Chapter 300: How much for Useless Sword? (1/2)

My decision didn’t sway one bit.

The next day at breakfast, Tomoe was wild in joy for the cooked white rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and side dishes making up a japanese meal, and after eating that with everyone, I was facing Iroha-chan alone.

…Mio was sticking to me a whole lot, but I somehow managed to be alone with her.

Mio hasn’t had the chance to cook lately, so I should think about a way to let her enjoy her time, too.

Anyways, I told Iroha-chan about what the Kuzunoha Company can do for her.

It may look like I am saying something cool, but it is basically getting the approval of the Empress, Sairitz-san, beforehand, and then have Haruka-san go in hiding in Tsige living in a way that won’t be tied down to her family. That’s the choice I can prepare for her.

At this rate, Iroha-chan will without doubt be used by the Osakabe household as they want.

I don’t know if it will be as the head of the family, or as a move in the political strife of Lorel though.

A girl that doesn’t seem like she is even out of middle school is being forced to kill her own mother with her own hands, and then be used around at the convenience of the adults.

That’s way too unreasonable.

Even that might have been pity that Haruka-san instilled in me at that tatami room prison.

How scary.

Well, even if I am thinking about a variety of things now, in the end, I am still me.

Vivi-san, Tomoe, and the others seem to be worrying about me too.

But…

Iroha-chan smiled from the bottom of her heart at my proposal, and rejected it.

“No, Raidou-dono. After meeting you, being saved by you, and passing my days together with you, I once again learned the meaning of my life. It is true that the imposition might crush me, it may be a heavy destiny, but I myself chose the place to offer my body and future. Thus, this is not my duty, but the future I wish for… I have truly been in your care in this matter. I -Iroha- will never forget this debt of gratitude.” (Iroha)

Lowering herself and placing three fingers of both hands on the ground, the young girl lowers her head deeply.

No, this girl is the same as me, or even more mature than me.

No, maybe it is more accurate to say that she has become an adult?

The unreliableness that I saw in her the first time I met her…has somewhat left her.

I kind of feel that way.

“Is that so.” (Makoto)

“Yes.” (Iroha)

I ended up giving her a foolish proposal that would only make me feel better.

While holding a bit of shame in my heart, I nodded lightly to her words.

And then, what returned was a good and clear response.

She got me there.

“You have Izumo with you too, Iroha-chan. That’s why you can do your best, huh!” (Makoto)

A girl in love is strong.

I once again reconfirm the validity of these words that I often hear.

It is without doubt one of the causes after all.

“Feh?! Uhm…Y-Yes…” (Iroha)

What’s with that ‘uhm’.

She returned to the Iroha-chan that I know well.

“We had no choice but to hand over Ein-Khalif. That pushy part might fit as a head of the family, fufufu.” (Makoto)

That night, Ein-Khalif went to Iroha-chan instead of the Kuzunoha Company in a big gamble not knowing if it would go well or not.

He ate her self-defense sword, Hotarumaru, and made a pact with her.

Even if I were to bring it along with us, he would have simply been thrown into a random storage, and might not have seen the light of the day ever again.

Regardless of whether you tell me that you finally managed to go out from the dwarf village…

No matter if it were in my hands, it probably would have ended the same, and just thinking about it made me have no choice but to listen to what Iroha-chan said with a bitter smile.

Hotarumaru, huh.

Being able to heal the blade over time…there’s no way that’s the case, right? Moreover, it has already been eaten and doesn’t exist anymore.

Just thinking about it makes my stomach hurt.

“I-I’m sorry. At that time everything was so hectic, and I was desperate.” (Iroha)

“You must have been. I am not really blaming you. You managed to survive. That’s what’s most important.” (Makoto)

“Yes…” (Iroha)

Survive.

That word seems to have brought up complicated emotions from Iroha-chan.

For some reason, Iroha-chan is still staying at our lodging, but right now her household is in a big pandemonium.

Moreover, her mother is to be executed, and she is the one doing it.

However from what I heard before, Iroha-chan is not here because she wants to escape this, but the result of some sort of decision.

Then, this isn’t something I should butt myself into.

“Aah, right, it has been mayhem since arriving at Kannaoi, but did you read the documents I gave you before?” (Makoto)

“! Yes. The many villages that we stopped by on our way to Kannaoi. The difference between what I have heard and confirmed, with the actual state of affairs confirmed by Raidou-sama and the others… It was a truly mind-opening experience.” (Iroha)

The topic changing was something that Iroha-chan was grateful for. Her body tilted slightly forward.

“What I gave to you may not be the truth, you know?” (Makoto)

“Eh?” (Iroha)

“Just kidding. I won’t teach you in such a way this time around.” (Makoto)

“…”

“But you know, at times you will have to doubt the things that you have heard. That’s why, assess the people you can trust, people you can rely on. Or maybe raise people like that. It is truly an important thing -for the Iroha-chan from now on.” (Makoto)

No matter how beautiful of a front the hyuman society…no, the society as a whole creates, it is not assured that that’s exactly how it is.

There will always be an other side to the system, people that will create one. There will always be people who will go the outlaw path.

If it is on the level of a city in a country, it will always be the case.

“…I will keep that in mind.” (Iroha)

“It is not like the villagers or the village chiefs lied because they wanted to. They must have simply wanted to keep an insurance so that even if they get taxed heavily, they will still be able to face the next year.” (Makoto)

“Meaning that the feudal lord is not being trusted?” (Iroha)

“It is a bit different. Of course, if it were a widely-known wise ruler, and the tax were to be exactly as stipulated, they might have spoken a bit more truthfully. But even with that, I don’t think they would have revealed the exact numbers of the village.” (Makoto)

“Why-na no desu?” (Iroha)

“They have their own rules after all. You could even call it their lifestyle. Even if their harvest is a 10, telling the government and officials that it was an 8 is one of their ways of survival.” (Makoto)

In reality, the suspicion of the village was quite strong.

What Iroha-chan was told compared to their actual harvest and what they had stored for emergencies was quite different. They only reported 60% of it.

That has a lot to do with the relationship between Kannaoi and the villages until now.

It is not to the point that the Ministry of Justice itself is being hated, but the impression they have of the government officials at the end isn’t that good.

They have been taking quite a lot of bribes.

Until there’s some drastic reformations, there will never be a day when they report a 10.

I think that even an 8 would be on the good side.

“A survival strategy, you say.” (Iroha)

“It means that no matter how great of a big shot, inspecting strictly the villages to the point of stripping them down would be going too far. If the ones in control have a grasp of at least the amount of people, I think there can be a variety of ways to do things.” (Makoto)

Feelings and law are things that are difficult to draw a line to.

The words ‘it is important to seek the correct and the optimum’ are just kind of escapism.

“The incident this time will make Kannaoi busy for a while. Even so, the protection and teamwork with the neighboring villages will become of utmost importance for the future of the city.” (Iroha)

“Yeah.” (Makoto)

She really is one level-headed girl.

“But the villages had their respective problems, and their personalities and their form of relationship with the capital differed. I am by no means a chosen genius-desu. I definitely cannot answer everything correctly.” (Iroha)

“…”

Iroha-chan and Haruka-san have a difference in their very aptitudes to begin with.

There’s no need to put yourself down.

You are thinking by yourself plenty well.

“I don’t have the strength and charisma of my mother. That’s why I will do this slowly.” (Iroha)

Iroha-chan overlaps herself to the image of her mother as she said this strongly.

“Yeah.” (Makoto)

“Slowly. By the time I die, I would like it if the people can come and go from the villages to the capital without any worries, and are able to report an 80% of their harvest.” (Iroha)

“That’s a great goal.” (Makoto)

“Raidou-sama.” (Iroha)

Iroha-chan was looking at me with the same eyes gazing far away that Rembrandt-san sometimes shows.

“What?” (Makoto)

“I will offer my body to Kannaoi and Lorel… Together with Izumo-sama.” (Iroha)

“Yeah, I heard your resolve just a few moments ago.” (Makoto)

One that would be hard to believe came from a young girl.

“Actually, at that night, I announced it to the Ministry of Justice house. That I would accept all the decisions of the household.” (Iroha)

…

“The marriage with Izumo-sama is most likely already settled, so there was a bit of self-interest there. But I told them. No matter what it is, I would accept everything.” (Iroha)

Heavy. That’s too heavy.

An unpleasant feeling like the one when I met Haruka-san, as if my chest and throat were being held.

“…Ah!” (Iroha)

“Heh?” (Makoto)

“I am sorry! I didn’t intend to have you make such a painful face! I was trying to say that I would do my best in the things that will be decided from now on, so until that happens, let me be free, which is the selfish thing I wanted to spit out to throw all the job onto them. It was supposed to be a funny talk.” (Iroha)

Iroha-chan saw my face cloud a bit and hurriedly corrected herself.

But even if that’s really the meaning of it…those words of hers will by no means be a joke.

“…No no, if it is about funny talk, the bunny Iroha-chan would be most destructive.” (Makoto)

This girl can do pretty crazy stuff with just the word of Tomoe.

“Fuoo! T-That’s, I was swallowed by the atmosphere…” (Iroha)

We didn’t make her drink a single drop of alcohol, okay?

“But…” (Makoto)

“?”

“Even though it is a situation like this, you are being considerate to the feelings of a mere merchant like me. As expected of the Princess of the Ministry of Justice household!” (Makoto)

“Raidou-sama?” (Iroha)

“Iroha-hime.” (Makoto)

“Y-Yes?” (Iroha)

“Is there anything that this princess wants me to do?” (Makoto)

‘I am free’.

‘That’s why I came here’.