第４００堀：知るということ (Part1)
**Chapter 400: On Knowing**
**Side: Taizo Motome**
Indeed, the world is a vast place. Even when it appears mild, it can be utterly ruthless. It is often said that in war, one should be more wary of their own side than the enemy in front of them. Well, I understand this is for the sake of Lady Hifie and Lady Comet, but still…
"Bzzzt! Hadsley! The answer is number two! It was 'shifting the position of the great nation'! And honestly, why doesn't Hifie know this?"
"I never heard such a thing from Comet!"
"Eh? You should have been able to infer it from Yuki-kun’s explanation. You’re not a child. The origin of the idea is the same as the reason I was soundly defeated back then..."
"Th-that can't be helped! I just didn't know!"
...Lady Hifie seems to have some difficulty with sharing and grasping information, as she missed quite a few of the questions Lady Luna posed. Generally, it is enough for those at the top to simply know the final results, but I do think it’s problematic that she doesn't grasp the tasks she has been entrusted with.
However, watching them engage in such a clamorous argument with Lady Comet is somewhat heartwarming. It makes it clear that until they met Yuki-kun and the others, they were pushing themselves far too hard.
"Bwahahaha...! Hifie, your face is pitch black!"
"Look, a face-print, a face-print. Wait, bwahahaha...! Hifie’s face is all black, it’s hilarious! Wait, hold on, if you get any closer, I’ll get dirty too!"
"...You said 'if we die, we die together,' didn't you!"
"Gyaaa!?"
"Pfft!? M-my stomach is twisting. My stomach, it h-hurts...!!"
"Damn it... I’ll drag Luna-san into this too!"
"Hah!? Wait, Comet!? St-stop... Gyaaaa!?"
"…Please give me a moment. I’m going to take the three of them to change."
With that, Lady Labyris dragged the three of them off to the makeshift bath that had been set up.
...I retract my previous statement. This is going too far. I’m worried that Lady Hifie and Lady Comet might end up truly at odds. While Lord Noble and the others, having finished their "face-prints," are enjoying the culture shock and the penalty games as a form of entertainment, Lady Hifie and Lady Comet are busy trying to trip each other up in a blood-soaked rivalry.
...I can’t let it slip that I was the one who thought up this penalty game. When I suggested "face-prints" instead of "fish-prints" to Yuki-kun and Lady Luna, they accepted it immediately, and I didn't understand why at the time. Did they foresee this outcome?
"Ah, Steve, was it? Do you have a moment?"
"Hm? What is it, Schmidt-san? Did you run out of towels?"
"Is there any more of this locust *tsukudani*?"
"Oh, that’s right, Lord Steve. Do you know how to make this locust *tsukudani*? It looks a bit rough, but it’s quite delicious. Locusts can be caught anywhere, so it’s a good resource for places with harsh food situations, but..."
"The Chancellor is certainly right. Lord Steve, would you be so kind as to teach us?"
"Now, now, stop that. Chancellor, I understand Binzo’s feelings, but asking to be taught for free is the height of shamelessness. You should pay the appropriate price and then ask for instruction."
" "Hah, please forgive us." "
"And say, Steve-kun. That cucumber pickle we ate earlier was delicious too, do you think we could make that here as well?"
"Hey, Sacri, were you listening to me?"
Lord Noble and his group seem to have been swept up in the atmosphere—or rather, they’ve settled in completely—and are enjoying the penalty games as part of the festivities. Honestly, I feel like I might get along better with them... They are eating the locust *tsukudani* normally, while Lady Hifie and Lady Comet are barely managing to take a small bite.
Perhaps it’s the difference between men and women; from what I’ve heard, Lord Noble and his men have always fought on the front lines, so they likely never had the luxury of being picky about their food. Back in Japan, we were in a situation where we would eat grass roots just to stave off starvation.
...And yet, they had the gall to claim they could win if a decisive battle were fought on the mainland.
"Taizo-san. Which ingredient should I bring next?"
"Hm? Ah, Taiki-kun. My apologies. In that case, let’s go with *zenmai* (fiddlehead ferns). I believe they should be in the vegetable compartment of that refrigerator."
"Zenmai?"
It seems Taiki-kun doesn't know about the wild vegetable known as *zenmai*. Since modern Japan doesn't seem to suffer from food shortages, he likely lacks that awareness.
"Yes, *zenmai*. It’s a type of wild vegetable, as famous as the Seven Spring Herbs like parsley. While parsley has dangerous look-alikes like poison hemlock, *zenmai* has no such thing and can usually be found along rivers when you go into the mountains. The part that is generally eaten is the new sprout, which has a curled shape at the top."
"Ah, that one. I understand."
It has a very strong astringency if left as is, and it’s quite difficult to eat if you don't process it properly, along with various other preparations. Perhaps that’s why it isn't eaten very often? Well, in any case, it’s a happy thing that modern Japan is prosperous. I am glad to see with my own eyes that the sacrifices of the many who lost their lives in that war were not in vain.
By seeing and hearing, I can tell how much the current world has developed. While there is a lonely feeling in knowing I cannot be a part of that world, looking at Taiki-kun and Yuki-kun, I feel the meaning of the phrase "old soldiers just fade away" deep in my bones.
The future should be built by the young.
Or rather, there is no way I could ever come up with the ideas Yuki-kun has. It is not often that one can find a way to strip away an opponent's will to fight while simultaneously deepening their understanding of the situation.
"Yes. This is it, right? The *zenmai*."
"Ah, yes. Please put it there, thank you."
Now, as for why I am the one working in the kitchen, it is mainly because I am being framed as the mastermind behind the penalty games. The face-prints, the locust *tsukudani*—these can be called Yuki-kun’s wicked schemes. Even if the two of them have a falling out, the blame won't be directed at Yuki-kun. Since I am the one who proposed and prepared the penalty games, it means I am the one at fault. It’s a judgment that, as someone who is already "family," the two of them are less likely to direct their genuine anger at me than at Yuki-kun and the others.
Besides, it’s a result of their lack of study, so if I point that out, they should calm down. Though, pointing that out to a woman is... well, you know.
"However, Taiki-kun, you helped make that program, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes. Originally, we were planning to show it to the people of our continent. How is it? The quality?"
"I am not one to speak, not knowing the current Japan, but a broadcast meant to spread such knowledge is good. I think it’s wonderful. In this world, which lacks the concept of video recording, it will likely be quite effective. In our time, we didn't trust the information provided to us because of things like Imperial Headquarters announcements."
"Ah, ahahaha... As I thought, the Imperial Headquarters announcements weren't really trusted back then either, were they?"
I see. It seems Taiki-kun knows about the Imperial Headquarters announcements as well. That is to say, it was that bad.
"And it looks like they are finally entering the main topic over there."
"Ah, finally."
On the screen, the three women have returned, cleaned up from their ink-covered state, and are resuming the quiz. But the preliminary knowledge phase is over; now, they are moving into the behind-the-scenes stories. Up until now, they have been conveying the results of the research gathered by Yuki-kun and Lady Comet, and that information reveals that the actions of Lord Noble and his group were not only meaningless but actually exacerbated the situation.
Furthermore, if they were to learn that the origin of the country they built—the catalyst for the Demon King War—lies with Lady Comet...
Yuki-kun has already laid down layers upon layers of preventative measures in case they lash out, but there is still a possibility of collateral damage, which is why the members of this studio are monsters directly under Yuki-kun. When one's own convictions are trampled upon, there are few who can judge matters calmly. No, even knowing the outcome, there are those who resolve themselves to strike back.
"…And that’s the situation. At the moment, magical power is accumulating in the central mountains of the Lancer Magic Academy. You remember why monsters appear, since it was in the question earlier, right?"
"When magical power gathers above a certain amount, monsters appear."
"Exactly. This is common knowledge on the continent where Weed is located, and considering the appearance rate of monsters near the Lancer Magic Academy, it shouldn't be too far off. …And thinking from there…"
"Does that mean if Lady Hifie and we move things in a big way, the accumulation of magical power will accelerate, and there is a possibility that monsters will overflow…?"