第６５６堀：めでたしとはじまり (Part2)
"Any fool who dares to defy Lady Luna must be eradicated, root and branch."
"I don't know where Aquenoki is, but I’ve tagged him, so tracking him is possible at any time. Besides, the place I set him loose is the eastern part of the New Continent—the territories of Haiden, Findal, and the Haire Church."
"““Hah!?””"
Since that was news to us, we couldn't help but raise our voices. The princesses, however, remained calm; they must have already been informed. Why were they so composed?
"Kagura, calm yourself. Aquenoki may have lost his power, but there are still Magic Gears created by the Mad King within our lands. If he knows Aquenoki has been unleashed in his home turf, the first thing he’ll do is make contact..."
"Ah, I see. You mean with the Mad King’s followers."
"Exactly as Mikos says. He won't be let off the hook easily. If he gathers under the Mad King, we’ll wipe them all out together, and there’s a possibility that other mid-tier god factions might gather around the Mad King as well. Well, if he ends up dying in a ditch, then he was just that kind of man."
"““……””"
Everyone fell silent at Princess Carrie’s cold assessment, but as a ruler, this was only to be expected. We had been put through so much trouble; we had to be prepared for this level of ruthlessness.
"Well, putting Aquenoki’s movements aside, there’s another issue. From here on out, there will be almost no support from Weed for Haiden, Findal, or the Haire Church. Frankly, us sticking our necks out this far was a problem in itself. As for crimes involving Magic Gears, Haiden, Findal, and the Haire Church will have to consult and handle them. Of course, I’ll assist if there’s a request, but..."
"We appreciate your kindness, Yuki-sama, but if we continue to rely on Weed, various problems will arise. We already have enough as it is. Our immediate goal should be the international conference at the Academy."
That was Princess Stasia. Right, I remembered now. The original reason for going to the Academy was to explain the situation to the various nations to ensure future stability and to have Weed recognized as a sovereign state.
"Well, do your best with that. We’ve got our own pile of work here, like the progress of the Logariif talks and other loose ends. Let me know when you’re ready."
"Yes. I look forward to working with you then."
Oh, right. There’s no reason for Yuki to stay in Haiden forever anymore. But wait, am I forgetting something? Ah, that’s right.
"Hey, Yuki. What about the magic depletion phenomenon in our lands?"
"That’s something we’ll have to deal with eventually, but there’s no point in investigating anything until Haiden, Findal, and the Haire Church settle down."
"T-that’s true..."
"Well, the visible crisis is over, but now the real, steady work begins. I pray you’ll be able to rebuild your nations properly."
"You have lent us so much of your strength. We will do our best to ensure we can formally invite Weed to our lands in the near future."
With Princess Carrie’s parting words, the major plans for the future were settled. We then headed off to our new posts in Weed. While we could technically continue attending the Academy, my contribution to the defense of Baide meant that Mikos and I had already graduated, and our jobs were already set. As for Solo, since she is still a student, the plan is for her to travel back and forth between the Academy and Weed, serving as a liaison for Haiden, Findal, the Haire Church, and Weed.
And finally...
"Wait a minute, what are we supposed to do!?"
"Don't worry. I’ll have you working for the sake of my core."
"Kyaa!? Why are you coming out now!? If I’m going back, it should be to the Haire Church or the Haiden that Fable and the others built! Not Kagura’s place, but Sota and Enol’s!"
"You idiot, Hairen. If we show up now, it’ll only cause confusion. It’s been agreed that we’ll be given new bodies, and we owe them a debt. Enol, Arge, and I will spend some time in Weed, and if anything happens, we’ll lend a hand to Haiden and Findal."
"I never heard about that! Aren't we supposed to go around and see the peaceful world with Arge and Fable!?"
"Fable hasn't regained his sense of self, so there’s no way we can take him. It’s already been decided that he’ll return to being a corpse. Many of the others who have regained their consciousness also wish to return to their original bodies. That’s what it means for us to stay behind—it’s for their peace of mind. Give it a little more effort."
"...That’s how it is. Those who don't work, don't eat. Get to work. And play on your days off."
"Muuuugh!! I knew it, I hate you, boy Yuki!!"
It seems Lady Hairen and the others will be fine. Now, as for us... wait? What exactly am I supposed to do?
Just as I was thinking that, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see...
"Nice to meet you. I’m in charge of accounting—or 'finance,' as you might call it—here in Weed. I’m Yuki-san’s wife, Eris."
"I’m the second one. I wasn't sure what would happen back then, but the child was born safely. I’m Milly, Yuki-san’s wife, and I act as the liaison between Weed and the guild that manages those adventurers who specialize in monster hunting."
"“Let’s have a little chat, Kagura-san.”"
Ah, I’m dead. I’m dead for sure this time.
As you all know, in a normal story, this would be the happy ending. However, as you are all aware, my "Winning Dungeon" is nothing but a series of common troubles. Just as the title suggests, heroes, demon lords, and gods sprout from the soil like weeds.
Yuki is once again heading toward diplomacy and further trouble-solving, focusing on Weed to resolve the magic depletion problem. And Kagura is about to face the final boss.
What will happen next!?