Chapter 427: Post-processing, and Schraff's Journey.
The damage caused by the variants, which have appeared in various countries around the world, were suppressed below catastrophic levels, but were nevertheless still quite serious. In particular, it takes a lot of time to clean up destroyed buildings.
In these cases, the Dwarf-made civil engineering-use magic automaton [Dverg] were really active. While a failure in manipulating Frame Gears would result in huge damage being done to the surroundings easily, so pilots are required to undergo training in Frame Units before they're allowed to board the actual thing, Dverg pilots can learn how to pilot them on the fly without large consequences. Not to mention the fact that they're easier to control, too.
Plus, unlike the Frame Gears, there's no limit on the purchases of Dvergs; due to those reasons, a huge number of orders for Dvergs from various countries found themselves delivered into the hands of Olba-san's Strand Company, which is the sole business entrusted with handling Dverg purchases by the dwarves.
Apparently, having already predicted something like this, Olba-san had prepared a large number of mass-produced Dvergs beforehand, but the number of orders that came to him was even more than he anticipated.
"Well, well, I'm really not sure if I should be happy or sad about this. It's a complicated set of feelings."
Such was Olba-san's words, but judging by the way his whitish fox ears and tails moved about, I'd say he's making a killing.
I guess with this, Dvergs might appear in the capsule toy series one day, huh.
Of course, in the Reverse World—the western continent, it was the large-sized Factory golems that hogged the spotlight.
I, who had come to Babylon's [Hangar] today, was looking over the Frame Gears lined up inside.
"I guess we won't have to use these guys anymore, huh."
"Mm, that might not be the case, you know."
Right as I was getting a bit sentimental, Professor Babylon appeared with an electronic cigarette in her mouth and dragging her long white coat behind her.
"What do you mean?"
"I made this in order to explain that."
The professor took out transparent notebook-sized thin boards. There are two of them with round dots of varying size painted onto both, one using red paint and the other using blue paint.
At a glance, they look like glass panels with irregular polka dot patterns. What are these?
"This one is our world, and this one is the world Elka-kun and Fenrir came from. Eh, well, they honestly don't really matter either way. Think of the colored dots as a magic particle distribution chart. And if we overlap the two…"
The professor placed the two boards over each other. Once that happened, the panels showed four distinct regions: red areas, blue areas, transparent areas, and purple areas. So what does this… Ah.
"Exactly. The purple regions would be areas where magic particles have built up excessively. Basically, a 'magic particle reservoir'. There's a lot more of those in the world now that two worlds have become one."
"Behemoths…"
Behemoths. The results of normal monsters living in areas with an unnatural amount of magic power, i.e. one of those 'reservoirs', and showing irregular growth, turning into a giant version of themselves.
Normally, those reservoirs only occur inside dense forests, deep undersea, or near the peak of steep mountains; in those cases, the behemoths born there wouldn't come into contact with people except for very rare cases, so there's not much of a problem.
However, if even one behemoth appeared close to a human settlement, the damage caused would be horrendous.
Palerius Island, once known as the "Island of No Return", was an island filled with behemoths, and the inhabitants used giant walls to prevent their attacks.
Looking at the map, it seems that those reservoirs have now appeared all over the place.
"Well, this doesn't mean behemoths will start appearing today or tomorrow, though. For the reservoirs that were there before the worlds merged, there would already be behemoths there, and it would take at least a few years for new behemoths to be born from the newly- created reservoirs. There's also the behemoths killing each other to consider, too. We just need to check and weed them out from time to time, and it'll be fine."
While it may sound obvious, a magic particle reservoir won't dry up from producing a single behemoth. In cases where multiple behemoths are born in one area, it's very likely that they would be from the same species, so cases like territorial disputes between them would happen frequently, leading to the behemoths killing each other early on. As a result, the number of behemoths in that region would decrease. Although, it can also be said that the surviving behemoths are the stronger ones.
"So you're saying it'd be good for us to make it so that we can sortie at a moment's notice, huh."
"Right. Plus, that 'world barrier' thing you talked about hasn't been repaired yet, right? There's no guarantee that invaders from other worlds like the Phrases won't appear again."
Don't say something bad like that.
Apparently, with my current power as a god, it's not impossible to fix it; however, I was cautioned by my sisters that if I mess up, it might actually lead to something even worse than now.
Since the incident this time had something to do with an evil god, the gods apparently deemed it OK for them to repair the barrier. Until now, there hasn't been a god that oversaw this world
so nothing could be done, but I was technically acknowledged by the World God-sama as one earlier, so.
So basically, I can't fix it myself, but it won't be a problem for me to ask other gods to "please fix it for me".
The issue here would be the fact that among the gods I know, none of them seem like they can fix the barrier…
Moroha nee-san, Karina nee-san and Takeru ojii would be out of the question. Karen nee-san and Suika are probably no-go as well. That would leave me with Kousuke ojii and Sousuke nii- san, but as expected, repairing the world barrier is outside their specialties.
In the first place, lower-ranked gods are so-called specialists of the thing they represent. In other words, most of them are useless at everything besides their specialties.
World God-sama said that he'll send a suitable person over before long, but… Please, let it be someone that's actually normal.
After I came back from Babylon, I received a call on my smartphone. Nn? The [Black Cat]'s Silhouette-san? I wonder what she wants from me.
Apparently there's something she wants to discuss with me; as such, I came to the [Black Cat]'s headquarters, Strain Kingdom's commercial hub, Cantarre.
The location is the entertainment district of this city, which is the second largest in the country behind only the capital. The [Black Cat]'s headquarter building, the [Moonlight Parlor] is here.
Since it's noon, there's no neon lights, but it still looks as showy as ever… Well, it's a brothel, so it can't be helped, I guess.
"I wonder what does she want-degozarou ka?"
"I don't think it's anything suspicious, but…"
On my sides, the swordswoman duo of Yae and Hilda were firmly attached to my arms.
Given the location, a household rule had been made which mandates one of the fiancées to accompany me whenever I come here.
It's true that whenever I come here, I get the feeling that I'm doing something I shouldn't. This place is full of elements that makes me nervous after all, like the smell, or the atmosphere. And from time to time a half-naked onee-san would appear down the hallway too…
The burly-looking man who stood guard outside the entrance lowered his head deeply towards me. I don't know what to feel about the fact that the brothel security knows the face of a country's king by memory…
I should ask Silhouette-san to meet up at a different place next time. If rumors that I often frequent brothels came out, I'm gonna cry, seriously. Although, that is also part of the reason why Yae and Hilda are with me this time, so.
As usual, once we reached the topmost floor where Silhouette-san's private room is at, a black cat and black panther came out to welcome us.
While the black panther has a collar around his neck with a medallion hanging from it, he's not a pet, but Silhouette-san's summoned beast. A beast that can control lightning, a [Lightning Panther].
"This way, Your Majesty the Sovereign."
The Lightning Panther (I think his name was Shade?) guided us into the room. As Shade belongs to the type of summoned beast that can speak, he can communicate with people other than his master, Silhouette-san.
Deep inside the room, Silhouette-san was pouring tea by herself.
"Welcome. Ara, today's girls are different from the ones you brought last time, eh. How spirited."
As Silhouette-san smiled, Yae and Hilda quivered slightly. Please don't tease them too much, I'm the one who has to follow up on them later, you know.
I sat down on a couch as asked, had some of her tea, and immediately went on with the conversation.
"Actually, I was thinking of having [Black Cat] operate in other countries, you see."
"Other countries… Aren't you guys onto that stage already?"
"Aah, not here… Not in the western continent; I meant your countries. We want to expand into the eastern continent, so to speak."
In fact, speaking of the number of people moving between the two continents, those going from west to east are overwhelmingly more than those going the other direction. As for the reason why, first, compared to people travelling from the eastern continent who mainly rode ships (high-speed ships with magicians on-board to cast wind-attribute magic to propel them), people travelling from the western continent had access to flying vessels in addition to ships.
Second, and this is only my speculation: between the east's magic culture and the west's magitech culture, while the western continent's population had curiosity towards the unknown knowledge of magic, the eastern continent's population is only cautious of the west's magitech capabilities. Things like golems are basically the same thing as artifacts from ancient civilizations to them, too.
In conclusion, while the western hemisphere actively sought further interaction, the eastern hemisphere is still hesitant on that topic.
And Silhouette-san's following that trend and wishing to spread her influence into the east as well, huh.
"So you want to open brothels in the eastern continent?"
"Right, and some legitimate inns as well. Since we technically run a business, our structure's somewhat complicated, you see. So we want you to speak on our behalf to the tops of the countries there for a bit. Since I really don't want someone like Zavit to mess with us again."
Zavit…? Ah, that guy who was one of the top executives of the [Black Cat]'s predecessor, [Papillon], and who was constantly harassing Silhouette-san in order to make her part of his forces, wasn't he.
I saw him once after that in Holy Kingdom Alent's holy capital Alen, didn't I. He was trying to take over an orphanage's lands, but he ran away the instant he saw me.
It's true that getting involved with those kind of underground society-type would be problematic. And brothels are obvious targets for them in the first place, too. There's probably going to be plenty of fools who would come out and ask them to become part of their organization, or something like that.
"Anything in particular?"
"If possible, I'd like to obtain the country's approval. While it wouldn't be an issue for the inns, I do feel the brothels will pose a challenge, though."
Mm, that's true. I've heard that some brothels serve as bases for other illegal activities like loan sharks or human trafficking; in the latter case, the brothels themselves use women they abducted from other places. Although, since Silhouette-san's brothels are high-end establishments, if I have to say it, the girls working here are higher in standing than the customers they serve. If a customer causes any problems, he'd be banned from entry immediately.
To be honest, talks about building a brothel in Brunhild has also come up from time to time, you see… It's a necessary evil; there's the argument that sexual offenses would occur less if a brothel's in the town, or something like that.
What should I do with this.
"I do agree that the inns should have no problems. The brothels will have to depend on the countries themselves, though. It'd be an instant out in a country like the Ramissh Theocracy, for one."
"Well, we'll handle that part ourselves somehow. And, here's the most important part."
Areh? So getting acknowledged by the countries isn't her actual request? The main part hasn't come up yet?
"Since we were originally part of [Papillon], we still have connections with the black market they organized. We actually found something interesting there a while ago, you see."
Silhouette-san took out an old-looking book made with parchment, and placed it on the table. And not just an old-looking book; it looks hella old, like it'll fall apart any time.
"It's a book called 'Schraff's Journey'. It contains the autobiography of a man called Schraff Sykes, who once served as a priest in Dauburn. Inside this, the reason behind Flame Nation Dauburn and Ice Nation Zadonia's conflict is recorded, you see."
"Eh? So you know the reason why those two countries have been fighting?"
Flame Nation Dauburn and Ice Nation Zadonia, two countries which have been bitter enemies for a long time, without even knowing exactly why is it they antagonized each other in the first place. Is that reason inside this book?
"In short, they both believe the sacrifice they offered to their gods were stolen by the other side. When, in fact, they weren't stolen at all."
So the tribute I heard about earlier was a living sacrifice, huh.
According to the records of Priest Schraff, long ago, the nation of Dauburn was told by the god of fire they worshipped (it's probably a spirit in reality) to offer up the son of the king as a sacrifice. However, the king at that time didn't want to hand his son over, and lied to the god, saying that his son was snatched away by Zadonia, and thus trying to make it so that the sacrifice doesn't have to happen.
"So he blamed the other country on the fact that he can't offer up the sacrifice?"
"He must have thought that once the god heard that his offering was snatched away by another country, its wrath would fall onto Zadonia in Dauburn's place, I suppose. However, coincidentally at that time, Zadonia's god of ice also asked for the king's child to be sacrificed to it. And their misfortunes truly began when Zadonia's king took the exact same action as Dauburn's king did."
They probably never thought that the other country would do the exact same thing, huh. So they both pretended that the other side took away their prince, or princess, and tried to dodge the sacrifice. This is, quite stupid, isn't it.
"In the end, the gods' anger fell onto themselves; Dauburn became a land of scorching heat, and Zadonia became a land of freezing cold, and the gods then abandoned those lands. Of course, the truth was only known to a small part of the top brass on each side. There's no way they can expose their kings' selfishness like that, can they. Schraff, who was a priest belonging to Dauburn, was quite troubled over this, apparently. He's watched the two countries fight for dozens of years because of the kings' lies, after all. Him writing this book probably also came from the fact that keeping silent was too much of a pressure on his conscience, I bet."
The common citizens believe that the other country is responsible for bringing the wrath of god upon themselves, and have hated and fought against each other for hundreds of years because of that. It's no wonder the priest is troubled so much over this.
Actually, what's with asking the countries for live sacrifices in the first place? I'm probably not going to get anything clear out of asking the current flame and ice spirits, but I guess I should try it out just in case.
"The most problematic part would be how the two countries no longer care about the reason anymore, I suppose. This 'Schraff's Journey' was found in an old Holy Spirit Church in the Holy Kingdom. The contents were written in ancient Holy Spirit language in order to hide them, and there's basically no one who can read that in this age. I think not even the royal family would know about it." (Note: a reminder that in Holy Kingdom Alent, they worship spirits, which they call "Holy Spirits". The two words are extremely similar in Japanese, with the same pronunciation and only a single kanji's difference.)
Well, it is a secret diary. You'd obviously write it in obscure characters, since you don't want people to read it. Although, if he had written it in an easier-to-understand language, maybe the conflict between the two countries would've ended earlier. That would also lead to his own execution, though.
"But, why did a book like this pop up only now?"
"We've had the book itself for quite a while, to be exact. We just had zero progress on the deciphering. However, a perfect chance for it came by just a while ago, you see."
"Eh? Ah… So it's that…"
Seeing Silhouette-san smile meaningfully, I immediately realized why she was able to read this book.
The "Mochizuki Touya" app. With that, she can use the translation magic [Reading] too. There's a list of usable magic in the app's guide, so.
The app's service period has run out long ago, but I guess she managed to squeeze that in. Actually, I think the other monarchs probably did something with their apps too…
"And, what do you want Touya-dono to do regarding those two countries-degozaru ka?"
"I'd like you, the one known as the 'Mediator', to stop the conflict between the two. Among the girls that the [Moonlight Parlor] takes in, a lot of them come from Dauburn or Zadonia. The children starve all the time, and find it tough to even continue living; and even if they survive long enough, they end up getting sent out to fight stupid wars. And for the reason behind those wars to be something like this; that's not something I can forgive, you know."
"True… If even the kings no longer know about the true reason, then this is nothing more than a tragedy…"
Hilda had a sad face on. She's royalty too. She must have her own thoughts regarding this situation.
As a monarch myself, it isn't exactly commendable for me to interfere in a conflict between two other countries. And as the world's manager, as long as it won't lead to the destruction of the world, it might be better to let things flow as they had.
However, this world is slated to become a resort world for the gods. The case can be made that having countries inside such a world fight between each other is questionable.
World God-sama had told me to work hard, so that when this world finally reaches the end of its lifespan, I can say with pride that "it was a good world". That means I shouldn't ignore this conflict just because it's not something I have to deal with.
"I understand. I'll try all that I can. At a minimum, I should be able to release the curse of heat and frost placed on those lands by the spirits."
"As expected of Touya-dono!"
"Thank goodness… It'll be alright now!"
Both Yae and Hilda broke into smiles. No, uh, aren't you girls celebrating way too early?
The problem would be whether the kings of the two nations would believe this "Schraff's Journey"… It'll basically equal to me asking them to admit their own countries', as well as their ancestors' folly.
It's not stupid to try to refuse offering their gods a sacrifice. Rather, it would be a courageous act to stand up against their gods (or what they think are gods).
However, because they were afraid of the gods' retribution, they shifted the blame onto the other country, and in the end suffered the curse due to their own cowardice. And furthermore, they hid the truth and continued spinning the false tale that the other country was responsible for their plight; that's nothing if not foolish.
At that point, there's nothing more they can do but keep pushing at each other in a mudslinging match of a war. In fact, that's exactly what they did, for the past several hundred years…
For now, I should go and talk with the spirits of flame and ice again. In the worst case, if the two of them descends into the world themselves, we should be able to manage something. They were the gods (fake) the two countries had worshipped in the past, after all.
"It'd help me a lot too, for you to do that. However… I'm a bit uneasy; the kings of those two countries seriously hate each other, you see. They meet each other every time the two countries sign an armistice, but they would start cursing each other out every single time, and it always becomes a mess, apparently."
The heck, are they kids? Now I'm uneasy too. Hmm, maybe abduct the two of them and let them have a fistfight for as long as they want?
The older generation often find it harder to change the way they think; in which case, it might be better to bring this talk to the princes/princesses of both sides.
Now then. Time to do some work befitting my title as the "Mediator", and stop this stupid conflict between the two countries. First stop, the Spirit Realm.
We bid farewell to Silhouette-san, and left the [Moonlight Parlor].