第３２３堀：美しき女の友情よ永遠なれと今後の予定 (Part2)
"Tonight, we should get ourselves pampered and polished too. I won't have you being the only one satisfied."
"Well, I can just sneak in when it's time to sleep, but for now..."
"So, tell me. You're leaving things to Luna to drag out, but how do you intend to resolve this?"
Indeed, beyond that farce, the real issue is how to avoid this war. Unless there's a concrete alternative, I cannot be satisfied given Hifi's position.
"Look, you know how we didn't know the true origin of the magic swords Hifi mass-produced? I had orders sent out to every nation to investigate."
"Ah, now that you mention it, you did do that."
"And, as I suspected, Hifi likely pulled some strings. Those swords were distributed among various bands of ruffians in every city. It wasn't a bad move on her part."
"What!?"
"Hifi was actually thinking ahead; she intended to pit the whole world against itself. Though, the output of those distributed swords is apparently even lower. It seems she was using this as an experiment for mental control as well. This way, the big shots of the opposing nations would be tied up dealing with the chaos in their respective capitals."
"I see. In that case, she could certainly hold her own against the major powers. So, are you planning to make use of those ruffians who possess the swords?"
"Exactly. It’s a strategy similar to how we separated Liliana and the other demons from the Demon Lord. We’ll frame it so that Hifi was either a fake disguised with magic tools or was being manipulated by the magic swords, and use that to avoid war with August. We just need to leak information about the groups of ruffians hiding in August who possess these swords. Then, we spread the word to other nations that these aren't just random thugs, but a massive criminal organization pulling the strings."
"Will August be convinced by that?"
"They likely will. They’ve gone to the trouble of sending envoys, which means they have doubts about the current situation. Well, they’ll probably complain a bit about their national leadership being compromised, but that’s to be expected. It’s fortunate that the ones who invaded August weren't Hifi's regular soldiers; they seem to have been bandits to begin with. Hifi probably captured them and used them for her experiments."
"Ah, I recall a report to that effect. I see, in that case, it’s actually more convincing if a criminal organization is behind it. Besides, from August’s perspective, since these groups are hiding within their own borders, dealing with that takes priority. Even if they wanted to complain, they’re in the same boat, so it’s a wash."
Your wicked cleverness never ceases to amaze me. I honestly didn't think Hifi had her hands in things that deep.
"Well, it’s thanks to Mino-chan doing his job properly."
"Mino-chan?"
"Yeah. After my orders, we provided magic swords and tools prepared on our side—the dungeon side—to Enaria as a token of friendship, right?"
"Yes."
"I had him investigate thoroughly, considering the possibility that they might be diverted or analyzed, and..."
"And that led you to those groups of ruffians."
"That's it. And as for Enaria, those groups have already been crushed. We made sure to let Enaria’s generals and soldiers take the credit. General Prism led the vanguard and wiped them out."
"Oh my, that girl is as energetic as ever. So, did you tell them to send a formal letter stating that a criminal organization wielding magic swords was hiding in a friendly nation?"
"Exactly. This way, it’s not just an issue between August and Hifi. It forces all nations to cooperate and establish a joint defense against this fictional criminal organization. It could become their most troublesome enemy, after all. Well, that’s if everything goes smoothly."
You’ve thought through the future developments properly, and from what I’ve heard, there don't seem to be any issues.
Now, as for the rest...
*"Now, the time you spend soaking in this boiling water is the only time you have to answer the questions!! Naturally, if you fail to answer, both of you go back into the boiling water!! First, work together to earn some time to answer! You both have the cage operation buttons, right? If you do it at the same time, I won't know who to look at, so let's start with Hifi in the boiling bath!"*
*"W-what is this!?"*
*"Leave it to me, Hifi!! I'll operate the button properly and earn us time to answer! Oh, Luna-san, how much time do we need to answer? I’d like to know that much at least."*
*"Ah, there are five questions in total. Let’s see, for these, maybe 30 seconds? Don't worry, the clock stops while I'm reading the questions. Well, why don't you two earn 50 seconds to be safe?"*
*"I-I see!! Listen, Comet. Let's split it half and half!! 25 seconds each!!"*
*"Eh? Why don't you just earn all 50 seconds, Hifi? It’s your fault I’m dragged into this anyway!!"*
*"H-hey!! Ah, it's hot!? Comet!! You’re joking, right!? Please, just 25 seconds..."*
Hifi’s pleas were in vain; even after 25 seconds passed, the cage was not lifted. It ended at 42 seconds. I wonder if Hifi is crying already?
*"Man, sorry about that. I thought you could handle it, Hifi. Look, but thanks to your hard work, I only need to do 8 seconds."*
*"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and take your revenge, Hifi."*
*"..."*
*"Huh? Hifi, your smile is scary, but make sure you lift me after 8 seconds, okay? Hot!? Wait a second, that’s enough time already!!"*
Naturally, Hifi had no intention of lifting her after 8 seconds; she kept her in for the exact same amount of time before finally pulling her out.
*"Hifi, I really need to have a serious talk with you. I never imagined that a god would be this petty."*
*"That’s my line. I never imagined Comet would be such a backstabbing idiot. I’m disappointed."*
*"*"What did you say!?"*"
The two glare at each other.
*"Hee, how funny!!"*
The useless goddess laughs.
"Say, it looks like some real hatred is budding there. Do you think they’ll actually accept our proposal?"
"It’s not torture, just a bit of a joke. I’m not the one doing it, Luna is. If they keep whining, I’ll just tell them I’ll show this footage to Popuri and the others, and that should break their spirits."
"So you *are* planning to break their spirits."
However, Taizo, who has been completely forgotten...
*"Ahhh, a bath isn't a bath unless it's this hot!! It feels great!!"*
He’s just enjoying the boiling bath normally, so he’s not participating in this game at all. He’s tough. Was it "Edo-style," they call it?
Beautiful friendship. Truly, friendship is a wonderful thing.