第２５９堀：動き出す欠片たち (Part2)
"…Shut up. There's no way I'd help you, who cut her down!! But I understand why you cut her down, so I can tolerate meeting like this. However, I absolutely cannot agree to your plan to destroy humanity."
"Why?"
"What kind of 'why' is that…? That's why you're fools. You couldn't overlook her act of destroying a nation, so you cut her down."
"Indeed. She knew a horde of monsters was approaching, yet she intended to stand by and watch. We couldn't do that."
"That's why I understand your feelings. But, no, precisely *because* of that, I cannot join a plan to destroy humanity. You denied her actions!! Then show me you'll protect humanity to the very end!! Do you want to make her death, the one you cut down, meaningless?! Instead of a solution that reduces the population, she tried to find a solution in peace by joining hands, but in the end, you're just like her. No, you're trying to destroy humanity even more effectively. Tell me, was her death meaningless? She was smiling until the very end. She never resented your choice. And yet… for this to be your answer, realize that it's a terrible betrayal to her and to Peace!!"
"…I know. I know that. But, 400 years, it's been 400 years. We haven't been plotting in the gloomy underground all this time. Even after being betrayed by nations, we desperately sought peace. But we decided this was the best way. There's no point in having the current humans anymore."
"So you'll destroy them?"
"Yes. But Popuri and Lara won't die. I want to entrust our orphanage to you. We're just cleaning up the world once. If it's the children we chose and you raised, a peaceful world will surely come to be. We'll also revive Peace, and a world where we don't have to fight monsters will be born."
"…And you think Peace will forgive you?"
"No, we intend to be killed by Peace, by the Guard World, there. That will be the end of everything."
"…So you'll push everything onto us, then."
As Popuri said, we intend to push everything onto them and then depart.
But if we don't do at least that much, we won't be able to apologize to her, and Peace's anger won't subside.
However… that will be the end of it. Both hatred and sorrow.
"So, please, I ask for your cooperation."
"I refuse. I will strive for peace brought about by people until the very end. Just because you've given up doesn't mean there's no possibility. That is what I can offer her as a tribute."
Popuri, so you'll choose that path after all…
But that's impossible. We've experienced it firsthand.
That it's absolutely impossible with the current humans.
"…What about Lara?"
"I will remain with the Principal until the very end. My apologies, Lady Nina."
…Sigh, so it came to this after all.
"And you didn't come here just to ask something already obvious, did you?"
"No, I came today to declare war."
"…Are you starting?"
"That's right. No, actually, we'd already started, but Enaria failed."
"Huh? I haven't heard anything about that."
"Well, it was suppressed in an instant."
"By whom!?"
"By the mercenaries here at this academy. Well, I understand why Popuri believes. There are still mercenaries in the world who desire peace, like them. But that won't stop us. And with that incident involving the huge Black Wolf the other day, Popuri won't be able to leave this academy."
That day, to reconfirm Popuri's abilities, we lured a wyvern close by, but an unexpected monster appeared.
A large species of Black Wolf.
That would surely be dangerous unless all of us faced it together.
However, in a way, it was a stroke of luck for us.
With this, Popuri can't go to various nations and fight.
We can safely conquer each nation.
"…Damn it. So, where do you plan to attack?"
"Roday. Enaria and Zilba, where those mercenaries are, will be last. But Roday doesn't have a connection to those mercenaries, and it's too late to prepare one now. Or rather, nations aren't that flexible."
"Why did you bother to come and tell me that?"
"It's simple. I came to tell you that we'll accept you if you say you'll cooperate with us at any time."
"I will absolutely not cooperate!!"
"Yes, I know. But in that case, this academy, along with all its students, will be gone in the end. Well, if Popuri cooperates, at least the academy's students… just kidding."
"…Have you become that rotten?"
"It's the people of this world who are rotten. Well, just patiently wait for the report of Roday's destruction. Oh, would you like to dispatch the academy's teachers and students by principal's order? If you do, the destruction might be prolonged a little. But if they come at us, we'll kill them all. Well, it would be difficult to explain what's happening and dispatch them for a situation that hasn't even occurred yet, wouldn't it?"
"…"
Popuri bit through a candy drop, a look of frustration on her face.
"After all, that's just how the current world is. …It should be destroyed. Well then, I'll come again."
Saying that, I left the principal's office.
Now, all that's left is to tell the leader what I've informed Popuri, and then we'll crush Roday.
With Kishua imprisoned, we can't launch a surprise attack from the inside, but we just need to gather more monsters than before and overwhelm them.
We won't make the mistake of crushing them with a small force, like with Enaria.
We'll crush Roday with a massive horde, one they can't possibly handle, with all our might.
It will be good propaganda.
…To announce the end of the world.
Side: Popuri Lancer, Principal of Lancer Magic Academy