"So, Lady Elena intends to go to Gilm within the next few days?"
A man in his fifties posed the question to Elena.
What dwelt in his eyes was not trust toward Elena, but a clear hue of strong dissatisfaction.
Naturally, whether he concealed it or not, Elena understood as a matter of course that many men held such sentiments.
To a man like the one before her, it was likely unpalatable that Elena—who bore the alias of Princess General, a title that made her the very symbol of the Noble's Faction—would go out of her way to the stronghold of the Neutral Faction.
These sorts of people did not find the current friendly relationship between the Noble's Faction and the Neutral Faction amusing. They believed the Neutral Faction should be subordinated and, ultimately, absorbed.
No, rather than merely believing it, to such people, it was already a settled matter.
That was precisely why they found it so disagreeable that Elena would go out of her way to Gilm, the territory ruled by Daskar, who led the Neutral Faction.
Understanding the noble's thoughts, Elena spoke without showing any sign of concern.
"Umu. Gilm is currently undergoing expansion, yet a Noble Faction noble committed the foolish act of attempting sabotage there."
"Even so... is there truly a need for Lady Elena to go herself? Would it not suffice to dispatch someone else?"
"No. My father ordered them not to interfere, yet they did so regardless. Given that, sending a half-hearted talent would be meaningless. It is important that I go myself."
If she said anything to give the man before her hope, it could spread as fact behind her back without her knowledge.
Knowing full well that he was the sort of man who would do such a thing nonchalantly, Elena told him so firmly.
At Elena's words, the man looked as though he had much more to say, but ultimately judging that anything further would be pointless, he offered his farewells and left the room.
"Fuu."
Looking at the door the man had exited through, a breath of relief escaped Elena's lips.
Quietly, a cup of black tea was placed before her.
"Thank you for your hard work, Lady Elena. For now, that was the last of those who requested an audience today."
At Ara's words, spoken with a smile, Elena offered a faint smile of her own and reached for the black tea.
A rich fragrance spread through her mouth.
Elena had learned to brew black tea herself, but she still fell far short of Ara's skill.
She could feel the irritation within her fading away as she drank the tea.
"Fuu."
A breath escaped Elena's lips once more, but it was an entirely different kind from the one before.
Watching Elena, Ara offered a small smile.
"Mm? What is it? Is something amusing?"
"No, it is nothing. By the way, there are dried fruits that pair well with that tea. Shall I bring them out?"
"I feel as though I am being evaded... well, fine. I shall take Ara at her word."
Her tone was dissatisfied, but what graced Elena's face was a smile.
Before her, Ara placed a dish of purple dried fruits.
They had shrunk considerably from being dried, but they were still large enough that eating one in a single bite would be difficult.
As if tearing bread, Elena easily tore the dried fruit and popped it into her mouth.
The next instant, an intense sweetness, condensed by the sun, spread through her mouth. After enjoying it for a moment, Elena drank the black tea once more.
Strangely enough, the sweetness was washed away by the tea... and she reached for the fruit again.
After repeating the action several times, her gaze suddenly turned toward the window.
Outside, the sun had already completely set and it had grown dark.
If only I could have gone out with Rei as well... no, I knew that was impossible.
This incident, which occurred right around the time they were preparing to return to Gilm, had naturally required Elena to take various actions.
That was precisely why she had been meeting separately from Rei with nobles and influential figures of Anesis.
Even so, it was only natural that Elena wished to spend her time with Rei if possible.
"That is unfortunate, is it not, Lady Elena?"
"...What is?"
That was why, when Ara spoke as though reading her mind, Elena fell silent for a moment.
At Elena's reaction, Ara smiled as if to say she knew full well.
Feeling somehow embarrassed, Elena brought the remaining tea to her mouth to cover it up.
"Still, knowing that I will be going to Gilm again in a few days... it does feel a little lonely."
"You are right. But even so, I will go to Gilm. What will you do, Ara? You need not force yourself to come with me. If you wish to stay..."
"I will go to Gilm."
You could stay in Anesis.
Before Elena could finish saying so, Ara cut in and declared it without letting her complete the sentence.
For Ara, Anesis was a place that could be called her second home.
But even so, between Gilm where Elena was and Anesis, choosing the former was only natural.
"I see."
Elena could understand Ara's feelings, so she did not insist she remain in Anesis.
There were those who argued that Ara, as the commander of Elena's Escort Knight Order, should stay behind in Anesis. But when it came to Elena's protection, the opinion that Ara should remain at her side was stronger.
Of course, had Ara been stronger at paperwork, perhaps a different opinion might have prevailed.
"In any case. I have met with most of the key figures today. Those remaining are not particularly important."
"You are right. You truly have worked hard."
Ara spoke in a consoling tone, and Elena responded with a smile.
As they enjoyed that leisurely time, the sound of a knock on the door eventually echoed through the room.
"Who is it?"
"Excuse me, my lady. Lord Rei has returned. What shall I do?"
"I see, he has returned. He did not cause any trouble, did he?"
Rei possessed a sort of heaven-sent fortune that attracted trouble—no, drew it toward him—so Elena thought that if he had gone into the city, he might have stirred up some sort of incident. But today he had not caused any particular problems.
Of course, that was not because Rei had acted cautiously, but simply because two nobles, Ranigus and Teles, had been accompanying him, meaning several knights were present as their escorts. That was the biggest reason.
However, Elena, who believed Rei had been sightseeing alone around Anesis, did not know this.
That was why she worried whether Rei had caused any problems. But the maid who had come to report his return smiled and nodded.
"Yes, I have not heard of any problems arising, so please rest assured."
Elena nodded at the maid's words, but until she heard it directly from Rei, she could not bring herself to believe them from the bottom of her heart.
With Rei's ability, it would not be difficult to get caught up in some kind of trouble and resolve it without letting it ever come to light.
"Perhaps I shall casually ask him at dinner."
"You are right. Lord Rei is likely looking forward to telling you about today's events, Lady Elena."
The maid had slightly misunderstood Elena's remark, but Elena did not bother to correct her, simply telling the maid she could return.
In truth, Elena was certainly looking forward to hearing Rei's stories, so she had likely let the misunderstanding stand.
The maid bowed and left the room.
"Well then, since Rei has returned, I suppose I should ask whether he caused any problems. Honestly."
She had apparently meant to mutter this as though it were a bother, but Ara, who had been watching Elena, smiled at the corners of her mouth.
From an outsider's perspective, it was obvious that Elena was looking forward to talking with Rei.
Elena had also noticed Ara's attitude, but sensing that anything she said in this situation would probably work to her own disadvantage, she did not press the point.
Finishing the remaining tea, she stood from her seat.
"Ara, I am going to see Rei..."
"I still need to organize some documents, so please go on ahead. If I finish the paperwork and there is still time, I will drop by."
"Are you sure? I do not think the paperwork needs to be done right now..."
"I want to do it while I can. In a few days, I will be going to Gilm as well, after all."
When put that way, Elena could say nothing further.
Since they would be staying in Gilm for an extended period, it was obvious that any work that could be processed beforehand needed to be handled.
In Ara's case, though she was a knight commander, she was the type who fought on the front lines, and she left the majority of paperwork to her subordinates.
But just because she left it to them did not mean she had no work at all.
When Ara was absent, her subordinates could approve those documents in her stead, but if she was present, it was only natural that she had to do it herself.
"Understood. Do not overwork yourself."
With those words, Elena and Ara exited the room, Elena heading toward Rei's room and Ara toward the room where paperwork awaited her.
Lady Elena being happy is what makes me happiest.
Recalling Elena's smile, Ara proceeded down the corridor. Before long, she caught sight of several nobles talking in the corner of the hallway.
Among them was the noble man who had just expressed his dissatisfaction to Elena about her going to Gilm, and Ara felt her calm mood rapidly slipping away.
Naturally, she did not let this show on her face.
She walked down the corridor, intending to pass by without paying the nobles any mind. But the nobles would not allow it.
"Lady Ara, might I have a moment?"
The one who spoke was the noble who had just met with Elena.
Though he asked if she would oblige him, he approached with an air suggesting he never imagined she would refuse to listen.
Since she had been addressed, Ara could not simply ignore him, and she waited for the approaching nobles.
"I still have work as a knight commander, so I do not have much time, but I can spare a little."
"Is that so. That is good to hear. Then, to be blunt, I would like you to stop Lady Elena from going to Gilm."
"I may lead Lady Elena's Escort Knight Order, but I do not have the authority to direct Lady Elena's actions."
"But, Lady Ara, you are Lady Elena's childhood friend, are you not? In that case, rather than as a subordinate, should you not remonstrate with Lady Elena's shortsightedness as a friend?"
At the noble's words, the others nodded in agreement.
"Lady Elena... no, the Princess General is the symbolic figure of the Noble's Faction. For such an existence to go out of her way to visit someone who leads the lesser Neutral Faction is a loss of face for us as the Noble's Faction."
"Indeed, indeed. At the very least, if the Neutral Faction offered a hostage, there would be some charm to it."
"Ho ho ho. Expecting such a thing from a man like that Daskar is futile. He is a man who does not even understand what it means to be a noble."
Ara felt displeasure at the words they spouted so freely, but she did not let it show on her face as she spoke.
"Unfortunately, Lady Elena would never do something so foolish as to overturn a decision she has made. If you truly wish to change her mind, I believe it would be better to speak to her directly. At the very least, there is more of a chance than telling me."
"Oh my, are you not Lady Elena's close friend and trusted blade? In that case, would it not be more effective for you to say it rather than us?"
"I apologize, but I have no such intention. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to attend to."
"...Hmph. So Lady Elena is, in the end, merely a woman. She cannot see the bigger picture."
Ara had been about to walk away, but upon hearing one of the noble men say this, she stopped in her tracks and turned her gaze toward him.
That gaze, without a single word being spoken, clearly held power.
A power so intense it could almost be called physical.
'...'
Under Ara's gaze, the nobles could say nothing.
If they spoke another word, they might be killed.
They even felt such a fear.
The fact that they had never actually set foot on a battlefield themselves no doubt had a major influence in this regard.
Directing her gaze at them and confirming that the nobles had nothing to say, Ara walked away.