The Yellow Liquid Tastes Like Nectar [Part 2]
He couldn’t betray Imperial Japan, but if the strength disparity between them was this large, blindly resisting wouldn’t be a good plan. ‘The fact that they captured us alive, even though they could have easily killed us, must mean that there is some information they hope to extract.
Returning Imperial Prince Tasuku to Imperial Japan safely – this is our highest priority mission. To achieve that, negotiation is inevitable.’
The girl before him bent down to establish eye contact and answered the ninja’s question in perfect, natural-sounding Imperial Japanese.
“……are you hungry?“
“Huh?“
The ninja blurted out to Emma’s unexpected question.
“This is just my presumptuous guess, but… the Kingdom cannot be allowed to know of Hattori-san and the other ninjas’ existence, right? Even if you took turns to eat, buying anything is impossible because you don’t understand the language. Moreover, supposing you scavenged for or stole leftovers, there is a risk of getting caught because you would need enough for 20 people…“
Food was one of the ninjas’ headaches while conducting their affairs in the Kingdom.
The rations they brought from their country, where food was already in short supply, were little. Close to running out, in fact.
This, despite the fact that Imperial Prince Tasuku would still be staying in the Kingdom for a while as an international student.
This girl… Is she going to manipulate us with food?
We are the ninjas of Imperial Japan. The elite of the elites, even. We won’t be fooled.
“…we can’t be hindered by just hunger. That’s what it is to be a ninja…!“
After a knock, the door to the room opened.
“Excuse me. Emma-sama, the food has been prepared.”
Martha entered the room with a cart bearing a large pot and copious amounts of bread.
The gentle smell of corn cream soup wafted in the air.
“Corn cream soup!!!”
It’s Emma’s favorite.
“Emma-sama…? This meal is for them, remember?”
Martha reminded Emma, who sniffed closer and closer, looking enticed by the smell.
Martha gave Emma a cold stare as if to say ‘You already ate so much in the morning and still want more?’.
Escaping from Martha’s gaze, Emma faced Hattori-san again and smiled broadly.
“There’s a saying that you can’t fight on an empty stomach, right?“
The ninja widened their eyes, surprised that this girl even knew an Imperial Japanese proverb.
He had never expected that they would be at the mercy of a fragile-looking girl with a big, conspicuous scar and a slender body that seemed like it could be blown away in a breeze.
“Koumei-san, can you wake the sleeping ninjas up? The meal should be eaten to-ge-ther.”
“Meow♪”
Following Emma’s instruction, Koumei-san pressed her paw around the unconscious ninjas’ foreheads one by one.
“……ugh“
“……wh, at?“
“……uhn?“
Hattori-san muttered in disbelief after seeing his subordinates wake up one after another.
“They… are alive?“
William, who was removing the entwined thread around Hattori-san so he could eat, retorted to the comment without thinking, “Of course they would be alive? We wouldn’t execute people just for trespassing, obviously.“
“William, is it okay for you to speak in Imperial Japanese?“
George, who was removing the thread on the ninja next to Hattori-san, went out of his way, for some reason, to chide William in Imperial Japanese.
“No, well… you both already spoke it, though?“
” “Ah!” “
Hattori-san and other ninjas looked at George and William in surprise.
So much for the effort thus far to have Emma, whose abilities were already exposed, be the only one to speak in Imperial Japanese. Now the secret is ruined. Tsk, these disappointing brothers.
