Chapter 206: A transient peace (1/2)

Chapter 206: A transient peace

“To think that Raidou-dono was someone that had come from another world, I wouldn’t have expected it. A hero would be one thing, but for a merchant to be summoned is something I wouldn’t have been able to imagine.”

A talk with prince Joshua.

In this place where no other noble is present, I was here alone with her.

What was reflected in my eyes when I was given permission to enter the room, was the figure of prince Joshua in a simple dress.

After finishing our remembrance talk about Rotsgard, prince Joshua suddenly brought out such a conversation.

“?!”

“I heard it from Hibiki. You are a resident from the same world of Hibiki, and also an acquaintance of hers. Of course, this is only known by me and his Majesty. We haven’t even told the Hopelace household that was together with us in Rotsgard.” (Joshua)

Information from Hibiki-senpai huh.

Then it wouldn’t be strange for Joshua to know.

But for her to talk about such information as well, it seems like there’s proper trust between her and the Limia royal family.

Because the nobles go to the frontlines frequently, and there’s also the background that the power of the nobles is strong, I had some strange thoughts of it, but it seems like it ended with just being thoughts.

It was the type that would be better if it ended in needless anxiety, so I am relieved.

“From Senpai, I see. Ah it is certainly true that Senpai and I were from the same world. I don’t know how to explain it, so it is a personal history that I haven’t spoke of much though.” (Makoto)

“…Must be. Special cases like Hibiki and the personage in the Empire have their background assured by our God, but Raidou-dono was a sudden happening huh. When I heard the story from Hibiki, I was surprised, and at the same time, I felt respect towards you who became a merchant even after that.” (Joshua)

“It is not as much as you say.” (Makoto)

It was just that my misfortune turned into fortune.

The truth is that there’s not much I have achieved myself.

After saying a relative amount of details that Senpai told her of me, I could tell that prince Joshua doesn’t know much.

If I were to speak with Hibiki in detail, it would be necessary to explain that the root reason of coming here was because of me and the Misumi household.

Be it Senpai or Tomoki, they originally shouldn’t have had a trigger to be related to this world.

And yet, because of me, they were forcefully selected by the Goddess.

Even if it’s the result from a selection, those two are totally victims.

In the first place, a decision like abandoning your world isn’t something that can be decided in a short amount of time.

I decided to do so because of my own circumstances, and yet, I am regretting it even now.

That’s why it is not a certainty if those two would have changed their answers now.

I do think that one day I have to properly apologize to Senpai and Tomoki, but how am I going to break it? The time where I am just brooding over it continues.

Because of the matter of Tomoe, it is even harder to talk with Tomoki about it after all.

It is still easier to tell Senpai, but…hah…

There’s that matter and I know it is difficult, but if possible, I don’t want to oppose them.

It is something that Tsukuyomi-sama asked of me, even if it was only moderately.

How vexing.

“At the same time, it allowed me to comprehend that power of yours. When Hibiki came to this world, she had the ability to fight with the leader of the knight division. She said she studied in Nakatsuhara and had learned about a variety of subjects; her knowledge and wisdom was quite the thing as well. In that case, you who have studied in the same place as her, beginning a business when coming to this world isn’t such a strange thing.” (Joshua)

I feel like she is having an incredible misunderstanding.

It is beginning to sound as if high school is an incredible place.

Also, it would be very troublesome to talk with Senpai as the standard.

I am one year younger than her, and if asked if I can become like Senpai, I would have to say I can’t.

Even if I were to try for my whole life, I think it would be impossible.

In the first place, for a high schooler to begin a business is something obvious? Just what’s Senpai?

“Hibiki-senpai was a special and exemplary person even within the people in our world. I am way inferior compared to her. And when talking about the business, it would be one thing to finish the test of the guild, but in practice, I am being hindered by my own inexperience, and there are a lot of things that don’t go well for me, that’s why, I don’t have the ability that Joshua-sama thinks I have.” (Makoto)

“Hibiki evaluated you pretty high, you know? She even said that there’s no one as reliable to have at one’s side than you, and that surprised his Majesty. I have heard that there’s the need to study a long time before being able to do the Merchant Guild test. And yet, you were able to call the test ‘one thing’, that must mean that even if Raidou-dono himself doesn’t notice, you are an exemplary person.” (Joshua)

…I think that the gaze of Hibiki was directed at Mio and Beren when she said that.

I don’t think she has noticed that it was us in Limia, and she doesn’t know that I was the one who defeated the purple cloud either, so I can’t think of a reason as to why she would evaluate me so highly.

Even if it’s Senpai, she shouldn’t have the foundations to evaluate me that high.

I am aware that I am incredibly blessed in talented people after all.

“Ahaha, when you say it like that it scares me. Right, speaking of surprise, your Joshua-sama’s attire has surprised me. As expected, when you are indoors, you dress normally huh.” (Makoto)

“…No, even when I am indoors, I normally don’t dress this way. It’s been awhile since I have released myself from crossdressing.” (Joshua)

“Ah, is that so.” (Makoto)

“Right now this room is being paid attention to in a lot of ways, so there’s the point that there’s no worries of the inside being peeked, and the guest that I was receiving is you, which serves as a big reason.” (Joshua)

“Is it because I already know of the circumstances?” (Makoto)

“Yeah. It would have been fine if that was only a hobby of mine, but…” (Joshua)

“As I thought, that’s not the case.” (Makoto)

“Me crossdressing is not something that I do because I like to. For me, it is nothing but a mean. It is something that if necessary, I won’t hesitate in doing, but if there’s no need to, I would prefer not doing it.” (Joshua)

“A mean… It sounds complicated.” (Makoto)

Even so, I don’t want to stick my nose in that, so I decided to just leave a vague response.

Whether the crossdressing is a hobby or a mean, I don’t have much interest in it.

If this will only steer unnecessary trouble, I would prefer to change the topic.

Well, I was trying to avert from the topic of Japan, and in the end, I ended up in a conversation that doesn’t have a good air, so my thinking was the shallow one.

Let’s be careful…at least.

“In terms of feeling at home, this way feels more comfortable. And that’s why a part of me has used you in order to be dressed in this way. Please forgive me.” (Joshua)

“No no, if it is only for this much, you can freely use me. Ehm, the normal gallant prince Joshua is lovely, but I think that the relaxed Joshua-sama is also beautiful.” (Makoto)

I go for a compliment.

In Limia, there’s a lot of moments when compliments are necessary, so I have been taught a few of what they said I should remember, and I have now used some.

In the talk with the nobles, it was a barrage of questions, so I didn’t have much chances to use it.

Prince Joshua in his female appearance won’t be that noisy about it, so it is the perfect person to use them.

“Use those kind of compliments when you are at parties, or nobles that boast their wife. It is necessary for you to first learn how to say it in a more natural manner though. Ehm, in other words, it is out of the question.” (Joshua)

So she has said ‘ehm’ huh.

That’s bad.

“Ah, sorry. I am just not used to say that. Because you are an acquaintance, I ended up trying it.” (Makoto)

“…I am still this country’s prince, you know?” (Joshua)

A slight silence is created with prince Joshua making a complicated expression.

“You are in that appearance, so I thought that maybe it is fine to not mind about social status at this moment.” (Makoto)

Since she is not meeting me as a prince, that means this matter is not about the country after all.

“It doesn’t seem to be enough, but you do have a relative amount of ability to make plans, so what’s needed is to pay attention to the other party’s feelings as well.” (Joshua)

“Ugh, that’s a harsh evaluation.” (Makoto)

It was kinda soft, but I feel like she was basically telling me I was showing my uselessness.

“And it seems like Raidou-dono doesn’t understand completely the reason why I am dressed this way. Hibiki is good at reading this kind of things, so I was unconsciously expecting that of you.” (Joshua)

The reason she is dressed this way?

The security of this room is reliable, and since I already know her circumstances, I thought she just wanted to relax.

Prince Joshua herself said so.

Prince Joshua waited for my words for a while, and after letting out a short troubled sigh, she looked at my eyes.

“Raidou-dono, you have learned of my secret.” (Joshua)

“Y-Yes.” (Makoto)

“And then, I asked you to keep it a secret and returned to my country.” (Joshua)

“Yeah.” (Makoto)

“…”

“…”

What’s happening?

Confirming the obvious, we once again fell into silence.

It is certainly true that I learned of prince Joshua being a woman, and after being asked to keep it a secret, we have met again like this in Limia, but…

What about it?

“…Hibiki told me that Raidou-dono is not someone that would plan a conspiracy, but I see, she referred to this huh. I now understand why when she was talking about Kuzunoha Company, she corrected herself and spoke of Raidou-dono himself.” (Joshua)

“E-Ehm…” (Makoto)

“At that time, I was unable to give any clear collateral to Raidou-dono, and didn’t even give anything like a deposit; the only thing I did was say some vague things. Then, how do you think I thought of Raidou-dono?” (Joshua)

“That you wanted to quickly present a collateral and be done with it, maybe?” (Makoto)

“No.” (Joshua)

“The capital was made a mess and it was no time for this, maybe?” (Makoto)

“No. That’s something that deviates from the preamble of ‘what I thought of Raidou-dono’.” (Joshua)

That’s true.

But, something that prince Joshua thought of me.

It isn’t a collateral.

Even so, there hasn’t been so many thought transmissions lately.

I thought that maybe it was because the reconstruction was hard work.

When I met with Hibiki-senpai before, she didn’t say anything about it though.

Hm…then what would she think?

If it were me, regarding a faraway person that has learned of something that’s bad to be known and have only done some simple secret keeping….

…I would definitely be uneasy.

Depending on the situation, I probably would want to eliminate that person as fast as possible.

But there wasn’t a single assassin from Limia.

Then, investigate?

To learn if that person has told anyone else about it.

There weren’t reports of that either though.

If it’s not this, I am out of ideas.

“Then, you were uneasy, so you wanted to know of the person’s movements?” (Makoto)

“That’s right. And from what I could tell, you haven’t disclosed my secret. You haven’t used it as a figurative talk either.” (Joshua)

So she was really checking us huh.

What method did she use?

I didn’t hear anything from my guys though.

“Yeah, and in truth, I haven’t told anyone.” (Makoto)

She did tell me not to tell anyone, and something like the secret of the second prince of Limia has no way of use for me.

“That’s why I will trust you from now on. With that meaning in mind, I showed myself in this appearance.” (Joshua)

“Could it be, I was being suspected quite a lot?” (Makoto)

That’s kind of…shocking.

The royal family that has been living a sheltered life even within the hyumans, that’s something…

In the case of this person, it feels like it would be possible, but even so.

“Let me ask you back, why would I be able to trust you? A merchant that I suddenly met in Rotsgard and know nothing of his personal history.” (Joshua)

“…”

That’s certainly suspicious.

Even if I don’t have the intentions to, it is natural from the viewpoint of the other party.

“At that time, I even estimated that my ruin would be coming. To the point that I even thought about how to dispose of my body so that it won’t cause problems for his Majesty. But you didn’t seem to have disclosed it, and there were no actions towards me with the knowledge you had.” (Joshua)

Disposing of her body, she means suicide?

That’s scary.

“Like I said, I haven’t told anyone.” (Makoto)

Saying it in a slightly hard manner, I return the same response.

I didn’t even tell the people of Asora, or more like, I forgot about it.

“It is the secret of a second prince. Depending on how it is used, it is a suitable ingredient to increase your position as a merchant to one or two steps higher. To utilize it in some way is natural and logical for a merchant.” (Joshua)

“…”

Ah, so that’s why.

They did ask me things like: ‘Do you have any plans in having a business in Limia?’ or ‘Don’t you have anything you wish as an accommodation for what happened before?’.

I remember those thought transmissions I got before coming here.

‘I currently don’t have any plans of opening a store in Limia, so please don’t mind it and concentrate in the reconstruction’, is what I always answered every time it happened.

“Not only did you not utilize this secret, you didn’t even speak to the nobles, and you don’t have plans on opening a store in Limia; this, I have confirmed. Honestly, it is a hard to believe answer.” (Joshua)

“It is also because of the lack of personnel, but there’s a lot of circumstances going on in Kuzunoha Company, so we can’t increase the amount of stores that readily.” (Makoto)

To tell the truth, I have a fe~w of my people doing peddling in Limia, but it is not to the point of making a store.

I was thinking about telling them this in our stay in Limia, but in terms of a store… Ah, right.

In that case, there’s the method of revealing it to prince Joshua and have her convince the nobles so they don’t go clamouring.

“I went further into thinking that you were different from a merchant, for example; a military personnel or a person that has ties with a noble, and that increased my caution even more. But after hearing Hibiki’s story and your own talk, it seems like everything was just my own imagination going wild.” (Joshua)

“About that, there’s something that I was planning on saying in time, so I was thinking about telling Joshua-sama first.” (Makoto)

“…It feels like you just thought of it though, but well, tell me.” (Joshua)

This is something that I have been thinking on who I should tell in the time I am in Limia.

It is just that I didn’t think I would be telling this to prince Joshua at this moment.

The topic itself is not something that I thought of just now.

“In the Kuzunoha Company, there’s something like an out-of-store sales, or more like a peddling unit. There’s the fact that the unit has been doing business in a small part of the settlements in Limia, and in a small scale.” (Makoto)

“Hm… I didn’t get reports of it, but I see.” (Joshua)

“It is probably not in the direct jurisdiction of the royal family, but I have received reports that we have done several transactions specially close to the borders in the territory of nobles.” (Makoto)

“And?” (Joshua)

“I was thinking about obtaining the consent of the royal family and the nobles.” (Makoto)

“Are you asking me to help you convince them?” (Joshua)

“If needed, I will also give you the reports of the sales and pay for the taxes as well, so please.” (Makoto)

The transactions don’t deal with big amounts of gold, so even if we talk about taxes, it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Probably.

If necessary, I should investigate about the tax of Limia.

Prince Joshua makes a thinking expression for a while.

The time she was thinking was a lot shorter than the times she showed me a complex expression, and then, she returned her gaze to me.

“…If it’s that much, there’s no problem. It also depends on the amount of money, but I will manage the part of the tax. I promise.” (Joshua)

“That will help a lot.” (Makoto)

“At the reception, no, in the conversations a few moments ago, there were a lot of people wishing for Kuzunoha Company to open a store, right? There were people that didn’t say anything, but there were few who were opposed.” (Joshua)

“Ah, now that you mention it, yeah.” (Makoto)

“Even if there are people that wish for you to increase the scope of your business, there’s most likely none who would actively ostrice you. Just in case, can you tell me the settlements that you know of have been in those business of yours?” (Joshua)

Saying that, prince Joshua stands up from his seat and takes out a map of Limia kingdom from the shelf.

Just that it was quite a rough map.