第１８９８堀：ばれないための変装って？ (Part1)
Chapter 1898: What Kind of Disguise?
Side: Nina
It’s all so tedious.
Yuki thinks too much about us.
He’s being soft, perhaps worried about our exhaustion or the drain on our stamina, but he fails to realize that ignoring the victims would be far more damaging to our mental state...
"It’s not that I lack the resolve for that, but fine. There are ways to handle things like disguises."
He must have reached that conclusion himself before speaking, yet he over-explained it so much that not only Vilia, but even Kishua and Sia are wearing troubled expressions.
*Sigh.* That’s why I have to step in.
"So, that’s what you meant by 'disguises and such.' We’ll adopt that plan, so send us some personnel to help. Or, well, transport staff?"
The stagnant air begins to shift.
We are here to solve a problem, and we are on a journey. But that doesn’t mean we believe everything around us should be sacrificed for the sake of it.
I used to think that way once, but even then, I intended to save those close to me and a select few.
...I’d like to think we—and the Clearstream Church—are different from who we were back then.
At least we aren’t resorting to torture.
As I’m thinking this...
"Ah, so that’s why Yuki mentioned disguises."
"If there’s a solution, you really should have just said so."
Kishua and Sia look relieved as they say this to Yuki, but—
"It sounds simple, but you realize you have to split into four groups to handle this while heading toward the Ioa Kingdom, right? Gathering intel, rescuing the demi-humans, and handing them over to our side. Do you have any idea how difficult that is?"
"..."
True, if we were staying in one place for a long time, it would be different, but we have a schedule to reach the Ioa Kingdom. We can shift things around slightly, but there are limits. Trying to manage all of that is an immense undertaking.
Still, I have to address the three of them, who are clearly struggling.
"It’s not like we have to do everything at once. We’re planning to travel at high speed, so we’ll save a lot of time. You three don’t need to be so serious. And honestly, Vilia aside, the two of you shouldn’t be agonizing over this. We do what we can. That’s all."
Exactly. The idea that we can save everyone only exists in storybooks.
All we can do is reach as far as our hands can stretch.
Well, thanks to the supporters from Weed that Yuki leads, that reach is incredibly wide.
Actually, I suspect the one who proposed this was...
"Well, we’ll do what we can on our end, too. The more demi-humans we save, the more material we have to denounce the Clearstream Church. It would be good to have other evidence, too..."
As Yuki says, the more evidence we gather to make future developments favorable, the better.
After all, the enemy is the largest sect in the North. If we don’t have a mountain of proof, they’ll likely just dismiss our claims as nonsense.
So, he wants evidence to corner them, even if it’s just a little.
Still...
"If we can manage that much, it’s fine by me. But I don’t think they’re stupid enough to let that happen."
We caught the Clearstream Church in the royal capital of Giadana red-handed, yet we still have zero leads on their connections to other branches. They’re either very thorough or very tight-lipped.
I have no idea why.
Well, I suppose that’s why he wants information, including those details.
"Fair enough. So, do what you can. Don’t feel pressured."
Yuki says this as if he doesn’t expect much from our efforts.
No, considering our original objective, he knows that pouring all our energy into investigations is a mistake, so it’s only natural he wouldn’t expect us to go overboard.
If he didn't say that, he knows we’d be stubborn enough to try and collect every piece of evidence and rescue every prisoner, no matter the cost.
Vilia, in particular, has decided to devote herself entirely to Yuki.
"But, Brother... what about the people being held captive?"
"Well, as Vilia suspects, if we strike at the root, they’ll be liberated. It’s not a matter of who is right, but looking at the number of victims, striking the root is more efficient. After all, even if we liberate the demi-humans in transit, they’ll just capture more people elsewhere."
"...You are right."
For Vilia, it feels like abandoning people in need. Even if you tell her to look at the big picture, telling her to abandon the person right in front of her is different.
That’s why Yuki didn’t want to say it.
And Vilia, even though she knows she’s still immature, is young enough that her feelings show through her attitude.
It’s a case of trying to act like an adult.
"...But I understand that feeling of unease, the feeling that you can’t just look away. I’ll think of various ways to handle it, so for now, head to the next town. Once you’re close, I’ll send the disguise kits."
"Disguises? You mentioned that earlier, but wouldn’t magic work just as well?"
"Magic can be detected or dispelled. That’s why I’m preparing a set of disguises that mix in science. If you wear those, there’s no chance of anyone figuring out it was you."
He’s overly confident. I can guess he’s thinking of something strange.
Still, there’s no other way, is there?
"Understood. We’ll start moving to the town we planned to stay in immediately. We’ll arrive four days ahead of schedule, is that a problem?"
"No, I’ll have the disguise kits delivered by then. Contact me when you arrive."
With that, the communication with Yuki ends.
The three of them stare at me in silence.
"Kishua and Sia, no complaints. And Vilia, Yuki made concessions to come up with this."
"I understand. I won’t let Brother’s consideration go to waste."
Vilia is no longer wearing that hesitant expression; she’s looking at me with a firm gaze.
Good. That settles it.
If she had stayed conflicted, she might have acted on her own, and if she had stayed silent, she might have ended up doing something reckless without us realizing it.
Yuki was right to speak up.
"If you understand, then good. For now, we’re moving to the town at maximum speed. We’ll be traveling by air; any complaints?"
"Well, after hearing that, maximum speed sounds best."
"Indeed."
"Yes. That’s fine."
"Then, let’s head to that area where no one can see us. After that, we’ll use the invisibility cloaks and fly to the next town."
As I say this, everyone nods and moves to action.
"Honestly, you said you were bored, but did you really want this kind of busyness?"
"Of course not. I just wanted to arrive early and maybe hear some gossip in town. Thinking of acting as travelers with a schedule and time constraints while rescuing demi-humans in every town... if you think about it normally, it’s insane."
"That is certainly true."