第９２９堀：事情聴取 (Part2)
"Oh, so you don't even remember how many times Mikos-chan failed? You pathetic self-proclaimed god! Are you senile, too? That's what I said."
"And then, Aquenoki took the bait and said he remembered exactly how many times he had failed..."
"I see, so that's how it ended up being 234. By the way, was it a coincidence that you repurposed them for summoning monsters? Hey, Aquenoki, wake up."
Yuki spoke to Aquenoki gently.
"...I have been awake from the start. Why are your women so violent?"
"I don't think you're in any position to say that."
At Yuki's words, Kagura and the others nodded in unison.
"You heard the conversation, right? Leaving aside the fact that my wives are undeniably cute and beautiful, you didn't intend to use those 234 dungeon cores as monster summoning devices from the beginning, did you?"
"I didn't say a single word about your women being cute or beautiful..."
"Answer us quickly, Aquenoki."
"Originally, the goal was to use the dungeon cores to regenerate my body. But it didn't go well, and I thought that by utilizing the dungeon cores' monster summoning function, I could expand my influence even without a physical form, so I began repurposing them."
"..."
He was being so honest that it actually started to feel a bit sad. I had thought he possessed at least some dignity as an enemy...
"...I don't think you're lying, but is that the truth? Also, this honesty of yours—doesn't it make you feel pathetic? You were so arrogant when you finally obtained that body."
"Shut up. I, too, understand the disparity in our combat strength. And I have no intention of harming my people needlessly. I simply thought that if those tools were causing trouble for my people, I might as well speak of it."
I see, so that's where he draws the line. I was convinced by that, but...
"Huh? Don't mess with me! Do you have any idea how many followers of the Haire religion and ordinary people were sacrificed because of you? Even I...! Don't you dare put on a 'good guy' act now!"
Hearing Aquenoki's words—as if he were wondering why she was making such a fuss—Enora, who was literally a victim, exploded in rage. It was only natural. Enora had been captured and tortured, and she had witnessed the deaths of many of her comrades in the process, so it was impossible for her not to be furious.
"I have no intention of being a 'good guy.' I merely fought for the god I believe in. And those were nothing more than the disposal of adversaries."
"You...! How convenient for you!"
To Aquenoki, it was a matter of course, but for Enora, it was more than enough to trigger an explosion of rage. However, there was one problem. Enora was currently undergoing the Weed-style level-up festival, and there was a massive gap in ability between her and Aquenoki, who had returned to being a mere human.
Well, of course, since Aquenoki had managed to defeat rivals and unite people to become a king when he was human, there was a slim chance he might survive. But if he took a blow from an enraged, mindless Enora head-on, his head might literally be separated from his shoulders.
"Enora!"
Kagura, realizing this, rushed to stop her, but it was too sudden, and the lethal fist was already...
*Pom. Mune, mune.*
"Yes, yes. Enora, calm down."
"Hinya!?"
Yuki placed his hand on her head and stroked her beast ears, causing Enora's fist to freeze in place.
"Wh-what are you doing!?"
"Well, it would be a problem if you beat him to death. I still need to have Aquenoki released so he can gather the rest of the Middle God faction."
"Muu..."
Yuki answered calmly and nonchalantly as always, causing Enora to lower her raised fist.
"...After hearing everything so far, do you feel nothing?"
"To say I feel nothing would be wrong. It's more like I expected as much from the start. You had your own rules. That's all. And those rules determined the winner and the loser. That's all there is to it."
"And yet, your women seem dissatisfied."
"Killing you now wouldn't gain me anything. I like to use people until the very end."
"Damn you, I will never contact them!"
"Oh? That one sentence tells me you have someone you *can* contact, so I'm grateful."
"What!? That's not what I meant!"
Ah, he's being played like a fiddle, as usual. Well, the interrogation of Aquenoki aside...
"Now, all that's left is the interrogation of the captured enemies. I'll tell Steve and the others to try using Magic Gear as bait to get them to talk."
"That's right. If we can at least have some sort of dialogue with the Zurable Great Empire through this, that would be good."
Why did they aim for hegemony using Magic Gear? It wasn't exactly a wish-granting orb, but in a sense, Magic Gear was being used as a tool to fulfill desires. The total number was 234. Well, it's unlikely they were all used for that, but I have a feeling this is going to be even more troublesome.