第６３６堀：事情を聞いて仲直り？ (Part1)
Chapter 636: Hearing the Circumstances and Making Up?
Side: Kagura Kamishiro
"Fumyuu!?"
"Mihyaa!?"
Micos and I were currently letting out rather pathetic squeals.
The reason being...
*Squish, stretch.*
"It hurts, it hurts!"
"I'm sowwy!"
Our cheeks were being pinched and pulled in every direction.
And the one doing it was...
"Honestly. You girls..."
Yes, it was Yuki.
I mean, I know we’re in the wrong.
Even though we had collapsed earlier, unable to stomach that horrific scene, we had still stepped forward to volunteer for the infiltration of the Heire Church’s headquarters at the request of the Princess and my father. That’s why he’s angry.
It’s only natural. He had assigned us to Weed for rear-support duties out of concern for our well-being, and we had essentially thrown that kindness back in his face to come here.
But I—we—wanted to be of use to Yuki.
To be honest, I had been confident that I wouldn't collapse over something like this again. I thought we were just going to be judging the character of former nobles, but the things Yuki spoke about led to something far more monumental.
No, based on what we heard, it was a logical progression.
We are currently in a very precarious position. Aside from Heiden, Findar, and Weed, everyone else could potentially become our enemy.
It wasn't just a matter of defeating the people of the Heire Church.
Hearing that had turned our faces pale, leading to our current predicament.
"Sigh. Well, I suppose since your father and the Princess asked, you couldn't exactly say no."
With that, Yuki finally let go of our cheeks.
We immediately brought our hands to our sore faces, rubbing them.
"...That’s not it. We *wanted* to help."
"...That’s right. Micos and Kagura volunteered of our own accord."
"Volunteered?"
"U-Um... I volunteered too."
"Oh, right. Solo volunteered as well."
Micos had totally forgotten about Solo. How cruel.
Setting that aside, I had decided to make my intentions clear.
"I will be useful this time."
"You say that, but your face was just white as a sheet a moment ago."
"T-That couldn't be helped! I thought this was just about looking for a few acquaintances, but then you started talking about involving neighboring countries and a potential world war!"
When I said that, Micos and Solo both nodded in agreement.
"Is that all? You should have been able to predict that much from the situation so far."
"If you're going to say that, then Yuki, didn't you change your entire plan after that conversation? Doesn't that mean you overlooked it too?"
"...Well, yeah. I guess I’m in no position to talk."
Wait, what? His reaction was different from what I expected.
I thought for sure he would come up with some incredibly convincing excuse.
"Well, it can't be helped this time. I suppose you couldn't just sit idly by and watch anyway."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Is there a problem that directly involves us, Micos and the others?"
"I don't really understand."
Since we didn't quite grasp the meaning behind Yuki's words, the three of us asked for clarification, only to be met with an exasperated look.
"...Did you hear that worst-case scenario earlier and not think about what comes next? *Sigh.* Look. If, by some chance, we end up at war with the Heire Church, Duke Kamishiro and you, Kagura, will definitely be sent to the front lines as generals. Micos, you're a Baron's daughter, so I don't know about your specific deployment, but given your relationship with Kagura, there's a high chance you'd be her attendant. Your father, the Baron, might even end up leading the vanguard on the front lines. As for Solo, he’d likely be drafted as a student mage. They won't have nearly enough manpower, after all."
"""Whaaa!?"""
Strange noises escaped the three of us simultaneously.
If that happened, I would surely die.
No, Micos and Solo probably thought the same thing.
I could tell because their faces had gone past pale and were now turning white.
"S-S-Surely, if that happens, Yuki-sensei will do something about it?"
"...Even we can't be fully committed to this war. To begin with, our total troop count is lower than any other country. How many fronts do you think will open up? People like Kagura, who are considered high-tier combat assets, will be prioritized for the hardest spots. If Micos or Solo join as regular soldiers, it’ll be impossible to save you specifically."
"Um, if we have the power of the rings we borrowed from Yuki-sensei, wouldn't we be okay?"
Solo was right. With the rings, we wouldn't be harmed. That meant we wouldn't lose.
"That only means *you* won't get hurt; it doesn't protect every allied soldier on the battlefield. In the worst case, your entire unit is wiped out and you're taken prisoner. Just because you can't be wounded doesn't mean you can escape. If that happens, you might be forced to watch a 'show' where your allies are slaughtered right in front of you. We can't mass-produce enough rings in time, either. Besides, if Micos or Solo used the power of those rings to push back an enemy army, you'd be treated as invaluable military assets and sent from one battlefield to the next."
"N-No way..."
"..."
Solo looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, while Micos looked down in silence, perhaps visualizing the scenario.
Yuki was right. No matter how strong Weed was, they couldn't support every single front.
If we consolidated in one place, we might manage, but in a war against the Heire Church, it was obvious we would be attacked from multiple directions.
Yuki could only handle a fraction of that.
Furthermore, even if we won by relying solely on Weed while we desperately held the lines, Weed would become the dominant power, leading to even greater problems with governance afterward.
How many years would the post-war cleanup take?
And there was the issue of how much face our country, which had relied entirely on Weed, would be able to maintain.
But then, Yuki said something even more painful.
"...I see. You're intentionally avoiding the thought. But listen, there's no point in turning away. The worst thing for you, Kagura, would be that if war breaks out, you might end up having to kill the classmates you studied with at the Magic Academy with your own hands. They might not hesitate because they'll think we're the villains, but since you know the truth behind the scenes, it’ll be incredibly hard when the time comes to do what must be done."
"""..."""
That was true. Heiden Magic Academy accepted international students from many countries.
The classmates we were studying with right now could very well become enemies on the battlefield.
...Would we be able to strike down our friends as enemies when that time came?
Could we remain calm after seeing the remains of a friend left out in the open after the chaos of battle?
As we stood there stunned by the reality we had been avoiding, Yuki began speaking again in a lighter tone.
"Well, like I said, that’s the worst-case scenario. If Kagura, Micos, and Solo help us, things might actually go quite smoothly. After all, the ones doing the actual legwork are us—or rather, Steve and the others. Thinking about it that way gives you some motivation, doesn't it?"
He encouraged us with those words.
Honestly, if Yuki says that much, we have no choice but to do our best.
"I get it. We'll properly vet the former nobles and make sure we provide the support the Archbishop needs."
"Leave it to us. Once the Archbishop is rescued, there's no way people will follow those lunatics anymore."
"I-I... well, I don't have any friends, b-but I'll... d-do my best."
...Oh dear.
It wasn't Solo's fault, but his last comment caused the world to fall into a dead silence.