第３４５堀：夢の続き (Part2)
"Yes. Our nation was founded thanks to a Dungeon Master named Comet-sama. We feel nothing but gratitude toward that name; there is no avoidance or stigma here."
"That is good to hear. I would like to request permission to establish a dungeon somewhere at a later date."
"Hm? Come to think of it, what happened to the dungeon I left behind here? You should just use that. Actually, my research materials are there, so I’d like to secure them as soon as possible."
"My apologies. As I mentioned earlier, that location has been designated as a sanctuary. It would be difficult to simply hand it over..."
"Ah, I see. That would be problematic for the nation. But surely I can at least take my research materials?"
"Yes. To be honest, we haven't been able to open a single drawer, so we have no idea what is inside."
"Ah, right. I suppose I did put some security measures on them. Well, some of them would explode if opened incorrectly. Didn't Kaya and the others get caught in an explosion back then?"
"...I thought I was going to die that time."
"My hair caught fire, and I had to trim it into a short cut, after all."
"‘Ah, so that’s why it was short.’"
Hm?
Ah, so these two were here back then, too.
Well, they are family to Kaya and Claudia, so I suppose that’s only natural.
They must have been among the initial settlers.
I guess that’s the only way they would recognize my face.
Besides, I left everything else to the Holy Sword users.
"And so, I believe you understand the situation now. If this mass production of magic swords leads to a large-scale war, the magical balance of this continent will collapse, and no one knows what might happen."
"Well, it would likely result in a Great Monster Outbreak. The amount of energy building up is immense. I imagine we’d see things rarely encountered, like legions of wyverns, groups of liches, and parties of minotaurs."
"...If that happens, the nation will perish."
"The current nations are only concerned with fighting other humans. Part of the reason is the lack of powerful individual monsters, but they also have absolutely no experience fighting them. ...They would likely be unable to put up any resistance and, as Your Majesty says, would be destroyed."
"Yes. I’ve been traveling to various countries to foresee and prevent this. The only ones left are here and Ex... and based on our discussion, it doesn't seem like you are the masterminds."
"Indeed. We would never do such a thing."
"However, could there be another organization, not bound by the framework of a nation?"
"That possibility cannot be ruled out. But if that were the case, they would need a facility or research site capable of mass-producing magic swords without the nation knowing. If such a place existed..."
"I see. If a place of that scale existed in any country, word would surely get out. So, you’ve judged that if we follow the trail through the nations, we will find it regardless?"
"That is correct. Conversely, if a nation were pulling the strings, they could suppress such rumors to a certain extent. But if they are producing them within the country, they wouldn't be able to hide the existence of such an unusual facility while maintaining secrecy. However, there are no such large-scale, unnatural facilities in White Forest. Just to be safe, I would like to turn White Forest into a dungeon to conduct a thorough investigation. May I have your permission?"
"Of course, you have it. Still, it is convenient that you can do such things by turning a place into a dungeon."
"If a Dungeon Master couldn't do at least this much, they’d be a corpse in no time."
If I didn't have functions like this, I couldn't be a Dungeon Master.
Though, I was quite blunt with my own kin.
"But, if White Forest is not the mastermind, does that mean it is almost certainly the Kingdom of Ex?"
"That seems to be the case."
I’ve had other countries investigated as well, but there’s no such organization there. The Kingdom of Ex is the prime suspect.
Man, Yuki-kun really has his hands in everything.
"The opponent is a major power... How on earth do you intend to stop the conflict? Is there anything we can do to help..."
"Ah, please, calm down. First, let’s remove the cause for concern, and then we can discuss the future."
"My apologies. Given the gravity of the situation, I became impatient."
"Regardless, the first step is to confirm the status of the Holy Sword and the ruins. I will begin preparations immediately."
Listening to the conversation between Yuki-kun, the King of White Forest, and the Prime Minister from the side, I think:
Regardless of whether they are human or demi-human, they are cooperating for the sake of tomorrow, trying to build a future.
You see, the actions of myself and the girls who wielded the Holy Swords were not in vain.
Our wishes, our dreams—they have been passed on to you, the next generation.
Though, even if I say that so coolly, the truth is that I failed and got beaten to a pulp by Yuki-kun.
Ah, that’s not a very graceful ending, is it?
But maybe that’s fine.
If you take things too seriously, you just end up overthinking it. Perhaps the laid-back attitude Yuki-kun has is surprisingly important.
Well then, things in White Forest are going more smoothly than I expected.
Could it be that this time, I’ll be able to finish things in a relaxed manner without any problems!?
(By the way, there seems to be a misunderstanding regarding my previous thoughts on Gundam Breaker. I have fought through everything—1, 2, and 3—using only the "RMG-79 GM" from head to toe. In 1, only the weapon was a GN Sword III because the firepower difference was too great to ignore, but I fought through with the GM body. In 2, while parts had different stats, the level-up system made it manageable, and I fought through with the Gundam Saber and Beam Spray Gun. In 3, you can inherit internal abilities, making it even more viable. Yes, I am telling you to fight through with the GM. Generally speaking, I envy things like the Moonlight Butterfly, Trans-Am, or EXAM, but I will continue to fight with just a saber and a beam spray gun. By the way, I pilot a black-based GM called the "Yuki-GM." I hope you see me in Bounty Hunter mode. "I will shout to the world that my GM is the strongest!!")