The Military Minister (1)
Having arrived at Defern, Ser-Aria and Clara were fretting over how to get inside the capital. Individually they had no reason to be detained, but the real problem was how to bring the witnesses in with them.
They had already disguised themselves as slave traders, yet whether they would actually pass was another matter entirely. Proving their identities posed its own headache.
"If we go through the guard inspection…"
"There's a high chance the Military Minister will learn we've entered."
"Then she'll try to buy herself time to prepare a response. We can't give her that opportunity."
They even considered scaling the walls, but ferrying the witnesses over one by one would inevitably get them spotted. Just the two of them slipping in and out might have worked—nothing more.
"Hmm."
"…What do we do?"
Clara could think of no workable plan. Even if word reached the Military Minister's ears, perhaps they would simply have to force their way in. Just as that thought crossed her mind—
Ser-Aria suddenly uncorked a bottle and began guzzling it down in great gulps. Clara stared, a little flustered.
"…Aria? What are you doing?"
"Puhaha! Thought I'd play the drunkard!"
"What?"
"Distract the guards with me, then sneak the others through while they're busy… how about that!"
Clara looked mildly appalled. It was obviously impossible.
"…Impossible. There are too many guards. Even if a drunk shows up, not every single one of them is going to move."
"Then how about this?"
"…?"
Clara tilted her head. Ser-Aria suddenly yanked her hair tie free, letting her bound hair cascade loose. The silky black locks spilled down with a soft rustle, and Clara blinked in mild surprise.
"Aria? What are you…"
"Looks like every guard on duty right now is a man."
Ser-Aria smirked, bottle still in hand.
"If a beautiful drunk elf starts seducing them, they'll all fall for it, right?"
"Wha…"
"Why? Seems like a solid idea. Or do you want to do it, Clara?"
Clara's face flushed faintly as she floundered.
"……I-I can't."
"Puhaha! Clara, your reaction's adorable!"
Ser-Aria took another long pull from the bottle, wiped her mouth, and declared,
"I'll clear them all out for you. Watch for the opening and follow."
"…Will you be okay?"
"Don't worry! If any of them actually try to lay a hand on me, I'll snap their wrists clean off!"
With that bold promise she strode confidently toward the gate. Watching her go, Clara muttered under her breath, still a little worried.
"That wasn't what I meant… I was wondering whether you even know how to seduce someone…"
She couldn't help fretting. Ser-Aria was a high elf princess raised in noble surroundings. No matter how long she had been out seeing the world, did she really know how to tempt men?
Those worries proved completely unnecessary.
"Hold it there—stay in line for inspection and enter…"
The guards who moved to stop the approaching Ser-Aria froze in mild shock.
She was clearly thoroughly drunk, yet she was an elf so beautiful that merely looking at her was a feast for the eyes. That alone seized every gaze, but the real problem was the atmosphere this beauty radiated.
"Ah, sorry…… I'm a little… dizzy right now, hnn……"
Ser-Aria dropped her usual bright, cheerful tone into something lower, more mysterious and alluring. She lightly tousled her unbound hair, flipped it back over one shoulder, closed her eyelids, then slowly opened them again to lock eyes with the guards.
What kind of elf…
Perhaps it was because they lived in the forests, but elves normally projected an image of pure innocence; this side of one was almost never seen.
With slightly heated breaths she drew closer, her gaze so captivating that one could almost believe she was a succubus rather than an elf.
Ser-Aria approached at an unhurried pace—neither too rushed nor too wobbly. She walked like someone who was drunk yet trying to appear sober, then caught hold of the nearest guard.
"Hey……"
"Y-Yes!?"
"Haa… why is it… so hot today…? Is it just me…?"
"Uh… it doesn't really seem that hot…… hup."
As she spoke, Ser-Aria casually loosened the front of her clothes a little. Every guard's eyes snapped to the motion.
"Could… a kind gentleman help support me…? Just as far as the inn……"
She met the eyes of the guard she was holding and continued,
"I'll make sure to give you a proper ‘reward'……"
At once the watching guards crowded forward, talking over one another.
"I-I'll escort you!!"
"No, no—I'll take her. You stay and handle the inspection!"
"What are you talking about? I'm off duty, so I have the freest schedule. I'll go!"
The effect was tremendous. For a moment the entire inspection ground to a halt as every scrap of attention fixed on her.
Clara stared, a little stunned. Ser-Aria, who for all her gender usually behaved like a complete tomboy, possessed this side as well?
Surprised, Clara thought,
Aria might be more dangerous than I realized…
Perhaps every bit as dangerous as Freya.
Still, an opening was an opening. While the guards were thoroughly distracted, Clara pulled her hood low and quietly approached the gate with the witnesses in tow.
"Hey—what do you think you're doing!"
"…!"
Not every guard had been captivated by Ser-Aria. In any group there is always at least one person needlessly devoted to their duty.
A guard who had noticed Clara's approach barked,
"Get in the inspection line. No one passes without inspection."
"…"
Clara casually flicked her gaze sideways. Her eyes met Ser-Aria's; they exchanged a silent look. Then, just as she was weighing what to do—
"…Wait."
The guard who had blocked Clara's path stepped closer. Coming near, he caught a glimpse of her face beneath the hood, then inclined his head slightly.
And whispered,
"…Please seek out Left General Salisius."
"…!"
Having delivered the message, the guard stepped back and gave his spear a light tilt.
"Enter."
Clara regarded him with mild surprise, then quickly ushered the witnesses through the gate. Watching from a distance, Ser-Aria was a little startled herself, but decided she only needed to get inside now.
"Augh… so dizzy…… hurry to the inn…"
"Hey, what are you lot doing! She's feeling unwell—make way so I can escort her!"
In the end the first guard Ser-Aria had grabbed supported her into the city and guided her all the way to an inn. Standing before the room door, the man spoke in a slightly nervous voice.
"Um… we've arrived…"
"Ah…… thank you… I'd like to reward you somehow…"
The guard swallowed hard. Ser-Aria took hold of the doorknob and said,
"…Want to come in?"
"Th-Then…"
She smiled sweetly, opened the door, and drew him inside.
A moment later—
Thwack!!
A cheerful impact rang out and the guard crumpled to the floor. Ser-Aria retied her hair, opened the window, and smirked down at the fallen man.
"Thanks for letting us in!"
Clara waited in an alley with the witnesses for Ser-Aria to return. Before long the high elf dropped lightly down from the rooftops.
"…You're here?"
"Man, this actually works. Human men really are simple, huh?"
Ser-Aria laughed as she spoke. The strong fantasies humans held about elves had no doubt played a large part, but her performance itself had been excellent.
Still replaying that act in her mind, Clara said with lingering surprise,
"…Honestly, I was shocked. Aria, I never thought you could pull off acting like that…"
"Hm? I just copied some bar girls I saw while traveling."
Clara looked mildly appalled. She frowned a little.
"……Don't imitate that kind of thing."
"Puhaha! We got through, so it's fine, right?"
Watching Ser-Aria laugh it off so cheerfully, Clara could find nothing more to say. She relayed what the soldier had whispered to her while they passed.
"The Left General is looking for us."
"Really?"
"Seems he wants to help us."
"Then we should go find him. Any word on where?"
"Nothing specific…"
Clara pulled her hood back up.
"We'll just find him ourselves."
"Then should I wait here?"
"…Yeah. I'll be right back."
Clara vanished in an instant. Ser-Aria kept watch so the witnesses would not try to flee. After a brief silence one of them spoke up.
"What do you intend to do about the Achilles family? Even as members of the hero's party, this is dangerous…"
"Hm? How'd you know I'm with the hero's party?"
"Well… a black-haired high elf archer—the most famous one in the Dern Empire is you. Divine Archer Princess Ser-Aria…"
"…Hmm. Then you already know why, don't you?"
Ser-Aria casually drew an arrow from her quiver and pressed the tip against the man's forehead. The point lightly scored the skin; a bead of blood welled up.
"Because that Achilles woman keeps interfering with everything. What the hell is she thinking, obstructing her own country's hero like that?"
"……W-We don't really know her intentions either! We were just business partners—not their underlings."
The merchant hurried on,
"Th-Though… it didn't seem like the entire Achilles family's will matched the Military Minister's. Among the duke's people who came to deal with us, some even voiced doubts."
"…So the Military Minister's will isn't the whole Achilles family's?"
"Yes…"
Interesting. That meant factions inside the Achilles ducal house itself opposed Yureinia's measures.
"Why are you only telling us this now? Want to die?"
"Y-You never asked!!"
"Ah, did I not? Puhaha, sorry!"
Cold sweat rolled down the man's face at Ser-Aria's off-kilter cheerfulness. One moment she looked ready to kill him; the next she was laughing and apologizing… the woman was completely unhinged.
Meanwhile a light footfall sounded—tap.
"…Aria, what are you doing."
Clara regarded Ser-Aria with a faintly exasperated look. Ser-Aria slid the arrow back into her quiver.
"Clara, you're back!"
"…I found where the Left General is staying. Stop harassing the witnesses and let's go."
"Puhaha! I wasn't harassing anyone!"
"…If you scare them too badly and they change their story at the trial, it'll be a problem."
Clara glanced at the witnesses as she spoke.
"…Of course, to do that they'd have to stake not only their own lives, but their families' and their entire organization's as well."
"…"
"While you did all the scaring."
Ser-Aria helped the witnesses to their feet.
"Sorry for the intimidation? When that Military Minister woman comes up, I can't help getting sensitive."
"Ah… no problem…"
"…Let's go."
Clara led Ser-Aria to the Left General's location. It was a shabby restaurant set well out on the fringes of the capital Defern, completely at odds with the city's usual scenery.
"You're here."
Left General Salisius was already waiting. He had received the report from the soldier who let Clara through and had been expecting the two of them.
He had figured that even without naming the place, their abilities would be more than enough to find it.
"Wow, he's really here!"
"What, you think I'd be a fake?"
Salisius rose from his seat with an incredulous look.
"Erinn told me. She said you'd be bringing a key that could turn the whole situation around."
"This must be what she meant!"
Ser-Aria presented the witnesses with a flourish.
"Who are they?"
"People from the trading company that dealt with the private army training facility Yureinia Achilles was secretly running."
"Certain?"
"It's certain the Achilles family is involved, but we couldn't find proof the Military Minister herself was directly involved. Here's the transaction ledger!"
"……Is that so. Unfortunate."
Salisius accepted the documents Ser-Aria handed over.
"You arrived at exactly the right moment. There's a public trial this evening—with this we can free Erinn before it begins."
"Good thing we weren't late! Right, Clara?"
"…Yeah."
Clara gave a small nod and looked at Salisius.
"General…"
"What is it?"
"…Are you helping us in order to oust the Military Minister?"
"…Well, that's not wrong."
Salisius scanned the ledger as he spoke.
"Certainly the Military Minister stands at the complete opposite pole from the Grand General I serve—in both outlook and temperament. For the Grand General to realize his will, that person must fall from power."
"…Erinn wouldn't have wanted to get tangled up in politics like this."
"Who told her to sortie to the front without permission? Honestly, Erinn's judgment was a miss this time as well. If she had simply reported first and then gone, the matter would never have ballooned into this…"
"It wasn't wrong."
Salisius paused and looked at Clara. It was less that the words themselves surprised him and more that this was the first time he had ever seen the usually quiet girl assert herself so firmly.
"Erinn's judgment was accurate. Waiting for upper approval would have taken too long, and if she hadn't gone, the front would have been reduced to a wasteland by the Oblivion Legion."
"…This is the first time I've seen you state your opinion so clearly."
"Ah…"
Clara flinched, then quickly averted her gaze.
"……S-Sorry…"
"…I wasn't about to scold you."
Apparently that personality of hers had not been fully mended. Salisius cleared his throat and continued,
"Right. As you say, Erinn's judgment produced a good result… so supporting the hero is the proper course. I think so as well, which is another reason I'm helping you."
"Didn't you just say something about the Grand General a second ago?"
"There's that, and there's this too! These people always have to tack on one more remark…"
Salisius sighed as if tired, then said,
"All right—let's go at once. We need to free that Erinn kid."
"Ah, that's not all."
"What else is there?"
"Once Erinn is freed, make it so she can return to the front immediately. Otherwise she'll just have to go without orders again."
At Ser-Aria's request Salisius nodded readily.
"I already heard that from Erinn herself. I've spoken to the Grand General, so once her detention is resolved there will be no problem."
"Got it."
"Good. Nothing more to ask?"
Salisius smiled lightly—almost as if he had been waiting for a day like this.
"Then let's go properly mess with them."