第３８３堀：知るということはいいことだけではない (Part2)
"Who in their right mind would *want* to take on more work?! If you've got a complaint, take it up with Noble, who's out there making a scene!"
"I know that! Since he’s caused us this much trouble, I’m going to make sure he pays it back with interest! But seriously, you should have just ignored it! Now, there’s no way around it—you’re going to be permanently stationed to monitor that dungeon! Be happy about it!"
"Like hell I will! I’ll just send John over! He’s just chilling in Beta-tan’s dungeon anyway, right? It’s perfect for blending in, especially with all the undead production facilities and Orcs around!"
"You idiot! In the end, you’re the one who has to follow up on it! Besides, you still have to find the spellcaster controlling those undead!"
"I know that! You moron!"
"Oh, you called me a moron. Well, the person who says it is the moron. Moron, moron!"
"Are we children?! Moron! Moron!"
We traded these idiotic insults for a moment before stopping just as quickly.
"Good grief. Why do I always end up finding out facts that give me a stomachache?"
"Don't ask me. I guess that’s just how the world works—it never goes the way you want it to."
The four of them looked stunned by how quickly we switched gears.
"...Uh, um? Is the fight over?"
"...Probably."
"...Most likely. It’s just a routine for them."
"...Indeed. The bickering was on the level of children."
Cleena hit the nail on the head. If we didn't do things like this, we wouldn't be able to keep going.
"Anyway, the four of you are forbidden from telling Popuri, Lara, Comet, or Hifie about this."
"Why is that?"
When I said that, Jessica was the first to ask.
"Setting us aside, those four are acting based on their own personal circumstances—specifically, to ensure the citizens don't get hurt. Well, Comet is probably just in it for the fun. But if we tell them that there’s a massive force of undead being treated as an army, do you think they’ll be able to talk to Noble normally?"
"...That would be impossible."
"...Principal Popuri might not let it show on the surface, but psychologically, she would feel as though she were being held hostage. It’s highly likely that her words and actions would be restricted in various ways."
"Samantha is right. There are certain responses you can only make if you know the truth, but in this case, if we poke at the secret undead issue, we have no idea how Noble might react. It’s better if they don't know. In the worst-case scenario, Popuri and the others might act on their own initiative."
"...That should be avoided."
"Agreed."
Jessica and Ria seemed convinced by the explanation, though they still wore troubled expressions.
"So, by not knowing, we didn't have to lie to our allies. If something happens, we can just say it couldn't be helped."
"So, now that we *do* know, we have to take action, and if there are casualties, we might be held responsible..."
"Exactly. We aren't in a position to shut this down completely like we usually do. The person who has to do this stomach-churning work is going to have an even harder time. Right, Steve?"
"I think stomach medicine is about to become a daily necessity for me."
"I bet. You can't tell Alfin either, and it’s tough when she trusts you so much."
"Gah!"
Steve dropped to his knees. Ah, I guess he’d forgotten about Alfin. Now he’s in the painful position of having to lie to her at home, too. At least I don't have Popuri or Hifie around, so it’s a bit easier for me.
"So, as you can see from the explanation, whether Ex turns into a terrifying zombie town or not depends entirely on Steve’s skills here. Any comments from the gallery?"
"...Um. Steve, do your best."
"The vanguard is the honor of battle. I suppose this counts as that."
"...Steve, I’m counting on you."
"It’s pitiful that this is all I can say knowing the situation, but I believe you can do it, Steve."
Yeah. What a load of empty comfort.
"That’s nothing but pressure!!"
"Well, you’ll just have to do your best to devise a strategy."
*Sigh.* I thought I could retreat to the shadows and take it easy, but look at this. Seriously, Noble—I am going to make you pay for this with interest.
Yes, we’ve discovered an even more troublesome fact. It turns out the enemy has been running a zero-waste operation: they use monster magic stones to generate the cores for magic swords, and then use the leftovers to create undead.
Now that we know, we have to come up with countermeasures. It’s a real pain. It’s one of those cases where it would have been better not to know.
And so, while Popuri and Hifie are having their public dialogue with Noble in Ex, Steve and his team will be infiltrating the depths of the Umbrella-like facility to fight.
And in the next chapter, that guy is finally coming back after a long time! Steve’s colleague—the one who loves vegetables!!
Also, it’s already June. How is everyone doing? It’s already hot here in Fukuoka. I don't think it would be wrong to send summer greetings at this point. Please don't push yourselves, stay hydrated, and try not to get heatstroke. Also, watch out for game deficiency.