第６５５堀：神の審判 被告狂王：君の名は (Part2)
"In the end, you've even come to a place like this. Isn't it more of a sacrilege to make me go through the trouble of disposing of you? You're ruining my day off, you know. Well, I suppose I can let that slide since I got to meet such an interesting child."
By "interesting," she must mean that klutz.
Still, I have a bad feeling about this. I should probably have someone keep an eye on Luna and Hairen when they play together.
No, honestly, I have a feeling they’ll only cause trouble.
"Are you saying you support the false goddess who denied her own existence!?"
"That child came here of her own free will. Well, you could say this falls within the scope of my own tastes, but unlike you, she didn't spout blatant idiocy about wanting to suckle on sweet nectar just because she attached herself to a mid-level god. She worked hard as a human, and in the very end, the wish she made upon obtaining the core was for the restoration and peace of that land. I don't think she’s even comparable to you, do you?"
Admittedly, while I called her a klutz, the fact that she wished for peace upon obtaining the core is something worthy of praise.
Even if we ignore the monsters she erased for the time being, that is.
"In the first place, there is no such thing as a 'false' or 'real' goddess. If people believe in them and worship them, then goddesses and saints are born. Isn't the fact that a blockhead like you managed to play king a good proof of that? You were just hoisted up by idiots who followed you, weren't you?"
"I will not allow you to insult my subjects!!"
"You have that much compassion, yet the reason you and that mid-level god were struck down is that you couldn't extend that same feeling to the masses around you."
"There is a limit to how many people or gods can be saved. I simply understood that!!"
"Haaah. That’s the height of intellectual stagnation. The idea that you can only save your own country is a fantasy, you know? You probably want to say that a world without rampant bandits is impossible, but in the world this girl came from, even if wars occur, they are basically civil wars, and outlaws like bandits only exist in the frontier lands. The scale of the countries there is hundreds of times larger than the one you governed."
"There is no way such a thing could exist..."
"It exists. Originally, countries were formed by many towns and villages coming together. That is the coexistence of towns and villages. In other words, the coexistence of people. And yet, you find it strange to think that countries can coexist with each other? It’s just a matter of scale."
That’s right. Luna’s logic is sound.
That is how humanity has grown.
It is often called a dream or an illusion that we will one day understand one another, but that’s wrong. Our Earth has achieved that dream time and time again, and while it still faces problems, it continues to grow.
Well, an organization like a unified global state or a world federation is still a long way off due to conflicting interests, but it will happen eventually.
I don't know if humanity will go extinct before then, but considering history, it wouldn't be strange at all if it came to pass.
If you deny this, you have to deny the countries, towns, and villages that exist now—no, that have existed until now. Because you’d be claiming that coexistence is impossible.
"..."
Faced with this barrage of sound logic, Aquenoki falls silent.
"Look, I don't mind you rebelling against me. Not if you do it based on sound intentions and convictions. But don't tell me you're doing it for the sake of a mid-level god who cherished you—especially not for a fool who was struck down after inviting the backlash of the people... You lot have no choice but to be purged again. If you had at least presented a plan for improvement and wished for the resurrection of the mid-level god, that would be one thing, but this is out of the question."
"...What will happen to me?"
Finally realizing that there is no way to escape his fate, Aquenoki asks about his future in a calm tone.
"Hmm. Honestly, erasure is the appropriate disposal. You defied me, and your reason was on the level of a child's tantrum. But that feels a bit too lenient. Plus, I want you to compensate me for this interrogation and the time you've wasted."
"That said, don't even think about leaving him in my care, okay?"
I make sure to drive that point home.
I really don't want to deal with re-educating this one.
He is the most idiotic god I've encountered so far.
Even Noble, Nogosh, and Nonoa seem better by comparison.
Those three were at least seriously managing their countries while seeking ways to solve their mana depletion, whereas Aquenoki is just a moron who thinks of nothing but resurrecting the source of all his troubles: the mid-level god.
Luna seems to understand my desire to have nothing to do with him...
"I won't do that. He’s nothing but a nuisance. Well, let’s strip him of his power and have him do his best as a human somewhere. If he manages to regain his power, he can come at me again."
"Hey, won't that just let the enemy escape?"
I’d prefer it if she didn't scatter pests around.
"If he gathers the other mid-level god's followers, wouldn't he be the perfect bait?"
"Ah, I see."
That’s a brilliant plan.
So, it means we can flush out the other hidden followers of the mid-level god.
"...Do you think I would easily contact the others just because you say so? In the first place, I have already cut off contact for over 500 years. You should have just erased me. Even if I cannot contact them, I will surely take revenge on you."
"I’ll at least praise you for that spirit. Now, go try living as a human."
With that, Luna points her palm at Aquenoki, and a faint light emanates from it.
"See ya, Aquenoki."
"Eh? No, I am Aqueno..."
For some reason, Aquenoki leaves with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Do your best, Aquenoki."
He was a nasty guy, but that was all I could say to someone who had to restart their life.
I didn't say it out loud, but I was hoping he’d be useful to me.
"Um, hey. Sota. Wasn't the Mad King's name Aqueno's'?"
"...I believe so, but since Lady Luna called him Aquenoki, surely that must be the correct one?"
"Hmm. Then we must make a correction. Can you handle that, Archbishop?"
"Well, it is an old document. We can simply teach in future lessons that it was Aquenoki, not Aquenos."
"...Sister Stasia. That was clearly Lady Luna making a mistak..."
"Shh. Since Lord Sota, Lord Enol, and the Archbishop are in agreement, there is no reason for you to stop it."
"...In other words, to Lady Luna, Aquenos... no, 'ki' was only worth that much, then."
With this, the Mad King became a human, and the New Continent found peace...
As everyone knows, the moving anime movie "Your Name."
It was a title that couldn't possibly be mistaken.
The content was an epic story about how to get people to remember your name!!
Well, a serious punishment like a gag is the best way to do it.
In more ways than one.
Finally, for those who remembered it as "Aquenoki" instead of "Aquenos":
I won't get angry, so please confess honestly.
When he makes a reappearance, I’ll give you the definitive proof that it is "Aquenoki."