第１０６２堀：甘さは実は甘さでない (Part2)
"However, for some reason, they still haven't woken up. Physically, there shouldn't be anything wrong with them, but do you happen to know why?"
Indeed, for some reason, these child gods I had rescued remained asleep, showing no signs of stirring. I had brought Senal here specifically to show her their condition, hoping she might have some insight.
"Oh, that's fine. I’m just keeping them asleep with magic."
"With magic?"
"Yes. They were gods who never really had anyone to worship them. Well, I wouldn't say zero, but they were only ever whispered about in tiny, obscure villages. Over time, that faith was completely forgotten. That’s why they were the first to be hit by the mana depletion phenomenon."
"So, you put them to sleep to minimize their consumption?"
"Exactly. Sleeping reduces their expenditure. By maintaining that state, I kept their mana consumption to the absolute minimum to avoid their extinction. But even that reached its limit. The mana I could recover from the dungeons wasn't enough to keep up anymore. Honestly, I should have interrogated every single dungeon master I found. The fact that they fled the moment they saw me means they were hiding in places like that."
I see. So the place Steve and the others secured was a bolt-hole for a dungeon master who had already been defeated.
"Well, we can talk about that dungeon master later. What about these children? Are you going to dispel the magic? Or should they stay asleep for now?"
"Let's see... Their bodies are stable, so there shouldn't be any issues if they wake up. That said, quite a lot of time has passed since then, so I’m not sure how to explain things to them."
"You'll just have to explain it normally. We have time; you can talk to them slowly."
"Oh? And what about our cooperation?"
"I'm currently swamped cleaning up the mess you made. Plus, there’s the issue of the Seraphina Church. That’s the top priority for the time being."
"Ah... I suppose that’s true."
Senal frowned at my words.
That’s right—for some reason, Senal went by the name "Seraphina," which was also the name of the church. Senal, who should have been one of its sisters, had declared herself a god, commanded monsters, and barged into the decisive battle. Because of that, the Seraphina Church was currently under the suspicious gaze of the Zuraburu Empire and the Hain Empire.
Furthermore, the Seraphina Church held significant sway in the East; if one were to foolishly punish the church itself or its archbishops, it wouldn't be strange for rebellions to break out across the land.
"According to my original plan, I was going to defeat Hain and Zuraburu, then bring the various nations to heel through the church."
"You certainly were well-prepared."
"I had no choice if I wanted to save these children. And I don't regret that decision. Even now, I don't think it was wrong."
"I'm not blaming you for that. Besides, it ended in failure. But it's also true that things are in a bad spot. Even if we keep covering it up, the suspicion won't just vanish."
"Indeed. What should we do? Should you present me as the mastermind?"
"Why would I do that? What would be the point of having you cooperate with me?"
Exactly. Handing Senal over as the mastermind of the rebellion was out of the question. However, it was also a fact that she had interfered in the decisive battle and caused significant damage.
"Besides, even if I handed you over, it wouldn't convince anyone that the Seraphina Church was uninvolved. It’s too large a scale for a single individual to pull off... I guess I have no choice but to use my trump card."
"Trump card?"
"Yeah. We’ll declare you dead. The 'idiot successor' is already slated to lose his head on Hans's orders anyway. If everyone involved is dead, there will be no one left who knows the truth."
"Is that really enough? To the nations, I’m an enemy they despise."
"If I take your head as a traitor, it ultimately confirms that the Seraphina Church was involved. Like I said, the scale is too big for one person. If that happens, as I mentioned before, rebellions will erupt across the regions with the Seraphina Church at the center. No one wants that."
"So, you’re going to let me go?"
"That’s how the world works. Besides, if I tried to kill you, you’d resist, wouldn't you?"
"That goes without saying."
It wasn't that I couldn't do it, but as I said, it would make the effort of saving them meaningless, so I wouldn't dream of it. I’ll work her to the bone to make up for the trouble.
"Fine, then it's decided: we'll go with the 'you're dead' strategy. In the meantime, you can talk to Rurua about their treatment until they wake up."
"Yes, understood, Master."
"Yes. That sounds enjoyable, so I’ll do just that."
With that, I left the room, worrying about how I would explain things to Yupi and the others.
Well, sorry for the concern. And for those who say that not killing someone is "softness"—it is not. It means there is something I am aiming for, even at the risk of keeping them alive.
Some people save others without thinking, but Yuki saves them by thinking things through and managing the outcome. It isn't kindness; it is a calculated, pre-arranged harmony.
He himself hates that way of thinking, but it is the position he must hold.