Fleeting
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TFR 358
🕑 Added 2023-12-06 15:12:30 +0000 UTCInvisible Enemy [Part 4]
Joanna’s POV
“I personally hope you will unload the dangerous artillery to the port, have the Imperial people return amicably, and never come back here for such a purpose. Can I have you cooperate with me?”
“We have also detained the sailors and soldiers, just that this room is too small to keep all of them.” The boy with freckles smiled calmly after seeing me bewildered.
“Mmph, mmphh!!!”
Absurd!
Even though I was reluctant to be a part of this plan, I had been preparing it meticulously until now.
From the artillery’s design to the magicians’ training, I had even done large-scale fortification on the ships so they could withstand the recoil when firing the shells.
It’s a grand plan that has spent a lot of money, manpower, and magic stones, you know?
We couldn’t just say, “I see. Understood,” and return so readily.
If we returned without any military gains, my magician subordinates and I would undoubtedly be sent to the borderland.
All the magicians here, including me, worked at the research and development facility. The facility now wasn’t as useful and highly thought of as it used to be. The magic stones in inventory weren’t enough for research or development.
“Oh, silly me. Of course you can’t answer when your mouth is blocked, can you?”
The boy with freckles took a small ivory-white knife out from his inner pocket and cut the threads blocking my mouth.
The threads that I couldn’t break no matter how I tried fell off so easily.
“Huh…?”
“...Oh boy, Joanna-sama? Have you had alcohol?”
The boy with freckles exclaimed after moving closer to cut the threads and sniffed once more to confirm his thoughts.
“Huh?”
“This scent… Is this not the phantom red wine, Château Lancafé, which is only produced in a very small quantity yearly in the Alder region of the Empire?”
I guessed I reeked that much of alcohol after drinking one whole bottle just a few moments ago.
No, wait, isn’t he in a whole different league?
The Empire was well-known for having numerous wine-producing regions that were scattered all over the country compared to other countries.
Each producing region had its own history, profound knowledge, and drinking etiquette.
The Empire’s wine was so diverse that people said that once you got hooked on Imperial wine, you would be sucked into a vortex of knowledge and could never return.
Even at an age that made me doubtful whether he could even drink alcohol, the boy guessed only by the scent of the wine from a minor production region that was well-known only to connoisseurs.
At least none of the wine enthusiasts I knew could pull off such a feat.
If it weren’t for our current situation, I would like to engage in a lively discussion about wine with him.
“......”
‘Though, it would be wise to not say anything now.
I really really want to talk about wine, but now’s not the time.
Only a fool would open their mouth when at a disadvantage.
“Staying silent, huh? Well, I have already reported you to the Royal Castle, so the Knight Order of the Kingdom will come in a few hours. An ordinary citizen like me shall step down around here. I suppose I shall leave the questioning to the authorities.”
Even after seeing me pursing my lips tightly, the boy with freckles didn’t look any impatient or flustered at all.
Actually, I wanted to retort, “There’s no way an ordinary citizen can subdue four magicians and me, the Empire’s distinguished soldiers, and robust soldiers so swiftly!” but I held it back.
Because it was almost time for the bombardment.
Thinking so, the corners of my mouth raised slightly.
“? Is there something funny?”
This boy who didn’t even miss that slight change in my expression was definitely not just an ordinary citizen.
“Fufufu.”
Still being tied up and laying face down, in my line of sight was that guy who was standing by on time.
An abnormally small human being, around the size of the tip of a thumb and could be mistaken as an insect, was standing a short distance away. He was so small that he was on the same eye level as me, whose cheeks. were. rubbing. miserably. with. the. floor.
“Wha?!”
Sure enough, even the boy with freckles was surprised by the small thumb-sized man.
However, even if he noticed him, it was already too late.
That’s right. That guy was also a magician.
The thumb-sized magician pointed his finger straight at the sky and shouted shrilly.
“Boom!”
*BOOM* A loud explosion was heard at the same time as if in sync with that shrill shout.
That was the sound of artillery shelling.
The sound of an artillery shell fired at the Royal Castle.
♠♠♠
Author's corner:
Comedy: Oh, Serious’ fruit has grown, huh, Crisis.
Crisis: I watered it every single day without missing, after all.
Comedy: Never would have thought your way of growing the Serious plant would be right…
Crisis: Grow big quickly, Serious.
*crack*
Crisis: Huh?
Comedy: Huh?
*crackkkk*
Crisis: O-Oh no!? There’s a crack on Serious’ fruit!
*crack crack crack*
Comedy: Oho, perhaps it’s going to be… born?
Crisis: Eh? Serious? Are you Serious? Hey, heyyy.
*crack…crack…thump*
Comedy & Crisis: Serious is born!
Serious (who was born from a fruit like Momotarou was from a peach… which, in a sense, made him Butt-tarou): Huh, I'm… why am I…
Crisis: Seri-a̲s̲s̲ you idiot! Do you know how worried I was! *wail*
Seri-a̲s̲s̲: Eh? Crisis? It feels like it's been a long time since we last met.
Rom-com Geeky Lady: This must be… love.
