Side: Jessica
Where on earth has my common sense gone?
Right now, Ria is explaining in front of me that this place called Weed is on a different continent from ours.
A different continent? That's absurd...
I thought—until she showed me a map drawn with an almost terrifying degree of precision. It clearly depicted the continent I know separated by a vast ocean from the continent where Weed resides.
She explained that they used the functions of the ruins—no, the "dungeon"—to travel between these continents via a teleportation gate... a technology long since lost according to my country's history.
...Okay. Let's put that aside for now.
The biggest problem is why the top-ranking figures of Weed came to our continent.
I have already been shown a mere fraction of their military might... the elite army led by the Princess was toyed with as if they were infants.
With that kind of power, the Jilva Empire would quickly fall into a disadvantage... Furthermore, their supplies are transported directly from Weed, and their troop reinforcements can be pulled almost indefinitely through the functions of the dungeon.
...No, let me speak with absolute honesty.
If Weed truly intended to invade, not just the Jilva Empire, but all of its surrounding nations would fall in an instant... Yet, Yuki and his companions were desperately striving to settle things peacefully without escalating the conflict.
And that ties directly into Yuki's true objective.
They received a mission from god... and yes, a REAL god... I have no choice but to acknowledge that this god is a genuine one... They were tasked by this deity to halt the depletion of mana—not on a continental scale, but on a global scale.
Having already partially resolved the mana depletion issue on Weed's continent, they apparently came to our continent, where the phenomenon is severely pronounced, to investigate its root causes and discover a method of remediation.
However, in a situation where they don't even know where the cause lies, bringing in Weed — a single nation with vast amounts of mana — could cause unpredictable effects on a continent already suffering from depletion.
Thus, they formed a small-scale expeditionary unit to conduct a covert investigation.
But with only a small force, there were limits to what they could accomplish. Even this time, they had ended up being drawn into the demi-human camp and forced into conflict with the Jilva Empire.
I don't know what the best course is, but from the perspective of Yuki's goals, becoming enemies with other parties is a major problem.
Furthermore, they mentioned that the Princess's magic sword was highly peculiar... It seems entirely far-fetched to think that a single magic sword could be the root cause of global mana depletion... but from the perspective of Yuki's group, any lead was worth investigating. Seeking information from every possible angle was only natural.
* * *
"...How did things end up like this?"
As I sat in the conference room of the government office listening to the briefing, I buried my face in my hands.
I thought I was dealing with a mere mercenary band, only to find myself tangled in an issue of global proportions.
"What's wrong? Do you actually believe us now?"
"Of course I do!! Just look at my status window!!"
With that, I forced my status screen into Yuki's line of sight.
Since he possesses an appraisal skill, he must have seen right through my own tactical capabilities and the Princess's from the very beginning!
"I'm level 54!!"
"Yeah, that's a pretty high level."
"You're one to talk!! Putting that aside, the real issue is right here—the divine blessings of Lilishe-sama!!"
Where my finger was pointing, an utterly absurd, rule-breaking skill titled Divine Blessings of Lilishe-sama had been manifested.
It granted a massive baseline increase to every single stat, guaranteed safe childbirth, chantless casting, and access up to mid-tier recovery magic... It was completely outrageous.
"A person who randomly popped into existence right in front of us just casually handed this to me! What room do I even have left to doubt!?"
I never imagined I'd receive a blessing from a goddess of another continent—a goddess I didn't even worship!!
'If Yuki-san brought you here, then there's nothing to worry about. I'll give you my blessing, so please make good use of it. If you ever need anything, I'm serving as a priestess at the church in Weed. Well then, well then~ See you later~'
That was exactly how she vanished out of thin air!!
Furthermore, what business does a literal goddess have residing within Weed, working shifts as a priestess at a local church!?
"Well, you might as well just give up and accept it. Your situation is still a whole lot better than mine."
"...Well, considering you were dragged here from an entirely different world by a god, I suppose that's true."
Apparently, Yuki himself had been summoned from another world by a god.
Even on our continent, there is a nation built around a Hero summoned from another world, but I have never witnessed a civilization flourishing to this magnificent degree. In all likelihood, Yuki is an extraordinarily unique existence, even among otherworlders.
"All I can say is, even if you write all of this information down in a letter, do you think the Princess will actually be able to comprehend it?"
"Impossible." I said immediately. "Even I only managed to accept it because I am looking at the physical reality while receiving the explanation. Trying to convey this purely through a written letter is completely hopeless..."
* * *
Side: Yuki
Yeah, figures.
In a way, dealing exclusively in information that the recipient's brain physically cannot comprehend is the ultimate countermeasure against intelligence leaks.
Well, it might be a different story if there happened to be another reincarnated individual or someone summoned from Earth over on their side. Back on Earth, this would be the exact equivalent of claiming you were abducted by a UFO. Absolute nobody would believe you.
"To be honest, if someone actually believed this entire story based purely on a written letter, they'd have to have a serious screw loose."
"Agreed."
Though, if a local did manage to immediately demonstrate a perfect understanding of this reality based on text alone, that's exactly the kind of highly capable talent I'd want to recruit.
"...So, Yuki-san, is this about as far as the explanation goes?"
"Yeah. Ria explained most of it, and seeing it in person is the best way. 'A picture is worth a thousand words'"
"What exactly does that phrase mean?"
"It's a proverb from my original world. It means hearing something a hundred times isn't as good as seeing it once. You don't actually hear it a hundred times. And 'seeing once' means seeing it with your own eyes. In other words..."
"'It's better to see something with your own eyes than hear explanations over and over'...?"
"You catch on quick."
"No, I thought it was a reasonable phrase. However, there are still things that are hard to understand based only on the information so far, aren't there..."
"Well, like I said at the start, today's talk was just the absolute baseline knowledge. In the coming days, you're going to have to study the historical origin and structural development of Weed as well."
"Indeed. We will need to map the geopolitical landscape and historical timeline of this continent into your memory as well, Jessica-san." Ria said.
"...To think I'd be studying again at this age. The world is indeed vast."
"People keep learning until they die. Though, some people prefer to look at it from the perspective that life is just a grand game of killing time until you drop dead."
"That sounds rather heartless..."
"Does it? What's the real difference between studying and killing time anyway? Personally, I operate far more on the frequency of killing time than formal studying."
"Why? May I ask why?"
"If you spend your entire existence viewing life as a non-stop study session, you'll eventually suffocate from the pressure, won't you? As for me, I intend to spend my time peacefully killing time alongside my wives until the day I die."
With those words, I casually scoop Ria up into a bridal carry.
"Un~ I understand how you feel, Yuki-san, but as your wives, we'll be together with you until we die, right?"
"Well, that makes me happy."
"...So every individual possesses their own distinct philosophy, I see."
While we were chatting like that, we received a message from Aslin and the others.
"Ooh. Looks like dinner is ready."
"I wonder what kind of dishes Aslin-chan and the others made?"
"They can handle standard cooking without any issues, so I doubt there's anything unpalatable on the menu."
I replied to Ria.
"A home-cooked meal prepared by those children... Alright, Let us use this meal as an opportunity to fully regain my mental composure."
Sorry, Jessica.
The culinary culture of Weed is completely leagues ahead of anything your continent has to offer.
* * *
We headed back to the inn—or rather, our home.
"Welcome home, Onii-san."
"Welcome home, Yuki-san." (Eris)
"There's plenty of alcohol today too~"
"Now look here, Milly. Ensure you consume your alcohol in strict moderation tonight. If you get completely hammered and accidentally pose a physical risk to our pregnant bellies, you'll be sleeping outside."
"Welcome home, Danna-sama. Did you sustain any injuries?" (Rurua)
"Welcome home, Milord. Sheila-sama and the others worked incredibly hard to prepare the food. Please enjoy it while it's still hot." (Killue)
The moment we cross the threshold, the pregnant roster and Milly, who is currently on active household support duty, step out to greet us as usual.
"Hello. I am Jessica, a soldier who was recently taken prisoner by Yuki-san. By the way... judging from the conversation you were just having, are you all perhaps...?"
"Yes, we are all Onii-san's wives. Pleased to meet you, I am Ratz of the Rabbit race."
"And since we're all pregnant, we are restricted to standby duties. I've heard about you. Quite brave of you to pick a fight with Yuki. My name is Derieu. I am a Human, and I serve as the structural counterpart to Ria over there as a literal Demon King."
"...!? Thank you very much for the formal introduction! If I'd known how powerful Yuki-san and the others were, I never would have challenged them."
In that way, she had normal conversations with the wives without any issues.
"By the way, where's Seraria?"
Usually, she'd be the first one at the door, claiming that greeting her husband upon his return is the fundamental duty of the first wife.
"I'm right here. As if I'd neglect my husband."
Seraria appeared as she spoke.
"So, why exactly are you gripping a sword?"
"I was just practicing my swings."
"Hey, you're currently pregnant, so for safety's sake..."
"Absolutely not. The maternity magazine said moderate exercise is important."
You're not wrong.
But your definition of "practice swing" involves throwing your absolute maximum physical output into every single strike.
"Now then, Jessica. I'm Seraria, Yuki's primary wife, and I serve as the reigning Queen of Weed."
"P-Please forgive my lack of etiquette!!"
Jessica drops straight onto her knees on the spot, lowering her head in a formal bow.
"Though, to be perfectly honest, the administrative operations of Weed are driven entirely by the citizenry, so I am effectively little more than a decorative figurehead. While the current climate still requires me to step in and handle certain executive matters, within a few years, I will truly become a pure ornament."
"...?"
Dropping a political breakdown like that on Jessica right now is completely pointless. She literally just arrived in Weed today, and over on her side of the world, an absolute monarchy is the baseline standard.
"Oh, my apologies. Let's leave the granular details aside for now. As long as you dedicate your efforts to supporting Yuki moving forward, you have my absolute trust, Jessica."
"...Your words bring me great honor, Your Majesty, but speaking purely from the perspective of statecraft, does that not strike you as an incredibly reckless declaration for a monarch to make?"
"Pfft! Haha, my apologies. You sound exactly like my subordinate, Qual."
"How rude. Please forgive my late introduction; I am Qual, a direct subordinate serving under Seraria-sama. I believe Jessica-dono's assessment of the situation is entirely valid."
"Oh, is that so? In that case, wouldn't it be highly problematic for royalty and their subordinates to partake in the exact same meal at the exact same table?"
"That is out of the question. The foundational directive of this nation is absolute equality. One must never seek to establish arbitrary class divides."
"Good grief, how incredibly convenient for you."
"I return those exact words straight back to you, Seraria-sama. Swinging a sword about in your delicate condition is the absolute height of recklessness..."
As Qual launches into her standard, thorough lecture, Seraria completely tunes her out and turns back to address Jessica.
"Well, as you can see, this is the kind of environment we maintain here. The sheer volume of cultural differences might leave you completely bewildered at first, but do your best to push through, alright?"
"Yes, Your Majesty! I am deeply grateful for your kind consideration."
"For now, let's look forward to tonight's dinner. I'm sure it will exceed your expectations..."
"...?"
After that, Jessica ate dinner until she collapsed.
She didn't end up throwing up, but she was bedridden the next day.
In this world, food really is the best way to capture someone's heart, isn't it?
