第１６９１堀：許可を取りに行きましょう (Part1)
Chapter 1691: Let’s Go Get Permission
Side: Labyris
I was in the office discussing Weed-related matters with Seraria when Yuki walked in.
Thinking it might be about the school or the port town, I listened to what he had to say...
"A teleportation kidnapping case, huh? What a pain."
"...It’s fortunate that it hasn’t happened within Weed, but to have it occur near the borders of Roschur and Gartz? Are they trying to pick a fight with me?"
I had just been informed of something incredibly troublesome.
"Wait, this information came from the Adventurer’s Guild, right? Did you hear nothing from Milly?"
"I wondered that myself, but since it’s an investigation into the Great Overflow from the Dark Guild, and no VIPs have been abducted, it’s being treated as a mere misunderstanding. There’s a possibility that the reports reaching Milly are just being filed as kidnapping or missing persons cases. Above all, it isn’t happening within Weed’s borders. Even if we know, there’s nothing we can do to intervene."
I see. As Yuki says, it’s low on the priority list, and it’s not like we would ask Milly in Weed to make a judgment call on matters involving other nations.
"But then, why did you bring this up, Yuki? Don't tell me you’re planning to intervene?"
"Huh? Are you serious?"
At my words, Seraria’s voice sharpened, clearly thinking the same thing—that Yuki was planning to stick his neck out.
Naturally.
To Seraria, to all of us, Yuki is our precious, beloved man.
The idea of him doing something that might get him kidnapped again is simply unacceptable.
"I’m not saying I’m going to charge in personally, so calm down. If things go poorly, this could be the work of the Dark Guild’s mysterious operations. I can’t just ignore it. Who knows, it might just be us overthinking things, and it could turn out to be nothing..."
"There’s no way a report would be raised for something so foolish. Nine times out of ten, something is happening. Or rather, if we’re lucky, it’s just a Dark Guild kidnapping; if we’re unlucky, we’ll be sent to another continent and dragged into something bizarre."
At Seraria’s words, both I and Quar nodded in agreement.
These things always follow a pattern.
Something is already happening.
"So, are you saying we should ignore it and be forced onto the back foot? What do you think?"
"..."
We had no choice but to fall silent at Yuki’s words.
We can’t just ignore it when we know something strange is afoot.
It’s clear that doing so would eventually become a burden or a nuisance for Weed.
"Silence means you agree with my opinion, then?"
"...But I am firmly against you or any of us going. If even one of us is missing, the government won't function. And yet, there’s no one else who can serve as a substitute, is there?"
Yes, that is the problem.
Yuki’s family—that is, us, his wives, and the members who cooperate with us—all hold fundamentally important positions. We cannot allow a situation where we become unreachable.
The same goes for Yuki, of course.
When Yuki, myself, and the other key figures and children were kidnapped to the Haiden region by Kagura and the others, I truly thought it was the end.
"No, we managed to handle that just fine, didn't we?"
"That was only for a few days. We were able to make contact immediately, but who knows what will happen next time."
Yes, as Seraria says, it was a close call, but it was fortunate that we could make contact via Call, and the fact that we were able to open a Gate within a few days was a huge factor.
"No, preparing so that doesn't happen is a separate issue. I’m talking about the substitute. I have a candidate."
"Huh? Is there someone capable of acting as our substitute?"
"There is. I’ve been teaching at the Magic University for a short time, and with the situation at Glass Port Town, I don't intend to move myself. That’s why I looked for a substitute. That person is..."
Yuki is being unusually dramatic.
But who could it be?
Quar seems to have no idea either, tilting her head in confusion.
"The Demon Lord, Holy."
"..."
"Hey, don't give me that look."
Of course we’re going to give you that look.
Because...
"Why Holy? She’s the Demon Lord and Goddess who pushed the Ioa Kingdom—or rather, the island continent—to the brink of destruction. If we send her in and she clashes with the other side, or worse, decides to take the supplies and become our enemy, what then?"
"Indeed. She is a goddess, yes, but she has been shown the filthiest sides of humanity, and above all, she has lost her husband and children. Can we really expect her to follow our instructions so easily...?"
Exactly.
To her, we represent the state of having had Yuki and our children taken away.
If it were me, I’d destroy the world.
I don’t think that kind of rage can be quelled so easily.
"I agree with them. Yuki, why on earth did you think of using Holy?"
"Because she’s a goddess and a Demon Lord, so no one would doubt her survival capabilities, right? She also has insight into dirty tactics, and naturally, she has the ability to respond if combat breaks out."
"..."
It’s true that what he’s saying isn't wrong.
As a goddess and Demon Lord, Holy possesses the appropriate strength and can handle strange schemes.
"...But the problem of her becoming an enemy remains, doesn't it? You’d be handing her a Core, right? If she becomes an enemy, that’s a huge problem. How are you going to handle that?"
As Seraria says, Holy may be quiet now, but her grudge against humanity runs deep.
If we hand her a Core that grants her power, there’s a high probability she’ll act on her own.
"I understand what you’re saying. But how much of a problem is it if she becomes hostile?"
"Excuse me?"
We tilted our heads, unable to grasp what Yuki was saying.
"It’s just as it is. If I put enough DP into the Core to open a Gate and she’s 'kidnapped,' how would she gain power? The control remains with us—or rather, with me. The moment the dungeon is deployed, I’m the one using it."
"Ah."
We realized such a basic fact only now.
Just because we hand over the Core doesn't mean the ownership or the controller changes.
In other words, even if Holy holds it, the Core remains under Yuki’s management, so there’s no problem at all.
"What if the enemy is a Dungeon Master and manages to seize control of the Core?"
Quar asked the next question.
It is true that there is a possibility that they could draw our Core toward them and steal it.
And that opponent could very well be a Dungeon Master.
"That would be a blessing, as it would reveal the enemy’s identity. After all, the moment Holy or anyone else teleports, we can pinpoint their location. Currently, there is likely nowhere that cannot be investigated from this Aulito using magic power and electromagnetic triangulation."
"That last part sounded a bit uncertain."