Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 723

"Vene, you're the tribal chief! What were you thinking, going to the checkpoint just by leaving a note!?"

"Shut up already. I can hear you even if you don't shout that loud, old man."

Shortly after arriving at the Rabbit Tribe chief's residence, the angry roar of Shia Noamos, Vene's biological father and former chief, thundered through the air.

His black hair stood on end from anger, and the brown eyes behind his sharp gaze emitted the unique gleam of a seasoned veteran.

When the roar thundered, Vene pouted her lips and annoyingly folded her ears that were standing straight up on her head.

It's the equivalent of covering one's ears for humans.

But seeing that movement made Shia's face turn even redder... Of course it would, if you do that in front of someone who's angry.

"Y-you...!?"

See, he's trembling with anger.

Sighing deeply in my heart, I cautiously stepped between them to try to calm the situation.

"Um, Lord Shia. May I speak for a moment?"

"...What is it, Lord Lid?"

He was probably trying hard to suppress his anger and force a smile, but the vein on Shia's temple was still bulging, which was scary.

I cleared my throat and glanced sideways at Vene.

"If I may be so bold, Lady Vene came to the checkpoint to welcome us. Thanks to that, we were able to deepen our friendship during the journey here. I believe this is one form of diplomacy through Lady Vene's consideration, so for our sake, please forgive her this time."

As I bowed, Amon also came to my side.

"Lid is right. During the journey here, Lady Vene told us about the current state of the Rabbit Tribe territory along with the scenery visible from the charcoal car. It was undoubtedly very meaningful time in preparation for the talks. I also beg you. Please forgive Lady Vene."

Perhaps not expecting both of us to defend Vene, Shia blinked in confusion and groaned.

"...Understood. If both of you say so, I'll stop pursuing this further."

"Whoa!? The old man backed down! Lid and Amon are amazing as expected. I owe you one."

"As Amon said, we also had a meaningful time during the journey."

"That's right, please don't worry about it."

Vene showed a full-faced smile and hugged both me and Amon at the same time.

When I unintentionally came into close contact with her body, I noticed something and was startled.

Whether it's because she's indeed a chief, I unintentionally understood that Vene's body was well-trained.

The amount of magical power I could feel from being so close was tremendous.

Without a doubt, she possesses considerable power even among the women I've met.

She might even surpass Diana, Tink, and Asuna.

If she has this much power already, I feel she might even surpass the current Beast King Sekmetos in the future.

It seems absolutely better to stay on good terms with Rabbit Tribe Chief Vene Noamos.

As I felt a chill run down my spine, Shia let out a deep sigh and said "However..." as he intimidatingly approached Vene.

"I'll be lenient only this time, Vene. The deepened friendship with Lord Lid and Lord Amon is merely a result. As the chief standing at the top, you must act cautiously and planned to be a model for the tribe. Otherwise, everyone will think it's natural to act as they please, and things will get out of control."

"Ah, I know. I know that. But just this once, I really wanted to see them both sooner."

Wow, the usually strong-willed Vene is faltering, leaning her upper body back.

It might be a bit similar to me when I'm being scolded by Father.

"I truly hope you understand. Really, ever since you were little, everything you do goes too far. Please consider those who get dragged along. I'm not young anymore either."

When Shia shrugged as if to say "What can you do," Tink burst out with "Fufu."

Wondering what was up, I made eye contact, and she quickly brought her face close to my ear.

"...It just seemed a lot like watching Lord Lid and Lord Liner."

"...What a coincidence. I thought the same."

Scratching my cheek with a wry smile, Vene blushed embarrassedly and shouted loudly, "So I said I understand, didn't I!"

"First of all, the tribal chief has to be a model for the tribe, right? Then you shouldn't be scolding me in front of Lid and Amon and the others."

"Guh...!? That is true. Sorry, I may have said too much. Lord Lid, Lord Amon, I showed you an unsightly scene. My apologies."

"No, no, please don't worry about it. Back in my hometown Baldia, I often get scolded by my father just like Lord Shia does. So I can't say anything about Lady Vene."

When I shook my head and told him half-jokingly, Shia looked puzzled for a moment before starting to laugh.

"Ahahaha. Is that so, it seems Lord Liner also has his hands full with Lord Lid. My, my, while being blessed with a brilliant child is the greatest joy as a parent, the worries never cease. If there's a chance, I'd like to talk with Lord Liner about child-rearing."

"Old man, what embarrassing things are you saying? Stop it."

"What's wrong with that? Due to my position, I don't have any parent friends. If it's Lord Liner, he might understand."

"So I said, stop it."

The exchange between Shia and Vene was exactly like that of a close parent and child.

I smiled wryly and scratched my cheek, saying "Ah, ahaha..."

"I'll make sure to tell my father that you said that, Lord Shia."

"That would be appreciated. Please convey that for me."

"Lid, don't take the old man seriously. Really, you don't need to tell him."

Shia showed a benevolent grandfather-like smile, but Vene looked truly troubled, shaking her head with her hand on her forehead.

They must truly have a good parent-child relationship, trusting each other.

Watching their exchange, memories of interactions with my own father suddenly came to mind, making me burst out with "Fufu..."

Then, Amon who was next to me tilted his head.

"...? Lid, is something wrong?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing."

As I shook my head, Vene cleared her throat to gather attention.

"Well then, let's move to the conference room in the residence. We have many things to discuss."

"Understood. But Lady Vene, I have one request before the conference."

"A request...? What is it, tell me."

She emitted a sharp gleam in her eyes and looked at me suspiciously.

When faced with this piercing gaze, I'm reminded again that Vene is the chief.

"Yes. Actually, I'd like to inspect the 'sea' of the Rabbit Tribe territory before the talks."

When I said that, Vene, Shia, and the influential Rabbit Tribe members present looked at each other and tilted their heads.

"The sea...? Can't that wait until the territory tour we have scheduled after the talks?"

In response to Vene's sharp question, I nodded.

"Yes. I've heard that unlike the seas of Balst and the Monkey Tribe territory, the 'sea' of the Rabbit Tribe territory has relatively calm waves throughout the year. If the conditions match, we might be able to propose more things during the talks. Just the sea would be fine, could you please show us around first?"

Vene and Shia put their hands on their chins, showing signs of deep thought.

The influential members seemed to be whispering among themselves, tilting their heads or shrugging their shoulders.

As the murmuring grew louder, Shia slowly opened his mouth.

"However, Lord Lid. You said 'if the conditions match,' didn't you? That means there's a possibility of it being a wasted effort, correct?"

"...That is true."

"Then I'd like to hear a convincing reason at the very least. It's easy to say 'a sea with calm waves,' but waves vary depending on the location of the sea. If we're to search for a sea that matches Lord Lid's conditions, it would take a full day even using the charcoal car you ride. The roads aren't well-maintained either."

While Shia's argument is correct, I can't simply back down here either.

Because it could greatly affect Baldia's future as well.

"I'm fully aware of that. However, I cannot disclose the reason at this stage."

"Then may I assume you'll tell us the reason after seeing all the seas?"

Faced with this pointed question accompanied by a sharp gaze, I gulped and caught my breath.

As expected, this person isn't someone who can be easily handled.

But if I tell a clumsy lie to cover it up, I'll probably lose their trust.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly shook my head.

"Unfortunately, even if the conditions don't match at any of the seas, I would like to keep the reason secret."

"Then we cannot proceed. You won't tell us the reason, but you want us to guide you to calm seas. If your conditions aren't met, the reason remains secret. In the worst case, only you would obtain valuable information, while we meaninglessly provide sea information. From a national defense perspective, this is a serious matter, wouldn't you agree?"

The mention of national defense perspective made me realize how broad his视野 is.

Even when talking about the sea, there's various information like shallow waters, gently sloping shores, rocky areas, ocean currents, depth, water temperature, etc.

If this information leaks out, it could be misused by enemies coming across the sea, or by kidnappers and thieves.

Actually, in my previous world, the illegal collection of sea information was considered a problem from a national defense perspective in various countries.

It's not information that should be easily known.

"You are correct. However, if we can confirm that the conditions match, it should definitely lead to the prosperity and development of the Rabbit Tribe. I'm fully aware that this is a selfish and unreasonable request, but could you please guide us?"

Although I spoke passionately, Shia's expression didn't budge an inch.

"'If the conditions match, it will definitely lead to the development and prosperity of the Rabbit Tribe,' you say. When the unconventional prodigy known as Lord Lid says that much, it sounds quite appealing. However, that makes me want to hear the reason for your request even more."

"That is..."

If I reveal the plan here, there will definitely be interference and obstacles.

Because you can't stop people's rumors.

Moreover, since we're not in Baldia, it's even more difficult to control information.

Suppressing the urge to speak, I slumped my shoulders and said, "Understood."

"Unfortunately..."

"Wait a moment, Lid."

Just as I was about to give up on getting a guide, Vene, who had been silent with a difficult expression until now, cut in over my words.