Side: Taizou Motome
"You've returned."
As Hiffy-dono speaks, Comet-dono enters through the door with one arm missing.
But her expression is as always—expressionless—revealing nothing.
They say this is just what the undead—the dead—are like, but it still feels unnatural.
Well, perhaps I'm simply not used to it.
"Heeh, so there really is someone capable of severing the arm of Comet, who is also a Dungeon Master."
Saying this, Hiffy-dono reaches her hand toward Comet's shoulder, and a faint light envelops her.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the arm that had been lost is restored as though it had been there all along.
In this world, there exists what they call magic—the art of using mana, which can be altered in any number of ways. What I just witnessed was likely a form of what they call healing magic, but anyone with even a shred of learning would understand that this is far beyond simply closing up a cut.
She didn't take the severed arm and reattach it; she restored an arm that was completely gone.
Just what kind of logic governs this?
"How does it feel? Any discomfort?"
"No. There are no problems."
While I was lost in thought, the regeneration must have finished. Comet raises and lowers her restored arm, checking to make sure it functions properly.
"Even so, the wireless communication device you created, Taizou-dono, are truly convenient. Thanks to them, we can communicate and act swiftly. I never expected there would be someone capable of overwhelming Comet. Being able to order an immediate retreat was all thanks to you."
"Yes. That is correct. Without the wireless device, I would have continued providing support for the retreat until the very end and been killed."
"Ah, no. As for the wireless device, it was simply an extension of my mentor's research..."
"That may be so. However, it is only natural to praise you, Taizou-dono, for building them from scratch. After all, humanity inherits the wisdom of predecessors and connects it to the future."
"I am humbled. However, even that would have come to nothing without Comet-dono's Dungeon skills."
"Yes. That's precisely why I'm grateful that you prevented Comet from being lost. Comet is our greatest source of supplies, after all."
That's right.
Comet-dono—apparently, she wasn't merely a mage by profession. In her lifetime, she had also been a Dungeon Master.
Because of that, Hiffy-dono and Comet-dono once worked together to maintain the world's balance while Comet-dono was still alive.
But, in the end, I suppose it was simply human nature.
A rebellion was launched against her, and Comet-dono lost her life inside her dungeon.
After that, those who had been granted power by Comet-dono raised their own banners, plunging this continent into war.
At the time, Hiffy-dono's power as a god was not that grand. She desperately waited for the flames of war to pass, spreading the teachings of Hify and gathering faith. Once she finally regained enough power to act, she retrieved Comet-dono's body from inside the dungeon located directly beneath this Grand Cathedral of Hiffy and resurrected her as an undead.
Still, the fact that even gods gain or lose power depending on the amount of faith they receive is a rather harsh reality.
Well, Hiffy-dono didn't revive Comet-dono simply out of friendship either.
As mentioned earlier, Dungeon Masters apparently possess the ability to create matter—they can convert mana into something called DP and use it to acquire physical goods. Since mana can even perform resurrection of the dead through the art of magic, it isn't entirely surprising that such a thing is possible.
No... in truth, it's mind-bogglingly strange.
But under current circumstances, I don't have the luxury to sit back and research this new substance called 'mana'.
After all, we have launched a war against our neighbor, August—one of the nations known as the Six Great Powers. And as a result, Comet-dono came back wounded.
"I am deeply sorry. Everyone except me was slaughtered."
"I see. But I'm glad you made it back. The casualties couldn't be helped. After all, no one expected flying dragons to show up."
...This battle. At first, it was proceeding according to plan.
However, due to the raid by the flying dragons, our forces collapsed, and Comet-dono barely managed to escape.
"Flying dragons, was it? Were there really that many of them? We had 500 troops, so surely some others managed to flee?"
"That was likely impossible. There were over 50 flying dragons. They rained down fire from the sky. There was nothing that could be done."
"I see... An aerial force, akin to aircraft, huh."
That was unexpected.
I never imagined that a world with such a low level of technology would possess something that could function as an aerial military force.
"No, Taizou-dono. As I mentioned earlier, the monsters known as flying dragons are not merely scarce on this continent today—they are completely unseen. We should assume that flying dragons living in hiding somewhere descended in search of prey."
"However, Comet-dono mentioned that someone was riding those flying dragons..."
"Those were Orcs. Not humans. Monsters. In other words, the possibility has emerged that a faction composed entirely of monsters exists."
"It's just as Comet says. If anyone had possessed flying dragons to begin with, they would have publicized it grandly. We should view this incident as an unfortunate accident."
I see. So the enemy doesn't actually have an aerial force.
In that case, we don't have to worry too much about this war, but...
"I understand that we need not worry on that front. However, there is no guarantee we won't clash with this monster faction in the future. Preparing anti-aircraft weaponry will be necessary."
"Anti-aircraft? Ah, weapons to attack the sky. Yes, indeed. I believe that will definitely become necessary down the line. I leave that to you when the time comes, Taizou-dono."
"Understood."
"However, what's fortunate is that our objective was achieved. With this, August will surely invade our country. We will annihilate them, gain DP, further strengthen our nation, and swallow August whole."
Hiffy-dono states this calmly.
Yes, the objective of this war is the harvesting of DP.
Regrettably, the civilization level of this world is extremely low, and every country is obsessed with immediate border disputes.
Thanks to that, the Holy Nation of Hiffy where I am stationed has been invaded and forced to repel attacks time and time again. The fact that this small country has survived can be attributed almost entirely to Hiffy-dono and Comet-dono.
Magic that seems like a divine miracle, and the ability to summon supplies from mana. Without those abilities, there's a very good chance the Hiffy Holy State would have ceased to exist long ago.
However, that too was reaching its limit. Their DP was gradually running out. Though slowly, it was steadily decreasing, and at this rate, the nation would become unsustainable.
That was why they summoned an otherworldly person like me.
As a result, my knowledge proved useful, and through the production of firearms and a dramatic shift in communication methods, the military's strength rose exponentially. Of course, Comet-dono can also craft magic items known as Magic Swords, which contributed to raising our combat capability.
However, the question remains:
—Why pick a fight with a major power instead of a similar small nation?
The answer is simple.
Given how well-equipped our military has become, it should be easy to conquer a small country. But eventually, a major power would intervene. And once our sphere of influence became too large, there would inevitably be countries that didn't like what we were doing.
That is why I advised that we should strike now, while they still look down on us as a mere small nation.
Japan, too, expanded its battlelines until it couldn't manage them, getting pushed back further and further, ultimately suffering from a depletion of personnel and supplies that led to total defeat... Although, in that great war, I sometimes feel as though everything had been orchestrated—or perhaps the outcome had been decided from the beginning.
At any rate, we declare war on a major power first and fall back in defeat. By doing so, the enemy will invade us for revenge and to save face.
There's a chance surrounding small nations might invade with the major power's backing, but all of that will happen within the borders of the Holy Nation of Hiffy—In other words, we can fight in a state of absolute preparation.
As for acquiring DP, if the fighting takes place within Hiffy's territory, we can acquire DP without requiring Comet-dono to personally defeat the enemy herself.
Using that DP, we can immediately enhance our supplies and armaments.
By the time we strike outward, the other nations will have already exhausted their military strength, left in a hopeless situation.
"Even so, this strategy and the knowledge to create new things... As expected of Hero Taizou-dono."
"No. I am merely a engineer, a researcher."
"That response of yours never changes, does it?"
"My apologies. I am a commoner at heart, so I like to believe that anyone has potential."
"I am not blaming you. However, it pains my heart as well to use your knowledge for war rather than peace, Taizou-dono."
"Indeed. My knowledge is currently being used for war. I am not without my own feelings regarding that. However, simply crying out for peace without the strength to back it up is equally meaningless."
Yes, even if one calls for peace, an invading enemy shows no mercy.
I understand all too well that unless we secure the stability of this nation and continent, even calling for peace will remain an unattainable dream.
Or rather, August, who acts as a mediator, simply turns a blind eye to small border skirmishes.
I can understand that they can't intervene in every little thing, but since the Holy Nation of Hiffy now has the technical capability to manage things using radio communications, we'll have them step aside. Otherwise, our own safety will be at risk.
...And Hiffy-dono says the reason I was summoned isn't merely to preserve this country, but also to protect this world.
How exactly we are to preserve the balance of the world, I do not know, but unless the Holy Nation of Hiffy builds up its power first, it will all end as pie in the sky.
I desire peace, but I have no intention of blindly shouting for peace while weapons are pointed at us from all directions.
First, we need to eliminate the dangers.
We need to make adjustments so that the foolish things that happened on my planet—things like the World Wars—don't happen here...
"Thank you for your understanding."
"No. Save your thanks until after we crush August's main army. Unforeseen circumstances frequently happen. In fact, it's rare for an operation to go entirely according to plan—just like this time."
"You are right. We should consider various factors with that in mind. I keenly feel that things had been going far too smoothly until now."
In a sense, this unexpected incident may have been a good lesson for the two of them.
Surprisingly, although we've been training and deploying firearms for about two years now, there hadn't been a single failed operation... Even I was surprised by this result.
Although the enemies were primarily monsters and bandits, because it was a new form of magic, they didn't even recognize firearms for what they were. They apparently thought we'd developed some terrifyingly powerful new magic rather than created a new type of weapon.
Even in small border skirmishes with minor nations, they suffered zero casualties, unilaterally beating down enemies from a distance. As a result, the existence of guns was never passed to the enemy, leading right up to the present moment.
Since this unexpected failure prevented them from getting carried away, it might be a blessing in disguise... Though I feel sorry for the soldiers who were sacrificed.
"Now then, we should assume that the enemy country has learned about firearms because of this incident."
"Do you think so?"
"Yes. I don't expect them to set up a production pipeline right away, but eventually, firearms will be used on the battlefield. We should update our technology in preparation. Furthermore, the August army that will invade us this time will surely come up with countermeasures of their own."
"Indeed, while it might not happen immediately, it is a very real possibility for the future. However, will the August military really be able to adapt?"
"They won't be perfect, but we should assume they will devise reasonably effective measures. We should deploy more howitzers rather than relying primarily on rifles. Strike them before they can get close. Besides, attacks raining down from overhead are much harder to block than those flying in from the front."
"Understood. Comet, can you manage that?"
"There is no problem. Since I lost my staff, my DP is somewhat low, but it is still sufficient."
The biggest problem caused by this failure is that Comet can't use the DP she collected.
Well, it was only a tiny amount to begin with, so I wasn't expecting much.
"All that's left is to monitor the movements of the August army and reliably finish them off on a battlefield within our territory. A change in their march route would be the most troublesome outcome, so we must be thorough on that front."
"There should be no problem regarding that. There are Hiffy believers within the August army as well, and Comet's avian familiars are monitoring from the sky. A change in march route is impossible anyway. There is only one road leading into Hify."
"Is that so? Then I shall go issue instructions for the preparations."
"Yes. Please do."
Saying that, I turn on my heel and leave the room.
...To be honest, I have a bad feeling about this.
The flying dragons...
Hiffy and Comet claimed they weren't aligned with any nation, but if they are backed by a country, this will be an extremely grueling war.
We weren't able to establish an aerial force ourselves. As for anti-aircraft weapons, the best we have are anti-aircraft guns that were merely developed in advance, so I suppose we should count ourselves lucky...
...We cannot afford to lose soldiers carelessly.
In that case, I should issue orders that if flying dragons appear, the troops should abandon their equipment and flee.
Doing so will allow us to gather data on the flying dragons and obtain effective countermeasures.
Information is always the most vital asset.
* * *
Side: Hiffy
Once I confirm that Taizou-dono's footsteps have faded into the distance, I speak to the doll once more.
"That was quite a blunder this time."
"My deepest apologies."
Yet the answer that comes back is completely flat.
"Because of this, our plan to earn DP and expand our armaments has gone down the drain. Even though I gave them a role as bait, instead of becoming our nourishment, they became food for flying dragons."
Yes, I told Taizou-dono that they were wiped out because of the flying dragons, but the one who actually slaughtered our army was this doll, Comet.
The plan went awry, but just as Taizou-dono said, things had been going far too smoothly until now.
Lashing out at the doll over it won't accomplish anything.
"...Well, fine. So, how is the modification of the Magic Swords coming along?"
"Yes. Advance, attack, and morale are all without issue. Normally, it was an enemy count that would cause panic, but they fought normally. Against the flying dragons, although a few attempted to counterattack despite retreat orders being given, overall, the mental control of the Magic Swords is performing well."
"I see. Against flying dragons, it can't be helped, I suppose. Well, since we managed to use those captured bandits to provoke August, we can call it a success. If we strengthen the mental control any further, they'll end up just like you. I also applied mental control to the Holy Swords of those helpless girls you brought back so they wouldn't hesitate to kill, but that was a failure. To think they actually cut you to death. It seems a weak control merely makes them believe they are in the right."
"I-I..."
"Ara? What is it?"
How rare.
Comet, who has become a mere doll, is actually trying to express her own will.
"I... am... no longer... needed."
"Ah, that again? Even if you think that yourself, I don't. I can't entrust the world to foolish people like you. I taught you that, didn't I? In the end, even those girls you picked up were driven away and imprisoned. I don't know what happened to them afterward, but I doubt they're still alive. After all, they're human. All that's left are rotten people."
"E-Even so..."
"Unfortunately, I can't trust them. That's why I've worked all this time to build this country. And I even summoned a hero. What I need isn't you yourself, Comet. I only need your abilities as a Dungeon Master and your power as a mage. With those powers, I'll gather only people who aren't rotten and save the world."
"...No."
"No? How strange. You're already finished, Comet. I'm making use of you, so you should be grateful. Honestly, if you were still alive, you could have made a useful pawn by having children with Taizou-dono. But, well, there's no point saying anything to the dead now. Come on. It's time to get back to work. Use DP to deploy and replenish the weapons."
"......Understood."
When I issue that command, Comet's expression instantly goes blank again, and she leaves the room.
"Good grief, what a bunch of fools who failed even with the help of a deity like me. Still, Comet is on the better side. Those girls Comet picked up—even though I went through the trouble of transplanting Dungeon Cores into them to keep them alive and mind-controlling them to destroy each nation, they didn't succeed at all... As expected, I have to select the people myself. Just like Taizou-dono. Trash will never be anything more than trash."
Truly useless beyond belief.
Even though I looked after them for 400 years, they couldn't carry out a single order properly.
Ah, but they're trash, so I suppose it can't be helped.
"Ah, I just thought of a wonderful idea. Next time she talks back, I'll tell her that I used those girls, but they failed. I look forward to seeing how that doll's expression changes. No, wait—would it be better to show them to her in person after we expand into each nation and explain it then? They'll probably auto-regenerate somewhere anyway, so maybe I'll kill them in front of her again."
Decisions, decisions.
Well, either way, I'll have to retrieve the Dungeon Cores and kill those girls.
Ah well, I'll think about it when the time comes.
