Side: Ratz
After confirming that Rurua-sama had finished that specific conversation with Elju-sama, Labyris-chan and I returned to Onii-san's room.
"Everything went according to Onii-san's plan. Elju-sama, who healed the wound after the deliberate trip, said exactly those words."
"...Yuki, did you really have to rush things that much? Rurua-sama still needs time to recover mentally. Anyone would complain under those circumstances. If you said something like that to me, I'd hang myself."
Indeed, even I thought he was rushing things far too much.
It's only been about a week since Rurua-sama arrived here. To treat a woman driven from her homeland this harshly felt... questionable.
"If she were just an ordinary noble or some young girl, that would have been fine."
Onii-san was doing something rare: he was drinking alcohol. He claims he never gets drunk. Apparently, the more he drinks, the more he's hit with nausea the next day, so he usually avoids it. I'm not sure how much of that is true.
"Even the condition Milly and the others set was already excessive. We've been stepping in as much as possible to act as a buffer and buy her time, yet you're telling her to pull herself together before she's even sorted out her feelings... Onii-san, I'd like a proper explanation. If nothing else, so I don't blindly follow you."
I demanded an explanation for his treatment of Rurua-sama.
"......If Rurua has the will for it, I'm going to have her return to the Rithea Holy Kingdom and reclaim her power. The deadline for that is close, so I don't have the luxury of waiting gently for her to recover on her own."
"What!?"
"Yuki, are you serious!?"
Not just me, but even Labyris-chan raised her voice in shock.
I never imagined he intended to send her back to the very place where her chances of dying were highest.
"That said, if she stays like this, she'll die soon enough even if she stays here. People who wallow in self-pity have a strong tendency to dive headfirst into misfortune. Milly and the others would keep piling on endless demands, and Rurua would just sit there chewing on her own misery. Eventually, she'd either be kicked out or commit suicide. Honestly, if she's making a child to live, that's one thing, but I want no part in making a child just because someone feels they have to in order to be allowed to exist. I don't want to tell a child who went through the trouble of being born, 'You were just a tool for your mother's survival' or 'Your mother committed suicide after being forced.'"
I understand what Onii-san is trying to say.
Back when I was an adventurer, I was involved in a quest to wipe out a bandit gang. As expected, there were many women there who had been violated and used like tools. Roughly half of those we rescued chose suicide within a month... Even leaving behind the children who shared their blood.
I couldn't understand it, so I asked one of the surviving women:
"Why did they choose suicide? And why did you choose to live?"
That woman had given birth shortly after being rescued; she answered my blunt question while cradling her child in her arms.
"I don't know for certain why they chose suicide. But I'm sure they simply couldn't come to terms with their own hearts. I too was toyed with by those men and conceived this child. Even now, looking at this baby reminds me of it... Those who left their children behind probably couldn't endure that. But I... I hate the thought of leaving this innocent child behind. Even if he wasn't wanted, he was still born. He is the only certain warmth I have in these hands. And conversely, it's because he is here that I intend to keep living."
In the end, those who live have the will to live. Those who die simply lack it. Even after being granted life or being saved, they shut themselves in a cage of misfortune and head straight toward death without passing the torch to the next generation.
"...I understand that you provoked Rurua-sama to avoid a suicidal end. But why return her to Rithea?"
"Like I said, if she were just a noble's daughter or a simple girl, it wouldn't be a problem. Do you remember Rurua's position?"
"Rurua-sama was the former head of the Rithea Holy Kingdom, right?"
"Exactly. And you realize that's a bit too heavy a burden for this dungeon to just 'tuck away'?"
"Yes. But couldn't she live here quietly as long as she stays out of sight?"
"Sure, if she lived quietly, there'd be no problem. But she chose to 'negotiate'. Not as a powerless girl, but by selling us information. Furthermore, she's been meddling in our dungeon management. Do you know what that means?"
"...Wait!? You mean Rurua-sama is still trying to be a ruler!?"
"Correct. Rurua still holds onto her pride as the Saint of Rithea. She didn't seem conscious of it, but given how she lost her cool earlier, it was clearly still there in her subconscious. If she truly wanted to be saved in this place, she should never have taken the stance of a ruler again. That would create the least friction, and Milly and the others could actually believe she was repentant."
That's... true. If Rurua-sama truly wanted to live here safely, she shouldn't be offering opinions on administration.
The more she exerts her skill, the more her influence touches this dungeon, and the more she inevitably stands out. That, in turn, puts the dungeon at risk. That is something we must avoid. That is why Milly, in particular, revolted.
"But Rurua used her status as a Saint as a shield to join the management. It worked out because this is our dungeon, but what if this were Roshure, or Gartz, or just some commoner's house?"
"......Currently, we have an alliance with Rithea. If the state protected Rurua-sama, they'd either send her back immediately or kill her if they knew about the assassination plot. It's more profitable for the country. As for a common household... it's foolish to even think about. It's like declaring your identity to the family that saved you and saying, 'This village might be destroyed because of me, but I'll help you develop it.'"
Answering Onii-san's question made me feel dizzy...
By rights, no matter where she went, she should never have taken actions that would reveal her true identity... A woman as brilliant as her couldn't have failed to understand that...
"......I see. So it's subconscious. She's thinking that, if things go well, she might still be able to return to Rithea. But in her current situation, that's something she shouldn't even speak of, let alone think about."
What selfishness. Or is it subconscious because she knows it's selfish?
"Exactly. Well, it's not an absolute thing. But Rurua is testing the waters to see how far she's allowed to go. She's deliberately taking actions that deepen the rift with Milly and the others—actions that might even lead to her own suicide."
That's why Onii-san first tried to crush that suicidal outcome by force. He used the story he heard from Elju-sama, deliberately caused an injury, and maneuvered her into that conversation.
"So Onii-san... you intend to help Rurua-sama regain her power? When you said there's no time... could it be?"
"It's been a week since Rurua arrived. It's about a month to Rithea by foot. Ten days by horse. Faster by courier. In other words, the higher-ups in Rithea have likely already certified her as dead, whether it's been officially reported or not. They packed her guard with hardliners for a reason. Even without a body, if she doesn't come back, they can just process her as dead. They've probably grabbed some of her personal effects from somewhere to 'prove' it. Now, Ratz, here's a question. Why do you think they tried to assassinate Rurua?"
"We talked about this before—her authority and ability grew too strong and she became a hindrance... wait!? Does that mean there's still a faction in Rithea that isn't part of the hardliners, even if they aren't 'Rurua supporters' yet!?"
"Precisely. If the hardliners held absolute power, Rurua would have been stepped down without a fuss—no drama, no appeals. The reason they need to kill her is to crush the remaining factions that aren't under their thumb. Now, imagine those guys are putting the finishing touches on their plan, thinking they've disposed of her—and then a very much alive Rurua barges in and starts talking about assassination. What happens then?"
"The tables would turn instantly. The hardliners plotted to take control of Rithea because Rurua-sama was gone, but if she declares that they tried to assassinate her, the tide will shift toward her in a heartbeat. In fact, people within the hardliner faction would likely defect to her side to save their own skins. There'd be no question of 'justice' anymore."
However, that's only if it goes well. How many cards would we need to pull that off?
"...But Onii-san. Why go this far for Rurua-sama? I think the probability of failure is much higher."
"Hmm? Who said I was doing this 'for' Rurua? Whether this fails or succeeds, it doesn't matter to me. For example, say the worst happens and Rurua dies going back to Rithea. That would pretty much clear the air for Milly and the others. On the flip side, if she succeeds—I don't know if she'll be the top leader again, but she'll have enough power to be restored. And through that connection, we can get 'support' for this dungeon under the pretext of 'gratitude for saving me.'"
"You really are a piece of work, Onii-san. Stop trying so hard to act like you're just being selfish."
"...Honestly. You should just admit you want to help her."
Exactly. Onii-san just wants to help Rurua-sama. If he really didn't care either way, there'd be no reason to support such a troublesome endeavor. He could have just left it all to her. But he won't. He makes up excuses about his own profit and acts "selfish" just to save her.
"Hey now—if I move poorly to save Rurua, it could cause huge trouble for Roshure and this dungeon. I can't move without calculating the profit, you know?"
"Yes, yes, Yuki is a big bad villain~"
"You say that, even though you didn't tell Seraria-sama that you'd taken Rurua-sama in. You were planning to take the fall all by yourself, weren't you? Right, Onii-san? Anyway, that's enough alcohol. If we're going to think about Rurua-sama's future, we can't have the best brain here getting dull."
With that, I took Onii-san's drink away.
"Sigh. Have you ever heard of a 'nightcap'? That's why I was drinking it..."
"Now then, the reason there's no time is because if we wait any longer, the hardliners in Rithea will solidify their foundation, right? You wanted to make it so Rurua-sama could be sent into that battlefield as soon as possible?"
"......Yeah. In her current wimpy state, she'd be dead in a heartbeat. I intend to make some moves, but it's useless if the person herself isn't motivated. The only cards I can play from this side are Mobu and his group. And maybe some items I provide."
"I knew it. The way she is now, Rurua-sama wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. Officially, we, Seraria-sama, and Elju-sama are part of Roshure. Interfering in another country's internal affairs could crack the alliance. It's fine to declare it later, but intervening now is a problem, isn't it?"
"Exactly. This is something Rurua has to achieve as an individual."
"She needs to realize it herself. Onii-san is saying that if she only moves because we told her to, there's no future for her, isn't he?"
"She has to move on her own. Rithea is her country. It's not a place I can just jump in and help easily... The amount of time I think I have left to make it in time is three days. If Rurua doesn't move by then, returning to Rithea will become extremely difficult."
"Is that so... I wonder if Rurua-sama will make it in time?"
"It would have been better if she were as thoughtless as Elju."
"...That's harsh. Elju-sama is straightforward in both the best and worst senses."
Well, Rurua-sama.
You already have the answer you need to give.
Please, somehow, come up with the answer Onii-san is hoping for.
