Unmotivated Hero's Tale

"Well Yui...... I have a few things to tell you"

"What is it?

Yui returns that as she gently leans her neck against Gennard, who has met her when her graceful meal while bickering ended and she mouthed her coffee satisfactorily, giving her a serious look and talking to her.

"Actually, it was today when I went to the Royal Palace, but there were rumors that there was a disturbing movement in the south. Of course, so far, there's no evidence, no roots, no leaves."

"Is it the South..."

Eltobout, the king's capital, is located just in the centre of the Kingdom of Clarice.

And in terms of land south of Ertobout in Claris, the Crown administration was marginal and almost dominant.

One of the four Grand Dukes, the Duke of Meniel, and the Earl of Sharem, once a heavy town in the military, boast the greatest power in such a south.

Within the two of them, the Duke of Meniel is the father of Murtina, a classmate of Yui, but the person was famous as a very clean and white gentleman. That is why there are none of the elements that make me think of him as anxious when it comes to his territory.

But there were rumors about Count Sharem that could stir up a glimmer of anxiety.

Moreover, at the root of that anxiety is also irrelevant the presence of the hostile Kelm Empire further south of the southern region.

"That's right. If you ask me, wouldn't you say that one of the other days in Carlin involved an empire? I hear they're getting more and more armament enhancements, but what the hell is the purpose..."

"As for the other day, it's probably a tangle of demonic stones you can take in the Crosseon Mountains. Originally, the Demon Stone doesn't come out of Kelm, so we have to rely on imports of Demon Stone in his country."

Unlike Clarice, which is very rich in natural resources, the Kelm Empire, which does not have the origin of Demon Stone, cannot hope for a stable supply of Demon Stone within its own country.

Therefore, overcoming chronic demon stone shortages continued to be regarded as the most important issue in the Empire.

"I see... so you got eyes on Carlin. Indeed, the magic stones of his land are of good reputation."

"Yeah. In fact, it sounds like Count Talim of Carlin was letting Novamim's Autonomy go through and lay the Demon Stone on the sidelines of the Empire. To maintain and monitor that route, the Empire sent an armed magician."

Reminiscent of the position of the Novamim Autonomy, located northwest of the Empire, Yui exhales.

It is not an exaggeration to say that it is under the substantial protection of the Empire. It is a Novamim autonomy, but it was formally recognised as an independent territory.

It is therefore difficult for Clarice to grasp the extent of the spill of various goods into the Empire and the movement of secret detectives through the land.

"... I see. For those who crave Demon Stones either way, I guess the Kingdom of Clarice, with its numerous Demon Stone regions, is no exaggeration to say a mountain of treasure"

Gennard, who said so, slowly included coffee in his mouth.

When he glanced at him with that slight bitterness, the dining room door was opened with momentum, and a blonde young man appeared from it.

"Senior Yui, you were already here!

"Welcome back. You look good, Aince"

Eince's injuries suffered during the recent kidnapping.

It looks like it's fully healed and Yui breaks his face.

"Master Aynce, it's been a long time. Looks like the wound's getting better."

Cain, who was sitting next to Yui, also had a refreshing grin when he saw Eince looking healthy.

"It's been a long time, too, Mr. Cains. Yeah, it's totally better now."

Head to Cain, the muscle lover, and make a firm force bubble with his right arm so that he appeals to a full healing.

Cain nodded one big one before that.

"That was good. At that time, Lady Aynth was the most active."

When Cain praises Eince that way, he laughs shyly.

On the other hand, Jennard opened his mouth with interest as he moved his eyebrows pickly into such Cains remarks.

"Well, is it? No, I thought he was pretty exaggerated because he just said so... but did this son really work?

"Yeah. At least he worked a lot harder than our captain."

When Cain says so, he peeks sideways at Chirali and Yui. And laughed as luxuriously as usual.

"Whoa, Cains. I would have worked pretty hard on that, too, wouldn't I?

"No, no. Didn't the captain just take the delicious part at the end? I'm not saying it worked."

When Cain answers that with a laugh, Yui shrugs her shoulders and looks up at the ceiling.

With such a look at Yui, Aince smiles niggardly. And I started making fun of the guy in front of me.

"That's right, Mr. Cains. In fact, I only worked a little in a delicious place, but now I'm a hero in Wang Du."

"That's not what I wanted."

Yui spreads her hands left and right, and shakes her neck left and right

"But, to be honest, seniors are now the most famous men in this king's capital. In fact, there are no days in the city where seniors don't get their names."

"Well, is that what you're telling the whole city already? But this Yui is a hero... I was worried about what would happen when you got left by Carlin, but it was really good."

That Yui, whom I valued highly, has finally begun to be appreciated by people.

Before that fact, Gennard can flaunt his face.

But when he realized it was unexpected, he lifted his eyes and glanced at Eince.

"... Eince, by the way. Why are you so familiar with the story of the city liquor store?

For a long time, Gennard saw the lightness of Aynth's women's relationship as a problem as a qualities of her next term owner.

Even though the poor predisposition at one time lurked a lot of shadows, it is an indisputable fact that we usually go out to night-time taverns to play with women.

Gennard was bitter about it, and he questioned Eince with a serious look.

"Oh, that's... that, uh... that..."

"Speaking of which, you still smell like alcohol today. And for some reason it smells like perfume that I can't smell from you... I'm not going to say any more because Yui and the others are here today, but weigh yourself in."

In the wake of Gennard's tough remarks, Aynce becomes completely smaller on the spot.

When Yui laughed bitterly at the sight of such a junior, he decided to change the subject for him.

"By the way, Eince. What department are you in right now?

"Well, I've been traveling to the Treasury since I got back here. Even so, in the form of advisors from the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, it's mainly cooperation for military budgeting."

You can escape an unpleasant topic, and Aynce immediately looks up.

Meanwhile, Yui, who overheard the reply, raised one question in his mouth just because it was convenient.

"Really, Treasury...... I'd like to ask you one thing, is there any significant variation in the price of things in the market these days?

"That's in short about prices, right? Uh, I'm only involved in military matters, so do you mind if I stay within that range?

Confirm so toward Yui as Aince recalls some numbers in his brain.

"Yeah, sure, as far as I can tell."

"If that's the case, the problem with recent budgeting is that the price of soldier food for exercises and stockpiles is rising. But even though the military budget is decreasing, it's not good if the price goes up any further."

Eince had recently been disturbed by the difficulty of securing enough food to carry out enough exercises at current prices.

Because, even though it is some time before harvest season, cereal circulation on the market is too reduced.

"Hmm, since when did that trend start?

"Er... I had my first problem during the exercise last month, so maybe from the other month. Prices were up, mainly for cereals, which is around 30% higher when compared to the same period last year. And then there's the metal stuff, which is going up here."

Aince traces the memory in his brain and speaks out what went wrong when budgeting for the quarter.

"... well. If so, I'm sorry, but I need you to look into one thing. Probably in the form of going through various countries, mainly the Novamim Autonomy, but to see what countries the cereals traded on the market are bought by and eventually transported to. Perhaps we need to ask Dr. Armad to cooperate with us, as the investigation outside the country will dominate."

"Ultimately…? So seniors think that some country is buying grain."

Guess from Yui's mouthful of requests, Aince asks him so.

Yui then gently shook his neck vertically, indicating his intention to affirm.

"Oh, you're right. Anyway, the weather is stable this year, and I don't even hear about improprieties. Yet before the harvest season, the price of the cereal increases are unusual. Anyway, in a few months, we'll have harvest season and cereal prices will drop visibly."

"I see… does that mean that some will is intervening in this price increase"

"Oh. At this time before harvest, a regular merchant wouldn't buy grain and hoist the price. I mean, there are people who want more grain than they normally need. And that's probably..."

When Yui closes his eyes and says, Gennard, who was sitting across the street, opens his mouth remembering an earlier southern rumor.

"Yui...... you think the Kelm Empire is suspicious?

"Yeah, I was curious about the rumors earlier. But if you're really collecting troop food... no, this is not enough information at this stage. Dr. Armad will get some information soon, and let's not get ahead of ourselves"

Yui, so mouthful, drinks up the remaining coffee in the cup at once.

And he exhaled one deep sigh.

Having seen Yui like that, Gennard mouths one suggestion toward him.

"Well, we're not talking about what's going to happen right now, so we don't have to rush to a conclusion. Okay, Yui. You guys have just arrived from a long journey, so why don't you take a rest in your room today?

"Right...... thank you. Well, we'll rest first."

While appreciating Gennard's care, Yui urges Cain.

Then we headed straight to the room provided for each of them.

Yui steps into her room and falls straight into bed.

Aware that his eyelids were getting heavier because of tiredness or suddenly, he closed his eyes.

Then, the events of the day pass through the back of my brain like a running lantern.

Promotions to fourth place, resumption with Armad and Gennard, rumors and price highs in the south, and shadows of the empire.

"In the end... can we just be"

Currently, I'm not even in a position to hang around the universe.

That's why I don't think I can help worrying any more, and he closes his own thoughts.

And as if to devour the rest he had been craving, as the sleeper wished, he entrusted his own body to bed.