第３１４堀：いいか、奴は空気を読まない。絶対にだ。 (Part1)
**Chapter 314: Listen, he doesn't read the room. Absolutely not.**
Side: Hifi
"……I have spent a long time in this world."
I mutter this to myself as I sit in the worn-out chair in my private room. A creaking sound echoes through the chamber. I have repaired this chair time and time again, but I wonder if it has finally reached its limit.
"A limit. Yes, it was a limit."
I speak the words that crossed my mind aloud, firmly reaffirming their meaning. I have already stepped onto a path of no return; I have begun to walk toward what must be done, even if it means staining my own hands with blood.
I am using war—a method I have always loathed—to achieve it.
It is laughable. Even after being granted the position of a god, in the end, my prayers go unanswered. No, it is simply that my power is insufficient, and I am resorting to the same methods as the fools I have condemned.
But I had reached my limit.
Friends and children who once laughed together have been reduced to silent corpses by senseless violence. I have experienced this many times. No, I experienced it even before I became a god.
In the end, humanity is a species that cannot move forward on its own. Countless nations rise and fall, and each time, it is the common people living there who become the sacrifices. Even when they raise banners of "great causes," they have never been able to change the tide. No matter how much time passes, there are only fools who seek to gain wealth by attacking and plundering those they label as enemies.
I pondered: What is wrong?
And I arrived at an answer. It is because of the existence of the nobility—those half-baked individuals who hold power. At their core, royalty and nobility are just people. However, once someone rises through the ranks based on some minor merit, they are consumed by greed. They become fools who can think of nothing but spilling the blood of the commoners to enrich their nations.
Perhaps not all of them are like that. But looking at the ridiculous border and territorial disputes that continue even now, this must be seen as the responsibility of the royalty and nobility who stand at the top.
Therefore, I have decided to eliminate all the royalty and nobility on this continent. The military strength is already prepared. This is no mere pipe dream. Surely, even if the people were to hold sovereignty, conflicts and privileged classes would remain. However, a future better than the present will certainly arrive. I am convinced of this.
And once that is accomplished, I will solve the problem of mana depletion, and only then will I be able to face Lady Luna. Comet and I were wrong. To begin with, there is no way to solve mana depletion when the continent is not united. Even if one tries to investigate various locations, the time is wasted just moving around because of the foolish conflicts between nations. In such a state, nothing can be achieved. In that sense, too, it is necessary to eliminate the evil fools known as royalty and nobility.
*Chiriririri...*
As I am thinking these things, I hear a sound from the corner of the room. I turn my gaze in that direction to see a strange object: a black rectangular box with a cup attached to it.
"The telephone, then."
I approach the device, pick up the cup, and hold it to my ear.
"Hello, this is Taizo. Lady Hifi, do you have a moment?"
Strangely, the voice of Taizo-dono, who should be far away and impossible to hear, comes through the cup. As I mentioned earlier, this tool is called a telephone. It does not use magic; it is a tool that allows anyone to speak with someone far away through technology. This is the very potential of humanity. It is the fruition of human potential, achieved not through talent, but through effort.
But, I must not get distracted. I must answer...
"Yes. I am available. What has happened?"
"Well, something has come up. I’m not sure where to start... By the way, what became of the discussion with the envoy?"
"Naturally, it ended in a breakdown. Laraina-dono will likely head back tomorrow. It is proceeding as planned."
"Ah, I see... I apologize, but would it be possible to delay the negotiations with the envoy a little longer?"
"Why is that?"
This is rare for Taizo-dono. His way is to decide on a course of action and proceed with it calmly.
"You see, were you aware that there were mercenaries accompanying the envoy as guards?"
"Yes, I was."
"Two of them were people from another world, summoned by another country."
"My, such a thing..."
To think that a country still possessed such technology...
"Those people from another world—well, I’m sure you saw their appearance—they have black hair and black eyes. They were people from my home country."
"From your home country, Taizo-dono!?"
"Yes. I brought up topics about our motherland, and they responded correctly. I am certain of it. As such, I believe their knowledge and their understanding of me will be useful in the future. And above all, I do not want to lose people from my home country in a war like this."
"That is only natural."
Why on earth would people from the same homeland need to kill each other? Only the fools among the royalty and nobility would do such a thing.
"So, I suggested that they, along with the acquaintances they made here, defect to the Hifi Holy Kingdom. I apologize for acting on my own."
"No, I do not believe your judgment is wrong, Taizo-dono. People should help one another. So, will they defect?"
"No, unfortunately, they seem to be wary of our intentions. They were summoned as heroes in another country, but now they are mercenaries. The fact that they are so cautious, young as they are, suggests they have walked a very difficult path."
...I trembled with rage at Taizo-dono's words. They kidnapped and abducted people from another world who knew nothing of this place, only to cast them aside. No, even if they didn't intend to cast them aside, the fact that they made them feel insecure and forced them into a situation where they had to leave on their own is a problem. Truly, the royalty and nobility are beyond saving...
"Taizo-dono, if you will allow it, I would like to meet them, apologize directly, and ask them to defect. Would that be acceptable?"
"You are so earnest. There is no reason for you to apologize, Lady Hifi."
"It is my responsibility for having let things reach this state. The path they have walked until now must be beyond imagination. As someone who lives in this world, as a god, I must apologize to them."
"If you go that far, I will not stop you. Putting that aside, I would like you to explain the details regarding the defection. If they meet you and talk properly, I believe they will understand."
"Is that so? Understood. I will detain Laraina-dono from returning tomorrow and speak with them."
"Thank you. However, even if they defect, their companions are still in foreign lands. Therefore..."
"I understand. I will subtly suggest to Laraina-dono that we delay the start of the war."
She still seems confused and unable to grasp the situation; if I capitalize on that, I can manipulate the outcome however I wish. More importantly, I must protect Taizo-dono's compatriots at all costs. Even though I am borrowing Taizo-dono's power—no, precisely because I am borrowing it—I must save them. The creatures who forget such natural gratitude and obligation must surely be the fools known as royalty and nobility.
And the next day, I visited their room to meet Taizo-dono's compatriots.
"Please, Lady Hifi. This way."