CH 140

Cheat Magician (Hazure Hantei) Chapter 140

Princess Seraphima

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Good morning. It's Kent.

Once again, I arrived at Chowsk, the easternmost town in Barshania.

It was still early in the morning, and the palace where the Imperial Family was staying was asleep.

I'm sorry, that's a lie. The guard soldiers watched the surroundings with bloodshot eyes.

According to Reinhardt, even after Nero ran wild last night, every time the soldiers tried to go to sleep, everyone in my genus continued to play tricks.

After rebuilding the tents and taking a break, the Kobold Squad cut down the posts, cut off the supporting ropes, and flattened the tents again.

When the tents were no longer used, the soldiers lay down on the ground with just a sheet spread out and they rained sand down on the soldiers' faces as they began to doze off.

I was told that a soldier who inhaled deeply through his nose coughed loudly and writhed.

Zae-tachi poured water from the river on the soldiers who tried to cover themselves with cloths and tried to sleep.

Even though it was near the desert, the season was winter, and the temperature dropped to near zero at night, so the soldiers screamed and jumped up, shivering.

If they increased the lights for vigilance, the dark shadows would be created, and my genus would emerge from the shadows more freely, then disappear into the shadows, it seemed the soldiers hardly slept, they were walking unsteadily like ghosts, and were seen arguing with bloodshot eyes.

It must have been quite stressful.

By the way, it seemed that it was unfair for only the members of the Imperial Family to sleep peacefully, so the members of the Imperial Family had been very active in the palace.

I was told that the Kobold Corps shook the trees planted around the palace all at once, rolled a large copper pot brought out of the kitchen, and ran through the corridors in groups.

Emperor Constant, and the rest of the Imperial Family, were said to have had trouble sleeping.

Currently, the soldiers that were guarding the palace were originally supposed to sleep early and change after midnight, so they must have been supplementing their lack of sleep with energy.

The surroundings were quiet, but since last night, the commotion had been repeating aiming for the time when it was quiet, so the soldiers who were on watch seemed to be even more nervous, thinking that currently it was the most dangerous time.

Well, no matter how tense the soldiers were, they wouldn't be able to spot us hiding in the shadows.

I visited the bedroom of the First Princess Seraphima.

Eh?, am I going to do bad things again?(TN:Weird to have question mark followed by a comma, but ok.)

No way. Judging from yesterday's situation, I thought that Seraphima would be the person I could talk to the easiest.

[ Kent-sama ... This way ... ]

Fred led me to Seraphima's bedroom, which was heavily guarded.

Strong female soldiers stood on the left and right of the doors and windows, a circle of female soldiers a little further away, and a triple layer of security with fully armed male soldiers surrounding them.

If you think about the Emperor and Princes acting like Idiot Father and Brothers, it's a security system that makes sense in a way, but unfortunately it doesn't make any sense to me.

Seraphima's bedroom, which I entered without hesitation, was covered with a luxurious carpet that seemed to bury me up to my ankles, and a bed with a canopy decorated with gold and silver was placed.

Seraphima was asleep, buried under a quilt embroidered with floral patterns.

The way she was lying on her side, curled up and sleeping was cute like a small animal.

[ Kent-sama ... Quickly night crawling ... ]

[ I won't! Well, it looks like it's already dawn ... ]

[ If you cover it with a shield of darkness ... They won't get in the way ... ]

[ That's why, I'm not doing that! ]

For some reason, I feel like Fred has been playing around with me lately.

I sneaked into Seraphima's bedroom, but I didn't intend to surprise her when she woke up.

Even if it seemed like we could understand each other, I didn't think I could enter the bedroom without permission and talk face-to-face when she woke up.

Both the Second Prince Bernst and the Third Prince Christoph had already passed away, in Resenburg, the cause of civil war had disappeared, that Barshania and Havre Calvine were in communication, I planned to leave a letter that described the things that Camilla and Count Gleisner were aware of.

Regarding this dispatch of troops, the preconditions had already collapsed and the risks were increasing.

I went out of the shadows and put the prepared letter on the bedside table, and while I was at it, I paid my respects to the Princess of Barshania.

Her pure white hair cut into a short bob was silky and shiny.

It was cute how her round ears sometimes twitched.

Meisa-chan, who looked to be about the same age has her, slept side-by-side with pillows every night, after all, the Princess looked different, her skin looked smooth and soft.

Her face is small! Long eyelashes! Lips like cherries.

It was a cliche, but while I was captivated by her doll-like cuteness, Seraphima flipped over her futon and she turned over.

"Oh ..."

A fluffy tiger's tail peeked out from the hem of her silky white pajamas.

I felt like the tip of her tail was twitching and inviting me.

"Kuchuun!"

"Huh ...?"

When I came to my senses with her cute sneeze, I met Seraphima's eyes as she rolled over.

The mist that hung over her almond-shaped eyes quickly cleared and her eyes widened.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa!"

"I, I'm sorry!"

Immediately after I hurriedly hid in the shadows, the bedroom door flew open and a female soldier rushed in.

"Seraphima-sama, what is the matter!"

"J, just now, right there ..."

"Is it the intruder from last night?"

Seraphima nodded, and the female soldier rushed out of the room.

"Wait, Natasha! Don't move recklessly, be alert here."

"Ha, as you wish."

Seraphima got up from the futon, reached her hand over her side table, unfolded the letter and began to read.

After she glanced over it, she followed the text slowly again, her eyes wandering into the air a little thoughtfully, and then she gave a big nod.

"Riana, get ready to change clothes ..."

"Yes, right away ..."

As soon as Seraphima called out to her, a maid appeared with a change of clothes.

"Seraphima-sama, has the time finally come?"(TN:Dunno, the word 'come' here could also be inquiring about a letter, which would make sense, but I'm not sure how the rest would fit together.)

"Yeah, but that's for later. Father is ...?"

"He's already started making preparations for departure."

"Hurry up a little."

"Yes ..."

Seraphima changed clothes with the help of her maid.

Putting on her loose-fitting trousers and a loose flannel shirt with a pattern unique to Barshania, she quickly left the room and headed for the Emperor's quarters.

Her loose clothes hide her body shape ... Uhii, I was glared at again, but I wonder if it's also a special ability to detect ...

Emperor Constant was not wearing armor, but he had already finished preparations for the battle and was drinking tea calmly.

His expression looked firm and calm, in contrast to last night's lazy Idiot Parent mode.

However, the dark circles under his eyes were probably the result of Reinhardt's work.

"Father, it's Seraphima, can I have a minute?"

"Come in ..."

While answering in a calm voice, Constant's expression loosened sloppily at Seraphima's visit.

But, that was only for a moment. Seeing Seraphima's tense expression, he tightened his expression again.

"What happened?"

"Yes, the boy from last night showed up."

"What did you say!"

"Father! First, this ..."

Seraphima handed over my letter to Constant who was furious and tried to stand up.

Constant, who received it, read it twice, furrowed his brows, then placed the letter on the table and asked.

"Do you think what is written here is true?"

"I don't know. But, if it's true, I think our losses would be greater than originally expected."

"Then, should we stop the dispatch?"

"Honestly speaking, I'm at a loss for judgment. Father, how many casualties were there in the uproar up until this morning?"

"Casualties, huh ... There are no casualties."

"Is that true?"

"Some people were bruised by fallen tent posts, but no one lost their lives or was seriously injured."

As expected of my genus. They disturbed a good night's sleep without causing deaths.

You all did a good job, didn't you ...

"Father, if they really intended to attack, wouldn't it be strange if there were no casualties?"

"Nuu ..."

Constant closed his mouth, folded his arms and closed his eyes.

After thinking about it for a while, he opened his eyes and spoke to me.

"Anyway, you're probably peeping around here. Come out, brat!"

If I'm called, I have no choice but to go out.

But, it's hard to meet Seraphima ...

I put out a shield of darkness a little ways away, stepped into the room, and bowed.

"Good morning."

"Brat ... Did you sneak into Seraphima's bedroom?"

"Umm ... I just left a letter ..."

Seraphima was showering me with a cold stare as if looking at garbage.

Yeah, it's really awkward.

"Why are you bothering us?"

"I hate it when people die."

"Aren't you from Landshelt?"

"What do you mean ... If they're not from my own country, I shouldn't really care how many people die?"

"It's normal for people to die in battle."

"Is that battle really necessary?"

"Of course."

"Why is it necessary?"

"To get iron."

Constant began to talk about the purpose of the dispatch.

"Barshania and Resenburg have been in a hostile relationship for a long time.

Since the desert is sandwiched between us, there is almost no direct interaction of force, but iron, which is used as a material for weapons, is prohibited from being brought into Barshania.

It is also produced from dungeons in Barshania, but the amount is small and unstable, so the current situation is that most of the iron used in Barshania is imported from the Republic of Kilia."

"I see ... If you become hostile to the Republic of Kilia, then you'll be troubled for iron to make weapons."

"Hmm ... It seems you're not stupid."

Just as Klaus-san had predicted, Constant was paying attention to the battle that was taking place further west of the Felciane Empire, the neighboring country to the west of Barshania.

"The Republic of Kilia and the Jogesen Empire have been at war over the land they have been fighting for over the years, but it seems that this war is not just limited to the land they were fighting over, but is spreading across the country. It looks like it's going to be a battle."

"Does it look like Kilia will conquer Jogesen?"

"That's right. If Kilia and Jogesen become one country, it will become a large country with both mineral resources and granaries. If a neighboring country were to sink into war, it wouldn't be strange at any moment that it would fly over to Barshania. When that time comes, if we don't have the weapons to fight, we'll just wait to perish."

"So, you've teamed up with Havre Calvine to obtain iron for future emergencies."

"That's right. I don't even know if there will be a battle with Kilia. Or rather, the possibility of it happening while this me is still alive is low. That being said, neglecting preparations is unforgivable."

"If you build a friendly relationship with Resenburg ..."

"I've tried that many times without even being asked. How can I build a friendly relationship with someone who doesn't even send a decent reply even if I send a personal letter?"

It seemed that Constant had already sent personal letters to the King of Resenburg, Alexis Resenburg, many times, but there had been no proper reply, and the ban on iron export hadn't been lifted.

Perhaps the Prime Minister may have crushed it.

"Then, do you have any intention of stopping the dispatch even if the damage increases?"

"Since there is no prospect of Resenburg lifting the ban on iron exports, it is probably unavoidable ..."

"What would you do if you could get iron from somewhere other than Resenburg?"

"What is it ... Volzard? Are you saying that you will bring it?"

"Since trading is not my main business, I don't know if I can offer it at the price you want, but it is possible to bring it from Volzard."

"Fumu ..."

Constant crossed his arms again and began to stare at me.

Seraphima is also looking at me, but her gaze is really cold.

Constant, who continued to observe me, slowly opened his mouth.

"Nevertheless, what would you do if I told you I wouldn't stop sending troops?"

"Of course, I will disturb you."

"Do you think you can stop an army of well over 30,000 on your own?"

"Yes, it's easy."

"Oh ... Even if you kill me, the army won't stop."

"I won't do such a troublesome thing."

"Then, how are you going to stop it?"

"Drop the bridge."

"Kuh ... Where the bridge fell ..."

"If you use a ship, I will sink it."

"Nuu ..."

Constant frowned and glared at me.

The vulnerable point of the Barshanian army was that they were still this side of the river.

If a group of more than 40,000 people were made to cross without using a bridge, it would be a big fuss.

"It's a splendid bridge, but if it's my genus, it's quite easy to break it. But if I break it, you'll be in trouble, right?"

"Naturally."

"The farms on the other side of the river are amazing, aren't they? I think it's a manifestation of the power of the country of Barshania to be able to carry out a business of that scale."

"Of course. The people work for the country, and the country works for the people, that's Barshania."

Without any hesitation, Constant spoke as if it were a matter of course.

"If the bridge becomes impassable, you will not be able to take care of the farmland, and if you're not careful, it may be buried in the sand ..."

"Bastard ... Are you trying to threaten me?"

"It doesn't matter if you think so. In the initial situation, you might have achieved a great result with a small sacrifice, but in the current situation, if you force it, there will be great sacrifices, and I don't know if it will be profitable. What is the point of a war in which both Resenburg and Barshania only suffer losses?"

Constant, with his mouth closed, seemed to be pondering while staring at me.

"Can you really prepare iron?"

"Maybe ... I wonder if it's okay ..."

Constant demanded, showing his hand outstretched.

"Prepare 50 corads of iron. I'll buy it for 200,000 Rubles. You have five days."

"Father, 50 corads in 5 days ..."

"Understood. For the time being, I will try it, so please don't move the soldiers for five days."

I accepted Constant's request, cutting off Seraphima's words, which were trying to put a hold on it.

Hey, how much is 50 corads?

200,000 Rubles is the currency of Barshania, right?

I didn't really understand the amount and the price, but I accepted it ... Well, it'll work out somehow.

"It's okay. I'll wait for five days, but I'll leave on the morning of the sixth day."

"Yes, that's fine ... Then, I'll do that ..."

"Wait, the conversation isn't over yet."

When I tried to dive back into the shadows and return to Resenburg, I was stopped.

"Are you still going to impose more conditions?"

"It's not about dispatching the troops."

Constant's expression seemed to be more severe and angry than when he was talking about dispatching troops.

"Bastard ... You entered Seraphima's bedroom, didn't you?"

"Eh, umm ... That, to put the letter ..."

"Father, I, my sleeping appearance was seen."

"No, hey ... That was inevitable ... Should I say it was an unexpected situation ..."

"Did you see it?"

"Uuh ... Yes ..."

Seraphima wrapped her arms around herself and blushed, while Constant turned red with anger.

I don't know, this development full of deja vu ... I'm sweating profusely.

"Brat, you entered the Princess' bedroom before the wedding, so you must be prepared ..."

"E, even if you say to be prepared ..."

"I let the whole country know that I will marry someone who manages to sneak past my strict security and reach my bedroom."

"So far, countless men have challenged us, but all of them have been defeated by Seraphima's bodyguards."

I thought the security was tight, but I didn't know that that was the case.

Is it okay to choose like that?

"Umm ... I didn't sneak in with that intention, but the letter ..."

"Even though you went into the bedroom, you don't want to get married ... Are you saying I'm unattractive?"

"No ... I only saw you for the first time yesterday, and I haven't even talked to you much yet ..."

"What the hell is that, brat! You're ignoring Sera-chan's charm even when looking at her!"

"No, no, I think she's beautiful, but ..."

"The Imperial Family cannot change the agreements they have made with the people."

"Brat, think carefully and choose ... Marriage? Or death?"

Uwaaaa ... I've heard about it before somewhere, the ultimate choice has arriiiiived!

I wonder why the people of this world want people to make the ultimate choice ...

I'm going to retreat into the shadows here.

"Umm ... The answer, is on hold! Excuse me!"

"Ah, wait!"

"Brat, don't think you can escape!"

It looked like I could stop the invasion of Barshania, but I've got more problems.

[ Buhahaha, as expected of Kent-sama, you also took a wife from the Imperial Family of Barshania. ]

[ Maou's territory ... Expanding more and more ... ]

"I told you I won't marry her. I won't rule either."

For now, I'll go back to Volzard and start procuring iron.

Ah, I have to make sure the chairman doesn't find out ...