第１７８４堀：色々情報が出てくる (Part1)
Chapter 1784: Information Emerges
Side: Nina
"I'm back."
I announced as I opened the door and stepped into Yuki’s office.
"Welcome back."
"Welcome back!"
The usual members greeted me in unison.
Orelia immediately brought me some tea, which I sipped gratefully.
Ah, the familiar taste was soothing.
"So, has things settled down for the moment?"
"I suppose. After all, the missing people have finally returned."
Indeed, the reason I had come here was that most of the people who had gone missing from the cold village had been safely returned.
Tori had successfully reached the town south of Ohe, where she managed to protect the people who had been summoned from the cold village and ensure their safe delivery home.
"Though, the commotion isn't over yet."
"True. The cold village caused quite a stir, and since almost all the missing people returned unharmed, to an outside observer..."
"It looks like they just caused a pointless scene. And from the perspective of those who were pulling strings in that forest, or those who drove them to the cold village in the first place, that’s something they won't be able to overlook," Prol added.
"She’s right. There’s a possibility of further movement, so we need to keep monitoring the situation. You’re fine with that, right?"
"Yes. Though it’s Yuki’s subordinates doing the work, not me. Besides, Kishua was complaining that she didn't get to go on a rampage."
It was true; during our stay, there were no suspicious movements, nor were there any monster attacks.
So much for it being a "Monster Forest."
In the end, all we saw were the usual goblins, orcs, and the occasional giant spider or snake.
"You did manage to take down a large Salamander, didn't you?"
"A monster that was practically served up on a silver platter doesn't count for much."
"If you want a real rampage, I’d have to set you up against Steve and his lot."
"Don't even joke about that. We’d lose."
There was no way we could win against Steve and his group. The disparity in equipment and raw power was simply too vast. It wouldn't even be a contest.
"What are you trying to say, then?"
"I’m saying I want to blow away the people plotting bad things near the cold village."
"I see. I’m not a fan of bullying the weak, though."
"They aren't weak. I just want to give a good smack to the villains who came to harass the people of the cold village."
"Hah, I get your point. If the enemy shows up, I’ll have them contact you and your group to join the defense. Does that work for you?"
"Yeah, that’s fine."
That was exactly what I wanted—to ensure we were involved in the actions taken around the cold village. Of course, it wasn't just about wanting to fight. They had treated us so well, and I wanted to help those who had been dealt such an unfair hand.
"Oh, that reminds me. The people who returned were safe, but what was it actually like for them?"
For the sake of the villagers, the official story was that they had been captured by bandits and we had rescued them before they could be sold. After all, it wasn't an exaggeration to say they had been taken to another continent—or, from their perspective, another world. They had been forced to participate in a war after having skills forcibly imbued upon them during the summoning. We, along with Tori and Yuki, had instructed them to keep quiet about what really happened, lest they face unforeseen consequences.
However, I hadn't actually heard the details of how they were treated. I had only been told to frame it as a rescue from bandits.
"Wait, didn't I give you the details?"
"I turned them down. The situation for their families back home was only getting worse. In some cases, they had already started living as if the missing were dead, and there was even talk of the wives finding new husbands."
"Ah, right. That would be problematic."
It wasn't exactly about infidelity. If they weren't coming back, they were considered dead. It’s difficult for a widow to survive alone, especially with children. Having a partner provides emotional support and, of course, financial stability. So, the thought of moving on—or rather, choosing to live for the future—was understandable. If the men had returned to find their wives had already found someone else, the cold village might have collapsed from within.
"I understand. As for the details, there isn't much to report. The average level of the villagers increased by nearly 20, putting them in the 30 to 40 range."
"That’s quite a jump. They’re practically at the level of generals, aren't they?"
"Well, they’re at a level where they could serve in a small country, but being a general isn't just about your level. You need command ability, political acumen, and connections."
"Not many people understand that. They think power is all that matters."
Yuki wasn't wrong. But it was also true that there were many enemies you couldn't defeat without the power that levels provided.
"There’s a lot to consider there, but to get back to the point: their levels didn't skyrocket to an absurd degree, and they were raised safely without any major injuries. Since so many monsters had gathered near the southern town, they didn't have any trouble finding things to fight."
"That’s good. I’m glad there were no tragic deaths."
"Yeah. Perhaps it helped that they were all from the same cold village."
"What do you mean?"
"They were practically family, right? If they had been treated poorly or died, it would have bred distrust. Because they were treated well, the villagers developed a sense of solidarity and a will to survive together."
"I see."
Usually, a summoning would be an isolated incident, but this time, they had been summoned repeatedly. And the targets were all from the same cold village...
"Come to think of it, were the summoned people only from that cold village?"
"Oh, you noticed? That’s right. For some reason, it was only people from that village."
"...Were they being disposed of in secret?"
"I wouldn't say it's impossible, but they would use them before disposing of them, wouldn't they? And if they had learned their lesson, they wouldn't keep summoning."
"True..."
The fact that they kept summoning meant they saw it as profitable. So, the idea of disposal seemed unlikely.
"Kagura is currently analyzing that. She’s checking the summoning circles and chants to see if there’s a way they were specifically targeting that cold village. Also, she’s looking into why the method of summoning existed in the first place."
"Right. The fact that they could summon them means the system was already in place."
"Exactly. Though, the possibility that they created it for the first time this time around isn't zero..."
"But why pour resources into something that isn't even at a practical stage? It would be far more realistic to develop attack magic."
They were summoning people who might not even cooperate, and who weren't combat-ready and needed to be trained from scratch.