第１９４８堀：調べ物をするには紙の方がいい (Part2)
"That’s true. You hear the occasional complaint about a small nation being favored by a great power. Though, considering Weed was founded by Seraria and Elju of Roschur, anyone complaining about that is essentially questioning the natural order of things."
"Exactly."
Indeed, there are quite a few small nations that harbor grievances against Weed, given its current standing. Of course, these are usually the short-sighted ones who fail to grasp the bigger picture; their evaluations plummet, and they end up getting scolded by the great powers they are affiliated with.
"Still, discrimination against beastmen... I mean, it exists in pockets in Rogari, too, but to have it be this blatant? There must be something deeper going on."
"I think you’re right, Kina. But the reality of it is completely opaque. It’s not like there was a Holy Sword incident like on the If Continent; they’re just being labeled as 'those connected to the Demon Lord.' And it’s only in the central region, at that."
"It’s strange, isn't it? If you wanted to discriminate against—or rather, purge—beastmen, there are far more effective ways to do it."
"For example?"
"Instead of using a vague, 'is-he-or-isn't-he' Demon Lord, why not just frame them for something tangible? Like theft or some other crime? Make them the villains that way."
"Ah, Yuki and the others were talking about that, too. Wondering if there wasn't a more clever way to deceive the public."
"Right? I mean, if there were an actual, threatening Demon Lord like we had in Rogari, I could understand the tension. Even then, you’d still have the nuance of who is cooperating and who isn't, wouldn't you?"
It’s true—the claim that all beastmen are minions of the Demon Lord is far too thin to be persuasive. But the problem is...
"I understand what you’re saying, Kina, but the central region seems convinced. Well, the populace tends to follow whatever the authorities dictate, so if the higher-ups say it, it becomes the truth."
"Even if it means sacrificing tax revenue and military strength?"
"Exactly. It seems those in the central region shouting for the expulsion of beastmen are driven by something quite intense—a grudge, perhaps."
"I can't understand hiding behind something like that. Especially if it’s something from the depths of history, right?"
"I suppose so."
Most nobles—no, the vast majority of them—don't have the luxury to dwell on such ancient history. They are far too busy struggling to survive the present. Besides...
"If you’re going to start bringing up old grudges, you’d have to annihilate all the neighboring countries first, wouldn't you? Most historical grievances stem from conflicts between people, after all."
As Kina pointed out, if they truly wanted to hold a grudge against beastmen for cooperating with a Demon Lord in the distant past, they would be better off destroying the neighboring nations they are currently bleeding against in territorial disputes. It just goes to show how little breathing room those nobles actually have.
Just as we were discussing this, the door to the room suddenly opened.
"That is a subject I am also interested in. Might I join you in your investigation?"
"Indeed. I’ll join in as well."
Walking in were none other than Shera and Labyris. It’s rare to see them at the Adventurer Guild, even though both are employed by Weed.
"What’s going on? Did something happen?"
Both are key figures in Weed. Labyris serves as the Dungeon Master, acting as a proxy for Yuki, and Shera, as a princess of Gartz, is incredibly busy managing diplomacy not just for Rogari, but for other continents as well. I assumed their presence here meant something urgent had occurred.
"Nothing of the sort. There are no emergencies. If anything, it feels like my work has finally settled down."
"Exactly. So, we thought we’d help with the New Continent investigation. We aren't about to head over there ourselves, so we figured we’d look for work related to it here..."
"I see. You mean the research we're doing now."
"Wait, what about the development of the land battleships?"
" " "We’re not going over there." " "
Everyone immediately shot down Kina’s suggestion. It’s not that we couldn't help, but it was the shared consensus of everyone in the room that doing so would lead to a miserable experience. Kina probably understood that, too.
The investigation into the New Continent hasn't been going particularly well. Aside from what Milly brought back, Weed’s own units have been scouting, but nothing seems to click.
Now with Shera and Labyris joining the fold, I can only hope we find some answers.