第２３０掘：捕虜の情報とおとぎ話の真実 (Part2)
"However, if this is true, it’s going to be an incredibly troublesome affair."
"…There must have been another major conflict after that. Perhaps between humans and demi-humans," I said.
Agil’s eyes widened. Then, a pleased smile spread across her face.
"My, how impressive. Do you read a lot of history books? Did you find something similar written in one of them?"
"Something like that. Anyway, setting my reading habits aside, after defeating the Demon Lord, the human kingdoms felt threatened by the demi-humans who wielded the Holy Swords, didn't they?"
Agil’s expression turned serious as she nodded.
"Yes. At the time, four of the heroes who fought the Demon Lord died in battle. Of the nine remaining Holy Sword wielders, six were human and three were demi-human. As for the swords of the four who perished, one was taken back by a human and three by demi-humans. I don't think there was any malicious intent behind it. They simply took them back as keepsakes, entrusted by those they were close to and wished to honor after death. But…"
"But the human kings of the various nations didn't see it that way."
"Exactly. And the worst part is what came next. Naturally, the six survivors who fought together to defeat the Demon Lord would never have accepted a war between the humans and demi-humans who had stood side-by-side. So, most of them had their Holy Swords confiscated, and they were either forced into submission or assassinated. I suspect the same fate befell the demi-human wielders…"
"How could they…"
Nork looked on, her expression one of utter disbelief. Well, that’s just how the world works. That’s why being an ordinary person with no special powers is the easiest way to live.
"The Magic Swords were created during that human-demi-human war. The human wielders of the former Holy Swords were ordered to research ways to mass-produce them. Fortunately, the Holy Swords were only used once during that war. The sheer destructive power was so great that the kings of both sides sealed them away. From then on, they began using those degraded replicas—the Magic Swords. That’s what the history book of the thirteen ancient Holy Swords says, though no one knows it now. Or rather, there’s no proof that the book I saw was the absolute truth."
"Then why did you believe it was the truth?"
"It’s simple. The Holy Sword wielder who was imprisoned by the Holy Kingdom of Enaria wrote this history and recorded the locations of the swords. It’s ironic, isn't it? The ancestors of the Holy Kingdom of Enaria were the very people who drove away the Demon Lord and built their capital, only to have their own wielder imprisoned and exploited. In the end, the Magic Swords they were forced to create succeeded in driving most of the demi-humans from this land. The final entry read: 'What meaning was there in our lives?'"
"I see. You found the real Holy Swords based on a book written by the person who lived it. But you haven't told anyone about the contents of that book, have you?"
"Of course not. A truth like this would be buried in an instant. I’d likely be silenced myself. That’s why I decided to claim that I had only found the Holy Swords."
Agil finished her tea and took a breath, seemingly done with her tale. Still, it seems the people who dealt with Peace and the previous Dungeon Master have had their fair share of struggles since then.
"So, that was a grand story, but why tell us?"
That was the part I couldn't grasp. Why would Agil share such taboo information with us?
"Well, keeping it to myself was becoming a burden, I suppose. But the main reason is the Minotaur General over there. It’s not as if you just happened to be here by coincidence, Yuki. I think I told you because of this current situation."
"This situation?"
"Yes. You found the Holy Swords, foolishly tried to use them as tools of war, and then the army of monsters, led by the Minotaur General, appeared. Do you think that’s a coincidence?"
"…Who knows?"
This is bad. I can't exactly tell her that Mino-chan and the others are my subordinates and have nothing to do with that grand history!
"Well, I don't think I was born into an era where things would become that serious. But if something is going to happen, it will be from here on out, won't it? If I return to the Enaria capital, there won't be a place to discuss this. That’s why I told you—a mercenary group and a Minotaur General unaffected by politics."
"…I see your point."
"If, by some chance, a problem arises, at least with this information, you might be able to anticipate what’s coming."
"That’s true."
"I can't imagine what form the trouble will take, but it will likely stem from the truth about these Holy Swords."
"I hope it doesn't happen. No matter how you look at it, this is a national-level issue."
I see… so there’s a possibility that other nations will start moving because of this Holy Sword incident. Agil seems to possess a rare talent. I should consider the possibility of helping her and bringing her to our side if trouble arises…
"Well, if that time comes, I’ll make sure to save you first, Agil. It seems like there will be a significant difference depending on whether you’re around or not."
"Fufu, I’m happy to hear you say that."
After that, we spent our time chatting idly while enjoying tea and snacks, though Nork seemed to be in a state of total confusion from what she’d heard. Ah, right, she’s just a regular soldier, isn't she? What should I do about her?
(Author's note: I lost my data yesterday and had to rewrite everything. I think this version turned out better. Now that we’ve learned a bit about the past, I wonder what will happen next. Also, it seems some people misunderstand *Natsuiro High School: Seishun Hakusho* as an adult game, but it’s actually an open-world gal-game for PS4/3. That’s why I’m going to focus on fishing and adventuring instead of chasing girls! Oh, and my editor told me the book is selling quite well—thanks everyone! It was pretty sad when I went to buy a copy myself and found it sold out.)