Ratz was visibly flustered.
It made sense—490,000 DP was undeniable proof of a staggering loss of life.
"No, I'm not saying you're in the wrong, Onii-san!! But what on earth could have happened in such a short time to earn that much DP!? All I've heard about this dungeon is that it was the place where Elju-sama made her last stand!"
Come to think of it, I hadn't asked how the public perceived Elju's fate.
"Sorry, can I ask you something? What exactly is the story about Elju-sama? I did shelter her here, but I don't know what happened after that."
I knew the situation perfectly, of course, but I played the part of the uninformed observer.
"Ah, so you did shelter her. But sadly, after Elju-sama left this place, she was ambushed by the Demon King's subordinates and passed away. She was reportedly leading about 2,000 elites, but the number had dropped to 1,500 by then. For the elite guard to be whittled down that much... the attack must have been devastating."
I see, I see. So that's the narrative they're spinning.
I wondered how they'd cover up the loss of the troops. Instead of blaming the dungeon, they pinned it on the Demon King. It preserves their honor—or rather, it makes it easier to form an alliance against the Demon King.
"You don't look very surprised, Onii-san... I see. So those 500 elites were the ones turned into DP."
Oh? Based on her own words, Ratz had already accurately guessed what I had done.
"Onii-san, could you explain this to us?"
"Of course. You all deserve to hear about this incident. In fact, if you're going to help run this dungeon, you must hear it."
I paused for a moment and scanned their faces.
They looked ready to listen. Just in case, Mobu and his guys had taken seats near Milly.
"Alright. First, let me introduce someone... Elju, come in."
At my call, the door opened, and Elju and Oriel entered the room. Elju had spent much of her time treating the common folk, so her face was well-known.
The ladies in the room gasped in shock at the sight of her.
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Elju Lau Roshure. Though, technically, I am currently a 'dead' person."
"I am Oriel, Elju-sama's guard."
Even after they introduced themselves, everyone remained frozen with their mouths agape. Ratz was the first to recover.
"...I-I see. So the reason the food costs for yesterday and today were so high in the ledger was because of these two. I didn't expect such a high-profile figure to walk through that door..."
Ratz waved the ledger I'd written earlier, though her face still betrayed her disbelief. Still, she noticed the discrepancy in the numbers and realized there were extra people.
Ratz is going to be incredibly reliable.
"Now, I should explain Elju's situation. Elju, take a seat."
Once Elju was settled, I laid out the summary of the recent conflict for everyone:
* Mobu and the guys entered the dungeon with Elju as a slave.
* I protected them and gained information about the continent and the surrounding nations.
* I convinced Mobu's group to escort Elju back to the Royal Capital as her guards.
* The secrets uncovered in the Capital: The assassination of Seraria and the schemes of Minister Loire.
* Rurua joining up with Mobu, revealing that the Holy Nation of Rithea was behind the turmoil.
* I protected Elju once more, but Loire quickly dispatched a subjugation force to this dungeon.
* I used that situation to trap Loire and strike back.
* However, if Elju remained alive, Rithea would be forced to act.
* To avoid an all-out war, Elju was officially declared dead, leading to the present situation.
"This is... quite the mess you've had on your hands..."
Ratz said heavily after the story concluded.
"Yeah. But thanks to that, the dungeon's DP is flourishing, and we've secured support from the kingdom. In ten days or so, a migration will begin to the area outside the dungeon, lead by Seraria, acting on Elju's 'final wishes'."
"You really don't miss a beat, Onii-san. You've already prepared all that? All that's left is to build it."
"Exactly. I don't know if the settlement outside will be a village or a town, but that's outside our jurisdiction. We'll be focusing on developing the dungeon's interior."
"So, Onii-san. Why did you tell us Elju-sama is alive? I understand the conversation led there, but it would have been easier to keep your options open if you'd kept it hidden."
"Simple: I want Elju involved in running this dungeon. For her own sake as well."
"...You're already thinking about her restoration to power. I underst—"
Ratz tried to continue, but a scream cut her off.
"—I DON'T UNDERSTAND!! Why would you put that woman in charge!? Why are you even sheltering her in this dungeon!?"
Milly exploded with rage, hurling her teacup at Elju. However, thanks to the Designated Protection skill, the cup hit an invisible wall and fell harmlessly at Elju's feet.
"You!! How dare you do that to Elju-sama!!"
Oriel barked, but Milly didn't stop.
"Don't you all see!? She is the source of all of this!! Just because she calls herself a Saintess...!! We were made into slaves!! Do you have any idea how many villages and towns were soaked in blood because of her!?"
Ratz and Eris looked at Milly with pained expressions.
They understood her point. The others looked confused, not quite grasping the connection.
"Give them back!! My family!! Everyone in my town!! ...I'll kill you!! You have no idea how my brother died protecting our home!! His arms were hacked off, and he was stabbed repeatedly while he was defenseless!! Then they held his head up high!! I'll make you suffer the same fate!!"
As Milly lunged forward, Mobu caught her from behind in a bear hug.
"Mobu-san, let go!! Why didn't you kill her when you met her!? It's her! She's the root of it all!! Why does she get to live so peacefully!? She should have died!!"
"...I'm sorry. I was foolish..."
Elju bowed her head and apologized to Milly.
"Don't... apologize!! That won't bring anything back!! ...Don't apologize... even... if I kill you... nothing will come back, so..."
Milly's voice broke into sobs.
She collapsed to the floor, weeping.
She understood, deep down, that Elju wasn't solely responsible, but she had nowhere else to direct her grief.
"I'm sorry, Onii-san. Can we continue this tomorrow? To be honest, I don't feel very well either."
"Me too. Please, give us time to process this."
Ratz and Eris spoke while supporting Milly.
In the end, while Elju wasn't "evil", she was the catalyst. That was the unvarnished truth.
"Yeah, you've all been through a lot. Rest for now. I'll have food sent to your rooms. Maybe take a dip in the bath to clear your heads."
"Thank you for your consideration. Well then, Onii-san, we'll be heading back."
As Ratz and the others left, the three beast-kin followed. I noticed then that Tori and Riel were holding Kaya back.
"...Don't mess with me. Because of you, everyone in the village..."
"Kaya, calm down."
"Kaya-san, please, endure it for Yuki-san's sake."
Kaya's voice was flat and quiet, making it hard to catch, but this time it sounded incredibly heavy. They pushed her out of the room.
* * *
Left behind were me, the three kids, Mobu's group, Elju, and Oriel.
"Elju-sama..."
Oriel whispered, but Elju remained with her head bowed.
The heavy silence was broken by Aslin and Filia. They held hands and stood before Elju.
"U-Um, Elju-sama. Thank you very much!!"
"Thank you for saving us!!"
"...Eh?"
Elju finally looked up.
She looked genuinely confused as to why she was being thanked.
"You might not remember, Elju-sama, but you healed me and Filia-chan!"
"Yes! A soldier cut my arm right here, and the blood wouldn't stop. Then Elju-sama ran over and healed it for me!"
Aslin and Filia explained with grand gestures.
"The talk earlier was too hard for us to understand. But that magic you used to heal us was so warm. So, thank you. We're only alive here today because of you, Elju-sama!"
"That's right!! I don't really get what Milly was saying, but Elju-sama is kind. You aren't bad!!"
As they finished, Elju's stoic expression crumbled, and tears began to stream down her face.
"I'm sorry... Thank you..."
She pulled the two of them into a tight embrace, repeating those words over and over.
"U-Um, Elju-sama? Why are you apologizing? We're the ones saying thanks..."
"???"
The two girls were completely bewildered.
"Forgive her, you two. Just stay like that for a little while. It should help Elju-sama calm down."
Oriel watched the scene, her own eyes brimming with tears.
"Well then, I think it's time we retreated to our room too."
Mobu said, and his group filtered out.
"And what about you, Labyris?"
"I'm waiting for those two, obviously. Aren't they cute?"
"Are you planning to sit on my lap the whole time?"
"...Of course. This is my special seat."
Labyris shifted her weight, settling more firmly onto my lap.
"Fine, fine. I guess I'll start thinking about dinner. What do you want?"
"Anything Yuki makes is delicious."
Wow, she just casually requested a home-cooked meal.
