Naze Boku no Sekai wo Dare mo Oboeteinainoka? - World 1 - The Last Federation (Part 2)

TL, ED: Pascal’s Wager

The captains of the mercenary soldiers left the room.

The conference room, a former dance hall lined with desks and chairs, was enveloped in a hushed silence.

「Kai, thank you for waking up, but how’s your fever?」

Jeanne walked with Balmung.

Behind her was the female warrior・Farin, her bodyguard.

「If the side effects of the elf elixir are still lingering……」

「It’s no problem. It’s okay to stay awake like this.」

Kai nodded a little to the anxious Jeanne.

Even if I were asleep, Rinne and Reirin would surely wake me up with their noise. That’s part of the reason, but there’s no pain in staying awake.

「As you’ve heard, I’ve finally talked to the Western Federation. However, it seems like the radio towers over there are so damaged that communication could be lost at any time. I’d like to join them before that happens.」

「Is it the age of the equipment? Or was it an attack by the cryptid tribe?」

「The latter. It seems like the radio tower was destroyed with a single blow a long time ago. It was by a giant, mountainous cryptid……Honestly, I’d rather not see such a monster.」

Jeanne smiled bitterly.

「Back to the subject at hand, as Balmung-dono said, we will confront the cryptid race with the joint efforts of three human rebellion resistances consisting of the Urza Federation in the north, the Yurun Federation in the south, and the Schultz Federation in the west.」

「……I’ve had a lot of trouble convincing my men and people to join us.」

It was Lion King Balmung who responded with a sigh.

「I heard the suggestion from Rikugen Kyoko, but my subordinates waiting at the fortress had no idea what was going on. There are still many people who are skeptical.」

「No, it was a brilliant move.」

「Stop it, Jeanne-dono. You can’t flatter me now──」

「I’m serious. I’m not sure I could convince the people to fight with me, even if the demon race called to fight together with us.」

Jeanne shrugs her shoulders.

──I give up.

It had such a meaning.

「It’s because of the trust that Balmung-dono had built up with the people of this federation. It is something that a young man like me still lacks.」

The difference between the Lion King Balmung and the Knight of Spiritual Light Jeanne.

In both cases, their dignity as commanders is unwavering, but apart from that, there are times when a person’s personality gives weight to his or her words.

「But the quickest way would have been for her to declare in front of the people that she would 『fight with humans』. That would’ve taken a lot of work.」

*glare*

Balmung’s gaze goes to the pendant Kai hooked on his fingertip.

「Are you listening?」

『────』

「Hey, hey, reply to me Rikugen Kyoko! I’m yelling at you！」

『………………』

「Like, I, said, come out! Kai, give me that accessory!」

The locket pendant was snatched from Kai’s hand before a response was said. There, Balmung broke open the decorative part of the item.

『…………What?』

There was a child.

A living sticky slime that was transparent and bright blue.

No, she would be too small to call her a child. After all, she was a girl who could fit into the cavity of the pendant’s decorative part.

「Oi Rikugen Kyoko!」

「H, hey Balmung-dono! Your voice is loud, didn’t you say it would be difficult to explain to your subordinates if this leaked outside?」

「That……yeah, that’s right……I beg your pardon, Jeanne-dono.」

The child cleared her throat.

The Lion King looked down at the bright blue girl with the accessory in the palm of his hand.

──Living sticky slime, that is, the holy spirit race.

It was the race that controlled the Yurun Federation, and was the greatest enemy for all humans living in this area. How strange it is to have one in the palm of a hand.

And the enemy is──

『Rikugen Kyoko is sleepy.』

A few centimeters long.

Smaller than Kai’s little finger. It’s the result of an attack by the Cryptid Hero Rath-IE and the exhausting fight to the death with the rasterizer.

『Sleep. Wake up in thirty years.』

「Get up now!」

『……already.』

Rikugen Kyoko, who fits in the cavity of the pendant’s decorative part, raises only her upper body.

『Talking to creatures with low intelligence is a waste of time.』

「What did you say?」

『Rikugen Kyoko has lost most of her cells in two battles. Human, I should have explained this to you.』

The light blue living sticky slime pointed to Balmung with a needle-like finger.

『The current Rikugen Kyoko is busy recovering the lost cells.』

「Can’t you use the resuscitation technique?」

Reirin interrupted her.

「Lord, it seems she’s been sleeping in your pendant for days, but after the first battle she was revived by fusing with her friends. Can’t you use the same method?」

『Could use. Won’t use.』

「Why?」

『The sacrifice involved is too great. We can’t reduce the number of the race anymore to revive Rikugen Kyoko’s current body.』

Thousands. Or tens of thousands?

Because Rikugen Kyoko was powerful, it would take a huge sacrifice of the holy spirit race to fully recover her.

『That’s why Rikugen Kyoko wanted to sleep……why did you wake me up?』

「We’re heading west to the Schultz Federation.」

『I know.』

「You’re accompanying us.」

『────』

A moment of silence.

Before Balmung could open his mouth again, the holy spirit race hero tiresomely opened her mouth.

『I know. Otherwise Rikugen Kyoko wouldn’t be here.』

「When we head to the Schultz Federation, this fortress will be weakened. Do you know what will happen if the holy spirit race attacks given that opportunity?」

『You can do whatever you want. Rikugen Kyoko has no power to resist.』

「Well, that’s brave.」

『Anyway, the nucleus is divided. I don’t care if this body is crushed.』

「That’s not brave at all!?」

『Brave. How much pain would Rikugen Kyoko have if one nucleus was crushed? Complete regeneration would be delayed by 10 years.』

So the value of the hostage is enough──

That’s what this little hero was trying to say. A promise that the holy spirit race would not attack both the fortress and the people that would be left in the Yurun Federation.

『That’s why Rikugen Kyoko goes to sleep. You can do whatever you want with anything else.』

「Oi, you!?」

Rikugen Kyoko, who fits comfortably in the decorative part of the cavity, dexterously closes the lid from inside.

No matter how much Balmung shouted, she wouldn’t react anymore.

「Kuu……Hey Kai, I’ll keep this pendant during the expedition. Okay?」

「I don’t mind, but…」

「Then it’s settled. Now all we have to do is prepare for the expedition to the west. I’ll leave you to it. Jeanne, I’ll see you again at the afternoon meeting!」

The Lion King, clutching the pendant tightly, turns his back.

I watched his thick back leave.

「Hey Jeanne?」

Ponpon, Rinne taps Jeanne on the shoulder.

「I don’t really understand, but we aren’t leaving yet?」

「It will take a while. Neither the Yurun Humanity Rebellion Resistance nor us are perfectly prepared to fight the cryptids. Especially with weapons.」

The Knight of Spiritual Light shrugs softly.

「The behemoth attacked us in the elf forest. At that time, the machine guns didn’t work at all. That made me realize. The demon weapons are useless against the cryptids. Of course, it doesn’t mean the demons are weaker than the cryptids. It’s just a difference in race traits.」

「Hmm?」

「The weapons of the Yurun Humanity Rebellion Resistance too. They’re mostly specialized for fighting the holy spirit race, so we’ll have to make some modifications hastily.────Although, this is repeating what Kai said. 」

Jeanne’s gaze turned to me.

「Right?」

「Aa. I think the weapons should be adjusted even if it is done hastily. There is no such thing as a universal weapon that works for all races.」(TL: Think “aa” as agreement)

At the same time, this is something I also have to remind myself of.

Kai’s Drake Nail was a bayonet designed based on the battles of the Five Races War in the canonical history.

Theoretically, it works for all races.

……But it didn’t work on the behemoth.

……There may be more individuals stronger than those recorded in the canonical history.

How can I confront an opponent that I can’t get through with the Drake Nail?

Durability of which the short-form drake bullets does not diminish.

A great magic that cannot be countered by short-form elf bullets.

Furthermore, both bullets will soon run out. At the time, can I really survive?

「……It’s my own problem. It’s not something that can be solved in a day.」

「Kai?」

「I’m talking to myself. It’s okay.」

When Jeanne looked at him curiously, Kai shook his head.