth, and I swallowed involuntarily.
I fought the urge to scoop the rice straight in, held firm, and stirred the white grains.
I picked up a rice bowl.
Piled it high with freshly steamed white rice.
Heaping to the brim.
Too much wouldn't do, and neither would too little.
Then I took my chopsticks and poked a hole in the center of the rice.
Into that hole, I poured the egg I had just beaten.
The white rice took on a moist, golden hue.
But this wasn't the end.
From here on out.
This was what I had been chasing ever since I arrived in this world—something I could never get enough of.
I picked up the small bottle I had set aside.
From its narrow spout, I slowly drizzled liquid over the golden rice.
What came out was a black liquid.
Pitch-black, something that at first glance could pass for poison.
It was soy sauce.
I poured about one turn's worth.
Two turns would've been fine too, but I started with one.
That alone was enough to paint the surface of the golden rice in dark streaks.
The color was almost like pudding, and my stomach growled.
Don't rush. You'll be eating soon.
That was why I had cooked four cups.
Besides, from now on, I could eat this whenever I wanted, whenever I craved it.
This first time—savor the moment.
"……Here you go."
"Yeah."
I handed the bowl to Ruijerd.
He took it and waited.
I quickly repeated the same motions and made an identical bowl for myself.
"Then, let's eat."
I pressed my palms together and bowed.
Bowl in my left hand, chopsticks in my right.
I opened my mouth wide and stuffed the first bite into my cheek.
"——! ——Hah!"
That's it.
This taste.
It's perfect.
Not the best, perhaps, but this is it.
This is what I had been pursuing for so long.
"Ngh……haa……mm……!"
One bite, two bites, three bites.
No words—just eating, chewing, swallowing, occasionally exhaling, breathing in along with the rice.
I simply kept eating.
"..........Thank you for the meal."
When I came to, my bowl was empty.
Happy times pass in the blink of an eye.
After eating, there was satisfaction, but also a tinge of emptiness.
Before reaching for a second bowl, I glanced at the man across from me.
Ruijerd was eating in silence, too.
He had never been the type to talk during meals, but he seemed even quieter than usual.
No—there were only the two of us here. If I didn't initiate conversation, there was nothing surprising about the silence.
But was his eating pace too slow?
It didn't look like he had even finished half.
No—maybe I had been too fast.
"Hey, brother."
"Whoa!"
When I looked up, Norn was suddenly sitting right beside the hearth.
"Norn…… when did you……"
"When did I what? I'm right here. While you were eating, I actually called out to you a couple of times."
So that was it—I must have been too focused on eating.
"What are you eating?"
"A feast. Want some, Norn?"
"……Then I'll have some."
Norn glanced at Ruijerd before nodding.
I immediately scooped rice into a bowl.
Cracked the egg, mixed it in, drizzled the soy sauce.
The whole process took less than ten seconds, but I could say with certainty that the taste didn't change one bit.
That was the skill of a craftsman.
"Eat up."
"What's that supposed to mean……"
"It's my soul food."
"………Thank you for the meal."
Norn took the bowl she was handed and began eating slowly.
"......"
I waited.
I waited for the two of them to finish.
Sat there and waited.
Not yet? Hurry up.
I wanted their reactions. It wouldn't have been the end of the world if they had none, but I really wanted to hear them.
"......"
Just as I was thinking that, Ruijerd finished.
"So this is what you kept talking about during the trip?"
"Yes. How was it?"
"Delicious."
One word of feedback.
But I was satisfied.
I had found what I'd been searching for during that nostalgic journey, and now I could share it with my travel companion.
That alone made me happy.
The only regret was that Eris wasn't here.
"……Thank you for the meal."
Norn finished as well.
She had only just started eating, yet she was done surprisingly fast.
"So, Norn? This is what I kept going on about at home."
"……It was actually quite delicious. The taste is like nothing I've ever had before…… is it because of this condiment?"
"That's right. Soy sauce is the universal condiment. It makes anything taste good."
"Wow……"
Norn had praised it too.
Next time I made it at home, I'd have to treat her again.
Today was a纪念日—a day of纪念.
The day tamago kake gohan was born in this world.
"Still, eating raw eggs can upset your stomach, so let me cast a detoxification spell at the end."
"Don't feed something that requires detoxification to someone who just recovered from illness!"
I got scolded on this纪念 day.
---
Two days had passed.
The Supard Race was recovering steadily.
Many were still bedridden, but those with milder symptoms were already able to go about their daily lives.
Upon hearing this, I decided to build a darkroom at the edge of the village and plant sawkas grass there.
Whether the cause of the epidemic was in the soil or in Nether King Vita, we still didn't know.
But if the same symptoms appeared again, having this on hand versus not having it would make a huge difference.
If the cause really was Nether King Vita, then even if the same cases occurred, this wouldn't work.
In that case, the Supard Race would need to relocate.
Either move their dwellings deeper into the forest, or at the very least procure vegetables from the Dragon Valley village.
One or the other.
Either way, the approval of this country would be required.
Moving them to the Asura Kingdom could work, but the Supard Race had expressed a great deal of anxiety and opposition.
They didn't want to leave the land they had lived on for so long.
On top of that, the Asura Kingdom was heavily influenced by the Milis faith.
The Supard Race had softened their attitude toward Cliff, but their fear of the Milis Church still ran deep.
So, I decided to head to the Behelil Kingdom's capital, Behelil, to negotiate with them.
I had two goals.
First, to get the Behelil Kingdom to accept the Supard Race.
Second, to have the extermination squad disbanded.
The Supard Race was, overall, blunt and brusque—perhaps a bit closed off from years of persecution—but they were good-hearted people.
The Behelil Kingdom might balk at first, but there were plenty of ways to negotiate.
The quickest approach might be to have them come see the village in person.
If they actually visited, saw these somewhat clumsy but good-natured folks and the innocent children, they might think, "This is safe enough……" I hoped, anyway.
Though then again, the Behelil Kingdom might look at the children and think, "They're even having children! We need to wipe them out quickly!"
Like cockroaches.
But if it came to that, I'd recommend the Supard Race emigrate.
Having them settle north of the Asura Kingdom would mean burdening Ariel again, but…… if worst came to worst, I'd pay for it with my own body.
Well, I figured it would be fine.
The children of the Supard Race were, for all their flaws, strikingly beautiful and adorable.
And there was no way anyone could look at kids innocently playing with something like a ball made of animal hide and not have their guard drop.
"So, I'm heading to the Behelil Kingdom."
"Right."
"Cliff says he'll keep monitoring their condition, and Elinalise will stay with him.
Norn will continue nursing Ruijerd.
Orsted, what would you like to do?"
"I'll stay here. Cliff Grimoire is continuing his investigation into the epidemic.
From next time on, he might be able to cure it."
Even as he said this, Orsted batted away a ball that came flying at him.
In an instant. His hand movement was nearly invisible.
Yet the ball traced a gentle arc and landed softly in a child's waiting hands.
"As for negotiations, there's no need for me to go, is there?"
"No. Even with the curse-sealing helmet……"
Bon—the ball was returned again.
"The curse of repulsion hasn't been completely lifted."
"Right."
The ball flew back once more.
"But if push comes to shove, I'll need your help.
Even with the curse, showing yourself should be enough to intimidate them."
"Very well."
Bon again.
"Should I ask them to stop?"
I looked in the direction the ball was coming from and saw Supard Race children taking turns hurling balls at Orsted.
What their eyes held wasn't hostility—it was curiosity.
Something like, "There's a weird guy here, let's throw stuff at him."
If it weren't for the helmet, they'd be throwing rocks instead of balls……
But because the ball bounced back to them so satisfyingly, they seemed to be having a surprisingly good time.
"No problem. At this level, it doesn't even qualify as an attack."
"Oh, is that so?"
Was Orsted enjoying himself too?
His expression was impossible to read through the helmet, but there was no sign of displeasure.
"Are you having fun?"
"……It's not bad."
Not bad—good enough.
"Well then, I'll be off."
"Right."
I gave Orsted those parting words and left.
By now, Shard and Doga were already waiting at the teleportation magic circle.
While I headed to the capital, Shard would make contact with an information broker in the second city.
It wasn't what we had originally planned, but we decided splitting into two parties would be more efficient.
Doga would serve as my bodyguard.
He hadn't been particularly useful so far, but he was better than nothing.
"Oh."
On the way, I nearly bumped into Ruijerd.
He was being supported on the shoulder by Norn, shuffling along unsteadily.
"Ruijerd, is it okay for you to be walking already?"
"Somewhat."
Ruijerd said that, but judging by Norn's stern expression, he really shouldn't be.
"I'm off to negotiate with the Behelil Kingdom.
They might send soldiers along with me, so if that happens, I'd appreciate it if you could welcome them as much as possible."
"Understood. I'll pass that along to the chief."
As he said that, Ruijerd was looking toward Orsted.
Children, one after another, throwing balls at Orsted, who was backed against the wall.
At first glance, it looked like bullying, yet for some reason, it was oddly heartwarming.
Probably because Orsted was returning the balls with perfect accuracy, and the children were laughing.
"He doesn't look the part, does he?"
"Not at all!"
I replied with a grin and walked away.
---
Through the teleportation magic circle, to the Behelil Kingdom.
Of course, when I'd stopped by the office, I had also checked the communication stone tablet.
Zanoba's side—no issues.
Aisha's mercenary group—no issues.
Sylphiette's side—still no contact. The teleportation magic circle was a bit far from her location, so it couldn't be helped.
Roxy's side had seen some movement.
Apparently, after looking into Demon Island, it turned out the Oni God had left the island.
The Oni God's current whereabouts were unknown.
However, there was a credible rumor circulating on Demon Island that the Oni tribe was preparing for battle.
Also, Eris apparently wanted to come my way.
She wanted to see Ruijerd.
Of course she did. But I'd have her hold off a bit longer.
I also sent word to the various parties that the Supard Race was recovering from their illness.
Since it had been resolved in just a few days, I felt like I'd caused more trouble than necessary, but there was nothing to be done about that.
Once that was all settled, I donned my disguise ring once more and leaped onto the magic circle leading to the Behelil Kingdom's capital.
---
Zanoba had set up the teleportation magic circle in an abandoned village in the forest, about half a day's travel from the capital.
"Master, we've been expecting you."
The moment I arrived, Zanoba bowed his head.
Julie and Ginger were with him.
"You were waiting for me?"
"Yes. As soon as I heard you were coming, I hurried over."
What a dutiful student.
"Well, the timing works out. Here, we can report without worrying about eavesdroppers."
"Understood. Then let me hear your report."
"It's not much of an achievement, though."
With that preamble, Zanoba told me what he had been doing.
First, after arriving in the capital, he had secured lodging, then set up the teleportation magic circle in this forest.
He then began gathering intelligence in the capital.
There, he obtained the information that "the kingdom is assembling an extermination squad."
At that point, he had reported via the communication stone tablet. I had already seen that.
Afterward, he learned that the North God had joined the extermination squad.
He was still searching for information on Geese, but at the same time, continuing to gather data to identify the North God.
That was the situation.
"So in short, you don't know anything concrete."
"My apologies. I had heard that Karlmann the North God was conspicuous, so I expected him to be easy to find, but it's proven quite difficult……"
"No need to apologize."
Not many days had passed since they entered the Behelil Kingdom.
Arriving in the city, setting up the magic circle, and beginning operations—seven days of active work, roughly.
It was still early to be asking for results.
"This is where it really starts. Let's do our best."
"Yes."
But the North God.
If he really had joined the extermination squad, I definitely wanted to make contact.
However, the fact that they couldn't find someone supposedly conspicuous made me suspicious that something was happening behind the scenes.
What if the North God had already become one of Geese's allies?
What if Geese, seeing that Vita had been defeated and the operation had failed, had decided the tide had turned and retreated with the North God in tow?
There was even a possibility that Vita himself had been a decoy. He had been defeated rather easily, after all.
Or perhaps Geese hadn't even received word about Vita yet—though that was probably too optimistic.
Well, even if that were the case, I had managed to recruit Ruijerd as an ally.
That alone made the trip to the Behelil Kingdom worthwhile.
"Well then, Master, shall we head to the capital? I'll guide you."
"Right, thanks."
No matter what, the task at hand remained the same.
Thinking that, I set out for the Behelil Kingdom's capital.
---
The Behelil Kingdom's capital had a certain resemblance to the Kingdom of Siluone.
The atmosphere of a small-to-mid-sized nation on the Central Continent.
In this country, which was rich in timber, almost everything was built from wood.
The town itself had trees everywhere.
Perhaps because of this, it had a unique ambiance.
The fact that I had arrived at night probably played a role as well.
In this country, when night fell, large bonfires were placed along the roads.
Carriages were prohibited from traveling at night, apparently.
Aside from that, everything was the same as anywhere else.
Near the entrance were traveling merchants and inns.
As you moved toward the center of town, the buildings became grander, belonging to townspeople and then nobles, with a castle at the very heart.
The castle stood at the confluence of two rivers.
Almost like Sunomata Castle—built in a single night.
The location was similar to Caron Fort in Siluone.
Behind the castle, on the other side of the river, lay the slums.
Though calling them slums was a bit of an overstatement—they weren't particularly impoverished.
Just the typical layout you'd find in any town.
"Now then, I need to meet the king."
"But can we secure an audience? In a place like this, Her Majesty Ariel's influence doesn't reach……"
"Hmm."
In our room at the inn, I sat down with Zanoba and the others to think.
The inn Zanoba had chosen was a high-end establishment—not for adventurers, but for nobles visiting the provincial city.
A man who could afford it certainly lived differently.
Then again, maybe I should have told him to avoid drawing attention.
He didn't seem all that conspicuous, though.
"What if we infiltrated the extermination squad? They'll likely hold a departure ceremony where you could exchange greetings, and if you pressed close even forcefully, you'd be guaranteed an audience."
"That would take too long. If the kingdom had all its preparations complete and was ready to launch, only to be told to hold on at the last moment, they might push ahead out of sheer stubbornness."
There was a flow to these things.
Gathering soldiers, gathering supplies, gathering weapons.
Once you reached the point of "Let's go!" calling out "Wait a moment" might not stop them.
Executing such an event was tied to the kingdom's prestige—canceling would be difficult.
"I know it may already be too late at this stage, but before preparations are complete, I want to explain that there's no need to attack the Supard Race."
During the preparation phase, we could quietly inform them of the Supard Race's existence, let the kingdom verify their safety, and send the extermination squad back after hunting some transparent monsters instead.
We could even cover part of the costs.
If I asked Orsted, he should be willing to fund a portion.
So ideally, I wanted to meet the king before the extermination squad departed—as early as possible.
As I explained this, we brainstormed methods.
"For now, let's try going straight to the front door. It might draw attention, but I'll claim to be an emissary of the Dragon God, invoke the name of the Asura Kingdom, and if necessary, even mention Pergius…… and if that doesn't work, we'll think of another approach."
But no brilliant idea surfaced, and in the end, I simply requested an audience through the proper channels.
---
The next morning.
After finishing breakfast, I headed toward the royal castle.
This castle, too, bore a resemblance to Siluone's.
In size, in atmosphere…… though maybe the heavy use of wooden components made it less similar.
Then again, I could say its flammability reminded me of Zanoba.
"We'll probably get turned away at the gate."
"If we invoke Her Majesty Ariel's name, I think they'd at least agree to a meeting."
"This country has no diplomatic relations with the Asura Kingdom…… so without going through proper channels, it'll be difficult."
"You're not going to go through proper channels?"
"I can't."
Meeting a country's king was surprisingly difficult.
Whenever I'd had audiences before, I had skipped many of the steps, but normally the process was:
A noble of the country
arranges an appointment,
you prepare formal attire and a carriage, present proof of your identity,
are then introduced to the castle's officials,
they verify whether you're trustworthy,
and only after that do they adjust the king's schedule and finally let you into the audience hall.
That was the standard flow.
Connections really were essential.
But it wasn't absolutely impossible to get in unannounced.
Even if you showed up out of the blue, if you were important enough and the king wanted to meet you, an audience could be arranged.
The problem was that drawing attention risked being spotted by Geese.
Though for all I knew, he had already found me long ago……
"Alright, Zanoba—since it'd be problematic if we were seen together and rumors started spreading, from here on it'll be just me and Doga."
"Yes. I wish you success."
I parted ways with Zanoba in a busy area, and with Doga at my side, approached what looked like a guard station near the waterway.
Even though it was still early morning, the soldiers were bustling about.
Would they think I was suspicious if I suddenly demanded an audience?
I was dressed in something vaguely noble-like, but……
In a country without an embassy, I had no idea what the proper formal attire even was.
Huh? Was this not the guard station?
There was something that looked like a reception desk.
"Excuse me, is this alright?"
"What do you want?"
At the desk sat a man with a magnificent handlebar mustache.
His clothing was a tunic that looked more like something a civil official would wear, so he probably wasn't a soldier.
Maybe I should compliment the mustache first.
No—he had asked what I wanted, so I should state my business.
"Er, I would like to request an audience with His Majesty the King."
"When?"
"Huh? Oh, today—or if possible, as soon as possible would be ideal……"
Even as I said it, I knew nothing could sound more suspicious.
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
If this didn't work, I'd go through proper channels, consequences be damned.
"......"
The mustachioed man glanced at me, then began flipping through what looked like a stack of papers.
"One gold coin."
"Excuse me?"
"For an audience, one gold coin is required."
A gratuity of sorts, I supposed.
"Here you go."
"Certainly…… hm?"
The mustachioed man looked closely at the coin I had handed him.
Then he bit it with his teeth.
Was something wrong?
Maybe without my realizing it, I had given him a counterfeit……
"This is an Asura Gold Coin, isn't it?"
"Ah, yes. Actually, I'm affiliated with—"
As I said that, I briefly showed him the insignia Ariel had given me.
"......"
His reaction was lukewarm.
The mustachioed man regarded me with skeptical eyes.
So the prestige of the Asura Kingdom really didn't reach here.
This probably wasn't going to work.
But just as I thought that, after a moment, he tucked the gold coin into his robe.
He then flipped through the paper stack, wrote something down, and held the paper out to me.
"Write your name and the purpose of your audience here."
"Ah, yes."
"When the noon bell rings today, come back here."
"Ah. Of course. Thank you very much."
His reaction hadn't been great, but the gratuity apparently did the trick.
It looked like they would pass along my request after all.
The power of money was truly formidable.
First gate: cleared.
---
Noon.
I was in the antechamber of the audience hall.
"......"
I was nervous.
There was no way I'd get an audience today.
That was what I had assumed when I came to the castle, but after being guided by a different official than the mustachioed man at the reception desk, ushered into the antechamber, I suddenly found myself in this situation.
My turn was next—I would be called into the audience hall any moment.
It was the kind of situation where you think you've passed the first gate, only to find the final boss waiting.
The situation was moving too fast, and my mind was going blank.
No, calm down.
From the antechamber, I had managed to hear about the process from another petitioner.
This country's king held audiences with anyone who came—but only during a two-hour window starting at noon.
"Anyone" came with conditions, of course.
First, if you wanted an audience, you had to pay one Behelil Gold Coin to the kingdom.
On top of that, each person was limited to fifteen minutes, and only eight people per day.
Anyone who paid the coin could meet the king, voice opinions, ask questions, or make requests.
It was the kingdom's way of saying: if you truly have a problem, come petition.
A single gold coin was said to be an amount that a village could scrape together if the whole community chipped in.
By filtering out the frivolous, they could search for genuine problems.
The Behelil Kingdom actually seemed like a pretty decent country.
Though, the people with real problems were probably the ones who couldn't even afford a gold coin.
But if anyone could petition the king directly, everyone would come.
Especially the wretched merchants and urban tycoons who had no other means of reaching the king, flooding in to petition for their own petty interests.
Anyway, when we had arrived, the slots were naturally full.
But as luck would have it, there had been a cancellation.
I really was lucky.
It must have been the Asura Gold Coin—worth ten times the Behelil Gold Coin—that I'd used as the gratuity that boosted my fortune.
In any case, everything was going well.
The audience would last fifteen minutes.
Not very long.
Let's keep calm.
I only had two requests.
Reveal who I was, speak brightly and clearly, and the future would be bright.
"Rudeus, please proceed to the audience hall."
While I was lost in thought, my name was called.
"Well then, I'm off."
"……Take care."
I called out to Doga, took a deep breath, stood up, and left the antechamber.
Following the guiding official's directions, I moved down the corridor and into the audience hall.
The audience hall was, well, a rank-C establishment at best.
Not particularly spacious, an undecorated carpet, and eight soldiers standing somewhat listlessly.
No ornaments of note.
Zero presence.
Then again, considering they welcomed commoners nearly every day, this was probably just right.
Practically speaking, nothing was out of place. I'd give it three stars.
"Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you."
I walked into the audience hall, knelt at an appropriate spot, and lowered my head.
After a moment, the king's voice rang out.
"O well-mannered one. Raise your head and state who you are and what business brings you here."
I did as I was told and raised my head.
The king was an elderly man.
He didn't look like he had long left, and he seemed worn out.
Perhaps he was ill.
"My name is Rudeus Greyrat.
I serve as the first subordinate of Orsted, the Dragon God, who holds second place among the Seven World Powers."
"Oh…… the Dragon God……!"
The king couldn't hide his surprise.
A pleasant surprise—it was rare for things to go this well.
The king apparently knew what the Seven World Powers were.
Perhaps it was because of the Oni's proximity.
"One connected to the Seven World Powers comes to me…… no, to this country. What is your purpose?"
"Yes. I heard that you are preparing to exterminate the demons residing in the Forest of No Return.
I would like to ask you to call it off."
Oh wait—had I said call it off?
My mouth had slipped.
Well, well, it was fine. I could still fix this.
"Call it off?"
"Yes."
"Give me your reason."
"The beings living in the forest are not demons."
And there, I told them about the Supard Race.
That in ancient times—long before this kingdom was even founded—the Supard Race had been living in the forest.
That the Supard Race was not the demonic species they were commonly believed to be.
That they had once made a contract with a nearby village, hunting transparent magic beasts to protect the surrounding area.
But this time, an epidemic had swept through the entire village, and the transparent magic beasts had escaped the forest.
Now, thanks to the efforts of the Dragon God Orsted, they had recovered from the epidemic and resumed hunting transparent magic beasts as before.
I explained all of this succinctly, yet in a way that conveyed just how decent the Supard Race truly was.
"Transparent magic beasts belonging to that demonic species…… that is not something I can readily believe."
"Of course. I anticipated that, so I have prepared evidence.
However, without actually seeing them, there's no way to demonstrate.
Would it be possible to have someone from this country visit and see for themselves?"
I would show them the Supard Race's little-known way of life.
The women cooking in their pots.
The men hunting transparent magic beasts to make a living.
The children gleefully hurling balls at the Dragon God.
"Hmm……"
The king placed a hand on his chin in thought.
But slowly, he shook his head.
"Even if it were true, I can no longer call it off. The strongest fighters from across the nation have already gathered."
"Then, would you at least issue a directive stating that deep in Dragon Valley, there are 'People of the Forest' who are not demons and should not be attacked?
The transparent magic beasts do exist—hunting those would suffice.
If the issue is money, we are prepared to contribute."
"Hmm……"
Almost there.
"The Supard Race has, since ancient times, quietly protected this country.
But I am not asking that they be given special treatment now.
All I ask is that they be left alone in a corner of the forest where they are no bother to anyone.
……If even that is unacceptable—if Your Majesty does not wish to have the Supard Race within the kingdom's borders—I will arrange an alternative home for them."
"……You speak very much in their defense."
"I owe them my life. They saved me when I was young."
At that, the king stroked his chin again.
I caught a glimpse of an official at the edge of my vision, checking the time.
The fifteen minutes must be nearly up.
"Your time is up. Petitioner, please withdraw."
"I implore you—reconsider! This will not harm the kingdom!"
One last push. I stepped forward and bowed my head.
"……Garikson, Sandol!"
At the king's command, two soldiers stepped forward.
The mustachioed soldier and the long-faced one.
This was looking like the part where they threw me out.
I had thought the conversation went well, but perhaps I had been too abrupt after all……
A failure this time.
I would have to try again……
"Escort this man and verify the truth of his claims!"
"Sir!"
At the king's order, my eyes went wide.
"Is that acceptable!?"
"I will send soldiers. But if your words prove false, the extermination squad will proceed as planned."
I'd been a bit worried, but it seemed they were willing to send soldiers to investigate.
Instead of rejecting everything outright, he was going to verify with his own eyes first.
What a good king.
Perhaps it was because he heard petitions every day.
My trust in the Behelil Kingdom had shot way up on the Orsted Corporation scale.
"Thank you for your consideration!"
I bowed one final time.
Everything was going surprisingly smoothly.