第３９２堀：神と神の対話 元凶我にあり (Part1)
Chapter 392: Dialogue Between Gods – The Root Cause Lies Within Me
Side: Hifi
The capital of Ex, glimpsed through the carriage window, was remarkably prosperous. People laughed, worked hard, and the city overflowed with vitality. It was truly worthy of being called one of the great powers of this continent.
"My, my, how lively. And this is without them even gathering people to welcome us. The disparity in national strength is painfully clear. On top of that, even if the quality is lower due to being imitations, they have mass-produced magic swords and expanded their monster army by throwing DP at the problem. If we had clashed as we were, we would have been crushed by sheer volume."
Comet, sitting beside me, whispered things that made my ears ache. I decided to offer a small retort.
"That is not necessarily true. We have the Holy Sword Users at the forefront, and excellent undead as well..."
"...Well, I understand the feeling of not wanting to lose, but please, make a calm judgment. We hold the fate of these people in our hands from here on out. This is what you wished for. The probability of us winning against a force that is being replenished indefinitely is extremely low. As an individual, as you say, you wouldn't lose so easily. But as a nation, there is no way around it. Moreover, the 'soldiers' you handle are only the undead of people you knew. They, on the other hand, use any monster they can get their hands on; there is no comparison. In terms of tactics and rationality, Noble is superior to you. He is truly a god of war."
"...I understand. However, Taizo-dono is also with us..."
Honestly, as a leader, I am several steps inferior. In truth, the gap in national power was dire, and under normal circumstances, I would have been forced to head toward Ex regardless of my will.
"That's true. Since Taizo-san is here, it’s hard to say how effectively those weapons of his would function in actual combat. He seemed to be developing new things one after another, and the technical prowess of myself and Taizo-san was off the charts. Well, even if we wouldn't lose unilaterally, it would be a quagmire. Then, the magic accumulation around Popuri’s Magic Academy would have accelerated, leading to a 'boom,' a massive monster outbreak, and then a chaotic free-for-all across the land. We owe Yuki-kun and the others our thanks."
"Indeed. That is why continuing down this path is counterproductive. Therefore, we must have Noble listen to us and convince him to cooperate, no matter what."
"...I think that will be difficult. Even with Luna-san mediating, you continued to resist Yuki-kun and the others, didn't you?"
"Ugh. But that was only because I didn't correctly understand the magic depletion of the continent..."
"You launched your attack without even listening to Yuki-kun and the others when they tried to tell you..."
"...E-even so."
"Well, I think that spirit is important. I know how much you cherish us, and how much you cherish people. But don't let that make you too stubborn. We cannot afford for the negotiations with Noble to break down. First, we listen to what he has to say, and if it seems he looks down on us, we should steer the conversation toward the monster drills Eris-kun proposed. If we do that, they will certainly change their perception of us."
"I understand. ...Though, my concern is that Comet might take it upon herself to steer things in an 'interesting' direction."
"If they were doing things beyond my imagination, I wouldn't know. But now, I don't think there's much that can exceed my imagination."
"Why is that?"
"Why? Are you asking me that? How could you possibly think there is technology out there superior to what Yuki-kun and the others have? The scientific technology is literally worlds apart, their unique interpretations of magic are fascinating, and their ability to develop and analyze magic tools—I still don't even understand 30% of it. Ah, 60% is scientific technology, I suppose. 10% is the interpretation of magic. Well, I received word to let you and Popuri take the lead, so I won't do anything strange. Your enthusiasm won this time. If I break that, my game data gets deleted. I’ll be on my best behavior."
"...It is extremely unpleasant that our feelings for our people are equated to your game data."
"Value depends on the person. It depends on the time and place, too. If you look at it from another angle, you could say Yuki-kun is amazing for restricting my actions with game data. Conversely, one could ask how to evaluate Hifi, who couldn't even take such measures herself."
"...Nngghh."
Ever since her ego was brought to the surface by Luna-sama, Comet has truly been a handful. No, I am happy that my friend remains unchanged from her life—no, she seems to have worsened since then. She has been interacting with Yuki-dono, Taizo-dono, Narjia-dono, and Zargis-dono, and she is likely running wild.
*Sigh.* The fortunate thing is that there are people who can properly control Comet in my stead. Although, the reason she slipped out of my hands is precisely because of those people who can control her. Well, she seems to be having fun, so I suppose it is fine.
"And, it seems our chat is over. From here on out... Hifi, it is up to you."
"Yes."
Before I knew it, we had crossed the large drawbridge, passed through the gate, and the carriage’s speed had clearly slowed. The door opened, and we stepped out.
"I am glad you came, Holy Maiden Hifi."
"Yes. I am grateful for the invitation, Your Majesty Noble."
A standard greeting. But, were you truly alive? ...What do you think, what do you wish for, and what do you aim to achieve by becoming the king of this country?
After that, the proceedings followed the standard ceremony of welcome, with nothing particularly strange occurring. Well, since my status as a god and the matter of the Dungeon Master are secrets, just as they are for me, we could not speak of them in such a public place.
And once the general schedule was finished, the time finally arrived.
"Hifi-sama, His Majesty Noble has requested a brief chat before dinner. If you are not too tired, would that be acceptable?"
Things were moving faster than I had anticipated. I had assumed it would be after dinner.
"If Comet here may also accompany me..."
"Yes. I have been instructed to invite Comet-sama as well."
"Then, there is no reason to refuse. Let us go, Comet."
"As you command."
...I will be honest. In this enemy territory, the most difficult obstacle was Comet. From the moment we faced Noble and the others, she stopped joking and even stopped speaking, saying only "As you command." She claimed that since they already knew she was an undead, it would be better to appear like a puppet, but the sense of incongruity was staggering. Please, spare a thought for me, having to suppress my laughter every time Comet says "As you command." She is definitely doing this on purpose!
While I directed such vengeful thoughts toward Comet, we arrived at the parlor. Noble was already seated in a chair, but upon seeing us arrive, he immediately dismissed the attendant maid. He looked at my face, then Comet's...
"My, it has been quite a while. Hifi-god, and the genius Comet-dono."
He spoke with the face of someone reuniting with a long-lost friend.
"Yes. It has been a long time, God of War Noble. And, my apologies, but Comet is..."
"I understand. She is an undead and no longer possesses an ego, correct?"
"...Yes. Fortunately, if I give her orders, she can still create things."
"...I see. I had wondered why Hifi-dono stopped swinging her sword against the world. Was it because you did not wish to use your friend as a tool?"
"It is a bit late for that, considering everything else we have done."