第１７２掘：魔剣と姫
**Dig 172: The Magic Sword and the Princess**
**Side: Yuki**
Well, my wives seemed satisfied with that vague explanation.
When something impossible actually happens, humans tend to self-rationalize it with their own interpretations. They have to, otherwise, their minds wouldn't be able to stay stable.
"Hmm. So, it was just a case of Yuki being young and reckless? What about that battle earlier?"
"Yeah, just think of it like that."
To be honest, if I had just let those sisters off easily after they tried to rile things up like that, they would have just kept chirping away and we wouldn't have gotten anywhere. It was easier to make them commit to the idea that they could win, only to crush them completely, so that things would be easier to handle later.
The demi-humans would have been intimidated, and if we had continued the battle as it was, the resulting casualties would have caused problems for future negotiations. With that type of person, it’s better to shatter their pride entirely. If they’re going to throw a tantrum anyway, I can just toss them aside.
"My, how cruel."
"But if I left them to their tantrums, wouldn't Labyris and the others just end up disciplining them?"
"That goes without saying."
"But why are you all okay with the sisters and Jessica joining the harem? I mean, if the number of wives increases, the time I can spend with each of you decreases, right? Isn't something wrong with that?"
"Well, that is a problem, but it’s so that you don't push yourself too hard, Yuki. Since you’re so kind, if there are many of us wives, you’ll cherish us all, won't you?"
"Well, I’ll certainly cherish my wives."
"Exactly. If there are lots of wives who love you, Yuki, you won't push yourself in strange ways, right? And you won't neglect the children we have, either?"
"I suppose that’s true."
"When I heard you were brought here to save the world, I touched your heart and understood, Yuki. You just want to live a quiet life, don't you?"
"I can't, though. At worst, Luna will come to crush me."
"Since you’re ageless, Yuki, you can just take it slow. We even had Luna make us ageless, too."
"Wait, what!?"
Are you serious? Labyris became ageless!?
Does this apply to the other wives, too? Ah, I should have put my foot down on this sooner.
"It’s fine. I don't regret it. I don't need to grow past this form. I’m already capable of bearing children as a species, and it’s wonderful to stay in the form I was in when I first met you. Oh, but Aslin and a few others haven't been made ageless yet. Aslin will surely become quite buxom. I’m looking forward to it."
"You think Aslin is going to grow?"
"Naturally. Even with that physique, her chest is already developing. I’m sure when she grows up, her bust will rival mine."
So, Aslin was a hidden gem, was she?
"So, what will you do about those sisters?"
"I’ll talk to them normally for now. That’s why I went out of my way to say 'six billion' earlier."
"I still don't really understand the meaning of that six billion?"
"It’s a metaphor, of sorts. Six billion is the population of my hometown, compared to the four million the sisters claimed for the Zilba Empire. If that doesn't ring a bell for them, then so be it. Seraria seemed to grasp it intuitively, though. And I imagine the sisters are trembling now that they’ve experienced it and understood."
"?"
"In other words, it was a declaration that there is a country—a world—capable of supporting six billion people. Do you think a country of four million stands a chance against that?"
"Not in terms of numbers, no."
"Numbers are easy to understand. But it’s not just that. Six billion means that many different technologies and types of knowledge have been honed."
"So, through you, Yuki, the sisters realized they were defeated by the people of Earth?"
"Yeah. Four million is nothing. Sure, there might be geniuses or people with special talents among them. But in that case, we, the six billion, have the advantage. Because our numbers are overwhelmingly higher. The technology and knowledge born from that follow suit. It’s not absolute, but the higher the numbers, the higher the probability. In fact, the sisters and the Zilba Empire couldn't do a thing against the way we fought."
"It was one-sided, wasn't it?"
"The fact that I have plenty of supplies is secondary. The method of fighting—the way of thinking—is what matters. A gun is better than swinging a sword. That’s common sense in my world. Saying I won just because I’m a 'cheat' is foolish. You understand, right? A powerful weapon is strong, sure, but one person can't do it alone. That’s why I taught the monsters knowledge, organized an army, and made it so they could attack with a single command. That’s not a cheat; it’s thanks to the knowledge from my hometown. I can't call this my achievement alone. I am, from head to toe, just a single piece of those six billion."
"Is that why you always say you aren't anything special, Yuki?"
"Yeah. Most of these aren't my original ideas. It’s knowledge I learned back home. The ones who did the 'special' things are the predecessors who accumulated this knowledge. And the people who are still aiming for the future."
"You said you were just an ordinary person back home, didn't you?"
"Yup. Just a regular guy. I lived a normal life."
Just a middle-aged guy whose hobbies were working a normal job, playing games on his days off, and taking naps.
"Yeah. You are definitely a piece of those six billion."
Labyris said that and smiled, as if she had finally grasped my image of myself.
"Come on, you said you were going to talk to the sisters. What’s the goal? Does it connect to the magic power depletion?"
"It does. Or rather, it’s just too strange that the magic sword functions normally in a continent where magic power is depleted."
"I saw those documents."
"I gave them to everyone as reference, but you don't get it, right?"
"Sorry, Yuki. I’m not very smart."
"That’s what 'right person for the right job' is for. Leave this kind of analysis to me and Zargis."
"Fufu, you’re wonderful as always. So, the magic sword is the problem?"
"Yeah. And the activation conditions for that sword are also strange. You heard it from Jessica, right? That strange story about the magic sword."
"Yes. 'The magic sword always awakens with the princess,' was it?"
"Right. For some reason, the magic sword has been used exclusively by women throughout history. The previous princess, Marly, was wary of the sword and made sure not to touch it carelessly, and since I wanted information, I didn't research it much. But with the information from Jessica about the sword and women, Zargis is also suspecting there’s more to it."
"And you think that’s the cause of the depletion?"
"No, I don't think it’s that far, but I think it will provide some decent information. That’s why these sisters were really perfect for the timing."
"When it comes to you, Yuki, even a time-honored magic sword and a princess are just 'information'."
Something about what Labyris said caught my attention.
"Hm? Yuki, something is bothering you. ...Is it not 'time-honored'? Your thoughts are getting muddled there."
"Time-honored means the origin is clear, right?"
"Yes. For a person, it’s their birth. For an object, perhaps when it was obtained?"
Labyris’s words made it click.
"Who made the magic sword?"
"…Let’s ask Jessica."
We left the room to meet Jessica, who was attending the viewing party.
For what purpose, and who created the magic sword?
It’s not the kind of thing that just appears out of nowhere, after all.
We’ve decided to investigate the origins of the magic sword.
And perhaps, by listening to the sisters, we’ll get closer to the truth?
Also, *Gun-On* updated, so there will be no update tomorrow.
It’s fine to play games, right?
If I don't, my writing will get sloppy, so it can't be helped. Even today, I only managed 2,500 characters!!