Yuri Empire

The day after the discussion with the two princesses of the kingdom was almost settled, the 20th day of the winter month.

On this day, Yuri was visiting a room on the eighth floor of the Explorers Guild in the center of the city of Ulysses, which has come to be known as the “Lost City” due to the visitors who use the [Transfer Gate] from various cities.

This room was reserved for Sofia Theodore, the Guild Master of the Explorers Guild. Sofia lives in this room, which has a toilet, a bath, a library, and a bedroom.

The reason why Yuri visited this room today was to discuss various matters concerning the kingdom with Sofia.

Sofia is a very intelligent person for a young girl, and unlike everyone else in the Yuri Empire, she is a valuable person who gives opinions from a point of view that doesn’t put too much emphasis on Yuri.

Also, as an original inhabitant of this world and the daughter of a duke, Sofia is a person with a great deal of knowledge. Thanks to her, Yuri had come to regard her as a useful ‘consultant’ and had come to ask her for advice on anything.

“I’m sorry to bother you with my frequent visits.”

“I am Master’s slave. It’s nice to know you can count on me.”

Sofia, who was sitting on the opposite side of the sofa from Yuri in the room, smiled gracefully again today.

Even though it was the same smile, Yuri could see that Sofia’s smile was completely different from the one she had seen in the beginning and the one she was smiling now.

Her current smile seemed to be more natural. She wondered if it was a sign that she and Sofia had developed a comfortable relationship.

“You call yourself a ‘slave’ for some reason. I would like to welcome you as my ‘concubine’?”

“Hmm…? You may have decided to take the kingdom’s Princesses Lizelia and Roselotte as your master’s concubine?”

“…… How do you know so much with just this information?”

“It’s a hunch. It’s my intuition as Master’s ‘slave’.”

Sofia just smiles cheerfully but doesn’t say anything more.

“I wonder how much information this girl has”, Yuri thought, looking at her with a bit of awe.

“I think it’s a good decision to have the two princesses as your concubines. In the past, I was the same, but every daughter born into a duke or marquis family is prepared for and accepts a future where she will one day be ‘married’ to another country to deepen the ties between countries.

Well―――I’m sure that Princess Lizelia and Princess Roselotte would have been very surprised if the master had asked them to be her concubines. Perhaps the proposal itself would have been readily accepted?”

“… You’re generally right, as Sofia surmised. You are a horrible child.”

“I’m afraid so. I’m sure you’re here today to discuss various matters concerning the kingdom, but the main reason you’re here is that you’re naming me as your ‘concubine’?”

“…… Yes.”

It’s really scary because everything is so transparent.

Well, I’m thankful that the story goes on without any explanation.

“It’s nice to hear that, but… you might get better results if you paid a little more attention to the Holy Land of Nimun.”

“Hmm…? I would like to know more about it.”

“I’d like to prepare some tea first.”

As soon as she said that, Sofia took a teapot full of steam and two cups out of nowhere, and arranged them on the table.

Since she has the <Maid> [Class], she can store the freshly brewed tea in her [Maid Bag] and keep it in a fixed state.

“Well… it’s rather simple. Needless to say, the quota for Master’s ‘wives’ has already been filled, and there is no room for anyone else, right?”

“Of course.”

Yuri nodded at Sofia’s words as she poured tea into a cup.

Yuri’s main room, the ‘wives’ is filled with a total of 359 children from the Yuri Empire, not including Yuri herself. There is no thought of adding anyone else to that list.

“So, if the master were to marry someone, it would inevitably be treated as a ‘concubine’. In other words, when other countries want to strengthen their ties with the Yuri Empire, sending someone related to their country to be the master’s ‘concubine’ is almost the same as sending someone to be the regular wife of the monarch.”

“Well, you could say… couldn’t you?”

“If I become the master’s first concubine, and Princess Lizelia and Princess Roselotte become the second and third concubines, respectively.

In this case, of course, the duchy and the kingdom―――well, the kingdom is almost like an exiled country―――will have stronger ties with the Yuri Empire, right?”

“Hmm. No doubt about it.”

“The people of the Holy Land of Nimun will probably be very concerned about that. “We’ve always been good friends of the Lily Empire, so why couldn’t someone with ties to the Holy Land is in Her Majesty’s first concubine place?””

“I don’t think Artorius cares about that, though.”

“The Holy King Artorius may be so, but there are many ‘nobles’ in the Holy Land of Nimun as well. Some of the nobles might think that their country is being despised, and they might be upset with the Holy King Artorius, saying, “What’s going on?””

“… Is that so?”

It seems to be quite unreasonable.

But―――if Sofia says it, then it’s probably true.

The Holy Land of Nimun is a valuable ally that has consistently expressed its position as an ally to the Yuri Empire since the beginning.

Of course, Yuri has no intention of disrespecting it.

“I think it would be better if you invite someone from the Holy Land of Nimun to be master’s ‘first concubine’. ―――Since you’re the master, I’m sure you’ll be able to think of someone to invite to be your ‘first concubine’.”

“……”

When Sofia said that. Naturally, what comes to Yuri’s mind is Estoa, who has also become Yuri’s ‘Saint’.

“You seem to have an idea. I think it would be best to invite that person to be the first concubine, with me as the second concubine, and Princess Lizelia and Princess Roselotte as the third and fourth concubine, to keep the ties between the countries strong and make things work out.”

“I can ask her out…… I don’t know if they’ll take you up on it, though.”

“As long as it’s true that you asked her out, it doesn’t matter if she says no, right? I’m sure they’ll know that you didn’t mean to belittle them.”

“I guess you could say that.”

The more I tried to take it seriously, the more embarrassed I felt about inviting Estoa to be my ‘concubine’.

It was obvious that it would be difficult to start a conversation if she put this off. So Yuri said no to Sofia in front of her and immediately took action.

She had already given Estoa the [Telepathy Bracelet], so she could speak to her freely at any time. Without hesitation, Yuri activated the bracelet and contacted Estoa.

The two princesses of the kingdom and the duchess of the duchy, or rather Sofia, who could just as well be called ‘princess’ at the moment, were to be welcomed as Yuri ‘concubine’. Also, after explaining to Estoa the series of events related to this.

『I would like to take Estoa as my concubine if you don’t mind.』

Yuri asked the question in a way that was almost a request.

Estoa answered almost immediately, without even hesitation.

『If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to accept your offer.』

―――Thus, Yuri ended up with a total of four ‘concubines’.