by Dojyomaru
Technically, his replacement had already been chosen—it was the Lord of Altomura, Weist Garreau, who had distinguished himself in the war—but until he was prepared to take over, Poncho’s busy days were set to continue.
What was more, Poncho had another batch of troubles coming his way.
“The governor is present, but you’re looking at a long wait if you want an audience with him,” the guard said with a forced smile and in a way that seemed to imply something.
“I understand,” said Komain. “I have some documents to submit, so do you mind if I wait?”
“I understand. Go ahead, Madam Komain. You can stay in the waiting room.”
Thanks in part to her being a familiar face, the guard easily let Komain inside.
The maid standing by in the front entrance to the building who was tasked with guiding guests led her through to the waiting room where there were already four women waiting.
The women seemed to be gathered in one corner of the room and were talking about something. They all wore gaudy outfits, and Komain could infer they were young ladies of good parentage. The women glanced over at her as she entered the room, then huddled close and began whispering to each other.
Komain, feeling awkward, sat at a distance from these women. When she did...
“What’s with that outfit? Is that girl aiming to become Sir Poncho’s wife?”
“What a common girl. Does she think that, if it’s Sir Poncho, even a girl like her could seduce him?”
Komain could hear their whispering perfectly. She was from a tribe of hunters who had lived in the north, and they were sensitive to the presence of their prey and other noises. She could hear lowered voices like theirs whether she wanted to or not.
Komain sighed. I knew it... They’re women who’ve come to discuss a potential marriage with Sir Poncho, just as I thought.
There had already been a public announcement that King Souma would be holding a ceremony to celebrate his marriage to Princess Liscia and his other queens in waiting. In response to that, there was now a rush of marriage offers from those who wanted to secure a position as a queen for themselves, too. Not only that, these offers of marriage were also coming en masse to any unwed men among Souma’s vassals who seemed to have a promising future.
The intelligent and attractive Prime Minister, Hakuya, and the handsome Captain of the Royal Guard, Ludwin, were both popular, but the person these offers were most concentrated on was Poncho.
Being an upstart noble, Poncho was from a family of low status, providing a low barrier of entry for such proposals. On top of that, there was his pudgy body; those with confidence in their appearance thought he would be easy to seduce. In addition, many had an honest affection for him as one of the people who had helped end the food crisis.
In short, Poncho was visited by those of high and low statuses, those interested out of ambition and those who were pure... It was a truly diverse group of women who were proposing to him. The group here currently was no doubt full of women from ambitious houses.
“Just you watch,” said one. “I’ll make that pudgy man mine with this beautiful face.”
“He seems like a timid sort, so if I push hard enough, he should submit easily.”
“The way he looks, he can’t be used to beautiful women.”
The women continued talking in hushed voices.
This is kind of unpleasant, thought Komain. I don’t care what they say about me, but Sir Poncho worked with His Majesty to provide food relief to us refugees when things were hard for us. I want him to be happy, and I’d rather not see anyone too weird become his wife.
However, as these women were saying, Poncho had a somewhat unreliable side to him. If the women pushed hard enough, given his personality, he may not be able to decline. Komain was worried for Poncho, but then a question came to mind.
Huh? Then why hasn’t he gotten married yet?
It was true Poncho was easy to push into things. However, despite that, she hadn’t heard anything about him being engaged. This was despite so many offers pouring in.
He’s rebuffing all those offers from women like these? The Sir Poncho I know?
While Komain was still wondering about that, the maid came for them, and all of the women present to discuss potential marriages were led off one by one.
The next thing she knew, Komain was alone.
Then the maid came for her, informing Komain that her turn had come.
“I’m sorry for the wait. Madam Komain, come this way, please.”
As she followed the maid down the corridor, Komain saw one of the women who had been in the waiting room before walking quickly toward them from the opposite direction. Her face was tense, and she passed by Komain without seeming to take note of her.
Wh-What was that? She looked like she was on edge. Did her meeting not go so well?
While she was wondering about that, they arrived in front of the reception room. The maid knocked lightly on the door, then waited for a response from inside before opening it and announcing Komain’s arrival.
“Please do come in, yes.”
Hearing Poncho’s voice, Komain responded, “Excuse me,” and entered the room.
Inside the reception room, a somewhat tired-looking Poncho was seated on a sofa with a maid standing behind him.
Komain’s eyes went wide despite herself as soon as she saw that maid. For a moment, she was overwhelmed by this woman who looked to be a little over the age of twenty, with a beautiful face, and a poise that spoke to her great intellect.
Little wonder that woman looked so pressured...
With a beauty like that behind Poncho, it would no doubt destroy whatever confidence the visiting women had in their own looks. Had it been solely thanks to her that, despite all of the offers, no woman had been able to push hers through? In that case...
Huh?! Is she glaring at me?! Komain felt as if the maid standing behind Poncho had shot a glare at her.
When a beautiful person did the glaring, the impact was multiplied. Komain felt a chill down her spine, but this was the same Komain who spent her days openly speaking her mind to burly men.
She glared back, as if to say, I won’t lose.
At Komain’s return glare, the maid turned up the intensity.
Their gazes collided. It was as if an image of a wolf and a hawk could be seen behind them.
“Um, you two, is something the matter?” Poncho asked hesitantly, sensing the abnormal atmosphere between them.
Having been addressed by him, Komain was the first to come back to her senses. “Oh, that’s right. Poncho, I’ve brought the list of newly arrived refugees.”
“Well, well. Thank you for your hard work, yes.”
When Komain turned over the papers to Poncho, the oppressive vibe she had been getting from the maid vanished. In fact, the maid bowed to her and said, “I’ll go prepare tea now,” then left the room.
While there was still a question mark floating over Komain’s head at her sudden change in attitude, Poncho spoke.
“I’m sorry it seems we kept you waiting, yes,” he apologized as he perused the documents.
“Oh, no. Um... Do you have a lot of people expressing interest in marrying you?”
“Y-Yes. Let’s see. From what I hear, many of the unmarried men among His Majesty’s vassals have been receiving such offers, yes. Even I have received a fair number. If Madam Serina, who is the head maid at the castle, hadn’t handled them for me, I’m sure things would have gotten even worse, yes.”
Serina... Is that the incredibly beautiful maid from before? If she’s the head maid in the castle, she must be highly capable.
Poncho put on a troubled smile. “Of course, maybe it’s because of the way I look. I’ve received an awful lot of offers to discuss the prospect, but not one of them has worked out, yes. I’m often told, ‘Actually, let’s call the whole thing off,’ the moment they see my face at the interview.”
Huh? Does that mean...
&nb
sp; Komain recalled the moment of first entering the room. She’d seen the kindly Poncho, and the super beautiful maid Serina standing behind him.
Yeah... That was the first barrier. For those who had a little confidence in their appearance and thought they could easily seduce Poncho, when they saw Serina’s beautiful face, they were likely to beat a hasty retreat. Even if they held their ground, the next thing to hit them would be that wave of intimidation from Serina. The average woman probably couldn’t withstand that pressure.
Even Komain had felt something akin to the kind of shudder she would feel if she encountered a large wolf.
“Serina has been kind enough to manage things, so I feel bad for her, yes,” Poncho said apologetically.
No, isn’t it Serina’s fault that none of these offers have worked out?!
Komain nearly said that out loud, but the maid interrupted.
“Pardon me. I’ve brought the tea.” Serina brought in the tea with what felt like carefully planned timing, so the words never left Komain’s mouth.
While she was drinking the delicious tea, Komain’s mind spun in confused circles. Madam Serina is getting in the way of Sir Poncho’s marriage offers? But why? Since she was sent from the castle, is that under His Majesty’s orders? No, that can’t be right. I can’t see the king doing anything so nasty. Then is it her own will? Does she have something against Sir Poncho, maybe?
While Komain was thinking that, Poncho gently began talking to her. “How are the former refugees these days? Is there anything troubling them?”
“Oh, right,” Komain said. “Everyone is getting used to life here. It’s a gradual process, but I’m getting fewer requests for mediation than before.”
“That’s good, yes. Peace is the most important thing.”
“It is. From my standpoint as a community organizer, I feel it’s a load off my shoulders, and I’m relieved. At the same time, I have less and less to do, so I’ve been thinking of starting up something new. Sir Poncho...you’re as busy as ever, aren’t you?”
“Yes. In addition to my work as governor, I also have to meet all the people making proposals, and His Majesty has instructed me to study something new, too. So I’m busy, yes.”
Poncho looked at the mountain of books beside his desk and sighed.
“Study...? What exactly?” Komain asked.
“The transportation of provisions. According to His Majesty, whether my name is listed among the people managing our soldier’s food or not will make a large difference in the entire military’s morale. That’s why, even if just for show, he apparently wants to place me in an important post, so I’m in the middle of having the bare minimum of base knowledge pounded into me, yes.”
Poncho was so widely regarded as a specialist on food that the common people referred to him as “Ishizuka, the God of Food.” Even just having his name listed as a manager of military provisions would be enough to convince the troops they could eat something good, and it would raise their morale.
That’s a trouble you run into when you’re famous, I guess, thought Komain.
Serina leaned in to whisper something in Poncho’s ear. “Madam Komain is your last visitor for the day. Thank you for your hard work.”
“Oh, she is? Thank you, too, Madam Serina, yes.”
“No, I was ordered by His Majesty to support you, after all.”
“Still, I’m always grateful, yes.”
Komain’s far-too-sensitive ears picked up their whispered conversation.
Hearing their voices, Komain quickly struck down her earlier theory. There was no trace of hostility in Serina’s voice. More than that, there was an excited “sweetness” in it. It was amazing Poncho could keep a level head while she whispered to him like that.
“If you’re that grateful, then do it again tonight,” Serina whispered.
“You really do like it, huh, Madam Serina?” Poncho whispered back.
Komain nearly spewed her tea.
Tonight?! She likes it?! Huh, what?! What are the two of them talking about?!
While pretending to drink, Komain glanced at the two of them over the rim of her teacup.
D-Do the two of them have that kind of relationship, maybe?! Oh! That explains why Madam Serina was being so intimidating! To keep anyone from taking Sir Poncho from her... Huh? But that’s a surprise. I wonder why a beauty like her is so deeply infatuated with Sir Poncho...
Komain’s head was filled with a different confusion than before, and it worried her.
“Oh, that’s right,” said Poncho. “Madam Komain.”
“Huh?! Uh, yes...?!” Komain unintentionally let her voice go a little shrill.
“Do you have some work after this, Madam Komain?”
“No, this was the last thing for today... Um, why do you ask?”
Poncho put on a happy smile and said, “Oh, it’s no big deal. I just thought I’d invite you to dinner, yes.”
H-How did it turn out like this...?
Komain didn’t understand the situation she now found herself in.
She was in the governor’s private dining room at the governor’s mansion. There, Serina and Komain were seated across from one another. Poncho was away cooking, so Komain felt indescribably awkward.
Serina suddenly bowed her head. “Madam Komain, I must apologize for earlier.”
“Huh? Um, why is that?”
“For looking at you with appraising eyes. I thought you were another one of those women who think they can so easily seduce Sir Poncho.”
It seemed that look hadn’t been a glare, but one of appraisal. Komain was relieved to realize Serina had been protecting Poncho from the venomous fangs of women with ambitions.
“Um... I was wondering, are a lot of the people who seek to meet Poncho and talk about marriage like that?” Komain ventured.
“Yes. Like you’ve seen, he’s a man with many weaknesses. I’ve been asked by His Majesty to make sure Sir Poncho isn’t ensnared by any strange women, but many of them run away at the first sight of my eyes. I do wish they would at least pay us the most basic level of respect.”
Well, yeah, of course they’d be scared, Komain nearly said, but managed to swallow the words just before they left her mouth.
Serina may have only intended it to be probing, but even those with no ill intentions might get scared and run away at the sight of that look.
“But you didn’t run away, did you, Madam Komain?” Serina asked.
“I come from a tribe of hunters. I felt like I was being glared at by a large wolf, but you can’t be a hunter if you let fear get the best of you.”
Komain’s words seemed to have left Serina a little shocked. “My look was on the level of a large wolf?”
At that moment, Poncho came back carrying a large pot. “Sorry to keep you waiting. This is our experimental dish for the day, yes.”
Poncho went on to serve portions from the pot onto each of their plates. When she saw what she was served, Komain winced for a moment. Her entire plate was covered in brown. What was more, it looked unappetizing.
Is this...the rice the mystic wolf people were cultivating? But I can see bits that look like thinly-cut pasta here and there. On top of that, the whole thing’s brown, too...
“Ohhh, this is wonderful, Sir Poncho.” Unlike Komain, Serina was entranced by the sight of this dish. “This is like the ‘sauce yakisoba’ you served before, but you’ve mixed in rice this time, too. The noodles are thin, making them easy to eat together with the rice. This sinful sight of a staple food cooked together with another staple food, combined with the scent of the sauce, is simply the best.”
Serina praised the dish like she was a young maiden in love. The gap between this and the intellectual beauty she had seemed like earlier was so great Komain found it a little off-putting. However, Poncho seemed reasonably used to this reaction, and went on smoothly explaining the dish.
“In His Majesty’s world, this is apparently called ‘soba meshi.’ First, you make sauce yakis
oba, then add rice. From there, you add things like tendon and mix it all together. I’m thinking of serving it at my experimental restaurant in the castle soon, yes.”
“I’ll dig right in.”
Serina scooped up some of the soba meshi with a spoon and carried it to her mouth. The moment she put it in her mouth, she broke into a smile of ecstasy, as if she had just received a revelation from on high.
Poncho watched her with a smile on his face. “I must say...you really do like it, Madam Serina.”
Hearing those words, Komain recalled their earlier whispers. It seemed this was the thing she “liked” that they’d be doing “tonight.”
Feeling a little embarrassed at what she had imagined, Komain took a bite of the soba meshi on her plate without hesitating, and...
Ohhh! Komain felt like she’d just had a revelation from heaven, too. What is this?! It looks awful, but it’s so delicious!
The sweet and spicy sauce stimulated her appetite, and her spoon went back for scoop after scoop of soba meshi. What an alluring flavor. She could see why Serina’s face had melted like that. While she was satisfied with her explanation, she remembered what Serina had said.
“If you’re that grateful, then do it again tonight...”
Do it again tonight... Serina had said “again.” In other words, didn’t that mean Serina was eating delicious meals like this with Poncho nearly every night?
The moment that thought occurred to her, Komain couldn’t restrain herself. She kicked back her chair and stood up, then kneeled on the floor in front of Poncho.
“Sir Poncho!”
“Y-Yes! Um, Madam Komain? What are you doing, suddenly kneeling like that?”
“Madam Komain?” Serina asked, startled.
Seeing the dubious looks on their faces, Komain spilled forth the feelings she could no longer keep inside. “If I can eat food like this, I want to serve you, Sir Poncho! Please, keep me at your side!”