Side: Yuki
In the end, we managed to break the classic "Gate rejection and duel me!" event.
But their response was surprisingly fast—someone came looking for us at the inn that very same day.
Man, come on... I thought we'd get to shut ourselves inside the inn and slack off for at least a few days.
For now, Taiki-kun and I decided to handle them.
If anyone else dealt with them, they might find some excuse to twist their words. Besides, the two of us were the main parties involved.
Anyway, the visitors—the noble ojou-sama from earlier and a little girl—walked into the inn right while we were eating dinner.
They hadn't noticed us yet.
Taking advantage of that, we had our wives and Taiki-kun’s companions escape to the rooms, and we watched the conversation with the innkeeper from a distance.
"This fried chicken is delicious. Think it's free-range chicken?"
"Who knows? It might actually be monster meat."
"No way. There aren't many monsters on this continent."
"Oh, right. If it's chicken, maybe we should ask if they'll sell us some."
"Good idea. Though the quality depends on the feed and how it's raised. We'd have to investigate that too."
"Ah, true. You're pretty knowledgeable about this. Is your family in that line of work?"
"Well, my grandfather runs a poultry farm. I've only picked things up from him. I'm no expert."
"Still impressive. Look at me—I had to rely on the internet and my past life's knowledge just to reach this point. I didn't get here purely through stuff I learned on my own like you did, Taiki-kun."
"Nah, I'm happy you're complimenting me, but even if I were put in your shoes, Yuki-san, I don't think I could pull off what you do."
"Well, expecting to be the exact same as me is impossible. We think differently, after all."
"Ah, I don't mean our personalities, I mean your results. Achieving your goals in just a few years and moving on to the next set of challenges... considering the sheer scale, it's normally impossible. You deal with a mountain of high-ranking VIPs too, right? I could never handle that."
"Well... that might just be because I was a working adult back in Japan. Negotiating with people in higher positions than me was just part of the regular job..."
"Ugh, yeah, I'd much rather take it easy in this world. At this point, going back to Japan sounds terrifying."
Whether they noticed us or not didn't really matter, so we just kept eating dinner and casually chatting.
Though, even though the old innkeeper knew exactly who we were, he didn't say a single word about us to them.
Yep, what a trustworthy, great guy.
"Please! I will pay any price you ask, so please, just tell me where they are!"
The duke's daughter bowed her head that low, yet the old guy didn't budge an inch.
Man, he's cool.
"Hey, Yuki-san. If that old guy ever gets into trouble, I'm definitely going to help him."
"Same here. Abandoning a person like that would make us failures as human beings."
"Right?"
People like him need to be cherished.
He's a truly amazing old guy for making us feel that way.
Then, the little kid standing behind the noble ojou-sama said something to make her raise her head... Hmm, I wonder what that little kid is about?
"Oh, that tiny kid started talking to the old guy."
"Yeah. Might actually be someone important."
"Is it that? A legal l*li-grandma who's actually the Headmaster of that Academy?"
"Right, right. Though, considering how young she looks, I kind of doubt it."
"Ah, if she were around Derieu-san's size, sure, but that kid is only about as big as Aslin-chan and the others. A toddler-hag?"
"What the hell is that new genre? 'l*li-grandma' is fine as is, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah, it's technically the same, but... when they're that small..."
"Ah—I get what you're trying to say. But she is the Headmaster—your guess was right."
"Whoa, did you Appraisal her? Man, your Appraisal skill is so handy, Yuki-san. Mine requires me to get pretty close to see details."
"Well, mine was granted by a god. I'll send the details over to your Call log later so you can check."
"Thanks! Ah, looks like the old guy just pointed us out to the tiny Headmaster."
"Well, she is the Headmaster. He probably owes her a favor or two. Ah, by the way, we're handling the tiny Headmaster like a completely normal kid."
"Yessir—treat her like a little kid, got it."
"Exactly. No reason to show our hand, and since she thinks her true identity hasn't been exposed yet, she might try some weird little tricks."
"...For example?"
"Let's see... if we act bossy or rude to her, she'll drop the name 'Headmaster' to accuse us of being disrespectful, turning it into a 'we're both at fault' situation. Or, if we treat her kindly like a normal child, she'll stay in her kid disguise and go, 'Please forgive the young lady~!', and if we accept, the matter ends right there. Then later she reveals her identity and claims the Headmaster officially settled it."
"...Yeah, that's straight-up fraud. So, I'll leave the negotiating to you?"
"Yup. Alright, let's just keep eating casually. Looks like the old guy is bringing the Headmaster and the noble ojou-sama over."
"Got it."
Looking somewhat reluctant, the old innkeeper led the two of them into the dining area to search for us.
The inn entrance connected directly to the dining hall, and since we usually greeted him when coming in, we had walked in normally today too—so he knew we were in the dining hall.
Actually, we did that on purpose today. We couldn't let the other party members meet the Headmaster yet, so we had separated our rooms beforehand.
While Taiki and I casually continued eating, te innkeeper finally reached us, wearing an apologetic expression.
"Sorry, you two..."
"Hmm? What's up?"
"Old man, today's food is great as always. So, what is it?"
We talked to the innkeeper like normal.
The two behind him seemed intent on staying quiet until introduced.
"Well... a customer asked me about you two. Normally it's strictly against my code to give out a guest's info, but... I owe these folks a favor..."
Ah, figures.
"It's fine. If you owe them a favor, they can't be bad people, right?"
"Of course not."
"Then no problem. In exchange, can I get another plate of this fried chicken?"
I pointed at the nearly empty plate of chicken.
Seeing that, the old guy broke into a bright smile and nodded.
"Sure thing! Eat as much as you want today, it's on the house! I'll tell my wife!"
He really gets it.
I'll have to ask him about the chickens later.
It's so tasty, I want to raise them in Weed and eat them there too.
"So, were the people asking about us the ones behind you?"
"Yeah."
Saying that, the old guy stepped to the side, letting the noble ojou-sama step forward, with the tiny Headmaster right behind her.
Now then, how are they going to play this?
Coming all the way here must mean they know what was written in that letter, and the noble ojou-sama looks intensely uncomfortable.
"Ah, the young lady from earlier. Were you able to deliver our letter safely?"
For starters, I greeted her with a completely standard question.
The moment I spoke, she flinched visibly.
Well, she brought this on herself. Even though I intended it as a completely neutral greeting, it probably sounded like a sarcastic jab to her.
"A-Ah... um..."
"Hmm? What's wrong? Did you happen to lose the letter?"
"N-No! Nothing of the sort! I delivered it safely to the Headmaster!"
"Is that so? Thank you very much. So, what business brings you all the way here?"
When I asked that, her mouth flapped open and shut like a fish.
Well, what business could it be other than apologizing? After all, our enrollment was an official matter, and she had turned us away on her own authority.
"I-I am terribly sorry!! I deeply apologize for my rudeness earlier!!"
Taking a leap of faith, the noble ojou-sama bowed her head deeply.
Behind her, the tiny Headmaster was silently observing our reaction.
Hmm, so you're testing the waters, huh...?
How sly. She's planning to step forward and equalize the situation depending on how we respond.
"Huh? What are you apologizing for? Your response earlier might have been a bit forceful, but it was to protect the Academy, wasn't it? There's really nothing for you to apologize for."
"Eh?"
The noble ojou-sama blinked in confusion.
Meanwhile, the tiny Headmaster smiled, convinced that we had forgiven the incident, and started to step forward.
Before her foot could land, I continued.
"The one who should be apologizing isn't you, but that rude little brat of a Headmaster over there—who failed to inform anyone about our enrollment, left things entirely unhandled, made a student apologize in her place, and watched from the sidelines to gauge the situation before stepping in, right?"
The moment I said that, the tiny Headmaster froze mid-step.
"A-Ah... eh? Y-You knew this person was the Headmaster?"
"Yes, of course. We were informed by King Jilva and His Holiness of Enaria. What wrong? Did they tell you her appearance was supposed to remain secret?"
Yes—I intentionally had them write it that way.
That way, if she tried to cover up this blunder, we could call her out on it and demand even better conditions.
Well, if she had been sincere from the start, it wouldn't have come to this, but this Headmaster chose to play dirty tricks instead.
"Now then, do you have any defense to offer? You granted us official permission, yet neglected to prepare for our arrival, turned us away at the gate, made a diligent student who was just doing her duty bow her head, and watched from the shadows to test us—isn't that right, Headmaster-dono?"
I intentionally spoke in a loud voice that echoed across the entire dining hall.
Naturally, every eye in the room shifted toward me and the Headmaster.
"Ah, ghh..."
Seemingly at a complete loss for words, the tiny Headmaster completely froze.
Judging from her expression, she knew she'd made a serious mistake. Everyone around us instantly understood that this tiny kid was the Headmaster, and that she had tried to sweep the issue under the rug by making a student bow her head instead.
"Hah... to think you don't even have a word of apology. Hey, old man, can I ask you something?"
"A-Ah, yeah? What is it?"
"For example, if an employee at this inn committed a massive blunder against a VIP guest, would you, as the master of this inn, stay silent and force your subordinate to bow their head instead?"
I posed a simple, easy-to-understand hypothetical scenario—again, in a loud voice.
And the good-natured old innkeeper gave his answer without a moment's hesitation.
"No, never. A subordinate's mistake is a failure of my own guidance. It's only right that I, as the master of the establishment, bow my head first... I see. Poppuri-san—no, Headmaster Poppuri Lancer. As someone who leads many people, there is only one thing you should be doing right now. After hearing this, I can't take your side. Politics aside, this is a matter of basic human decency."
Old man, you are way too cool!
And the tiny Headmaster, called Poppuri, looked like she was on the verge of tears as she hung her head.
"...I am deeply sorry. Due to my negligence, I have caused you immense trouble. The responsibility for this entire incident lies solely with me, so please... will you forgive this student?"
It was a young, adorable voice, but held a clear, firm resolve... She wasn't called a l*li-baba for nothing.
She admitted fault, acknowledged her responsibility, and apologized in front of a massive crowd.
Alright, the tide has completely turned. Now she can't pretend this never happened later.
"We accept your apology. However, as for Miss Samantha over there, we were never angry at her in the first place. She might be a bit combative, but I thought she was a splendid student. She handled us properly and did her job."
"T-Thank you so much!!"
Miss Samantha said, her eyes welling up with tears as she bowed her head.
And upon hearing me declare that I accepted the apology, the Headmaster snapped her head up.
Tch, tch... how naive.
"In that case—"
"—However... that is accepting your apology as an individual. The matter of turning away representatives who were granted official permission is not an individual issue, but a diplomatic negotiation between nations. I cannot forgive that on a personal level. We will discuss that matter properly at a later date. Is that clear?"
"......Yes."
Raise them up, then drop them down.
Well, your laziness and terrible response caused this.
Reflect on it properly.
"Then, let us speak at the Academy tomorrow. After all, it wouldn't be right to discuss official diplomatic matters in public any further."
"Gh...!? ...Understood."
And just like that, the tiny Headmaster realized that the audience she had intended to use for leverage had been turned against her instead.
Looking at the crowd around her, she looked even closer to bursting into tears. Trudging weakly, she grabbed Samantha-san's hand and began walking toward the exit.
"Ah, tomorrow morning, then. Let's see... Do you have clocks at the academy?"
I called out to the two of them as they walked away.
"Fweuh?"
"Y-Yes, we do."
Woah, woah, the Headmaster is literally crying buckets now.
Why does it feel like I'm the bad guy here!?
"Then we'll visit at 8:00 AM. And we'd appreciate it if Miss Samantha could come pick us up. You are trustworthy, and it would be a hassle if something like this happened again. Would that be fine?"
"F-Fi... fine. I unner... hic... stand. Sa... Samantha-chan, ple... hic... please..."
"Yes, I understand! So please, Headmaster, stop crying! Your cute face is getting all ruined!"
"W-WAAAAAAHHH!!"
And so, the tiny Headmaster buried her face into Samantha's voluptuous chest—which could easily rival Rurua's—and was carried away in her arms while sobbing hysterically.
"...Hey, old man—did I go overboard?"
Honestly, even though she's a l*libaba on the inside, she looks like a little girl on the outside, so I started worrying that it looked like I was just straight-up bullying a kid.
"No, you two were completely in the right. She always pushes her way through using that cute act, so this is good medicine for her. Still, you guys are amazing. To handle negotiations against Poppuri-san that advantageously... usually, once she pulls out that crying face, people can't stay firm anymore. But you dealt the finishing blow before she even had a chance to cry. Crying now is way too late."
"Wait, that crying was an act?!"
"Most likely. Crying at the very end was her way of getting back at you. Made you feel guilty, right?"
"Yeah..."
"That was her goal. She's already thinking about the next negotiation. All I can say is: keep your stance firm all the way through. Teach Poppuri-san what a total defeat feels like."
Uwaaa... just how ruthless is that l*li hag!?
For the innkeeper to encourage us like this, she must have pulled countless villainous negotiations in the past.
And those tears were fake too?
"Women are terrifying, aren't they, Yuki-san?"
"Yeah, absolutely dreadful. But for now, it's our overwhelming victory."
"Yup. Looks like tomorrow's discussion is going to go really smoothly."
"Yeah. But like the old guy said, let's not drop our guard and finish this in one go."
"I know. Hey, old man, where's that extra fried chicken?"
"Ooh! Hold on a sec! Hey, wifey!! Bring out a mountain of fried chicken! We've got a couple of real men here who just talked down Poppuri-san!!"
Saying that, the old guy disappeared into the back of the kitchen, shouting at the top of his lungs to make sure everyone knew we weren't in the wrong.
""Old man, you are way too cool!!""
And so, we were supposed to eat our fill of glorious victory fried chicken and prepare for tomorrow, but...
* * *
"Onii-chan, Aslin is so sad!!"
"That's right!! Bullying a tiny child... Filia doesn't want to see such a cruel Anii-sama!!"
The moment I returned to the room, I got thoroughly chewed out by the two little girls.
Everyone else understood the situation, so they didn't say anything out loud, but their gazes were undeniably cold.
"Taiki-sama... you are a Hero, aren't you? And yet, against such a small child..."
"No, Airi, listen to me! That was the Headmaster's—"
"—Noo! I won't listen! Doing something like that brings shame to the title of Hero make me sad, Taiki-sama! Listen..."
Beside me, Taiki-kun was getting chewed out too.
Damn it, that Headmaster... was THIS her true goal all along?!
...Wait, no, surely not.
"Yup, yup, Yuki really is a devil. There's no doubt about it."
Shut up, Aegil! If you were any good at negotiating, you'd be the one sitting in this chair right now!
Haaah... I wonder if we'll even make it to the Academy by 8:00 AM tomorrow...
The lecture continued until 1:00 AM.
