第４３１堀：真実を知る王者たち (Part2)
"Oh, oh my!? Please, both of you, raise your heads!! This is not your fault at all!!"
"Indeed. It is not their fault, and unless one experiences the son's methods firsthand, it is understandable why those up in the heavens would hold such opinions."
Alstaire offered words of comfort, and the old man of Gartz did not particularly blame the gods, acknowledging that their actions were, in a sense, understandable.
"To summarize, the other side is completely ignorant of the reality here. They’ve swallowed the words of that mysterious Dungeon Master whole, and they intend to do something about us—or rather, about Weed, which my son created, and the Alliance."
"Haha, you speak for Roschur. Don't say they want to 'do something' about your son, Weed, and the Alliance. Say it plainly: they believe they cannot win unless they eliminate all three."
"That is correct. If they aim to rule the world under the old regime, they must topple these three at any cost. Considering that, their current approach is, in a way, logical."
Well, if I were to say I didn't understand, they might defect or waste days trying to explain it to me, so I’ll just accept it.
"I have grasped the situation. If we provoke the Magic Kingdom, the Sword Kingdom, or the Beast God Kingdom carelessly, the Dungeon Master behind them will use their power to ignite a massive war all at once. Was the talk from that self-proclaimed minister the catalyst?"
"Exactly. Aside from the information from Faide, he claimed on his own to have a connection with Nonoa. It was so blatant that we all thought, 'Isn't this a bit too obvious?' Putting it all together, we concluded it was intentional."
"To be treated like such fools forces our hand. Was their judgment that this would force us to use our DP? ...I see, that is why we cannot move our armies recklessly."
"And the fact that they are taking such blatant action against one of the three great powers means they are confident that even if the smaller nations join the fray, they can handle it."
"Yes. And worse, even if we try to stop them, it is only a matter of time before the smaller nations begin acting on their own. We cannot tell them the truth we are discussing now, and I doubt they would believe us anyway. They have likely laid out similar, easy-to-understand schemes to goad other countries into attacking their own."
Oh, oh. So the kings aren't just playing around after all.
Things I managed to think of, they arrived at with ease.
Well, there are exceptions to everything, like those foolish kings.
The difference between me and these kings is basically just a gap in foundational knowledge; if I filled that in, I’m sure they would easily surpass me.
The proof is that after I spoke for just a little while, they arrived at nearly the same conclusions I had.
Talented people are something else. Well, the hardship required to obtain such talent must be immense, so I don't even want it. I’ll be satisfied just following behind my friends—not necessarily standing shoulder-to-shoulder, but close enough not to be left behind.
"So, I agree with the Saintess of Litia that waiting around is just buying time. At this rate, the continent will be split in two and plunged into conflict. You have a plan, don't you?"
"Do you?"
"Eh? In this situation, I only thought we could try to explain things to the smaller nations and prevent them from defecting."
The old man of Gartz and Alstaire seemed to think the only option was to prepare for the impending large-scale war, but the old man of Roschur, who has known me for a long time, seemed to have guessed that I had something in mind.
Well, there’s no reason to hide it anymore, so I might as well just say it.
"It's simple. I'm going to head over there directly and strike at the source of this."
"Huh?"
"W-wait a moment!! That would be the very trigger for war..."
"It won't be."
"Eh?"
"I see. If you take away the Dungeon Master's power, they lose the ability to resist. You're aiming for that. Normally, I, as Gartz, would have to tell you that such recklessness is forbidden. But if my son, who is a Dungeon Master, is the one heading out, that is a different story."
"Yeah. My son isn't the type to head out without a winning strategy. Rather, he’s the type to prepare until he’s guaranteed a total victory before making a move."
"...Ah, that's right."
Oh, Alstaire has a distant look in her eyes.
Hey, that was the fault of those idiots in Litia, wasn't it?
Well, I suppose crushing them that thoroughly would leave a trauma.
"With that said, I'm going to the Magic Kingdom as an envoy, so I'll need you to guide me."
"...Going in through the front door, are you? Interesting."
"The enemy commander heading straight into the lion's den. I’d love to see the look on their faces."
"...Um, will you be alright? No, I suppose as an envoy, your safety should be guaranteed, but..."
Exactly. It’s precisely because I’m an envoy that I can meet Nonoa for sure.
Once that happens, I’ll talk to her, and if I can persuade her, I will.
If she gets in the way, I’ll crush her.
Why do I think I can do that so easily?
Because in the New Continent, I made allies with both Magic and Skill Killers.
His name is Taizo Honme.
For an opponent who relies primarily on magic, he is the ultimate trump card.
I saw him demonstrate his abilities against Hifie, and I've conducted various verification experiments since then.
Just as the old man of Roschur said, I’m moving because I have a guaranteed plan for victory.
The only drawback is that I have to bring him along, but Taizo-san has always disliked using Doppelgangers and prefers to move with his own body, so, well, that shouldn't be a problem.