第１７２２堀：寒村の感想 (Part1)
Chapter 1722: Impressions of the Desolate Village
Side: Kagura
"Wait, are you serious?"
"Dead serious. It’s a feint to cover your investigation."
"Hmph."
Just when I thought Yuki was finally checking in, he drops the news that he’s going ahead with the grand opening of Glass Port, despite the ongoing summoning-kidnappings.
Naturally, he’s inviting our nation of Heiden as well. When he framed it as a necessary distraction to support our current investigation, I couldn't exactly find room to complain. He likely intends to hold a meeting with the members of the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance under the guise of the festivities—a way to ensure our movements aren't leaked to this country, or at least to provide a plausible cover for them.
"I understand the logic, but neither I nor Kagura will be there in our capacity as diplomats. What’s the plan for that?" Enola asked, listening in from beside me and directing her doubt toward Yuki.
It was a fair point. Enola and I serve as the primary liaisons for Heiden and the Church of Heire.
"It’s not like those two are the only ones we can talk to. Micos and Solo can stand in for Kagura, and Enol-san can handle things in Enola's stead."
"Leave it to me, Kagura~!" Micos chimed in.
"Kagura-senpai, please leave this end to us," Solo added.
"Enola. You may leave the communications with the Church of Heire to me," Enol-sama’s voice joined the fray.
"Yes, we'll leave it in your hands," we replied in unison.
We might have had something to say if it were just Micos and Solo, but once Enol-sama stepped forward, Enola and I were effectively silenced. I knew the Princess wouldn't object, and the Church certainly wouldn't utter a word of protest.
"With that settled, we’ll handle the smoke and mirrors on this side. You two focus on the investigation. You’ve already reached the village, haven't you?"
"Yes. It’s a quiet, peaceful place. Though 'vitality' is... sadly lacking."
"Still, since we’re here posing as peddlers, we’ve managed to bring a few smiles to their faces," Enola added.
"I see. That’s good. Just remember, don't break the buddy system."
"We know."
"It’s just a bit of a pain being stuck in this bag," Enola grumbled.
"Bear with it. We don't know when the next kidnapping might strike."
The bag on my back shifted restlessly as the reply came. Yes, Enola was currently tucked away inside my backpack, maintaining the form of a young girl—or rather, a toddler. We had initially considered just holding hands, but we figured a woman wandering into a monster-infested forest with a small child would look far too suspicious. Thus, the backpack.
For me, she wasn't particularly heavy, so I didn't mind the weight, but it had to be cramped for Enola, waiting in there for hours on end.
"It’s surprisingly taxing. Kagura, have you gathered any intel?"
"Nothing. We looked over the site with Holy and the others, didn't we? If we knew anything, we wouldn't be trudging through the woods like this."
The only reason we were in the forest was the total lack of information. Our official cover was that we were inquiring about the missing persons and searching the immediate vicinity.
"Holy and Vilia gave the same report. I suppose it won't be found that easily."
"I was just thinking," I mused, "the targets so far have all been men—specifically heads of households or heirs, right? Under those conditions, we’re women, and we’re hardly heirs. Doesn't that mean we won't be targeted for summoning?"
"It’s possible. But we don't exactly have any male candidates to send in. What about the rest of the investigation team with you?"
"There aren't many of them, and they haven't turned up anything either. Besides, they're researchers. If the criteria are 'head of house' or 'eldest son,' they don't fit the bill."
"Well, we can worry about that later. Just do what you can with the current lineup. I’ll mark it down as a possibility."
It wasn't as if he could snap his fingers and send reinforcements immediately. Still, when I thought about the villagers, I felt we couldn't afford to be leisurely. To them, it was as if their own 'Yuki' had vanished; they must be drowning in anxiety. I wanted to resolve this as quickly as possible, but...
"We aren't finding a thing. Can I get out and help look?"
"No. Even poking your head out of the bag is risky. Just stay focused on your detection magic."
"I know, I know."
Enola couldn't leave the bag, specifically to account for the possibility of being summoned. We had to avoid the risk of her being snatched away while isolated. She could likely handle herself, but having more people on hand was always a tactical advantage.
"Even so, my detection isn't even picking up monsters."
"True. But we're right on the outskirts of the village, so that’s to be expected. We’re within a one-kilometer radius. If there were monsters here, they’d be raiding the village constantly."
"...Now that you mention it, I guess that is how monsters work."
"We don't really have them back home, after all."
In our region of Heiden, monsters simply didn't exist thanks to the barrier maintained by Heiren-sama. To be precise, 'monsters' were defined as creatures that couldn't exist without a magic core or mana stone. Therefore, Goblins and Orcs—who could function without mana—did exist, but they were treated as rare races, holding a status similar to beastmen or demi-humans. Since they weren't born of raw mana, they possessed the capacity for rational thought driven by survival instincts; their fundamental nature was entirely different from the 'monsters' found elsewhere.
Yuki and Aslin had said as much, so it had to be true. Then again, humans had bandits among them, so 'good' and 'evil' were relative concepts found everywhere. Because of our background, our level of caution toward monsters was slightly different from everyone else's. It was harder for us to instinctively perceive them as a threat. Yuki had put us through grueling training to fix that, of course. I thought I was going to die when he made us train with Shi-chan, the Sea Dragon.
"Still, looking at the site again... I can't believe they built a village right next to a monster forest. Even if they were shunned, surely there were other options?"
"We can't exactly ask for the details, but they're essentially exiles from internal political struggles. Maybe the state couldn't afford to let them leave the country? If life in this village is this harsh, they could have just fled across the border."
Yuki and the others suspected that the people here hadn't come to this desolate village by choice. But as Enola said, they could have started over elsewhere. The fact that they stayed suggested there was a reason.
"You mean, staying here was a condition of their survival?"
"Probably. Though I suppose it's possible they just didn't want to leave their homeland. Regardless, the village wouldn't have lasted this long otherwise."
"...True. It wouldn't be strange if someone told me this place had twenty years of history."
"It would make sense if it started with a burst of energy, but there are no stories of that. It’s more likely that a lord or the higher-ups provided some kind of support."
This village was likely a sort of prison designed by the state. On the surface, it was a village; in reality, it was a cage for people who weren't criminals, but whom the country wanted to keep under lock and key.
"But we're talking about twenty years ago, right?"
"Even so, it's only twenty years. Unless they met with some misfortune, that’s a normal lifespan."
"Ah, when you put it that way, you're right. The people who were in their twenties then are in their forties now. The thirties are fifties, the forties are sixties. They're all still very much in their prime."