Ch.44Unfair Treatment-Savvy NPC (3)

“Huhut. I apologize for coming so early in the morning, Princess Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman.”

A smooth, not-particularly-apologetic voice echoed through the inn room in the early dawn. A blue-haired woman and a blonde woman frowned as they observed the situation.

Normally, Ragni would still be wandering in dreamland, but right now, that wasn’t possible.

That’s why she had asked Gore to take the sleeping Ira to another room.

“I came here yesterday afternoon, but you arrived unusually late, so I wondered if you were avoiding me. That’s why I’m visiting at such an early hour. I’m truly sorry.”

“My goodness, is that so? You could have at least left a message at the inn. I would have come to see you.”

“Huhut. That wouldn’t be appropriate. How could the mayor of a neutral city like Ilge presume to summon a princess of the great empire?”

If only she had left a message, Ragni would have genuinely avoided her.

Responding to the city mayor Avalitia’s reply, which perfectly understood her implication, Ragni answered with a picture-perfect eye-smile.

Of course, her lips weren’t smiling at all.

‘…How annoying. I was too reckless. I never expected the mayor to move this quickly.’

She had involved herself too quickly and deeply in this Aigram demon follower incident.

Ragni had acted because she didn’t want to see Jack suffering, getting seriously angry, or Ira being put in danger. But her actions had ended up revealing her existence to the city’s most influential figure.

If it had just been a similar name, hair color, and eye color, the other party wouldn’t have moved this quickly. This was completely her mistake.

“First, I heard that you helped filter out the demon followers. As the mayor of this city, I want to express my gratitude. I’d like to prepare a reward for you. Is there anything you desire?”

‘Don’t get any more involved.’

“Huhut, anyone living on this continent would naturally do the same. I won’t refuse if you insist on giving something, but please decide as you see fit. I don’t particularly want anything.”

Perfectly suppressing her true thoughts and not showing them on her face, she dismissed the reward offered by a major city’s mayor as if it were nothing.

That was the mindset and behavior befitting an imperial princess—neither eagerly pursuing rewards offered by a city of this scale, nor completely rejecting them by saying she wanted nothing. It was the perfect response as a “princess.”

And Avalitia, raising the corner of her mouth as if finding Ragni’s response amusing, replied:

“I see. Then, should I send the reward through the ‘Empire’ after discussing it with them?”

“My goodness, isn’t that obvious? Even though I’m ‘briefly’ out here, I am still a ‘princess.’ His Majesty in the imperial palace was quite ‘saddened’ when he ‘received reports’ about this incident. He wondered if neutral cities were also ‘dangerous.'”

“…I am truly sorry about that.”

She responds as a princess and a perfect imperial citizen. If she makes even one wrong move in front of this woman, it would twist not only her position but Jack’s as well.

And then.

“Well, I understand that. But, Princess? Why did you come ‘briefly’ outside like this? And it seems you brought ‘only’ one guard with you. May I ask why you came to our neutral city, ‘of all places’?”

There are basic protocols for receiving high-ranking officials from other countries as a mayor.

But because you came in so quietly, I couldn’t observe even the basic protocols, and I even had to come here to see you. So tell me why you’re here.

To these words filled with reproach and suspicion, Ragni answers with a smile that reaches the corners of her lips.

“I simply wanted to travel before my coronation, to broaden my horizons as a human being. During that time, due to someone’s ‘incompetence,’ I had to personally deal with some ‘trash’ that got involved. Picking up trash from the roadside is one of the manners taught from childhood in the Empire. Perhaps Aigram doesn’t practice this? If not, I recommend you start. It makes the ‘scenery’ cleaner.”

Who are you to reproach me? And since when did the Empire need to report to you before acting? Clean up your own mess. If that bothers you, come at me. Or get lost, because I don’t want to see your face.

“Haha, I see. From now on, I will clean ‘frequently.’ In that spirit, Princess, I have an interesting report that came to me. Could you please remove that scarf from your neck for a moment?”

Alright then. Let’s clean up as you said. Show me your neck.

“My goodness, Mayor? Since when did Aigram gain the authority to check the attire of imperial ‘royalty’? I find this quite offensive.”

Want to die? Won’t you leave?

“I simply cannot believe the report I saw. If there truly is no issue, I will properly apologize and compensate for this matter. So please, would you allow me to confirm just once?”

Die if you’re scared. If you don’t show it, you’ll know, right?

“…Hahaha. Truly, whatever report your person submitted, I find it ‘extremely’ offensive.”

-Shing.

“…My goodness. Guard, did you just draw your sword?”

“While the ‘Princess’ has tolerated your repeated rudeness since your arrival, ‘I’ see no reason why I should continue to do so.”

‘Is this right, Ragni?! I don’t know what knights are supposed to do?! I don’t even understand what was rude?!! I’m just doing what you told me?! If this becomes an incident, it’s your fault?!!’

Rey’s pupils were shaking, her heart pounding, and cold sweat forming on her hands. But she desperately suppressed herself and acted as a knight.

Precisely up to this point.

The moment the other party arrived, Ragni had instructed her to draw her sword and threaten the opponent if she said she was ‘extremely’ displeased.

She had told Rey to stand quietly like a knight with an expressionless face, saying nothing, and then to act and speak only as instructed, so Rey had acted without even properly understanding the situation.

And then.

“…I see. I apologize for saying ‘only’ and for my repeated rudeness. I didn’t realize the Empire had ‘more’ such skilled individuals.”

“Now that you know, that’s enough. Let’s end the conversation here. I’ll accept your apology, but this hasn’t been a particularly pleasant conversation.”

Rey, who had significantly leveled up after clearing an entire EP.5 dungeon with Jack, appears as a formidable warrior even to the eyes of a demon over level 400.

If she continued to be rude and pressed further, she would have to reveal her true identity and fight a warrior of this caliber. So she backs down. And then.

“I will send a carriage later to apologize for today’s rudeness. Well then.”

“Don’t send one. I’ll be looking around with my own eyes and leaving Aigram soon.”

“…Yes.”

Though the other party bows her head in respect, Ragni haughtily closes her eyes and ignores her. And just as Avalitia rises to leave.

-Rustle.

“…!!!”

“…Huh?”

Ragni’s expression turns to shock, and Rey’s pupils truly quake.

And the moment both their expressions change to perfect astonishment, the mayor’s lips are curled up to the fullest, and her pupils have transformed into those of a goat.

*

I barely made it in time.

The distance wasn’t much, but carrying a person attracted too many eyes.

I had to climb the city wall to pass the city guard’s checkpoint, drop the guy inside the city, and climb the wall again—it was truly a hassle.

[(!)Interactive Quest: Return to the city after capturing the cult leader! -Time remaining: 1 minute 10 seconds-]

[Penalty – If you don’t arrive in time, someone in your party will become unfortunate.]

I can see the inn where we’re staying, and I quickly approach it. If I run up from here, it will take only 30 seconds to reach our room. The quest should be cleared with time to spare. As I’m running at a moderate pace.

“…Huh?”

“Then, I’ll send a carriage today. Talk properly with your master, Ragni.”

“……”

What’s this? A fancy carriage in front of the inn, and Ragni biting her lip with a deathly expression in front of some woman.

And then.

-Rustle.

“Huhu. I’ll give you enough money. Your master will surely like it too. So relax your expression, okay?”

I see a woman touching and grabbing Ragni’s necklace, shoulders, and chest. No way.

[(!)Interactive Quest: Return to the city after capturing the cult leader! -Time remaining: 49 seconds-]

[Penalty – If you don’t arrive in time, someone in your party will become unfortunate!!]

…Someone will become unfortunate. And now the status window has even added an exclamation mark as if telling me to notice. I’d be an idiot not to understand.

The woman talking to Ragni. And Rey behind them, unable to hide her bewildered expression.

Anyone can see this is an emergency situation.

-Thud!!!

“Huhu, how luscious. I never imagined I would have the opportunity to possess you…”

-Grab!!!

“Ugh?!!”

“No. Why are you fondling someone else’s chest? Shit, I haven’t even touched it myself.”

“Uh…?”

I strongly grab the arm of the woman who was touching Ragni’s body and pull it away. She’s really strong? I’m not holding back at all, and it’s quite difficult to remove her hand.

“Y-you, what?!! W-who…?!”

“Who else would I be? I’m her master. And who are you? Why the hell are you sexually harassing our girl here? Want to get sued?”

It’s early morning, but there are people around.

Ragni, who was busty in the game, hasn’t fully developed yet, but she’s wearing rather thin commoner clothes instead of the thick dress from the game.

Touching her chest like that naturally draws the attention of all the men around. Look, she’s being sexually harassed to the point her face is red and she’s about to cry…

“Uugh. S-sorry… Jack. I’m sorry.”

-Squeeze!!!

“Argh?!! L-let go of this?!!”

Suddenly, Ragni bursts into tears in front of me. Seeing that, I unconsciously put all my strength into my grip.

This NPC mayor of the city whose wrist I’m holding.

She’s using both hands to try to free herself from my arm, but she can’t break free or escape.

“…Hey. Why are you suddenly crying when you didn’t even cry when you almost died?”

“Sorry… sorry. Because of me, I’m sorry…!”

“Don’t apologize, explain the situation. What did this woman say? What did she do? Rey, do you know?”

“W-well…”

“You!! Let go of this?! Do you want to become a criminal right now?! I know that you’re the one who put a collar on this woman!!”

“So what?”

What’s the big deal? Slavery is legal in the Empire. I don’t know what nonsense she’s spouting, but.

-Rustle.

“Hey. Don’t cry. You look ugly.”

“Uugh.”

When I wipe her eyes while talking, her tears stop, but now her nose is running. Geez.

“Rey, handkerchief.”

“Ah, yes. Here.”

“Blow your nose.”

“……”

“Quickly.”

“Sniff!!”

“This is really turning me off. Don’t cry. If you cry one more time, I’ll kill this woman. Got it?”

“…Yeah. Sorry. I got overwhelmed.”

“M-my handkerchief…”

Rey looks bewildered as I throw the handkerchief with Ragni’s snot on it to the ground, but I ignore her for now.

I look at the face of the woman who’s still wrestling with one of my arms and panting.

It’s a face I’ve seen in the game, and I don’t understand why this person, who shouldn’t have any hostility toward us, suddenly came at us like this.

“Lady. I don’t know what you said, but I need to know why you made our girl cry. Will you come with me nicely, or do you want to be beaten and dragged?”

“Y-you! Didn’t you understand what I said earlier…?!”

“No, I didn’t.”

-Crack!

“Aack?!! M-my arm!! Let go!! Let go?! W-what kind of strength is this…?!!”

This woman is resisting with almost all her might. At this rate, she might reveal her wings and eyes too. Well, that wouldn’t be bad either. Whether it’s Deus Ex Machina or the human side, who cares?

Why should I spare someone who makes our people unhappy?

“This is the last time. Come with me.”

If you don’t listen, the next communication will be with my fist.

I looked at the woman while hiding the still teary-eyed Ragni behind me.

And then.

“Huff. Huff. My, my handkerchief. Such crude treatment…”

Hey, you crazy woman. This is a serious situation.