Chapter 380: Chapter 380

“Ahh…truly… With this…finally…”

The Queen, who had been right beside me, seemed to lose all strength in her knees and collapsed onto the floor.

Kokuri-san, Kres-san, and Shuris-san all rushed to her side.

“At last… At long last… With this…the people, the nation will be saved! Kokuri, you will no longer have to bear this burden alone…!”

“Your Majesty…! Please, stand. You are before your people.” (Kokuri)

“That’s true… Seimu, Melt… you too are my people, those whom I must protect…”

Her voice trembled, fragile, as if she were about to cry. Supported by her three retainers, she was led to sit on the sofa.

What sat there was not a Queen, but a single woman…exhausted from the crushing weight of responsibility far too heavy for one person to bear.

“Queen-sama, drink this. It’s tasty, you’ll feel calm.” (Melt)

Hey, stop that. Don’t hand over ice-cold cola to someone in that state.

But though the black unfamiliar liquid was strange, perhaps the scent pleased her, since the Queen sipped from it…

“Hm… It is indeed delicious. It clears my head.”

“Right? Queen-sama, you must be tired. You should just sit here, drink your cola, and take a break.” (Melt)

“Yes…for now at least… I shall do that.”

Perhaps she didn’t fully grasp the urgency of the present situation.

But Melt’s words, spoken from pure concern for another, seemed to reach her clearly.

Seeing this, even the knight sisters smiled.

“Phew… Seimu. I am truly, truly grateful. Please accept these words as those spoken on behalf of the entire nation.”

“…They are too much for me. But I will accept them.” (Shizuma)

The southern half of the continent…that is, all of Lendia…would see its climate transformed into one kinder to humans.

It was said crops would also grow faster, but that part would need to be seen in practice.

Still, outside of the Lindblum region, many areas had already fallen into conditions close to destitute villages.

If all that could be improved…the effects would be immeasurable.

…But let’s leave it there for now.

“Kokuri-san, about the artificial Dungeon Core…shall we leave it for another day? Using too many at once worries me. The scale of change might be too large.” (Shizuma)

“Indeed… There’s no precedent. And in any case, reopening the artificial dungeon would take some time, since there was that accident. Using the Core after ‘things settle down’ will be fine.” (Kokuri)

That ‘things settle down’…in this context, it surely meant ‘once the war is over.’

“Well then…everyone. As promised, I will send Shilent here. However…” (Shizuma)

Now, let’s play the trump card.

The ultimate trump card.

“Shilent will likely present a plan to end the war as quickly as possible. I won’t say you must accept it. But…know this: the man will not speak a single lie. Remember that much.” (Shizuma)

“You said he was your brigade’s greatest strength… Is he truly that extraordinary a man?”

“Your Majesty. I once spoke directly with him. We had…quite an…uhm, intimate, frank conversation. And…indeed, I felt an unfathomable depth in him.” (Shuris)

Shuris-san stumbled over her words, but still gave such an evaluation of Shilent.

…She remembered, didn’t she…that time we bathed together. A blessed memory indeed…

“…I see. Then, I entrust it to you. Bring this man here.”

“Yes. If he leaves immediately, he could arrive by tonight. Shall I send him straight to the castle?” (Shizuma)

“…Yes. We can already call this a state of war. Every moment counts. Tell him to come to the castle the moment he arrives.”

“Hm, wouldn’t it be best if he came together with Seimu-san? That would make communication easier.”

Ah, no, that’s impossible.

“No, since Shilent will be away, I’ll remain with the brigade for a while. Shizuma will have a hard time without someone to organize things.” (Shizuma)

“Hm, so Shizuma is working hard on that side too. Seimu, then support him. He is still young… but I thought him diligent. Please don’t let him overdo it.” (Kres)

“Oh? So my little sister holds Shizuma-kun in such esteem? I’d like to meet him myself.” (Shuris)

“Ane-jou, please don’t tease me. Shizuma is indeed young. But thanks to meeting a fine teacher, his thoughts and reasoning are remarkably mature. He is truly a precious talent.” (Kres)

“I see… Is that so? Seimu-san, you too see him as that gifted?” (Shuris)

…A fine teacher, huh. That’s right, I’ve had many comrades I could call teachers…Seimu, Shilent, Shire, and many others.

“Yes. Shizuma has learned from everyone and grown. Someday…he’ll surpass not just me, but Shilent and everyone else too.” (Shizuma)

That was a vow. A vow to myself…that someday, I will surpass them.

“Then, I’ll go fetch Shilent. Melt, I probably won’t be back for a while. And Shilent too…will likely leave Lindblum for some time. Can I leave the house to you?” (Shizuma)

“So Shilent is coming, huh. Alright. Then could you tell him to stop by the house once? Just once.” (Melt)

That was an invitation from Melt…she wanted to talk to him.

I decided not to involve her in the war, yet I alone would engage with it as Shilent. She must have something to say about that.

“Your Majesty. Everyone. Don’t forget what I said earlier… And in matters of war… Shilent is without doubt the strongest. Whether you accept his plan, or simply use him as a weapon…his power will be overwhelming. Unlike me, he is a man who shines only on the battlefield.” (Shizuma)

“I understand. If a man you esteem so highly says so, I too vow to carefully consider his plan.”

“My thanks. Then… I’ll take my leave. But if you have time, please stay a little longer. We have drinks and sweets prepared.” (Shizuma)

“Heh, indeed. This too is quite delicious. I’ll stay just a bit longer… Just a bit. How nostalgic. When I was a child, I sometimes came to play in this house…”

“Yes, Your Majesty… How nostalgic indeed.” (Kokuri)

…So that was it. Surely, the house’s original master too held great trust from the Queen, just like Kokuri-san does now.

And so, after bidding farewell to Shuris-san and Kres-san, I departed Lindblum through the northern gate…

A little ways from the north gate, off the highway in a section of forest, I found signs of massive destruction.

It must have been the crater caused by the explosion on the Underside…the escape route for Isaka and Inami.

Which meant they returned to Golda.

Last I recalled, the Scorched Ravine was still in dormancy, impassable…but…

“Wait, could my restoring the Core have changed that…?” (Shizuma)

I couldn’t confirm it immediately, but someday I’d have to.

If that path opened, then the wall dividing the two nations would truly be gone.

“…Judging from the Dungeon Core’s menu, it’s certain…” (Shizuma)

I strode down the highway and entered the quiet forest, to end the war swiftly…

“…No issues with my consciousness. My personality…is still me.” (Shizuma)

Taking on Shilent’s form, I checked myself. Considering whether Shire’s disappearance had caused other effects.

Considering the possibility my…Shizuma’s…growth has had an impact on the other characters as well.

…I feel I understand Shilent’s thoughts, his feelings, better than before.

Right now, I could feel it clearly…Shilent was burning.

“War…battle. The war is calling to me.” (Shizuma)

Though, I planned to play my trump card before the fires could spread too widely.

“…Time to return. To Lindblum.” (Shizuma)

I strode down the northern highway.

This road, leading to the Golda border, must have once been traveled by many.

But when I first came to this country, the Holy Principality’s knights were already stationed there. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⟡𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵

Officially it was to “deal with monsters or ruffians fleeing the dungeon,” but in hindsight, they must have already been wary of Golda.

Or perhaps they intended to openly launch a campaign into the Scorched Ravine.

“…Let’s hurry.” (Shizuma)

My speed wasn’t extraordinary, unlike with Seimu or Shizuma. Normally.

I only had standard high-speed movement.

But since this world reflected status values…with Shilent’s stats nearly triple Seimu’s, if I ran at full power…

“…Just over an hour.” (Shizuma)

I retraced the distance that had taken Seimu about two hours to cross.

And thus, I strode back toward the northern gate…

“Stop right there. Entry through the north gate now requires formal procedure. Show your identification.”

It is my first time seeing the north gate guards up close, so I was surprised to find both were women.

I see, I see… So this is a job that women can also shine in…! Come to think of it, back when I led a unit, there was also a female archer from the Holy Principality.

“This is my Adventurer Guild tag.” (Shizuma)

“Checking…! S-Sapphire!? Our apologies!”

“Eh? But there are only three Sapphires, right? Was there someone ?”

“Hah!? You! This is a forgery! To fake a Sapphire…such a sloppy attempt!”

Eh!? Wait, seriously? There’s a pattern !?

I was seized by the female guards and dragged into the garrison.

…I could have resisted and forced my way through, but that wasn’t what someone heading to the castle should do.

Surely the Adventurer Guild would send someone soon. I should just wait.

…Though these guards would probably get punished. Poor girls.

“Listen, if you check with the Guild, my identity will be clear instantly. I could overlook this as a misunderstanding, you know.” (Shizuma)

“No way! I’m a former adventurer, I know every Sapphire adventurer personally!”

“That’s right. No such great adventurer has been in the news lately…”

Ahh, well yeah. My promotion was earned through rather confidential missions.

“Into the cell with you until the guild staff arrive! Weapons confiscated…guh!”

“Senpai, are you okay!? Urgh… What a heavy sword… How dangerous!”

…Of all the gate guards, these two might be the most disappointing…

Before long, an Adventurer Guild staff member from the General Guild arrived.

Hm, I recognized her. She was the one who handled Melt’s adventurer registration.

“Hiiih!!! Shilent-sama!?!? You two! Do you realize what you’ve done!? This person is without doubt a Sapphire Rank adventurer! You should be grateful you’re still alive! The Guild will lodge a strong protest to the Holy Principality over this!!!”

“No, enough. Don’t escalate it. It’s no wonder I’m not widely known.” (Shizuma)

“I’ve business at the castle. If you stir up too much noise, it’ll trouble me.” (Shizuma)

“Eek! Don’t tell me…a direct assault…”

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. Return my weapon.” (Shizuma)

Still, I was slightly displeased, so I decided to intimidate them a bit.

I crushed the shackles with just a squeeze of strength.

Then I took my sword back and left the cell.

…Well, let’s call it a rare experience.

The gates were surprisingly well-equipped inside.

Could it be that the city walls themselves had space built inside them?

I passed through the city and exited the south gate.

Naturally, the guards here were far stricter since this road led to the castle.

Especially with the artificial dungeon shut down, there should hardly be anyone heading in this direction.

…Yes, I understood. The reason I kept getting stopped by guards was mostly due to this appearance.

“Here’s my ID.” (Shizuma)

“Confirmed. You may pass.”

Ah, so they already shared the incident with the other gates.

Short-distance wired communication seemed to already be in use.

…Couldn’t they reproduce something like wireless signals with magic?

“…Should I visit Melt first, or the castle… The castle. I’ll have to return home later anyway.” (Shizuma)

Time has passed since then…surely the Queen and the others have returned to the castle by now.

…No way they were still at my place drinking cola, right? …Right?

Shaking off my slight unease, I approached the castle.

The guards there immediately allowed me through.

I was guided to the same conference room as in the morning, but unlike before, no warnings were given.

Which meant only the essential personnel were inside.

…Very well. Now then, this would be my first encounter with Her Majesty as Shilent.

Let us begin a most stimulating meeting.