第８５０堀：魔物を招く石 (Part2)
“Ah, regarding the Seasypho problem. The possibility has emerged that the cause of monsters appearing in that sea area might be related to Aquenoki or the Assembly of Wisdom.”
“…”
As always, Yuki casually drops bombshells.
All three of them were frozen, still holding their delicious tea.
Well, that was only natural.
The fact that the Aquenoki problem was still ongoing, and potentially causing harm to other nations, was nothing short of a major issue for Haiden, Findal, and the Haile Church.
“...How much certainty is there to that claim?”
“No, there’s no certainty yet. I came here precisely to investigate that.”
“Then, what led you to believe Aquenoki or the Assembly of Wisdom are involved?”
“Indeed. Could you tell us why you thought so?”
“Right, that makes sense. I’ll be handing over a report later, so I’ll give you a brief explanation…”
With that, Yuki recounted the events at Seasypho to the three of them.
“...It feels like quite a stretch, but it’s not impossible.”
“Indeed. So, you mean to eliminate the possibility?”
“Right. However, if that’s the case, then exiling them seems to have been a poor move. It’s too late now, but perhaps we should have dealt with them swiftly?”
Archbishop Enol casually uttered something chilling.
…No, I understood the logic.
If Aquenoki were to hinder future intercontinental exchange, then it was only natural to deal with them quickly.
Just as I was accepting this, however…
“No, that’s not it. They are bait. Thanks to them, we can extract information about the Assembly of Wisdom. The possibility of Aquenoki being directly involved this time is low. It’s more reasonable to view this as the actions of fanatics operating behind the Haile Church and the Assembly of Wisdom within Haiden.”
Yuki flatly denied it.
Certainly, Yuki’s point was valid.
There was also the fact that having Aquenoki around allowed them to gather information.
“When you put it that way, you’re right. Aquenoki hasn’t shown any noticeable movements. So, it would be the Assembly of Wisdom, but we haven’t gathered any specific information on them. Oh, speaking of which, didn’t Findal crush some fanatic-related groups?”
“Ah, yes, there was that. I heard a group of fanatics was apprehended. However, I haven’t seen any related documents, so I’ll look into it more thoroughly. How about you, Archbishop?”
“Let’s see… Research related to monsters has mostly been about Magic Gear, and no, I haven’t finished investigating everything yet…”
Archbishop Enol’s words reminded me of its existence.
Magic Gear.
A rare magical tool on this New Continent that could summon monsters.
At that name, I somehow felt the Seasypho problem connect.
“Hey, Yuki…”
“Wait, that’s not confirmed yet.”
Yuki, no, everyone, seemed to have reached the same conclusion, their expressions grim.
“King Haiden. How many Magic Gear units did you secure on your end? Do you know the total number?”
“No, I don’t know the total number. However, there shouldn’t have been that many in the first place. And there shouldn’t have been any recovery errors in Sir Yuki’s investigations, either.”
“Yes. That should be the case, but…”
Indeed, Yuki had personally led the recovery of Magic Gear, ensuring none were missed…
“No, well, we did recover them properly in each capital, but other regions aren’t perfect. In fact, some were shipped out before I even arrived.”
“…”
…Everyone fell silent at Yuki’s words.
No, what Yuki said was certainly true, but acknowledging it would mean…
“...Sensei Yuki. That means it’s not just Seasypho, doesn’t it?”
“!?”
I had inadvertently said something I shouldn’t have.
“Well, I had anticipated that from the beginning. I issued warnings, and any country that still suffered damage would simply be foolish.”
“No, you can’t say that, can you? The root cause is our responsibility.”
Indeed, if things went poorly, the intercontinental exchange could be jeopardized…
“Well, that’s true. But we can’t urge action for something that hasn’t caused damage yet. Honestly, the chances of us being dragged down have just increased. For now, we have a plan for the Seasypho sea area investigation. I suppose we should be happy with just that much progress.”
Yuki truly remained unfazed.
But indeed, Yuki was right.
What had happened couldn’t be undone.
Then, all that was left was to act to resolve it.
Nothing had changed from before.
With Yuki, everything would be fine.
Thus, I renewed my resolve.
And now, M.G.S. again!!
Thus, the second act of the legendary errand runner begins.
The stage is set on the ocean.
Hmm, it’s similar.
Now, will Steve really be thrown into the sea?
Does Magic Gear exist?!
Oh, Aquenoki seems to be diligently training.
For now, it feels like there’s no actual harm.