A Derringer load bullets directly into its barrel, so it had a fair amount of power despite its small size.
And the royal guards weren't that heavily armed.
On the battlefield, your first priority was to not die.
But the first priority of the soldiers here was to protect the royal family and nobles from assassins and small groups of enemies.
That's why they didn't wear heavy metal armor that made it difficult to move.
Rather than protecting themself, their top priority was to move quickly and use their body as a shield to protect the royal family and nobles...
Therefore, the defensive power provided by the armor they were wearing was not that great.
Especially against bullets and other attacks which were not the target of protection with that armor.
And because it's so close, it's possible to aim at parts that wouldn't cause a fatal injury.
...if they were Sabine-chan and Colette-chan.
I probably missed about two shots.
I think I missed the vital spot.... Probably....
All four of you are moving... right?
Anyway, the four soldiers who had attempted to draw their swords without the king's orders and on their own initiative, at a girl from another country who hadn't even shown any intention of attacking, were clearly acting abnormally, and now they were all lying on the floor. They probably didn't sustain any fatal injuries...
The other soldiers and the nobles in attendance all had grimacing expressions on their faces, but no one moved or said anything.
Well, they're standing still with our guns pointed at them.
If this had happened and we were moving forward with our next move, maybe the soldiers would have acted reflexively to protect the King and the nobles.
But we were clearly acting in self-defense, to protect ourselves from an unreasonable attack, and it didn't look like we'd do anything more than that.
If we just kept firing, we'd kill everyone here.
If they maae a wrong move, they too would be struck by lightning and killed.
This could pose a danger not only to the soldiers themselves, but also to the nobles and the king.
Also, the main reason was that no instructions or orders had been issued by the King.
The four soldiers from earlier were clearly overstepping their bounds and obeying the orders of a high-ranking noble, which was not normal.
In that situation, there's no way to move.
If the situation took a turn for the worse… if the soldiers started using force… I wanted to be able to teleport immediately, so I had to keep an eye on my surroundings and wait for the King to make his move… or so I thought…
"Everyone, don't move!" (King)
"My apologies, Archpriestess, we have no intention of harming you. You too, put away your spears." (King)
Well, that was a rational decision!
I wondered if it would work out somehow.
"We invited you and asked you to come here. It’s not like we have any ill will. Furthermore, the Archpriestess, who was merely invited, would have no reason to go out of her way to do something that could spark a war with our country. The unfortunate events that have occurred just now are all the result of Marquis Varal's (バラル) arbitrary and excessive exceeding of authority. …Perhaps what the Archpriestess pointed out earlier was correct…" (King)
Wow, what a sudden change of attitude.
Has the policy changed from coercion to appeasement?
"Apprehend the four who attacked our guest, as well as Marquis Varal, who gave the order, and put them in the dungeon. Ah, give him treatment so he doesn't die. I'll investigate it thoroughly later. Let them not come into contact with anyone, and let no one know that they have been captured, except the prison guards. And those here, too, must not speak a word. Prime Minister, you must immediately raid the Marquis Varal family's mansion in the royal capital, arrest the family, and confiscate any evidence. Send an investigation team to the territory's mansion before the information spreads." (King)
"Yes, sir!" (PM)
Wow, what a sudden development!
…Or rather, did the King have any doubts about the Marquis from the start?
Otherwise, a little instigation from a minor noble from another country would be going too far.
Are we being used to get rid of some influential noble?
Oh, that's right!
"On our way here, we were attacked by a group of bandits who were apparently waiting for us. I would like you to check whether there is any evidence regarding that as well." (Mitsuha)
"...eh?" (Everyone)
Ah, you all didn't know that...
Well, now they could see why I was in a bad mood to begin with.
And now, the fact that we were here unharmed, and the power of the Derringer earlier, we could also tell what happened to the bandits who attacked us...
The people here knew nothing about the accuracy or round count of a small handgun.
No, in reality, we just shook off with Big Lorry, so we didn't even injure them, let alone kill them...
Anyway, my turn was over, right?
"Well then, it seems my role is done, so we will leave it at this..." (Mitsuha)
And then, I perfectly performed the curtsey that I had practiced so many times...
"...Wait! Wait! About sick children..." (King)
Oh, are they really there?
"Is that child really your grandchild?" (Mitsuha)
"...Ah, no... Th-That's it! All the citizens are my children and my grandchildren!!" (King)
Wow, that's how it is!
...But it's still a good line for a king to say.
Well, perhaps he was planning to test the abilities of "The Beloved Child of the Goddess," and prepared children suffering from a rare disease of unknown cause.
If the child was a commoner, it would be obvious if they exchanged a few words during the examination, so they were probably looking for a child from among the nobles...
Also, unless one had an extremely limited diet, beriberi and scurvy were rare for anyone other than sailors.
Commoners didn't have the luxury of being able to have such picky eating habits, so in this world it's a disease that only sailors and wealthy city dwellers could get.
I had no intention of going out of my way to put up with this farce, and I'd hate for rumors to spread that I had miraculous powers that can cure any illness.
...But...well, it's okay...
"Please promise me that you will never speak of what happened here today again. Otherwise, if I am questioned, I will have to reveal the details as well..." (Mitsuha)
With that, I turned around and pointed at Sabine-chan with my right hand.
...Ah, she's still holding the Derringer.
"Her Royal Highness, the Princess of the Kingdom of Zegreius, was attacked by sword-drawn soldiers in the audience chamber of the royal palace, along with me..." (Mitsuha)
Then Sabine-chan gave a curtsey in greeting.
Yep, it's so much more sophisticated and beautiful than mine...
"Wha-wha-wha-what!!" (Everyone)
Yeah, that would be bad.
No matter how inferior a country they might be, if words spread among the neighboring countries that soldiers had drawn their swords and attacked three (what appeared to be) underage women during an audience...
And to top it off, if you got counterattacked and brushed off, it'd be even worse...
Okay, they're frozen! They're frozen!
I was sure they never imagined that my attendant maid was Her Highness the Princess.
"Oh, if your child is sick, feed them some vegetables and fruit. Vegetables should not be cooked too much, just eaten raw or steamed. For now, just wait and see how it goes for about a month. Well then, good day to you!" (Mitsuha)
With a light shake of the wrist and a quick shake... Transfer!
"They're disappeared!!!" (Everyone)