wfb: Chapter 104

This is a chapter about two peoples’ contemplations, so it’s difficult to name.

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“So you mean there’s a way to track down the demons?”

Idra asked with an expression of incredulity.

We’re currently in Warden’s Post’s HQ.

Although Idra isn’t the Commander, he’s the one leading the discussion.

The Commander, Vice-Commander, and other people who are probably more or less important, are in the room?

Idra is certainly the Warden who’s dealt with us the most, so they might have taken that into consideration.

Ah, but Desmond is different.

Since he’s a deep elf, which are revered by other elves, I’d think they’d want the Commander to take charge.

Or maybe they’re not so much ‘revered’ by other elves as they are feared?

I wonder which it is.

Regrettably, I don’t have enough information.

Ah.

Hang on, they were having a discussion right now.

“Yes, it’s possible. However, it might not be possible to be discreet…”

Desmond trails off.

Right, he’s pretending he’s the one that fired off that light bomb.

Since deep elves are rare, there’s not much known about them except that there are still some deep elves that use Light Magic, among other dubious rumors, so unless I want to figure out how to explain my Light Magic, it was better to push it off on Desmond.

Of course, I didn’t think of that.

Desmond did.

After dropping that phrase on my, naturally my mind is full of the mysterious phrase, ‘living swords’, but in this situation it would better to pay attention and not dwell on what living swords might be.

There have been many games and novels that used the term ‘living sword’, and they’ve all used it differently, so just what could it be… Ah, I’m getting side-tracked again.

By the way, I can suppress the light you know, Desmond. It was the first time I used it, so of course everything was set to ‘default’. Modifying spells happens to be one of my specialties.

Although I don’t have any way to inform him of that right now.

“Even just forcing them into action would be a great service to us. Being unable to determine if they’re hostile or not is a wearying thing.”

“Eh? Demons can be non-hostile?”

That’s news to me.

I thought Lor taught me that demons were all hostile.

Idra made a troubled face as he replied,

“It’s… a rather big difference if demons who’ve crossed over are just stragglers with intentions of feeding on the people of Orelia. If that’s the case, we just need to dispose of them. If they’re a vanguard for Arcene to invade, however, we’ll have to eliminate them and plan for contingencies.”

So you have to kill them either way.

I see, it’s not about whether they will harm people, it’s about the stress that will come if the demon-country(?) has malicious intentions on our side.

While I was coming to some kind of understanding, Idra coughed and continued,

“Nn, well, if they’re refugees we’ll send them down south and just cull the ones that refuse to move.”

“Hm, but -“

“Yes, the movements so far pretty much guarantee that they have more sinister motives than peaceful living. Or perhaps it would be better to say, after all they’ve done, even if they are refugees, it would be better to exterminate them all now.”

The Commander and Vice-Commander added.

…?

I resist tilting my head to the side. My understanding of demons is being confused.

Speaking of hostility, there’s definitely hostility from the Wardens regarding demons, but at the same time they don’t kill all of them?

Just… most of them, apparently.

So demons = a different people race is confirmed.

No, well even if Lor said something like that – well, to be honest, I don’t really remember much of what he said, so I just had a vague fantasy-like idea of them.

I’m still not really getting the full picture of how elves and humans and the other races here view them, though.

But it probably isn’t a good idea to derail the conversation, so I’ll resist and ask Desmond or Ragnall later.

It’s kind of a stiff, military atmosphere in this conference, after all.

Forgive me if I’m completely not paying attention to it.

When you don’t really understand what’s going on, it’s pretty easy to space out.

Anyway, I’m just supposed to use that spell to find the demons, right?

Thing is, if the demons are ‘people’ and not ‘monsters’, leading a massacre against them… un, maybe I won’t feel too bad about it.

They’ve been attacking and killing people, so they shouldn’t be too surprised that people will want to kill them.

Although being okay with killing people and being okay with gore are two completely different things.

I guess like my claustrophobia, my dislike of blood isn’t going to go away that easily.

Even though I got more or less used to gore in the Labyrinth.

I don’t really understand either.

After a while, the Commander, Vice-Commander, and Desmond went to have some sort of private conference and Idra went to ready the squad of Wardens that are going to sortie on the demons.

Since I have a little bit of free time, Hibiki-chan and I rendezvous with Ragnall.

“You guys have totally been moving things along, huh?”

Ragnall sighed.

He’d brought back some monstrous deer for supplies.

Un. The ‘square’ like area in Warden’s Post has been filling up with travelers’ wagons, most of them merchants much like Orvowel, and they’re all either reluctant to leave or forbidden to leave due to the sighting of the demons, so Ragnall took some hunting requests at the Guild that’s connected to the Wardens’ HQ.

“It’s better to help out in a state of emergency…”

Hibiki-chan began.

“And the real reason?”

I nod and say,

“Because I would rather be stuck at Ploids rather than here.”

“Right. Well, I agree, but I was just going to run out on the town.”

“I would rather not have to leave town like a thief, though,”

I reply to Ragnall’s careless remark.

Hibiki-chan nods emphatically.

Ragnall shrugs.

“Yeah, well, it’s good that Desmond thought ahead and took the blame for that light. Scared the hell out of me when I saw it.”

Ah… even though he’s better, it’s not like Ragnall’s ‘cured’, and after living however long he has with a need to avoid heavy amounts of magic, it’s no wonder he’d be scared out of his wits when he sees large-scale magic coming his way, huh?

“As for demons… well, it was definitely better you didn’t ask in a situation like that. Yeah, demons and demi-demons aren’t liked. For the past few centuries, there definitely was some wars that cropped up between Arcene and Orelia. Amazing to think of how the countries here used to band together.”

When you have a mutual enemy… is it?

“Well, dunno what they thought they’d do with Orelia. There are a lot of areas with high mana concentration up here, so it’s not like they could subjugate the entire world.”

“So demons have the same constitution you do?”

“Not quite as bad, since they don’t poison themselves with their own mana, but yeah. Well, supposedly there are some of the demi-demons that suck mana out of the air. I dunno about those, though.”

“Heeeh…”

“Anyway, the main country of Arcene, which is just called Arcene because it takes up most of that world, declares war, but it’s not like everyone likes the idea of dominating over another world. And it sounds like there’s Nobles over there too, so there are demons who flee for their lives.”

“I understand, but to come over here?”

“They wouldn’t be able to hide and still get the mana they need to survive, I guess. I don’t know the details, though.”

Looks like there’s less mana concentration in the south somewhere, so the only place where demons are permitted to live in Orelia is there.

Of course it’s Unaffiliated territory, or more like they’re completely self-governed.

Only demons who wish to coexist with Orelians are permitted to live there, or like, if a demon who’s violent with people exists, no one will blink an eye if he (or she) is killed.

Or more like, the demons’ community is at risk for being completely annihilated if they harbor a violent demon, so the demons themselves will execute any suspected offender.

There might be false accusations or people who exploit the demons just because no one cares about demon rights, but that’s just how it is.

Uh… to think that living like that is better than living in their original country.

That said, demons basically look like humans, so if they can hide that they’re demons, they can live without dealing with that.

Since the last Great War between the worlds, there’s a temporary peace between Orelia and Arcene, and apparently that was long enough for at least a small portion of the peoples in Orelia to soften their views on tolerating demons.

Well, tolerating versus accepting are two different things.

There’s racism between the peoples of Orelia, after all.

So why would demons even be tolerated?

Naturally because they have a use.

Down south, where the demons are allowed to live, is the only place where a very precious herb can grow due to the low mana density.

More strictly speaking, it’s due to the low ‘pollution’ of mana that the herbs’ own mana can remain pristine.

And demons, who do not emit any mana of their own, would make excellent farmers, harvesters, and processors of that herb.

And that herb is the main herb of mana pots.

Add to that fact that they’re demons, and the wages won’t have to be high, and you can exploit them pretty well without as much fear of rebellion, since, if an incident happens, it’d be your word against their’s, and their’s doesn’t count for much.

That’s… well, I guess it’s unsurprising that people would be tolerant of demons for that.

People can be greedy, na…

By the way, no one tries to make the demons slaves, because no one wants to have to take responsibility for them.

◇Seimei◇

As soon as we booked an inn in Merivolt, Hyde-kun went in and sprawled out on a bed.

Certainly we’ve been traveling without a decent rest for a while, but due to our DR (damage resistance) from the game, it shouldn’t have been that wearisome on the body.

Hyde-kun is a ‘my pace’ kind of a guy, after all, so it can’t be helped, I suppose.

He’d be at the age of starting to look for a job, but he seems to have been rebelling against society when we all got transported over.

Hyde-kun has appeared to be pleased with the situation, but I can’t help but feel he’s putting up a front.

No, I’m certain he is.

There have always been those, usually men, who force themselves to be okay with things even if they aren’t, as if displeasure is something that would make them ‘weak’.

I shouldn’t need to feel responsible for Hyde-kun and the others’ well-being, but I was a high-level manager. I had many employees who would disregard their health in order to focus on work.

Even though failing health, both mental and physical, would reduce productivity.

And thus, it seems natural to be aware of my companions’ situations.

Of course, rather than employees, the current situation is more like…

I’m still a bachelor, and yet somehow I feel like I’ve suddenly acquired children, or even grandchildren.

Masa-yan seems to be doing pretty well, considering how shook up he was initially.

Even though it should be none of my business, it’s simply my own bothersome nature to be concerned over it, I suppose.

“Captain, it’s fine for you to also rest in the inn.”

I look over at the man who is accompanying me with the intentions of being my guard.

“No, Sir Seimei, that won’t do.”

“I see. In that case, keep me company.”

At the very least, quit walking so stiffly and uncomfortably.

My goodness.

I didn’t mind before, when the guards slightly looked down on me, but after the incident in Nyl City they’ve become meeker than a baby fawn.

“Keep you company, is it?”

I don’t know what Captain-san is thinking, but it would be best to follow up on that, wouldn’t it?

“Yes. I don’t know much about this area, so won’t you tell me what you know?”

To be honest, Lor would be a better companion for this, but out of all 8 of us who have traveled south towards Tren Labyrinth, Lor was the one with weakest constitution.

It would be rude not to let him rest.

For all that he is an adventurer, Lor is the scholarly type, after all.

That said, compared to the people back in Japan, naturally he’d be considered an abnormally athletic person.

The cheat from our transmigration(?) is astonishing.

Even I, the person who neglected his physical stats in favor of INT and WIS, is doing pretty well compared to Lor.

“I see. Sir Seimei, although you might not be aware, this area contains a lot of demons and demi-demons, so please be aware of your surroundings. Especially for someone with your… constitution.”

For that to be the first thing Captain-san said, as expected, he’s an excellent bodyguard.

But demons, is it?

I’m not too clear on how this world views them, but I would imagine it would be bad manners to inquire about it in the middle of a town that had a lot of them as citizens.

Since the manner in which I’ve heard demons talked about was clearly derogatory in the palace at Carnus.

As existences that survive by taking others’ mana, in a world where the most terrifying sickness is one that detiorates peoples’ mana, I can make an educated assumption about how they are regarded.

Now that I’m outed as a rather ridiculous magic user, Captain-san thinks I’ll be at a higher risk than others, is it?

In that regard… I glance down at the many rings I’m wearing.

Jun-kun has managed to reduce them by half, but 7 rings is still ridiculous.

I’m perfectly disguised as a normal person, but if I wear them all on one hand I feel like I’m wearing brass knuckles.

Still, even if the bare minimum precautions have already been made, it’s natural for Captain-san to be concerned, I suppose.

Since my safety has his life on the line.

“I will take care,”

I dutifully replied.

Although there is no ‘government’ in this town, the house that looks quite a bit nicer than the rest stands out conspicuously.

The wealthy man who can be considered the town head.

To be honest, from Lor’s description of him, I don’t have a very high opinion of the man that lives in that house.

Although the man’s grandfather had managed to set up this town and band the nearby farms together with great pains and risking quite a bit of money, as expected, the sense of pride in managing the town has become a sense of entitlement in the latest generation.

In other words, the Town Head is a man bloated on arrogance due to the wealth and power he has.

At the same time, it’s due to this distasteful personality that we chose this particular town to negotiate for a farm.

Because if the price is high enough, he seems like he would be easily swayed to part with such a precious thing.

The term ‘pearls before swine’ comes to mind.

The town isn’t very large, and I’m not eager to be thought of as a suspicious person if we go investigate the agricultural facilities uninvited, so without spending too much time walking around I relieve Captain-dono’s worries by heading back to the only inn in Merivolt.

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<a/n: Mm, still ‘fading’ the transition. Or more like, I phrased it poorly last time. The chapters are coming out choppy, since this section isn’t well-planned out, so I’m piecing Jun and Seimei’s parts together as they naturally parallel each other right now. When we get to the labyrinth on Jun’s side, we’re back to Jun-only.>