CH 42

Chapter 42 – The End of War, And Then…

“You’re an idiot.”

Myrril looked down at me with anger in her eyes as I was carried into the church. Her cheeks, stained with dust, are streaked with tearstains.

It’s a shame because she was really puffy and shiny.

“Hey, Yoshua! Do you hear me?”

“…Eh? Ah, yeah. I hear you. Sorry, I did something wrong. I was just trying to…”

“Hmm?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I’m sorry for worrying you. But…”

“I understand. No, it’s hard for me to understand, but I think you mostly wanted to end it yourself, didn’t you?”

I wonder. I guess I did.

I thought I would kill him with my own hands, but I felt it was more out of a sense of duty than resentment or hatred. It was like I couldn’t let my countryman’s mad dog run wild.

“In the first place, the quarrel between the kingdom and the Casemaians… or even between humans and subhumans, has been going on for hundreds of years. It’s not something you should take on alone, is it?”

“…Yes, I suppose it is. However, at least the conflict with the hero was started by me, and I had to end it.”

I’m not sure how to describe it myself. If he had been killed easily along with the rest of the kingdom’s army, he would have gotten what he deserved. I felt that it was not right for the elves, dwarves, and beastman to get their hands dirty in order to defeat the Japanese who had survived the heavy machine guns and napalm and were coming at them as dead soldiers.

I’m sure he’s aiming for me rather than the subhumans.

“Even so, you could have done more. Do you have a desire to be a champion?”

“Eh? No… I don’t. Not at all.”

“As I’ve said before, Yoshua has a habit of thinking very lowly of himself. Isn’t that an expression of your feeling that you are stronger than you really are, or should be?”

…Is that so?

No, I don’t think so. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Rather, I didn’t think about it at all. I plunged in without thinking and almost died without thinking. I was called an idiot, and I had no words to respond.

“Anyway, try to put yourself in the position of being able to see how you are becoming like a rag in front of your eyes.”

“…Ah, yeah. I’m sorry.”

I apologized sincerely, and Myrril bent down and hugged my head. It smells sweet unexpectedly, and I couldn’t help but stiffen up. And… a few somewhat problematic parts, too.

“But I forgive you because you came back to me in good health. Thanks to you, I was able to get my sister back safely.”

“A-ah… yes. Thank you too, Myrril.”

“It is a woman’s capacity to tolerate a man’s foolishness.”

…Ah, Myr-neesan, you are so manly.

◇ ◇

“…Oh? Alcohol and snacks? What do you think I am?”

Simon, who I felt like I hadn’t seen in a long time, shook his head in disgust when he heard my order. Whatever the case, Simon smelled like perfume today.

“Can’t you get it?”

“No way, man. Who the hell do you think I am?”

“Well, do me a favor, Mr. Businessman. Don’t worry; I’ve got the money. I haven’t heard what happened to the money I gave you before, though.”

“Well, that’s quite a bit of money, even if you deduct the amount I paid you. I think it’s more like 650,000, roughly. If you want to get it in cash, it will take about half a month.”

Oh, so after buying all that, I still have about 70 million yen left over? …This probably means that the precious metals and gold coins I gave him were valued at well over 100 million yen. I should have at least had some knowledge of the gold market… Well, it doesn’t matter much if I don’t have a place to buy things after negotiating the price.

“There’s no use for US dollar bills here. Just keep them for now. If there’s anything I need, I’ll ask you to get it for me again. …Maybe.”

“…I don’t mind, but that’s a lot of leeways.”

“In any case, you’re the only contact I have, so I’m going to have to trust you. There’s plenty of gold to go around.”

Simon’s eyes swam at my words. How much money did this guy make with half a barrel of gold?

I’ve just noticed that his outfit has gotten a lot nicer. His jewelry is gone, and he’s only wearing one expensive-looking watch. That shiny white shirt, could it be silk? When I look at his feet, I see a pair of crocodile leather boots, and his lack of taste is still the same.

“…W-well, there are still a few more… By the way, how much…?”

“The gold coins I gave you seem like a fraction of a penny.”

“Nuooh! W-wait a minute!”

Simon frames out in a hurry and comes right back. He is carrying a large number of liquor bottles and cans in both hands. Yes, he has an easy-to-understand personality.

After some back and forth, the counter was piled high with alcohol and snacks. He’s huffing and puffing, but how desperately has he been running around?

“T-this is just for service.”

“Yes, it’s good. I’ll be counting on you. I’m going to respond to your sincerity with sincerity.”

The market closed with a wave of the hand and a near salute.

Time starts to move, and I’m in the church again. Thanks to the healing magic, my tattered body was back to normal, but…

I forgot to ask for clothes. The suit I only wore from the beginning of the transfer (a cheap one I bought almost two years ago) was riddled with holes, torn and burnt, like after an explosion scene in a comedy show.

I thought about asking one of the Casemaians to help me find something to wear later, so I hugged the shoulder of noja loli, who came running up to me as if trying to support me.

It may not be the reaction I expected, but she clung to my waist and looked up at me with a huff. It’s really cute that she’s trying to hide her loose lips.

“Um…”

It was only when she called out to me that I realized that there was another girl behind Myrril, who looked very similar to her in terms of face and atmosphere. But her line is a little thinner, and she looks more fragile.

“Oh, Yoshua. This is my sister, Misnel.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Yoshua-sama. My name is Misnel. I heard from my sister that thanks to Yoshua-sama’s efforts, she was able to rescue our people. I am truly sorry and grateful.”

As she bowed deeply, I finally recovered from the freeze.

I couldn’t react because the character was so different from what I expected.

“…A-ah. Don’t worry about it. …I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Yoshua? You look like you’ve had your nose picked.”

“Is she really Myrril’s sister?”

“Of course. I mean, the two of us look exactly alike, don’t we?”

Yes, in appearance. But the inside seems to be very different… Oh well.

I heard that the injuries of the hostage children are almost healed by the healing magic of the elves. They were frightened and trembling at first, but with nutritious food, sleep, and the kind care of the ladies, they are gradually regaining their cheerfulness.

I don’t know if Misnel’s stiffness is due to her original personality or nervousness, but the expression on her face as she talks to Myrril seems calm and carefree.

Well, okay. Even if she can’t accept everything right away, she should be able to adjust to the new environment with Casemaian, which will be rebuilt.

After thinking about it for a while, it occurred to me.

Casemaian, a paradise for subhumans, is regaining its brightness with the return of its inhabitants.

I wondered if there was a place for me in it.