Wishing for Coffee

 

 

 

 

 

The 7th Army Corps splendidly removed the enemy knight orders that captured Arsenum.

The original plan was to ride that momentum and invade all the way until Rosaria’s royal capital Leazas, but that was rejected on the spot.

Apparently the enemy army just now was no more than the Multiple King Alliance’s advance party.

Currently, the numbers of the Multiple King Alliance that have gathered in Rosaria’s royal capital have swelled to the tens of thousands.

Naturally, Sefiro the 7th Army Corps’ commander isn’t foolish.

Proposing not, “Here let’s temporarily withdraw and watch the state of affairs” she ordered, “Everyone return to your posts.”

When I heard that, I first withdrew my troops and headed back.

When I returned to my mansion in Ivalice, I immediately went into the office.

Even without saying anything, respectfully bowing, brewing a cup of black tea, and putting in 2 sugars and bringing it to me is Sati.

A fragrance and thoughtfulness I hadn’t experience for while in the battlefield.
As far as the battlefield goes, there were beautiful women.
The witch of unknown age Sefiro, and the Lilin Lilith.
Their looks were lovely, but they couldn’t be modestly considerate like Sati.
I wonder if they can’t brew a cup of tea.

Not to mention that they couldn’t bake delicious cookies like Sati.
While thinking so, I stuff my cheeks with Sati’s cookies.
A sweet smell and the smell of butter spread.

For the previous world they were too common, and I couldn’t grasp their worth, but sweets are a luxury in this world.

Commoners couldn’t readily eat them.
Being able to eat them daily is modest luxury as a ruler I suppose.

While thinking that, I enjoy the black tea’s aroma, but as I thought I missed that flavor.

“Haa, I want to drink coffee.”

Sati responds to that remark.

“Coffee?”

“Ahh, you heard me, huh. I intended to mutter that with a quiet voice though.”

“Sati’s ears don’t miss Goshujin-sama’s words no matter how quiet.”

Sati says as she floats a smile.

“……that’s scary.”

I have to be careful about talking to myself from now on.
While thinking that, I explain about coffee.

“Coffee is an amber drink. You boil black beans, no, it seems originally they’re red. Well, that doesn’t matter. It’s a delicious drink that smells very nice.”

“But, black tea also smells nice……”

“It’s a different aroma from that. Black tea has a kind of high class feel, coffee is what I wonder. A more plebeian aroma.”

“Haa, plebeian……?”

Sati can’t seem to fathom it.

Well, that’s natural. It’s difficult to explain coffee’s aroma to a person who hasn’t smelled it’s aroma once.

“If I at least had the actual bean.”
“Do you plan to produce coffee this time?”

“No, as one would expect that’s impossible. You can only harvest coffee in the south. It’s different if a polytunnel is made and warmed with magic, but in that case it’ll come at a cost.”

“Then it would be fine to import it from the south wouldn’t it?”
“If the coffee bean exists, that would be possible.”
“Does it not exist?”
“It probably doesn’t. I haven’t caught sight of it in Rosaria’s royal capital.”

I finished saying that, but an unexpected personage denies that.

“If it’s coffee, it’s in circulation in the south.”

Coming to butt in was our superior Sefiro.
She came into the office without knocking.

This mansion was made so that only chosen demons could enter, but unfortunately she’s a chosen demon.

Therefore she could brazenly enter my office, but I wish she would at least knock.

“What is it, that expression, like ‘You should at least knock’.”

Furthermore this person’s intuition is sharp.

Even though she shouldn’t even be able to see my expression with the mask, it seems she perfectly understands my thoughts.

Within my heart I raise both hands in surrender, and inquire of the real meaning of her remark.

“Is it true that coffee exists?”

“It’s true. I’ve seen it at Zenobia in the south. A drink where you grind those black beans right. I drank it once, but it was bitter. It didn’t suit my taste.”

“That’s it. I see, it’s in this world too……”
“You like that bitter stuff I see.”
“Well, that’s right.”

I yearn for caffeine, even if I say that I wonder if it’ll get through to this person.
Recently, when it becomes afternoon I’m tempted by drowsiness.

In the previous world I would drink coffee and feel refreshed, but unfortunately I couldn’t get that effect with black tea.

“At any rate, that there’s coffee is good news. I want to enjoy that aroma after a long time.”

Thinking so, I tried to immediately call Jiron and order him to prepare coffee.

But––––, that was stopped by Sefiro my superior.

“You rely on that pig for everything. Don’t you think you should occasionally figure something out with your own power?”

“No, for the time being I’m Ivalice’s lord. In addition this is the frontline. I can’t go away.”

“If there’s a superior who’s too competent, the subordinates won’t grow up, do you know that famous saying?”

“……I know it. Deeply.”

My relationship with the witch before me might be a good example.

I feel like with Sefiro’s motivationlessness, while compensating for her carelessness I became diligent and accumulated various experiences.

In short, she wants to say that if the superior does everything themselves, their subordinates won’t grow.

“There’s quite the excellent ones gathered among your subordinates. That orc called Jiron isn’t capable, but he’s honest in his duties and is faithful to you. You found a good subordinate.”

“Say that to the person themselves. He’ll cry in happiness.”

“Making sure of your subordinates abilities is part of the superior’s capability.”

“Besides, The ryujin Jigan is level and calm, and a capable commanding officer. That girl Lilith isn’t smart, but she has power to compensate for that. In addition they still have room to grow. It’s not bad to leave this town to them for a while here.”

“In short, even if I leave them to house sit it’s not a problem?”

“Exactly.”

Sefiro states.

“That you’ll say that much is not just to make me head to Zenobia because I have to go buy coffee right?”

“No way. I’m not that whimsical. While you’re at it buy me a milky lotion that’s good for your skin.”

Sefiro jokes, but I immediately understand it was a joke.
Since she immediately makes a serious expression.

“––––I want to have you head to the south’s trade city Zenobia. As Maou-sama’s proxy.”

I immediately guess with that expression.

“––––I see, in other words, buying coffee is a pretext, and there’s some secret purpose, right.”

“As expected of Ronberg’s grandson, you have good judgment.”

“I have a long relation with the commander after all.”

“Well then, do you have an idea of the content?”

“It’s a guess, but do you mind?”

“Umu, go ahead.”

She gives me permission with a tone like a teacher.

“The commander, no, probably Maou-sama wants to trade with the south’s “Commerce Alliance”‘s leading power Zenobia, right?”

“Hoh, your basis?”

“Our army’s financial state.”

I assert.

“Currently, it can’t be said that our army’s financial state is abundant. Due to Maou-sama’s reign, it’s far richer than in the past, but even then it’s not enough. In particular the food shortage is remarkable.”

“Thanks to you Ivalice’s agricultural production has swelled though.”

“Even then it’s still not enough to reach everyone in the army. Since it takes time for agriculture to bear fruit.”

“That’s true.”

“In addition from the start the regions the Maou Army have occupied aren’t very rich regions, and there’s more industrial cities than agriculture. Due to the war the fields and such are ruined. Eventually it’ll fall into a severe food shortage won’t it.”

“In that case like a Maou Army, we should requisition from the population, no, there’s also the option of pillaging though?”

“Maou-sama isn’t that foolish right. Even though the management of the occupied territories is going well with great pains, I don’t think she would commit that kind of foolish undertaking.”

“Then where do you think Maou-sama’s aim is? No, what would you do?”

Sefiro’s voice is unusually serious.
Or perhaps this witch might not have grasped Maou-sama’s intent either.

This person is intellectual and shrewd demon, but after all she’s a demon. He way of thinking is with demons as a basis.

“Most likely Maou-sama wants to sell the excess industrial goods, in particular the dwarf craftsman made jewel work and handicrafts to the south, and with that money obtain the south’s abundant food.”

As I state that, Sefiro, “……fumu” together with that she sighs.

I understand with her answering with that attitude, but I ask just in case.

“So Commander, is my answer correct?”

Sefiro doesn’t affirm or deny.

“……I don’t like it. ––––I don’t like it, but you said the same things as Maou-sama.”

“In other words, is it fine to say that answer is 100 points?”

Without answer that clearly either, Sefiro states with her usual childish tone.

“At any rate, it’s Maou-sama’s orders. 7th Army Corps Vice Commander Ike. In my place, head to Zenobia in the south, and tie a treaty of commerce with the Commerce Alliance!”

Sefiro finishes with that, and a little sulkily returns.
She leaves behind a threat like remark.

“Fun, if you fail, you’ll start anew under me.”

Like so––––.
And then she chants transition magic and disappears.
Seeing that, Sati who is waiting beside me timidly asks.

“Is it fine? Sefiro-sama was angry though.”

“That wasn’t being angry. She was sulking.”

“Sulking?”

“When I give a exemplar answer that person becomes perverse.”

“I wonder why? Goshujin-sama derived the correct answer right?”

“She still thinks of me as a child I suppose.”

“A child……, is it?”

“Ahh, the commander and I have known each other since I was a child. It seems she’s under the impression that she still has to lead me.”

“I see, that wasn’t being angry, that was sulking.”

Sati floats a convinced expression, and reservedly laughs.

“Certainly it’s as Goshujin-sama’s has said, she’s a childish person.”

“Put nicely she still has childlike innocence. Put badly she’s bratty.”

I sarcastically mutter, but Sati suddenly stops laughing and mutters this.

“Even so––––”

Sati says and continues.

“Sefiro-sama knows the Goshujin-sama from when you were a child, right?”

“That’s right but?”

When she hears that, Sati says something unusual.

“I’m a little jealous of Sefiro-sama. No, envious.”

“Why?”

“I mean, I haven’t seen Goshujin-sama’s figure from when you were a child after all. I’m sure you were cute, I imagine.”

“……cute, huh.”

Is that a compliment I wonder.

It’s not a word that’s fitting of a key executive of the Maou Army, but certainly I had a a sweet childhood.

While I recall that, I make preparations to head south.

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