第４０１堀：処刑執行 祝ってやる (Part1)
**Chapter 401: Execution of Punishment – I’ll Celebrate You**
Side: Yuki
Well then, the moment of tension is upon us.
If they demand a death sentence, I’ll be in a bind, so I have to find a way to make them drop that.
On the other hand, if I force a rejection of their demands, I won’t be able to gain their cooperation moving forward, and things will likely take a dark turn.
The ruthless method of a total swap using Doppelgangers, perhaps?
Or maybe I should just have Hifie and Comet retire in Weed.
I hope a peaceful answer comes out of this.
"Lady Luna, I... I do not seek punishment for Lady Hifie or Lady Comet."
"Oh? Are you sure? I can’t exactly execute them given their past achievements, but anything else is on the table, you know?"
"If we are speaking of achievements, then we, who haven't even managed to produce such results, are the ones who should be punished. After all, we only continued to make useless efforts and exacerbated the situation."
"You don't need to belittle yourself that much. I’ve heard of the efforts of you and your people from Labyris and Hifie."
"Ha. I am very happy to hear those words. However, we are not in a position to demand punishment for Lady Hifie or Lady Comet. We have done much the same thing ourselves."
"The same thing?"
"Your Majesty!? That matter was my responsibility!! Lady Luna, please, punish me instead!!"
"No, Binzo, was it? I haven't heard anything yet, and I’m not punishing anyone, so start by explaining."
What does he mean by "the same thing"?
Did something like the Demon King War happen?
"Binzo. It was I who authorized that operation. Therefore, I am the one who should bear the responsibility."
"Ugh, enough, just tell me already. If you keep dragging this out, I’ll punish you by making you sit on your heels."
Do you have no desire to watch this moving scene of master and servant?
"Ha. To put it simply, I also accidentally destroyed a nation due to a miscalculation. Though the scale differed, the objective was to confirm our military strength to address the magic power depletion. We were conducting a secret exercise marching with dungeon monsters. However, something unexpected occurred; the monsters went feral and ran wild. By the time the matter reached me, the capital of Nassa had already been conquered."
"I see... I understand."
...So that’s how it is.
It wasn't intentional; he had panicked and tried to chase after them when they lost control.
And when Dressa pressed him on it, he couldn't tell the truth, so he took measures to ensure the public felt safe.
"The cause was that the magic consumption was higher than anticipated. The magical creatures vanished immediately, and the Goblins and Orcs lost their reason due to hunger and began to rampage."
Ah, my people are properly educated and fed, so they don't go feral even without dungeon backup. They forage for food themselves.
But standard dungeon monsters are just beasts that follow orders; if there's no food, they’ll rampage.
"As a result, it was easier to turn them into zombies and have a Lich command them."
I see.
So he used a Lich to turn them into zombies to control them from the outside.
Even if they went berserk, they would self-destruct once the magic-dampening accessory's effect wore off. It’s easy to manage.
"Thus, if you look only at the intent, it was merely an experiment to increase national strength. I was not attempting to solve the magic depletion like Lady Comet, so while I am ashamed of my own insignificance, I have no intention of punishing or blaming Lady Comet, who was agonizing over the fate of the world."
Phew. Noble was more rational than I imagined, which helps.
Dressa, watching from the other room, should be somewhat satisfied now.
I thought that if she understood Noble was a god carrying a great mission, we could make it work.
It’s clear he holds deep guilt regarding the Nassa Kingdom.
Dressa isn't rushing out here, and Aslin and Firia seem to be holding her back just fine.
"You heard him. Good for you, Hifie, Comet."
"Yes. Lord Noble, I am truly sorry."
"Sorry for putting you through so much trouble."
"No. It is thanks to you two that I met my retainers. A lot has happened, but my current position isn't bad. You stopped me before I did something irreversible. I hope we can cooperate from here on out."
"Yes."
"Mm. I’m counting on you."
With that, Hifie and Comet shake hands with Noble and his group.
There will be cleanup and fine-tuning, but the reconciliation is essentially complete.
"Man, isn't it beautiful when everyone gets along?"
"Phew."
Hifie is relieved, thinking that since reconciliation is achieved, there will be no further "punishment games," but things aren't that sweet.
In fact, the upcoming punishment game is, in a sense, a reward, and it’s necessary for improving future cohesion, so we can't skip it.
Besides, it’s also a punishment from us to Hifie.
She put the continent in danger for the sake of her own self-preservation.
Naturally, she must receive her due.
"Now then, Comet."
"Roger!! Everyone, start the preparations!!"
"Preparations? For what?"
Seeing my cue card that read "Next: Punishment Game," Luna and Comet grin and start giving orders.
Hifie hasn't been informed, so she has no idea.
"Boss. Are we really doing this?"
"Naturally."
Steve looks at me as if to say, "Isn't this too much?" but this isn't just about us wanting to have fun.
"Sigh. I really don't want to make an enemy of the Boss."
Steve reluctantly starts participating in the preparations.
Hey, you don't think I’m some heartless demon, do you?
I return kindness for kindness. I crush rudeness indirectly. That’s all.
I wouldn't do something as simple as "an eye for an eye."
I always make sure to do something they can't possibly retaliate against.
What is that, you ask?
The answer comes as the lights dim and an image is projected onto the studio screen.
*"Well, that’s fine since we’ll meet in person, but there’s something else important right now."*
*"What is it? What other important thing?"*
A scene of Comet and Hifie talking in a cramped room plays.
From the scenery moving outside the window, one can tell they are in a carriage.
"Hm? Lady Hifie and Lady Comet are on screen. What kind of event is this?"
"Who knows?"
Noble and the others watch the video, confused and unable to grasp the purpose.
However, Hifie, who knows what comes next, goes through a hundred facial expressions—turning pale, then white, then bright red.
"C-could it be..."
Hifie mutters, having guessed it, but time waits for no one.
Hearing that, Luna and Comet look at Hifie with beaming smiles.
"By the way, this is being broadcast."
"Yup, yup."
"Kyaaaaaa!? W-what are you doing!? S-stop it!!"
But reality is cruel; no one listens to Hifie’s pleas, and the video continues to play.
"Watching" includes everyone involved, including the parties themselves.
Blocking the escape route is the basic rule.
*"It’s about a friend’s love, of course."*
*"Love?"*
*"Oh? Are you unaware? Or do you not realize they’re talking about you?"*
Hifie is already in a state of confusion and tries to rampage, but is held back by Luna and Comet.
She looks like she’s on the verge of real tears.
"T-this is terrible!? This is too much!!"
No, if I treated you seriously, you’d just act like you sacrificed yourself for your ideals. This direction is much more fitting for a punishment.
Look, Noble and the others are even recoiling at Hifie’s frantic state.
"W-what is it? Lady Luna, why is Lady Hifie so distraught?"
"Ah, well, just watch. This is what we call 'settling the score'."
"I-I see..."
And then, the most important words are spoken in the video.
*"W-w-w-who, love or whatever, T-Taizo-dono and I are, p-purely, just..."*
*"Well, no one said the partner was Taizo-san, but thanks for being so easy to understand."*
A moment of silence.
And then, a sob.
"Uuuu... *sniff*, it’s terrible. W-what did I ever... do..."
No, you put this continent in an unprecedented crisis, didn't you?