第１１５６堀：ここにとどまる理由 (Part1)
Chapter 1156: The Reason for Staying Here
Side: Yuki
"That should do it."
I processed my work one task after another on the laptop I’d brought with me. Honestly, thank goodness for digitalization. All that remained was to print the documents that required a physical seal and stamp them. If this were a country that relied solely on handwritten paperwork, I wouldn't have been able to get any work done in a place like this.
"Truly. Though, it’s not often one thinks to conduct business inside a hospital."
"Hospitals are for resting, Big Brother."
"That is correct. They are for resting."
Despite their protests, Labyris and the others diligently sorted the documents I’d finished and prepared them for dispatch. Yes, I was currently working from a hospital room. It wasn't because I was feeling unwell, but rather...
*Swoosh...*
...I suppose you could call it nursing the patient sleeping in the back. She was the girl on the brink of death that Asu had brought in yesterday. To save her life, I had used Extra Heal without a second thought. Afterward, perhaps in a state of unconsciousness, she had gripped my hand and refused to let go, so I’d brought her straight to the hospital, which is how we ended up in this situation.
However, the hand that had been clutching mine had long since been released, and I was now back to my usual routine.
"Really, if Rurua, the director of this hospital, hadn't permitted such a thing, you would have been kicked out already."
"I’m just glad she’s my wife."
"Haha. If you didn't do your work, Big Brother, many countries would be in trouble."
"Big Brother, what about the slave-buying trip?"
"That’s suspended for the time being. There are illegal slaves involved, and I need to move first regarding the attack on Asu’s merchant caravan; otherwise, things will get messy."
To think something like this would happen in the vicinity of Weed. The territory in question technically belonged to Roschur and Gartz, but in practice, the incident was sparked by people who had emerged along the trade routes leading to villages under Weed’s care. If I left this alone, it would be a stain on Weed’s reputation. That was why Seraria was already busy organizing investigation and subjugation squads. As for supporting those efforts...
"Pardon the wait. I have finished gathering testimonies from the other patients."
"Thank you, Lady Show."
For some reason, Show had been helping with the treatment of the other illegal slaves rescued at the time and gathering information. She had happened to be at the scene, and while I was treating 'her,' she had assisted with the others. At the time, while I suspected she had her own hidden agendas, I accepted her 'good-willed assistance' in the face of an emergency. I hadn't expected her to continue helping even now that the urgency had passed.
According to Rurua, it was 'practical training.' It certainly was necessary for someone aiming to become a doctor, I suppose. But that aside, I needed to hear the report.
"So, what did you find out?"
"I will compile the details into a report later, but to put it simply: the background of this incident is a 'border dispute'."
"A border dispute?"
"Yes. The people rescued this time, including the girl sleeping over there, were opposed to the integration with the village on the Roschur side. It seems the village chief and his faction, finding them a nuisance, sold them off to bandits."
"Man, why go that far?"
It was true that villages and towns along the border often struggled with which nation they belonged to. It was a matter of which side offered better protection. But to treat villagers like that over such a thing—it defeated the purpose. If they were truly a nuisance, it would have been more efficient to just kill them.
"It appears she was meant as an 'example.' Her original form was barely recognizable. It was a warning of what happens if you defy the village and lose its protection. I haven't received the testimony from the captured bandits yet, so it isn't confirmed, but that is the only logical reason to treat a simple village girl in such a manner."
"I see."
Show’s information was likely correct. Otherwise, there would be no reason to inflict such torture—or rather, such a horrific state—upon a mere village girl. Still, village society is terrifying. Things like this happen so casually. It was the same with Tori and Riel.
"You don't seem very rattled, Lady Show. Are you used to this sort of thing?"
"Yes. Unfortunately, I grew up in such an environment. There were plenty of people who would do such vile things. Based on that experience, this case is actually on the milder side."
"Milder, you say?"
"Yes. After all, it was technically 'for the sake of the village.' The act itself is cruel, but if creating a scapegoat allows the village to unify its opinion, it is not an incorrect choice for a leader."
Aslin and the others made slightly disgusted faces at Show’s words, but having experienced much themselves, they didn't offer any rebuttal. I understood her point, too. Though, the question remained whether it was truly necessary to go that far to the girl and the others. Eliminating enemies is one thing, but this...
"That said, the moment this was exposed to you, Yuki-sama, it became a 'foolish strategy.' Furthermore, they sold them to a caravan under Weed’s patronage and then attacked it because they were short on numbers—the level of their incompetence is clear."
"That part is embarrassing, honestly. I wanted to show off the merits of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance centered on Weed, but instead, I’ve shown you something quite ugly."
Show had been observing the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance closely as a representative of Zuraburu, and she would likely view this as a failure. After all, the rules established to peacefully define borders had instead created a situation that led to a woman suffering such a horrific fate.
"If you look only at the incident itself, that is true. But looking at the whole picture, it is nothing short of astonishing. Yes, there were illegal slaves and a tortured woman. But you responded immediately. I hear Queen Seraria has already organized an investigation and subjugation team. If I may be blunt, in most places, this would be ignored. It is not easy to mobilize forces so quickly, especially regarding border matters. Yet, you do it with ease. This is exactly what the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance is capable of."
I was grateful that Show was able to see the bigger picture. Well, I suppose a high-ranking official of a great power wouldn't be able to hold her position if she couldn't evaluate things properly. Or perhaps that’s just what one expects from a Great Emperor’s hope.
"Even if a village or two were to be wiped out, a country would not move for such a trifle. Especially if they were at war. And then, people who seem to have lost their minds appear—those who treat slaves and prisoners as toys, inflicting horrors upon them just because they feel like it. Compared to that, this incident is quite rational."
"Show-oneechan..."
"Show-onee."
At Show’s words, Aslin and Hiiro reached out to hold her hands. Ah, I remembered now. There had been a time when a nation we faced as an enemy had, for some reason, executed its own citizens by burning them at the stake just to provoke us.