Takarakuji de 40-oku Atattandakedo Isekai ni Ijuu Suru

A few days later.

In one of the fortified quarters under the occupation of the Balbal army, there was a figure of Zirconia.

Sitting in a chair alongside Titis, they both look at the men who are face-to-face in silence.

This is Isaac, who came to tell us that the liberated citizens and soldiers had arrived safely in Isteria, and McGregor, who was in charge of negotiating with the 10th Corps.

At the wall of the room, Kyren, the 10th Legion leader, and Phileksia, smiling with a smile, refrain.

Soldiers of escorts are holding off on each other's side, and that number is about 10 for both.

"... yes. You all made it to Isteria safely."

Ugh, and Zirconia sighs relieved.

"What about Nalson and Reese? Is Ixios safe?

"Yes, Master Ixios was seriously injured, but now he's on his way to comfort"

In a slightly nervous voice, Isaac answers.

"Everyone else is not injured or ill. Ladies and gentlemen, I have been guided to Zirconia."

"Yes, good. I'll be fine, so tell him not to worry."

"Yes, sir."

Finally, Isaac bows his head.

Then McGregor, who was next door, turned to Kyren at the wall.

"Lord Legion Commander, my country strongly protests against the violation of your country's agreement. I ask you to free Master Zirconia now and remove him from this fort."

McGregor said, Kylen opened her mouth without changing one expression.

"I can't do that. This attack on the fort is retaliation for the attacks on villages and caravans in our country. This one protested many times, but never stopped the raid. All responsibility lies with Arcadia."

McGregor puts his face to the point of being too unscrupulous.

In the first place, we haven't even been able to confirm the fact that the Arcadians attacked villages and caravans in Barbell.

When it comes to raids on a scale that can devastate a whole village, that's what dozens of people need to do.

If such a number of humans had frequently, and it had also repeatedly fled within Arcadia within a limited range of raids along the border around the fort, the Arcadia side, which had intensified surveillance, could not have been able to capture those people.

But there's no way we're going to go up here and cut to Barbell.

Because McGregor has been instructed by Narson to give the impression that Arcadia's war will is low.

The possibility that the opponent will be able to increase the strength of the fort as soon as possible needs to be eliminated as much as possible.

"... however, the Legion Commander. As for our country, we have not been able to confirm the fact that the raid was carried out by the Arcadians. Besides, even if that were true, this attack on this fort is a serious breach of the agreement. Originally, it is a matter of entering a state of war again with all your allies, including Arcadia. But we don't want it."

"Oh, that's my opinion, too. Nobody wants the war to start again because of this."

Kylen answers with a serious face.

McGregor nods as he agrees, whilst thinking inside out, which mouth says.

"Yes. But this matter is quite important. Since it is not a problem that can be dealt with solely in our Istel territory, I would like to set up a forum for direct negotiations with the Senate of your country after we have gathered our views with the royal family."

"Fine. Let's set up a place for talks. I'll tell you what time it is, so be prepared."

"Yes, then, as such. Isaac."

McGregor nods Isaac.

Isaac offered the crate he had left beside him in front of Zirconia.

I don't know, and Zirconia tips her neck.

"What's this?

"It's a plug from Master Narson. With the dessert I always had after dinner."

"... oh, he brought it on purpose. Glad to hear it. Tell her thank you."

Zirconia smiling.

Isaac also smiled, albeit inexorably.

"Yes, I did. And you told me to be careful not to eat too much just because I like it. Even if you eat, make sure you have no more than 10 a day."

"Yeah, all right."

Zirconia tilted her inner neck to the word 'horse', but it nodded quickly without appearing on the table.

Isaac and McGregor took their seats and, graciously, left the room with their escorts.

Titis, sitting next to him, looked at it and, uh, breathed.

"Dear Zirconia, the promise has been fulfilled with this. Are you sure this is the end of my role as hostage?"

"... right"

As Zirconia nodded, one of the soldiers at the wall walked over with the key in his hand.

Unlock the chains that are holding each hand together and back off again.

"Lord Zirconia, you won't need a sword anymore. Let me keep it."

"Go ahead."

Zirconia removed her waist belt and placed her long sword and dagger on the table.

Remove the small dagger that was planted on the sleeve and add to it.

Naturally, they have been physically examined on the first day of captivity, so Kyren has also been aware that Zirconia possesses no weapons other than this.

As the soldier walked over and retrieved them, Kylen turned her attention to the crate she had in front of her.

"I mean, it's got food in it, but can I check the contents?

"Whatever you want"

Kylen walks over to the table.

Then, sticking to it, Philexia also approached Tokotoko.

I don't utter a word from earlier because I took the liberty of talking to Zirconia the other day and Titis yelled at me (and then Kylen).

If you don't speak a word, you can be present at the meeting, and I'm here.

Kylen put her hand on the crate and opened the lid.

"... hmm? What the... whoa!?

As soon as she checked the contents, Kyren shouted and glanced loudly.

Phlexia, peering into the contents together, remains rigid in its posture.

I thought, maybe, I fell on the spot.

Ohn, and the sound of his head hitting the wooden floor echoes indoors.

"Mr. Phlexia!?

Titis rushed to take a seat and rushed over to Phlexia, who was falling down.

Philexia peels off her white eyes and seems to be fainting.

"What, what? What's the matter with you?

I didn't know what was going on. It was a zirconia, but I looked at the muddy smell that drifted out of the box.

Put your hands on the box and peek inside.

……

I saw a smoked potato worm packed in a mess and stopped the movement perfectly.

I have goosebumps all over my body, and my blood draws from my face.

- What is this?

- What exactly and for what reason, has Narson sent himself potato worms?

- Are you telling me to eat 10 things every day that emit this stench?

- In the first place, is the name potato worm good because it resembles potato?

- Instead, isn't it now called potatoes because the crop called potatoes is more like potato worms?

Kylen pounded on Zirconia's shoulder as she began to think about things that were too confusing and meaningless.

Zirconia turns to him with a facetious look.

"Oh, that, seriously, can you eat it?

"Quelwayo"

With no expression, Zirconia answers instantly.

"No, you know, I'm not going to deny your country's food culture... it's potato worms, right?

"Imomushiyo"

"Ma, are you serious... Oh, no! I'm sorry! Excuse me!

"Inoyo"

You don't like potato worms as much as you do, Kylen keeps her hands on her mouth and her eyes off the box.

Zirconia is just mechanically, responding briefly to Kyren's words.

Titis was seeing how Philexia was falling, but when he decided it would be okay, he stood up.

Peek into the crate and watch the shiitake and massive potato worm smoke.

"Is this that famous Arcadian worm?

One burnt brown color rounded to the letter Co, about the thickness of a woman's pinky finger, is pinched up.

Zirconia managed to restore calm and looked to her.

"... No, you're not. Another bug."

"What kind of bug is it?

"It's an insect larvae called a driftwood bug. Look in the driftwood by the water and you'll find it easy."

"Really? Can I eat one?

"Oh, hey! Are you insane!?

Titis turns a blind eye to Kyren, who raises his drawn voice.

"There might be something in there."

"Even so, you don't eat. I mean, let alone eat."

"There will be no poison in the plug to Master Zirconia. Plus, I'm interested in what it tastes like personally. I thought it would be premature to judge everything by its appearance and smell."

"Yes, no, but..."

Titis picked it. Turn it around and look around from all directions to make sure.

And then again, I turned to Zirconia.

"Dear Zirconia, may I have it?

"... nothing good"

"Oh, hey! I knew it. Wait a minute! Let Rata eat first..."

"I'll have it."

I ignored Kylen stopping and threw it in my mouth with a puff.

Momogu, chew twice or so to stop the movement perfectly.

"Oh, hey, what's up!? Are you all right!?

Kylen sounds worried.

Titis looked alternately at Zirconia and a box full of potato bugs with only her eyes moving as she stopped the movement of her mouth.

He turned around, walked early with Stasta to the door, and left the room intact.

Immediately, a noise like Ezuku sounded from outside the room, and after a few dozen seconds, the door opened again and Titis returned.

I see tears in my eyes and a slight runny nose.

"… it tasted very interesting"

"You, you just threw up"

"I didn't puke."

"No, but no, no."

"I didn't throw up."

Titis glanced at Kyren and turned to Zirconia.

"Dear Zirconia, I am very sorry, but the contents of that insert will be replaced with something else"

"Yeah, yeah. Okay."

As Zirconia nodded, Titis gave instructions to one of the soldiers to go get the box.

"And if there's anything in that potato worm, let me cut it all in half"

"... okay, but if you want to do it, can you do it in front of me watching? I'd be in trouble if I got stuck somewhere else."

Everyone thought together, "No one's eating, but there's nothing to say."

Zirconia said this because she was paying attention to what Isaac was saying earlier: "up to 10 a day".

Perhaps the number of driftwood bugs in the box divided by 10 is the number that means something.

Maybe it's days before you come to help yourself.

When that happens, it's not a good idea for the Titis to change their numbers because they eat or throw them away on their own.

I brought my own hated potato worm as a plug, probably to make them realize that there was some message in the plug.

Plus, the Narsons would have expected the crate of the storage to be taken away, so I'm pretty sure this potato bug is the message itself.

"Dear Kaylene, please cut the potato worms"

"Yes, no, I won't. I'll lend you my dagger, Titis will do it."

When Kylen immediately said no, Titis turned a frightened glance at him.

"Are you that bad at bugs?

"Shh, sorry. That creepy feeling really doesn't work. Here, use this."

"You're a pitiful man..."

"I can't physiologically. Just seeing it makes my whole body itch."

Titis receives a dagger for sighing from Kyren, who has a pulled face.

Instead of slabs, he began to cut the wooden crate lid in half, tongue, and potato worms.

"... you smell pretty strong"

As everyone watches silently, Titis says pompous while cutting potato worms.

In proportion to the increase in the number of halved potato worms, the muddy smell drifting in the room was also stronger.

"Oh, yeah. But you can smell it. Doesn't taste bad, does it?

Zirconia that says things that are not in your mind either.

Titis stopped moving with her hands on the potato worm, remembering the taste she had just had, and, um, roared.

"Sure, I don't think the taste and texture is bad...... this smell is pretty unique. I think my preferences are going to split."

As it was, Titis quickly cut the potato worms and finished cutting everything in minutes.

Oh, man, I tried to take the handkerchief out of my pocket, and I stopped my hand.

This handkerchief reminds me that I can't use it right now for a reason that is' please '.

"Dear Kaylene, would you lend me your handkerchief?"

"Oh, wow."

Kylen takes out the handkerchief and offers it to Titis.

I caught my eye on Titis' finger trying to take it.

"Something's sticking around a lot. It's black."

"Yes, something stuck. Do you lick it?

"Lick it!

Titis catches a handkerchief that was thrown in the face and wipes it on his hand.

- That's smoked, isn't it? I don't think it'll stick that way......

Zirconia stares inside.

There, a soldier with a new crate came back.

Titis put a cut potato worm in the box with a zara and a lid.

"Dear Zirconia, Thank you very much for your patience. Go ahead."

……

Zirconia stared silently at the wooden box with the potato worm.