I’m Not Good at Offensive Magic, but I’ll Do My Best With Support Magic!

Chapter 2: The City of Tanza

We were momentarily at a loss for words at the sudden declaration.

But it was only for a moment, and then Snow-san raised her voice, getting up from her chair and rushing over to Ellen-san.

「Why is that! You said there would be no punishment for Yuan and the others!」
「Snow, calm down」
「I am not convinced! If you want to punish me, why don’t you punish me! Yuan and the others owe us a debt of gratitude for cooperating with us!」
「Snow, please calm down」
「But!」

The Imperial Princess calls out to Snow-san, but she still cannot calm down. Ellen-san saw this and raised her right hand.

「Calm down!」

Pachin

A high-pitched sound echoed in the room. Ellen-san slapped Snow-san. The force of the slap caused Snow-san to fall on the ground.

「Listen to me until I finish」

Snow-san has tears in her eyes and tries to raise her upper body.

「Snow-san, are you all right?」
「Un」

I am relieved to see that there was no noticeable injury, although her cheeks are red due to the fact that she was not exerting that much force. However, Snow-san is also a woman. It would be difficult if there is any swelling after this.

「Recover」

I cast recovery magic on Snow-san.

「Thank you」
「Have you calmed down a bit?」
「Yes」

Snow-san sits down in a chair hunched over.

「I apologize for any misunderstanding. But it is a necessary procedure」
「The hardliners?」
「Yes. Therefore, we would like you adventurers to accept our request behind our back, ostensibly as a temporary banishment」
「Request?」
「Yes」

TL. Ostensibly – apparently or purportedly, but perhaps not actually.

When the Imperial Princess looks at Ellen-san, Ellen-san places an envelope on the table.

「I want you to deliver this to the King of the Republic of Artica」

The request of the Imperial Princess was to deliver a confidential letter.

「What do you think?」
「I’m sorry, but we can’t make a decision on such short notice」
「No advantage」

Ostensibly, We’re criminals. We don’t want to be labeled as such. Being a criminal means you cannot go to places run by the country. Naturally, you cannot even stop in towns. You will be stopped at checkpoints.

「There is an advantage」
「Eh?」

But Ellen-san says there is an advantage for us. I tilted my head, not understanding.

「What you may not know is that it is no longer possible to cross the border」
「Why?」
「Because they are preparing for war」

I had never heard of it.

I had never paid attention to the border situation, so it is not surprising, but I did not know that currently it is not possible to cross the border into the Republic of Artica. But I don’t understand how the border and the war are connected. If I had to think of one, is it because of the danger of not knowing when a war might break out and get involved?

「Preventing the outflow of people」

Shia-san answered. Ellen-san nods to it and then adds a follow-up.

「Yeah, to be precise, to keep the Beastmen from returning to their homeland.」
「Why would they do that?」
「When war breaks out, will you join the Empire or the Republic of Artica?」
「I’m from a village near the Imperial Capital, so neither…」
「I’m with Yuan」

I don’t intend to participate in the war, you know. I may help people who are hurt in the aftermath of the war, but I don’t want to hurt people.

「Fumu. But what about the Beastmen who have deep attachments to their homeland?」
「That is, of course, to their homeland… ah」
「So that’s what that means, if they cannot cross the border, they will not be able to return to their homeland and join the Republic of Artica」

How despicable!

「But won’t the Beastmen go berserk in different parts of the country?」

Kiara-chan is right.

There are many Beastmen in the Rūdo Empire. If they rampage around the country in time for the war, it will be a blow to the Rūdo Empire.

「That is a possibility. But there are more human adventurers in various parts of the country than that, and they will soon be commissioned and subdued. Besides, it would be a crime for adventurers who have not signed a contract with the country to cause a disturbance in a place unrelated to the war. Based on that, I can only wonder how many Beastmen adventurers would cause a ruckus」

It’s a risky way to live this time around.

「So that leads to our advantage」
「Yeah, with deportation, even if the border is sealed, there’s still a chance for you to cross the border」
「But since we are treated as criminals, won’t we be handed down a different punishment there?」

We can’t say that there is no possibility that at the border, or elsewhere, someone will say that we are criminals and we have to be captured or killed.

「There is no problem in that regard. No one can overturn the judgment that Emeria-sama has made, because to punish Yuan and the others there would be the same as challenging Emeria-sama」

I see. So you are saying that even though the Imperial Princess made her decision based on what happened in this city, people who do not know the circumstances cannot object to it. But is there any reason why the lord who is the party involved does not enter the picture?

It may have something to do with the fact that the Imperial Princess told the lord at that time that it was over, though. Of course, I’m too scared to ask.

「Besides, it takes a long time for Yuan and the others to be listed as criminals」

While I was thinking about this separately, Ellen-san’s explanation continued. It’s not about the lord, it’s about us now. I have to listen carefully.

「Why?」
「Where we say you are criminals, we cannot immediately enforce it. Because we have to go through the process of capturing, interrogating, determining the charges, and sentencing you」

There seems to be an order to everything.

「And it is not we, but the judiciary, who will pass judgment」
「Now, there is no one in the City of Tanza to administer justice. My uncle’s people have already fallen」
「In other words, we cannot punish any of you right now」

Um, does that mean we won’t be treated as criminals for a while?

「Well, technically, that means probation」
「Probation?」

There are so many difficult things that I can’t keep up with. I feel like steam is coming out of my head.

「Simply explained, it means the time until the execution of the sentence. During that time you are not treated as a criminal」
「I see what you mean」
「However, if you commit another crime during that grace period, expect your sentence to be carried out immediately, along with any other crimes you commit」

So they say, as long as we don’t commit crimes.

「But there is a rule that those on probation are put on surveillance」

I understand that. It’s like the term “perfect crime,” because sometimes you can hide and commit a crime and go unnoticed. This is a procedure to prevent that. And, who would be the surveillance?

「Me… ?」
「That’s right. I hereby order Snow Cuone to monitor the three adventurers on probation and see to it that the three adventurers are deported to the very end, as soon as their sentences are set!」

I now understand why Snow-san is not charged with a crime. This way Snow-san can stay with us in the name of keeping an eye on us.

「Thank you… very much!」
「We are the ones who need to thank…no, apologize to Snow-san and her friends. So, please, raise your head」
「Emeria-sama…」
「Our inability to help, it really troubles me」
「No, we wouldn’t know what would have happened if the Imperial Princess hadn’t come」

In fact, if the Imperial Princess had not shown up there, we would have had a fight with the lord. What awaited us at the end of the line would us becoming criminals. I do not believe that the punishment would have been deportation.

「I appreciate you saying that」
「Now, will you accept this request?」

I will check with Shia-san and Kiara-chan. I have to consult with them about this kind of thing.

「I’ll leave it to Yuan」
「Um, I don’t have a choice, so I’ll leave it to Yuan-san」

In the end, they throw it right back to me.

「When will our crimes be determined?」
「We will return and finish the formalities when we are done…」
「It would be about 2 months」

2 months…. That’s almost the same as the distance from Tanza to the border.

「Is there any way to know that our crimes have been determined?」

If we don’t know about it, we will be in a lot of trouble. We don’t want them to find out that we have become criminals and couldn’t enter the city.

「There is a magic item that informs constituents in each town. I’ll give Snow that same item」
「If that is the case, the notification from the Imperial Capital to each town should be conveyed to Snow and the others. It will have no effect once you are outside the territory of Rūdo, though」

It means that we can understand information that is essentially known only to the constituents of the city.

After asking a few questions, I give my answers.

「I understand. We would like to accept the request」
「Is that okay? What about the eventual deportation and not being able to enter Rūdo territory for a while?」
「Yes, I originally intended to go to the Republic of Artica」

My purpose is to buy a house there, and live slowly! I haven’t forgotten!

I will miss seeing the Director since I can’t return to the Rūdo Territory, but it doesn’t look like it will be forever. The Imperial Princess said it would be temporary.

「Thank you」
「I appreciate your help 」
「But may I ask one thing?」
「Yes, if I can make it happen」

The Princess nods her head.

「Regarding Kiara-chan, please acquit her of all charges」
「Eh, me!?」

Kiara-chan looks at me with a surprised face.

「Kiara-chan did not form a party with us, she just escaped from the basement on her own and met us. So she is one of the victims of this incident」

Shia-san will follow me no matter what, but Kiara-chan doesn’t have to.

If the Princess gave her permission, she would have the right to freely be an adventurer as she had been before. Fortunately, she now has a partner, Ladi-kun

「What should we do, Emeria-sama?」
「That should be left to the person herself」

Princess and Ellen-san looked at Kiara-chan.

「I…」

Kiara-chan is in trouble. But this is for Kiara-chan to decide, and we cannot interfere.

「We will stay in the city for one more week. Why don’t you decide during that time?」
「I… understand」

Kiara-chan did not seem to have an immediate answer.

But it makes me a little happy. I am glad that she is considering whether to stay with us or not.

「Emeria-sama, it’s about time」
「Yes, that’s right. I’m sure you adventurers are tired, so let’s talk about it later and have a good night」
「I’ll let you know the details of the meeting through Snow. It would be bad for adventurers to be together with Princess Emeria-sama」

Normally, this would not be the case.

It is far from common sense for a C-Rank adventurer to talk to the Princess, even if the adventurer is a representative of the country.

「Now, if you’ll excuse us」
「Yeah, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, but I’d appreciate it if you could keep this to yourself. For our sake, of course, but also for yours」
「Understood」

Snow-san had something to say to Ellen-san and the others, so she decided to stay behind and while we returned to Illumina-san’s inn.

There seems to be a lot of commotion going on all over the city, though.

However, there are still knights and vigilantes in the city.

Since the original cause was the lord, let’s ask them to do their best, because that is essentially the knight’s job.