第７掘：善意で人を助けるのが本音です！！ 嘘だがな！！
Dig 7: My True Intention is to Help People Out of Goodwill!! Just Kidding!!
My true intention is to help people out of goodwill!! Just kidding!!
Before me, two women huddled together on a simple bed, observing my movements.
Huh, why are they both in the same bed?
Ah, Princess Elju went over to the maid.
Suddenly brought to a place like this, there's no way they could quietly recuperate.
No, it could also be the other way around, with the maid going to Princess Elju, but realistically, Orielle's legs are truly broken. If she actually went, it would be commendable, but seeing it at night would be a horror show.
“Orielle, don’t push yourself. Any more than this…”
“No, I will remain by your side until the moment my life ends…”
Okay, so it was a horror scenario.
“Alright, alright, listen to me. I can heal you, but I want you to accept certain conditions.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Who do you think this person is, you…!”
“Wait, Orielle… May we also hear what he has to say? Why didn’t he try to forcibly subjugate us?”
Oh, it seems she has some capacity for thought.
Hmm? Why don’t I forcibly subjugate them and revel in having slaves?
Shall I prepare a simple answer? Slavery is unacceptable to Japanese people!!
Just kidding, you wouldn’t believe that, would you?
In other light novels or manga, the kindness of a Japanese person or the protagonist’s unique traits would make it okay, though.
“I apologize for answering a question with a question, but what’s the advantage of subjugating you as a slave?”
Yes, the problem here is “slavery.”
She… Princess Elju, had a look on her face as if she didn’t understand what I was saying.
“Uh… w-well, labor, or… indecent acts, and such.”
Including the latter part, those are the advantages of “slavery.” Yes, “forcibly.”
The system of “slavery” also existed on Earth. In other words, it was somewhat useful.
But only somewhat. Currently, “slavery” is not outwardly recognized on Earth.
Because it’s not humane?
Don’t be silly. I’m not asking for such a superficial reason, am I?
Overall efficiency is simply too poor.
At a certain point, in the short term, it’s efficient, but for that, you can just pay wages and gather people.
“Rebellions,” “riots,” “stagnation of technological development.”
There are countless downsides. Yes, humanity on Earth realized that.
There are countless instances of people being treated like “slaves” behind the scenes, even on Earth.
That’s not true? Don’t be silly, there are still countless countries engaged in civil war.
That’s not slavery? Oh, then it would be a simple matter of peacefully replacing the country and its leaders, wouldn’t it?
Just like how Japan frequently changes its leaders now.
That alone won’t improve things, it won’t stop, it can’t be stopped.
Such countries exist.
But they would never publicly declare “slavery.” If they did, in Earth’s information society, they would make enemies of all nations.
Well, that dragged on. My true intention is that even if using a system like “slavery” is good for dungeon management in the short term, it’s not suitable in the long term.
“Hmm, you think it’s fine to use slaves and make them work ‘forcibly,’ then.”
“Yes.”
…This person is a Princess, isn’t she? Is her head in the clouds?
“Then, is the person next to you your slave? I don’t know if it was a town or a village you were in, but were everyone there slaves?”
“Of course not!! I trust Orielle!! I would never degrade her by treating her as a slave!!”
“That’s strange. Even without trust, if you just made her a slave, that would be enough, wouldn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t wish for such a thing…”
She cut off her words like that, and understanding dawned in her eyes.
“You want to trust us… or rather, you must, is that it?”
“Exactly. You’re free to refuse. It’s not compulsory like with a ‘slave.’ However, I also have my own circumstances. I don’t need ‘slaves,’ but I do want people I can ‘trust.’”
“In that case, please treat Orielle to earn our ‘trust.’”
“Don’t be silly. I don’t know who this Orielle is, but there’s no guarantee she won’t attack the moment she’s healed, is there?”
Rather, healing someone who glares at you with hostility, without any guarantees, means you’re either incredibly skilled or an idiot.
Personally, I’d brand any protagonist transported to another world who heals such a person, no matter how many cheats they have, as an idiot.
“I will guarantee with my life that Orielle will not attack you.”
“No, merely being guaranteed by you isn’t enough. So, for now, please listen to my conditions.”
“…Very well. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard your conditions yet.”
“Alright, I’ll keep it simple. I’ll apply my skill, ‘Designated Protection,’ to you.”
“Designated Protection? I haven’t heard of that skill.”
“Its effects on the target of this skill are ‘Ensuring Safety,’ ‘Immobility outside Designated Area,’ and ‘Prohibition of Harmful Acts towards Others.’ There are still more details, but for you, this is roughly what it entails. There are no ‘slave-like’ restrictions that force you to obey.”
“So, it’s like being a prisoner, just without the compulsion. This can’t be all, can it? This alone isn’t a condition. This is merely to ensure your safety. From your earlier words, I gathered you had some objective.”
“Oh, I thought you were just a decorative young lady, but it seems you’re thinking quite a bit. I’ve revised my opinion of you.”
“Yes, having been reduced to a ‘slave.’ If I can protect Orielle, who follows me even when I’ve lost all hope, then I will do my utmost until the very end.”
“My condition is that I want your cooperation. I can’t tell you the detailed reasons, but I need information about this continent. I perceive you to have been from the upper class, so I want you to lend me your knowledge. I won’t ask for it for free; depending on your future cooperation, I’m even considering releasing you and sending you back to your country.”
“Understood. I accept your conditions. Orielle, is that alright?”
“…If Princess Elju says so.”
“Okay. Then I’ll cast the skill.”
“Please wait a moment. Those men from earlier are still alive, aren’t they? They must be released.”
“Ah, if I can’t, I’ll try to tell them to release them. For now, I’ll just cast it.”
I heard from Luna that slave collars can be imbued with magic to “forcibly make the wearer obey commands.” Naturally, things like “prohibiting harm to the master” are built into their basic functions.
However, according to Luna, my ‘Designated Protection’ skill can negate and overwrite that.
“Negotiating with a master every single time is troublesome, isn’t it? Aside from proper negotiations, you can’t really negotiate to save a child who’s on the verge of death, can you?”
So, the question becomes, why not just forcibly cast ‘Designated Protection’ on everyone? But as per the rule, the condition for casting the skill is that the “target genuinely accepts” it.
When I activated the skill, *only* Princess Elju was enveloped in light, and her slave collar came off.
“…”
“It truly came off!! Now, we’ve accepted your conditions. Heal Orielle quickly!!”
“…I deliberately didn’t mention it, but this skill won’t activate unless the target ‘genuinely accepts’ it from the bottom of their heart. Look at Orielle.”
“…Orielle, your collar hasn’t come off. Could it be…”
“T-that’s impossible!! That man over there must have forgotten to cast it!!”
“…Oh, so it’s my fault?”
This woman is hopeless. It’s a good thing I had my guard up. It’s proof that you can’t get by in this world with just goodwill.
“Please, I beg you. Please give us another chance…”
Princess Elju knelt and bowed her head.
“She says that, but personally, I usually overlook things up to three times. Orielle, will you ‘accept’ my conditions from earlier? Your so-called master is bowing her head this much, you know.”
“…Understood. I ‘accept’ those conditions. However, if you ever harm Princess Elju, I will absolutely kill you.”
“Orielle!!”
Princess Elju admonished her, but Orielle did not take her eyes off me.
“Alright, I don’t intend to restrain you beyond the conditions anyway. Here I go.”
Just like that, the slave collar fell from Orielle’s neck.
“Now then, shall we begin the treatment? ‘Extra Heal,’ there.”
Princess Elju and Orielle’s bodies were enveloped in a faint green light.
“Wha— Extra Heal!? And activating a spell with multiple targets!? Are you a renowned healing mage!?”
Princess Elju, the Princess herself, looked at me in surprise.
Orielle stood up on the spot, clenching and unclenching her hands, and even jumping up and down.
After confirming she was healed, she looked at me.
“I won’t thank you. This is a transaction, and I’ll repay you properly later.”
“Orielle!?”
“Ah, as long as you uphold the conditions, there’s no particular problem. ‘Trust’ isn’t something that can be built instantly, after all. For now, just rest quietly today. We can discuss the details tomorrow.”
With that, I started to move my feet to leave the room.
“Ah, thank you very much. It may be rude to ask now, but my name is Elju. May I ask for your name?”
She won’t say her full name… Well, that’s probably her trump card.
Oh well, I suppose I should introduce myself too.
“My apologies for the oversight. My name is Yuki. As you may have noticed, I am the one who operates this dungeon. If you have any problems, please call out to the goblin waiting outside. I will respond as best I can.”
Saying that, I left the room.