第４７０堀：まとめ 異世界の侍と剣の神のその後 (Part2)
"And that’s the situation. I had Arwin return the Dungeon Master abilities I’d transferred to Taizo, and he’s back to managing things for now. Well, once he has some free time, he’ll probably think things through more thoroughly, but for the moment, that’s fine. Besides, Taizo is essentially the Chancellor of the Hifi Holy Kingdom, so he’s not exactly looking for more work. It would make it impossible for him to continue his research."
"Haha... Well, you and the others sure have it rough, Yuki-san."
Ria is right. I really wish people would stop with the mindset that they can just dump every single problem on us Summoned ones. It’s just a massive headache. Wipe your own backsides for once. My original goal was to reach a state of stability for every nation, but damn it all...
"I understand the situation with Arwin, but what about him and her—the ones who caused the direct problems this time? If it’s up to you, Yuki, surely those who treated tools so recklessly and caused such damage shouldn't go unpunished, right?"
"Of course. Nogosh calmed down after some 'persuasion' from Nonoa and agreed to peace. Officially, the declaration of war against Ranks never happened."
"...Why?"
"Cleena, you can't just go to war without a damn good reason. Nogosh himself believed we were the villains and that the world's survival was at stake, all based on the information he got from Bitz. He worked with Nonoa and the others under that assumption. But if he accepts the explanation that he was wrong..."
"Then there is no reason to fight. Still, I suppose Nogosh isn't just a mindless brute after all."
"It’s both surprising and expected, in a way. He has managed to keep his small nation afloat all this time, after all. If we were to execute Nogosh now, it would only heighten tensions between nations. It might even look like a backstab, which could lead the Land of Swords to launch a war of vengeance. We have to avoid that."
"Um, so in the end, Nogosh gets off scot-free?"
"I suppose you could say agreeing to peace is a form of punishment, but in reality, he hasn't suffered any direct damage. The damage was caused by Nonoa’s schemes and Bitz’s invasion of Ranks. That’s all."
Even if he gave the orders, there’s no hard evidence, and pushing for a confession would only cause more problems, so we’ve decided not to pursue it.
"Honestly, it’s no wonder Nogosh was furious at Kamiizumi Nobutsuna."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ah, I heard it from Nonoa. The fight between Nogosh and Kamiizumi Nobutsuna started with a war of words."
"Excuse me? A war of words? I thought it was a one-on-one duel in the Land of Swords' arena?"
"It was. But Kamiizumi started a 'Zen dialogue' of sorts, and Nogosh got talked into a corner."
"...That is, how should I put this..."
"It felt like he’d tainted the duel, or the spirit of the sword fight. After that, a furious Nogosh tried to strike him down, but you can’t land a hit when you’re in that state of mind. He was just flicked aside by the flat of the blade. Arwin said, 'As a master, he probably intended it as a lesson, but that’s not something you do to a king in front of a crowd,' and just gave a wry smile."
"..."
My wives fell silent.
It can't be helped. Trying to apply common sense to geniuses who have transcended into the realm of eccentrics is impossible. They walk their own path, no matter what. The only thing you can do is learn to deflect them. If you try to confront them head-on, you’re only going to get hurt. That’s likely why Arwin decided it was enough to just win the match, rather than taking his life.
"T-then, what happened to Princess Bitz? I haven't heard any talk of an execution."
Jessica changed the subject to Bitz, but that was the most problematic part of all.
"To be honest, this is officially a Ranks issue. We can’t say anything about it. But to give you the result: Bitz wasn't executed. She renounced her claim to the throne and has become a personal attendant—sort of a Royal Guard—for Taiki."
"WHAT!?"
That was the biggest shock of the day.
"What does that mean? What she did is absolutely unforgivable!!"
"Exactly!! Taiki-san, the people of the country, and even we were put through so much trouble because of her!!"
"...Nn. We should persuade Taiki. That damn woman should be executed immediately."
Jessica, Ria, and Cleena all looked completely incredulous. And rightly so. The things Bitz did go far beyond what anyone would normally forgive.
I wonder if Samantha, who’s been silent this whole time, understands?
This is going to be a long story, or rather, it’s just how things are...
Time to wrap up this chapter.
It’s been a while since the New Year break, so hopefully, this helps everyone remember where we left off.