“So... What’s the problem again?”

As always, I was the only one who was lost when it came to this type of political bullshit. Cyrus’ letter was pretty much a request for the Zaltsel clan to receive a diplomatic delegation from the Ardene Kingdom. It’d be the first delegation sent here from any of the western nations in recent history.

“The problem is that we do not have anyone to receive Princess Sella and her delegation when they arrive.” Antenora explained patiently.

“What do you mean we don’t have anyone? We have two princesses right here!”

“Ryuuko, the treaty that they’re proposing concerns the entire clan. I cannot make decisions like this on my own, especially due to my inexperience.” Lucrezia interjected.

“What about Aurelia? She’s pretty experienced in statesmanship, right?”

Aurelia nodded in response. “I am, but only with relations within the eastern nations. I do not feel confident conducting such a negotiation with the Princess of a kingdom.”

Why the hell is this shit so complicated? Just talk plainly, shake hands, and be done with it!

As usual, I sat and sighed. Two months ago when we crossed through the portal, it’d taken us only a day and a half to get to the Zaltsel clan thanks to the guards who were posted near the portal’s exit point.

They were initially suspicious of me, but after seeing Aurelia and Lucrezia in tow, I was given a quick pass. Even so, that didn’t help with all the nasty glares I received when entering the Zaltsel clan’s territory. I didn’t blame them. Their princesses had just returned from being captured by human slavers.

Still, it kind of stung when they looked at me like I was walking trash. I suppose the worst part of it was the memories that their gazes forced me to recall, but I’d resolved to let go of the past a long time ago. If they wouldn’t accept me now, I would just have to show them that I was different.

That said, the Zaltsel clan wasn’t at all hostile to me. The castle servants were pretty friendly and accommodating to me once Aurelia and Lucrezia explained my situation, but whenever I stepped out of the castle, I was subjected to prejudice once again.

Some shops even refused to serve me whenever Lucrezia or Aurelia weren’t with me. It was pretty annoying, but I didn’t want to do anything too drastic and tarnish my reputation with the common populace more than it already was. It was unfair. I understood that, but this was the truth of the world.

The “good guys” and the “bad guys” didn’t exist here. Everyone could be just as bad or just as good depending on the circumstance, and as a human, I was pretty reviled. It’d take more than just Aurelia and Lucrezia’s support for me to be recognized favorably in the eyes of the citizens.

The initial plan was to have Lucrezia and Aurelia’s father make a public declaration of support for me, but it was only after we entered the clan’s territory that we discovered he was missing. We were informed that he’d return after a period of two months due to some sort of territorial dispute, but here we were twiddling our thumbs two months later.

I stood up from my seat. “Well, there’s no point in us waiting around like this. How ‘bout we drop by Priya’s place for a bit?”

Priya’s tribe was small and nomadic, but it was pretty relaxed. Thanks to their society being a lot less structured compared to the Zaltsel clan, they were more accepting of foreigners like me despite my race and I thought it was pretty enjoyable to hang around her family that I’d gotten to know over the past two months.

She had two younger brothers, and the way Priya’s parents doted on their children made me feel just a little envious. It was no wonder she turned out the way she did then. Since she always helped her parents out around the house and took care of her younger siblings, she’d gotten a knack for reading people and comforting them.

The role of a diplomat suited her pretty well, and I could tell that her teacher had been deathly worried about her sudden disappearance. The Zaltsel clan’s castle and expansive lands were impressive and luxurious, but honestly, I felt a lot more relaxed and comfortable in the humble tents of Priya’s tribe.

Unfortunately for me, both Lucrezia and Aurelia shook their heads. Initially, they’d been alright with coming with me to visit Priya’s tribe. In fact, I’d say they were pretty excited about it too, but the past week has been surprisingly different.

“Our apologies, Ryuuko. We must remain here.” Aurelia said.

I’d avoided asking about it since it’d only been a few days into the week, but now was as good a time to bring it up if ever.

“Did something happen? The two of you’ve been avoiding this for the past few days.”

“Ah... I suppose that was how it seemed. Perhaps Priya can offer you a better explanation?”

I turned to Priya. Clearly, there was a little more to it than I understood, and by allowing Priya to answer me instead, Aurelia wouldn’t have to sound like she was making excuses.

Smooth.

“It’s nothing like that, Ryuuko. You remember how we were told that King Borea would be returning within two months, right?”

I nodded. Borea Zaltsel was the name of Aurelia and Lucrezia’s father. I still haven’t met him, but from what I’ve heard so far from the castle servants, he was a pretty impressive figure to behold. Apparently, they had started betting on the winner for our duel already.

“Well, it’s already past two months, so it’s standard protocol for them to wait here in his extended absence. They have to be the first to receive him in case he... returns in a less than favorable condition.”

“Ah.” I blinked. “Well, I s’pose that makes sense... Now I kinda feel like waiting too.”

Before I could ruminate any longer on my self-created feelings of guilt due to the unease that Priya’s statement implied, I heard the ear-splitting sound of a bugle cutting through the air. Lucrezia and Aurelia immediately shot up from their seats.

“He’s back!” They cried in unison.