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“Ahahaha. Kuro-san, you’re so funny.”
“Woof? Really?”
“Really. Why don’t you take a page from her book, Habotan? You could be this funny, too.”
“I don’t want to…!”

The one brushing off the reproachful remark with a refreshing laugh is a young man with long black hair tied back in a single ponytail.
His orange eyes were almond-shaped, but the way he spoke gave off a softer, rounder vibe rather than a sharp one. He was about the same height as Fumitsuki-san, so he was on the shorter side for a man.

After being released from the cell, we were led to a room that gave off a rather austere impression.
It was a room with very few furnishings, just the bare minimum of tables and chairs. It struck me as a room meant for paperwork.
This young man, chatting amiably with Kuro-san, was probably the owner of this room. Since he’s introducing us like this, he must be Habotan-san’s boss or employer.

“And, so, Kuro-san. Who’s that girl?”
“It’s Arje-chan! She’s a cute vampire!”
“I see. Well, that’s a relief, then.”
“Don’t be so relieved!?”

Completely ignoring Habotan-san, who let out a scream-like cry, Kuro-san and the young man continued to chat and laugh merrily.
If I don’t pay her some attention soon, she might start crying. Though I wouldn’t be able to tell even if she did, since her eyes are hidden.

Eventually, seemingly satisfied with their laughter, the young man turned his face toward me and bowed.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Akisame Higure, a member of the Yotsuba Council.”
“I’m Argento Vampyr. You can just call me Arje.”
“Understood, Arje. You can call me by my last name or first name—whichever you prefer.”
“Got it, Akisame-san.”

Hearing his name, Akisame-san nodded slowly, looking satisfied.
Judging by Habotan-san’s attitude, he must indeed be the superior.

“Akisame-sama It’s a problem if the country’s highest decision-making body operates like that…!”
“Huh, you are?”
“Hm? Oh, well, yeah. The Yotsuba Council consists of four members, including me, and we govern the country through our meetings.”

I see. Four members, just like “Yotsuba” (four leaf clover).

“Doesn’t four people seem like very few to run a country?”
“The Republic was originally a collection of small nations, and the four of us are from the clans that led the unification… It’s just tradition, you know. We have help from those around us, so it’s not a problem.”
“Oh, I see.”
“Besides, if you think of it as having four leaders, isn’t that actually quite a lot? Kingdoms and empires only have a single monarch, after all.”

Now that he mentioned it, that might be true.
Just as I was coming to terms with that, Akisame-san moved. He withdrew his hand—which had been petting Kuro, who was playfully wandering around—and walked over to me.

“Well, if you’re connected to Satsuki-san, I suppose I can rest easy. For all her quirks, she never gets involved with anything she judges to be truly dangerous.”

Even though he was on the shorter side for a man, he was still tall enough that I could be called a child next to him. Standing face-to-face like this, I found myself looking up at him.
His words seem to come down from above, but his gentle tone—is that because of his trust in Satsuki-san?

…Satsuki-san is trusted here, too, isn’t she?

First the merchants, and now even a politician remembers her name—who on earth is that person, really?
The mystery just kept deepening, but it was true that I was saved thanks to her. Normally, I probably wouldn’t have gotten off with just a scolding.

“Nevertheless, could I ask you not to repeat this? This is, after all, a vital national facility.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“Hahaha. I bet Kuro-san dragged you here against your will, didn’t she?”

I nodded in agreement, and Akisame-san’s smile widened. Keeping his expression neutral, he looked over at Kuro-san and said,

“I’m asking you too, Kuro-san. You’ve been caught doing this three times already this month, haven’t you? Some of our men might get upset about it.”
“Of course they’d be upset!? Why does it feel like I’m the weird one here!?”
“Woof! Got it! Kuro’ll remember this until Kuro goes to sleep tonight!”
“Could you please try to remember it forever, if possible…!?”
“Now, now, Habotan, calm down. Let’s have Kuro-san do a little work to make her reflect on her actions.”
“Woof? Work?”

Aksame-san nodded at Kuro-san, who was looking puzzled.
He approached something hanging on the wall of the room. Judging by the writing, it appeared to be a map.
The map depicted a single large continent and what appeared to be the ocean, shown in blue. Although there were several small islands surrounding the continent, the large landmass at the center was undoubtedly the most prominent feature.

Akisame’s finger pointed to the words “Yotsuba Republic” written to the west of the continent. His finger glided across the map and came to rest at a certain point.

“Do you know the village of Renshia, located a little west of Sakuranomiya?”
“Of course Kuro does! Our shop uses honey from there!”
“Exactly. It’s famous for its honey. I’m going there on an inspection trip in a few days—would you like to come along?”
“Ugh, Kuro can’t. Satsuki-chan’s back, so we’re opening the shop tomorrow. Kuro’s busy.”
“Oh, really? In that case, maybe I’ll ask Satsuki-san instead.”
“……Woof?”
“Since Kuro-san has been taking naps on the premises, bringing strangers here, and—just the other day—barging into the council chamber without permission and smashing a vase, I was thinking of negotiating with your employer to have her lend me her property for a while as compensation for all that.”
“W-woof!?”

While Akisame-san spoke with a smile, Kuro-san was clearly flustered.
Kuro-san hurried over to Akisame-san and grabbed his arm. Her ears and tail were completely drooping, making her earlier energy seem like a lie.

“T-That’s a problem! Satsuki-chan is really scary when she gets angry!!”

Satsuki was always all smiles. It’s easy to understand why someone like that would be especially scary when angry.
However, since what happened was entirely Kuro-san’s own fault, I can’t really defend her. Since I can’t, please stop glancing over at me.

“I’ll be coming with you, Kuro-san.”

While indeed I had no idea infiltrating this place was a huge deal, it’s true that I caused trouble too. I’d hate to get singled out for no reason, so I guess I’ll help out here.
Fortunately, it seems Zeno-kun won’t be returning to the Merchant Guild for another week. Leaving the capital for a few days shouldn’t be a problem.

“…Uuu. Fine, Kuro understands. If Arje-chan comes with, Kuro will do her best. Kuro doesn’t want to miss out on snacks, after all.”

Satsuki-san’s anger seemed milder than I’d expected.
Still, even if it’s done begrudgingly, approval is approval. Akisame-san nodded with a beaming smile.

“So, it’s settled then. Just keep in mind the possibility of combat, just in case. Monsters might show up along the way.”
“Got it.”
“Now then, what should we do about the other one?”
“The other one?”
“Yes, there’s another intruder we caught. Um, Habotan. What kind of kid was she again?”
“A fox beastfolk with a three-pronged tail, right?”
“Sorry, I’ll be taking her along too.”

What did she even do?