Third Outer World Story Series: Pumpkin Sorcerer - Chapter 61
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
“This is the place.”
“Wow, that’s quite a large one.”
“Whew!”
Several hours after leaving Samsara Egg Village, Reigi and Pumpkin arrived at Kunukihappy without incident, where they joined up with Kozo and were guided by him to the residence of Count Kunuki, the lord of the Kunuki territory.
The purpose of the visit is… well, a lot of things.
“Kozo-sama, Pumpkin-sama. And…”
“I am Reigi.”
“Please treat her as one of the guests as well.”
“Understood.”
Although the gatekeeper, who seemed to have heard about Pumpkin’s story but not about the Spalpkin’s, shot a quizzical look at Reigi, his demeanor instantly shifted after hearing Reigi’s and Kozo’s words.
He is the designated gatekeeper of the lord’s mansion so he is well-educated after all… Well, frankly speaking, all the soldiers I saw in town were well-mannered and well-liked by the townspeople, so perhaps Count Kunuki’s soldiers as a whole are of this nature.
“Please come in, then.”
“I will be your guide.”
“Mm-hmm.”
The gate guard opened the gate, after which Reigi and Pumpkin followed Kozo into the lord’s mansion.
So far Pumpkin had only witnessed the positive aspects of the lord, but he wondered what he was really like.
—————-
“President of the Kozo Association. Count Kunuki is here to see you.”
“Hmm.”
The maid led them to a room that seemed to be for a meeting, and after some time passed as they sipped tea and had refreshments, the maid’s voice could be heard from outside the door.
Count Kunuki had apparently arrived.
“I’m sorry I’m late. I’ve been struggling to catch up on some things.”
“No problem. In fact, I am thankful that you agreed on such short notice to meet in person.”
From behind the open door emerged a man in his mid-thirties, with blond hair, blue eyes slightly leaning towards black, and a tender expression on his face.
Even from his casual mannerism, it was clear that he had a certain elegance and, to some extent, the trace of someone who has dealt with rough and tumble affairs. His entire body, however, was emitting a pale blue magic power, perhaps as a result of the high-quality meals he had been consuming.
This person was undoubtedly Count Zenri Kunuki, the lord of the Kunuki territory.
“Are you Pumpkin-kun?”
“Yes, I am. It is an honor to meet you, Count Kunuki. I am looking forward to the opportunity of meeting you today.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure to meet you too.”
Pumpkin stood up from his chair, and in response to Count Kunuki’s words, he extended his hand and asked for a handshake, which Count Kunuki accepted without hesitation.
Even if Pumpkin thought so himself, Count Kunuki showed remarkable guts to shake the hand of such a suspicious creature unhesitantly.
“And who is the one on your side?”
“Her name is Reigi. Well, she’s sort of my daughter.”
“My name is Reigi.”
“I see.”
Reigi bowed respectfully when Count Kunuki spoke to her.
Yeah. If it was Gorky or Kakeru, they would have said, “Hey!” or something like that. I’m glad I brought Reigi with me after all.
“Oh, yeah. Please save Reigi and I the inconvenience; none of us are familiar with etiquette.”
“I don’t mind. We aren’t here to talk about mannerism on this occasion, and I’ve heard more or less about your situation from the head of the Association.”
However, at least a precautionary measure should be taken. If something were to happen, it would be too late.
Well, if things come to a head, I have the option of resorting to force, but that would be a terrible course of action by any measure.
“Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?”
“Oh, yes. I look forward to it.”
Without much ado, each of them took their seats and began to negotiate, which was the main topic of the meeting.
“Let’s see. First of all, Pumpkin-kun, are you and your kind requesting that the race of Spalpkin and your base, the Samsara Egg Village, be recognized as a part of the territory of Country Senko, Count Kunuki, and that they be given various kinds of protection?”
“Yes, that is correct. But since my village is located in a particular place, it would be fine if you just give us some kind of status in terms of protection. If we need to use force to defend the village, we can take care of that ourselves.”
“Hmm.”
The issue at hand in this negotiation is whether or not we shall be admitted as citizens of Count Kunuki’s territory. That can be handled if it’s just me, but when I consider all of the Spalpkins… yeah. I would like to have protection from the country or something.
Soldiers and other fighters were not really a necessity. Having one or two ordinary soldiers would only serve as bait, and it would be a waste of money to maintain a constant supply of people who can compete with the animals of Lean Forest. It would be much more productive to have one person who can handle the various administrative tasks.
“I understand what you want. But as you are probably aware, such guarantees of status are only given to those who have paid their taxes in full. Is that acceptable to you?”
“Of course.”
Count Kunuki’s remarks were obviously met with Pumpkin’s approval.
Although it was true that he who does not work, neither shall he eat, the relationship between a lord and their subjects goes like this.
“Hmm. In that case, there are a few questions I need to ask you in order to determine the appropriate taxes for you as a lord. Excuse me, but I will pose a few questions to you, and I want you to answer them truthfully.”
“I understand.”
And so Count Kunuki’s questions began.
Well, as a representative of Samsara Egg Village, this is where things start to heat up.