Pan!
High-five with Sabine-chan and Colette-chan.
This was the living room of a Japanese residence.
I had already vacated the inn, and I had left the carriage and Silver at the orphanage on the first day, so I no longer had any need for them in that country.
…The tour of the royal capital was also basically over.
After emphasizing that "It's true that we are the recipients of the Goddess's favor", "Don't say unnecessary things", and "Don't make us angry", I gave them the final blow by saying, "Do you want me to spread the word that you pointed your sword at the princess of another country?" There would definitely be a gag order on anything related to us.
After all, even if they wanted to talk about it, it would bring shame to their country.
Such a thing could not be known even to their own people, let alone other countries.
...In other words, they probably wouldn't be able to tell anyone about what happened in the audience chamber, let alone that they even invited me.
Okay, that country won't bother me anymore.
They knew that if they called me again there's zero chance I'd answer.
They, too, had drawn swords and soldiers attacked us, so they couldn't really complain.
"...But, no matter what you say, ane-sama is sweet..." (Sabine)
"What do you mean?" (Mitsuha)
Sabine-chan seemed dissatisfied with something and started to complain.
"The last one. You taught how to cure sick people..." (Sabine)
Ah, that's it.
"Well, if the patient was some ugly old man, it would be a different story, but she seems like a girl after all..." (Mitsuha)
"Ah, I thought so..." (Sabine)
After that, they had been trying to get me to meet her. There was no way it could be a lie that the sick person was a young girl.
"Besides, it hasn't really been determined that it was scurvy or beriberi... Well, if it was a different disease, I wouldn't know even if I examined her. Pathogens, parasites, and poisons can be removed by metastasis, but there's nothing that can be done about damaged internal organs or leukemia... Well, it's just self-satisfaction to mask the guilt." (Mitsuha)
"......" (Sabi-Colé)
Sabine-chan and Colette-chan looked at me with lukewarm eyes.
It's ok, I didn't want to have a bad experience and I'd just do what I wanted to do.
Of course, there are times when I "hold back even though I want to do something," but that's because I wanted to hold back, so that's also a result of "I did what I wanted to do."
In addition…….
"Even if you say I was naive, I just gave a treatment that I didn't know would be effective, and a completely useless generalization like, 'Just eat some vegetables and fruit!' I don't know if it will actually work or not... The others... the king and the nobles, they were cold towards us from start to finish." (Mitsuha)
"These are the last instructions given by someone who can suddenly disappear in front of a large group of people, and they concern the life of a child. That's no good, of course they'd follow anyway!" (Sabine)
Colette-chan nodded in agreement as Sabine-chan spoke.
…Yes, that’s true.
So, if it was scurvy or beriberi, would that be okay?
I'll check back in a month or so to see what happens.
What? if I teleport there it will only take an instant.
It might be a bit difficult to get the information though.
After all, I didn't even know the patient's name, and I couldn't imagine that kind of information was being leaked to informants in town.
...Well, somehow it will work out!
"Well then, let's all hang out for a while to make up for the time!" (Mitsuha)
If we were to show up at Kingdom of Zegreius like this, when the leaders of the two countries exchange information later, it might become clear that we had zero travel time.
Of course, my teleportation ability was known to a certain extent, but there's no need to add meaningless information. Things like the distance I could teleport while bringing others with me, and so on.
Moreover…….
"Praise meeee!!" (Sabi-Colé)
Yes, Sabine-chan and Colette-chan needed some time off and fun.
…And of course, me too…
...Beatrice-chan was furious.
"Why am I the only one left out?" (Beatrice)
"Ah……" (Sabi-Colé + Mitsuha)
"That's because it's not easy to take the daughter of a marquis or the beloved child of the goddess to another country..." (Mitsuha)
"But Her Royal Highness the Princess and the Goddess's favored Lightning Archpriestess are there?" (Beatrice)
"Ah……" (3 of them)
"Aside from going to the 'Kingdom of Aleidis' and such, why didn't you invite me when you went around to each country after that?" (Beatrice)
"Ah……" (3 of them)
"Don't mess with meeeeeeee!!" (Beatrice)
"We're so sorry~~!!" (3 of them)
Beatrice-chan's look of anger was so intense that even Sabine-chan's face was crumpled and she was apologizing frantically.
...Well, if I were in Beatrice-chan's position, maybe that's what I'd do.
And Sabine-chan was a girl who could think from the other person's perspective...
Yeah, that's going to make her face twitched.
Of course, Beatrice-chan's anger was directed at everyone, including me.
"…………" (Beatrice)
Beatrice-chan remained silent and glared at me.
No, when someone who was always gentle, smiling, and calm got really angry, it could be really scary...
And Beatrice-chan, unlike Sabine-chan, didn't ask me for anything.
She just stared at me.
Sabine-chan's request (that one) wasn't meant with any ill intent.
I thought it was Sabine-chan's way of being considerate and wanting me to not feel indebted or guilty, and that was just her way of being self-indulgent...
So she didn't ask me to do anything too unreasonable or that would be a big burden on me.
...Occasionally, there were exceptions, though.
Well, anyway, Beatrice-chan never asked me for anything of her own accord.
So it's up to me to come up with a compromise.
…Yeah, it would be a lot easier if someone said something like Sabine-chan said, "As an apology, I'm requesting that you do this!"
If the request was unacceptable, I could reject it and offer an alternative of the same caliber.
It's also important to understand the level of Sabine-chan's anger from her first request.
However, when she was just staring, it's hard to judge that sort of thing...
Well, keeping quiet wouldn't change anything.
We needed to show some sincerity from our side...
"The four of us will go to a place selected by Beatrice-chan for three days!" (Mitsuha)
Beatrice-chan didn't know much about Earth, so instead of a specific location, she specified "A place like this" and I decided the details.
"Also, the two of us will be spending two days shopping together. I'll have to pay for the purchases, however if there are any items I reject due to issues of cultural or technological influx, you’ll have to give up.
The date will be on a day that is convenient for Beatrice-chan.
So, can you forgive me?" (Mitsuha)
"Eh……" (Beatrice)
Okay, she's surprised!
In other words, it was unexpected and I thought it was a sufficient apology.
Okay.
Good good good good!
"Ane-sama, please take us shopping too!" (Sabine)
Colette-chan nodded enthusiastically in response to Sabine-chan's request, but...
"If we take Sabine-chan and Colette-chan too, there won't be any compensation for Beatrice-chan!!" (Mitsuha)
Ah, they both look like they're saying, "Did you find out...?"
The three days of play were to make up for the time spent "playing together," so Sabine-chan and Colette-chan had to be there too.
...But Beatrice-chan and I were enough for the shopping!
A letter arrived at the general store owner Mitsuha.
...Two letters.
It wasn't delivered by a merchant caravan, nor was it someone hired directly by the sender... it was handed to me by a mounted soldier who was clearly a knight.
I asked him about something, not expecting it to work, and he readily explained it to me.
Apparently, he would deliver to the royal palace after this.
…You're prioritizing my home over the royal palace!
Well, that alone allowed me to guess who was sending at least one of them.
For now, I'd close up the shop and read it slowly in my room on the third floor...