LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 100 - Chapter 100: Ulara's Revelation
Chapter 100: Ulara’s Revelation
“So, Ulara-san is actually Lady Laura?”
“Yes…”
“Lady Laura, do you know these individuals?”
“Yes, very well…”
Menas smiles at Ulara with a knowing expression.
Ah, I see, so that’s what’s going on. …What does that mean? Well, I guess it means Ulara is acting as the proxy lord. And her real name is Laura… Quite a sloppy alias…
(Note: Ulara(ウララ) and Laura (ラウラ) )
“Laura… sama?”
“Aah… I-I’m sorry, Lord Bonus. Umm, please continue treating me as before. I’m currently acting on behalf of my father as the proxy lord, but, um, I don’t hold any particular noble title, I’m just a government official. And although I’m technically a noble, I’m just an aging woman who returned home… There’s no longer any significance to that… Ah, it’s somehow sad…”
“Oh, no… I’m sorry…”
“Ulara is actually Laura?”
“Yes, Shiro-san… Um, I’m sorry for lying.”
“It’s okay.”
Shiro doesn’t seem particularly bothered and continues to smile as usual, swaying her earrings. She sits deeply on the sofa, crossing her legs and relaxing, looking quite composed. Laura also seems to have calmed down a bit at Shiro’s demeanor. If only Kohaku were here… Menas simply smiles and observes the situation, while Hajiramu compares our faces with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, Hajiramu. It seems Ulara… Laura is a regular at our stall…”
“I see. Well, let’s consider it as saving time on greetings for each other.”
“By the way, is it true that you’ll be assisting with transportation… Miss Menas?”
“Yes. Well, to be honest, it’s almost common knowledge among our regulars that Lady Laura is… Well, despite usually avoiding helping nobles, I want to assist you because we often share coffee together. I felt compelled to help.”
“Oh… Miss Menas! Thank you so much!”
So, the regulars knew about Laura… Those old men are not to be underestimated. Or am I just slow? Kuro seems to have already gotten bored, luring birds from the courtyard and playing with them, making chirping sounds. Where did she learn such a trick? Since everyone here knows about Kuro, no one seems to mind. Even the female guard watches Kuro with warm eyes… But is that really okay as a guard?
“For me too, knowing that Ulara… Laura is the proxy lord makes it easier to cooperate.”
“I-I’m glad…”
“Then let’s get down to business right away. I won’t go over the current situation of the village and its surrounding areas since I’ve already explained it to Laura-sama and Bonus yesterday. So, I’d like Bonus to share as much detailed information as possible about what you discussed yesterday.”
“Got it. In that case… it might be quicker if you take a look at this—”
Carefully, I spread out a paper detailing the layout of all the buildings in Vaintz Village and information about the villagers. It’s the map I carried around while fleeing from the Black Wolves in the rain. The paper itself is quite worn out and dirty. It might be better to copy it onto something else soon. Additionally, because I folded it and carried it around, the creases are quite degraded, and there are even some holes. But I don’t think the information itself has been compromised. Looking at this paper again, I feel like I can hear the distant howling of the Black Wolves…
“T-This is amazing. It’s more information than I expected… It’s so detailed, and comprehensive… It’s even better than the maps we manage in Savoia…”
“The paper you used is excellent… The way you’ve expressed everything is remarkable.”
“Bonus, why did you decide to create something like this?”
“Oh, well, I was bored…”
“…”
“…”
Laura and Hajiramu look at me with a strange expression, as if they’ve just discovered some unfamiliar bug. Menas’ elegant smile seems to have a strangely warm gaze mixed in.
I don’t remember the details too well, but during the Black Wolves’ subjugation, I wasn’t much use as a combatant. I was just too idle at the time, so I did something that seemed somewhat helpful with what I could do.
“Well, um, in that case, if the goal is to restore the village’s situation, it could serve as a clue, and I think we can work out a rough plan considering the priorities.”
“P-Please, I’d appreciate it! Of course, I’ll prepare proper compensation as well… I-I just don’t know where to start with this kind of thing…”
“With this, we can see a bit of a way forward… We need to establish our base even faster…”
“Got it. Well, planning shouldn’t be too difficult, so I think we’ll be fine. But I do have some thoughts about the villagers… This is a suggestion—”
I explain the current situation of the villagers to Laura and Hajiramu and propose taking the villagers on the next expedition.
“That’s… my oversight. I was too preoccupied with other tasks, and my head wasn’t in the right place.”
“No… Laura-sama previously pointed out such a possibility. My procrastination in establishing the base was the biggest problem.”
“Well, unexpected things kept happening, so it can’t be helped. Anyway, can I talk to the village chief about this?”
“P-Please do. Oh, how reassuring… Bonus-san, you’re really…”
“It’s thanks to Kuro and Shiro that I can feel relaxed.”
“Gyaa~u~!”
“Hehe.”
“I-I’m envious…”
I shoot a glance at the squirming pocket, knowing full well. The incident with Piri made me realize, but having these guys around really changes my mood. They’re just so dependable. Of course, their overwhelming strength also adds to the sense of security. But more than that, the act of entrusting my back to them feels like it boosts my own strength.
“The departure is scheduled for six days from now, so can you accommodate that?”
“Yeah, got it. Is that schedule okay for Menas and the others?”
“Yes, anytime is fine for us, but how much supplies are we talking about?”
“This time, Piri will handle the materials for building the base, and each of us will arrange for provisions. I’d like Menas to handle the villagers’ food supplies, though.”
It’s actually quite helpful to manage our own food supplies. In any environment, it’s preferable for meals to be enjoyable. Depending on the speed of travel, we should entrust the transportation of materials and food to Menas and the villagers who are physically fit. Since I’ve traveled on foot once before, it’s easy to imagine who should carry how much baggage. It seems difficult to prepare a wheelbarrow for the villagers at this stage, but we could easily make a backpack carrier. Thanks to the nearby Tamir Mountains, the well in Vaintz Village has plenty of water and good quality. It would be good to bring materials to build baths and communal kitchens. Being close to the sea opens up various possibilities. If the rocky coast we saw with Marie has a whitish color, we might be able to obtain limestone. There should still be olive and grape trees around. We can’t use boats, but we can probably source fish, shellfish, and seaweed locally. There are various ways to go about it… Thinking about it specifically, I’m starting to look forward to it a bit.
“If you could tell me Menas-sama’s transportation limit, I’ll prepare accordingly from the warehouse.”
“Understood. If you could arrange it by two days before departure, it would be fine.”
“How many days are you planning to stay this time?”
“If we’re going to return the villagers to an environment where monsters roam, we’ll need to keep a certain level of strength stationed there. We’ll forcibly set up a base within a few days, and then it’ll likely be on a rotation basis… Ideally, I want Bonus and the others to accompany us until the base is established. As for the duration… let’s see… traveling, clearing monsters in the village, and basic base construction should take about five days. If it exceeds ten days, we should return to Savoia and reconsider our strategy.”
“Five days, huh… Well, it’s a discussion, but can we leave after leaving you two as our combat force?”
“Yeah, that should be enough if you leave two onis behind.”
“Is Kuro strong too?”
“Gyaa~u! Gya gyagya~u!”
“…Understood.”
One thing I’ve learned from commuting to Savoia recently is that even without a rider, Elizabeth will come to pick us up in about the right amount of time if we ask her properly. It seems that Elizabeth understands our language completely. Sometimes when I try to do something silly on a whim, she anticipates it and stops me. Originally, she was good at being spoiled and had a gentle personality, but since Kohaku came, her caring nature and thoughtfulness have become more noticeable.
“Speaking of which, Bonus-san, you have a base somewhere in Hell’s Cauldron, right?”
“Hmm!? Ah… umm?”
Laura hits the nail on the head as if it’s nothing. From her tone, it seems like she’s been aware of it for quite some time…
“There you obtain ingredients for sugar and chocolate, right? You come and go from the eastern gate every day, and you have sugar, rare fruits, and chocolate that aren’t available around here… That’s what I thought… And as far as I know the geography of Savoia, there shouldn’t be an area around here where such things are possible, except in the untapped land like Hell’s Cauldron.”
Pointing her index finger, Laura explains while recalling each detail, shaking her honey-colored hair. Being pointed out in such a detailed manner makes me feel embarrassed about trying to hide anything. It’s so obvious…
“I-I-I’m not thinking of confiscating anything, so please rest assured. W-Well, I don’t really favor that kind of approach anyway. And… even if it may be a significant asset personally, it’s not large enough to manage a territory, right? In my estimation, it’s not something that goes beyond personal assets. If it were significant, it would stand out, and then it would reach our ears… So, as the ruling family of Savoia, we support Bonus-san, but there’s no reason for us to interfere. Besides, in the climate and soil around here, except for the foothills of the Tamir Mountains, mass production of crops is impossible… And above all, as a ruling family of a difficult border area politically, we don’t want to burden ourselves with anything too large.”
When I first met her and she pointed out about sugar, I thought the same thing, but Laura’s mind works fast. She doesn’t always seem like it because of her way of speaking and behavior, but she shows unexpected intelligence at times. Her usually soft golden eyes seem a bit scary at those moments.
“Laura is amazing… Well, hearing that made me feel a little relieved. I’d like you to keep it a secret, though…”
“Understood. There are foolish people everywhere, so I won’t disclose it. However, it’s not in exchange for that, but I have one request…”
It seems like I got some kind of approval from the ruling side, so I was feeling a little relieved, but there seems to be a request at the end… Well, she knows the situation so well. I intend to accept it unless it’s unreasonable, but it’s a little scary how serious her expression is.