Side: Ellis

This is a story from earlier. The story with him at the time of the festival.

* * * 

"Fumufumu, well then, I'd like you to send a guard over here... Yes, bring a person instead of a monster."

Tori, Riel, and the other members of the security department are on the call while checking the documents at hand.

At this time, all the representatives are busy at the festival.

"Eh? A problem in the inn for nobles? Call Naruja-san to handle that... She's currently a tour guide in the blacksmith district? Can't other personnel deal with it? ...You want me to send over another representative?"

Really, the festival has four days, and this is the third day.

There aren't any major problems so far, but there are tons of small ones.

I put the documents on the table and took a glance at Lutz, who is working sideways.

"Yes? Another thief and it's in the 4th store? ...I see, then there seems to be no problem... Nn? There's another person complaining because the ice cream is out of stock? What type of flavor? ...Okay, please keep the documents together then send them at the 2nd and 3rd store. I will talk to them from here, but if they did not come in 2 hours, then skip the contact directly—" (Lutz)

It looks like they're busier than me.

It can't be helped, so I stopped the call, then cautiously hit the table with a pen.

The sound made Lutz's gaze turn towards me.

[There's a trouble in the inn for nobles. They want a representative to deal with it, so allow me to go.]

I show to Lutz what I wrote on a piece of paper.

Lutz sees it then nods with an "okay" hand gesture.

After confirming that, I left the office.

"—Um, Representative Ellis." (???)

"Is something the matter?"

As I walk down the hallway, a subordinate from the accounting department speaks to me.

She is of the same elf race as me and one of the refugees who migrated here from Lithea.

She left the elf village and became an adventurer, but she was injured and couldn't make any money nor return to the village, so she lived as a refugee in Lithea.

I heard that she didn't become a sl*ve. It seems the refugees there were from various races, who solidified and defended themselves to prevent that. Therefore, unexpectedly, there were many non-human races among the 10,000 refugees.

Oops, the story went away.

Among them was an elf named Tiffany who joined the accounting department. A woman younger than me.

She joined accounting with basic arithmetic knowledge, while also studying and still improving. With such skills, I was wondering why she was unemployed before and was a refugee from Lithea.

According to Yuki-san, Lithea has only few places that employ refugees, so only few of them have the opportunity to get employed.

It seems Tiffany, who had no connections, could not be accepted.

"Among the list of expenses used for this festival, one of them is unknown."

"Unknown?"

"Yes. It's under the name of Chief of Staff Yuki but... there are no details provided such as what, where, or when it is. The rest of the information was blank."

"Do you have the documents?"

"Yes, it's here."

She immediately showed the documents.

Un, as expected. Tiffany is excellent after all.

"I'm sorry. I have to go to the inn for nobles now. Instead, please pass the documents to Lutz for now. I'll try to ask Yuki-san about this matter later."

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry for interrupting." 

For the time being, I checked the problem on my notes with a red pen.

Then, I continued walking. For the time being, I'll settle the problems at the inn.

My destination was the inn located in the commercial district.

It's easy to go there instantly if I use the ring in such cases, but we were told not to use it often when there's proper transportation. Yuki-san said that the ring is not a representative's privilege, but to use it as a wife's privilege.

In other words, don't use it for work as a representative. However, if we are in danger, we can use it to our heart's content... Un, that makes me happy.

With that in mind, I went through the commercial district, the center of festivities, then arrived at the inn for nobles.

"Ahh, Representative Ellis..."

"Sorry, I made you wait. So what's the problem?"

"Yes, about that..."

That's when I tried to have a conversation at the front desk to hear the story—

"—Are you a representative?"

A nobleman was walking toward us.

"Yes, I'm Representative Ellis. How can I help you?"

"Fumu..."

The nobleman turned his gaze to my chest area, then to my lower abdomen. He's like licking me from top to bottom.

"How is it? Won't you become my concubine? And I want you to establish a connection for me, here."

"I don't understand what that means but, how is that going to benefit me?"

"Although it's not on the level of becoming a noble, becoming my concubine guarantees a decent life. Commoners do not represent in a disorderly manner like here."

I was quite irritated by his words.

It was my wish to be here. I would like you to stop thinking that becoming an aristocrat is everything.

"Haaa... Allow me to refuse. I'm married. Also, do you think there's a better life than here? In addition, the law stated here at the beginning, that such a shady negotiation is subject to a penalty."

"Well, it doesn't matter if you're married or not. You don't want to bother your husband, do you? I hope I won't lose my job tomorrow or something. Oops, this is not a negotiation, okay? I'm just worried about that."

The employees around me stiffened.

This nobleman doesn't know who my husband really is. I already warned him from the beginning, but he still doesn't get it.

"Ah? Do you understand what you are talking about?"

"Oya, you still didn't understand? If you become my concubine and voluntarily connect me to Weed, then the problems here will be resolved."

The other nobles on the tour are looking here with pale faces, sensing that there will be an upcoming disaster. Some of them already give instructions to their subordinates. I'm planning to reach out to other representatives as well.

Yuki-san made us his wife for this kind of situation.

I feel grateful.

"I understand."

"I'm glad. Then if you give me a service once in the room—"

"—I don't need dirty things from a b*stard like you. My body and soul only belong to my husband. I will report this incident to my husband and other wives, to give you a strict punishment."

"Wha? Is that okay? Whatever happens to your husband?!"

"If you can, then go ahead. Seraria-sama's husband, Yuki-sama, is also my husband. Please do your best, and good luck."

"Ha?"

You've got some nerve picking a fight with the husband of a queen. Well, actually, you're picking a fight with the queen herself too.

After that, there was a nobleman who desperately bowed to me and begged to let this matter be swept under the rug.

I didn't report this incident, because it's just another threat. Moreover, Seraria would drop this man's neck if I reported it at once.

But now that other nobles witnessed this humiliation, it’s clearly a weakness they’ll have to reckon with in the upcoming negotiations.

* * *

Now that the problem with the inn for nobles was cleared up, I looked through the documents that Tiffany submitted to me.

The problem is, certainly, there's a considerable amount of money invested in this...

However, there are no document reports regarding this.

There are no documents such as loan applications or food orders. Not even an amount for one event attached anywhere. None at all.

Did Yuki-san manage this sloppily?

Nn... Something is really suspicious.

They're not going to use Yuki-san's name to illegally spend or save money, right?

"...Oh, but it says that the church received this money."

It is the church of Lilith-sama located here in Weed, where Lithea is enshrined.

It's getting more and more suspicious.

If the church commits injustice under the strict rule of Arshtel-sama, the members will definitely be physically decapitated. Moreover, if they try to wind up the money elsewhere, it is already a big problem.

"Un. Rather than asking Yuki-san. If I don't go to the church quickly, the money will disappear..."

I'm worried about how much money is left, but the biggest problem is giving them the time to destroy the evidence.

It's very troublesome to investigate it, since I don't know who did it. But I can settle this by myself. There are only a few people who are stronger than me in Weed, after all.

* * *

I managed to sneak inside the church, but what I saw there is...

"How is it going? Will we make it in time?" (???)

"Yes, please leave it to me. It's totally OK desu yo." (???)

Yuki-san is here, having a pleasant conversation with the lord of the church... Lilith-sama.

"....Eh!? What!? A-An affair?!" (Ellis)