On the day of the vote to choose the partner of Marquis Palatio.

Alon had taken a seat in the gigantic auction house right next to the marquis family’s statue, wearing a blank expression.

"......"

......Could you even call this an auction house?

He stared blankly at the scene in front of him.

The first thing he saw was that the entire outer wall of the auction house had been opened up.

Next was the territory residents gathered in an absurdly huge crowd.

And far off in the center, where you would normally put up auction items—

Instead of items, Deus was standing there.

[All right, then, before we vote. We will hear a final word from the final candidates.]

Alon half-avoided the territory residents clapping and making “Oooooo—” noises, then looked at Evan.

Evan answered for himself with a face that said, 'Even if you look at me, I don’t know anything.'

When Alon shifted his gaze to the side—

Alexion, the general manager responsible for the auction house, opened his mouth as if he’d been waiting for it.

"Well— the candidates asked for it."

"......They asked for it?"

"Yes. They said they wanted to give a final word before the vote......"

"......For that, didn’t you spend a bit too much money?"

Alon’s expression turned sour.

Sure, he’d accumulated enough money that blowing a bunch of it wouldn’t really matter.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to spend it on useless things like this.

Even if he’d gotten rich, Alon’s small-citizen temperament wasn’t going to change.

"Ah, you don’t have to worry about that part. Not a single coin of our side’s funds went in."

"......How?"

"It turned out that way in various ways. The candidates handled things like the outer-wall construction too, so we have no expenses on our side. And it just so happened we were in a situation where construction was needed anyway."

"Really?"

"Yes. Since our marquis house’s business has started focusing on trade, I believe you’re also aware, my lord, that merchant companies have been coming and going far more than before."

Alon nodded.

Alexion was right.

"So as a result, the auction house space was gradually becoming insufficient, is that what you’re saying?"

"Yes. And we also judged that if construction proceeds in a way where the outside is opened like this, there will be many beneficial aspects. For example, as you thought, you may be able to adjust the period in which you arbitrarily gather merchant companies at the marquis house."

At the continued explanation, Alon went "Hmm—" and nodded.

Certainly, if he used this situation to create a few public events, he could gather the merchant companies he needed during a specific period.

"All right."

And just as Alon was accepting it—

The first candidate appeared on the platform.

[Hello, everyone.]

It was Duke Altia.

During the given two minutes, she delivered a smooth speech as if she’d practiced it many times, then stepped down from the platform.

It was so neatly organized that even Alon found himself quietly admiring it inside.

......Even if it seemed like the territory residents’ response wasn’t that good.

After that, the other candidates came out one by one and gave speeches, but likewise, they couldn’t draw much response from the territory residents, and no one gave a better speech than Duke Altia.

And when it became the fourth turn—

[Hmph-hmph—]

Seollang came up.

She tapped the communication tube with the amplification magic on it, going tap tap, then checked it with an “Ahem—” and—

[If I become my teacher’s partner, I will install a colosseum in the marquis estate!]

She suddenly threw out a radical pledge.

"?"

What is she even talking about?

Alon turned his gaze toward the place where the gladiators were gathered.

Of course, the gladiators were tilting their heads too.

But whether they did or not—

[And here, I will transfer— ah— no, that’s not it...... This...... this is... a transfer?...... No— ah! A transfer! I will transfer!]

Seollang shouted with a bright grin that showed her distinctive fangs.

Baba Yaga is transferring over here?

Then we can watch the colosseum here too?

Then that’s huge.

The crowd started to stir.

And soon, Seollang’s speech, which didn’t even fill one minute, got a response greater than everyone who’d come out so far put together.

"......Can that be kept?"

"It can...... be kept, but."

"But?"

"......I think there might be a war."

"Hmm......"

Gladiators are the Colony’s main fighting strength.

But that Colony’s main fighting strength sticks to the marquis estate?

Even if it wasn’t the marquis’s intention, from the Colony’s standpoint, it was like having their main fighting strength stolen right in front of their eyes.

"Then Seollang—"

"She just blurted ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) it out, that’s all."

"......"

Can she handle it?

Alon swallowed hard inside.

Then the next candidate stepped onto the platform.

After Seollang came Magrina.

And—

[Everyone. I am the elf queen.]

Everyone was dumbfounded by the sudden reveal, but only for a moment.

[If I become older brother’s partner, I plan to make it so that our kingdom and the marquis estate can continuously exchange with each other, you know?]

At her continued words, an even darker question mark floated over the public’s heads.

A face that said, 'So what?'

However—

[For example, marriage between elves and humans, you know.]

At Magrina’s continued words, the question marks over the territory residents’ heads flipped into exclamation points, and—

"!!?"

......The elf side also had bewildered exclamation points floating up.

What did I just hear?

The elves stared at Magrina with faces like that.

Watching their expressions get dyed in shock and start dying by the second, Alon turned to Evan.

"Why, all of a sudden, are you looking at me......?"

"No, I was wondering if Magrina hinted anything to you......"

"Not even once."

"......Then that is—"

"She blurted it out."

Alon silently looked forward again.

He could see Magrina stepping down confidently, having finished what she had to say.

......Somehow, it was a scene he’d seen a lot even in his previous world.

It felt like watching politicians throw out empty checks, swearing they’d keep countless pledges they wouldn’t keep, and Alon’s mood turned a little strange.

How long did it go on like that?

Whether Historia and Rine felt a sense of crisis from Magrina’s and Seollang’s remarks, or whether it was their original prepared pledges, he didn’t know, but—

[I’ll protect everything if you pick me.]

[If you pick me, I will give one gold coin per territory resident.]

Historia and Rine, too, followed Seollang and Magrina and threw out strange blurting-out promises.

In Ryang-a’s case, she didn’t wedge herself into that rare gap.

Instead—

[......I-I can’t really do anything, but.]

With a face that looked extremely shy, she fidgeted, then, as if she’d made a huge decision, she clenched her fist tight and shouted with a face that had overcome embarrassment. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

[B-but still. I will work hard at the role of the boss’s partner!]

Out of all the speeches so far, it had the least actual content.

However—

We’re cheering you on!

We’ll cheer for you!!

White Ghost Gang fighting!!!

You’re the best, White Ghost Gang!!!

Strangely, the voices cheering for Ryang-a were incredibly loud.

"......Huh?"

No, looking closely—

Rather than the overall scale of the response being huge, a certain group was reacting to Ryang-a extremely intensely.

"......"

Alon felt like he’d seen that scene somewhere before.

......Where was it.

Where had he seen it.

"Ah."

"What is it, my lord?"

After staying silent for a while, Alon realized what this sense of déjà vu was.

"......It feels like idol fans."

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

Alon waved his hand vaguely and brushed it off.

And after Ryang-a awkwardly waved her hand, and an odd roar of “Uooooooo—!!!” rose from one side of the territory residents—

The last candidate to come up was

Yutia.

[Hello, everyone. I am Cardinal Yutia.]

Yutia greeted them politely.

Unlike the other candidates, a definite composure flowed from her.

[I will not put up any pledges like the others. However— I want you to be aware of just this one point.]

Ahem-ahem—

[The lamb that does not follow the voice of the truthful and steps into the forbidden domain shall, in the end, be torn apart by a savage beast and become an offering of judgment.]

Yutia’s solemn voice sank low over the crowd.

Toward the crowd that had gone quiet in an instant, Yutia smiled softly and—

[Choice is very important, you know?]

With those words, she stepped down from the platform.

"......That’s kind of scary."

"I agree."

It was definitely a line from scripture, but

After everyone heard a remark that somehow sounded like a threat, and somehow didn’t—

[All right, then, we will begin the vote.]

The vote began.

####

The election only ended after about five days had passed.

If preparations had been more thorough, it could have ended sooner, but the voting alone took more than two full days, so counting the votes took even more time.

There were even strange interference operations in that process.

For example, an elf who got caught trying to skim off Magrina’s votes.

Or a territory resident who voted for Seollang twice.

Or forged ballots that weren’t made by the marquis house showing up from somewhere.

Various variables occurred, but

Fortunately, they didn’t cause major issues for the counting.

And at the end of the five-day long campaign, the one selected as Alon’s partner was—

"Hm— an obvious result."

It was Yutia.

Yutia Bloodia, wearing a relaxed smile spread all over her face.

"No way—!"

"You definitely used some kind of trick, didn’t you?!"

"Yeah!"

"Uuuu— I worked so hard though."

"......"

The other candidates shouted at the victorious Yutia.

However—

"Don’t be so sad. It really is an obvious result. I told you from the very beginning, didn’t I?"

"That’s exactly what’s weird! I definitely had a higher response!"

Seollang argued as if it made no sense.

But even at Seollang’s rude behavior, Yutia replied without losing her smile.

"It must mean the world knew who suits the teacher’s side."

No matter who threw a slanderous remark, Yutia thoroughly answered with, 'So what can you do about it?'

Seollang, glaring at her with a snorting rage, suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Then I’ll be an escort knight!"

"......Escort knight?"

"Originally, two can follow! Then I’ll be my teacher’s escort knight!"

She shouted with her hand raised high.

And the losers who had been glaring at Yutia with resentful faces up until a moment ago immediately switched targets.

"Ah, if not this, then at least that—!"

"I-I’ll do it too, I’ll do it too!"

"Rather than you, I’m more—"

"Everyone, keep your dignity. This time too, everything will be fairly decided by vote—"

As soon as another brawl broke out, the word “vote” came out of Magrina’s mouth one more time, and at that ominous sound—

"......No more voting."

Alon cut them off firmly.

Then—

"Fuh......"

Even near the trees and the castle wall where the office could be seen, he heard relieved sighs from elves and gladiators.

Alon hurriedly wrapped up the situation.

"All right, then, since there isn’t much time left. Let’s depart for the ball hall. We also need to stop by the Mage Tower."

A journey to Teria..

It was his first outing in months.

And just around the time Alon was preparing to go out—

"......Let’s go back."

"Yes."

Duke Altia gained one realization as well.

That among the strong, surviving was this difficult.

'The weak cannot survive.'

With slumped shoulders, Duke Altia stepped out of a place that was no different from an inhuman hellscape.

####

Around the time Alon was heading to the Mage Tower.

"......So you’re saying you told them you don’t even need three times the amount you first proposed?"

"That’s correct."

"Ha— and if they refuse to obediently follow that?"

"If that happens—"

Tolenis and Caliban’s king, Palmarian IV, were speaking with serious faces.

"......We may have to wage war."

"......"

Somehow, something had gone wrong with this story......