Chapter 133 Yukiko Himuro ⑧
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The following day-
”Provisions and miscellaneous goods received. Everything is in order.”
I’d finished breakfast early and headed straight for the castle, successfully delivering the supplies Georg-san had requested.
”Astounding… truly remarkable,” muttered a gaunt, elderly man, peering through a monocle. “An Item Box¹ capable of holding a six-month reserve for an entire city.”
The man was a Minister of the Kingdom. The moment I’d presented Georg-san’s documents to the gatekeepers, he’d practically sprinted to my side to escort me to the granaries.
”As per our arrangement,” the Minister continued, “we shall provide one thousand mercenaries and the agreed-upon mineral resources. Regarding the ore, feel free to transport it yourself if you prefer.”
”I’ll do that,” I replied. “It’ll be faster.”
With the capacity of my Item Box the protagonist’s capacity would not be an issue. Besides, returning would take only a second with teleportation.
In layman’s terms, my Item Box capacity is a cube measuring [Level x MAG²] centimeters on each side. At my current level, that works out to a cube roughly four kilometers wide-about 64 cubic kilometers. It’s enough to swallow a small town or a few city districts whole.
With the errands out of the way, it was time for my own business.
”There’s one more thing,” I said. “I’d like to request an audience with the Heroes.”
”With the Heroes?” the Minister asked, his expression faltering. “I’d like to help, but…”
”Is there a problem?”
”It’s not exactly a ‘problem,’ per se… but they are incredibly guarded. They refuse to see anyone. The young woman, in particular, is under the constant watch of the other two. They haven’t let her leave her room for days.”
The Minister bowed his head apologetically. I already knew they were playing the role of ‘bodyguards,’ though ‘jailers’ was a better fit. It was house arrest, plain and simple. I’d expected it, but at this rate, I wouldn’t even be able to get in the same room as her, let alone get my revenge.
”What if I asked the King directly?” I suggested. “Would he grant the audience?”
”His Majesty?” the Minister replied skeptically. “It’s not impossible, I suppose… but he doesn’t usually grant audiences to commoners off the street.”
True. But I wasn’t a commoner.
”Then it shouldn’t be an issue,” I said with a sharp smile. I reached into my collar and pulled out a pendant.
The Minister’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. The pendant was crafted from pure mithril, engraved with two overlapping squares-the Eight-Pointed Star. It was the Octagram Council³, the symbol of the council that held the true, absolute power in Greedia.
* * *
In the end, it took three days for the audience to finally happen.
A King’s schedule is never empty, and a man ruling a country isn’t exactly lounging around, so the wait was expected. I was in a similar position myself, after all. I’d been leaving the Casino Guild management to Marl lately, but that’s a story for another time.
The royal messenger arrived at dawn. After breakfast, I changed into formal attire and headed to the castle with Lil. They’d even sent a carriage to pick us up. Now, we were cooling our heels in a lavish guest parlor. The room was dripping with gold and luxury, clearly designed to intimidate foreign envoys. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, though-it didn’t even have a place to sit.
Mihiro was busy back at the base, drilling the Monster Hunters. Despite that gentle face, they were a total Spartan-worse than me, honestly. Nakim had been put through the wringer back in Envyos, and while he was diligent enough to take it, those other slackers were probably shaking in their boots right now.
Leki was covering for me on some overdue requests, and Lili had taken a ‘part-time job’ at a local brothel for some extra cash and intel. She claimed to be ‘quite popular,’ but she also mentioned the local girls were ‘smaller and thinner than Master.’ I decided it was best not to ask what she meant by that.
”I’m actually a bit nervous, Dear…”
Lil was fidgeting, her tail twitching restlessly. She was wearing an ultramarine dress with a plunging neckline. It was a complete departure from her usual combat gear; she looked elegant, refined, and incredibly beautiful.
”The man runs a whole country,” I said. “But on paper, we’re basically his equals. I’m one of the highest authorities in the world, and you’re the First Lady.”
”I know, but still…”
In the past, she wouldn’t have cared about titles. For better or worse, Lil was finally getting used to the ‘civilized’ world.
”Besides,” I added, “you’ve dealt with big shots before. Georg-san, Clovis… and you deal with me every day.”
”True,” Lil said, letting out a soft giggle. “Those men are so casual that I keep forgetting they’re supposed to be your peers.”
Her tension seemed to break. Just then, a knock came at the door. Finally. I didn’t know if this would get me to Yukiko Himuro and her handlers, but if the ‘polite’ route failed, I’d just have to break down the door.
Oh, I almost forgot.
”Lil, that dress looks great on you.”
”Oh! Thank you, Dear,” she beamed. “You look quite handsome yourself.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. It was just a plain black tuxedo.
* * *
The massive double doors swung open, and we stepped into the throne room.
Perched on a high dais sat an old man with a thick white beard and eyes like flint. Josef XVII, the King of Wrathfiria. He looked down on us with a palpable aura of Intimidation. Neither Lil nor I knelt.
Beside him stood a well-built man with a fierce, sharp face. Judging by the clothes, he was the First Prince. There was something familiar about him, though…
I’d heard the King and the Prince were at each other’s throats, but they seemed fine now. The Prince looked at me and flashed a grin like a predatory beast.
I gave a shallow nod, and Lil followed with a curtsy that looked surprisingly practiced.
”We thank you for the sudden invitation-” I began.
”You stand before the King!” a high-pitched, arrogant voice barked. “Watch your mouth, peasant!”
I looked over to see a middle-aged Knight in full plate armor. His face was flushed red as he glared at me.
”I’m not a citizen of this country,” I said coldly. “Nor am I a subject. In fact, I am a member of the Octagram Council-the highest authority of your own ally. Are you sure you want to sabotage your nation’s diplomatic ties because of your ego?”
”Silence, you brat!” the Knight roared. “A representative of a nation of money-grubbing parasites has no right to-“
”Enough! You blithering idiot!”
A roar boomed from the throne, shaking the very air in the hall. It was the King. What a set of lungs on the guy. Lil’s tail actually fluffed out in surprise.
”These people are my guests!” the King shouted. “Do you realize that insulting them is the same as insulting me? Speak!”
”M-My deepest apologies, Your Majesty!”
”If you understand, then get out of my sight!”
”A-At once, Sire!”
The Knight scurried away like a kicked dog.
The King seemed much more reasonable than Leonardo had led me to believe. He’d described the old man as a ‘decrepit fossil.’
”Forgive my subordinate,” the King said, his voice settling. “His loyalty is… overzealous. He has a nasty habit of looking down on envoys.”
”There are people like that in every country,” I replied. “Plaudix is especially bad. The whole place is rotten to the core, save for a few.”
”Gwah-hah-hah! Well said!” The King let out a boisterous laugh. “That aside, Sieben, was it? You’ve done this kingdom a great service. You have my thanks.”
”It was nothing. I was the only one available,” I said. “Besides, I had my own reasons for coming.”
”Personal business, eh? I believe you wanted to see the Heroes?”
”I do.” I nodded.
”Hmph. I won’t ask why… very well. Do as you please. You won’t have trouble with the two boys, but those two won’t let anyone near the girl.”
”That’s fine by me.”
”Good. Leonardo, escort our guest to the Heroes.”
”You got it, Pops,” the First Prince replied.
Leonardo? The Prince stepped toward me and flashed that same savage, beast-like grin.
”Yo. We meet again.”
—
Summary:
Sieben delivers massive food supplies to Wrathfiria and reveals his status as an Octagram Council member to gain an audience with King Josef XVII. Despite a confrontation with an arrogant knight, the King grants Sieben permission to meet the Heroes. The chapter ends with the reveal that First Prince Leonardo is someone Sieben has met before.
—
Trivia:
- Sieben’s Item Box is now large enough to fit an entire town (64 cubic km).
- Yukiko Himuro is effectively under house arrest by her fellow Heroes.
- Lil is wearing an ultramarine dress and is referred to as the ‘First Lady.’
- Lili is currently working part-time in a brothel for intel.
- Mihiro is a strict instructor for the Monster Hunters
—
Character Insight:
Sieben shows immense confidence in his status, no longer feeling subordinate to royalty. Lil is becoming more attuned to human societal norms and feelings of pressure.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The final post-script in the raw text references Slam Dunk (Coach Anzai), indicating the author’s desire for reader ‘points’ or engagement.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Georg – Master of Merchant Guild Foxia, silver-haired middle-aged gentleman.
• Marl – Lil’s younger sister figure or companion who enjoys watching the couple from a distance. Not the real one.
• Lil – One of the heroines. Height 166 cm, B-W-H: 90-56-90. She is a top-tier beauty with long indigo hair down to her waist, a large scar on her abdomen and sharp golden eyes. She has wolf ears and a tail.
• Mihiro – Post-gender swap of Yuki Chihiro: Height 160 cm, B-W-H: 82-55-80. Futanari. Short haired black hair, handsome.
• Nakim – A thirteen-year-old boy with soft, androgynous features; the creator of the Dispel spell.
• Leki – Lil’s daughter. Height: 140 cm, B-W-H: 70, 54, 69. She looks more like a Siberian Husky puppy than a wolf. Honestly, she just looks like a stuffed toy, recently transformed into a human form. Now use great axe as weapon.
• Lili – Sasaki Natsumi’s familiar. She is a Lilim, a type of succubus, and has no fighting power. Of course, she only thinks about erotic things. Blonde hair, blue eyes, twin-tails, and a petite but busty (‘loli-bakunyuu’) physique
• Clovis – The head of the Monster Hunter Guild. Early 30s, lean build, narrow eyes, wears spectacles.
• Yuki – Yuki Chihiro. Height 178 cm, weight 70 kg (Male). Natsumi’s childhood friend. A handsome, athletic top student in the soccer club.
• Josef – The current King of Wrathfiria. An old man with a thick white beard and sharp, flint-like eyes. Possesses a powerful voice.
• Leonardo – A Major and squad leader in the Wrathfiria military. Large build like a bear with brown hair like a lion’s mane and a thick beard. Friendly and boisterous.
• Sieben – Young man with black hair and a mask covering his eyes. He purchased Honoka and Ria.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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