Postwar Clean-Up
We, who drove the goblin troops away, had gathered in the mansion. It’s because although we managed to drive the goblins away, various other problems arose.
“Is everybody unharmed?”
Alexia checks with Cait and the others, who gathered in the hall. Cait and Ely have several cuts huh. Alexia and Aerith too. About 40 fatalities for the soldiers and the other soldiers also have wounds here and there. Because I had cast Body Endowment, I was healed immediately though.
Even if 3/4 of the territory is in a state of devastation, we managed to drive almost 3000 monsters away with about 40 casualties. In terms of the result of the battle, it’s probably something to be happy about since the human fatalities are few, but albeit we did it ourselves, the territory in a state of devastation is nevertheless painful.
“I understand that you’re sad that your comrades died, but there are still things to do”
Alexia says and gives out instructions one after another. Pushing yourself even though you’re sad too. Amongst the 50 soldiers who survived, about 10 people are responsible for calling the residents back.
The remaining 40 people, Aerith, Cait, and Ely, are responsible for checking whether there are any goblins were missed out. After all, there might be some that have remained without retreating.
Alexia and I are responsible for checking the side of the entrance where there’s lesser damage. Aside from the fact that the houses at the locations where we cast our magic are in tatters, it’s unlivable immediately upon returning because there are goblins’ corpses around the place.
As for this, we can only cooperate with the residents who returned and tidy it up. We have to begin tonight, at the earliest, or tomorrow morning. It’s still right before summer ends. It’ll immediately end up with the corpses decomposing and spreading diseases. This is a top priority.
As for the entrance, as I thought, it suffered almost no damage, so I guess this area will become the residents’ temporary residence. It feels like there’ll be some conflicts with those who’d lived here originally, but we’ll have to handle that delicately. Corpses are scattered about when we leave the entrance; we have to tidy this up as well.
After that, it’s the problem with the food huh. Because we dragged the houses in and blew them away, the food that’s inside the homes were blown away as well. Water will work out somehow since there’s Water Magic, but the food alone is something we can’t do anything about.
I guess all that’s remaining is the food that’s in the Baron’s mansion’s food warehouse, and the residents’ homes and shops at the entrance which suffered lesser damage. I glance at the goblins that are scattered about. ……it’s the last resort huh. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but I have to come up with some other solution as far as possible.
An hour of doing this and that. We walk around the territory while finishing off the goblins that are occasionally still breathing. Immediately after that, the direction of the gate where the residents evacuated becomes rowdy. It appears that the residents have returned. Alexia and I look at each other’s faces, nod, and head towards the direction of the gate.
It looked somewhat strange when we finally arrive at where the gate is. The spot after entering the gate was a slightly open spot, and a crowd is forming there.
It’s alright if they’re just gathering normally, but it’s a circle, as though they’re surrounding somebody. And what’s audible were the angry voices and insults towards somebody. The soldiers and Aerith and the others try to stop them, but it’s that number of people. It’s meaningless.
“It’s you guys’ clan’s fault! You scoundrels!”
“That’s right! Even my home was turned into a wreck!”
“Please, please stop it! Okaa-san is ill……ouch!”
A woman’s voice, mixed into the angry voices around, was audible. Are they surrounding a woman? As I’m thinking about something like that
“Stop it, you people!”
Alexia enters the ring. Alexia’s dignified voice resounds, and the residents look in Alexia’s direction. Alexia proceeds aggressively without paying attention to something like that. I follow behind as well.
When she pushes her way through the crowd and heads towards the centre of the matter, men, who held wooden poles and rocks, a collapsed woman, along with a woman who’s covering the collapsed woman like she’s shielding her, were there.
I don’t know whether the woman, who’s doing covering, was punched by the men, or if she was struck by the rocks, but she’s bleeding from her forehead.
I guess her age is close to Alexia and the others. Her facial features would have a gentle and kind vibe if it were under normal circumstances, but now, she’s looking at the men sorrowfully.
“What’s with you lot! If it doesn’t concern you then back off!”
“I’ve come because it concerns me!”
When Alexia says that, the men make puzzled-looking faces. Well, I suppose they won’t understand even if they’re suddenly told that it concerns her.
“My name is Alexia・Nanor”
I guess even if they don’t know Alexia’s appearance, as one would expect, they know the name of this Kingdom’s Princess. The men are making surprised faces and their complexion gradually turning pale. They’re also sweating profusely and started looking slightly pitiful.
“Ex, excuse me! I did not know that it was Your Highness!”
A man who then kneels and lowers his head. Swept along by that, the men around who were shouting also kneel. In the Royal Capital, because Alexia is walking around the whole town, the majority of the people communicate with her like friends, so I didn’t really think about it, but when I look at a scene like this, she truly is a Princess huh.
As I’m thinking about something like that, Alexia looks fixedly at me for some reason.
“You thought about something strange, didn’t you?”
I hurriedly shake my head. Above my head, Eclat is raising a surprised voice, ‘Kyui!?’, but now’s not the time for that. I mean, Alexia is releasing an odd sense of intimidation.
“Well, whatever. So what were you people doing?”
Alexia asks the men. The men start talking even as they’re perspiring cold sweat.
“It, it’s the Baron’s fault! I heard from the soldiers while in the middle of escaping; it wouldn’t have turned into something like this if the Baron had properly gotten rid of the monsters! On top of that, he bloody left us behind and swiftly escaped!”
A man who says and glares sternly at the woman. Which means, this woman is Madam Baron and the one by her side is the Daughter-san huh.
“I understand why you think that way. However, it’s wrong to lash out at the Madam”
Indeed. The men fall silent at Alexia’s words. I guess they themselves probably also understand that fact. However, it has turned into a situation like this, and on top of that, the perpetrator has already vanished into thin air. I guess since there’s nobody for them to vent this irritation on, they’re venting it on the Madam and her daughter, who are seemingly the closest.
It’s not that I don’t understand their feelings, but as one would expect, I think it’s inappropriate to lash out on a sick person. That’s what I think, but amongst the men around, some are looking at the Madam and her daughter with hatred in their eyes.
Terrified of those eyes, the woman is trembling. ……the Madam has been responseless since just now, is she alright? I, who became worried, move closer towards the Madam and her daughter. In response to that, the woman gets startled, trembles and looks up at me.
“Wha, what’s with you?”
Perhaps the men are also bothered by me, they ask me, but I’ll ignore them for now. Firstly, the Madam comes first.
“Onee-san. May I have you let me check on the Madam’s condition?”
“Eh? Okaa-san’s condition?”
Saying that, the woman peeks at the Madam’s face. Perhaps she’s reluctant to leave her mother to an unknown man as one would expect, the woman looks fixedly at my face. Over there
“It’s fine if it’s Lei”
says Alexia, who shows a smile and vouches for me at the back. Perhaps the woman also thought that it’s fine if Alexia says so, she tries to lie the Madam down for me even as she’s wary of the surroundings. Oops, let’s lay a piece of cloth out so she doesn’t get dirty.
In response to the fact that I took and laid out a piece of cloth from nowhere, the woman turns the Madam over even as she’s being surprised. Uh-huh, they’re so similar that one can say that when this woman grows up, she’ll probably become like this Madam.
However, I don’t know whether it’s because of distress or pain, but her expression, that’d be gentle and kind if it was under normal circumstances, is warping because of that agony. Her constitution seems terrible, looking at her weight-loss.
“Onee-san. When did this condition of Madam begin?”
“Okaa-san’s constitution has been frail since before and she is somebody who does not really go outside, but about 2 years ago, her constitution abruptly deteriorates, and now, she cannot even walk by herself”
The woman who says and tears up. The men around see this scene and awkwardly avert their eyes. I ignore that as well and look at the Madam and
“……this is?”
……why is something like this? I fell silent at my overwhelming astonishment.
