Chapter 166

The Thing That Will Bring Ruin to Imperial Japan [Part 2]

"Hold up—! Oi?! Melsa? What did you just say to them? What is happening? Why are the Imperial Japanese people suddenly crying?"

Oliver, who had been sitting idly in silence until now, looked at Melsa anxiously when this strange scene happened.

"...Perish? I can't just pretend I didn't hear that, can I. After all, I still have plans to make okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and takoyaki."

If I can make okonomiyaki sauce here, we will have more delicious things to eat at home.

The regular delivery of rice and dried bonito... I also need to have them teach me how to make miso and soy sauce... Plus, I haven't fully learned about what does and doesn't exist here... I will be troubled if Imperial Japan just goes and perishes on its own. Melsa's focus never strayed from the Tanakas' original goal, food.

"Huh? Okonomiyaki? ...?"

"Well, in any case, Imperial Japan must continue its exchange with the Stuart family for many years to come!"

No matter how much Melsa exhausted her vocabulary in order to persuade them to tell her the truth, the Emperor and the Shogun only shook their heads as if they had given up on everything.

"Hey! Melsa! Don't ignore me!!! What have you been talking about?! Oi!"

"Our diplomat, too, said that the Kingdom will do whatever it can to help."

Melsa ignored Oliver's complaints and 'interpreted' it however she liked to persuade the Emperor and the Shogun. She didn't want to give up on having newly harvested rice every year when she had come this far.

"...Well, if you insist, then I suppose you should see it for yourself."

" " "Your Imperial Majesty?!!!" " "

" " "But—!!!" " "

"You will understand when you see the thing in person."

The audience came to a close at the same time when the Emperor and the Shogun dropped their shoulders in resignation.

♠♠♠

"What's the meaning of this?! Where are we going?"

"Oliver, I'm the one who asked them to do this. I told them that I wanted to know the cause of Imperial Japan's destruction..."

"Huh?!!! Imperial Japan's... destruction?! Wait—! What are you talking about, hey? Explain it properly!!! Isn't it just a loss to establish diplomatic relations with a perishing country?!"

"...Oliver, can you be a little quiet? My ears hurt. Also, that's why I'm going to confirm it now."

"I-I-It's because you won't explain it to me—!"

The next day, Oliver shouted inside a carriage when he was awoken early in the morning.

There were more than 30 samurais surrounding the carriage.

With Fukushima and Katou, the ones who had eaten Melsa's napolitan first, in the front, the carriage rode by Melsa and Oliver moved in the opposite direction from the sea while being surrounded by a solemn atmosphere.

After a 30-minute lunch break midway, they continued to ride their carriage and finally arrived when the sun had started to set.

Incidentally, Melsa was looking forward to eating rice during lunch, but for some reason, what was served was spaghetti napolitan. Did Ume learn how to make it and serve it for everyone right away...(?) Tch, you did something unnecessary, Ume... On top of Melsa's disappointment was a little bit of resentment.

When they reached a point demarcated by a watchtower and a fence, Fukushima signaled the guard to have him open the fence gate.

[T/N: (For better visualization) It kinda looks like this.]

"We will have to move on foot from this point on."

As they approached the fence gate, the samurais started to tense up and looked visibly nervous. They dismounted from their horses and walked on a road leading to the forest-like thickets alongside Melsa and Oliver.

Even Oliver knew to read the situation and kept his mouth shut, but he would glare at Melsa from time to time and mouth, "You never said we had to walk." angrily.

The moment they came out of the forest, Melsa gaped at the sight unfolding before her and mumbled,

"...It's... Over..."