第７８８堀：あれからどうなってこうなった？ (Part1)
Chapter 788: How Did We End Up Like This?
Side: Milly
*Boom, crash, rumble...*
The final, thunderous explosion left the area in a heavy silence. A thick cloud of dust billowed into the air, but as it gradually cleared and visibility returned, the scene revealed itself...
Before me stood Deryu, my sword pressed against her neck, while her fist was firmly planted just beneath my chin.
"Not bad. I thought you might have grown rusty, what with all the administrative work and raising children."
"Not at all. Besides, you’re the same as ever, Demon Lord."
"Hah! What are you saying? It’s abnormal for a receptionist at the Adventurer’s Guild to be able to trade blows with a Demon Lord, don't you think?"
"That’s just the power of love, I suppose."
As we exchanged smiles, Yuki-san’s voice cut through the air.
"Alright, that’s enough. It’s a draw."
"A draw, it is!"
"A draw indeed."
Looking toward the source of the voice, I saw not just Yuki-san, but everyone else rushing over.
"You two were much more boisterous than I expected. Thanks to that, the Count’s faction, who were busy setting up the camp for the Sea-Sypho army, are standing there with their jaws on the floor. Nice work."
At his words, I glanced toward the staging area and saw a crowd of soldiers staring at us in utter disbelief.
"They were quite surprised when Aslin-sama and Firia-sama were training, but this is on a completely different level," Sasari remarked, scanning the surroundings.
I followed her gaze and realized that what had been a beautiful meadow was now a jagged, cratered wasteland.
"I was surprised by the magical duel between Kagura and General Agil, but I never imagined a simple melee spar could cause this much destruction," Princess Carrie said, looking around with the same stunned expression as the others.
"No, Princess. My magic couldn't possibly do this much..."
"I agree. Well, if I pooled all my magic and the power of the magic swords, it wouldn't be impossible, but that would be a one-time deal. I couldn't afford to be this generous with my resources. Besides, those two still have plenty of energy left."
The two who had demonstrated their training before us claimed they couldn't reach this level. Did it really look like we had gone completely overboard?
"It’s not that big of a deal. This is pretty standard for Weed, isn't it, Deryu?"
"Indeed. We usually do this in a designated training area, after all. Even this was me holding back. Right, everyone?"
As Deryu said this, all the members of Weed nodded in agreement. While the others remained silent, Princess Stacia managed to find her voice.
"Well, I understood the intensity of Weed’s training to some extent when we stormed the Haire Church headquarters, but..."
Ah, that’s right. Princess Stacia had come to Weed for training before. Following her lead, Kagura and the others seemed to recall it as well.
"It’s on a completely different level from when we were with Mikos-chan and the others..."
"If I had to do that kind of training, I’d be dead. Though, that training was terrifying in its own right."
"That’s true. The House of Horrors, the zombie-infested dungeon, the school at night... those were something else entirely, weren't they?"
"...Yeah, the school was brutal."
"That was Enora’s first time, wasn't it?"
"It was incredible."
"It really was."
"Yes, it was truly something..."
They all turned pale just talking about it. Well, the House of Horrors and the zombie dungeon were intentional and focused efforts. The school at the end was just Luna playing around on her own, but the fear factor was top-tier.
"Well, the training has a different purpose. The training you, Princess Stacia and Kagura, underwent was for survival and maintaining composure in dire situations. Remember how you felt ill for a while after the incident in the town near the school?"
"I... I don't want to remember that."
"It was awful, wasn't it?"
"I couldn't eat for a while."
"If I recall, they were performing the same kind of torture I was subjected to at the headquarters, right? It’s only natural to react that way when you see it without any preparation."
I had seen the reports, too. It was a situation filled with maximum revulsion. My daughter had just been born at the time, and it felt like the absolute worst.
"Anyway, this training is purely about physical exertion. Think of it as a fitness test."
"A fitness test, you say?"
"Exactly. As you saw with your own eyes, Princess Carrie, when my wives move without worrying about collateral damage, this is what happens. You understand that this is different from moving stealthily or trying not to kill an opponent, right?"
"I see. The training we received was for actual combat. This training is to make us realize our own limits?"
"That’s it. Well, of course, as you said earlier, the primary goal is to keep that rebellious Count in check... but if we got serious, we could do even more. Right, Milly? Deryu?"
Yuki-san asked, and I replied...
"Well, going beyond this would take a bit of effort, but we could do it, right Deryu?"
"Indeed. It’s just a matter of breaking things. Though, it would require using large-scale magic."
I answered honestly. But destroying things on a massive scale is just inconvenient and lacks finesse. As for Princess Carrie and the others after hearing our answer...
"Even more than this? I’m truly glad we aren't enemies with Yuki-sama."
"Indeed. If that were the case, not only Haiden but the entire Kingdom of Findall would have been doomed."
"The Haire Church as well. Honestly, Kagura, I’m impressed you managed to persuade Yuki-dono and his group. You summoned his wives and children along with him, didn't you? Isn't that usually a capital offense for kidnapping royalty?"
As Enora said, at the time, we were ready to kill them all. After all, it involved Yuki-san, Aslin, Viria, us—who were pregnant at the time—and Sakura and the others.
"...Persuasion is one word for it. I suppose I was saved by Yuki’s mercy, or perhaps by being wrapped up like a mummy..."
"...I remember that. Even while playing the fool, I knew at that moment that things had gone horribly wrong."
Come to think of it, the "flower-brained princess" act she put on back then was just an act. Thinking about it now, having the nerve to keep that up in such a situation is incredible. No wonder Seraria and the others praise her as a princess. I was too busy trying to protect Yumi in my womb to notice, but looking back, that took some serious guts.
"Well, let’s leave the past in the past. We’re cooperating now. That reminds me, you mentioned the 'Idiot Princess' earlier."
"...Idiot Princess."
"Princess, you were the one who said it."
"I know, but hearing it from someone else still stings a bit. Oh, my apologies for interrupting. Please, continue."
"No, that was my lack of consideration. Anyway, back to the point. At the time, there was that group called the 'Gathering of Wisdom,' and the country was in chaos with the current royal faction and the old royal faction clashing, right? What happened with that? We were completely out of the loop because we were dealing with the aftermath of the Aquenoki incident at the Haire Church."
Ah, that’s right. Princess Carrie had been playing the "Idiot Princess" to avoid the conflict between the old and current royal factions. The mastermind, the Gathering of Wisdom, had been disbanded—or rather, the ones in Haiden were dealt with after they tried to meddle with Yuki-san and his group—but in the end, the fundamental rift between the two factions hadn't been resolved.
After all, a country is always going to have those kinds of factions. I was just a naive girl at first, but after traveling with Yuki-san and visiting various countries, I’ve come to understand that.