What about Sabine, you ask? She comes to my general store all the time. She’s relaxing plenty.

Regardless, today was about treating Colette. The plan was to buy her things and have her pick out souvenirs to give to her parents the next time she went home.

I’d pick out the souvenirs myself, but I have no clue what her parents would want or need for their everyday lives. Asking someone who’s actually lived in the village to pick out the gifts makes the most sense, Mitsuha thought as she and Colette strolled through a shopping district.

All of a sudden…

Thud!

Colette bumped into her, or rather tackled her with the force of a charging bull.

“Ow! Watch where you’re go─ahh!” Mitsuha gasped at what she saw.

The girl’s face was twisted in pain. A shiny silver something was growing out of her side.

The silver object─the dagger─was in the grip of an unknown man. He clicked his tongue, shoved Colette out of the way, and lunged at Mitsuha.

“Wh?!”

The man gaped at his palms in shock. They were empty.

His surroundings had also changed, though he’d yet to notice that.

“This man tried to kill me!” yelled Mitsuha. “Seize him and don’t let him kill himself! I’ll be back later!”

She’d jumped the man to the base of the Wolf Fang mercenaries.

The mercs in the room instantly swarmed the man, held him down, and shoved a piece of cloth in his mouth. Professionals didn’t need long-winded explanations.

The assailant tried to pull something out of his pocket but it was empty. All of his concealed weapons and drugs, along with the silver dagger, were left behind when Mitsuha world-jumped.

As if I’d make such an elementary mistake.

But now wasn’t the time for bragging. She had something bigger to deal with, and every second mattered.

Mitsuha jumped back to her friend’s side. Her clothes were stained red around the stab wound and her face was contorted in agony.

“Thank…goodness. I…served you well…” She smiled wryly.

“Stop that!”

There was no time to waste.

Luckily, Mitsuha had done her research in case of such emergencies. She’d scouted several locations on Earth where she could transport a heavily wounded person at a moment’s notice.

Right now, she needed a facility that was fully ready to accept patients. Somewhere that was currently daytime. Somewhere with advanced medical technology, was willing to take in any patient without questions, and wouldn’t try to take blood or cell samples or treat people like specimens to be studied. Mitsuha had a list of places that checked those boxes.

There was no need to worry about what country the facility was in; no one from the other world had medical insurance anyway. Mitsuha did, however, make sure to have options across multiple time zones to circumvent the risk of getting delayed treatment during the late-night hours when staffing was sparse.

It was currently six in the evening in Japan Standard Time. The best option would be a hospital where it was nine in the morning when doors had just opened and the doctors weren’t exhausted from a long day.

So it needs to be nine hours behind Japan.

JST is zone I… Nine letters before I is…Z.

Zulu… Which is GMT.

If it’s currently 18I, that means it’s 09Z at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.

Mitsuha lifted Colette up─who’d gone limp─and jumped.

“Emergency! This girl was stabbed in the street! Please save her!” Mitsuha shouted at the top of her lungs.

As soon as the hospital staff saw that a little girl’s life was in danger, they got down to business. Colette was wheeled into the operating room without even being questioned about insurance, money, or citizenship.

All that could be dealt with later. Actually, they could probably tell from my outfit that I’ll have no trouble paying.

The man who stabbed Colette was probably trying to kill me. He aimed for my vital organs, but Colette pushed me out of the way and blocked the dagger’s path with the entire right side of her torso.

The assailant had thrust the weapon from his waist at an upward angle when he stabbed Colette. That was how Colette, despite being shorter than Mitsuha, was wounded in her lower torso.

The blade didn’t come near her heart. Colette should be fine as long as there was no major damage to the other internal organs.

She should be fine… She has to be.

No, she will be.

Otherwise, I could never forgive the assailant or myself… Or the universe.

What’s that? You think I’m surprisingly calm and stoic despite what just happened to Colette?

Why am I not screaming and crying hysterically? I seem unbothered and cold?

Don’t be ridiculous.

What would losing my nerve and bawling. “COLETTE! PLEASE DON’T DIE!” have accomplished in that situation? That would’ve only wasted time and lowered the chances of her being saved. I’m not stupid.

Colette must’ve been in unimaginable pain and consumed with terror that she might die. Yet she didn’t make a peep, hoping not to distract me from making the right decisions.

She’s fighting desperately to survive and she put her complete trust in me. Why would I do anything to waste that?

I can scream and cry later.

Right now, I need to take care of─

“Excuse me,” a hospital worker approached her, “may I ask if you’re her fami─yeek!” and jolted back.

Did I look that scary…?

Mitsuha returned to the hospital bathroom.

She was asked by the staff to call Colette’s parents, but that obviously wasn’t an option. Instead, she decided to identify herself as a noble from a small country─one of the World-to-World Meeting participants she’d obtained citizenship in.

Holding peerage sure gets you far in England, no matter how small your country is.

She explained that they were visiting incognito for a private vacation and that she was ready to pay any amount of money for the best medical treatment. She also pleaded to the doctor to leave as little scarring as possible.

Mitsuha had already disclosed that Colette was stabbed by a random man on the street, and now she identified herself as a noble. Naturally, these two factors brought the police running.

She figured that would happen; this was a crisis. Even so, she didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with the police at the moment.

It was obvious Colette was stabbed, so Mitsuha had no choice but to tell the truth about that. Fabricating the story could’ve resulted in the doctors miscalculating the depth or nature of the wound, which could have dangerous consequences. She couldn’t lie about the weapon either.

But wanting to avoid whatever headaches she could, she pulled out the smartphone she used to store all the W2W-related emergency contacts and called the agents who represented England.

She claimed to the police that she couldn’t remember the criminal’s face or anything else about the incident. She didn’t want her testimony to lead to any false accusations.

The agents arrived only a few minutes after the police. The officers fiercely opposed stepping down from the case, but they eventually gave up and left.

The W2W personnel hounded her with questions, but they ceded when she said, “Consider myself in your debt.”

There was nothing strange about Mitsuha relying on doctors from Earth to help someone who was gravely injured in the other world. Everyone who attended the meetings knew how brutal the other world could be.

Anyway, that takes care of that.

However, she would be left with a small scar.

Mitsuha brought stacks of cash in British pounds and US dollars that she’d retrieved from the hidden safe at home in Japan. (The safe was underground and only accessible by world-jumping. It was separate from the hole she kept her gold in.)

The US dollars were in case the British pounds weren’t enough. She’d saved up a lot of cash in US dollars, but didn’t have a lot in other currencies. None of the cash was taxed upon entering Japan, of course.

Her safe was filled with Japanese yen, US dollars, British pounds, Swiss francs, euros, and other currencies in case of emergencies. She also had gold bullion coins (which were kept for the value of the gold rather than for collecting or spending as currency) including Maple Leaf gold coins, Kangaroo gold coins, and Vienna Philharmonic gold coins. She also had small gemstones, which were easier to sell.

Some of the gems were natural while others were synthetic─those were cheap on Earth but would sell for a fortune in the other world.

That’s not fraud, right? The gemstones are real.

The only difference is they were made by man instead of nature and God.

By the way, the jeweled accessories I’m wearing are probably why the hospital trusted I wouldn’t dip without paying the medical bill.

As for paying those guys back, I’m not quite ready.

I’ll do it once Colette’s condition improves and I’ve calmed down a little.

Otherwise, I might end up doing something I’ll regret.

Sabine went pale after hearing the news.

Mitsuha had no choice but to tell Sabine about the incident and injury. Colette was Sabine’s only friend who she could be honest with. If Sabine found out about it on her own, Mitsuha would’ve been in deep trouble.

Besides, out of everyone Mitsuha trusted, Sabine was the only person other than Colette who could speak basic English. Which meant that she was the only one who could help care for the patient on Earth.

Mitsuha had jumped from a bathroom stall in the hospital to the princess’s chamber in the royal palace. She wanted to coordinate with everyone before Colette woke up from the anesthesia. Things were about to get busy.

I can’t ask the Wolf Fang captain to watch over her. He’s a little, uh…scary looking. Someone will probably call the police if a big brawny man like him was hanging out in Colette’s room.

Hence why Sabine is going to spend time with her while I’m away.

“It’s not life-threatening, so there’s nothing to worry about,” Mitsuha assured her friend.

“That’s not what I’m… Will she have a scar? Any long-term side effects? And whoever was targeting you─they may have failed this time, but what if they try again…”

Yeah, I know that.

“I’ll be back in an hour. In the meanwhile, let the king know that you’ll be gone, and pack a change of clothes and stuff.”

Sabine looked on solemnly and nodded.

It was the first thing she uttered after waking up from the anesthesia.

And the first thing Mitsuha said after the girl woke up was…

“I’m sorry, Colette! I’m so sorry for putting you through so much pain. I’m so sorry for letting you get hurt and leaving you with a permanent scar. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so, so, so sorry─WAAAAAHH!”

She wanted to hug Colette, but she didn’t want to risk opening the freshly stitched wound. She held back with all her might. It was one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

Colette smiled softly as Mitsuha sobbed…

…and opened her mouth to speak.

“Yay! I’m gonna have a scar!”

“Huh…?”

Colette was beaming but Mitsuha couldn’t process what she was saying.

“This is my medal of honor for protecting you! I’ll be able to brag about it for the rest of my life! What do you think, Sabine? Are you jealous?”

“Grr…” Sabine growled and spun around. “Mitsuha! When do you plan to be attacked next?!”

What the hell is happening right now…?

I’d be in serious trouble if I let a princess get injured and be left with a scar! Would I have to take responsibility and marry her? Actually, that doesn’t sound so bad─wait, no. No, no, no, no, no. Scratch that!

In any case, Colette seems like she’s gonna be okay. She’s showing no signs of PTSD.

I guess to Colette, the fear of death isn’t the worst thing in the world. Right now, the only thing on her mind is the pride and joy of having saved my life.

Oh, Colette… You’re such a doofus. And I am too.

Sabine will take good care of her while I’m gone.

And now that that’s settled…

A single tear on Mitsuha’s cheek, and a permanent scar on Colette’s body…

There was only one that followed.

A direct hit to the heart, just like Narue!

A direct hit with a bullet into the enemy’s heart, to be more specific. And perhaps a silver dagger to match.

One after another, phrases that perfectly illustrated the situation flooded Mitsuha’s mind:

Bullet Path of Revenge.

The Bride Wore Black.

The Count of Monte Cristo.

The Stars My Destination.

So you have chosen death.

And one more…

Live and Let Die!

Sabine spoke up, “Are you…going?”

Mitsuha nodded silently.

Sabine knows better than to say she wants to tag along, of course.

This is my job.

Mine and mine alone. She understands that.

Jump!

“Hold your horses. Bunker busters are way too expensive and hard to come by. Ain’t happening. And vacuum bombs? Hah! When pigs fly, li’l lady!” the captain snorted.

“Okay, boomer.”

“Who ya callin’ a boomer?! Besides, you don’t even know what country sent that guy! We ain’t questioned him yet!”

He was right that they hadn’t interrogated the assailant. But Mitsuha already knew what country was behind the attack.

I know because of my language ability. You know, the one that scans the minds of people I speak to and gives me fluency in their languages. For example, if I scan someone’s mind and find words like zangi, komai, and derekki in their vocabulary, I’d know they’re from Hokkaido.

The assailant knew a lot of words and phrases only used in a particular country. However, the people from that country and the surrounding lands weren’t willing to harm the Lightning Archpriestess. Even the local petty thugs and gang members would scoff at such a job.

Which meant that hiring a criminal from another country for a one-time stint was out of the question. He could pretend to accept the gig and then immediately snitch on his employer. That left the mastermind no choice but to rely on a trusted henchman from their own country.

So yep, that’s how I deduced the culprit.

I’ll still interrogate the assassin later, though… Not that I need to. I had a hunch about what country it was from the start.

A country that wants me dead rather than captured alive, which means they have no interest in milking me for any resources.

A country who hates my guts and wants me out of their way.

Yeah, it has to be them…

Their first attack was against the kingdom Mitsuha happened to live in. So she fought to protect what was important to her─including Mitsuha’s General Store and all the people who’d become close to her─by mowing down career soldiers.

The second attack was against an ally nation. So she crossed borders and fought off the invading army by taking out its core military personnel.

The assassination attempt on Mitsuha was the third attack, which resulted in injuring her dearest friend, Colette, a nine-year-old civilian. And now, Mitsuha was about to retaliate against the nation who gave that order… Mainly by targeting their imperial family and their nobility.

During the first and second attack, the enemy wasn’t targeting Mitsuha directly or her loved ones. They were international conflicts she happened to get involved in. She did her best not to harm the nation as a whole or the civilians and non-combatants who were reluctantly drafted to war.

This time, though… This time. it’s different.

This was a targeted attack on Mitsuha and her innocent friend.

And a cowardly one at that.

I will make them pay!

Witness the wrath of the Yamano Clan!

“Wh-What…?”

Deep in the basement of the Wolf Fang base, tied up in a cellar, was the criminal who targeted Mitsuha and wounded Colette. The man sounded genuinely surprised by the question. He didn’t expect Mitsuha to guess he was from the empire without even confirming his identity.

“Was it the emperor? A cabinet minister? Or a high-ranking military official?”

“H-How can you be so sure I’m from the Aldar Empire?”

He’s still not over that?

“Oh, I’m not just sure of it. I know it. There’s no point in asking about something I already know for a fact, so I figured I’d skip that part.”

The assassin gawked at Mitsuha, clearly at a loss for words.

“I-I only did it for the money. I don’t know anything about who─”

“Like I said, I’m past that part. I already know you’re a hired pawn from the empire. I don’t need testimony from you to prove it. I’m just picking up the gauntlet they threw down. They started this war, and I’m gonna answer to their declaration by crushing them so thoroughly they’ll never try such a heinous crime again… That’s a fair response, don’t you think?”

The assassin fell silent. It seemed like he intended to convince her that he had nothing to do with the empire, but now he was out of excuses.

At this point, any idiot could see that arguing would only further convince her that she was right. That left him unable to neither confirm nor deny the claim that the Aldar Empire was behind the assassination attempt.

“Oh, well. Whatever,” sighed Mitsuha. “If you don’t want to talk, so be it. It just means you’ll be the root cause for the collapse of the empire. Simple as that.”

“Wh…?”

Surprised? Too late, buddy.

“Think about it. If a particular group of people is behind the assassination attempt, I’ll just decimate the individuals who were involved. But if I don’t know who ordered it, or if it’s the collective will of the emperor and the nobility, I’ll have no choice but to ravage the entire nation. I was considering going easy on the people who were in opposition and tried to stop it or had nothing to do with it, but…

“You’re the perpetrator. You’re the one who failed to murder me and squandered the chance to minimize my target pool. In effect, your actions would result in the devastation of the imperial family and much of its nobility. I’ll make sure to inform all the survivors of that fact after the empire falls. Your name might go down in history as a supervillain of rare infamy. I’m sure your family, friends, and comrades will be proud.

“Anyway, I guess the next time we speak the empire will be no more. When the day comes, I’ll deliver you to your associates and bosses. They’ll probably all be in heaven or hell by then, though…”

With that, Mitsuha left the cellar. She could hear him calling out “Wait!” and “Listen to me!” from behind, but it was too late.

He was surely aware by now that Mitsuha was the only person who spoke his language in the vicinity. Once she was gone, there was no way for his words to ever reach her.

Yeah, I could understand his panic. But he clearly stated he didn’t know anything about his patron, so he’s only got himself to blame. If he goes back on his word now, how am I supposed to know which story to believe?

Time to get to work…

It was around two o’clock in the morning─the darkest hour. There were no streetlamps, not even moonlight. Unsurprisingly, there wasn’t a single person in sight.

Mitsuha was standing in front of the imperial castle dressed like a local peasant. She’d scanned the location from the sky before, so jumping to it was easy.

Clenched in her hand was a large wooden mallet. She was carrying a bundle of wooden signposts on her back.

To be more specific, she was in front of a public bulletin board near the castle’s main gate. She positioned one of the signs on the ground and swung the mallet over her head. The top of the sign was cushioned with a towel to muffle the banging noise.

One might expect gatekeepers to be standing guard at the castle gate, but there were none at this time. The gate was securely shut and the lookouts on shift were likely napping in the gatekeeper’s booth inside.

At least according to what I was told when I asked around earlier.

Once Mitsuha nailed the signpost into the ground, she moved on to the next location: a public bulletin board in the city’s central park. She’d spent that day scouting out the city’s public noticeboard spots and important facilities as well as chatting with the locals to gather information.

None of the people she’d approached seemed to even consider the possibility that she was a spy despite her foreign features. They happily answered her questions, believing she was nothing more than a curious tourist.

“What’s that thing, mister?”

“It’s a storage building where the army keeps their food.”

“What’s that over there, ma’am?”

“That’s the storehouse of a major company that caters to the imperial castle.”

That was about how it went.

Well, those aren’t exactly state secrets. Everyone in the city knows what the buildings are, so I doubt anyone would get in trouble for divulging it to a foreigner…

Mitsuha went to three more public noticeboard locations after that.

It was a tedious task to do alone in the empty streets.

But she didn’t mind. She was doing it to avenge Colette.

Witness the wrath of the Yamano Clan!

“An announcement? From…the Goddess?”

The people of the capital were understandably confused. They woke up to find signposts with a shocking proclamation.

“Yeah. Either some idiot nobles did something stupid or these signs are the work of some heathen assuming the Goddess’s name. At any rate…”

“Yep. We should find a safe place to stay tonight.”

“Wh-What the─?! What are these papers?”

…sheets of paper were fluttering from the sky all across the capital.

“There’s writing on it. I can’t read! Someone tell me what it says!” one person yelled out.

The literacy rate wasn’t very high around here.

A kind volunteer began to read it aloud: “‘Announcement from the Goddess’─hey, this is the same thing that’s written on the signs! The Goddess must’ve made these so her message would reach everyone in the city! Listen up, everyone! Here’s what the papers say─”

After scattering the stack of flyers she’d photocopied in Japan, she jumped to the ground and observed the citizens’ reactions. Most of them took the fact that the paper material was thinner and smoother than anything they’d ever seen as proof that it was a genuine message from the Goddess.

Okay, I’ll check on the city one more time before nightfall and then carry out the operation!

She jumped to the Wolf Fang base.

Mitsuha arrived at Wolf Fang’s base to find their vast training ground covered with bombs, shells, Molotov cocktails, and other weapons. The ammunition was grouped by type, and because the safety features had already been removed from the bombs and shells, each one was spaced far apart from the next. An accident could spell the end of Wolf Fang.

Mitsuha had accompanied the mercenaries on some of the ammo purchases so she could bring them to the base with Traversal. The safety locks were still engaged at that point but transporting them across a long distance would’ve been a really bad idea. Not only would it have been dangerous and taken forever, it also would’ve caused legal and financial problems.

A few of the weapons were purchased from other mercenary gangs.

The word “shell” typically referred to ammunition with a caliber of 20mm or more, but it wasn’t large enough to do significant damage unless they were being fired from an autocannon. Shells of that size weren’t effective for this mission.

So instead, Mitsuha had the guys round up 5-inch (127mm) caliber shells. Fifteen-inch (38cm) caliber shells─which were used for battleship cannons─would’ve been ideal, but there was no way they could be obtained.

The aerial bombs, too, were 40-50kg and much smaller than the 400-500kg ones she was hoping for.

Well, no one’s gonna sell me bombs that big. If only I knew a shady junk dealer like McCoy from Area 88…

On top of being relatively small, the bombs and shells they scraped together were the old and cheap varieties. Wolf Fang had no chance of getting their hands on the newest and most expensive weapons from developed countries, so the majority were bought on the black market from nations that were involved in civil wars or religious conflicts.

Wolf Fang also purchased from international arms dealers, but not even they were stocked with 15-inch shells or 500kg bombs. Mitsuha didn’t give the guys much time to shop around and negotiate, either.

“We had no luck findin’ bunker busters, vacuum bombs, napalm, or any larger bombs or shells. Not that we had much chance of gettin’ any of that from the start. We made up for it by givin’ you a crap ton of Molotov cocktails. Handmade by my boys here. We’ll light ’em all at once with a torch whenever you’re ready.

“So, uh… You sure yer okay doin’ this alone?”

“Yep, I can handle it. This one’s all mine,” Mitsuha nodded.

The captain didn’t say anything. He asked half out of concern for Mitsuha and half because he simply wanted to go to the other world again. Mitsuha would’ve been fine with that but she intended for this to be a solo mission.

An assassination attempt was made on the head of the Yamano family. And a vassal was injured in the process─the vassal who happened to be her beloved friend, to whom she owed her life to.

This is my job.

And she wanted to do it with a method only she could execute.

“C’mon, think it over, would ya?!”

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you… How many other-world missions do you need to go on before you’re satisfied? I’m sure you’ve already guessed what my strategy is. There’s nothing you can do to help me.”

“Grk…”

That sour face isn’t gonna work on me. I’m not looking for anyone’s help this time.

“Damn, I guess yer mind’s made up─oh, make sure to use all the bombs and shells like ya promised. I don’t wanna hang on to any explosives that lost their safeties. I spaced ’em apart, but that ain’t gonna help much if one goes boom. And don’t you dare touch ’em! I mean that, li’l lady!”

“That just makes me want to touch them more…”

“Are you outta your goddamn mind?!”

“Kidding, kidding…”

The only part of the bombs she actually needed were the warheads containing the explosives and fuses. The detonator and the case that contained the gunpowder for propelling the bomb out of a cannon weren’t needed, but she couldn’t take them apart without the risk of blowing herself up. Besides, she wouldn’t know what to do with the leftover gunpowder.

I’ll have to use them with the detonators and all. Hopefully they’ll add to the force.

It’s go time!

“Commence the operation! Ignite all the Molotov cocktails! Dive bomber departing now!”

With that, Mitsuha world-jumped high above the imperial capital…

…along with ten 5-inch shells parading around her.

Her strategy depended solely on how many shells and bombs she could deliver directly above the enemy’s head.

A battleship had to approach the enemy’s vessel at the risk of being sunk.

A fighter jet had to enter enemy air space at the risk of being shot down.

An army had to invest large sums of money into expensive long-distance missiles.

But what if one could easily and accurately deliver shells and bombs directly over their enemy without having to think about cost, labor, or physical dangers? And what if said enemy didn’t have any interceptor aircraft or anti-aircraft missiles?

Yep, you’ve got a simple and affordable way to pulverize the nucleus of the enemy’s territory.

Beginning free fall.

Mitsuha descended the night sky accompanied by the flock of 5-inch shells. She adjusted course every now and then with successive world-jumps to maintain her position over the target: the imperial castle.

She then jumped herself to the roof of a tall building far away from the castle, leaving the shells to continue their plunge. The explosives would’ve killed her if she stayed with them, obviously. Even if she didn’t get caught in the blast, she couldn’t survive a fall from that height.

Mitsuha had a duty to witness the outcome. And that required her to be in a safe place when the slugs hit the surface.

“Three, two, one, impact!”

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound thundered across the city as the castle went up in flames. They didn’t gain as much speed falling as they would’ve if fired out of cannons, so the impact wasn’t particularly forceful. Five-inch shells were too small to do much damage to a structure made of stone anyway.

I really wish I had 12-inch shells.

Doubling the caliber size increased the shell’s mass by almost fourteen times. The destructive power would’ve been incomparable.

But there’s no use crying over what you don’t have. You gotta fight with the cards you’re dealt!

Oh look, here they come crawling out.

The weapons she used may have been small, but they were getting the job done. Both in terms of physical and mental damage.

People began to pour out of the castle in a state of panic. Trained soldiers and non-combatants alike, everyone was scrambling.

The higher officials and more prominent residents of the imperial castle were likely fleeing to some kind of secret underground cellar. Everyone should’ve been out of the premises by now. Mitsuha hoped so, anyway.

Commence second wave.

Double jump!

This time, Mitsuha was going to fire─or surrender to gravity, rather─multiple small aerial bombs. They weren’t going to have much effect on a stone castle, but they certainly would terrify people.

Mitsuha jumped to the same rooftop as she watched the bombs plummet.

Wait for it… Impact!

Next came the Molotov cocktails, which were already ignited. She had to use them whether she needed to or not.

Double jump!

After round three, she went to the same rooftop to observe the view.

Ah, how picturesque. The imperial castle blazing brightly against the dark of night. It’s like a classical painting…

The stone walls weren’t going to burn for long, but this was about making a display.

Moving on to the next targets.

It was unlikely anyone would be inside the storage building in the evening, and all the soldiers in the barracks had long evacuated after the commotion.

She was going to drop a mix of shells and bombs to wipe it out in one fell swoop.

Jump!

Mitsuha appeared high above the building that allegedly stored food and goods for the castle.

Next, she gave a fire-raising gift of explosives to the (hopefully) deserted barracks.

Finally, she made it rain Molotov cocktails upon the storehouse of the major merchant company that supplied goods for the imperial army.

Hm, that was kind of underwhelming… I guess you’d need cannon ammo like the ones on warships or 500kg bombs to actually put a dent in a stone castle─oh, I’ve got a great idea!

“Castle stones, come with me! Double jump!”

Craaaash!

I bequeath to you a hail of rocks!

No one would be able to figure out what happened even after a thorough investigation. The castle was attacked with its own building material; there wouldn’t be any trace of weapons.

A castle made of stone had just been devastated by a mysterious weapon of mass destruction.

Now that’s how you storm a castle…

Oh crap, the fire at the merchant’s storehouse is spreading. Damn it! I don’t want to burn down the whole capital!

Double double jump!

Splash!

Mitsuha unloaded a torrent of seawater onto the storehouse, washing away its goods and extinguishing the fire. She thought it might be problematic to use seawater from Earth so she grabbed it from this world. That required jumping back and forth between worlds twice.

You haven’t seen the last of me! Muahaha!

Oh, wait… That sounds like something a grunt says after they lose to you.

“Sweet, all done!”

For the second night in a row, Mitsuha was putting up signposts throughout the capital. She was dressed in all black and worked as quickly as she could. She definitely didn’t want to be seen this time.

I could jump away as soon as someone sees me, but still.

The neighborhoods were barren. All of the capital couldn’t possibly be awake, even if there’d been a terrific incident earlier that night. There were no streetlamps, and oil and candles weren’t free. Sleeping during the night and resuming work in the morning was how the people of this world lived. As soon as the injured were treated and the fires at the castle were extinguished, the entire city─except for the immediate vicinity of the royal grounds─went quiet just like any other night.

That allowed Mitsuha to put up all her signs without anyone accosting her.

I’m sure the public bulletin spots will be guarded closely tomorrow and on, though…

“Look!” a passerby exclaimed. “There’s a new post! Let’s see…”

“B-But there’s no way seawater could actually rain on the fields…” doubted a second man.

“Use your brain, you dimwit! ’Member last night when Bellroy Company’s storehouse caught fire? A massive amount of water came down on it. That’s right─it didn’t rain; that water was dumped. The water wrecked the storehouse’s goods, but at least it put out the fire. Lucky for them, they dodged the worst-case scenario. The thing about that water though… It was salty.”

“Huh?”

“What’s more, live fish were flopping around when the water dried. And they weren’t freshwater fish. They were the kind found in the ocean. I know that for a fact because I took some home and cooked them for dinner!”

“Y-You’re quite the adventurous eater…” The second man was stunned by the first man’s boldness.

“Anyway,” said the first man, “the Goddess’s envoy proved that making it ‘rain seawater’ is a cinch for her. She must’ve put out the fire after deciding she went a bit too far with the divine punishment. You know what that means? Such destruction requires no effort on her part.”

Bystanders around the two men stood aghast at what they’d just heard.

Bafflement.

Horror.

There were no other words to describe the expression on the emperor’s face.

“What is going on…”

His subjects in the room shifted uncomfortably. What could they say?

The imperial castle had been burned and destroyed. The conference room and audience chamber were completely unusable, which necessitated cleaning up an unoccupied guest room in haste to hold this emergency meeting.

All the chief leaders of the empire were present, and they were pale as ghosts.

The emperor raged, “‘All of our problems will be solved immediately if we assassinate the young noble girl who calls herself the Goddess’s envoy,’ you said. ‘The fact that Zegleus used its special force only for self-defense both times meant it couldn’t easily be deployed,’ you said. ‘If it could, it would’ve pursued and finished off our retreating armies,’ you said. ‘This is proof that it will not invade our borders,’ you said.

“I followed your advice and look at what happened!”

A heavy silence fell over the room.

It was bad enough that the empire was invaded, but the capital was the first place to go under attack, resulting in the imperial castle suffering the most damage. The Aldar Empire was completely incapable of retaliating. How could they? They were mere humans, and they were pummeled with exploding stones and fire from the heavens. It was divine punishment; resisting was futile.

The fact that the envoy announced the attack beforehand to prevent as many casualties as possible and waited for people to leave the buildings demonstrated how powerful and confident she was. What would happen if she carried out the divine punishment without mercy? And if instead of the sturdy imperial castle, her next targets were the nobles’ estates in the capital and countryside?

The emperor continued, “Theoretically, a successful assassination could’ve solved all our problems. That is, if that girl was, in fact, placed in command of the secret special force as a flashy figurehead─nothing more than a cheerleader to raise the soldiers’ morale and unite the nobility and citizenry─as you claimed. Your exact words were, ‘Based on all evidence, the conclusion we drew is flawless.’

“You even asserted that it’s just a ‘small and slightly unique force that’ll cease to function as a defensive squad as soon as it loses said figurehead.’

“Your observation was that this force requires ample preparation to operate and cannot be moved from a single spot. And now that we’ve uncovered their secret, there were plenty of ways to deal with it. You’re the ones who said that Zegleus’s military superiority will significantly drop and our empire should, once again, negotiate on equal ground─no, from a higher ground.

“I followed your counsel. And this is the result.”

The emperor leered at each face around the room. The subjects shifted and cast their gaze on the floor.

By this time, none of them thought the girl was from a low-ranking noble family or a decorative figurehead. During last night’s attack, those in the room with good eyesight witnessed an unbelievable phenomenon─the silhouette of a young female in the night sky guiding the exploding stones.

They all instinctively knew that last night’s feat wasn’t the full extent of her powers. If the girl had continued to bombard the castle instead of moving on to the deserted barracks and storehouses, it’d be nothing but rubble right now. They couldn’t even imagine the damage if she’d performed her final attack on the castle─which they were calling Meteor Strike─more than once.

The Goddess’s envoy had also shown mercy to the innocent civilians in the capital by dumping water onto the merchant’s enflamed storehouse. If she hadn’t done that, the flames could’ve spread and reduced the entire city to ashes. She was clearly capable of much more than she demonstrated.

The emperor wasn’t finished speaking.

“The problem now is the message found this morning: ‘If no sign of remorse is observed, seawater may rain upon the empire’s grain-producing regions in three days’ time.’ Can she actually do that?”

The emperor looked past the chief leaders surrounding him. His gaze fell on an old man with a scholarly aura.

“Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve confirmed that she used seawater to extinguish last night’s fire. The salt concentration, the fish, the seaweed… There’s little room for doubt. We’ve no reason to think she cannot do the same to our breadbasket.”

The air in the room grew heavy.

“So… There is nothing we can do to oppose her?”

“That is correct.” The elderly man’s tone was firm as if he was presenting at an academic conference. “Unless you hold power that surpasses that of a god, Your Majesty.”

No one said a word.

I am prepared to talk. I await contact from you.

They all knew exactly what it was about.

Who the heck would accept an invitation like that?!

They’re just gonna stake me with spears and arrows the moment I arrive and turn me into a hedgehog. I’d bet ten gold coins on that.

Not that I’d be getting any money if I won that bet. I’d kinda be dead.

And if I lose, I’d still have to pay up…

So yeah, pass! It’s a lose-lose for me!

When Mitsuha visited the bustling public bulletin area and read the new sign, she had to doubt the sanity of the person who wrote it. Did they really think she would saunter into the imperial castle without fear of harm? She’d already sworn off putting up any more signs because it was too dangerous at this point. There were bound to be guards waiting to capture or shoot her.

She was currently in disguise with a blonde wig, colored contacts, foundation to lighten her skin tone, and shabby-looking clothing. As long as she kept her head down, not even someone who’d seen the Lightning Archpriestess from a distance would’ve recognized her. The disguise made her feel safe enough to be in the crowded city during the day.

My offense stats when I’ve got my guns is unbeatable, but without them I’m a glass cannon. I couldn’t just waltz into the imperial castle unarmed.

The empire could’ve tried to send messengers to Zegleus’s capital, but it was highly unlikely they’d arrive within the three-day time limit. Even if they did get there before the deadline, they’d essentially be cold calling the king. An audience with him was unlikely without making an appointment first.

Regardless, meeting with the king would’ve been pointless. He’d have no idea what they were talking about. Sabine may have mentioned a word or two, but all she could’ve told him was that Mitsuha was attacked and Colette was injured; at that point, Mitsuha hadn’t told her who sent the assassin or what her next steps were. That meant the king was utterly uninformed on the matter.

There’s no point in thinking about this. Three days isn’t enough time to send a messenger to Zegleus.

Besides, I don’t care what the king thinks.

I’m not acting as Viscountess Yamano. The king has no authority over me right now. I also don’t intend to see him until this is all over.

Right now, I’m just Mitsuha Yamano.

Colette’s best friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

No one, not even the king. can stop me.

The emperor jumped out of his throne in response to his subordinate’s report the next morning.

“N-No, Your Majesty. We posted guards to keep watch all through the night, but no one approached the bulletin areas…”

“You fools! Of course she’s not going to risk putting up any signs when there are guards around! Don’t post any guards tonight, nor do anything else I didn’t expressly command!”

Despite the emperor’s orders, a handful of chief officers staffed a few guards that night in the hope of capturing the girl and getting recognition. This resulted in one of the guards killing an innocent girl who happened to pass by a public bulletin area. It was immediately clear that the girl had nothing to do with the current crisis, and another night passed without the holy messenger leaving any signposts.

“This shall apply to everyone regardless of social rank. Consider anyone who defends the accused or tries to delay their execution equally guilty! Send them all to the chopping block! We’re short on time. There’s no need to check with me before each execution. All who disobey my orders and endanger the empire are traitors who shall never be forgiven. We may as well take this opportunity to purge all the disloyal fools and anyone else who risks harm upon the empire. If doing so means we have the slightest chance of appeasing the Goddess’s envoy, don’t hesitate!”

Citizens who disobeyed the emperor’s orders and intentionally ruined his last-ditch effort to save the empire deserved nothing less. The ruler wouldn’t have been able to execute vassals without a valid reason or evidence of crime during peace time, but there was nothing stopping him from eliminating any unfaithful subjects or those in opposing factions now. After all, they were traitors who directly opposed their liege and prioritized their own interests while the empire was facing a disaster.

One guard had even made an attempt to kill the Goddess’s envoy. It was highly unlikely anyone would object. Not the nobility, the populace, nor the church.

And thus, another whole day was lost, leaving only one more day.

It’d been less than half a day since an innocent girl was tragically killed. A new sign had been put up before noon the next day. The imperial government knew how little time they had left and unlike Mitsuha, they didn’t have to worry about posting signs at night.

The sign read:

Okay, fine. I guess it’s safe to assume it’s addressing me. But imagine if I strutted into the castle only for the emperor to say, “I never wrote such a message. Capture her now!” I’d have to be a moron.

I could easily escape by jumping but that’s beside the point.

Also, I couldn’t care less if there were guards around the public bulletin boards. I’m definitely done posting signs. It’s way too risky at this point.

I can check for updates from them during the day just like anyone else. There’s no need to put my life in danger by going out at night.

Besides, who wouldn’t assume there’d be guards on lookout? Or the possibility of them capturing or killing me? The authorities would be idiots if they didn’t at least have some increased security.

But instead, the emperor went rogue─forbidding the guards to be stationed at the site, beheading people willy-nilly─all so he can shove blame onto his subjects?

He doesn’t get it, does he? There’s no way I could trust someone like that.

Anyway, the emperor and his subjects have one day left.

I’m not actually going to dump seawater on their grain fields, of course. The consequences of that would be catastrophic. Seawater wouldn’t immediately kill anyone, but it’d ruin the soil and cause mass starvation for years to come. That would create a hellscape worse than any war.

I did say. “If no sign of remorse is observed.” on my signposts… In other words, the empire will be spared if they do show remorse. I’m sure they realized that by now. They’ve gotta have some smart advisors, right?

The emperor had summoned his most trusted subjects─including his sharpest advisor─but he was about to receive the shock of his life.

“Lord Jeralis died a few hours ago…”

“Huh…? How is that possible?! He was in perfect health at our conference this morning! What the hell happened?! I’m in need of his intellect! Was it a foreign assassin?! Why didn’t you tell me immediately?!”

“No, he was beheaded…”

“Huh…?”

The emperor’s stomach sank at the unexpected news.

“Don’t tell me…”

“It’s true, Your Majesty. I heard that he cried until the very end to be allowed to speak to you…”

“Round up everyone who ignored my orders and tried to kill the envoy─including anyone who gave such instructions, agreed with them, or carried them out─and behead them! That goes for their families and followers as well! Right this instant!

“That applies to everyone regardless of social rank. Consider anyone who defends the accused or tries to delay their execution equally guilty! Send them all to the chopping block!

“We’re short on time. There’s no need to check with me before each execution.”

If followed literally, those orders meant that if someone did express even the slightest doubt about the emperor’s actions, they and all their family members and followers were to be executed. Anyone who fit the criteria, even remotely─including high officials─was likely to be purged without the emperor’s supervision.

So if, for instance, a member of Jeralis’s family tried to capture the envoy… Or he witnessed one of his subordinates or relatives getting arrested and tried to interfere… Or simply asked for an explanation…

The emperor’s executive orders were being carried out even as they spoke, resulting in the deaths of not just disloyal or incompetent subjects, but highly trustworthy ones as well.

“I-I take it back!” he cried. “Stop everyone from following my orders immediately! Hurry!”

One of his subordinates scampered out of the room. The emperor stood there shellshocked.

“This can’t be real… Jeralis is… Jeralis is dead?”

Jeralis was a close friend since childhood and the emperor’s right-hand man. He was a marquis’s heir, a man of supreme intellect and judgment.

And now he was dead.

No, he’s not just dead. He’s dead because of me. I killed him. It was my fault…

Panic. Fury. Thoughts he never imagined himself admitting to began welling up.

The weight of his words as a ruler was finally descending upon his shoulders.

“Ah… Aaah… Waaaaaauughhhh…” he bellowed and fell to his knees.

In that moment, he ceased to be the ambitious, territory-grabbing leader of the Aldar Empire. Crumpled in his place was a withered middle-aged man, broken by the gravity of his own actions.

I surrender.

Emperor Shultrack III of the Aldar Empire.

I thought he’d hold out a little longer…

I wonder if something happened. Maybe his trusted advisors begged him to yield, or the nobles were on the brink of rebellion…

Oh well, I suppose “surrender” doesn’t mean that much in this case. He’s not surrendering to another country, but rather to the Goddess’s envoy. It’s not like he’ll be ceding territory, paying for expensive repairs, or allowing his citizens to be enslaved. He’s probably thinking he can get away with an apology and a little humiliation.

I bet that’s why he surrendered. Had his opponent been a nation, he wouldn’t have raised the white flag so easily. He figures that I’ll be satisfied with a little admission of guilt.

Unfortunately for him, the world isn’t so soft.

And neither am I.

All right, time to return to Japan and make some photocopies!

I’m gonna use my printer/scanner/copy machine at home this time. Making copies at the convenience store is a chore, and I could never go back if anyone sees me making flyers in a strange language.

Epson’s all-in-one ink tank printers are reliable and cost effective! Best purchase ever!

The flyer was text-only. I copied them in grayscale to save some ink.

Mitsuha jumped away right after dropping the stack of paper. There was no need to watch and make sure they landed in the city. She was also closing in on the ground so she had to move quickly to avoid a crash. She could’ve dropped them from higher, but fewer would’ve landed within the borders.

With this many copies, one of them was bound to end up in the emperor’s hands, and the message would’ve spread to the citizens and foreign visitors all over the capital.

What the emperor did to the Goddess’s envoy.

What the angered envoy demanded of the emperor.

How the emperor responded.

Word of these events and the emperor’s promise to the holy envoy was about to circulate throughout the entire continent. Mitsuha had to make sure the agreement wouldn’t end up between just the two of them; he might break his promise or find a loophole otherwise. But if the citizens of his country and the surrounding lands knew the full story, he wouldn’t be able to weasel out without ruining his nation’s honor.

People would talk. “If the empire broke their promise to the Goddess’s envoy, they wouldn’t hesitate to break a treaty with another nation,” “Promises from the empire mean nothing,” and “Why the hell would we blindly honor a treaty the empire has no intention of keeping?”

Even a country as powerful as the Aldar Empire would suffer without the trust of their neighboring governments. No matter how tense a country’s diplomatic relations could be, they at least had to have trade relations. Their future would be bleak if imports and exports were cut off.

The empire also suffered great losses to their army in the failed invasions of Zegleus and Princess Kak-Kak-Kak’s kingdom. The two events were major blows not just to their economy, but also to their labor force. Skilled soldiers, especially, were lost. Mitsuha intentionally targeted the commanders and officers of the imperial army. They weren’t drafted recruits like farmers; they were the finest men the empire had poured years and vast amounts of money into training.

The two disasters placed the empire in quite a weakened state in terms of military strength, financial security, the faith of the citizenry…and the unity of the nobility and army.

That was hardly surprising; the empire went on a reckless campaign only to return with two major defeats. The losses would’ve been easier to stomach if the imperial army fought bravely and won, but both wars ended in one-sided routs.

Soldiers died in vain without having gained any territory, slaves, or riches.

Civilians lost their families.

Nobles lost their heirs.

Military officers lost reliable combatants.

Their loyalty to the emperor was being tested.

And now, the empire was about to take a third beating. They had to deal with the conditions the Goddess’s envoy just announced.

At first, I thought about demanding the executions of everyone involved along with their family and followers, but on second thought… Well, I was kinda serious. But only because I was seeing red. Once I calmed down, I decided against going that far.

Of course, if Colette was permanently disabled or something, things would’ve been much different. I would’ve wiped the empire off the map, probably…

The reason Mitsuha didn’t demand more was because the empire’s citizenry would end up bearing the brunt of it. The invasion of Princess Kak-Kak-Kak’s kingdom was a direct result of the failed invasion of Zegleus.

The empire had spent a lot of money on war expenditures and suffered many casualties trying to seize Zegleus. They also lost a lot of food and supplies. This led to discontent among the nobility, the army, and the citizenry.

The second invasion was a desperate attempt to fix that predicament. Another war would’ve given the army something to do; the nobility would’ve reaped rewards in the form of new territory, slaves, and reparations; the citizens would’ve gained a sense of pride in their nation’s strong military.

The empire took another gamble…and lost.

That worsened the situation.

Mitsuha knew that demanding too much from the empire in their current state could cause their people to starve. That was why the only tangible compensation she demanded was the 2,300 gold coins. That was a lot of money for a commoner, but only a few cents to a noble or royal.

Twenty-three hundred gold coins felt like the equivalent of only 230,000,000 yen in Japan. Actually, converting those gold coins to US dollars and then to yen would only get you about 60,000,000 yen…

Asking for any less would’ve put her in the red. Mitsuha had to pay for the shells and bombs, and she was terrified of what Colette’s total hospital bill would come out to. It wasn’t uncommon to hear stories of Japanese people going overseas and getting appendicitis or going into early labor and getting saddled with medical bills of up to almost six figures. Getting international travel insurance was crucial when traveling abroad.

Unfortunately, Colette’s hospital bill could range anywhere from tens of thousands, possibly up to a hundred thousand dollars. Her discharge was going to take some time, and in the worst case she might even need a second surgery. Mitsuha was willing to pay that much if it was going to minimize Colette’s scarring.

The 2,300 gold coins were just enough to avoid losing money. It was possible she could still end up owing more. That would depend largely on whether the mercenary gangs that sold their ammo to Wolf Fang ripped them off and whether the arms dealer overcharged for their old inventory.

The sellers could probably tell that the guys were in a rush and would fork out. I didn’t give them a budget either, which was my bad.

Anyway, 2,300 gold coins were pennies to the empire. There was little reason to doubt their leader would pay up.

As for the last demand, the emperor was likely going to cling to his throne, but the nobility and extended royal family were going to drag him off regardless of his wishes. For all Mitsuha cared, they could stir up a succession feud and plunge the empire’s leadership into chaos.

The line in Mitsuha’s message, “Your successor must come not from your direct lineage, but rather from your extended family or another noble family” was placed intentionally to encourage such discord. Removing the emperor’s sons and grandsons from the line of succession would greatly expand the pool of who could ascend the throne. The next emperor could be a niece or nephew of the current emperor, one of their children, or an unrelated high-ranking noble.

Furthermore, while they wouldn’t be eligible for the throne, the emperor’s children and grandchildren would likely conspire to seize power. There was also a chance they would resist accepting the envoy’s demands to the bitter end. That would be the only way for the emperor’s direct descendants to become the next ruler.

Whatever happened, the empire would be incapable of invading another country for a long time.

And now we wait for their response to my flyers. I wonder what they’ll say…

Oh, I’m calling off the seawater thing, of course.

Not that I was going to do it in the first place.

Just kidding. It’s the next day and I’m in the royal palace.

“…And that’s what happened.”

No one in the room uttered a word.

Mitsuha just finished reporting to the king. The usual attendees were present: the chancellor, Marquis Eiblinger, the crown prince, the first princess, and Sabine.

Why the heck are the last two here…

Mitsuha’s guardian, Count Bozes, was extremely busy in his territory and therefore wasn’t present for this meeting.

There wasn’t any point in inviting him; he wouldn’t have been able to make it to the capital in time. Hence, we left him out of our club.

By the way, why are the second princess and second prince excluded this time?

Actually, never mind. Those two are emotional support characters. They don’t belong here scheming and conspiring with us.

Wait, then what about the first princess and Sabine?! They’re even more out of place!

“So, Your Majesty, would you mind collecting the reparations and written oath from the empire in my place?”

“What…?”

Mitsuha wasn’t asking the king to go collect the money and oath himself, obviously. She wanted him to send one of his royal henchmen to do it. Whoever he appointed would probably be safe; it was hard to imagine the empire would harm a simple messenger at the risk of destroying their country.

She personally had very low defense and combat stats, and she knew that very well. Take away her world-jumping power and her guns, Mitsuha Yamano was just an ordinary girl. Her healing power worked slowly, so a lethal wound would kill her just the same as anyone else. She was only able to self-heal as long as she was alive, so if her head was chopped off or crushed, or if she was shot through the heart, that was the end for her. Sadly, slicing her clean down the middle would not result in her regenerating into two separate Mitsuhas.

Killing her wouldn’t be difficult. There were plenty of ways she could die. Sending an assassin, ambushing her with soldiers, sniping her with an arrow, or dropping a boulder on her carriage when she was traveling through the mountains… It was only if she noticed her assailants before the strike that she could stop them by jumping away with them buck naked─or just jump their weapons away. If she didn’t notice them, however, or if they sniped her from point-blank range before she had a chance to react, she’d be dead.

Unless my safety is guaranteed, I’m not willing to meet with anyone from the empire.

I made it very clear to the public that “the envoy was unharmed because she has the full protection of the Goddess,” which should imply that not only are their attempts to hurt me futile, but that I will return with vengeance. That should deter them from attacking me again.

Which is why their punishment needs to be thorough. And word of it must spread far and wide.

…All of this must be done to maintain an impenetrable shield against future attacks.

“Also,” she added, “if you could leak─actually, if you could publicly announce the fact that you accepted reparations from the empire on my behalf, and disclose exactly what those reparations are, I would appreciate it.”

“You’re a monster!” the whole room cried in unison.

What that announcement would mean for the empire─particularly for the imperial family─was not lost on anyone in the meeting. That included Sabine, of course.

“Are you sure about this…?” The king was worried, and rightfully so. “We’d be revealing to the world that the Archpriestess, by herself, was capable of forcing the empire into an unconditional surrender.”

Mitsuha was well aware of that. All intel about her until now had suggested that while she led an almighty military squad, she alone had no power.

As such, whether the squad was a secret weapon of Zegleus or─closer to the truth─the property of Mitsuha’s native land, taking her as a spouse wouldn’t give the husband’s family access to it.

If the former were true, the squad’s commander role would be passed to the next Archpriestess upon Mitsuha’s matrimony. If the latter were true, her home country would cease to unconditionally protect her because she’d no longer be their princess. She’d become a citizen of the country she was married off to, and it’d be up to her husband and his land to protect her.

That meant that either way, her new family would not own the divine soldiers.

But if it came to light that Mitsuha could contend with the empire without the special force, what would that mean?

Mitsuha tilted her head. “I’m gonna be flooded with marriage proposals…?”

“Well, that’s true too, but…”

The news would spawn desperate competition for Mitsuha’s hand in marriage. She was already known as the Lightning Archpriestess and the Goddess’s envoy, but very few people took those titles literally.

Most of this kingdom’s nobles believed her to be an older sister of a foreign king, and she happened to possess a secret art called “Traversal”─a craft that sapped her life force each time she used it. To them, she was nothing more than a child with a fickle power that could only be used in an emergency. She wasn’t worth taking advantage of.

They also believed that if provoked, she was capable of summoning an army mighty enough to annihilate ancient dragons.

A top-secret, extraordinary army that could appear in an instant in your own territory, at your estate… Or right behind you.

Rallying against Viscountess Yamano and winning may result in a small profit. Losing, on the other hand, meant death to your family and followers, and the eradication of your household. No one was going to take that chance.

The entire nobility also knew that Mitsuha risked her life to save a commoner─Colette─from a pack of wolves and was critically injured in the process.

In other words, she was a total wildcard whose actions were unpredictable─a mysterious foreign bomb that could blow at any moment. Not that this kingdom knows what bombs are yet.

Nobles saw Mitsuha as too big a risk for too little return. Very few, if any, thought about pulling a fast one on her.

That was the case until now. If the events that just occurred in the empire went public, everything would change. Word that she was, in fact, the Goddess’s envoy─an absurdly powerful one at that─and not just a token figurehead would spread throughout Zegleus and the surrounding countries.

The faraway countries that didn’t have spies in the imperial capital wouldn’t believe the tale. By the time the news reached them, they’d likely be hearing a greatly embellished rumor.

The nobility of this kingdom and the leaders of the neighboring countries had firsthand accounts, and thus would be able to verify the truth.

One could easily guess what would happen next.

Zegleus and most of its neighbors wouldn’t behave any differently. This kingdom wasn’t the warmongering type, and other countries were unlikely to pick a fight knowing that Mitsuha was a true envoy of the Goddess. No allies of Zegleus would be dumb enough to antagonize them now.

Only delusionally bold people with nothing to lose would indulge in reckless gambles. Someone with a respectable reputation, power, wealth, and a family they loved was much more likely to play it safe.

A man who had nothing to lose might play for high stakes, but someone with a hundred million dollars wouldn’t risk it all for a chance to gain an extra million. That was almost certainly the mindset of the neighboring allies.

That was why Mitsuha prioritized deterring people from trying to attack her and her friends despite the potential negative consequences of her actions.

What’s that? Shouldn’t I be worried about this kingdom’s citizens fearing me?

Nah, it’ll be fine. I’ve already put on quite a display during the battle to defend the capital. I doubt treatment of me will change that much. If the people felt no differently toward me after that ordeal, this won’t faze them.

I mean, I repelled an invading army, a horde of monsters, and three ancient dragons. Conquering the imperial capital is mild in comparison…

On that note, I’m delegating (dumping) the task of negotiating with the empire (collecting the reparations and confirming that the other agreement was fulfilled) to one of Zegleus’s officials. I’m always doing them favors, so I’m sure they won’t mind settling the score every now and then.

The king pondered, “Hm, I suppose that’s one of several moves you can make on the board right now, and one that’s not entirely indefensible. That is, if we don’t take your personal wellbeing into consideration, Mitsuha.”

The king is worried about me, I get it. But Colette’s safety, as well as that of the orphans and my county citizens, is my top priority. Drilling the message, “You will lose everything if you mess with me or my people,” into the world’s head supersedes any concerns about my personal position.

What about Sabine, you ask? Princesses are under the protection of royal guards 24/7. Attacking a member of the royal family would instantly start a war..She’s in a much safer place than I am.

Anyway, I think I can forget about the empire for a while. I’m sure the last flyer made it clear I’m not gonna go through with the seawater threat. The uproar caused by the emperor’s abdication, the disinheritance of his children and grandchildren, and the succession feud between the extended imperial family and nobility will take some time to settle.

I just wanna collect the things I asked for and be over with it. The imperial family and its ruling class can tear themselves apart for all I care. Go ahead and drain your own wealth and send assassins after each other. It beats spending imperial wealth and sacrificing the lives of the citizens.

“All right, please take care of the rest! I need to go check on Colette!”

“Hey, wait! Don’t just foist everything upon us and leave! Give us a little more detail! I said wait─”

Too late, Your Majesty! You can’t catch me!

Jump!

“You’re a monster!”

Colette was gobsmacked by Mitsuha’s tale of her revenge against the empire.

They were deep underground in the top-secret lair of a hospital in England…

Just kidding..We’re actually on the sixth floor above ground. Underground is the morgue. I just thought that would sound cooler.

Mitsuha was done with her payback project for now so she was spending the entire day keeping Colette company. Sabine was also present. Mitsuha’s heart ached for Colette; she must’ve felt so helpless and lonely being stuck in a foreign land and unable to see her family.

She wasn’t ill or anything, and after a successful surgery, she didn’t need to be in the ICU or HCU anymore. Colette now had a private room all to herself. A shared room with other patients would’ve raised issues.

While she was able to speak some English, she wouldn’t have much to talk about with anyone other than Mitsuha and Sabine. Any topic regarding the other world was off-limits and she knew nothing about England. Mitsuha thought about giving Colette candy to lure other hospitalized children into her room. That way, she’d at least have someone talk to, but there was a chance that very young spies could slip in among them. Mitsuha doubted the UK government had bad intentions, but there was no way they’d pass up such a perfect opportunity to gather intel on her.

That was why she was making sure either herself or Sabine was at the hospital during the day. Not at night, though.

Colette’s loyalty toward Mitsuha was ironclad, but she wasn’t savvy enough to deal with wily intelligence operatives. Having Sabine there was partially a countermeasure against the spies. She’d know how to handle them.

When Mitsuha was at the hospital, Sabine was usually sent back to the royal palace. I couldn’t let a princess spend all her time away from home. The royal family would kill me otherwise!

Unfortunately, that meant Sabine wasn’t getting any playtime with Mitsuha.

She’s been pretty upset about that, which I get. But it’s gonna take at least a few more days for Colette to be discharged. That’s why I’m trying to spend some time with both of them right now.

Mitsuha filled them in about the last few days, and they reacted by calling her a monster.

I’ve been visiting every day, I swear. I just haven’t been updating them about the imperial capital because of the uncertain nature of the situation… Now that it’s over, I was able to give them the whole story.

Mitsuha had told Colette’s parents about the injury, of course. She apologized profusely and admitted that while their daughter’s injuries weren’t life-threatening or permanently disabling, she would be left with a little scarring.

“There are no village girls without a scar or two. If there are, it’s a mark of laziness,” they joked.

Um, hello? Your daughter almost died!

Tobias said, “It’s expected of a commoner to risk their life protecting their noble lord. Colette wasn’t protecting you because you’re her master, but because you’re her best friend. You’re the reason she’s still alive today, so it’s only natural she’d devote her life trying to save yours.” He was smiling but his eyes seemed a bit sullen.

Yeah… He’s worried for me and only said that to make me feel better.

Anyway, I needed to apologize, and I did.

I also apologized to the king for stealing Sabine away to watch Colette. But that apology wasn’t nearly as important. I only did it to make sure I wouldn’t owe him anything. Sabine’s the one helping me, not him. That means any payment would go to her.

Not that Sabine would accept a reward for taking care of Colette. She’s not the type to ask for compensation for helping a friend. If I try to give her any payment, she might snap and accuse me of insulting her character…

…only to then demand an apology gift. Which she’d have no reservations about accepting because it would have nothing to do with taking care of Colette.

That’s Sabine for you.

“You don’t have to do this anymore, you know?” Colette said.

“Huh? Do what?” Mitsuha asked.

“Keep me company. I asked one of the nurses, and she said that this place offers ‘full and com-pre-hen-sive care,’ which means you don’t have to be here all the time. They’re only letting you and Sabine see me outside of visitation hours because I’m a kid and I’m not really fluent in English.”

That was probably an order from this country’s leaders. Not that I’m complaining.

“And you’re super busy, right? With your county, the New World, and everything else. So you don’t have to spend all your time here. I’m pretending to speak in broken English so I don’t get hounded with questions, but I can understand almost everything they’re saying. I pretend I don’t if it’s something I don’t wanna answer. The language isn’t a problem for me.

“Oh, by the way, can you bring me a lot of books and ‘blue-rays’?”

Sabine calls the discs “dee-vee-dees” while Colette calls them “blue-rays.” Sure enough, Colette’s learning faster than─wait, that doesn’t matter right now!.I know her life isn’t in danger, but there’s no way a nine-year-old girl like her won’t be lonely on her own in a foreign country.

I made Colette worry about me too, just like her dad.

“Bring a game console and lots of candy and fruits too!” Sabine chimed in with a sparkle in her eye.

Why are you adding to her order, Sabine?! You just want to laze around here forever, don’t you…

Mitsuha decided to do as Colette said and got back to work. She’d still see her briefly during visitation hours, just not for long periods of time like before.

What about Sabine, you ask?

Hahaha…

She decided to redeem part of the reward ticket I gave her for listening to the voice recorders all night. Her demand? “Jump me between the hospital and your Japanese house at the hours I scheduled.” The nerve of her, I swear.

She specifically wants me to jump her to the en-suite bathroom at the hospital. It’s unlikely that any doctors or nurses would go in the patient’s bathroom. I’ll jump us right by the door in case Colette is using it. Getting a private room is backfiring on me, isn’t it…

Colette’s room was an extremely expensive deluxe suite. It was even soundproof. That was why she had a spacious private bathroom. And for some reason, the nurses hadn’t said anything about Mitsuha and Sabine hanging out past the regular visiting hours.

They must’ve gotten orders from the higher.ups to let us do whatever we want as long as it doesn’t harm Colette’s health, or something like that. I mean, they gave her a room upgrade even though I’m paying for a regular room. The government has to be involved─oh wait!

I told the hospital staff that we’re foreign nobles traveling abroad in secret! They also saw the “classified agents” rush in and send the police away so they could take over. The agents came back to speak with me multiple times. There’s no way we’re not gonna get special treatment after that!

The hospital staff members also think we’re victims of a criminal assault.

Hmm… I wonder if the room upgrade is a show of kindness from the hospital, or if the government is paying the difference.Eh, I don’t really care which it is. As long as it’s not coming out of my pocket.

Also, Sabine had a reason for asking me to jump her between the hospital and my house in Japan instead of the royal palace. She twisted her father’s arm by arguing, “What kind of royal doesn’t rush to the aid of a best friend in danger?! I’m not leaving Colette’s side!” She hasn’t been back to the royal palace since.

Little does her father know she’s been taking advantage of this arrangement to enjoy a break from her studies.

“Hey, guys. Anything new here?” She swung the door open and greeted her employees.

It was fifteen minutes after closing time and the customers were long gone.

“Oh, Boss!” said Rudina. “Actually, I do have a small problem…”

After Rudina and Sylua finished cleaning up and prepping for the next day, they joined Mitsuha for tea at one of the tables and filled her in on the shocking news.

“You were proposed to, Rudina?!”

It wasn’t the eighteen-year-old Sylua who received a marriage proposal, as one might expect, but the thirteen-year-old Rudina. Sylua was ever so subtly seething.

She’s become a lot more expressive… Or maybe she’s just that upset about losing to a girl five years her junior.

The legal age of marriage in this country was much lower than in developed countries. Even on modern-day Earth, there were some places where children as young as twelve could get married. That was once true of Japan as well. It wasn’t rare for thirteen-year-olds to be married off during the Heian period.

But I’m pretty sure the legal marriage age in this country is slightly higher.

“Oh, I can’t get married right away, of course. It’s just an engagement…”

That made more sense. Anyone could get engaged regardless of the country’s laws. Even a newborn baby could be arranged with a fiancé.

But Rudina isn’t a noble or an heir to a wealthy family. Why would a former orphan need to get engaged at thirteen? Can’t she just wait until she’s old enough and tie the knot then? Unlike a noble, she wouldn’t need a huge amount of time and resources to prepare and coordinate with the spouse’s family.

Maybe the guy is just really desperate to lock her down…

“Is he a friend from the orphanage?” asked Mitsuha.

“No. The thing is, I don’t really know him…”

“WHAT?! Spill it all!”

According to Rudina, a man in his mid-twenties started frequenting the café recently. He’d been spending most of his time ogling Sylua’s chest until he proposed to Rudina out of the blue.

Sylua was Gold Coin’s only waitress, so she naturally drew a lot of attention. Despite her aloofness, she had a pretty face and a busty figure. She certainly was old enough for a man to ask out. It was actually surprising it hadn’t happened yet.

Rudina was pretty in her own right, but in a cute, childlike way. She was only thirteen, after all.

Well, she’s about the same height as me, but you can chalk that up to racial differences. She still looks thirteen to the people around here… Just like I do─

“Hold it! Is he a pedophile?!” Mitsuha blurted.

Oh wait, that would mean anyone who pursues me is into little girls too!

“Aah! Aaaaaughhh!” She pulled her hair and screeched at the realization.

Calm down… I don’t need to freak out! I look around fifteen or sixteen in Japan, and it’s not unusual in the other world for kids as young as twelve to get married! I’m a noble over there. If I get engaged and wait two or three years, everyone will assume I’m fifteen or sixteen regardless of my appearance! Besides, the people in the other world believe my growth is stunted because of all my life force being spent on Traversal!

Mitsuha took slow, deep breaths.

Wait a second. Was I just assuming I’m gonna get married in the other world? Have I given up on getting married on Earth?

No. Nope, nope, nope. Not now! Aaaah!

She got so worked up that she started dry heaving.

“Uh,” she gulped, “l-let’s move on, shall we?!”

Right now, she needed to focus on Rudina. Did this man actually like her? Was he in love with her? Most importantly, was he an earnest man?

Rudina started, “I’m always either behind the counter or cooking in the kitchen, so the customers barely see me. I almost never get a chance to chat with them. Sylua spends much more time around the customers, even if she doesn’t talk to them any more than I do.”

And yet, the man still chose Rudina over Sylua. Rudina didn’t seem to notice she was casually throwing shade at her subordinate. The older girl noticed, of course, and looked quite irked.

“I rejected the proposal immediately. But he’s been chummy with me ever since, and he keeps trying to slip behind the counter and into the kitchen. It’s been a problem…”

What the hell? That’s inexcusable!

From a sanitation standpoint alone, no restaurant should ever let a customer into the kitchen. Restaurant employees despise regulars who impose on them like that, even if they don’t openly complain to them. It’s not an easy thing to do when you work in customer service. What the man was doing was reprehensible.

Such people weren’t seen as valued customers, but rather nuisances who could be banned any day.

“He’s also constantly trying to meddle with the café, offering to help me run it or telling me I need to raise the prices to make a bigger profit.”

Huh? I don’t care how much he might like Rudina, that seems way too invasive. She may be the manager, but she still works for me. A manager doesn’t have the authority to change company policy or hire a business advisor. She happens to have a lot of freedom in the café’s operations, but that’s only because I allow it.

None of that is this man’s business. So why does he care so mu─

OH!

A light bulb flicked over Mitsuha’s head. She looked about fifteen in Japan, but only around twelve or thirteen in the West, as well as in the other world and most other countries on Earth.

The other world had a cheap and ample source of protein in the form of monster meat, which was why people there were the same size as people on modern-day Earth. Humans during medieval times were undernourished and much smaller. Not that the other world was relevant to this situation.

Mitsuha’s efforts to open Gold Coin took her all around the town, and she even carried out the job interviews herself. It was well known that the owner was a preteen girl, and that knowledge had spread in the dark side of society too.

There were no photos of the owner in circulation.

Sylua, the waitress, was eighteen.

Rudina was thirteen and the manager/accountant/head chef.

It was hard to believe a thirteen-year-old could possibly be in that position. But if you assumed she was a rich girl who simply liked to cook and run a café for fun, it became plausible. Which would also explain the low prices that likely didn’t produce much of a profit─something the café adamantly maintained even at the risk of frustrating other local restaurants.

Furthermore, the description of the owner was a “preteen girl.”

Rudina lived in the café. The waitress was clearly skilled at combat and she was always close by. The local criminal gangs didn’t bother the business, which could only mean one thing: Rudina had a powerful person backing her.

Mitsuha proclaimed, “This is definitely a case of ‘He thinks you’re the owner and he’s after your supposed family wealth.’ Strike one! He’s out!”

She explained her realization to Rudina and Sylua. They looked surprised at first but then seemed to grasp the scenario.

Sylua visibly perked up upon learning that the man didn’t choose Rudina because he found her more attractive. I wouldn’t have thought she cared about that kind of thing, but I guess she’s a regular teenage girl after all…

“Next time you see him, try telling him that you grew up as an orphan and that you’re not the owner. If he doesn’t believe you, you could have the director of your old orphanage testify─oh! Inviting the director here to dine might be nice, actually. You know, to show them your workplace and how well you’re doing.”

“Huh…”

That’s a good idea. I’d like Rudina to be able to show the orphanage’s staff that she’s independent and thriving as a café manager. It’d be even better if we could invite all the children too, but there’s not enough seating…

Oh! What if we just close the restaurant for the day and replace the café furniture with cafeteria tables and folding chairs? It’d be a cinch with my world-jumping power.

Yeah, we should do it regardless of that loli creep. If I really have to, I can just sic the “agents” on him. It’s much more important that Rudina uses this occasion to show her old orphanage what she’s been up to.

“Yep, we’re doing it!”

“WHAAAT?!”

Gold Coin was usually closed for business on weekends.

But today, every seat in the café was filled. The director of the orphanage, the staff, and the children were all here. There was a sign on the door that read, “Closed for private event.”

The usual café tables were gone and replaced with cheap, long cafeteria tables. Extra chairs were added too. The guests had been informed that the long tables were only for today because there wouldn’t be enough seating otherwise, and that the usual dining furniture was nicer.

No café would ever do business with cafeteria furnishings. Mitsuha couldn’t have the guests thinking the café always looked this shoddy.

Gold Coin’s three staff stood behind the counter. Rudina looked nervous, Sylua’s expression was as blank as ever, and Mitsuha was wearing a waitress’s uniform. The two café employees wouldn’t have been able to serve this many people on their own and Mitsuha wanted to help without being a distraction. She didn’t, however, want her name and face to be recognized as the café’s owner. That’d put her in danger. Hence, she was here today as a part-time helper. She warned the two girls not to act weird around her. Today was all about Rudina.

“W-Welcome to our café…” Rudina greeted everyone in the room. “On the owner’s generosity, I’ve invited you here today to show you my place of work and to thank you for taking care of me. I wish I could let you order whatever you want, but it’s just the three of us here, so we went ahead and chose the course menu. P-Please enjoy yourselves.”

The girl was having stage fright, which was surprising given how thick-skinned she seemed most of the time. But she got through her words of welcome without fumbling too much and everyone applauded.

The café staff brought out the dishes, which was prepped beforehand. Some of them could be served right away while others only required reheating in the kitchen. The tables were set in no time.

The dishes they prepared today fell into two major categories:

The first was food that would normally never be served at an orphanage, either because it was too time-consuming to make or because it required slightly expensive ingredients.

The second was food that was common at the orphanage but had been improved by using more and better ingredients.

I guess you could call the first category. “Food Rudina Always Wanted to Eat Series,” and the second. “Food That Would Be Good with a Little More Effort Series.” The latter dishes were obviously cheap to make, but the former dishes weren’t too costly either. The orphanage just didn’t have the time or budget for them.

Mitsuha could see why Rudina decided on this menu. With her current salary, she could’ve treated everyone to steak, but that wasn’t the point of today. Rather than giving them a once-in-a-lifetime luxurious feast, she wanted to give them a slightly fancy meal they could realistically afford in the future if they worked hard.

That said, she didn’t hold back on quantity. She made enough so everyone could eat until they were stuffed and still have leftovers. Having such an abundance of food was probably Rudina’s biggest dream when she was at the orphanage.

“Dig in, everyone!” Mitsuha smiled.

None of the children were touching their food, so she felt the need to speak up. Rudina was back in the kitchen finishing up the cooking─mostly just reheating─and Sylua definitely couldn’t be counted on to say something thoughtful.

On that cue, the children began to devour the food like ravenous beasts.

The adults looked pleased by their enthusiasm, and picked up their own eating utensils.

“Oh my…”

The orphanage director’s lips curled up. Rudina used to make the same dishes at the orphanage, but this time, she went all out on the ingredients and seasonings to make them exactly as she’d always dreamed.

The director realized the sentiment behind Rudina’s menu and couldn’t help but smile.

“Whoa, this is amazing!”

The children started off with the rare dishes they’d never seen before. But they eventually felt guilty for ignoring the other half of the buffet and started reaching for them as well. Their faces lit up at first bite.

“Hey, try the dumpling soup and the rice porridge! It’s crazy good!”

“Really? Did Rudy get better at cooking?”

“Well, she is the head chef of this café… Holy crap! I can’t believe how good this is!”

Excellent, Mitsuha thought.

Rudina was not a bad cook. In fact, she was actually pretty good. If the food she served at the orphanage was bad, that was the fault of the ingredients, seasonings, and cooking equipment. Now that those elements had dramatically improved, Rudina was able to exercise her talent to the fullest.

There’s nothing to be surprised about. Rudina is Gold Coin’s head chef, after all.

It’d only been a little over a year since she left the orphanage. The staff was unchanged and only two children had come and gone since. The rest were all the same as when she was there.

The children were nervous around Rudina at first. They hadn’t spoken to her in a while and weren’t used to seeing her in this new successful position. But before they knew it, the ice was broken, and they were talking to her and calling her “Rudy” like they used to. Rudina was smiling…and not the forced kind. It was a genuine, warm smile.

The girl had been nervous about this day too. She wanted to show her peers that even an orphan could find a respectable job, but she was also well aware that what she achieved was like winning the lottery. Suddenly launching a career as a restaurant manager was not a path available to most orphans. She couldn’t heedlessly say, “You could be just like me if you work hard too!” It was understandable how that could make her hesitant to open up to them.

There’s no use mulling over it. She could just laugh it off like “Whaddaya know, even an orphan can get lucky sometimes.” Some people win the lottery, and the odds of that person being you isn’t zero. Seeing that firsthand should be encouragement enough for these kids.

But you can’t win the lottery without buying a ticket. Rudina made her own luck with her cooking and math skills. Instead of recklessly turning to crime and prostitution. she focused on the path to making an honest living.

And eventually took the initiative by answering to Mitsuha’s job listing. Everything she accomplished was the result of her own efforts.

The impact that Rudina would have on the orphans was going to be monumental. Showing them a hopeful future by example was going to have a much greater influence on their lives than filling their stomachs one time.

It’s not like you guys will never see Rudina again. You can come back any time!

The cheapest items on the menu cost around three dollars. If you converted it to US dollars, it was even cheaper. But comparing prices between the two countries wasn’t so simple. If you considered the price in proportion to the cost of other foods, three dollars was reasonable.

Oh, but three bucks is still a lot of money for an orphan, isn’t it? That could buy four daikon radishes, which is enough food to feed multiple kids. I guess dining out will be impossible for them until they become independent…

Wait, they don’t have to be paying customers to be here! They can come over just to hang out when the café is closed. Rudina could visit them at the orphanage, too. She said she’s been spending all her free time on culinary research and cleaning, but that’s no way to live. She’s still a kid; playing is an important job for a kid.

She could go to one of the birthday parties that the orphanage holds once a month for everyone who shares that birth month. The birthday kids only get one extra food item and a wooden doll, which is kinda sad…

But yeah, she should totally do that! Just close the café and bring a bunch of food with you, Rudina!

The orphanage director approached Sylua and quickly thanked her for helping today.

She then walked up to Mitsuha.

“Thank you so much for saving Rudina! I never thought I’d see her achieve such happiness… I’m so grateful. Please, please continue to take care of her,” the director said as she bowed deeply.

She didn’t act anything like that toward Sylua…

That can only mean…

Yep, my cover is blown!

She totally knows I’m the café owner. Damn it.

Old people sure are perceptive.

Bow down to the orphanage director!

A few days later, Mitsuha visited the café again after closing time. Rudina looked a little more cheerful than before, which she was happy to see.

But Mitsuha was here for something else.

“Rudina, how’s it going with that predator guy?” Mitsuha asked.

“Oh, that’s over,” said Rudina. “I told him I’m a former orphan and that I’m broke because I donate part of my salary to the orphanage I grew up in. He called me a liar and started threatening me, so Sylua got a for─ulk… Uh… She did her folk song thing─oh, just so you know, I’m not actually broke! I’ve been saving up. You pay me more than enough!”

Yeah, yeah… Sylua drove him away by singing a folk song… Sure.

Also, I’m aware that I’m paying them way too much. I didn’t know what the wages were like in the local area, and I didn’t think about the fact that living at the café meant they wouldn’t have expenses like rent, utilities, or food.

Rudina continued, “One of the customers who was watching the commotion seemed to be familiar with the orphanage and backed me up by saying, ‘Oh yeah, you were at the orphanage! I remember you now!’ So the proposal guy hasn’t come back since. I guess it wouldn’t be hard to ask people near the orphanage to verify that I really lived there.”

I wonder if that customer actually recognized Rudina as a kid from the orphanage or if they just claimed they did so the guy would back off… Well, it’s not like it matters. No lies were told.

So this incident ended without a big fight. Thank goodness. The worst-case scenario of having to watch a thirteen-year-old girl get engaged before me has been successfully avoided─

“Huh?” Rudina and Sylua tilted their heads.

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“You said that out loud…”

Mitsuha stared at the girls.

The girls stared back.

“NO-O-O-O-O-O!!!”

There she found another visitor chatting with Colette.

It was a private room but Mitsuha didn’t jump directly inside every time. There was no telling when the hospital directors were making their rounds or when a nurse was checking on the patient’s IV.

Colette wasn’t sick, but she needed multiple IVs per day for antibiotics and nutrition; she was receiving the latter because she couldn’t eat a lot with the injury being so close to her abdomen. Her VIP care meant the nurses were checking on her frequently. Mitsuha figured she should jump to a quiet spot outside the hospital and enter from the main entrance if she had the time to.

Sabine always demanded that she be jumped directly into the bathroom because she hated going through the reception process, but Mitsuha only obliged at times when she knew there wouldn’t be a nurse in the room, like during mealtimes or at night. At all other times, she jumped them outside the hospital building.

Sabine wasn’t present today. She was sleeping in at Mitsuha’s house in Japan after staying up all night playing games.

Mitsuha didn’t recognize the visitor. She was a young girl around Colette’s age and she was in pajamas, which meant she was probably a patient. If that’s what she wears in public, she’s a weird one.

Children who were hospitalized for long periods of time often got bored. Unless they were too injured or sick to get out of bed, they tended to wander around the facility.

This girl might’ve found Colette while doing just that. Mitsuha deduced. She doesn’t look like she has any injuries to be hospitalized, so maybe she’s sick.

That is, if she’s actually a patient…

“Oh, did you make a new friend?” Mitsuha asked, smiling at Colette and the new girl.

“Yeah! This is Lorin! We’re friends now!” Colette beamed.

“Sorry for the intrusion. I’m Lorin!” the girl smiled back.

Hmm… She’s acting perfectly natural. Too natural, if you ask me…

You know the antsy feeling you get when you’re meeting a friend’s family for the first time? Or the fluster of being introduced to them unexpectedly?

She’s showing no sign of any of that. A smooth response and a cordial smile.

This girl reeks of child actor…

“Hello! I’m Colette’s older sister, Aletta! It’s nice to meet you!” Mitsuha greeted.

“It’s…a pleasure to meet you too!”

See? She looked surprised just now. It was only for a split second but I know what I saw.

Based on how old I look, me being Colette’s older sister shouldn’t come as a shock. Then why did hearing that throw her off? And why did she immediately cover up her surprise?

Sure, we may not look anything alike because of our hair, eye, and skin color. But we could still be half-sisters, or one of us could’ve been adopted. So why act as if I just went against her expectations?

Also, while her response itself was natural. it was too mature. A girl her age would’ve uttered something out loud upon learning we’re sisters, and her surprise should’ve lasted at least a few more seconds. To suppress all that in a snap─what kind of superhuman self-control is that?!

Does she have special training or something?!

Actually, she probably does.

Colette had been drilled by Mitsuha that she’d be using a fake name with any unexpected visitors, and that it’d be a different name from the one she gave the hospital. She was listed under an assumed name and nationality─one she received peerage from on Earth─in the hospital records. There was little chance Colette spoke to anyone about personal matters like Mitsuha or her family. Despite that, the stranger was surprised by “Aletta” and her relationship with Colette, and she hid that reaction in a fraction of a second.

That could only mean one thing: the girl had already known Mitsuha’s identity and who she was to Colette. That was why she froze for a moment; she was no longer able to use the script that was prepared for her.

Her reaction should’ve been bigger when she learned that we were sisters, too. That is, if she’s a normal ten-year-old girl. Emphasis on normal.

To top it off, the girl was absurdly cute. All the girls Mitsuha had met in the other world were cute too, but that was because other than Colette, she’d only met royals and nobles. They were the result of centuries of fine breeding. If a family only chose attractive and accomplished men and women for their children’s spouses, it was guaranteed they’d produce beautiful offspring. They were also groomed from a young age to look their best.

From a statistical and genetic perspective, it made total sense for those girls to be adorable. But the odds of a random girl you met at a hospital on Earth having the face of a doll?

Well, it’s not impossible, sure. But I can’t help but be suspicious. Not to mention this is exactly the kind of thing I expected might happen.

That said, I doubt she intends to hurt me or Colette. She’s probably just here to gather information. Either that or cozy up to us and eventually give us a spiel about her father being in a tough spot, hoping I’ll feel bad and offer to help.

Anyhow, this girl technically doesn’t know who I am, and there’s no way it’ll ever come up in conversation. What’s her next move?

By the way. leaving the room after the patient’s family arrives should be basic manners. She’s a patient here so she can hang out with Colette whenever she wants. No one in their right mind would try to get in the way of a patient’s precious family time, not after said family came all this way to visit.

Right?

…Right?

Mitsuha looked at the girl, who still hadn’t said anything.

She didn’t budge.

Is she really not gonna leave?!

Or try to continue the conversation?─oh, she probably has no idea what to say at this point. She came fully prepared (and whoever trained her probably showed her paparazzi photos of me) but I derailed her by saying I’m Colette’s older sister “Aletta.” Anything she says now has to take that into account. That must be why she’s just waiting for me to speak to Colette.

Hmm. What to do, what to do…

The girl continued to stare at them.

The silence stretched… And stretched…

“……”

“……”

Wow, she’s really just gonna stay here?! Is she not bothered by the awkward silence at all?

Child actors are terrifying!

We’re at a stalemate. It’s up to me to get the ball rolling.

“Sorry, but we have some family stuff to talk about,” Mitsuha finally said.

That did the trick; Lorin got up. She couldn’t stick around after being told so clearly that they wanted her to leave.

I suppose there’s no reason for her to stay if she knows Colette and I won’t start talking until she’s gone. There are probably hidden cameras and listening devices in the room, so why overstay and risk raising our suspicion? She held out much longer than I expected, though.

Then, after Lorin left…

Whoosh!

…Mitsuha jumped away all the hidden cameras, voice recorders, and listening devices concealed around the room. She was sure more would be planted the next time Colette left for an exam. Colette and Sabine were aware of the possibility of being bugged and mostly talked about harmless topics. They only used their native language when they wanted to mention anything secretive.

The reason they didn’t speak in their native tongue all the time was because with enough data collected, it’d become decipherable. You won’t catch me dead underestimating humanity’s scientific prowess.

And score! I just got free professional-grade hidden cameras and voice recorders. They’re gonna come in handy someday.

Colette likely knew what Lorin was and befriended her anyway. She was a source to learn basic things about this country. Like fashion, entertainment, food, et cetera. Things that a ten-year-old girl would be interested in…

Colette grew up in the boonies where they don’t exactly have high education, and she can be purehearted, but she’s definitely not stupid. She knows what she can and shouldn’t say, never forgets anything I tell her, and follows every instruction I give, no matter what.

In a way, I can trust her more than Sabine.

Oh, I should close the curtains. Laser-eavesdropping─listening to a conversation by pointing a laser at a window and converting the sound vibrations against the glass to audio─is a mainstream technology these days. Closing the curtains might help minimize the vibrations on the glass.

And now for some quiet hangout time with Colette until I have to pick up Sabine.

“Huh? Did something happen?”

Mitsuha jumped to the Mitchell estate in the kingdom of Vanel. It’d been a while since her last visit, and she was greeted by Micchan who seemed irritated for some reason. Why, though? There’s plenty of time until the next Society meeting.

“Yes! We have a very big problem! Where in the world have you been all this time? Have you been gallivanting around the continent again?!”

Wow, someone’s in a bad mood. Skirting around would only add fuel to the fire. I don’t really want to lie to her, either. Damn it… I guess I have no choice but to tell her the truth.

“I was kinda attacked by an assassin while abroad. Colette tried to protect me and was stabbed─”

“Eek?!”

Oh, down goes Micchan…

Marquis Mitchell had stormed into the room upon hearing Micchan’s shriek and carried her to bed. The first thing she did after calming down was apologize.

“So, um… Is your sister okay?” she asked.

Mitsuha had introduced Colette and Sabine as her sisters to the Mitchell family and Society. Specifically, she called them her rambunctious half-sisters who followed her to Vanel to help around/watch over her/have a fun getaway.

I guess it’s quite a shock to hear that a friend’s sibling had been stabbed. No wonder Micchan nearly fainted.

Even her father looked perturbed, though he was visibly relieved when he heard that the incident occurred outside of Vanel and that the assailant was sent from a neighboring nation of her homeland. I get why he’d be relieved.

Mitsuha explained, “The assassin was aiming for me with his knife, so when Colette pushed me aside and got stabbed in my place, the knife didn’t hit any of her vital points. It did slice open her side abdomen. A ton of blood gushed out of the gaping wound. It was like a crimson river, and her internal organs were slightly gashed─whoa, are you okay? You look pale, Micchan.”

“Whose fault do you think that is?! Why would you describe it so vividly?!”

The marquis said, “I’m guessing your sister is fine, given your attitude… Although I’m amazed she survived.”

The New World was far more advanced compared to the Old World. Despite that fact, the survival rate here after getting stabbed in the torso and suffering internal damage had to be really low. That went double if the victim was a child.

“I was told she was very lucky. She will be left with a visible scar, though…”

“……”

Micchan and her father couldn’t think of any words of support. They assumed Colette was royalty like Mitsuha. The possibility of a large scar on a young girl like her was detrimental to her future. Their expressions were grim.

“Colette is overjoyed about the scar, though. She called it a medal of honor for protecting me and said she’s gonna brag about it for the rest of her life. That made Sabine jealous, and now she wants a scar too…”

Grimness quickly turned into confusion.

“I don’t understand, Mitsuha…”

“Don’t worry. I don’t either.”

The three fell into an awkward silence.

“Well,” the marquis cleared his throat, “it shows how much your sisters love you.”

“Yeah, almost to an unhealthy degree…”

More silence.

“Anyway, what was that problem you mentioned earlier?” Mitsuha turned to Micchan. She signaled for the marquis to leave the room with a glance. They were about to talk about Society.

“I’ve already told Father. I want him to hear this too,” Micchan said in a grave tone.

It seemed like a big problem indeed.

“Yes, it appears she’s trying to take over Society. Though I am certain she’s just following her father’s orders,” said Micchan.

Yeah, that’s probably the case. I guess he doesn’t understand that hijacking Society is impossible…

The marquis began, “Society’s members are being touted as saints by the public and are gaining popularity. She─or her father─may have figured that if she becomes its leader, she can take full credit for its popularity and achievements, and make a play at becoming the crown princess. She’d only need to hold the position for a short time─just enough to secure an engagement with the crown prince. What happens to the group afterward wouldn’t matter to her. Or perhaps she’s plotting to use the crown princess’s privilege to turn Society into her personal army.”

“Ah, that makes sense…” Mitsuha and Micchan sighed in exasperation.

I have no choice but to use that card…

“Marquis Mitchell, do you mind if I destroy the duke’s name?”

“Huh?!” the Mitchells exclaimed.

Eliminate all enemies who intend on getting in my way. That’s my style. Naturally, I’ve prepared a few cards up my sleeve for such situations.

According to the marquis, the duke was technically on the same political side as the Mitchells but in a different faction, and the duke and his daughter weren’t well-regarded in the community. Which meant that another hit to their reputation wouldn’t hurt them much.

I wouldn’t do what I’m about to do if they were a respected name. And while the marquis may not see the duke as his enemy, I’m sure he doesn’t appreciate them trying to steal his daughter’s club. That’s why he’s not objecting. Mitsuha thought, grinning maliciously to herself.

Not that the marquis could do anything to stop me. Society is mine and Micchan’s. He has nothing to do with it.

Micchan was delivering the news at Society’s tea party.

She took a deep breath and continued, “If that comes to pass, I will leave Society.”

Mitsuha followed, “I’m sure this goes without saying, but a foreign noble such as myself would have no reason to remain in a group that has fallen under the royal family’s control, so I will resign too.”

What would happen to Society without me?

The delicious sweets.

The luxurious Yamano County goods.

The wondrous makeup.

Society’s members would lose access to them and everything else I provide. They’d also be bound by their social positions, having no choice but to obey the royal family and the duke’s family.

Society would cease to be the group they once knew and loved.

“Two days ago, I received an order from Duke Keriscole by way of the royal palace to appoint his daughter as Society’s new president.”

The room fell dead silent.

The tension was palpable.

Micchan took another deep breath and pledged, “We, Society, consider those words a declaration of war!”

“Tonight, we dine in hell!” the other members shouted together.

I may have taught them some famous stories from Earth, claiming they were from my home country. Most of them involve revenge, punishment, charming villains you can’t help but root for…and of course, poetic justice.

“Get outta here… You’re telling me the royal family, who did nothing during the Wennard County crisis, and a duke who’s never done anything of note or is even involved in Society are trying to take over it and steal its good name?”

“That’s terrible! Preying on the saints like that is in open defiance of the Goddess! Not even the king should be allowed to get away with such a heinous act! It was the saints’ efforts that earned the Goddess’s mercy for our entire kingdom! What if she abandons us now because of this?!”

Such voices were heard throughout the city…

“I don’t think anyone needed to ‘expose’ your intentions, Your Majesty. You had a hand in attempting to not only forcibly insert Lady Ilaysha into Society but to have her take over as president. It does not take a genius to see what ulterior motives you might have.”

The king had no retort to the chancellor’s sound argument. He and Duke Keriscole formed this ploy in secret without consulting anyone. It was only after the plan backfired that the king went to his trusty advisor (who was in a bad mood for all the obvious reasons).

“B-But, well… It seemed like a perfect plan, you know. To restore the popularity my son and I lost because of Viscountess Yamano. And at the same time, endear Ilaysha to the masses all without spending a dime. Ilaysha was to be celebrated as a ‘Great Saint’ upon becoming Society’s leader, and her union with my son would’ve come soon after.”

“And the result of that is this?” The chancellor seemed exhausted.

“Grk…”

Somehow, a rumor had spread throughout the capital in the blink of an eye and now the city’s─no, the entire country’s─citizens were condemning the king. Even the nobility was panning him, calling him shameless for trying to usurp a children’s club for political purposes. Such criticism toward the king from the nobility was unheard of.

He received an especially fierce rebuke from Baron Wennard and the nobles he worked for or shared a faction with, as well as the lords whose daughters were in Society. The latter was a powerful group. While Mitsuha had accepted a few barons’ and viscounts’ daughters into Society, most of its members were from influential counts’ or marquises’ families across all factions. If all those nobles banded together, not even the king had much chance of opposing them.

He rebutted, “Marquis Mitchell’s faction gets along well with the royal faction. He’s not on bad terms with Duke Keriscole, either. That’s why I thought he would comply! Sure, having to let go of an asset is upsetting, but the duke and I were very persuasive, and we would’ve rewarded him for cooperating. It’s clear that stepping down from Society wouldn’t have been a bad move for him politically. Then why…”

“Are you serious?” The chancellor was utterly fed up at this point. “I suppose that’s what Marquis Mitchell would’ve done…”

“Then why didn’t he?”

“Because Society has nothing to do with Marquis Mitchell. Don’t you see? He’s not the president. His daughter, Lady Micheline, is. And everyone knows that the true mastermind behind the organization is Viscountess Yamano. If Lady Micheline was simply a puppet obeying her father’s will, do you really think she would’ve prevented Yamano County goods from being supplied to the royal palace or refused to let your daughters join her group? Society really is a children’s club run by children, not a front machinated by adults.”

“………”

“The rumor was likely orchestrated. Whether it’s the work of select nobles or civil servants in the royal palace who are fans of Society, I cannot say… But what is most fearsome about this rumor was how quickly and accurately it spread. Normally, rumors get distorted and embellished over time. This one, however, has maintained perfect accuracy and has circulated too far in too little time. That’s not possible unless someone is deliberately controlling its dispersion.

“Regardless, now you know what happens when you antagonize Society. It would turn the populace, the nobility, and even your supposed allies against you,” concluded the chancellor.

The king was unable to utter a word.

Not even the chancellor seemed to realize that Society’s relief operation in Wennard County was a publicity stunt to win over the masses. Nor did he realize that the source of the rumor was Society itself.

Even teen girls were capable of spreading rumors by seeking their fathers, servants, and friends among the nobility to vent to about their problems. Viscountess Yamano’s and Lephilia Trading’s connections made their efforts all the easier.

Micchan and Mitsuha grinned at each other.

Yup. Sure enough, the duke was left with no other choice after having his ulterior motive exposed and being lambasted by the public.

Continuing to try to squeeze his daughter into Society after all that would’ve only tightened the noose around his neck. His daughter would’ve ended up being called a minion of the devil─far from a Great Saint.

I bet this incident greatly reduced her chances of becoming the crown princess. That’s a shame. She would’ve had a shot if it weren’t for her dad’s harebrained scheme.

But alas, such is the fate of all who get under Society’s skin.

Rip in peace…

“Here you have it. A written oath and 2,300 gold coins. They’re imperial coins but they have the same value as ours. They’re acceptable currency in our kingdom too,” said the king.

It seemed that the only thing that mattered with currency in this part of the world was the value of the metal itself. The level of trust between nations was irrelevant. The nearby countries all agreed to use the same gold content for their local gold coins. It certainly made everyone’s lives easier.

A gold coin from two different countries could have the same gold content while differing slightly in purity, but that could easily be made up by changing the size of their coins.

Oh! The only gold coins from this world that I’ve exchanged on Earth have been Zegleus’s. These imperial coins might fetch a higher price! Maybe they use a different alloy.

The governments of every country on Earth are gonna fight tooth and nail to get their hands on them, so maybe I should put them up for auction. Private collectors might bid and drive up the price too.

The king caught Mitsuha snickering to herself and dropped a complaint.

“Anyway, when will my Sabine be back home…?”

The girl in question was currently either at Mitsuha’s house in Japan or at Colette’s hospital, in an air-conditioned room full of games, Blu-rays, novels, manga, TV shows in real-time, and an endless supply of candy and fresh fruits. Colette could only eat what the doctors allowed her, but Sabine had no such restrictions.

Per Sabine’s orders, Mitsuha was jumping her to the Yamano Japanese estate every time she wanted to take a bath.

Why am I letting her boss me around, you ask? Because she’s using part of her reward ticket for helping with the recording device. I had no choice but to obey… And to make matters worse, it’s only “part” of the reward! She’s showing no sign of letting this be the end of it.

Colette hasn’t used her reward ticket yet. I now owe her more than I could ever repay because of this incident. Just how much debt could I cover with my own life?

Well, I know Colette won’t ask too much of me. Not worried about that.

Speaking of those two, Sabine’s been slipping into Colette’s hospital bed to sleep when she stays the night. The bed is adult-sized, so two kids can lie down comfortably. I doubt the hospital would normally allow that, but I’m convinced at this point the staff was ordered from higher-ups to let us do what we want.

Damn it! I wanna join them!

I guess there’s no way two kids and an adult could fit into one bed…

Mitsuha laughed squeamishly at the disgruntled king.

That was mainly what she came for.

“Ah, that’s right. The emperor has decided to abdicate the throne, but this started an intense succession war that could paralyze the nation for some time. Handing over the written oath and the 2,300 gold coins were clearly a priority for the empire. That amount of money is nothing to a country, so I doubt there was even any debate about paying. But filling the vacuum of power will be quite an ordeal… You did this on purpose, didn’t you, Mitsuha? You wanted the empire tumbling into chaos over a battle for the throne.”

Hehe, ding-ding-ding!

“Of course!” she answered smugly.

The king looked at her bemusedly. “Mitsuha, do you want to be queen?”

“Wh-Wh-Where the heck did that come from?! You’re already married! And marrying you would make Sabine my daughter-in-law! I’m also way too young for you─”

Has the king lost his mind?

“Not my queen, you dimwit! I’m asking you to marry my son and be his queen!”

“Oh…”

Huh? You could’ve worded that a little better. Or was the translation in my head off?

Either way…

“I’ll pass!”

“I figured you’d say that… I mean, I knew…”

The king looked disappointed despite his words.

I’m only nineteen, you know. People might get married young around here, but in Japan, the average age of a women’s first marriage is thirty. I still have over ten years!

Plus, I look twelve or thirteen around here. I suppose an engagement at my age wouldn’t be that crazy because I have peerage… But definitely too early for marriage.

I have no desire to marry the prince anyway. The king’s not talking about the younger Prince Cute-and-Huggable Leuhen, but the elder Prince Classically-Charming. He seems like a stickler. No thank you to that…

A stickler for perfection would probably make for a good ruler, but not exactly what I have in mind for a husband. Being a queen wouldn’t suit me anyway, and I have no desire to be someone’s shiny trophy wife.

What’s that? What about Leuhen?

What are you, nuts?! Marrying a kid like him at nineteen would make me a criminal!

The age gap itself is fine. There’s nothing wrong with a twenty-nine-year-old marrying a nineteen-year-old or a forty-year-old marrying a thirty-year-old. But nineteen and nine is definitely not okay!

Not…okay… Mitsuha began wheezing.

“Moving on,” the king continued. “The messenger said he received a lot of complaints and backhanded insults from the empire’s representatives, to which he told them, ‘If you have complaints for the Goddess’s envoy, that is not for our kingdom to hear out. Visit a church in your own country and direct them at the Goddess instead,’ and left.”

“Pfft!”

That comeback likely wasn’t scripted. Nice one, Mr. Messenger!

That seems like a wrap for now, unless the empire tries to mess with me again. It’s hard to imagine they will, though. They have to know at this point that I won’t go this easy on them every time.

I didn’t hold back during the imperial army’s invasion. I showed them not to mess with the Lightning Archpriestess. My attack on the imperial capital ended up in very few casualties, but that was just a lucky outcome for them. I didn’t take any special care to minimize their death toll.

What would the empire do if we continued to avoid a bloodbath like naïve idiots even after repeatedly being violated─first with a treaty-breaking ambush, then with an assassination attempt?

They’ll keep raiding us, that’s what. All they need is one victory. Why would they stop if they’re barely losing any soldiers no matter how many times they fail?

The reason the empire surrendered immediately this time was because the upper class was affected. When a country lost a war, the only people who died were usually the soldiers and officers on the front line. The royals and high-ranking nobles in charge didn’t have to join the fray and risk their lives. This time, however, death suddenly rained from the sky, placing everyone in equal danger regardless of social rank. That had to have terrified the empire’s ruling class.

All who mess with the Yamano family─from the top brass to the foot soldiers─will be met with death and destruction equally. I need to make that crystal clear in order to protect my people, even if it hurts my reputation and makes me an object of fear.

Oh! I totally forgot about something.

“I caught the criminal who tried to assassinate me,” reported Mitsuha. “Can I hand him over to you to be tried by this kingdom’s law? The crime occurred here and the victim is a citizen of this kingdom, so I thought that made sense.”

“Of course. He attacked you─a noble, the Goddess’s envoy, the great savior of our kingdom known as the Lightning Archpriestess─and a nine-year-old girl, and then was caught in the act. The assassination may have failed, but he still seriously wounded a child. Am I right to assume she would’ve died if not for your home country’s advanced medicine?”

Mitsuha nodded. She saved Alexis the same way, so it wasn’t surprising that the king pieced that together.

“No one will come to his defense or claim false accusation, so a trial is hardly necessary. I’ll just declare his sentence myself. I cannot imagine the judges would order anything less than a beheading.”

I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less. No one’s dumb enough to argue that a man who tried to kill a little girl doesn’t deserve the death penalty.

Regardless, I need him to answer for his crime in the country where he committed it. I’m no vigilante. He attacked me in this kingdom, so to this kingdom’s justice system I shall leave him.

Oh, I think I said something like “I’ll deliver you to your associates and bosses. They’ll probably all be in heaven or hell by then, though…” to him. His accomplices aren’t dead but I’m sure they’ll get there eventually, so that line still works. Since there’s no way any of them are going to heaven, they’ll all be reunited someday. No worries there.

“So, when will my Sabine be coming home?”

The king stared at Mitsuha.

Mitsuha stared back.

“………”

“What’s wrong?” Sabine peered over with concern.

They were having tea at Mitsuha’s house in Japan.

“I’m just a little tired… All I wanted was to live a quiet life as a small general store owner. Although I’ll admit I might’ve gone a bit overboard with profiteering─but that’s because I wanna have a nest egg in both worlds in case I ever lose my Traversal powers and end up stuck in one place forever. But you can’t blame me! Products that are affordable to a commoner in Japan or my home country are stupid expensive in Zegleus; the kingdom’s gold coins net me less than a fourth of what I feel they should be worth in Japanese yen or my home country’s currency; and on top of that, there’s tax! I’m trying to save money for my retirement!”

“……”

She’s not gonna react well to that, is she?

“Mitsuha, you’re thinking like a commoner. Nobles receive an income from their territory and don’t have to worry about retirement. They can pass their peerage down to their children and live a life of leisure in their secondary estate. Anyway… Go on.”

O…kay…

“Um, and I can’t seem to avoid violence. It’s been one bloody incident after another. I’m not a war junkie. I’m not trigger-happy. And I’m definitely not a warmonger. Although I do believe heartless criminals shouldn’t have human rights, and that the lives of ten thousand slimy bandits aren’t worth that of one cute and innocent girl.”

“O…kay… Go on.”

“And yet, lately it’s been all wars, attacks on my partner stores, and fighting and killing… I just want to focus on developing my county and my business, and spend more time playing with fluffy animals and cute girls─huh? What’s this?”

Sabine was holding out her palm.

“Cute girl…at your service.”

“O…kay… Thanks.”

Mitsuha took her hand.

“Well, anyway, that’s why I’m feeling a little tired…”

“Are you Mitsuha von Yamano? Or Mitsuha von Yawn-ano?”

“Good one!”

Colette’s love for puns had been rubbing off on Sabine lately.

By the way, we’re speaking in English right now. Plus, it’s good study for Sabine. She’s gotten super fluent.

“Why do these things keep happening, anyway? It’s starting to feel implausible,” Mitsuha grumbled.

“Those are not isolated incidents, Mitsuha. They’re all connected. The empire made a last-ditch attempt at invading Remia’s kingdom because you repelled their attack on our capital. And once that failed too, they saw no option but to send an assassin after you. I don’t know much about the New World, but the naval battle over the colony only happened because you meddled with the military of the country you’re staying in, upsetting the naval balance on the continent and inviting suspicion from the other country, right?

“The partner store trouble can be linked to your actions too. You gave a newly established, no-name company exclusive rights to sell luxurious goods that could be weaponized to curry favor with nobles and royals. It’s not surprising that the bigger, more famous companies wanted a bite of the apple. All these incidents had a cause, and they escalated in the most predictable ways. They grew from the seeds sowed by a particular viscountess. You don’t have a curse that makes people drop dead wherever you go like a certain fictional child detective.”

“Huh? What do you─HUH?!”

Mitsuha felt her stomach drop.

Sh-She’s right, isn’t she? These incidents aren’t just randomly occurring. They’ve all happened for perfectly explicable reasons.

“S-So it’s all my fault? Even the wars and all my friends being attacked?”

“Of course not!”

“Wh…?”

“If not for you, the imperial army would’ve conquered our country, and in the process, killed and enslaved many of our soldiers and citizens. Then they would’ve sent a troop with our people at the forefront to charge Princess Remia’s kingdom, and then to all the other countries on the continent.”

“Th-That’s true…”

If not for Mitsuha, there was a high chance the scenario Sabine described would’ve come to pass.

“It also would’ve been hopeless to stop the expedition fleet─and its guns and cannons─from the New World. That would’ve eventually led to a full-scale invasion fleet docking at our shores.”

“That’s true too, but─”

“Also, some people might’ve met misfortune by crossing paths with you, but who’s to say what would’ve happened to them otherwise? They could’ve suffered even worse fates. Let’s say someone set out to meet with you but tripped and sprained their ankle on the way. But what if they never made plans with you? They could’ve gone somewhere else and gotten run over by a carriage or attacked by bandits.

“There are no ‘what ifs’ in life. Only choices and consequences.”

“…”

Huh. So there’s no point in wallowing in regret… That’s really philosophical for a girl so young.

Oh, I know she’s not telling me to ignore the past completely. Even if I choose not to regret my actions, I still have to reflect and learn from them so I can do better in the future. It’s just pointless to dwell on negative thoughts forever.

Those incidents were the result of me making what I thought were the best choices given the information and resources I had at the time. I probably shouldn’t be too hard on myself based on new information I acquired after the fact. Instead, I should think about what I could’ve done to obtain more accurate information and sufficiently prepare, and put those lessons to use next time.

Regret is regressive, and reflection is progressive. That’s the attitude I need.

“Yeah… You’re right, Sabine.”

Wasting time in regret would be an insult toward the people who’ve lost their lives, been injured, or suffered misfortune because of me. I can reflect on my choices and try to do better, but I can’t let myself get lost in regret.

“Besides, you’ve only chosen to fight when the enemy attacked first, and you usually execute your counterattack so thoroughly that they lose all will to pursue you again. Those conflicts would’ve dragged on without your presence, leading to mass slaughter, pillaging, and arson. You’ve greatly reduced casualties on both sides, Mitsuha.”

“Yeah…”

She’s right about that too. Those wars would’ve happened with or without me. And if I wasn’t there…

All right, that’s enough moping! It’s not like I’m going around instigating these fights. Responsibility lies with the people who were setting the fires!

“Let’s go see Colette!” Mitsuha said.

“Okay!”

Ready… Jump!

Her stay at the hospital was dragging on for a surprisingly long time, so Mitsuha had asked McCoy how long patients with similar injuries were usually hospitalized. She gave Colette’s account and treatment in detail, and he assessed that she should’ve been able to leave the hospital a while ago.

McCoy resisted at first by giving her the old spiel, “I can’t comment without first seeing Colette because every patient’s situation is different and I don’t know what treatment she received.” But Mitsuha pressed him to give a ballpark answer, and he reluctantly did.

Colette clearly should’ve been released from the hospital already. And yet, the doctors had said nothing about letting her go, and they always gave evasive answers when Mitsuha probed.

The nurses had stopped giving Colette IVs for antibiotics and nutritional supplements, and they weren’t performing any tests, although they continually took blood and cell samples for some reason. Her stitches were gone─which was the dissolvable kind that didn’t need to be taken out─and she was even eating solid food again. There was no reason for her to be in the hospital anymore.

She’s going to be left with a pretty big scar, though… The assassin ripped out the knife after he stabbed her, which not only damaged her insides but also made the size of the wound bigger. I hope he rots in hell!

He probably already is, actually.

Anyway, Mitsuha jumped McCoy into Colette’s room at night when the nurses weren’t making rounds. He gave the patient a quick exam and determined the hospital was needlessly prolonging her stay. Mitsuha decided to forcibly discharge her.

She wouldn’t have if Colette’s doctor had given her a reasonable explanation as to why she had to stay. He only gave muddled excuses, likely because he had morals as a professional and didn’t want to lie. In the process, however, he lost Mitsuha’s trust.

She prepared British pounds in cash that she’d converted from another currency. It was better than paying electronically and giving anyone a way to trace her through her bank.

The hospital employees tried to detain the girls, but Mitsuha shook them off by saying the hospital bill had left her low on cash and that she couldn’t tell her country about the incident or ask for more money without being forced to return home. She paid the bill and fled.

They also said something about giving me a discount but… Come on. A hospital having a sale? They must’ve been given orders from someone much higher up to make us stay.

Regardless, Colette was now discharged. Once they were far away from the hospital where no one could see them, Mitsuha jumped to the other world.

Their destination was…

“Welcome home, Lady Colette!” the servants greeted her in unison.

The servants were told in advance about Colette’s discharge and her expected time of arrival.

Today’s grand welcome is all for Colette. I guess they’re calling her “Lady Colette” to pay their respect for saving my life.

Mitsuha decided that Colette should recuperate at the Yamano County estate. She wanted the girl to spend as little time as possible being alone in case of anything like a sudden infection or falling down the stairs, which could reopen her wound. It was unlikely but nonetheless, safety first.

The maids would be able to keep an eye on her, and there were plenty of people to talk to at the Yamano estate. Mitsuha had forbidden Colette from working, so she was hoping the extra company would stave off boredom. There was also a radio in case Colette wanted to ring Mitsuha at the capital.

Colette’s parents’ house would’ve been the worst place for her to recover, mostly because of the state of sanitation. The bathroom was especially dangerous for her wound. She also would’ve tried to help around the house and ended up straining herself.

Here, she had healthy food options. There was also staff to keep an eye out and stop her from gorging herself, which could burden her stomach.

Mitsuha figured she could bring Colette’s parents over for visits. They were surely worried about their daughter, and this would be a good chance for them to see her workplace.

The general store in the capital might’ve worked─Mitsuha, Sabine, Chii, and Leuhen were there most of the time─if not for one major problem: she wouldn’t be able to go outside or get any actual rest.

Colette’s really popular in the capital right now.

The city was celebrating her as a hero and loyal retainer who put her life on the line to save the Archpriestess. Because the incident occurred in public and there were many witnesses, the royal palace had been flooded with concerned citizens asking if she survived. As soon as Mitsuha told the king that Colette was okay, a public announcement was made.

Within a matter of days, the locals were capitalizing on the event by making and selling Colette Buns, Colette Crackers, Loyal Girl Dolls, et cetera. She’d become the subject of every bard in the city. There was even a theater troupe practicing for a play about her.

They were all doing this without permission or paying a single copper coin of royalty.

Everyone’s a hustler…

Not that I plan on demanding money for that kind of thing. There’s no way I could live with myself profiting off of Colette’s valor.

This Colette craze was why the capital would’ve been the worst place for her to recuperate; she wouldn’t be able to go out for walks as a part of her rehab exercise. It wouldn’t be a problem if all Colette had to deal with were a few elderly folks who wanted to pay their respects or parents who wanted her to pat their children’s heads for good luck, but there was a chance she’d get swarmed and jerked around enough for her wound to reopen. That was the last thing she needed.

I should know. I was swarmed too after the battle to defend the capital. My shoulder injury opened up and I ended up getting blood all over my dress.

It’s gonna be a while before Colette can go to the capital again.

“You’re forbidden from returning to work until I give you permission, Colette. I’ll allow you to read, but that’s it. Your recovery is going to happen in small steps. First, I’ll let you study and do some light paperwork, then walk around the neighborhood as a part of your inspection rounds for some strength-building, and finally some light handiwork. Pushing yourself too hard is gonna worsen your condition and delay recovery. That will also hurt me. Have I made myself clear?”

“Okay─err, yes, ma’am.”

Colette corrected herself because Mitsuha wasn’t speaking as a friend, but as her boss. She’d always been keen about that.

“You’re also not allowed to overeat or have any cold food or drinks for the foreseeable future. You need to avoid putting too much stress on your stomach or getting diarrhea.”

“Whaaat?!” Colette moaned with despair. She sincerely believed that her dietary restrictions would be lifted once she was out of the hospital.

The significance of Mitsuha saying all of this before they even put her luggage on the floor─with all the servants watching─was not lost on Colette. Mitsuha could’ve had this conversation in private, but doing so now meant that she had already ordered the staff to watch over her.

Colette looked at Mitsuha as if she was going to cry.

That puppy face ain’t gonna work on me!

Mitsuha wasn’t saying it to be mean and Colette understood that. So while she made her displeasure known with her eyes, she knew better than to protest out loud.

Just do as I say, okay? You’re usually humble and reserved in every way but when it comes to eating, you really don’t know when to stop. You need to learn some restraint.

I don’t know if this is true, but I’ve heard that the legendary pro-wrestler Rikidozan died because he ignored his doctor’s orders and started eating and drinking a lot after a successful surgery, causing his condition to deteriorate. Even if that’s just a groundless rumor, I can’t let Colette push herself too hard post-surgery.

Well, the doctor said she can return to her usual diet… But I won’t allow any unnecessary risks.

Caution first, second, third, fourth, and fifth, always.

That’s the Yamano family motto!

“What?!”

Mitsuha was flipping through some files in her office over a cup of tea when a soldier from Bozes County bolted into the room. He had been escorted by four of her guards who stood close by him.

Yamano County was a small rural territory with no strategic value, but the guards couldn’t let an unchecked stranger appear before her without supervision. It hadn’t been long since the failed assassination attempt either, which was why security at her residence had increased to an extreme degree even without her direct orders.

Mitsuha recognized the man. He was one of the highly skilled soldiers who joined the monster hunting trip as a guard for the two Wolf Fang mercenaries. It seemed a waste to use a man of his skill as a simple messenger, but he was likely tasked with the role for that very reason; he was faster than anyone else on horseback, and possibly because Mitsuha had seen him before. It would eliminate the odds of her suspecting him to be an enemy trying to ambush her.

Trapping me wouldn’t work because I can just jump away the moment I sense danger─never mind that! Every second counts right now!

Mitsuha said to her guards, “This is an emergency! I’m going to Bozes County. Take care of things while I’m away.” She turned to the soldier. “Lead me to your horse!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am! B-But I overworked her coming here, and would like to give her time to rest. I don’t want to burden her with two riders, either…”

“Quickly!”

Mitsuha ignored the soldier’s concern and rushed out of the room.

She didn’t have a horse for riding. She didn’t even know how to ride one. Silver was only trained to pull carriages, and he was currently on a ranch in the capital, anyway.

Besides, she had a much more efficient means of travel in mind.

“This is your horse, right? Is the stuff strapped to her everything you brought?”

“Y-Yes…”

Okay, then…

“Jump!”

To Bozes County with the horse and man in tow!

The soldier’s eyes went wide at the sudden change in scenery. They were at a place very familiar to him: the Bozes County coast.

Oh, come on! You’ve world-jumped with me when we went orc hunting.

In fact, he’s the only person in this world aside from Colette and Sabine who’s experienced the envoy’s miraculous power more than once. Although I guess I can see how that would get him shaken up.

A gunpowder factory obviously wasn’t the kind of thing you built in the middle of a city. Instead, it was at a location not far from the shipyard and the cannon factory, but not close to a residential area in case of an accident. That meant the coast.

Mitsuha was able to jump right to the factory because she was involved with its construction and the experiments being conducted there. The project was still in the testing and prototype phase. Mass production hadn’t begun yet.

“The exterior doesn’t look any different…” Mitsuha observed.

“N-No, ma’am. It wasn’t that big of an explosion. But part of the research facility was blown up, and people were hurt…”

“Oh!”

Shoot, why didn’t I think of that?! The soldier pushed his horse hard, but without a fresh horse to switch to halfway, it probably took him three or four hours to reach me. And considering the time it must’ve taken to tend to the wounded, inform the count of what happened, and for the count to send me a messenger, it’s been even longer since the accident occurred. There’s no way the injured are still at the scene of the accident.

“I got it from here! Thanks for your service!”

Mitsuha knew where the local hospital─or clinic─was.

Jump!

“Yeek!” a cleaning lady screamed. “Oh! It’s you, the Lightning Archpriestess!”

She was well-known in Bozes County too.

“The patients, now!” Mitsuha snapped.

“Y-Yes, of course. Right this way!”

The woman sensed that there was no time for formal greetings or flattery and briskly guided her through the building.

“They’re in this room!”

Mitsuha opened the door she pointed to and gasped.

Six of the eight beds were occupied. There were no private rooms at this clinic, so no matter how heavily injured you were, you had to share the space with other patients. That was the only way a minimal staff could sufficiently watch over everyone. If you weren’t comfortable with that, you had no choice but to recuperate at home.

Mitsuha studied the six people in the beds. Four of them were fine. They had bruises here and there, but they weren’t in life-threatening condition. The injuries might leave scars, but in this world, men treated scars like medals. Once gunpowder production took off, they’d be able to tell the tale to their children and grandchildren. The scars were a sign of their contribution to a great invention that would protect the country.

The problem was the other two. One man had lost his left arm from the elbow down. The other was unconscious and pale, likely due to major blood loss; he could die without proper treatment.

There’s no time!

Jump!

“S-Sure…”

A mercenary group was likely to have at least two stretchers in their transport vehicles in case someone got hurt.

The captain─who was in the middle of doing paperwork in his office─gathered the stretchers and personnel in no time.

“Why are you lining up with them, captain?”

“Cause I’m going too, obviously! Like hell I’m gonna send my men into danger without me!”

He’s trying to sound cool, but he definitely just wants to go to the other world.

Well, whatever. No time to waste.

“Okay! Jump!”

Mitsuha was back in the patients’ room at the clinic with the mercenaries.

“Put the unconscious man and the man missing half an arm on the stretchers. We’re taking them to a hospital on Earth,” she ordered.

“Roger!”

The mercenaries worked quickly under the captain’s direction. The clinic nurses and the other patients stared agape, but no one tried to stop them.

It goes to show how much trust they all have in me.

“Tell Count Bozes I took the two severely wounded men to where Alexis was treated. I’ll be back soon, though. I’m leaving the others in your care. Focus on your recovery, okay guys? See you all later… Jump!”

I think you already know our destination.

Yeah, I’m back at the same hospital. The one that Colette was just discharged from. A different hospital would’ve worked too, but I don’t wanna needlessly expose my activities and identity on Earth. I won’t have to waste much time explaining myself here, either.

A doctor took one look at the men on the stretchers, assessed that they were in critical condition, and immediately yelled out for assistance. The unconscious man was placed on a new stretcher and wheeled into a surgery room. Meanwhile the man missing part of his arm stayed behind.

The latter wasn’t at risk of dying. A surgery to reattach his arm might’ve been possible if they had the severed limb but they didn’t, so the doctors couldn’t really do anything but treat his open wound. They’d likely disinfect it, stitch it up, and give him anti-inflammatory drugs through an IV, but that wasn’t urgent.

The response might’ve been different if he was brought in immediately after his arm was blown off, but it’d already been five or six hours.

Oh, they brought another stretcher to take him away too. I guess they couldn’t just leave him there after all.

“Can you guys wait here?” Mitsuha said to the mercenaries. “Don’t talk to anyone until I get back. If anyone speaks to you, say that you’re waiting for your boss to return. You were only asked to carry the men here and you don’t know anything.”

“Got it,” the captain nodded.

That’s what I like about mercs! You can always count on them to follow orders in an emergency!

And jump!

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Understood!”

“Huh? Is that all we get to do?”

“I told you there wasn’t much point in you coming, captain! I have to go speak to the hospital staff now. There’s nothing else for you to do here.”

The Wolf Gang captain and the mercenaries were crestfallen.

Looking miserable ain’t gonna change my mind.

All right…

“Double jump!”

Mitsuha delivered the five Wolf Fang guys to their base and returned to the hospital alone. It took a tenth of a second.

She then made a phone call to someone with her cell phone. It was the usual─the main W2W contact person of this country. The police were sure to want to grill her after she brought two seriously injured men to the hospital. She needed her agent to take care of that again.

And why not fall back on a battle-tested strategy?

The government agent in charge of W2W affairs confirmed with a perky “I’ll be right there!” despite how downcast he was when Colette was forcibly discharged. That grated Mitsuha’s nerves a little.

“Welcome back! It’s great to see you again!” the hospital director greeted her with a smile from ear to ear. That grated her a lot.

She didn’t choose Sabine because the shock of learning that the only person in the room who could understand him was a princess might just kill him. Mitsuha barely thought of her as a princess anymore, but a commoner wouldn’t be able to address her for fear of being beheaded.

For that reason, Sabine was going to attend to the man who lost half of his arm. He was already awake, and wasn’t too caught off guard by her. The viscountess convinced him, “I want Sabine to be your interpreter as part of her language practice. Please don’t let her status inhibit you from seeking her assistance. You’d be contributing to her education.”

Mitsuha would be there too, of course, but she’d be busy with other matters like speaking to the hospital staff and the agent.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Jump!

She briefed him about the four injured patients and a handful of other people who sustained cuts and bruises, and then asked him if he could leave work as soon as his shift ended, and to bring disinfectant, salves, and painkillers. She didn’t leave out the detail about the explosion incident and the fact that she’d taken two critically wounded people to a hospital on Earth. It was necessary information to help him choose the proper first aid.

McCoy specialized in internal medicine but Mitsuha was sure he could treat external injuries. Besides, he wasn’t going to put anyone under the knife. He was simply going to examine the patients and make sure they didn’t have any unnoticed trauma; it was possible the clinic staff mistook a broken bone for a bruise. If he discovered anyone who needed additional treatment, she’d have to weigh her options then.

Back to the hospital.

I’m so busy…

The injured men, too, were likely more at ease with each other’s company. Having a buddy to chat with would help them stave off boredom. Mitsuha didn’t mind letting them talk─the locals wouldn’t understand them, and the guys didn’t know anything that might jeopardize Mitsuha’s safety, anyway. There was nothing to gain from eavesdropping on civilians from a developing world talking about farming, fishing, or gunpowder development.

That was all Mitsuha had to do for now. While she was upset that an accident occurred, it was a blessing that no lives were lost.

One man did lose an arm, unfortunately, but the other world was a treacherous place. There had to be no shortage of people who’d lost a limb in an accident, at war, or to gangrene. Count Bozes was a good lord and would surely find the man a job he could do with one arm. He got injured while doing a government job, after all, and had to be rewarded for taking on a dangerous operation for Bozes County and the kingdom at large.

There’s plenty of work that relies on critical thinking rather than physical labor. Even with just one arm, there are career opportunities in administration, inspection, and management. Bozes County is growing explosively these days; you could never have enough trustworthy employees to manage the back office.

Oh, and by “explosive,” I don’t mean the gunpowder kind. No more actual explosions, please!

A prosthetic arm might be worth looking into. That would help him a lot even if it only does basic things like hold down paper when he’s writing or lightly grip things. Developing prosthetic limbs wouldn’t impact the other world’s current technological industry or be used for war.

Prosthetics used to be expensive on Earth, but nowadays you can get a kickass bionic arm for a decent price. There’s nothing unusual about a person with bad eyesight wearing glasses. A pair of glasses can even look stylish. Why should prosthetic arms be any different? You might as well make a fashion statement out of it.

The man lost his arm from the elbow down, so he’ll need a prosthetic forearm. Hmm… I’ll have to do some research. He might lose the ability to get it repaired if I ever disappear, but I’d like to make his life easier until then, at least.

Oh, I need to talk to Count Bozes. And investigate the cause of the explosion… Discuss improving on precautionary measures… And do a laundry list of other things…

Six people were sent to the clinic, but I’m sure there are many others who have lighter injuries. I need to gather them together before I get McCoy.

People on Earth died in explosions all the time throughout the ages of weapons development.But if at all possible, I want as few people as possible to suffer for something I’m involved in.

“I’m giving you some analgesic/antipyretic drugs and antibiotics. If there’s anyone with a fever, give them only a small dose at a time at your discretion. Read the directions and dosage carefully. And definitely don’t give anyone more than one dose at a time.

“Remember, taking more doesn’t heal you faster. That’s a rookie mistake and it’s more common than you think.

“Also, here are some other over-the-counter drugs. They’re not as effective as prescription drugs. But likewise, don’t give them more than what’s recommended. Call me right away if anything goes wrong. Don’t hesitate to do so during my work hours, either. Human lives come first.”

“Understood. Thank you so much!”

McCoy had stopped by a drug store to load up on disinfectants, painkillers, anti-inflammatory medicine, and bandages with his own money.

He probably couldn’t just take them from the hospital. I’ll definitely cover that later.

The painkiller was a short-acting one─meaning you weren’t supposed to take it at regular intervals, but instead when the pain was really bad─but the people of this world were tough and could handle a little pain. It also had fever-reducing and anti-inflammatory effects so Mitsuha would make sure they took it. The effects didn’t last very long, which made the timing to administer them difficult.

Diclofenac wasn’t available over the counter, so McCoy gave her loxoprofen and acetaminophen instead. Administering them was going to be tricky since their effects were quite different, and taking too many could cause a stomachache.

She wanted the drugs to be effective, but not too effective. Introducing Earth’s medicine to a civilization like this one was callous. Medical science was something that should be developed on their own timeline, Mitsuha believed.

Before all else, distributing Earth’s medicine only in Yamano County and Bozes County would have its own consequences. It risked drawing unwanted attention from the rest of the country. Rumors could spread and get bloated with false information until they turned into miracle remedies that could cure anything. If that happened, there was no telling what kind of outlandish ideas the elderly leaders of the kingdom might get.

Mitsuha was taking measures to treat these people because she felt, in a sense, responsible for the accident. After all, she was the one who introduced dangerous gunpowder manufacturing to Bozes County. Not to mention the researchers involved were too valuable to lose. She could hardly be expected to do the same for someone who got injured while hunting monsters.

Not everyone will agree with me on that, though.

Complaints like “Why did the Archpriestess use her special medicine and treatment to save that person but not our son?” are bound to pop up.

Oh well, I don’t need to think too hard. My hands aren’t big enough to carry the lives of everyone in this world. The only people I’ll give my all to are those closest to me. The ones I swore to protect.

Not even a god saves all of his believers. He only provides a little assistance to a select few when they happen to catch his attention. That’s the kind of world we live in…

Anyway, I have a feeling my collection of listening devices, recorders, and hidden cameras is about to grow. I wonder if another “bored little girl looking for someone to talk to” will make an appearance.

It’s a little less believable that she’d try to befriend two scruffy geezers.

What’s that? You’re asking if I’m gonna throw a ceremony or party?

No way, José. This event won’t be nearly as important as a debutante ball, which has a monumental impact on a young girl’s future. Plus, I’m sure there are traditional customs that have to be followed. Adding my unique touch of pizzazz would hardly be appropriate. I’m picturing a calm and dignified. bureaucratic ceremony.

It’ll probably be a formal ceremony hosted by the royal palace with the king in attendance…

“While all that is true, I’d still like you to handle the food for the party,” the count interrupted Mitsuha’s internal monologue.

“Wha…?”

“The ceremony must follow tradition, but the party is different. We can’t betray the expectations of our guests by not having Yamano Cuisine at a Bozes function! Can you please do this for me? I’ll hire the Ryners’ culinary team for help!”

The Ryners were Adelaide’s family. Count Bozes was clearly going to ask Marcel and his team, who were now experts at making Yamano Cuisine, to assist with the cooking. Just like they did at Beatrice’s debutante ball.

“Sounds like you don’t need me, then─”

“No! This will likely be the biggest moment for the Bozes family that’ll occur in my lifetime. The eyes of the entire nobility will be upon us. We must display utmost excellence. I won’t settle for anything less!”

Ah… I guess that makes sense. Festival food won’t be appropriate, so I’m guessing he wants platter dishes, desserts, and alcohol. I can handle that. All I have to do is get the Ryners’ chef and his team to cook some of the dishes. and then order catering in Japan for others. Candies, fruits, canned goods, and pre-packaged foods have a long shelf life so I can prepare those ahead of time.

“Got it. You just want food, right?”

“Yes. The eccentric displays you provided at Beatrice’s debutante ball certainly wouldn’t be fitting for an ennoblement celebration.”

Yeah, I bet they wouldn’t.

Oh, maybe just he wants to flaunt our close relationship to his peers. Ignoring the count’s event after going all out for Beatrice’s debutante ball would definitely spawn a rumor that I’m only close with Beatrice and not her father. That would understate the count’s prestige…which would lead to more marriage proposals for Beatrice.

Nope, we definitely can’t have that!

“I’ll give it my all!”

There’s still time until the ceremony and the party. This isn’t the kind of event that only gets a week’s notice. The women of the nobility are gonna need a lot more time to prepare. They have to order new dresses and jewelry, work on their hair and skin, and go on diets to look their best.

“Mitsuha… Why do you always insist on showing up without an appointment? Never mind that. How is your sister doing?”

Mitsuha was at Micchan 2.0’s estate to prepare for the next Society tea party. Much of her preparation consisted of procuring goods for the members, but she also had to go over upcoming agendas and announcements with Micchan.

She was touched that the first thing Micchan asked was about Colette; it was a sign of her kindness. She came off as a little haughty but that was out of habit of wanting to be taken seriously as a high-ranking noble. Compassion and altruism were at the core of her personality.

“Colette’s out of the hospital,” replied Mitsuha. “Her diet is back to normal too. Unfortunately, she has a really big scar.”

“I see,” Micchan said, her expression turning somber. A large scar on a lady was devastating news to a woman of nobility or royalty.

Not that it mattered to Colette; she wasn’t a noble or a royal. In fact, she was quite thrilled. Sporting a scar or two was nothing to a commoner. Just like Colette said, a scar earned while protecting your master was a medal of honor. If Mitsuha got a scar protecting Colette or Sabine, she was sure she’d be proud of it too.

Although I couldn’t get a scar no matter how badly I get injured…

The marquis doesn’t seem to be here today. I don’t see his wife either, so maybe they’re at a party.

By the way, unlike with Count Bozes and Lady Iris, I rarely refer to Micchan’s dad by his full title. Just “the marquis” is good enough. I might call him “Marquis Mitchell” out loud sometimes, but that depends on the situation and who’s listening.

“Micchan, are there any problems or topics you want to discuss at the next tea party?”

“Problems, you say… I suppose there is one.”

“Huh?”

Mitsuha only asked out of courtesy. She didn’t actually expect any more issues since the recent takeover attempt.

“What kind of problem? I thought everything was going well.”

“Well, the problem is that things are going too well.”

“Huh?”

What could possibly be wrong with that?!

“Society has been so successful that the disparity between us and other young noblewomen is growing. No one can match our makeup skills, our solidarity and teamwork, or our reputation among the nobility and citizenry. We’re even being treated like subjects or envoys of the Goddess. They’re calling us ‘saints.’

“This has led to our members who don’t have fiancés receiving an overwhelming number of marriage proposals. And the members who are engaged to a baron’s or a viscount’s son are receiving offers from counts’ and marquises’ families─and they’re trying to quash the current arrangements.

“That’s fine for the girls whose engagements are purely political, but not for the girls who are truly close to their fiancés. Some of them have known each other since childhood, live nearby, or have close family-friend relations. And these counts and marquises have been dangling faction politics and trade dealings to try to coerce the girls out of their present engagements.”

Oh, I see…

Daughters of counts and marquises couldn’t all marry within their own rank or higher. That was especially true for second, third, and fourth daughters. Even marrying a viscount’s or baron’s heir would be considered lucky; many women ended up having to marry second sons or lower who wouldn’t inherit peerage.

Now higher-ranking nobles were trying to pair their sons up with members of Society who were already taken.

I can’t allow that! Ab-so-lute-ly not! God might be able to sit by and watch as cute young girls are made to cry, but I won’t stand for it!

What’s that? You’re asking if I would let them cry if they weren’t cute?

You don’t understand anything, do you? All girls are cute. Appearance has nothing to do with it. Girls are adorable by their very nature! Just like how all baby chickens and java sparrows are cute!

The Yamano household had dogs, cats, a chicken, and even a java sparrow that liked to perch on my hand. The chicken was one of those dyed Easter chicks sold in front of the elementary school. We raised her until she was old enough to lay eggs.

I thought those chicks were all supposed to be male! You chicken sexers need to step up your game!

Mitsuha said, “But the girls have been squealing about all the proposals flooding in. I didn’t realize anyone was bothered by it.”

“That depends on the girl and her family. It’s hard to bring up personal affairs, especially if it’s something messy like this. Besides, some of the girls have been offered favorable propositions and they’re genuinely happy about it. No one wants to say anything to sour the mood.”

“Oh, that makes sense. No wonder nobody’s brought it up at the tea parties.”

“It wasn’t an urgent matter before, but some members have been facing more and more pressure and don’t know what to do.”

Hmm…

“Oh, what about you, Micchan? Are you doing okay?”

Micchan’s probably dealt with this her entire life. It would be terrible if it’d gotten even worse for her.

“I’m fine. My father is hoping I’d be matched with the son of a royal, a duke, or a marquis. I don’t have a fiancé or any male friends I’ve known since I was little. I should probably try to woo the crown prince for the sake of my family, but he’s a little, well… Let’s just say I would prefer the second or third prince─hey! What are you making me say?!”

That’s not on me… You just self-destructed!

I agree with her about the crown prince, though. He’s the guy who slithered into a party using his viscount title and publicly insulted my modest figure. So yeah, he’s kinda…eh.

But the second and third prince aren’t like him, huh. I’ve never met them but I’ll take Micchan’s word for it. She’s a good judge of character.

“Anyway,” Micchan continued, “I’ve always showed my disinterest in proposals from families of modest rank. As a consequence, many of them have given up on me and started pursuing other Society members. My life has actually gotten easier. That’s partially why I feel guilty toward the girls who got the short end of the stick.” Her face started to cloud.

She doesn’t have to feel responsible for that. She really is a kind person.

But hmm… What to do…

Using faction politics and trade relations as leverage was a normal bargaining tactic among the upper class. Such actions were not unfair or criminal. No one would hear out the girls’ complaints. To further complicate matters, there were probably parents who were more than happy to break up a happy engagement to pair their daughter up with a higher-ranking family.

Love didn’t matter when it came to matrimony among the nobility. Political marriages were more common than not. The women had no right to complain; they enjoyed their lives of luxury paid for by hard-working taxpayers. If they didn’t want that, they could give up their status and elope with whomever they pleased.

However, Mitsuha couldn’t force Society members to leave the group just because they were married. Nor could she punish every noble who tried to foist an engagement on one of the girls. For Society to have a strong impact on the community, it needed to remain connected to its members even after they were given away.

At the same time, she couldn’t do anything to impede on the girls who were happy with their partners or the ones who wanted to break off their current engagement for someone else.

Hmm…

“Micchan, do you have any good ideas? I’m willing to pitch in a little legwork and money. I don’t mind my reputation taking a small hit, either.”

Micchan eyed Mitsuha dubiously.

What? I’m perfectly happy to do that much for my precious comrades! Not everything I do is for my own profit.

“Hrrrmmm…” Mitsuha groaned.

She would’ve had plenty of ideas if her contenders were crooks and criminals but, unfortunately, the situation was more complex than that.

They needed to get the nobles to back away voluntarily without bitter feelings. Or without putting blame on the girls.

The sheer number of nobles they had to tackle complicated matters as well. Eliminating one or two of them would accomplish nothing, as there would be many more waiting in the wings to pounce.

As a foreign noble and a marquis’s young daughter, respectively, Mitsuha and Micchan had no business interfering with noble family politics. The most they could do was be an ally to the club members by offering a little advice here and there.

“Hmm, what to do, what to do… Do you have any ideas, Micchan?”

“Will you stop passing the buck to me? But…let’s see. First, we need to find a method to convince everyone that there’s nothing to gain from forcing their sons to marry a member of Society, and that there might even be a drawback. Said method also needs to make current fiancés believe they will benefit from not cutting off their engagements.”

“Wow, that’s smart! And how exactly are we gonna do that?”

“That’s for you to figure out.”

“Oh, come on… You’re surprisingly useless, Micchan.”

“That’s my line!”

Oops, I made her mad.

“I was just joking─oh, I mean, I’m really sorry!”

Shoot, she’s furious!

One of the house staff in the room sensed the tension and rushed over to refill the girls’ teacups.

Maids of high-ranking noble families sure are good at their job.

Marquis Mitchell and his wife usually placed a steward or butler in charge of the household when they were gone, but neither would ever be present for a conversation between their master’s teenage daughter and her friend. The only two staff members in the room were the maid and a server. They moved like clockwork to grab a teapot and top up the girls’ drinks.

They did that for one reason: it would make Mitsuha and Micchan stop talking for a moment.

Micchan remained silent after the staff stepped back because she realized their intent. They’d interrupted the conversation at the risk of incurring her displeasure, and Micchan gratefully acknowledged their selfless gesture. An arrogant and less intelligent noble girl wouldn’t have been able to do the same.

That’s Micchan For You! TMFY!

Wait, it’s my fault she’s upset in the first place!

I’m sorry!

Mitsuha gave the maid a slight bow and started over.

“Anyway, let’s review why you’re all getting flooded with marriage proposals. You’re far more beautiful compared to other girls─or at least, you appear so─because of the high-quality makeup that’s not available to the mainstream. You’re given priority on Yamano County goods, even though you can only buy enough for your own families. You’re treated like saints because of the Wennard County relief operation. You have connections to the divine soldiers that protected the caravan, and the words of the Goddess. Some people even believe the great naval victory against the kingdom of Noral was thanks to your prayers.

“In short, they believe that welcoming a member of Society into their families will connect them to me─Viscountess Yamano─and the Goddess. And it doesn’t hurt to have a cutie in the bloodline… Damn. There’s too much to gain from marrying one of you. I can’t think of anything that would dissuade them!”

Micchan looked troubled by Mitsuha’s analysis.

“Oh! Didn’t we make a rule that ‘when a member gets married, their first-dibs privilege to Yamano County goods gets transferred to their new family’? We decided on that to prevent our members from getting married too soon. I remember the girls were worried about marriage proposals then too. Didn’t you say that it would get your families to shelve marriage talks?”

“That’s if we get married. The rule would help in delaying marriage but not prevent one entirely. It won’t save anyone from their current fiancé being replaced. Also, that rule might be a turn-off to our own families, but to our prospective in-laws, it’s only another reason to tie the knot as soon as possible.”

“Oh, right…”

Well, that sucks…

Micchan added, “Also, if the groom’s family offers to share half of their Yamano County goods with the bride’s, it stops acting as a disincentive.”

“Oh yeah… I didn’t think of that. Plus, noble families can’t hang on to their daughters forever. We can prevent early unions, but you’ll have to be married off at some point.”

Hmm… Hmmmm…

Damn it, I’ve got nothing.

“Let’s shelve this for another day and focus on preparing for the next tea party,” Mitsuha suggested.

There’s no point in rushing. We won’t come up with any good ideas by rushing.

For now, we just have to focus on the matters in front of us.

“Right? Seems obvious enough.”

“…Huh?”

The two men who were injured in the gunpowder explosion were already discharged from the London hospital and sent back to the other world. The man who lost half his left arm didn’t have any other major injuries, and the man who was unconscious had only suffered severe blood loss so a transfusion was all he needed. Neither required a long stay.

Mitsuha gave a stern warning to the hospital staff not to prolong their stays, and they listened well this time. They were probably also hoping that treating the two men properly would lead to her future patronage. Rather than dragging out the hospitalization of a few patients and risking angering her enough to seek other hospitals, it was wiser to do what she asked and potentially receive a larger sample size of patients in the future. As a result, the men were discharged within the time frame that McCoy estimated.

Thus, Sabine and Colette had been set free from their interpreting duties.

Well, they’re hardly free. They still have their daily studies as a princess and a vassal.

Which was why they were in Mitsuha’s room at her county estate. More specifically, Mitsuha had gathered them to seek their input on how to stop the aggressive engagement pitches.

Honestly, I didn’t think Colette would be helpful with this matter. But I’d been asking so many favors of the girls lately that, other than the time at the hospital room, we hadn’t been able to hang out much as a group.

This meeting would at least give them a little time together. Mitsuha also wanted to show Colette that she didn’t have to risk her life to be helpful to her.

Mitsuha was counting on Sabine to be the ideas girl for this dilemma.

And that she was.

“The public’s belief is that Society earned the Goddess’s favor and blessing, right?” Sabine pointed out. “Wouldn’t that mean anyone who tries to force one of the girls into an unwanted engagement would earn the Goddess’s disfavor? If you could convince people of that, it’ll prevent all unwanted engagements whether they’ve already been made or not, meanwhile the engagements the girls do want won’t be affected.

“That way, the girls won’t have to be matched with anyone against their will. Neither their parents nor a powerful lord would be able to pressure them. At the same time, all engagements they do want will be safe.”

“Yeah. The Goddess’s envoy can tell everyone that,” Colette added.

“Oh… Ohhhh!”

The “Goddess’s envoy” they’re referring to is me, obviously. They’re telling me to take on the role again like the time we saved the Aeras.

“How exactly should I have the Goddess’s envoy deliver this message?”

Unlike in the Old World, the people of the New World saw Mitsuha as nothing more than a foreign viscountess. No one believed her to be the Goddess’s envoy.

“You figure that part out!” Sabine and Colette retorted.

“Fair…”

I knew they’d say that…

“Huh…?”

Nope, no one got that.

“You barely explained yourself, Lady Mitsuha!”

“Right, uh… Sorry.”

She started from the top, this time in detail.

“Well… Yes to the first part, no to the second,” corrected Mitsuha. “You can’t get engaged to anyone who’s not willing. Please only use your own charm and the help of your Society fellows to secure engagements. Just like we did for Society’s first mission to help Kaleah. The Goddess and her envoy can only help if your engagement is undesirable.”

We can’t turn the tables and start imposing engagements on others! Two wrongs don’t make a right, you know! In reality, I highly doubt there are many unwed guys who’d turn down one of our girls, but I want no part in stealing guys from their fiancées.

I enjoy a good villainess arc as much as anyone, but I don’t want to see a Society member go down that road. I can get my fill from novels.

Hm, no one seems bothered by my warning. Probably because Kaleah de Shilebart─the client from our first operation─successfully secured an engagement with the count’s heir. I guess they’re all confident they can pull off the same thing.

“Remember,” Mitsuha added. “You’re supposed to be ‘chaste and pious devotees of the Goddess who are appealing to her envoy for help.’ You can’t trample others’ dreams or do anything you’d be ashamed for the Goddess to see!”

The girls nodded fervently. It seemed like they were finally getting the picture.

“On that note, I’m going to ask you all to share any wishes you have for the Goddess’s envoy. We’ll deliberate each one and decide if it’s suitable for the envoy to hear out. And finally, we’ll round up what we’ve chosen and deliver them to her.”

No one asked exactly who was going to deliver those requests or how.

The reason Mitsuha was going through all this trouble was because if rumors like “Anyone who pursues a member of Society will receive divine punishment” started to spread, the girls would stop receiving marriage proposals altogether. That would cause the girls who were happy with their current situations to lose their fiancés as well.

She had to weigh each case carefully. The goal was to end any marriage talks the girls didn’t want without affecting the favorable ones. She also had to make sure they didn’t force others into unwanted engagements or cause any resentment.

How exactly am I going to do that, you ask? I haven’t thought about it yet. I’ll figure it out after I collect the survey results.

The survey split the girls into two major categories: those who were satisfied with their current fiancés and wanted to reject all other proposals, and those who wanted to keep them coming so they could pick the best one.

Of the former group, three of them were dealing with powerful families trying to interfere or strong-arm them into a new engagement. Two more were being pressured by their own fathers to drop their current fiancés.

Only one member wanted to break off her current engagement.

The other girls were getting flooded with proposals, but none were overly aggressive. They were able to reject them easily by saying they already had a fiancé.

“So currently, six members need help… Getting rid of their suitors alone wouldn’t accomplish anything. More proposals would come immediately from other undesirable people, and there’s no telling when these families are gonna start targeting other members too. We need to fix this problem in a way that’ll prevent it from occurring again,” Mitsuha said.

“That’s why they have to ask the Goddess’s envoy for help!” Colette exclaimed.

“Yup, yup!” Sabine agreed.

Yeah, I really don’t see any other way.

Hrrmmm…

Discover in the morning and apply in the evening! Kobe Shimbun Part-time Job News! That’s the attitude I need!

“Looks like I’ve got no other choice.”

It’s time for an investigation!

She admittedly learned most of it from the Society members themselves, but she secretly cross-checked each piece of information with what the other members were saying. She also questioned girls from other noble families who weren’t in Society. They were more than willing to speak to her; she was Viscountess Yamano, the famous supplier for Lephilia Trading and the vice president of Society, after all. The girls tripped over themselves to share the gossip in the hope of winning her favor.

It went without saying that Mitsuha used her connections and money to gather information from third parties. Verifying the accuracy of a claim by comparing multiple sources was key. She wasn’t naïve enough to take the members’ testimony at face value without listening to the other sides too.

Good friends turning on each other was common when it came to protecting their self-interest. That definitely applied in this case─there was too much for the girls and their families to gain or lose. Their marriage partners had a huge influence on their futures.

It was entirely possible that any of them could try to falsely paint their current fiancé as a bad person to break off their engagement and then demand reparations. Or coerce a family into an agreement that only benefited theirs. Or force a boy into an engagement against his will. They might even try to use Society’s and Viscountess Yamano’s names to achieve their own end goals.

That was why Mitsuha was going through the trouble of verifying everything.

I don’t mind Viscountess Yamano’s name taking a hit if it means helping people in need. It’s nothing more than a scratch. But I won’t tolerate my reputation falling because I was deceived or exploited. That’s the Mitsuha von Yamano─no, the Yamano family motto.

If a Yamano is cheated out of a dollar, they’ll gladly spend a hundred dollars to get it back. They’ll then inflict the crook with waaay more than a dollar’s worth in damages. We will make them regret ever messing with us!

I might be the only Yamano left, but you bet I’m gonna protect my family’s honor and pass it on to the next generation.

…If there is a next generation, that is. I can’t make more Yamanos on my own.

Crap, I got off topic!

Anyway, my point is that I’ll spare no effort gathering intel and I won’t stand for betrayal. My thorough investigation revealed some slight exaggerations and differences in perspective, but the members’ statements were more or less accurate. Which means the girls chose to tell me the truth. No one lied.

They showed me sincerity, and it’s time to return the favor.

What about Beatrice? I haven’t been making time for her recently. Sabine’s been wanting to add her to our group, so this might be a good opportunity to─wait, what am I saying?! She can’t speak Vanelian! She’s out!

Which leaves me with Colette or Sabine… But they’re not that fluent yet, and I’ve already introduced them to a lot of people as my little sisters. I also plan to keep bringing them to Vanel. They’re out too!

Who else, who else… Crud, there’s nobody! I definitely don’t know anyone who can speak the local language at a native level and I can share my secrets with.

Fine… I’ll do it.

I’m sure I can manage if I use a megaphone and a voice changer. And a wig, colored contacts, foundation, cotton rolls, a Halloween mask, a horse head mask, cat ears, padding─don’t ask where I’m gonna put that!─and a bunch of other accessories. No one will recognize me after I fortify myself with Earth’s finest disguise technology!

“I think all you’ll need is the chest padding, Mitsuha.”

“Yeah, that’s all it’ll take for no one to recognize you!”

“Shut up!”

Faithful worshippers were gathered in the prayer room of the capital’s main church. They were all busy praying toward a statue of the Goddess before them, so it took some time before someone finally looked up and noticed the newest addition to the room.

One man gasped and the others looked up.

““““““OH MY GODDESS!””””””

High above the prayer room, sitting on a protruding ledge of a stained-glass window was a young girl─no, a goddess.

It was Mitsuha disguised in a blonde wig and colored contacts. She was also wearing foundation to brighten her face and parts of her limbs, a (cheap imitation) tiara, and a glowing halo above her head. Her flowy white dress practically screamed, “I’m the Goddess!” and there were even white wings on her back. The wings were sturdy and attached to a harness underneath her clothes.

“It is I!”

Mitsuha spoke through a mic pinned to her chest. The transmitter itself was attached to her waist and connected by a thin wire underneath the dress. Her voice boomed through the speakers she’d installed last night in each corner of the ceiling.

“My faithful servants, hear my divine decree!”

“WHOAAAAAH!” The worshippers groveled at once.

That reaction was more than justified. Just a moment ago, there was no one sitting under that window nor could a human being have climbed up there without being seen by a single person. Either way, a girl scaling the walls of the prayer room would’ve been a jaw-dropping spectacle in itself; there were no footholds on the wall.

A maiden had appeared without anyone noticing. That alone would’ve been enough to convince the church attendees she was the Goddess or an envoy of divinity, but she also had pure white wings on her back, a halo over her head, and a voice that could be heard from all corners of the expansive prayer room without having to yell. There was no room for doubt as to who she was.

“There are villains trying to obstruct those who are carrying out my divine order of spreading happiness and goodwill to the world. I command you to do something about them!”

The Goddess then began telling the plight of Society in detail. She embellished a bit but expressed that the girls should be wedded with whomever they desired, and that she did not approve of the aggressive courtship the girls were being hounded by. She further stated that there was nothing wrong with making marriage proposals, but only as long as the pursuers backed off when the girls declined.

She then stood up on the ledge…

“Farewell, my devotees. Hup!”

…and leaped into the air.

The onlookers breathed, “She…vanished.”

It was for that little stunt that Mitsuha had the sturdy wings fastened tightly to her body. If their only purpose was for show, she could’ve gone with cheaper and flimsier ones. She needed them to be durable enough to not break for the half-second she spent in the air. She’d also lightly affixed a few real bird feathers to her wings.

After jumping away with the four speakers, the only trace left of the Goddess was the fluttering white feathers.

All hell broke loose as the church attendees fought over them. The chaos only subsided when the priests desperately cried for them to stop. The collected feathers all ended up in the hands of the church…which had unfortunately been torn to shreds as the worshippers brawled for them.

The high priest held a sermon once a month in the capital’s main church. This was that day, and many nobles were in attendance for the occasion. That was no coincidence, of course. Mitsuha knew in advance. As a result, word of the incident spread through the nobility and royalty like wildfire, and rapidly traveled among the common folk as well.

Not that the result would’ve been any different had she chosen a different day.

“The marquis who was badgering me into an engagement with his son backed off!”

“So did the gross middle-aged count who was trying to make me his second wife!”

“Mine too! I was this close to being forced into an engagement, but it looks like I’ll be off the hook!”

The plan worked. The six members who were in a bad predicament had been saved, and the other members who were stuck in undesirable engagements were able to shake them off.

The engagements that only the parents desired were called off as well. Putting your feelings aside and marrying for the sake of the family was part of being a noble lady, so those engagements could’ve been interpreted as willing even if they weren’t. However, the Goddess explicated the difference in her divine message so there were no misunderstandings.

Some of the parents of the Society members─who were thrilled to receive a marriage proposal from a high-ranking and influential noble─looked like they wanted to die, but unsurprisingly, they prioritized avoiding the wrath of the Goddess over their own interest. The choice was obvious.

Oh, I almost forgot.

“Don’t learn the wrong lesson from this, ladies! You better not use this situation to force an innocent man into a marriage they don’t want!” Mitsuha warned for the second time.

Why are they all hanging their heads in silence?! That’s unsettling!

Is it just me or do they seem above themselves lately? They started as gracious noble ladies with self-awareness, but lately I’ve been getting “We’re the Goddess’s chosen! Bow down before the privileged few!” vibes from them…

Have I been overdoing it with all the ship spirit, Goddess’s envoy, and Goddess business? Hmm, I hope this doesn’t come back to bite me…

For Count Bozes, that is. Not for me.

The event came as no surprise, as Count Bozes’s new rank of marquis had been decided upon some time ago. He was revered by his citizens as a dependable county lord and helped the rural baron’s and viscount’s territories nearby while managing his own land. He had more than earned the peerage.

That said, it was exceedingly rare for one lord to be invested a second, elevated title. It was easy to see why─a noble family continued in perpetuity unless all its members died or it fell to ruin by some other means. If the king handed out peerage like candy, the kingdom would very quickly be overwhelmed with nobles and elites.

As the nobility grew, the need for territories and administrative posts for nobles of the robe did as well. They also tended to breed like rabbits, leading to having many children, grandchildren, and so on who demanded the same first-class treatment. In reality, however, only the lord of the household held the title, while the others were just members of his family.

Anyway, an excessive population of the noble class would’ve placed an unmanageable burden on the kingdom.

Count Bozes, meanwhile, stopped the invasion of a foreign fleet, captured the three ships and naturalized its crew members, built a naval base and a shipyard, and started guns/artillery research and development. His county had become an important strategic point for the future of the kingdom─no, the entire continent. For that reason, it made sense to raise his rank. The title would serve as defense against interference from self-interested nobles and other countries.

Count Bozes was also essentially Mitsuha’s guardian, which made it all the more important for him to be in a position powerful enough to quash external threats.

Elevating his rank to marquis also made sense as a way to restore balance to the nobility after a number of families were either stripped of their rank or their household fell apart due to the empire’s invasion. It was also why Mitsuha and Alexis were given peerage.

Regardless, it was pretty rare for new people to join the aristocracy or for one person to be given multiple titles. The latter was almost unattainable unless the current lord accomplished something even more impressive than what their predecessor did.

That’s practically a Mission: Impossible.

Mitsuha had technically accomplished enough to be raised to the rank of count. The topic was actually discussed, but it would’ve been problematic for a commoner-turned-viscountess to be made a countess so quickly. Some argued that she should be elevated anyway, citing her status as the Lightning Archpriestess. Others─mostly barons and viscounts─opposed because it would further diminish their chances of taking her as their wife.

Good job, guys! Yep, I have no desire to be a countess. I’d probably have to give up my current territory and start over completely with a larger region in Zegleus, which I have no interest in doing. I chose Yamano County specifically because of its small size.

The king didn’t try to force it on me, either. He probably assumes I’m gonna marry into another family rather than having the husband marry into mine, so I doubt I have anything to worry about. Becoming just another count out of many would do nothing for my value and reputation. Being the kingdom’s one and only savior and Lightning Archpriestess is doing more than enough for me.

Anyway, Count Bozes was being recognized for his accomplishments that rivaled the forefather who was invested the title. Becoming a marquis was a great honor and possibly the only one of its kind in the entire bloodline’s past and future generations.

The pressure on the count was understandably enormous. He was as restless as a groom before his wedding day. Mitsuha couldn’t help but find the sight of him amusing.

He asked me to take care of the food for the celebratory party, unfortunately.

She didn’t have to do anything for the ceremony, which was being held at the royal palace. She was expected to attend as nothing more than one of Count Bozes’s close friends. A play or a fireworks show would’ve been out of place at such a formal event. She was definitely not going to use the ideas she had for Princess Sabine’s debutante ball and Prince Leuhen’s coming-of-age party. She wouldn’t have anything left if she exhausted them now.

Mitsuha expected she’d be summoned to attend the ceremony. She had a lot to do with the count’s achievements. Besides, she was more than just a viscountess. She was the Lightning Archpriestess, savior of the kingdom. There was no chance her attendance wouldn’t be anticipated at an investiture ceremony to announce a new marquis.

The ceremony ended without incident. It was a stuffy bureaucratic function that stuck to a tight script, so there wasn’t much that could go wrong.

The food that Count─I mean Marquis─Bozes requested was all prepared by the Ryners’ culinary team with the help of his own private cooks who’d learned how to make Yamano Cuisine for Beatrice’s debutante ball.

Mitsuha was unable to work behind the scenes this time. Count─Marquis─Bozes couldn’t be caught dead allowing an official attendee of the ceremony (the Lightning Archpriestess, savior of the kingdom, no less) to slog away as party staff. It would’ve reflected poorly on his reputation.

Beatrice’s debutante ball was a different story. Mitsuha was there simply to help a close friend. It was a charming display of amity between two young ladies. Everyone’s probably assuming that “Saint Beatrice” might even return the favor with a cameo appearance or a short play of her own for my debutante ball.

But this wasn’t one of those types of parties. A peerage investiture party─and one celebrating a new marquis, at that─was too important. It wasn’t the place for playful tributes from a friend.

This function was going to put the power dynamics and factional relationships of the attendees on full display. If Mitsuha spent the event manning the kitchen, there was no telling what kind of gossip would spread afterward.

Besides, Mitsuha and the count─marquis─were way too far apart in age for anyone to call their relationship a “friendship.” She spared no effort helping with the meal preparation, but once the event began, she was one of the party guests.

I prepared plenty of Japanese foods and sweets yesterday, so I know the cooks will be fine without me. Marcel and his team mastered the dishes that were served at Adelaide’s and Beatrice’s balls. They can make other foods from Earth too, and they’ve even made some original dishes using ingredients from Earth. All I did was provide them with seafood, wagyu beef, Barbary duck, and other fancy ingredients. They were able to come up with menus that even the royal palace chefs couldn’t match.

Well, that’s mostly because I’m giving them ingredients that can’t be obtained in this country… Along with a bottomless supply of spices, herbs, and seasonings. I also gave them samples to taste and recipes to follow. It’s not that the royal palace chefs are unskilled─if I gave them the same resources, I’m sure they could make even better food.

I feel bad for the palace chefs, actually. I could only imagine what the royal family and the guests at the palace have been saying… Comparing the food there to Yamano Cuisine…

Shoot. If I don’t do something to help them out, they’ll lose face.

“You needn’t worry about that. The royal palace chefs are professionals. They’re perfectly capable of overcoming this situation on their own. In fact, such sympathies would only be an insult to their pride.”

Mitsuha turned to the voice. “Oh?! Your Majesty! What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to make a formal and flashy entrance later when the guests have settled in? The kind with a grand introduction and all? And how did you know what I was thinking?!”

“Uh, you said all of that out loud…”

I was doing it again?!

“And yes, I’ll be making that kind of entrance later. But once I do that, I’ll be too busy talking to everyone and managing my duties as king. I won’t have time to eat. Now is my only chance to try the new Yamano Cuisine.”

“That’s why you’re here now?!─oh, I just noticed you’re not wearing your crown.”

“That means I am not currently acting as the king.”

“So no crown means off-duty?!─wait, Sabine’s here too! Why?!”

Sabine was nearby enjoying a plateful of food.

She’s not wearing her tiara. Does that mean she’s currently off-duty as princess? She was wearing it when I received my peerage. Chii and the first princess were too.

Oh, speaking of those two, there they are. They’re busy eating. and no one’s bothering them─maybe there’s a rule that you can’t approach them at moments like these.

Or maybe they do this all the time so no one’s questioning it…

“Of course not!” the king grumbled. “We got here early because we heard there will be new Yamano Cuisine. If it were any other food, we could simply ask our chef to make it whenever we want!”

“Good point…”

Sounds like getting a head start on the food and gorging themselves is not a regular thing. I should’ve figured. That’d be pretty embarrassing…

And I was thinking out loud again, apparently.

Never mind that. I’m here as a guest just like anyone else. That means I can take it eas─yeah right!

Noble parties are different from banquets. I have to get out there and socialize. In other words, I have to work. Making my rounds greeting the other guests, negotiating about our products and trade, bargaining with people who want me to mediate for them with Bozes County, and all that business talk and self-promotion stuff.

For many working husbands all over the world─here and on Earth─coming home drunk after wining and dining their clients is a part of their job. I hope their wives don’t get too mad at them for it.

Anyway, Count Bozes digivolved into Marquis Bozes. This’ll probably be the last major event for a while.

I really need to get back to my county work…

“Understood. By the way, Mitsuha, try not to push yourself too hard. Are you giving yourself time to rest?”

“Um, yeah. I am…”

The party had ended and Mitsuha was wrapping up her conversation with Marquis Bozes. He was in a rush to return to his territory to host another party, this time for the lords in neighboring lands and VIPs within his borders. He also had to deal with new legislations and other changes to his territory resulting from his new peerage.

It was just the two of them right now. There’d be a commotion if anyone overheard; they were discussing what to do if she ever died or disappeared. If either happened, her peerage would be relinquished and her county returned to the royal family. She told Marquis Bozes that she intended to ask the king if her barony could be merged as a part of Bozes County if that ever happened.

Selling peerage or adopting an heir to pass your title to was not allowed in this kingdom. That was because a territory and its citizens were loaned from the king and didn’t belong to the lord. Only lineal descendants of a noble family’s founder could inherit peerage.

The lord’s extended family, spouse, and in-laws couldn’t join the line of succession. To inherit peerage, you must be directly descended from the person who achieved something worthy of being invested the title. That ruled out the lord’s immediate extended family, but over time, he would have descendants who’d be eligible to inherit the title.

Mitsuha was the head of her household and had no heirs. Getting married wouldn’t fix that, as spouses couldn’t take on the role. If she died or disappeared before having children, that would be the end of the Yamano name.

Colette and her children would be able to continue serving the county as vassals, but even if Mitsuha adopted her, she wouldn’t be able to inherit the title.

That was why Mitsuha was taking measures to prevent her county from being given to a problematic individual if she died before having any children. She could comfortably entrust her people to Marquis Bozes or his heir Theodore, the latter of whom would have Lady Iris, Alexis, and Beatrice to protect him.

All that said, Mitsuha believed she discovered a loophole that would allow her to select her successor, although it’d require making a certain arrangement with the king. She’d have to convince him to invest the peerage and county upon her death to someone with a proven ability to rule and who’d accomplished something remarkable enough to be given the honor.

One came to mind.

A certain girl who had been managing Yamano County and its unique production industries as chief vassal (in-training). A girl who also risked her life to save the Lightning Archpriestess.

If such a girl kept piling up such great deeds, she’d at least be worthy of the rank of baroness. If she wanted, she could call herself Baroness Colette von Yamano. Yamano County was originally a barony, so giving the land to someone of that rank was no issue.

Nobles weren’t normally allowed to overstep their authority in such a manner, but Mitsuha thought she could get away with it; the king and this kingdom owed her a lot. Sabine would put in a good word for her too.

I’ll consider it a last resort, though. Just like guns are to Phantom Agent Fantar and his elite ninja team.

Mitsuha discussed this with Marquis Bozes alone because Lady Iris and Beatrice would flip out if they heard. The marquis was capable of setting his emotions aside and making rational decisions.

He didn’t exactly look pleased, though.

That was it for pressing matters. All that was left was her usual county work, checking on Gold Coin, and strengthening her foothold in the New World.

The kingdom of Vanel was the only country in the New World that had the means to dispatch an expedition fleet. Given Mitsuha’s strong presence there, there was no way she wouldn’t hear about another one well before it happened. That gave her plenty of time to prevent it by having Lephilia Trading and the Entrepreneur Girl International Network sabotage and lobby against them. She could also use Society for politicking and swaying the citizens’ religious sentiment.

Meanwhile, the countries on Earth seemed to have accepted that demanding anything from her was an impossibility and that angering her would only jeopardize their own safety. They were contenting themselves with whatever she offered. For now, anyway.

The nations on Earth had caught wind of the excessive rewards Mitsuha was giving to those that helped her─namely the country that lent her aircrafts for the New World reconnaissance and the naval battle, and the mercenary gang that dispatched her helicopters for the operation to save Princess Kak-Kak-Kak’s country. It was wiser to maintain relations by fulfilling her requests and slowly earning her favor.

Much more convenient for me too.

That reminds me, I’ve been getting a bunch of spam emails from governments lately. Things like lists of military aircraft and their cruising ranges, spec sheets for armored IFVs, and offers to rent missile ships, corvettes, and frigates whenever I want. I wonder if I’ll ever have to take any of them up on their offer…

Welp, I should get back to my coun─oh no! I forgot to reward Sabine and Colette.

Especially Sabine! I already vetoed two of her requests: a car and a plane. Who knows what she’ll ask for next. I should come up with a few suggestions of my own before she launches any more funny ideas at me. Just like when I gave her the radio and the bike.

I rejected the car partially because Sabine wouldn’t be able to maintain it or fill it with gas, but the main reason was because I was scared of her wrecking it and getting hurt. And need I explain the plane? Outrageously expensive, no runways, impossible to maintain. extremely dangerous… The list goes on. Who’s gonna fly the damn thing anyway?!

Hmm. I need something that’s safe, not too expensive, won’t inconvenience me, and will satisfy Sabine…

Mitsuha thought long and hard.

I’ve got nothing!

No-o-o-o.o! Here it comes!

I wonder what she came up with… She knows not to ask for anything that’s physically impossible, burdensome to me, or too dangerous. She’s Sabine, after all.

I’ve already told her I won’t give her any form of transportation, mainly for safety reasons. The mountain bike is the best I can do for ya, Sabine.

She’s a sensible girl. I trust she will keep her request reasonable.

“I demand a full-sized refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave, a gas range, and a flush toilet. I also demand scheduled deliveries of frozen food, Japanese food ingredients, and snacks!”

“Are you out of your freaking mind?!”

Those are humongous demands!

The things themselves aren’t hard to obtain. And I can afford them.

But a flush toilet? That’s gonna be a lot of work because there’s no sewage system here. I’d have to get a professional to install a water purification tank and then have them come back for annual cleaning and inspection… Certain parts would have to be replaced every few years too. Maintenance would be a nightmare.

Bringing a repairman to this world once a year to do all that is out of the question.

If this were at my county residence or general store, I could do the maintenance myself or jump the entire system to my house in Japan for repairs. That wouldn’t work for a toilet in the royal palace, though. It’d be more than a little problematic for a viscountess─one who also happened to be the kingdom’s savior and the Lightning Archpriestess─to make annual visits to the palace to service a toilet.

The electrical appliances Sabine asked for were much easier to accommodate, but her current solar power system wasn’t capable of supplying enough electricity for all of them. She’d need a setup as powerful as the one at Mitsuha’s General Store, which would require a home fuel cell, an LP power unit, high-capacity storage batteries, and a control board. The gas tanks would need to be switched out regularly too, of course.

Upgrading the scale of Sabine’s equipment would also increase the likelihood of an accident like electrocution, electrical fire, or gas leak. This was a medieval society, after all. Modern-day common sense like “don’t touch anything electrical with sweaty hands” or “don’t light a candle when you smell gas at night” didn’t exist yet.

Another issue was that if Mitsuha gave Sabine all those things, keeping her magical gadgets under wraps was going to be hard. They were meant to be secret items exclusively for Princess Sabine. Rumors about them would spread throughout the palace, and other royals and nobles might begin to demand some of their own. The royal family wasn’t all sensible folk like the king and his immediate family; there were many more relatives who were in the line of succession. Some of them could be the selfish type who pestered you endlessly, or worse, they could be the entitled type who believed their royal status gave them a free pass to do anything.

Regardless, granting Sabine with all those appliances would’ve led to way too many problems.

I get it, though. Life in the royal palace is hard after you’ve gotten used to Earthly conveniences. And I totally get why food and a toilet are at the top of her list! Nothing from this world can match the delicious food from Earth, and now that she’s experienced the sheer delight of modern flush toilets, she probably can’t stand using the outhouses or those chairs with a hole in the middle and a pot underneath. Even if she was perfectly okay with them before.

In fact, even Colette can’t bear the bathroom at her parents’ house anymore.

Sabine didn’t ask for an electric kettle or anything related to bathing. Probably because she doesn’t want to steal work from the maids. She never forgets to think about the commoners.

On second thought, bathing probably isn’t a big hassle for a princess. Unlike commoners, she’s not the one heating up the water. And she uses the shampoo (2-in-1 with conditioner) and body wash she buys from my general store.

Mitsuha explained, “There’s no sewage here, so I can’t give you a flush toilet without also installing a water purification tank and a place for drainage first. Maintenance would be a chore too. I’m gonna consider that request physically impossible. Rejected!

“As for the electrical appliances, you don’t have enough divine power for any more than you already have. Besides, you already have a mini fridge. And I’m definitely not making those regular deliveries. Even if you paid for the food, it’d be way too much work for me. I’d consider it if it’s only for a limited time like two or three months.”

Sabine already has a mini fridge, an LED light stand, a fan, and two radios. I don’t think her current solar power system and storage batteries can handle any more. That mini fridge is eating up a lot of electricity.

Sabine said nothing.

Huh? That’s not the reaction I expected from her. Normally, she’d come at me grinning ear to ear with counteroffers, but I think she’s in serious mode. And she looks kind of glum…

Oh! This isn’t just about getting food and candy! What she’s really after is an arrangement that will ensure regular visits from me directly to her room… And that I’ll never leave her.

Crud, was that the wrong response? Well, it’s not like I could’ve accepted those demands either way. I had no choice but to turn them down… What else was I supposed to say…?

Mitsuha and Sabine stared silently at each other. Sabine was in a really sour mood.

…But not because I rejected her wishes. She’s sad that her ploy to keep me tied to her failed. The purpose of her demand was to have me visit her often, and making sure I won’t just disappear one day…

Ahhh, I feel so bad!

“A-Anyway,” Mitsuha asserted, “I reject everything except for the regular food deliveries! I can bring you food, but only for two or three months! I’ll also give you one more thing. Think of something that isn’t dangerous and won’t burden me too much.”

“Hrmph…”

Sabine looks unsatisfied but pulling a few all-nighters for me isn’t going to earn her much. I can’t give her everything under the sun. If I grant her whatever she wants for such a small favor, her demands will only escalate when I need her help in the future. I can just picture Sabine demanding her own room at my general store or my county residence, or a lifetime commuter pass between the royal palace and my house in Japan.

A lifetime pass. All aboard the Mitsuha train… She’s never gonna get off, is she?

Together with the mysterious and eternally youthful Mitsuha, Sabine sets out on a journey on the Galaxy Express 999 to obtain a body with a flat chest…

Wait, that’s not what that manga was about! The main character wanted a cyborg body, not a flat one!

Mitsuha had to take a moment to calm herself down.

M-Moving on. Sabine’s not a bad girl, but if I give her an inch, she’ll try to take a whole mile. Colette, by contrast, doesn’t do that at all. Which has nothing to do with her being a commoner and my vassal while Sabine is a princess. It’s because Colette’s confident that if I ever leave this land, I’ll take her with me. Sabine, meanwhile, thinks I’d leave her behind.

…Which is, frankly, the truth. I can’t just kidnap a country’s princess. The only scenario in which I’d take her with me is if there’s a foreign invasion or a coup d’état.and the king asks me to flee with her before the entire royal family is killed. Either that or Sabine decides for herself that exile is the only means of survival.

Sabine’s an intelligent girl who’s aware of her position as a royal princess. If I ever disappear, she’ll lose access to Earth’s blessings and her solar power system. and the electrical appliances will eventually stop working. But she’ll be fine. Her life would just return to the way it was before she met me.

“Ow!”

What the hell?! Sabine just punched me!

Is she…crying? Oh, don’t tell me…

“…Was I thinking out loud?” whispered Mitsuha.

Aaah! Geez, she won’t stop hitting me.

Stop that! I don’t have much padding on my chest! Her blows are super effective!

Oh, I know! I’ll take Colette with me to see her! Sabine likes to act like a big sister, so she’ll do her best to stay calm even if she’s still seething on the inside. She’s well-behaved around Prince Leuhen too, but I couldn’t ask him to tag along.

Colette seems to be saving up her reward points for now. Probably to splurge on something big in the future.

And I’m willing to bet it’s not gonna be for anything extravagant. I have some idea of what that might be…

And man, is that a scary train of thought.

“Huh?”

Selmia, the second daughter of Count Darats, surprised Mitsuha with the suggestion during a Society tea party.

“For younger children?”

“Yes. We could gather the younger girls in the nobility who are untainted by the world and unite them as a group subordinate to Society. That would allow us to etch within them devotion to the Goddess and to our group. Like taking a chisel to their young, impressionable hearts…”

“Tell me more!”

Selmia has the face of an angel but she’s a devil inside…

According to Selmia, if Society were to open up the group for new enrollment right now, little girls from as high up as dukes and royals would come running to join (with their parents’ approval, of course). The club, however, was not looking for new members and only accepted girls within a certain age bracket. As such, Selmia was suggesting that they form a sub-group to accept girls who were too young for Society. Younger girls who were still blank canvases, uncorrupted by the world…

I love it! We’ll brainwash─err, dominate─uh, petite soeur─I-I mean, guide those youthful souls with care!

“Lady Mitsuha, your mind isn’t drowning in foul thoughts and self-indulgent desires right now, is it?”

Micchan’s side-eyeing me, but I don’t care!

“Lady Selmia, expect additional reward points in your future!”

“How wonderful! Okay, then. Let us share ideas to refine this plan!”

Junior Society’s age range would be between six and twelve. Members would graduate from the group on the day before their thirteenth birthday, but they would not automatically advance to Society. Only a select few would get to join the main group upon graduating.

The rest would be known as Junior Society alumni. They’d be considered supporting members of Society, which would earn them regular offerings of new information from Society and preferential treatment from Yamano County and Lephilia Trading.

Abruptly cutting them off from the benefits wasn’t a wise idea─that ran the risk of inspiring hatred toward Society. Thus, while graduating without ever entering Society would be the standard, it’d still come with sufficient merit and lasting connections.

Junior Society tea parties were to be held on different days from Society’s. This way, the older girls could attend both and act as mentors to the little ones, either on a rotation or volunteer basis.

This is so precious…

I have a dream, and it’s all right here!

“You’re going to attend every meeting, aren’t you, Lady Mitsuha…”

Micchan’s saying something, but I don’t care!

I’m gonna make all the Junior Society members wear cat ear headbands during their tea parties! I should get them matching outfits too… Oh, and maybe a kiddie pool for them to play in! I can buy uniform swimsuits from my local elementary school’s designated supply store. I should order them ASAP. I’m gonna need a lot…

Heh.

Heh-heh-heh-heh…

“…tsuha, Lady Mitsuha! It’s no use. She can’t hear us…”

Didn’t she mention something about Colette, Sabine, and Beatrice being all the little siblings she needed…? What was that all about?

In Mitsuha’s hand was a list of names of the girls who’d made it to the final screening of Junior Society’s admission.

“The daughters of royals and dukes, girls from families belonging to an extreme faction or one that opposes Micchan’s family were all, unfortunately, dropped in the first round,” Mitsuha mumbled to herself. “I’m sure you’re all good girls, but your fathers would cause us too many problems…

“And after multiple investigations, we’ve eliminated the girls who come from households with an unsavory reputation or have a sibling who might try to use them as a foothold into Society. And these are the ones who remained…”

They had no pictures of the girls, so appearance had nothing to do with the selection criteria. Asking for portraits would’ve been pointless, as anyone could pay a painter to exaggerate their beauty. Not that Mitsuha or the girls had any intention of rejecting anyone based on their looks. That applied to the main Society as well, of course.

Most of Society’s members were as pretty as dolls, but that was only because they were nobles─the product of centuries of work by top breeders (either that or noble lords just happened to have an easy time finding beautiful wives and mistresses). Noblewomen also had the time and money for makeup and grooming. Of course they were going to be more attractive than commoners.

“Now we just need to hold a secret ballot to rule out anyone that our members definitely don’t want to welcome into the group,” Mitsuha said.

They already had a meeting to deliberate over the candidates. Nevertheless, there could’ve been topics that were difficult to bring up in front of others, like unsavory rumors you couldn’t verify, personal qualms, and family matters. Hence, a secret ballot was crucial.

The members assumed their responses were anonymous but Mitsuha was able to tell whose ballot was whose. Just like a school or company survey, no one should ever think their responses wouldn’t be linked back to them. Mail-in surveys often had small serial numbers on the corner to identify the sender.

“All right. Club rings would be a bad idea for growing girls. A perfect fit now will become too small too quickly, and if we make them a little large, they’ll just slip off and get lost. A pendant wouldn’t work either; small children move around a lot, and a necklace would dangle and get in the way. Imagine if it got caught on something and strangled the girl. That’d be just awful.

“Which means we need something that can withstand a child’s active lifestyle, while also being inexpensive and easily replaceable. Darn… There’s only one thing that checks all those boxes, isn’t there? Darn, darn…”

“Mitsuha, you don’t have to come up with a fake reason just to convince us,” said Sabine.

Colette followed, “Yeah, it’s obvious you just want to see the little girls wearing those things. Let’s just say it out loud and get it over with…”

““Cat ear headbands!””

I can practically hear the marching band celebrating this occasion!

The tea party was being held at the mansion of one of the Junior Society members. The main Society meetings were always held at Micchan’s place. Mitsuha settled on that to raise Micchan’s authority in the group, and because it was a marquis’s estate; there was ample space and staff to accommodate a large group of guests.

The host of the Junior Society tea party was going to be on rotation. That would prevent any one family from being overburdened with responsibility and to stop them from holding too much power.

Micchan was supposed to be the center of both Society and Junior Society. For that reason, Mitsuha didn’t want anyone from the latter group sticking out above the others. The girls in Junior Society were equals. Their loyalty had to be directed toward Society and Micchan rather than toward one of their own.

And also toward the person who’s feeding them delicious food and drinks and hooking them up with exclusive goodies. You know, me.

Mitsuha was planning on selling toys and children’s costumes to the junior members. That would give them something to buy for themselves at the tea parties along with what their parents requested. They likely received allowance money for it too. The costumes would include a princess knight set, a fairy set, a sorceress set, and more. A regular princess set wouldn’t sell since they already had similar (and better) versions of them.

While they called it a tea party, Mitsuha was primarily serving juice. She figured children would prefer sweet drinks to tea. Nonetheless, tea, hot chocolate, and warm milk were also being offered.

The candy and sweets selection were the best of what the Japanese confectionery industry had to offer and were mostly the same as what was served at Society’s meetings. They were made for children, but that didn’t mean they were low-grade; they were “adult tested, kid approved” highest quality Japanese snacks.

This first tea party was an initiation ceremony, so all of Society’s members were present. At future events, only Mitsuha and a few other members would attend in shifts. Providing guidance was important, but they also had to foster individuality among the young girls. The seniors couldn’t meddle too much.

Someone’s gotta provide the sweets and handle the girls’ orders for Yamano County goods, and I happen to be the only one who can fulfill that job. Guess that means I’ve gotta come every time. Aw, shucks! There’s no other choice, is there? Hahaha!

Junior Society’s age range was six to twelve, but only girls ten and under were accepted. A twelve-year-old joining and graduating a few months later was not an ideal situation. Most girls over the age of eleven had already applied to Society and been accepted or rejected anyway. The screening process would’ve taken twice as long if girls who were rejected from Society applied for Junior Society as well.

That meant each girl’s minimum time in Junior Society would be about two years unless they left the group voluntarily.

That’s more than enough time to brainwa─I mean, foster a friendship with them.

Junior Society ended up becoming something of a refuge for girls who were about to be forced into an arranged marriage. It was common for nobles to get engaged at a very young age. Most of them were mutual agreements to bring two households closer together, but some were a result of pressure from the family with more power.

That was why the Goddess Appearance Incident happened in the first place. This was the kind of world where a middle-aged power-tripping geezer calling dibs on a pre-teen girl was tolerable behavior. Mitsuha prioritized girls whose parents wanted to protect them from such a situation.

Can you blame me?! I didn’t make those decisions on my own, of course. All of us deliberated each candidate at the meeting, and no one opposed. Society’s members are all well aware of their duties as women in nobility, but they still have a desire to protect those in need. Especially the members who’ve just been spared from a similar situation.

At present, no one can publicly oppose a girl entering Society or its new sub-group, and as a result, we’ve earned the wrath of a niche group of old slimy lords throughout the kingdom.

Nope, I can’t think of a single reason why we should be bothered by that.

Society is an ally of all girls and women!

And me because I volunteered. I’m sure the Junior Society members have been told by their parents that I’m the supplier of Yamano County goods. Hopefully that’ll make them feel comfortable approaching me despite my unusual appearance. Every Society member was present last time, so the little girls ended up gravitating toward the classic noble beauties like Micchan, while mostly ignoring me and my flatter Asian face.

Today, however, there are only three other Society members here. So if I can find a way to casually emphasize that I’m the bearer of all the delicious sweets…

Mitsuha began to snicker to herself.

Okay, I guess I’ll start by handing out the cat ear headbands I bought…

“─Wait, what? Why is everyone here again?!” Mitsuha cried out.

“What did you expect, Lady Mitsuha?” said Micchan. “You said anyone can volunteer. Some of us don’t have a little sister. Some of us want to form connections with more families. And how could we pass up the chance to eat your delicious sweets twice as often? This was obviously going to happen.” She sighed at her friend.

Graaaahh!

That was the topic of conversation at the next Society tea party.

“Yes, a concert. It’s an annual event in the capital. The application to participate is coming up. All you have to do is submit a form, so if we register under the name ‘Society,’ there’s no way we won’t be accepted.”

She was right. Society was popular and famous already. Not to mention it was an assembly of young and pretty highborn girls with strong connections. The event organizers would approve in a heartbeat. For them, it was like scoring a celebrity guest.

Hmm… That sounds kinda fun. I have no artistic talent whatsoever─not as a sculptor, painter, nor musician. But fortunately, you don’t need to be a talented creator or performer yourself to appreciate art. Life would suck if you didn’t have the ability to tell good from bad, which in effect translates to the ability to enjoy art.

So yeah, I like art as much as the next person. And I doubt everyone in the club will have to perform. This might be a good chance to further spread our name among the common folk and curry their favor.

The best part is that it won’t cost me a penny.

“What kind of instruments will we have to play?” Mitsuha asked.

“Oh, there are no restrictions on the instruments. Even singing without musical accompaniment is allowed. The rules are very lenient to make it easier for commoners to perform and watch as well.”

Interesting…

Hmm… Hmm…

“Okay! Discover in the morning and apply in the evening! Kobe Shimbun Part-time Job News!”

“Lady Mitsuha, what in the world does that mean?”

Micchan looks so confused, but I don’t care!

“I might as well choose the red application!” giggled Mitsuha.

“None of that makes any sense!”

On that note, Society signed up for the concert.

“Whoa!”

The news they were waiting for was announced. Now both groups could begin preparing their acts.

Yeah… Both.

One for Society, and one for Junior Society…

There were all kinds of lesser-known and crazy instruments throughout Earth’s history before they were weeded out in favor of the ones that were mainstream today. It made perfect sense for the same process to occur in this world and result in similar conventional instruments.

I’m sure there are obscure instruments in remote countries on Earth that no one’s ever heard of. I recently learned about the cajón, quena, kalimba. and ektara. They all sound really good.

I decided to name the instruments here after similar-looking ones on Earth. That one might not have enough strings, but it’s a violin! That one is missing the black keys and foot pedals, but I’m calling it a piano! Don’t worry about the little things!

Society was mostly comprised of teenage girls. They were old enough to have fun by simply sitting around and chatting about local gossip, fashion, and their favorite actors. But the girls in Junior Society were still young and didn’t find endless chitchat to be a fulfilling activity. They lacked the knowledge and life experience to sustain conversation topics that would entertain everyone. Some of them quite possibly never even left their homes until recently.

That was why Society wanted to plan fun activities for them to break the ice and bond over. The concert was perfect for that. It was also a chance to advertise to the capital’s citizens that Society now had a sub-group for younger noble girls.

The main Society members were going to perform an instrumental piece. The Junior Society members were going to do something else since they already had a governess at home who made them practice and study every day. Mitsuha didn’t want to bring the same dreary energy into what was supposed to be a place of fun. That would just be torture.

For that reason, they decided that the main group would take on the challenging part so the children could be carefree and enjoy themselves. The little ones were going to sing and dance.

During a musical performance with instruments, one mistake could throw off the whole ensemble. A few small mistakes during a simple song with choreography, however, didn’t really matter. It was more important for the younger girls to let loose than to be perfect. This wasn’t a prestigious performance at a national concert hall. Commoners were also going to be watching and participating, so a little playfulness wouldn’t hurt.

And now that my plan “Hog Junior Society All to Myself” has gone up in smoke, I’ll have to switch tack. New plan: give the girls cute outfits and equipment, coach them, and wow them by showing them a good example. That’ll get them to like me!

I can’t sing or dance, obviously, so I’ll have them watch a divine gift from the Goddess (AKA Blu-ray disc). Society is supposed to be connected to the Goddess. I don’t think showing Blu-rays to the girls will be a problem.

I’m not worried about them telling their parents. How would you react if your six-year-old daughter came up to you and said, “I saw singing angels!”? There’s no way you’d take them at their word.

There’s nothing for the parents to gain from their daughters’ claims, and there’s no way they’ll demand their kids to show them what they saw. Even if the “visions of singing angels” were proven to be real, no one’s gonna pry. Who knows what kind of divine punishment they could face.

No parent would take that risk after finally getting their daughter into Society’s sub-group!

All right, I have to choose the song! I need something that showcases their cuteness to the max…

“Lady Mitsuha, we’re going to start practicing!” Micchan called out.

“Huh? Already?”

“Why would that surprise you? We’re performing too. We need to figure out who is good at what instruments and what level we’re at so we can split up the parts. Once that is settled, we can all practice at home.”

Wh…

“WHAAAAAAT?!” Mitsuha howled.

I have the musical talent of a chimpanzee… What am I gonna do?

“L-L-Lady M-Mitsuha, h-h-how can you possibly have so little musical talent? Girls in nobility and royalty are all given musical training from an early age. But you’re beyond hopeless at singing, and you haven’t been able to play a single instrument we’ve given you. I-I don’t understand. I simply cannot understand…”

Micchan’s eyes were hollow.

The other members were frozen still with their mouths agape.

A few of them were even shedding tears of pity.

Okay, I knew I was musically challenged (to put it mildly) but am I so bad that you have to cry about it?!

There were still places on Earth where a woman’s ability to sew or weave was a crucial factor for choosing a bride. Even in Japan, it wasn’t long ago that girls from affluent families had to learn things like tea ceremony etiquette, flower arrangement, traditional Japanese dance, and the koto.

Oh, I’m actually pretty good at identifying Saga Go-ryū flower arrangements. At least I’ve got that going for me. An old friend of mine studied it and would often show me. It’s pretty distinctive.

Micchan quavered, “No matter how untalented someone is, anyone who’s made to practice from a young age should at least be on the lower end of average! How are you this bad?!”

“I, uh, never practiced outside of music class at school… I like watching and listening to music, but I don’t play at all…”

Bam!

“Eek!”

Wow, Micchan’s big mad. Slamming the table that hard must’ve hurt…

“Very well, then. Lady Mitsuha, your role in the concert is to introduce us,” she said.

Aw, I got sidelined.

Not complaining, though. I’m honestly glad…

“Also, you are to visit my residence once a week. This has nothing to do with the concert. I’m going to introduce you to my music instructor so you can start taking lessons.”

“Huh?”

“You’re taking lessons.”

“What?”

“You’re. Taking. Lessons!”

Eeeek!

“Okay!” the girls chimed.

They’re so darn cute…

“Are you sure about this, Mitsuha?” Micchan looked anxious.

I get why she’s worried. She has to be doubtful that I can give the girls any decent instructions given my skills, or lack thereof. But never fear! I’m not the one performing the demonstration!

Today’s Junior Society tea party was being held in a small hall of a count’s estate. Mitsuha arrived slightly ahead of time to set up her equipment, which consisted of a laptop, an external battery, and her trusty projector. The latter was already aligned to display against a blank wall.

Mitsuha pulled off the piece of cloth covering her gear with a dramatic flourish.

No one reacted.

Well, uh, to be fair, they have no idea what these things are… What’s there to react to…

But how about this!

Switch, on!

An image of a concert hall projected onto the wall. It was from an anime.

It wouldn’t make any sense to tell them they’re going to perform an angel’s dance and then show them a live action video of flat-faced Japanese people! This is obviously the time to bring out the angelic anime girls!

The fantasy concert was starting. The audience inside the screen cheered. In contrast, the audience outside the moving picture was dead silent.

The young girls stared blankly at the video but soon, their eyes began to glimmer, and their bodies were swaying to the rhythm. They didn’t understand the lyrics, but that didn’t matter.

Moments later, the girls were shouting and waving their arms just like the fans in the movie, totally swept up in the feverish excitement of the 2D concert.

“L-Lady Mitsuha, wh-what was that?” Micchan asked in disbelief.

It was an expected question, and she had a response prepared.

“Oh, it’s a new product from my country!”

Man, what a perfect answer! It’s not even a lie.

Micchan stared at Mitsuha.

Mitsuha stared back.

Everyone else stared at them.

“I, uh, can’t read sheet music, and the instruments in my country are different from the ones here, so even if I could write all this out, you wouldn’t be able to use it.”

Now that’s a lie. I actually gained the ability to read music scores after speaking to a musician here. Unfortunately, that’s all I gained. Sightreading only. Still can’t play any instrument. So I can read music but I’m hopeless at reproducing it.

Which is why…

“I need you and the rest of the members to transcribe this song into sheet music by ear,” Mitsuha said.

The Society members went so still Mitsuha thought she could hear their blood freeze. They’d never written sheet music before. They also surely understood that they couldn’t ask their music instructors to do it for them. And Mitsuha’s total lack of musical talent meant that she was powerless to help.

Good luck, gals!

And thus, Junior Society’s and Society’s days of grueling practice for the concert began. The performance didn’t have to be perfect; it wasn’t like the groups’ survival depended on winning the top prize. All that mattered was for them to have fun. The commoners were more likely to enjoy a show with some mistakes performed by passionate and enthusiastic players than a perfect one played by a rigid and nervous band.

Music should be fun. There’s value to more refined music when you’re older, but for children, fun and carefree is best.

The event was being held outdoors at the capital’s central plaza where the royal palace and the main church were. It was open to commoners as well as the nobility; no building was able to accommodate a crowd of that size.

The concert was free admission. This wasn’t a for-profit show, but rather a festival to celebrate music. There weren’t even any fences separating the commoners and the upper class.

Musicians weren’t all nobles. Commoners didn’t have the time to practice music from a young age, however, so most of the musicians tended to be sons of nobles in the lower end of the family’s line of succession. Part of the event’s purpose was to find diamonds in the rough among the musically inclined commoners and give them patronage.

That meant some of the commoners who entered were putting their futures on the line.

Talk about pressure…

It’ll be casual for us, though. We’re using this event for publicity and don’t care about winning any awards. I just want to give Junior Society a spotlight for their debut and share their exciting performance with the world. And with their parents too.

That’s why it doesn’t matter to me if they make a few mistakes. Practice ended up being a lot of fun without the pressure of achieving perfection; their workload and goals were significantly breezier. I didn’t want the girls to feel stressed over something like this. You could end up hating something that you love if you’re forced into a demanding practice schedule.

Okay, it’s almost time for everyone’s big moment!

Security guards surrounded the nobles’ seating area, and each family was accompanied by personal guards. Even at a festival, security had to be taken seriously. Nobles had a lot of enemies both at home and abroad.

Society’s turn was toward the end of the program but not the last act. The first and last few slots went to young nobles from affluent families and commoners with patronage.

The program order wasn’t decided by lottery, but rather by the host of the event. No one complained; it was an accepted fact of life that the wealthy got priority. The commoners had to be grateful to be allowed to participate at all.

Society didn’t have a patron or a connection to the sponsor, but its massive popularity among the nobility and citizenry─and the small detail that its members were considered saints─earned it the fourth from last act. Technically it was fourth and fifth from last; Society and Junior Society applied as separate bands because they’d only be allotted time for one performance otherwise. The two groups were placed consecutively on the program, just as they requested.

If they hadn’t been, they would’ve needed to set up and take down their instruments twice, doubling the amount of preparation time. The members’ families would end up having to stick around at the festival for much longer too. The Junior Society girls’ parents would’ve wanted to leave right after the performance for a celebratory afterparty, which made for a perfect excuse to mingle with the other parents (i.e. a networking opportunity for the fathers).

The host finished his introductory greeting, which mostly consisted of self-promotion and a request for donations. The first act then carried their instruments onto the stage and got the show rolling.

The other participants’ acts are kinda…classical? I guess I should’ve expected that. The music from this era would be considered the “classical” genre.

The sound isn’t carrying very well. The instruments themselves, the size of the band, and the acoustics of playing outdoors─the performers are doing their best despite the conditions. The crowd is loving it, though. I guess commoners don’t get a lot of entertainment in their lives. They’re also getting to enjoy a pastime of the nobility for free.

A lot of the players are incredibly talented. Classical music nerds on Earth would probably have a field day if they were here. The Junior Society girls wouldn’t have been too thrilled if this was what they had to play.

The song I chose for them is far from classical.

There were two more acts before Society’s turn, the first of which just finished. As the next group was settling in, the girls did a final check on their instruments. It was almost time.

The group before Society was stepping off the stage after their recital was done. The girls carried their equipment on stage and prepared with impressive smoothness─they rehearsed the setup routine beforehand. Once the girls were done, Mitsuha announced their name, and they took the stage.

I’m so excited!

The song was a famous classical number from Earth. Mitsuha had played a couple of songs without video for the members and had them vote on one. They then wrote out the scores by ear and practiced it.

The song title was changed to Heavenly Melody, as the original name would’ve had no meaning in this world. The audience obviously never heard the song before, so they assumed that one of Society’s members wrote it. While the execution was a little clumsy, the composition of the song itself made up for that.

And to no one’s surprise, it was a big hit! The applause is deafening!

Society was already adored by the masses before today’s performance but being able to see them in person amplified the audience’s reaction.

Sweet, sweet! This is excellent PR.

Now it’s time for today’s main event and the one I’ve been dying to see: Junior Society’s world debut!

The main Society members remained on stage with their instruments, although they backed up to clear the front and center. Mitsuha announced that Society’s performance was over, and it was now Junior Society’s turn. She also explained that Society was going to provide musical accompaniment.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome Junior Society for their grand debut!” Mitsuha beamed. The younger members scuttled in and took center stage.

The girls were all wearing cute frilly dresses and─to Mitsuha’s great delight─cat ears and tails. The costumes were works of passion by none other than the degenerate dressmaker. She had to get help from other tailors because of how many Mitsuha ordered.

And finally…

“Let’s do this! One, two, a-one, two, three, four!”

The Junior Society girls began to dance in sync to a poppy and uplifting song. Which happened to be from a popular Japanese anime.

Isn’t this supposed to be a music recital, you ask?

Details, schmetails!

Let’s face it, what’s not to love about six- to ten-year-old girls wearing frilly dresses and dancing in perfect sync? While wearing cat ears and tails, no less! The costumes! The music! The choreography! It was unlike anything this world has ever seen, and we plagiar─I mean, paid homage, referenced, mirrored a song from a popular anime. I knew they’d love it!

These were technically supposed to be musical performances, so the girls were holding percussion instruments that resembled tambourines, triangles (diamond-shaped in this world), as well as others that could be described as maracas and castanets. A Spanish person would not approve.

The older Society members were playing their instruments in the back so they could argue that this was, by definition, a musical performance.

But that doesn’t matter! We’re not trying to win a prize. All I want is for the little ones to have fun and make their debut as Junior Society. There are some hardcore musicians here trying to secure patronage, but most participants just want to put on a good show, so I doubt anyone will complain. Society might be a contender for an award, but Junior Society isn’t gonna even be considered.

In this part of the world, the only women who showed any leg above the knee were prostitutes, dancers, and girls under ten (though confusingly there was no limit as to how much of the back and cleavage a girl could show). Junior Society’s members were young enough to expose their knees, which made it acceptable for them to dance their hearts out in costumes resembling idols and magical girls from Japanese anime. That resulted in a show that blew the minds of the people of this world.

It’s time for the finishing touch. We’re closing with a short choir-singing from the Junior Society girls. This goes without saying, but it’s an anime song that I translated into the local language.

Mwahaha! Copyright laws and JASRAC’s evil clutches can’t reach me here!

“I can now go without regrets!” Mitsuha screamed.

“Mitsuha, you’re too young to die!” Colette grabbed Mitsuha’s shoulders and shook her violently.

“G-Give─give…!”

Colette’s attack is super effective!

“Huh? Do you want me to shake you more? Are you into that kind of thing?”

“Of course not! I meant ‘I give in,’ not ‘give me more’!”

Neither of us has a perfect command of English, it seems.

I brought Colette and Sabine to the concert to have them film it. There’s no way I was gonna let Junior Society’s big debut go unrecorded!.I’ll ask the degenerate dressmaker to edit them later. She’s good at that kind of thing for some reason.

Junior Society exited the stage and Society followed with their instruments. Lingering too long would’ve inconvenienced the next act, so they had to hurry. But they didn’t rush; they carried themselves with grace so as not to damage their expensive instru-ments.

Musical instruments were pricey on Earth too, but they were even more so in this world. That was another reason music was difficult to pursue for commoners. Even in Japan, mid-range instruments manufactured by unknown makers could cost four or five figures.

That means… In this country, it’s gotta be at least… Mitsuha shuddered.

I felt bad for the three acts who had to go after us. The audience didn’t pay much attention to them because they were still talking about our performances. Everyone was still chattering about Junior Society’s (not-quite) musical recital during the next act. I’m so sorry!

At least the musicians who played after us already have wealthy patrons. All the budding musicians who are poor and seeking sponsorship went before us, so we didn’t ruin their stage! It’s not like anyone’s gonna offer sponsorship to Society, so we won’t be stealing other artists’ opportunities. If Society’s classical song gets everyone’s creative juice flowing, that would be enough.

But please don’t start writing classical songs inspired by anime music…

The girls’ family members, however, were moved to tears by the performances. Some of them were relieved to see their reclusive and reserved daughters laughing and letting loose.

Funnily enough, both groups were given special awards. Society received the Best New Composer Award and Junior Society received the Angel Award. They were made up on the spot. The musicianship of either performance was too unskilled to win an official commendation, but the host rushed to invent something for them because of their popularity and the impact they were going to have on the music world. Otherwise, the people would’ve rioted and accused the judges of being blind and deaf.

The host and sponsors immediately approved of the new awards to capitalize on Society and Junior Society’s popularity.

Those sponsors are wealthy for a reason…

“Oh, I’ve been wondering the same thing!”

“Me too!”

“Me three!”

“Huh?”

Such a suggestion arose at the first Society tea party since the concert.

“Uh, aren’t girls our age not supposed to show our knees or gesture dramatically because it’s unladylike? And isn’t that especially true for noblewomen?” Mitsuha asked.

“Er…” the girls gulped.

What the heck are they thinking?

“Wh-Why does showing our knees have to be a requirement?! We can wear cute and frilly outfits that are dignified. And we don’t have to jump around quite so much either. We can have fun gracefully.”

“Right! I’m sure we can!”

Why is everyone so excited about this?

“Did something happen, by chance?”

Mitsuha’s question was met with an awkward silence.

Okay. Something definitely happened.

“Lady Mitsuha… You really don’t know, do you?”

Ooh, Micchan to the rescue as always!

“The concert made the Junior Society girls very popular. There’s been a flood of requests for them to dance at parties and other events. I’ve turned down the invitations addressed to Society, but some of them have been sent to the girls’ parents. They’re having a hard time declining because of family power dynamics and faction politics.”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Mitsuha interrupted. “Why would anyone send a request to the girls’ parents instead of us? Their performance wouldn’t hit the same without all the girls present, and only you guys know how to play the musical accompaniment.”

That’s clearly backwards.

“They may be hoping the Junior Society girls or their parents will come to us to plead for help…”

“Ah, I see.”

That makes sense… Wait.

“Okay. That I understand. But what does this have to do with you all wanting to dance like Junior Society?”

Another silence.

“About that…” Micchan spoke up for the others again. “They just want to be fawned over like Junior Society!”

Are you serious?!

“You’re already mega popular!” said Mitsuha. “Everyone is calling you saints, for Goddess’s sake! And now you’re jealous of little girls and want to be even more popular?! You heard about all the trouble their families are facing and were like, ‘Yep, that sounds great, sign me right up’?!”

Her talking points were sound. And brutal. The members couldn’t do much except look at the floor sheepishly.

“Well, um, perhaps there’s some truth to that. But the Junior Society girls looked like they had so much fun.” Selmia, the second daughter of Count Darats, blushed. She was the one who proposed the Junior Society project.

It was true there wasn’t much recreation in this world compared to modern-day Earth. Girls in the nobility were especially sheltered and prohibited from doing anything remotely risky. After all, an injury or a scar on the face would dramatically reduce her value as a political asset.

While boys were allowed to play sports, hunt, and learn to fight, girls were not given the same privilege unless they had a very tolerant or eccentric father. Young women in high society were hardly allowed to leave their estate and were forced by their governess to spend all their time studying, practicing etiquette, and learning skills like music, fine arts, and needlework.

Would a noblewoman actually ever have to sew anything, though? Is it one of those useless traditions passed down without any real meaning or logic?

Governesses also had the authority to strike their students and punish them by taking away foods and snacks, making them an object of fear for many girls.

Even Micchan’s face twitched when they discussed governesses once. The more prestigious a girl’s family is, the stricter the education and the standards are. Which I guess makes sense.

It wasn’t easy for the girls to make friends in their hometowns. That was even true when they traveled to the capital, as rank and factional concerns got in the way of finding girls their own age. One they could speak freely with was practically a unicorn.

And I dangled the carrot (Society) in front of such girls…

The girls got to experience the fun of collaborating with friends, working hard toward a common goal, and achieving said goal.

First, there was the debut mission to support Kaleah de Shilebart.

Next came the grand operation to send aid to Cherlia’s hometown, Wennard County.

Then there were the busy days of preparing for the concert and helping Junior Society.

And other little things in between.

They were having the time of their lives.

“Be real with me, guys! You just want to play idol!” jabbed Mitsuha.

“‘Play…i-dole?’”

“What’s that?”

Oh, the concept of “idols” doesn’t exist here so that word wasn’t translated. The word for an image representing a deity of worship exists in this world, but I meant “idol” as in a young pop star, which is how the word is used in modern-day Japan. There’s no accurate descriptor for that, so the translator in my mind just skipped over it.

“Um, it’s a word from my country. It’s mainly used to refer to teenage singers who are passionately adored by fans. The origin of the word referred to objects of worship,” Mitsuha explained.

“Wo-o-ow!” The girls were all ecstatic.

Damn, I just added fuel to the fire.

“So it’s like a songstress! And not the vulgar kind that sings in taverns, but the kind who performs at a national music hall.”

“Like Lady Lynn May, who people call Vanel’s Angel and the People’s Little Sister?”

“WO-O-O-OW!” The girls got even giddier.

Crap, this is spiraling out of control.

If I object now, they’ll start a riot…

“Did you let your ulterior motives cloud your judgment again?”

Colette and Sabine shook their heads when Mitsuha explained her predicament to them.

No, it’s not like that! I really just wanted to give the Junior Society girls a fun experience that would bring them closer together.

“So, about Operation Idol Master─”

“Beep! Wrong! It’s called the Grand Idol Operation, Sabine!”

“Stuck in a submarine with five girls…”

“That’s Operation Petticoat!─Wait, did you find a DVD of that at my house?”

“…So are you going to market the girls as units or as solo artists?”

“Where did you learn so much about idol culture, Sabine?!”

“If you promote them as a group, it’ll dilute each girl’s charm and personality. They’ll be treated as part of the collective. Isn’t that no different from how they’re seen now? As members of Society?” Sabine said.

Again, how do you know all this─

“Oh!” Mitsuha cried out. “I’ll bet you picked up all this trivia when Colette was in the hospital and you were vegging out in my house in Japan! You binged on TV shows and went through my brother’s DVDs and Blu-rays without asking, didn’t you?!”

I hope you hid your porn well, Tsuyoshi…

Colette pitched in, “Practice is gonna be super hard if you put them all in one group. They’re noble ladies, right?”

She had a point.

Colette’s not as brilliant as Sabine, but she’s pretty smart too. She couldn’t have gotten this fluent in English, Japanese, and Vanelian otherwise. There were early signs of that when she made suggestions on how to popularize reversi.

“Hmm… Good point. They’re all busy with their studies and lessons.”

“Plus, if Society turns into one big idol group, you might get left out, Mitsuha. They won’t have a place for a disastrous singer and dancer like you.”

Jeez. Sabine! Straight in the gut!

“Sh-Shut up!”

Moving on.

“How about this? If a project involves all the members, they’ll operate as Society. For the Grand Idol Operation, I’ll group them into units of two to six girls… And if any of them turn out to be particularly talented or get really popular and want to go solo, I’ll let them move forward.”

“That sounds fair,” Sabine nodded.

“I agree!”

Okay, sounds like a plan.

“Huh?”

Micchan 2.0 referred to her friend as “Lady Mitsuha” during tea parties or when there were other people around but when they were alone, she called her just “Mitsuha.” It was a subtle sign of how comfortable she was around her.

Or maybe she’s doing that because she thinks I’m younger than her. But I like to believe she calls me “Lady Mitsuha” as a sign of affection as opposed to the other Society members calling me “Viscountess Yamano.” She’s probably doing it subconsciously, though.

“A petition? That sounds like serious business.”

Orphanages do occasionally send letters to nobles asking for donations or support to run a fundraiser. But the word “petition” sounds a little more desperate than a simple request, like they’re saying, “We humbly beseech you for your aid!”

“What does it say?”

“It was about Junior Society’s performance at the concert. They’re asking for our permission to let their children perform it. And to teach them how to dance.”

“WHAT?!”

What are they thinking─actually, you know what…?

Orphanage.

Tons of little kids.

Always together in the same space and have a lot of free time.

And most importantly, they’re all willing to work their butts off to live and eat their fill.

If the orphans debuted as a group who could perform a refined version of Junior Society’s famous “angel’s dance”─while wearing matching adorable outfits─they might receive invitations to perform at business events and noble parties. Those owners and nobles would then feel honor-bound to make sizable donations to show their appreciation─donations the orphanage needed to feed the children.

Mitsuha figured that it was possible for the orphans and Junior Society to coexist as separate idol groups. The latter’s members were daughters of noble families─potential spouses for noble heirs, and precious game pieces to strengthen ties between two families. An idol group made up of orphans, meanwhile, would exist only as a momentary source of joy and entertainment.

If the orphans performed at a noble’s banquet, the host wouldn’t be the only one to make a donation; other nobles would also throw in tips. They might even step up to help the orphanage if times got tough.

The new group would also calm the overwhelming tide of requests directed at Junior Society.

Wait, but I can’t play my Blu-ray for the orphans. There’s no way word about the video wouldn’t get out. Which means the Junior Society girls would have to visit the orphanage to demonstrate the dance and coach them. In doing so, we’d be encouraging the children of nobility and commoners to interact…

“Approved!” Mitsuha declared.

“Huh?” Micchan looked stunned; she clearly didn’t expect her friend to be on board.

How could I not? This is way too enticing of an opportunity to pass up! A chance to cultivate the juniors’ emotional growth, mix with commoners, and add another touching story to our list of accomplishments…

They’ll be raised to become literal angels who treat all with kindness regardless of social status! And maybe someday lead the world to a place where─while the class system would still exist─nobles and commoners could walk hand in hand…

Oh, wait! Calling the girls “angels” might be a bad idea. Angels aren’t human; they’re Goddess Siders. Society’s members, by contrast, are called “saints”─women who are holy and kind, but still human. That would flip the hierarchy between Society and Junior Society.

I need to think of a good name for the juniors.

Micchan continued, “Junior Society has given us, Society, a demand too. They want a lecture on how to do their makeup.”

“What?! Makeup already?! They’re not even ten! They’re growing up way too fast!”

“It’s perfectly normal, actually. Don’t you know how early children of nobility get fixed into arranged marriages? Sure, girls that age don’t wear a heavy layer, but a little bit of rouge on the lips and cheeks is common. Besides…”

“Yeah?”

“This demand likely originated from their mothers and older sisters.”

“Oh!”

Now it makes sense.

“I have another demand for you too. This one comes from both Junior Society and Society.”

“There’s more?!”

“Both groups want more frequent meet─I mean, tea parties.”

“Huh…”

As a rule, Society met twice a month and held additional emergency meetings as necessary (such as when they helped Kaleah and Cherlia, or when they rehearsed for the concert). Junior Society only met once a month. Mitsuha figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to separate the young girls from their parents too often, although they did meet more than that to practice for the concert. (With their parents’ permission, of course.)

Well, if they’re eager to meet more often, Junior Society girls must be having a good time. It also means the parents approved of the club, which is a relief. There’s just one problem.

“My expenses would go through the roof! Where do you think I get the free food and drinks for the tea parties?! It ain’t free for me!”

“I can imagine…”

Mitsuha was making a profit from the goods the members were purchasing on behalf of their parents, but it was only a small one. She’d set a quantity limit for each members’ household and even gave them a significant members-only discount. Selling the same goods elsewhere was much more profitable. Hosting more tea parties would do nothing to increase her earnings because the monthly purchase per member wouldn’t change.

By contrast, double the tea parties meant double the budget for food and drinks. With the addition of Junior Society and the concert rehearsals, there’d been more meetings than ever. Having more regularized tea parties meant it wouldn’t be long before the girls found another event that demanded frequent meetings and rehearsals.

Oh, I know for a fact they want to enter more competitions after getting a taste of success at the concert. Their parents will be all for it too.

By the way, I took portrait photos of the Junior Society members, framed them, and sold them to their parents. I made quite a killing. The main Society members got glam portraits when we just started the group, so I wanted to do something similar for the junior members’ parents. They’d never seen such detailed portraits (AKA photographs) that also captured the subject’s natural expression.

They’re nothing like traditional painting portraits where the subject ends up looking poised and tense. The adorable outfits, the sincere smiles─everything was new to them.

The parents of both groups seem to think Society is a free daycare, a private tutoring center, a networking space to connect with other noble families, and a marketplace for delicious imports all in one. I’ve heard that they’ll cancel other plans just to send their daughters to the tea parties and are in complete favor of meeting more often.I guess I’m grateful for that, but…

Micchan pointed out, “If we take a majority vote, it will undoubtedly be one against everyone else,”

“My poor wallet! My aching time! And Micchan, you defected to the enemy?!”

“My sincerest condolences, Mitsuha. And I have one more thing─”

“How could there possibly be more?! Ugh, fine. Finish me…”

“We’re getting flooded with a particular inquiry from the queen and the adult women in the nobility.”

“Inquiry?”

Society received a lot of letters and visits from messengers sent by royals and nobles demanding that their daughter be let into the group or to be given more Yamano County makeup. But inquiry was rare.

“What do they want?”

“They want to know if you have any plans to start a Society for mature women. Some have even offered to help chaperone the tea parties. What would you like to say to that?” Micchan’s expression was as unenthused as a Tibetan sand fox.

“Not my problem…”

Junior Society, on the other hand, would now meet four times a month. Only one of them would be an official tea party. Junior Society would have to plan the other three on their own. Mitsuha would only be present for the official meeting, and the host family of the other three would chaperone and provide snacks and drinks.

The parents readily welcomed this idea. They truly enjoyed watching their shy daughters blossom and have fun with peers. The great success of the concert contributed to their enthusiasm, but that wasn’t the only thing; they also appreciated the chance to befriend other nobles and build a connection with the main Society.

I’ll only be at one of the four, but at least three girls from Society will be at the other three meetings to help out. The ones who don’t have any siblings or little sisters would probably volunteer often. I’m sure they’ll manage just fine without me.

During Junior Society’s performance, she’d noticed the look on Sabine’s and Colette’s faces.

Mitsuha had taught them how to work the cameras and summoned them as film crew to record the show.

I caught a bit of a sparkle in their eyes while they were watching the dance.

They must wanna be a part of it too, thought Mitsuha.

Neither of them could join Junior Society, however. They had responsibilities, one as a princess and the other as a vassal to Viscountess Yamano. Their education was being funded by hard-working taxpayers’ money. While the girls were allowed a bit of time off here and there, they couldn’t spend all of it indulging in playtime. Joining Junior Society wouldn’t fit their schedules, and Mitsuha had no desire to jump them back and forth between continents so often.

There was also a real risk of them getting hurt. In the New World, Mitsuha wasn’t “the Lightning Archpriestess, the girl who could decimate nations if you incur her displeasure.” She was just a rich girl from abroad, good for business.

It was possible someone from the New World would try to attack Mitsuha or those close to her. That was why she’d been dreading the day Sabine and Colette would come to her demanding, “We want to join Junior Society too,” but they hadn’t shown any signs of doing so yet.

Finding that strange, Mitsuha asked Colette about it.

She responded, “Oh, don’t worry. We’ve been practicing really hard. We’ll be ready to show you soon.”

“Huh?” Mitsuha couldn’t make sense of her words. “Wh-What do you mean by that?”

I have a bad feeling about this…

“I formed my own idol group with the Yamano Munchkin Maids and a few other volunteers. We’re called the Thunder Maidens.”

“……”

“‘Maiden’ is a pun on ‘maid,’ in case you didn’t notice.”

“……”

“What’s wrong, Mitsuha?”

“……”

“Mitsuha…?”

“WHAT THE FREAKING HELL?!”

The W2W agents were bound to piece together that she was always in Japan, so she visited other countries on occasion. She also wanted to show Sabine and Colette around as a learning experience. They could only speak Japanese and some English so their travel options were mostly English-speaking countries, but it still gave them a lot of places to choose from. She sometimes took them to non-English-speaking places with scenic nature and distinct architecture.

The trio used to frequent a town close to Wolf Fang’s base─they even had a favorite desserts restaurant there─but they hadn’t gone since the kidnapping incident. Mitsuha had learned her lesson; frequenting the same place risked your stalker setting a trap. While some of them would have malicious intent, others simply wanted to talk to her.

The Wolf Fang captain is my liaison on Earth, and anyone who bypasses him and approaches me directly during my private time is considered a person with malicious intent. It’d be delusional to give them the benefit of the doubt when they might be an assassin or terrorist. I’m choosing countries and towns at random to avoid that situation. This way, both sides would be spared misfortune.

We’ll visit our favorite places again, of course. The chances of anyone recognizing us are slim. Sabine and Colette are right at home in the West because of their appearance, and if I put on a wig, the three of us don’t stand out too much.

Other than the fact that we’re all gorgeous young ladies.

“You think way too highly of yourself, Mitsuha!” Sabine jabbed.

Shut up, sheesh!

Anyhow, that was why the three of them were strolling through a random town on Earth.

Mitsuha occasionally brought the girls to countries in the other world too, whether it had diplomatic relations with Zegleus or not. They’d be in disguise, of course.

The trio had even gone sightseeing to other countries in the New World. Mitsuha could jump to just about anywhere in the New or Old World thanks to the reconnaissance flights.

Maybe I should ask for another recon flight in the other world. This time over a different continent. I don’t know anything about other lands. There could be more culturally advanced nations. I might be able to buy some interesting goods, too. Even if they’re developing countries, we might be able to find some valuable stuff for cheap. And then sell them for a big profit elsewhere like in a poorly designed MMO…

Selling Zegleus products overseas might be a good idea too.

The destination Mitsuha chose today was a mid-sized town in a mid-sized country. It was perfect for casual wandering; it wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded like a major city in a developed country nor was it so rural that people would stick their noses in your business.

“I’m hungry, Mitsuha. Can we eat soon?” Colette whined.

“Oh, good idea. Let’s head back downtown.”

They’d walked a good distance from the center of the town, so there weren’t many restaurants nearby. Mitsuha wanted to try the local cuisine rather than food they could find anywhere, and the best place to do that would be where they had options.

They turned around and began to walk.

“No-o-o-o!”

“Don’t hurt her!”

“Waaaah!”

Hm?

The shouting was coming from a large, worn-down building. It sounded like a young woman and a group of children, desperate and on the verge of tears.

Mitsuha stopped in her tracks. Her friends followed suit.

Sabine let out a little groan. On the one hand, she wished her friend would stop throwing herself into trouble and danger. On the other hand, her instinct as a virtuous royal compelled her to help those in need. There was a hint of resignation in her eyes, probably because she instinctively knew Mitsuha would stop at nothing.

Colette, meanwhile, looked excited and ready for action. In her mind, Mitsuha could do anything and save anyone. The pressure was on.

“Are we…?”

You know darn well that it’s useless to even stop me, Sabine.

Mitsuha gave her a firm nod.

“I’m warning you, Mitsuha. Without your secret art, you’re a powerless, regular girl just like us. But if you do use it to help whoever is in there, you’re going to risk revealing a lot of things,” Sabine said.

“I know. But I can’t turn a blind eye to girls who are in danger. Besides…”

“Yeah?”

“My brother would’ve done the same.”

Sabine dropped her shoulders. She and Colette had heard about her brother countless times. They knew what she meant.

The official language of this country was English but Sabine and Colette weren’t fluent enough to keep up with a native speaker’s conversation─full of local dialect and slang─especially not one that could turn heated. They decided to keep quiet and try to follow along, and the moment they sensed that Mitsuha was in danger, they’d step in to save her.

…By means of an armed intervention. These girls wouldn’t hesitate to take the life of a bad guy to protect me.

They were both strapped with a Walther PPS. One kept it under her left arm, and the other hid it on her right thigh. They also had a knife on their left thighs. The same went for Mitsuha.

There was no need to worry about being arrested for possession of weapons; if they were questioned by the authorities, Mitsuha could jump all three of them to the other world and back in one millisecond and leave the weapons behind. Or they could simply jump away to safety.

Anywho, I’ll be sure to speak in a calm voice so Sabine and Colette won’t think I’m in danger. This is so both sides would be spared from unfortunate accidents.

Okay, let’s do this!

Mitsuha stepped inside the old building to find three vulgar-looking men hounding a teenage girl and six children. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who was likely in the wrong here.

But there’s still a microscopic chance that the guys are the victims. I’d put those odds at about a hundred thousand to one, but hey, I shouldn’t rule it out entirely.

“Who the hell’re you?! Mind yer own business and get lost!”

“Or are you li’l girlies offerin’ to cover their debt?”

Ah-hah. Debt, gangsters. buying up land and loaning it to the poor. That’s a common formula in any world, I guess. And from the way the children are huddled behind the older girl, this must be an orphanage. How cliché. Hmm…

“Money borrowed has gotta be repaid, right?” Mitsuha began. “How come borrowers are always grateful when they receive your money, but then call you evil brutes when you come to collect it? It’s only reasonable to add a higher interest rate when you’re lending to someone with poor credit. If they know the risks of borrowing money, they have no right to complain afterward, don’t you agree?”

“Y-Yeah…”

The men looked bewildered; they hadn’t expected Mitsuha to be so understanding.

Yup, paying back what you owe is the proper thing to do. If you can’t, there’s nothing you can do to prevent having your mortgaged stuff from being confiscated. I can’t meddle if they have a proper contract.

Moneylending is an admirable job that can truly help people, after all.

“B-But we’ve paid back all the money with interest! And they still won’t return the deed. Now they’re saying if I don’t pay them, they’re going to sell us off…” the older girl contended.

“Yes! Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Mitsuha tittered.

Earth really is no different from the other world… Scums like these guys will exist regardless of how advanced a civilization is, huh.

“Huh…?” The teenage girl and the three men tilted their heads.

“Uh, nothing! Just talking to myself! Okay, back to the original plan─ahem. Foul villains, I shall punish thee in the Goddess’s name!”

“WHAAAAT?!” The men were stupefied by Mitsuha’s sudden switcheroo.

What did you expect?

The orphans weren’t civilians of Zegleus or Yamano County. They weren’t even from the other world. This was Earth, which meant that whatever mischief Mitsuha caused here─whether it was a good deed or a crime─would be accredited to Mitsuha Yamano the Japanese citizen.

But I have to protect these kids no matter the risks.

Who says, you ask?

Me! Duh!

“B-But we have an IOU, and there’s no proof that she paid us back,” one of the men countered.

“Oh, so no evidence means it never happened? Well, if those are the rules… You don’t mind if I play by them too, do you?”

“Huh? The hell’re you talkin’ about─”

“Hey, boss. These girls are pretty cute too. We could fetch a pretty penny by sellin’ ’em along with the rest.”

“Oh yeah, good point.”

All right. If there was any reason to suspect the orphanage was shirking payment, it’s gone now. These men are definitely the bad guys.

“Seize them!” the leader of the pack yelled, and the other two inched toward Mitsuha, Sabine, and Colette.

“P-Please stop!” the older girl tried to interfere. “These girls have nothing to do with us! If you take them, you’ll become lowly kidnappers!”

The men paid no heed. If they were afraid of the authorities, they wouldn’t have been this bold in the first place. The local police were likely deeply intertwined with criminal organizations, anyway.

That meant Mitsuha had to sort this out herself. It wasn’t like gangs could call the authorities if she took things a little too far. Silencing the police with bribes and threats was one thing, but crying to them for help was something else. They’d be a laughingstock in the underworld, and local civilians would immediately cease to take them seriously.

Besides, if this incident blew up and made national news, there was no way a small-town gang would be able to cover it up. Their collusion with the police would come to light as well.

Yeah, they’ll have no choice but to run away with their tails between their legs. Just like they’ve been forcing the people of this town to do.

So, without further ado…

“…Huh?”

“Wheh?”

“What the?”

The guns in their pockets vanished into thin air along with all of their clothes. Except for their underwear.

I left one article of clothing as an act of mercy… And because I didn’t want Sabine, Colette, and the children to see anything gross.

“Wh-Wha─”

Mitsuha clasped her hands in front of her chest and prayed aloud: “Holy Goddess, there is no reason to show these vandals mercy. They are pests of the worst kind. Feel free to remove their arms, legs, or even their heads.”

“Ah─”

“What was that?”

“AAAAAAH!”

“Oh, they ran…” Mitsuha mumbled.

“You don’t say.”

“Who wouldn’t?”

Sabine and Colette shrugged in exasperation.

“Th-Thank you so much, messenger of the Goddess!” cried the older girl.

“Thank you…” the children echoed as they all scrambled to their knees and bowed to Mitsuha.

The ground is really rocky here… That’s gotta hurt their knees.

“Uh, don’t worry about it! By the way, you don’t happen to know where their headquarters is, do you?”

And just like that, the gang’s headquarters building was transferred to the other world. The thugs inside it were left behind on Earth. The furniture, safes, and armories and their contents? All jumped away.

Naturally, that meant…

“Waaaarghh!”

The people in the building fell into the giant crater in the ground. It was pretty deep because there was a basement as well.

No one died; it was only two stories. It wasn’t like the entire structure collapsed on top of them. It simply vanished. At worst, there were some broken bones.

The criminal gang had just lost its base of operations, weapons, money, gold bars, jewels, and all of its deeds. Most of its members were injured.

How would the other gangs in the surrounding area react after this?

Mission accomplished! Wrap it up!

The gold bars, jewels, and weapons were all donated (to me).

As expected, it took only a few days for another criminal organization to finish off what was left of the gang and move into town. The new gang claimed that the Goddess used her holy power to destroy the last one as punishment for harassing the orphanage, and that they were only following the Goddess’s wishes by eliminating it.

Naturally, that meant harassing the orphanage was not an option for the new gang. Instead, its men took the stance of protecting the orphanage by making regular visits to play with the children, giving them treats, weeding the lawn, and patching their leaky roof.

That’s great and all but what if those kids grow attached and proudly claim they want to be gang members when they grow up?

“Seriously… What are we gonna do?” Mitsuha moaned.

“Don’t ask me!” scorned Sabine.

“Mitsuha, you can’t let those children go down the wrong path,” said Colette.

“Ugh… I guess I’ll check on them every now and then…”

“And this is how you pile on more work.”

“You have no one to blame but yourself.”

I can’t deny that, can I…

But let me say one thing:

“Shut up!”

I’m sure this goes without saying, but the W2W countries found out what I did in that town. It didn’t turn into a big deal, though. They already knew I’d been touring all over Earth. They had mixed feelings about my actions but accepted it as in character for me.

In fact, a few other countries invited me to visit their land too…

Clean up your own town, guys!

And don’t forget to support your orphanages!

This was Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement volume nine!

We’re this close to reaching the double digits! This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of everyone who picked up this series. Thank you very much!

An unforgivable enemy appears, and Mitsuha unleashes fists of fury!

Meet Claymore, my trusty machine gun! …Yeah, my Claymore isn’t a sword.

I pray that we’ll meet again in the next volume…