Side: Aslin
Onii-chan is amazing.
Everything about him is amazing!!
Today, we went to meet the King of a place called the Jilva Empire on this new continent.
Normally, there's no way we'd be able to meet someone like that,Then the king actually came out like it was normal. We even had a proper conversation. but Onii-chan just marched straight into the castle!
And then, the King actually came out. We even had a proper talk with him.
When Onii-chan told him that it was troublesome and that he should take proper care of his subordinates, the King nodded.
He was a King who actually listened to what people had to say. He was a little scary, though. He felt completely different from Seraria-oneechan's father.
So, after listening to Onii-chan, the King is going to gather the important people among his subordinates for a meeting. Apparently deciding everything alone causes various problems, so it will take some time. We'll be staying in the castle for the planned three days until the talks are over.
"Booring~"
"Agreed~"
"...Well, even if we're staying in the castle, causing trouble by wandering around carelessly would be bad. You don't want to make Yuki worry, do you?"
""Nope!""
It's the night of the first day.
That said, after eating the dinner served to us—which didn't really taste all that good—we've just been relaxing in our room.
Since it's my first time in a castle, I really want to look around and explore, but I definitely won't do anything like that because it would cause trouble for Onii-chan.
"That's true. How about tomorrow we ask Yuki-san for permission to look around the castle?"
"Really, Shella-chan?"
"Yes. It's your first time in a castle, after all. Personally, it won't be much different from what I'm used to, which is a little disappointing, but for you two it should be a valuable experience."
"...That's true. If you ask, Yuki will definitely give permission."
""Yay!""
We did it!
If Sheila-chan and Labyris-chan talk to him, we'll get to go on a tour.
"To be honest, I think you'll end up disappointed. Normally, people would be amazed by how developed Weed is..."
"I think it's fine. Like Shella said, it's Aslin and Filia's first time. It'll be fun. Though the differences between this place and Weed are so extreme that the novelty probably won't last long. There aren't even toilets or baths."
"Ah, come to think of it, we won't be having a bath today. Even though these are just Doppel bodies, I still prefer to keep myself clean and presentable..."
"Then leave the Doppel and go enjoy the open-air bath back home to your heart's content."
"That's probably the only option..."
For some reason, the two of them look a little disappointed. I wonder why?
"Well then, Aslin, what is it that you want to go see?"
"Hmm, hmmm, let's see... I want to see the gardens! I bet they're super pretty."
"Oh, I am certain they are. As for me, I want to see the weapons and armor kept in the castle."
"Filia-chan sure is always so dedicated to blacksmithing~"
"Yes! Unlike Aslin, I am not particularly good at cooking, so I am going to help Anii-sama through my blacksmithing!!"
"I'm sure you're going to become an absolutely amazing blacksmith, Filia-chan."
After all, she's always helping out with the forging and making our gear, so I honestly think she might end up becoming just as incredible as Narjia-san in the future.
"Fwaaah..."
"Funyu... I'm getting really sleepy now."
"Fufu, it looks like you two played a bit too hard today."
Just like Labyris-chan said, we got a bit too excited today because it's our first time in a castle.
So sleepy...
"Yuki also said to take it easy, so let's go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll explore the castle a lot."
""Okay~""
With that, the two of us crawled under the covers of our very first bed.
Until now, we've always used futons, and back when we were slaves, we used to sleep right on the floor.
"It's not as fluffy and soft as a futon..."
"You'll have to endure it."
"Yes. Outside of Weed, most places are generally like this. This is actually considered a luxury item here, but it really is a pity when you compare it to home."
""Uuu...""
The two of us whine a little bit, but we don't actually mean it.
We would never do anything to trouble Onii-chan.
This is just the kind of casual banter we can only do because we're with Labyris-chan and Sheila-chan.
"Alright, time to sleep."
"Yes. We'll be sleeping here too, so bear with it."
""Okay~""
The four of us shared the large bed together.
"It feels just like always..."
"Sure does..."
Ah, all of a sudden, I'm feeling incredibly sleep—
* * *
Side: Labyris
"Looks like they've fallen asleep."
I heard Sheila's voice.
She and I were sleeping on either side, with Aslin and Filia between us.
"Yes. It's an unfamiliar place, so they must have been exhausted."
If the doppels are sleeping soundly, that means their real bodies are already fast asleep too.
The originals didn't eat dinner, so they'll need to make sure to eat properly tomorrow.
"Indeed, the two of them do not seem accustomed to this. But what about you, Labyris? Have you had similar experiences before?"
"Mm, I'm not sure."
"I understand. If you wish to put it that way, then so be it. But putting that aside, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"The three-day time limit that Yuki-san imposed today."
"Ah, that."
Yuki had established a strict three-day deadline for the people of the Jilva Empire.
I haven't heard his exact reasoning for it just yet, but
"As expected, three days is simply too short. If it were like Weed, where all nations are interconnected via Gates, that would be one thing, but transport on this continent is fundamentally reliant on horses. The commanders of the legions currently out on expeditions must also hold crucial administrative positions within the Jilva Empire. Forcing them to deliver a conclusion without even providing the time to recall those individuals is practically bound to cause issues later on. There is no way Yuki-san is unaware of this, and yet..."
"You're right. Three days isn't nearly enough time to handle everything. Even if they manage it this time, the next time we come to this castle, we'll probably be treated as nuisances—or even have swords pointed at us."
"Yes. People who oppose the decision and act independently are practically guaranteed to appear."
"Exactly. But tell me, Shella. Even if they had one week... one month... or even a year... would all opposition disappear?"
"That... would be impossible. This time, it was quite unlike Yuki-san's usual approach; it was a completely straightforward, frontal assault. Normally, by the time anyone even notices his involvement, everything has already been completely settled. It was the same during our time, during the Demon King subjugation, and every other instance..."
"...I think this is all part of his setup. You know that carrying the burden of ruling a nation is nothing but a headache for Yuki, right?"
"Yes. From Yuki-san's perspective, nations are merely pawns, and managing the direct administration of one himself would be nothing short of foolish. Even Weed, which could be called his home base, is primarily a place to gather DP. He has entrusted almost all actual management to us and the residents."
"Exactly. I've only managed to catch the faintest glimpses into Yuki's mind, but this current situation is almost certainly intentional. And that includes the three-day deadline."
"Intentional?"
"I found it quite strange that he brought us along in the first place. If the goal was simply to demonstrate absolute power, force submission, or engage in a mutual negotiation, he would normally need to ensure the other party harbored somewhat favorable feelings toward him, right?"
"Naturally."
"And yet he brought children like us, and demi-humans like Tori and the others—people this country openly dislikes."
"So his goal from the beginning was to use force?"
"No. He probably intends to use us as bait to completely seize their weaknesses."
"Seize their weaknesses...?"
"Yes. Thoroughly enough that they won't be able to say a word. Anyway, let's stop talking and sleep."
"Ah, right. If what Labyris said is true, there will probably be some commotion tomorrow."
With those thoughts, we both closed our eyes.
Even as my consciousness faded, I was looking forward to what exactly Yuki was planning to do.
