“But why would people like that attack the refugees?” I asked.
“In order to fund their flight abroad, they meant to abduct women and children who looked like they would fetch a good price, no doubt,” said Carla. “Because the refugees aren’t people of this country, they must have thought the officials wouldn’t act proactively to protect them.”
“As if we wouldn’t!” I shouted.
“I–I’m not the one you need to be telling that,” Carla said with a troubled look on her face, snapping me back to my senses. True, that wasn’t something for me to say to Carla.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m sorry for losing my composure there.”
“No…”
“Carla, I’m sorry, but could you fly back to the castle and report what happened here to Hakuya?” I asked. “I’m sure he’ll send out notice to those who need to know and think about the necessary measures right away.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
No sooner than she had said that, Carla spread her wings wide and rose into the air, flying toward the castle at top speed. In that instant, I caught a glimpse of her garter belt, so I hurriedly looked away.
No, I didn’t see anything more important. So, please, Liscia, don’t look at me like that.
Then, at almost exactly the same time as Carla took off, Hilde returned. “We finished treating the wounded. They weren’t minor wounds, but it’s probably due to that priest’s quick work. Their lives aren’t in danger. The wounds have already been closed up with magic.”
“I see… That’s good…”
“But what are you going to do?” Hilde asked. “It looks like a crowd has gathered here.”
When I looked around, there were refugees who had begun to gather when they’d heard the commotion. We had managed to keep a low profile so far, so I didn’t want to stand out now. I called Owen and Liscia over.
“Let’s let the adventurers hand these guys over to the authorities. We’ll go and meet with the chief of the village as planned.”
“Understood, sire,” said Owen.
“You don’t want to do anything about Juno?” Liscia asked.
“I don’t see any good way to explain this situation. Besides, it’d probably be bad to have it come out that the king was the one inside Little Musashibo all along.”
“True, if people found out the king was playing with dolls, that’s not exactly dignified.” Liscia nodded to herself, seemingly satisfied.
We then got out of there in a hurry.
“Ah, hey! Wait!” Juno yelled after me when she noticed, but I wasn’t about to wait.
So long, pops!
No, wait, she was the thief here.
Leaving the cleanup to Juno and her party, we headed into the center of the refugee camp to accomplish our original goal of meeting with the chief. After following our guide for some time, eventually we were led into a large tent that resembled a Mongolian ger or yurt.
When we entered the tent there was one large human male, sitting cross-legged with both hands on the ground, bowing his head to us. It was a pose I’d often seen vassals take toward their lords in period dramas.
The large man, who looked to be around thirty, wore, if I were to describe it simply, garb that looked to me like Native American clothing or something similar. He had a tanned, muscular physique, and though it was already quite cold, his leather clothes were sleeveless. He wore magical-looking paint on his face.
Behind him there was a girl wearing similar attire who was sitting in the same pose. Her age probably wasn’t that different from Liscia or Roroa’s. She was a cute girl with dark brown hair and a rustic simplicity to her. There was a resemblance in their faces, so these two might be siblings.
“I thank you for coming, Great King of Friedonia,” said the man.
“Please, could you not call me Great King, or anything like that?” I said. “I don’t really like that sort of stuff.”
I sat down in front of the big man. Not on a chair, but directly on the carpet that had been rolled out. It was a familiar thing for a Japanese person to do.
From the feel of it, I could tell there were probably wooden boards beneath the carpet. It didn’t seem to have been rolled out directly on the dirt.
Liscia sat next to me, while Owen, Hilde, and Carla, who had already returned, sat behind us waiting.
The big man said, “I see…” a pensive look on his face. “Then what am I to call you?”
“King Souma… Your Majesty… call me whatever you want.”
“Understood, King Souma. I am Jirukoma. I am the chief of this refugee village. I hear that you just helped some of our people here, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Jirukoma bowed his head deeply.
“I am Souma Kazuya, the one acting as the king of this country,” I said. “The ones who helped them were the adventurers we dispatched here. If you want to thank someone, thank them.”
“No, the adventurers are here because of your support,” said Jirukoma. “I thank you for that, and the supplies you have given us.”
“I’ll accept your thanks. But, you know, I didn’t come here today so you could thank me, right?”
Jirukoma’s expression stiffened. He had to know what I was here for. After all, he had already spoken many times with the emissaries I’d sent to discuss this matter.
“I’ve come to push you to make a decision,” I said. “You’ve listened to the counsel of my emissaries, right? Now that I’ve come in person, today is the day you must finally make your decision. Which will you choose?”
“That’s…!”
“Stop, Komain,” the man said.
“But, Brother!”
The girl tried to rise, but Jirukoma motioned for her to stop.
This girl’s name was Komain, huh? They were apparently siblings, just like I had thought.
Jirukoma told her, “Our words will decide the fate of everyone in this village. We cannot be quick to anger.”
“…I understand.” Komain sat back down.
For a moment, Owen and Carla behind me had tensed themselves for a fight, but Komain had laid down her arms, so to speak, and so they’d calmed down, too.
A heavy air fell over us all.
Perhaps out of concern for that, Liscia spoke up. “Souma, I’d like you to explain the situation…”
“Right… I want this whole refugee problem solved already,” I said. “Because no good will come, either for our country or for the people living here, from leaving things the way they are. That’s why I’ve forced the refugees to make a decision.”
“A decision?” he asked.
I gave a heavy nod, then said it clearly. “They can abandon their longing for home and become people of this country, or they can leave.”
For the refugees who’d lost their homes to the appearance of the Demon Lord’s Domain, their true wish was to return to their homelands and take back the lives they once had.
However, in the current situation, there was no indication of when or if that would be possible.
The major incursion that had been launched into the Demon Lord’s Domain had ended in failure, instilling a fear of the Demon Lord’s Domain into the forces of mankind.
Even the largest nation on the side of mankind, the Gran Chaos Empire, was unenthusiastic about the idea of another invasion. The nations were focused solely on keeping the Demon Lord’s Domain from expanding any further.
Even if, at some point in the future, something was going to change this situation for the better, it wasn’t going to be in the next few days. It wouldn’t be in the next few months, either. Even with years, it still might be difficult.