第４８９堀：これはいいことかな？ (Part2)
And so, with a large contingent of soldiers in tow, we moved a short distance away from the camp to witness the demonstration.
*Rumble, rumble...*
Before our very eyes, the ground rose up, collapsed, and then, as if pulled together, vanished into a massive crater. Everyone stood there, eyes wide and mouths agape.
"This... we absolutely must report this to His Majesty."
"Indeed. We must not make an enemy of Weed. If they can manipulate the terrain to this extent, our army would be rendered completely useless."
They were right. I had been skeptical, but seeing it demonstrated before me, I finally understood. That massive crater had been caused by Shera and her companions.
Yet, with such power at their disposal, what was Weed’s true objective? A latent, creeping dread began to take hold of me.
"Shera-sama. I understand the power of Weed well, but... what is the goal of a nation like Weed?"
I had to ask. If I handled this poorly, we risked making an enemy of a superpower that made even Haiden look like a minor player. Shera-sama seemed surprised by my sudden question, but she quickly grasped my intent.
"Ah, I see. The nation of Weed seeks peace."
"...Peace, you say?"
"Yes. Not to subjugate other nations, but to respect one another, join hands, and foster reconciliation through dialogue, just as I am doing with George-dono right now. If that were not the case, I believe George-dono and his men would already be beneath the soil."
That was true. I had been so overwhelmed by their sheer, incomparable power that I had forgotten that simple fact. In the first place, they could have killed us on a whim. The only reason we were still alive was that Weed sought discussion and peace.
"I have clearly recognized the will of Weed. I will make sure to convey this to His Majesty."
"Yes, please do. Oh, and speaking of evidence, there is the matter of magic tools. Do magic tools exist in your lands?"
"Regrettably, yes, they do."
"Are they items that the common folk can use?"
"What do you mean? Magic tools are expensive; they are far beyond the reach of the commoners."
To be honest, even if they had the tools, they wouldn't function without the ability to imbue them with mana. It meant that only a handful of people could use them; the balance of supply and demand simply didn't exist.
"I see. Then, please take this. It wouldn't do to hand it directly to George-dono. George-jin, please inspect this."
"At once. Is this... a lamp?"
"Yes. Could you press the round part at the base while focusing your mana into your fingertip?"
"...My apologies, Shera-sama. This George-jin has absolutely no talent for magic..."
"It is quite alright. This is something even an ordinary person can use."
"Hmph. Very well, if you insist..."
The old man pressed the round part, expecting nothing to happen—but then, what was this? A beautiful, brilliant white light began to pour forth from the lamp!
"George-jin, since when could you use magic!?"
"I-I have no idea! It is impossible for me to use magic..."
"This is a magic lamp sold to the general public in Weed. It has a function that stores mana from the air, so it only requires a tiny spark of mana to activate."
"Such a thing exists in Weed!? Old man!! Stop turning it on and off yourself, let me try!!"
"Hey! I am still in the middle of my inspection!"
"To hell with your inspection!! Hand it over!!"
I managed to snatch the lamp from the old man and tried it myself. It lit up!
"Amazing!! This is incredible!! To think there are magic tools that even I can handle!"
"Does this serve as evidence?"
"It does!! It absolutely does!! Leave the negotiations with the Empire to me, George!"
This might have been an even greater achievement than bringing down Baide.
"Oh, and we also have magic weapons that anyone can use, so if you would like to see those as well..."
"Such things exist too!? Please, let me try them!"
Incredible! Was I finally going to become the mage I had always dreamed of being?
"Well, it is quite dangerous, so I will have this child demonstrate first. Please, stand back."
With that, Shera-sama gestured to a small child who had been tagging along—a child who, strangely enough, was carrying a massive shield.
"Now, Hiiro, if you would."
"Got it! Fire Bomb."
As the child named Hiiro spoke the words, a large fireball erupted from the staff they were holding...
*BOOM!!*
A hole as large as one made by a catapult had been blasted into the ground.
"Hiiro. Rapid fire."
"Okay!"
*Thud-thud-thud-thud... BOOM!!*
One shot was shocking enough, but the child began firing the magic in rapid succession.
"..."
As we stood there, stunned, Shera-sama offered us the staff.
"As you can see, it has quite a bit of power, so please be careful. Do not point it at people."
"Y-y-yes, ma'am!!"
"W-w-we understand!!"
Oh no, my voice cracked. Even the old man couldn't manage a proper "I understand!"
"Oh, we will arrange a meeting with Yuki-san, the Prince Consort of Weed, at a later date to finalize the details."
"P-Prince Consort!?"
"Yes. He was caught up in this summoning along with the rest of us."
What on earth had Haiden done to us? No... perhaps I should be grateful that we were able to forge this friendship.
And so, we unanimously decided to establish a bond of friendship with Weed.