第４５６堀：これは好機とみる人々 (Part1)
**Chapter 456: Those Who See This as an Opportunity**
**Side: Bitz**
I was so stunned by the contents of the report that I couldn't even find the words.
And why wouldn't I be?
Who could have possibly imagined that Rei—the true hero who received my blessing, the blessing of the one destined to be the Goddess of the World—would be captured by that man, Taiki?
And it hasn't even been five days.
I had assumed they were simply busy suppressing enemy territory and that communication was delayed, but to think their entire army had been annihilated, and that Rei was captured and sentenced to execution...
The reason I know this is because a messenger on a swift horse was sent all the way to the Kingdom of Swords.
*"Based on Rei's testimony that he was harbored by your nation, it has been suggested that Bitz is currently in your care. Bitz is a criminal who has caused immense damage to our country, and we demand her immediate handover. The exchange will take place at a village on the border of our two nations, near the site where Rei is scheduled to be executed. Considering you may not have been aware of Bitz's true nature, if you hand her over willingly, we will not pursue this matter further or demand reparations. Furthermore, the execution will be carried out by a disciple of Kamiizumi; if you are intimidated by this, contact us, and we shall take it into consideration."*
That was the message delivered to Lord Nogosh.
Does this mean there is a possibility I will be sold out?
It is blatantly a trap.
Honestly, I wanted to turn on my heel and run immediately, but if I were to show my back to Lord Nogosh, he would surely cut me down in an instant.
Even a fool could understand that. That is how powerful the God of Swords is.
Therefore, my only option is to feign ignorance and steer things in a direction where we abandon Rei.
Surely, he was never a true hero to begin with.
That is all there is to it.
It is true that he laid his hands on women other than me, and when I think about it, he was never worthy of me, the Goddess of the World.
This must be divine providence, a sign for me to find the real, true hero.
Just as I was formulating this plan and preparing to persuade him, Lord Nogosh, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"Isn't this an unexpected opportunity?!"
"Pardon?"
I didn't understand the meaning behind his unexpected words.
"Do you not see? They believe they have the upper hand because they managed to defeat that level of opposition. It is true that if it were just me and Princess Bitz, it might be dangerous, but the fact that it is a village near the border works against them. We can simply release monsters to create chaos. In the ensuing melee, I will cut down that hateful disciple of Nobutsuna, and then cut down the man himself. In the process, we can rescue Rei, and defeat this man called Taiki as well."
That's right.
Indeed, Lord Nogosh is correct.
We have obtained strength that is incomparable to what we had before.
"Princess Bitz, your sword is restless, is it not? In that sense, this is convenient. It is time to test your skills."
"...I see. You mean for me to cut down Taiki myself. With this Himezuru Ichimonji!!"
"Indeed. I have tutored you somewhat, but Princess Bitz, you are likely one of the finest wielders in the Kingdom of Swords now. That blade must be enhancing your swordsmanship."
Is that so?
Honestly, it felt more like mere tutoring from Lord Nogosh, and I didn't feel like I had become *that* strong, but I hadn't realized I had already reached such a level.
At this rate, perhaps I don't need a hero anymore?
I should consider the possibility of becoming a War Goddess who leads the world, a Goddess of all things.
"Above all, justice is on our side."
"That is correct, Lord Nogosh!! Justice is on our side!!"
When I shouted that, something...
*“...Justice. Righteousness is with me.”*
I felt as though I had whispered that.
However, I felt an immense power in those short words, and my body stiffened involuntarily.
"Now, let us formulate the details of our strategy. The people of Ranks intend to lure us out, capture Princess Bitz, and defeat me in a duel. We shall strike at their complacency... Are you alright, Princess Bitz?"
"Ah, no. I am fine. Just a little tired."
"I see... Perhaps the rigorous training has taken its toll. You move better than I expected, Princess Bitz, so I may have been a bit too relentless."
"No. There is still time until the execution date; let us first solidify our strategy. After that, I can rest well and welcome the day."
"Understood. Then, let us continue our discussion. But do not push yourself. We are both leaders of our nations, after all."
"Yes. Thank you for your concern."
From then on, without any particular issues, we spent our time crafting a strategy to crush that hateful Taiki and Ranks.
Ah, as for Rei, well, I suppose I will save him.
He isn't very useful, but he did follow me, after all.
"That's right. Since we are going out, why not have the monsters attack the Adventurer's Guild to collect DP while we are away?"
"That is a good idea. Even if we are strong, one can never have too much DP. While we are away, the monsters driven out by the adventurers can raid the guild, and we can openly capture them and dispose of them in the dungeon."
"With Lord Nogosh present, we would have to pretend to chase those monsters, after all."
"I cannot let them escape, after all. In that sense, it is also convenient."
Thus, our plan moved closer to perfection.
*“...The Great Oni of the Capital. This avatar of Bishamonten shall take the place of Minamoto no Yorimitsu and destroy you.”*
**Side: Yuki**
It is rare for things in this world to go exactly according to plan.
I hear that often.
However, I have learned that it is also troublesome when things go *too* much according to plan.
After all...
"Uh, what did you say?"
*"I said they just departed. Boldly, Nogosh and Bitz."*
Such an idiotic report had reached me from Mauve.
"Kirika."
*"...I have confirmed it as well. I am filled with the desire to peer into their brains."*
I wanted it to be a mistake.
For some reason, reports were coming in that Nogosh and Princess Bitz were heading toward Rei's execution site as if it were nothing.
As Kirika said, what on earth is going on inside their heads?
Are they filled with nothing but flowers? Seriously?
"It's probably that, isn't it? They think they can win?"
"What do you mean?"
Seraria, who was listening to the report with me, spoke up.
"Look, it's a village near the border, right? And it's predicated on a duel. Even if we demand the handover of Princess Bitz, if they claim Ranks was in the wrong, we can't forcefully demand her handover. As for Rei, they can just discard him as a last resort, and deny the whole thing by claiming he was spouting delusions. They came to the execution site to offer such excuses to convince the public, while openly refusing to hand over Princess Bitz. If they try to take Princess Bitz without being able to win the duel, it would look bad for their reputation."
"So that's one way to look at it."
Indeed, if they come with that logic, we cannot force their hand.
If we act rashly, Ranks's position would indeed suffer.
"But, wouldn't it be over if they get captured?"
"True. If they are captured, that's the end of it. Besides, the entire village is filled with Ranks's soldiers, so there's no one to spread rumors. They've been troubled by Nogosh and Bitz from the start. But if they can manage that, they might think they can turn the tables in one fell swoop, right?"
"I suppose. Taiki-kun, the King of Ranks, is there, after all."
I can understand the logic, but it's a gamble.