第６４８堀：酔っ払いは酔ってないという (Part1)
### Chapter 648: The Drunkard Claims He Isn't Drunk
**Side: Yuki**
"I surrender!! Call me a lawyer!!"
I was honestly stunned. The remains of the former heroes who had arrived at the Grand Headquarters had, for some reason, declared their surrender with those very words.
To be fair, the whole situation had been bizarre from the start. I had heard reports of a "horde of the dead," a group of zombies, yet they had conversed normally with the idiots at the Cyper Cathedral, exchanged greetings with the townspeople, and walked right out of the gates with their heads held high.
At first, I assumed the Cyper Cathedral crowd had been acting as their handlers, but it turned out there were no escorts at all. The army of the dead had simply marched out on their own.
Usually—or at least, based on my own experience and intuition—when you reanimate a corpse, the soul, which acts as the engine for the body, is gone. They end up as nothing more than puppets following orders. The exceptions are people like Kirika and her group, but they weren't reanimated corpses; they were produced by a Dungeon Core, so they aren't really a good point of reference. Then there’s Comet, a rare case who died within a dungeon, allowing her soul to remain tethered to her body, letting her retain her own will.
As for these other dead, I can only assume they are part of some experiment to gradually trigger the memories remaining in their flesh.
In any case, a group of undead appearing at the Grand Headquarters, moving and showing emotions just like living people, is an anomaly.
"So, what are we going to do? The group of dead who offered their surrender is currently behaving themselves in front of the gate."
"For now, maintain the status quo. We’re just as confused as you are. Even if we wanted to dispose of them, if we strike down someone who has offered a surrender, that creates its own set of problems."
"Well, I suppose that’s true."
We’re just about to launch the New Three Houses. If we start by cutting down defenseless opponents to gain fame, what kind of villain protagonist would that make me? It’s not just us; the people of the Haire Church saw that the group of dead hadn't done anything, and they heard the surrender declaration, too. If we were to kill them after that, it would inevitably breed distrust.
"Tell them we are currently deliberating and will reach a decision soon. Also, tell them that if they need supplies—excluding weapons—we will provide what we can."
"Understood."
*Sigh.* My head hurts. If they had just attacked, I could have turned them into Swiss cheese with gunfire and been done with it. I never expected them to surrender. According to their own claims, the brainwashing has been lifted, but...
"So, what do you think, New Three Houses? You were the ones who faced them directly."
"…I’m sorry. I cannot say."
"Likewise. Seeing the form of Arge... I lost my composure."
Princess Carrie and Princess Stasia are unable to make a judgment. I can't blame them. Their own kin are being used as puppets; they must be at their mental limit. As for Kagura and Enola...
"You're Yuki, right? Hmph..."
"Hey, Enola. Answer the question properly. Um, Yuki, honestly? They didn't seem like they were lying to me."
"I agree with Kagura on that. Besides, I don't think a group that came here to kill us would bother trying to talk."
Enola seems to have a mountain of distrust toward me. I suppose I left the field work to her subordinates and the princesses, so she probably doesn't feel great about me waltzing in late. However, she knows the power of my guns and my subordinates, so she isn't openly rebelling. We’ll just have to get used to each other over time.
*Ugh, what a pain.* This is exactly why I didn't want to come to the front lines.
"What about you, Agil?"
"I agree with Kagura and Enola. If they intended to harm us, we’d already be in the middle of a battle. Even if they are the great heroes of the past, they’re outnumbered. If they fought us head-on, they’d be crushed by sheer numbers. Their only chance would be a surprise attack. Since they didn't do that, I’m leaning toward believing their surrender. Then again, it’s possible RS changed their orders, and they’re just luring us in to stab us in the back."
"That’s the crux of it. Beyond the possibility of acting, there’s the chance they aren't even aware they’re being brainwashed. Some forms of brainwashing or hypnosis have triggers that force the body to move automatically."
There is nothing less reliable than a drunkard claiming they aren't drunk. It’s the same thing.
Now, what to do... As I was thinking, Dressa spoke up.
"Isn't it pointless to dwell on that? We have to take action regardless. So, Yuki, what do *you* want to do?"
"Indeed. Brother, what do you think we should do?"
With Vilier backing her up, everyone else seemed to want my opinion. Well, I’m the one at the top; I suppose nothing happens until I speak.
"True. I also think their behavior is strange. I want to talk to them, but I can't shake the fear that this is a trap. In other words, if there’s no possibility of being harmed by them, I’m willing to listen."
"Well, that’s obvious. If they really are on our side, as they claim, things will be much easier. But how do you prove they aren't lying or brainwashed? As long as that can't be solved, as the leader of the guards, I cannot recommend a direct dialogue. I apologize to Princess Carrie and Princess Stasia, but it would be safer to have them return to being corpses. You might hesitate to strike down those who are defenseless, but the fact remains that RS summoned them. If you leave it to us, we can handle it."
As Agil said, there is no way to prove they aren't brainwashed. But conversely, there is no proof that they *are* brainwashed. It’s a classic "devil's proof." They say "innocent until proven guilty," but when lives are on the line... that’s a heavy gamble.
Does that mean I should call off the dialogue and let Agil dispose of them for the sake of the future?
Just as I was thinking that, Solo suddenly spoke up.
"U-um, even if we talk, do we really need to do it face-to-face? From what I’ve heard, it sounds like the assumption is that the Princesses or you, Yuki-sama, have to stand right in front of them..."
"Oh, Mikos thought that too. Look, if we have this communication... magic, why not use it to talk indirectly? We haven't even heard the details yet, and if we just dispose of them now, the Princesses and the Haire believers will have regrets..."
"Oh, right. If we listen to that indirect dialogue with the Archbishops present, we should be able to get some level of understanding regardless of how it turns out."
Following Solo, Mikos and Amanda jumped on the idea. But, as harsh as it sounds, Agil voiced the concern in my stead.
"…Even with an indirect dialogue, someone still has to get close to that group of the dead. If things go wrong, they’ll die. It would likely be one of Yuki’s subordinates. Are you telling them to go die?"
"..."
At those words, the three of them fell silent.