第２６８堀：持てる者 持たざる者 (Part3)
"Well, let's focus on what we can do right now so we can discuss these matters at a more leisurely pace. A fresh look at the information or a bit of re-evaluation might reveal a different perspective."
With that, I decided to set aside about a week. During that time, I would organize the data and scour the Academy's archives. If the remaining Holy Sword Users made a move, I would have a legitimate excuse to act, and the thinning of magic power in the Monster Forest was proceeding smoothly.
In terms of total volume, we had already thinned out enough magic power to equal that of an entire nation. According to reports from Kirika and the others, Amanda's wyvern was just the tip of the iceberg. While they hadn't reached the point of awakening due to a lack of sufficient magic power, there were reports of numerous authentic dragon-kin—nearly twenty of them.
It wasn't quite a "King of the Monsters" scenario, but it was exactly the situation I had feared: we were one step away from the magic power diffusing and triggering the appearance of a dragon army. Naturally, I forced them to choose between submission or death, and the results were about fifty-fifty. I left the negotiations to Ta-chan and the rest of the Ten Great Monsters. I could have just killed them and thinned the magic power that way, but the monsters might possess information different from our own. It would be better if we could get their cooperation.
However, things didn't go quite that smoothly. Plans are, after all, just plans. If unnecessary trouble arises, you are forced to change them. Or rather, I had forgotten. This is an academy. A school. It’s a parade of clichés. Even though I had been desperately plotting with Taiki to break those flags, there were so many main events that I had completely forgotten.
The only stroke of luck was that we had already finished our discussion and were preparing to leave the Principal's office.
*BANG!!*
The door to the Principal's office flew open without warning, and in walked a blonde, handsome student in the Academy uniform.
"Principal!! Ardes Gues, 13th rank of the Academy. I have returned!!"
"Hey! Who taught you to enter without knocking?! We have guests! Get out!!"
Popuri pointed out his rudeness and radiated anger, demanding he leave immediately, but the handsome youth didn't care in the slightest. He strode right up to the Principal's desk.
"Shall I eliminate him?"
"Please, don't."
This is the Academy; things like this are a daily occurrence. As Ria said, if we killed someone every time something like this happened, how many people would we have to end up disposing of?
"Are you listening, Ardes? Even as the 13th rank of the Academy, I cannot overlook such rudeness."
Lara stood up, speaking quietly. Her magic power converted into cold air, and the temperature in the room plummeted. Ah, so Lara is essentially an ice-type.
"Please, calm down. Principal, Vice Principal, there is a reason for this."
"I understand that. But this is not the place to discuss it while we have guests. Get out, now."
Popuri pointed toward the exit, but the handsome youth didn't move. Instead, he looked at us and opened his mouth.
"No, I will not leave. There is a thief in this room. You there, the man. You're Yuki, aren't you?"
Naming me right off the bat? Are you trying to die? My wives' eyes were already in "kill mode."
"Hey!! How dare you speak to a guest like that!! Retract that statement!!"
"Principal, please, wake up. I heard that you were defeated by the woman this man brought with him. But that is a clever trap!! Look, the 3rd and 10th ranks of our Academy have already been compromised. He is a spy sent from Zilba and Enaria to weaken our Academy's military strength!!"
...Why, though?
Looking at the situation, I suppose I can see why he'd think that. But the facts were entirely different, and the killing intent in the room was rising rapidly. Ignoring all of that, the handsome idiot Ardes declared:
"Yuki, you do not fight yourself; you make women fight for you!! That is a shameful thing for a man to do!! As a human being, as a man, I will defeat you and demand their liberation!! They are not tools for war!!"
A fair point. It is a fair point. However, it is still completely misguided. If this were peaceful Japan, Ardes's opinion would likely be widely supported. But this is a continent where the wars never end. It is only natural to use whatever you can. For someone living here to say such a thing...
"So, what's your real motive?"
"I'll defeat you and make them look my way!! I'm jealous, you bastard!!"
Yeah, that makes sense. It’s a truly youthful story.
"Well, I understand the situation, but for now, retract the spy nonsense. You're seriously going to get killed."
"Eh? A-ah, yes!! I said too much, it was a joke!!"
"There you have it. Principal, Vice Principal, please calm down."
"...Ardes. You, stay in this room. Understood?"
"...This is a problem of a magnitude that would require me to cut off my own head to apologize, but I will heed the intercession of Lord Yuki. Be grateful for that."
The two of them were already showing their true colors. Women are scary, aren't they?
"...Ardes. Be grateful to Yuki. If Yuki hadn't stopped them, you would have been turned into charcoal."
"Indeed. After Cleena-san turned you into a charred husk, I would have made you into an ice sculpture."
Cleena and Samantha, who had met him before, also directed their hostility toward him, their voices dripping with menace.
"So, I get that you're jealous. What's the solution? You say you'll defeat me, but..."
"Naturally, a magic duel!! You're a student of this Academy, too, aren't you!!"
"...*Sigh*. And? A duel is fine, but I won't make any bets other than academic rankings."
"Why!! Liberate them!!"
"No, where do you see any slave collars on them?"
Slaves on this continent are controlled by collars. It is strange that a method to bind them with spells remains in a place where magic has declined so much, but it seems the increase or decrease of magic power doesn't matter when it comes to chanting or using items. In other words, if you have a slave collar inscribed with the slave formula, you can use it as is. Well, unlike the ones in Weed, the slave collars here have simplified formulas, and the restrictions are limited. You can't set them in detail. Don't run away, obey orders, don't commit suicide. That's all.
As for my wives, who don't wear slave collars, they are following me of their own free will. Well, I do provide them with designated protection, though.
"We are not here against our will; we are with Yuki because we want to be. There is absolutely no reason for you to have a say in this."
"That's right. We love Yuki-san, so there's no way we'd ever leave him, no matter what happens. Are you an idiot?"
"...Besides, Yuki is the Commander. It is not the job of a commander to fight on the front lines."
"Indeed. It is not necessarily bad for a commander to lead everyone from the front, but from a military perspective, it is a behavior I would prefer you to stop. There is no problem with Yuki-sama adhering to that."
After the four of them said that, they spoke in perfect unison...
"There isn't even a shred of possibility, so get lost already."
Oh boy, that was a voice so menacing it made even me want to back away. Ardes was backing up so far he bumped right into the Principal's desk.