As for Elvia, she was so scatterbrained and naïve that you would never take her for a spy, a very healing—
.........
.........
Uh, what were we talking about again?
“A-Anyway!” I tried to keep Clara’s hands from getting any closer, bending my head back far enough to see last week. “I swear I’m not looking, so just p-put your clothes on!”
“But...”
“And, uh, then I want you to make me something to eat. I’m starving!” I exclaimed, desperate for any way out of this situation.
And it was true that my stomach was feeling pretty empty. Thankfully, the moment I thought about it, my innards gave a convincing gurgle.
“...Very well,” Clara said with a nod.
With a tremendous effort, I continued to focus on anything but her as she climbed off the bed. When I could finally sense that she was dressed again, I let out a very complicated sigh.
Her Exalted Majesty the Empress, sitting on her throne, wore an expression that was darkness itself.
Empress Petralka an Eldant the Third.
Despite her lengthy name and imposing title, she was beautiful to behold—if I may risk sounding irreverent, she appeared quite sweet. Her silver hair was like a crown itself, well-kempt and lustrous, her eyes were like two great jewels, and her features were like those of a porcelain doll carved by the most sublime master. She seemed to have no flaws.
The sight of Her Majesty laughing happily is one of true elegance. But by the same token, when her face becomes clouded, she gives off such a gloom as to make it painful even to look at her.
The way she drummed her fingers on the armrest of her throne, I thought, indicated annoyance.
She didn’t speak.
The unpleasant pallor of her face was shared by the minister who stood beside her. He had the same silver hair as Her Majesty, but he was a handsome knight—Garius en Cordobal.
He didn’t speak, either.
Hardly able to bear the strain, I looked to the woman beside me for help.
Koganuma Minori-sama.
She was a female warrior from another country, one called Ja-pan. She was the woman charged with being my master’s bodyguard.
Her uncommon strength, though, belied her tremendous kindness; she was never harsh, but acted quite sympathetically, even toward a maid like me. I have no sisters, but I’m sure having an older sister must be like this. These thoughts possessed me for a few moments.
It so happens that Koganuma-sama and the others from Ja-pan give their names in the reverse order from the way we do, with their family names first. So really, it’s most appropriate that I call her Koganuma-sama. But my master refers to her as “Minori-san” so much that I’m afraid it’s begun to rub off on me.
Minori-sama was the third person not to speak; she didn’t look any happier than the nobles in the room.
Normally, she would have smiled encouragingly and said something like “It’ll be fine!” But right now, her face showed only anxiety.
This alone was enough to suggest that this was not a situation that warranted optimism.
I couldn’t decide where to put my eyes, and so looked unhappily at the floor. But then—
“Minori. Myusel.”
When Her Majesty said my name, I quickly straightened up.
She would normally be much too far above me to speak my name, let alone admit me into her audience chamber, although Her Majesty herself had encouraged me not to worry too much about any of that...
“We assume you are already aware of why we have summoned you here,” Her Majesty said with a frown. “It is about Shinichi.”
When the empress spoke that name, my heart both went cold and jumped at the same time.
Kanou Shinichi-sama.
My master...
He had come to the Eldant Empire from his far country of Ja-pan to do the work of spreading otaku culture. Because Japan lacked a noble class, he had no title to speak of. But he was a state guest of the Holy Eldant Empire and an ambassador, and so he was effectively to be treated as a noble.
And yet, he was tremendously kind to me, even though I was not just a commoner, but a much-reviled half-elf. The very fact that Her Majesty knew my name, indeed, would speak it aloud, really had to do with Shinichi-sama’s good offices.
On any normal day, it would be Shinichi-sama, and not me, standing beside Minori-sama.
But Shinichi-sama was nowhere to be seen. In fact, at that moment, we had no idea where he was. Not me, not Minori-sama. And, it seemed, not Her Majesty or Minister Cordobal.
No one had seen Shinichi-sama anywhere since the previous morning.
Our gardener, Brooke-san, said he had seen Shinichi-sama going for a walk outside the mansion early in the morning. My master’s taking a walk around the grounds wasn’t especially unusual, so I had gone about making breakfast as normal and waited for Shinichi-sama to get home.
Except no matter how long I waited, he never did.
The time for him to go to school came and went, and when we still hadn’t seen him by noon, we started to think that something strange was going on. I, along with Minori-sama, Brooke-san, Cerise-san, and Elvia-san, mounted a search for Shinichi-sama, but even though we looked til it was dark, we never found him.
Then the next day—that is, today—a bird-drawn carriage suddenly appeared at our mansion, and we were informed that Her Majesty was summoning me and Minori-sama.
A summons from the empress is not a thing to be ignored, no matter what may be going on. Minori-sama and I asked Brooke-san and the others to keep searching, while we went to Eldant Castle for this audience.
And so...
“Shinichi has been kidnapped.”
“What...?” I couldn’t restrain a gasp.
It was a moment before I could even understand what Her Majesty had said. I immediately slapped my hands over my mouth—far be it from me to be so rude as to doubt the words of the empress—but neither Her Majesty nor Minister Cordobal looked like they were angry with me. They looked, in fact, like they had far bigger things on their minds.
Minister Cordobal clarified what Her Majesty had said. “We aren’t certain yet, but the possibility that he has been abducted seems very high.”
Shinichi-sama... kidnapped?
But why? And by whom?
I was so shaken and confused that I could hardly put two thoughts together.
“Matoba reported to us that Shinichi hasn’t been seen since yesterday morning,” Her Majesty said. “If that were all, we might simply presume that old dunce was up to another of his tricks. But we have also received another report that is much harder to ignore.”
“What’s that?” Minori-sama asked.
It was Minister Cordobal who answered. “Bahairam. We had word that a secret unit from the Kingdom of Bahairam has been active in the area around the capital over the past several days. Ever since the incident with the puppet drake, reports like this have been on the rise... We assumed they were all related to this new weapon, the puppet drake. Exercises for a hot war.”
Even before our encounter with Elvia-san, it seemed that the Kingdom of Bahairam had been making small-scale incursions into Eldant territory, sending small numbers of spies or soldiers into the Empire. For the most part, though, they just seemed to want to find out what the domestic situation was. They had never shown any sign that they intended to make off with one of Her Majesty’s subjects.
Minister Cordobal, however, said, “We’ve received reports of people who appear to be Bahairamanian soldiers from several places throughout our territory. In addition, we recovered what appears to be a possession of one such soldier not far from Shinichi’s mansion.”
Then he showed us something: a small pendant.
I had spent just enough time in the military to recognize what it was. It was something Bahairam’s soldiers wore around their necks. It served as both personal identification and proof of their loyalty to their country. The front had simple
letters on it, but on the back was carved the likeness of their king.
Her Majesty said, “It’s possible there was a struggle when Shinichi was taken, causing someone to drop this. Or perhaps it was deliberate, left behind to let us know they had him hostage, so that they could use him as leverage in negotiations. It’s not clear yet which is the case.”
But that would mean...
“There’s a third possibility. The commotion with the puppet drake may not have been chance. It may have been a diversion to set up this kidnapping.”
The puppet drake—a dragon with what appeared to be a magical spike pounded into its head.
It was a type of magical weapon made in Bahairam, or so the rumors said, but we didn’t yet know for sure. We had encountered the dragon through sheer accident. I watched with my own eyes as the military force from Minori-sama’s world—the Jay Ess Dee Eff—brought it down.
We had assumed that the puppet drake was an experiment that had escaped from Bahairam and just happened to wander into the Eldant Empire and attack us. But on reflection, it was a fair distance from our border with Bahairam to the capital. Could a Bahairamanian force really have failed to recover the puppet drake before it reached us?
Was it possible that all of this was really part of a plan?
Or even...
“Even if we assume the Kingdom of Bahairam did this, why would they kidnap Shinichi-kun?” Minori-sama asked.
“I can’t claim to understand what Bahairam might be thinking,” Minister Cordobal replied. “But we haven’t exactly gone out of our way to keep Shinichi secret. Anyone sniffing around our territory, trying to uncover recent goings-on, would hear his name soon enough. There’s no telling whether they fully understand who he is and where he comes from, but they know they’ve captured someone important to our country, and that’s enough.”
He was right: Shinichi-sama had done all sorts of things here that had never been done anywhere before. The war had dragged on so long that even here in the capital, far from the fighting, people were starting to feel the fatigue. The otaku culture Shinichi-sama brought us, and all the various events that had come along with it, had given a new vibrancy not just to the capital, but to the entire nation.
Maybe that was what had attracted the attention of the Kingdom of Bahairam.
Actually, Elvia-san was a spy who had been sent to find out what was going on with Shinichi-sama. Not that she seemed to remember that.
“Minori,” Her Majesty said to break the oppressive silence that had fallen upon us. “Could the Jay Ess Dee Eff not be dispatched?”
Slightly shocked, I stole a glance at Minori-sama beside me.
Of course. The Jay Ess Dee Eff.
They had defeated that dragon without losing a single soldier. Surely rescuing Shinichi-sama would be easy work for them?
Despite our expectant gazes, though, Minori-sama lowered her eyes. “I’m afraid I... personally can’t say.”
Of course not. The Jay Ess Dee Eff was a military organization, after all. They couldn’t act without their superiors’ orders. Somebody—Matoba-sama? Minori-sama?—would probably have to take the matter back to Japan and confer with their ruler or prime minister or whoever held the power there. But that would take time.
“Of course...” Her Majesty said weakly. She sounded like she had half-expected this response.
Her Majesty next looked at Minister Cordobal. If the Jay Ess Dee Eff couldn’t do anything, then perhaps some Eldant soldiers could be sent...
But...
“Majesty. As I told you before, our country cannot send troops.”
“Garius...”
“We’ve lately achieved a sort of stalemate with Bahairam. There may be border skirmishes, but there haven’t been any large-scale battles. In fact, things are very nearly stable. Many of your most important ministers are suggesting we take this opportunity to advance the cause of peace with our neighbor.”
Her Majesty said nothing, but only bit her lip and stared at the floor. She was much too wise not to understand what Minister Cordobal was saying.
The Holy Eldant Empire and the Kingdom of Bahairam had been at war for quite some time, and both nations were tired of it. The last thing either of them wanted was for the war to get bigger or more intense. They might be an enemy country, but a careless provocation—or something that could easily be taken as provocation—would serve no one. It could all too easily spiral into a massive conflict.
“Further,” Minister Cordobal said, “Shinichi may be an important guest in our country, but he is not one of Your Majesty’s subjects.”
In other words, regardless of whether the Japanese army got involved, it would not make sense for the Eldant Empire to act on his behalf.
The Eldant Empire was a major power. That meant even the empress could not simply do whatever she wished. If her advisors all opposed her, even the imperial will could be thwarted.
“Yes, but... But...” Her Majesty stuttered for a moment, then fell silent.
Minister Cordobal did not look much happier than she did. My understanding was that he, too, had a fondness for Shinichi-sama. So although his words might sound heartless, they must have caused him great pain.
However...
I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “What will become of Shinichi-sama, then?”
Every pair of eyes in the audience chamber, including Her Majesty’s, focused on me. I instinctively shrank back, embarrassed at having overstepped myself. And yet, I had to speak. Otherwise, it seemed no one at all was going to help Shinichi-sama. And that...
“Does this mean Shinichi-sama won’t ever be able to come home again...?”
“Myusel...”
Her Majesty spoke my name with such sadness.
I understood. It hurt her, too. Maybe even more than it did me. Because unlike me, Her Majesty had the power...
“Needless to say, we don’t intend to twiddle our thumbs and do nothing,” Minister Cordobal said. “I merely mean that overt military action is out of the question. Sending a goodwill ambassador or someone of the like to negotiate, that’s a possibility. However...” The minister’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed with pain. “That is only in the event that the Kingdom of Bahairam will admit that they kidnapped Shinichi.”
I didn’t say anything.
He was right. If Bahairam chose not to acknowledge that they were holding Shinichi-sama hostage, then there would be no way for the Holy Eldant Empire to get him back...
“In the meantime, we’ll try to come up with some ideas, too,” Minori-sama said.
“Yes, please. We’ll keep you informed if we learn anything.”
“Thank you very much. I wish you the best of luck.”
Minori-sama bowed to Minister Cordobal, prompting me to hurriedly duck my head as well.
But still...
Master... Shinichi-sama...
Would the Jay Ess Dee Eff really help him? Japan had once considered Shinichi-sama such a troublemaker that they attempted to kill him. Would such a country now send its armed forces into a foreign nation in order to rescue him?
This hardly seemed like the moment to voice my concerns, however. Minori-sama and I bowed once more to Her Majesty and Minister Cordobal and then exited the audience chamber, leaving only a heavy silence behind us.
Bathing cleans both the mind and soul, they say. And they’re absolutely right.
“Ahhh...”
I slid down onto the stone bench and let out a relaxed sigh.
This place didn’t look so much like a bath as it did a sauna. That is to say, there were no actual bathtubs. There were brick tiles instead, through which hot steam rose up from who knew where.
As rooms go, it was pretty big. I didn’t exactly have a measuring tape with me, but I would guess the whole area was about ten mats.
It wasn’t like the bath back at my mansion in the Eldant Empire. That had been more the sort of thing I was used to—you know, a tub with plenty of hot water. Maybe I was just en
countering a cultural difference between the two countries.
I’d heard that there were even countries on Earth where, unlike Japan, which had plenty of water, there wasn’t even a custom of using a bathtub. Some people, on seeing a large bathing area, might actually be a bit repulsed—maybe they couldn’t bear the thought of using water others had already bathed in.
But anyway, none of that really matters.
“Hmm...”
What with this and that, it had already been three days since I was kidnapped and brought to Bahairam. I spent the first two days going over my room, trying to see if there was some way I could escape, but all I’d learned was that it was locked down so tight an ant couldn’t have gotten in or out. The windows had bars over them, and the door to the room was locked and couldn’t be opened from the inside. I had pounded on it a couple of times, wondering if I might break it down, but I decided my chair was going to break first.
On that note, Clara was with me the entire time I was looking around my room, watching my every move. But she didn’t say anything. I had assumed she was there primarily to keep an eye on me, but I saw her around twenty-four hours a day; she never left to report to anyone.
Could it be that she wasn’t actually a citizen of Bahairam, but, like me, an abductee from somewhere else? Or maybe she was from this country but just especially low on the social ladder. There was always the distinct chance that in this world—which, let’s remember, had effectively a Middle-Ages cultural level—slavery was still alive and well, too. If it was possible to buy human lives, how easy would it be to consider them disposable?
I had even considered a last-resort scenario in which I took Clara hostage in order to escape... but it didn’t seem very hopeful.
As I was reviewing all this in my mind, I heard the door to the bathing area open.
“Pardon me,” someone said.
I just about choked.
Wait. Hang on.
Look, I get it. This is the classic bath scene. The most venerable of tropes. But was it really happening?
Outbreak Company: Volume 5 Page 3
