Volume 4 Chapter 4 (1/2)
”Oto-san, big news! Lots of strange humans came. They're demanding the highest official in the city to meet them. They're now being handled by the Mythological Foxes.”
When I was doing paperwork as per usual, Kuina came bursting in.
This was a day she was supposed to be helping the Mythological Foxes to tend the store.
”Is that so? It seems they're right on schedule.”
The lord of the neighboring city had sent us a letter which said they were willing to protect our city of Avalon. In name, maybe, but in practice, they were aiming to rule over us. Their first move was the dispatch of this investigative unit.
”Thanks. Shall we go meet them?”
”The ones that came, are they Oto-san's enemies?”
”Yeah, they are.”
Her face became serious as she tightly grabbed onto my sleeve.
”Today, I'm going to stay real close to you, Oto-san, always.”
”Yes, please. It's reassuring to be with Kuina, the strongest monster.”
”Yay ♪”
She exclaimed so and then triumphantly smiled.
Unlike Rorono and Aura who were both mainly for domestic duties, Kuina was geared toward battle.
There might be monsters stronger than her but the chances of them appearing were probably low.
There was no one I would entrust my safety more than I do with Kuina.
”You have to promise me one thing though. Unless I say so, don't attack…except when an attack is capable of killing me.”
”Okay!”
Like that, we left our home.
Along the way, we joined with Wight who was at the inn.
I had much need for his negotiation skills.
”Wight, I ask that you support me in the negotiations.”
”Though my skills might not be much, I will do everything I can to be of help, my lord.”
It was reassuring to have him around.
Taking the opportunity, I told him something I had in mind.
”To tell the truth, I was thinking of naming you but with our present circumstances, I can't afford to lose the use of [Creation]. So, sorry but wait a bit longer.”
Originally, I was supposed to give him a name after the last war but decided to postpone it.
Unlike the naming for a [Monster of the Covenant] where the souls of the Demon Lord and a monster were joined to improve the both of them, regular naming gave magic power beyond what the Demon Lord had to the monster and thus enhancing that monster. The drawback to this process was harsh: the inability of the Demon Lord to recover his magic power for half a month, essentially weakening him.
For that reason, naming shouldn't be done when a potential enemy was right on the horizon.
If I were to name Wight now, the chances of me getting killed would increase drastically. And, without [Creation], Avalon's growth and our acquisition of fighting force would slow down.
”Just hearing you say that fills me with joy. I'll wait for it at the end of this difficulty, then. Also, if possible, can you give me a stylish name, my lord?”
Wight smiled and I smiled back.
”Yeah, I promise. A name fitting for you who became a dragonewt. So for that to happen, we must deal with this troublesome ordeal as soon as possible.”
”Yes. Since these inferior beings don't even know they're trash, it's all the more troubling.”
To that, Kuina nodded.
I only gave a wry smile and continued to head to the central plaza with the two of them.
◇
What awaited for us there were as much as 20 human soldiers repeatedly questioning and shouting at the Mythological Foxes.
Apparently, the soldiers were told to wait while the leader of the city was being notified but got impatient and angry, shouting how long are you going to make us wait.
The scene of the Mythological Foxes being surrounded by these robust men was quite bizarre. If they were ordinary girls, they would have been frightened by these men already. Instead though, the Mythological Foxes seemed rather bored, trying their best to stifle a yawn.
Seeing the delegates like that, I revised my plan.
If there were any official among them that could be reasoned with, I would have negotiated with them in a somewhat intellectual manner but seeing as these soldiers were so focused on intimidating the girls, I decided to negotiate instead from a lower standpoint and flatter them.
”Oto-san, they're strange. They're scum but they're talking to the Mythological Foxes as if they're better than those girls. Do they wanna die?”
”It's simple, really. They're so weak they don't even know how different they are from the girls.”
Generally, only upon belonging to the very top rank of adventurers could humans face B rank monsters in an even fight, and only by becoming as strong as heroes and champions could they finally be able to fight A rank monsters.
Meanwhile, high-ranking adventurers could fight, at the most, C rank monsters. As for the majority of adventurers, D rank monsters were their limit.
These soldiers were only as strong as high-ranking adventurers so of course the Mythological Foxes weren't strained.
Moreover, other than the Mythological Foxes, Mithril Golems which were as strong as B rank monsters were also posted to prevent thievery. Plus, upon hearing the uproar, Rorono and her disciples, the Dwarf Smiths, also came.
Plainly speaking, even if there were a hundred of these soldiers, it wouldn't have been an issue at all.
”Let's go. I feel sorry for those Mythological Foxes.”
The Mythological Foxes were still putting on a smile but I could feel their irritation leaking out. If left alone, something unwanted was bound to happen.
As I thought such, young male adventurers appeared in front of the Mythological Foxes—as though to shield them—and shouted at the soldiers.
At the sight of that, I unintentionally smiled.
These men were adventurers who used Avalon as their base for going into the [Time] Demon Lord's dungeon.
They probably protected the Mythological Foxes because they were infatuated by the girls' beauty. In spite of this ulterior motive, challenging the soldiers fully garbed in armor took a fair amount of guts.
”Before I knew it, the humans have grown attached to our city.”
At first, the humans had some wariness toward my monsters but was now completely familiar with them.
As for my monsters, they still looked down on the humans but they were, to some extent, getting closer with the humans. It was a good trend.
I was glad I could confirm it in a rather harmless situation like this.
And so, I smiled to myself and walked forward.
”I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Am I correct in assuming you gentlemen are the delegation that came from the neighboring city of Eclaba?”
I put on a face as gentle as I could muster and then looked at the Mythological Foxes, indicating that they do the same and remove any hostility they had.
And so, we humbled and deprecated ourselves.
Our goal this time was to buy time. To achieve this, we intended to charm the envoys into thinking we had no will to resist and then make them go for another visit because we could not come to a definite answer to their proposal.
”And you are?”
Each member of the delegation looked in my direction all at once. Some even placed a hand on the sword at their waist.
”I am the head of this city. I am named Procell.”
A middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader drew near me and then looked at me with suspecting eyes.
”You, the representative of this settlement? Even when you're but a kid?”
Instead of referring to Avalon as a city, he regarded it as nothing but a settlement. This notion probably extended to all of them.
To them we were but a savage tribe in a savage land that needed to be managed by them.
”Yes, that is so. We have prepared a proper welcome for you; please follow me this way.”
”Hmm, you said Procell, right? Do you have a family name?”
”No, I don't. I am simply Procell.”