Chapter 172 – While Having Lunch

 

I think I was able to pass the time relatively peacefully until lunchtime, probably because I focused on developing various things to avoid thinking about things that made me anxious as much as possible. However, as soon as I stepped away from the Research and Development department and started thinking about Ellen, I felt anxiety surge through my heart again. Would Ellen be okay? Would she be in any danger? It may not be that I can do anything about it even if I’m by her side, but I still feel unsettled as a person who knows about her critical situation.

“Kosuke, you look worried.”

“Yes, to be honest, I’m quite worried. As Isla may have heard, she was once targeted by a dagger coated with basilisk poison. I was able to save her that time because I happened to be covering for her, but I can’t help but wonder if it will happen again.”

As Isla walked next to me, I spoke my mind honestly.

It’s a miracle that I was able to survive because of my rare ability as a human being; the miracle of the healing of the saint Ellen was immediately applied to me, and I was stabbed inside a temple that amplifies the power of miracles.

If Ellen had been stabbed instead of me, it would probably have been difficult for her to survive. No… I would not have abandoned Ellen after being stabbed right in front of me. It is very likely that I would have used antidote potions and life potions to keep her alive.

If so, then perhaps the encounter between Ellen and me was fateful in many ways. Ellen and I probably would have met and become close friends no matter how things turned out. I still feel the intervention of a supernatural being… I wonder what would have happened if I had gone to the wilderness instead of the forest that day when I came to this world? What would have happened if I hadn’t built a fire, hadn’t engaged that lizard and hadn’t been pursued by Sylphy?

Would I still have met Sylphy, or would I have met Isla and Melty…? I guess I would have ended up going to the Elven village no matter how things turned out.

I don’t know what kind of scenario has been set up for me ahead of time… No, it doesn’t matter if something has interfered with my destiny. I should do my best to do what I think is best. No matter the mechanism, I should do everything I can to attract the outcome I want. They say that God helps those who help themselves.

“But the reality is that there’s nothing I can do about it… Merinesburg is simply too far away. Even if I went to save her without thinking about the consequences, if I should die or be captured by the Holy Kingdom’s army, it would be a complete disaster.”

“Hmm.”

Isla agreed briefly with my words. I’m sure she had some things she wanted to say, but she swallowed them down.

It’s not fun for Isla to see me obsessing over someone she’s never even seen before. In addition, although Ellen is a member of the nostalgic faction, she is still an Adolian saint. It would be even more unpleasant.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize. It’s unnatural for Kosuke to abandon the saint. I like you because you are such a sweet and kind man.”

“I see… Thank you.”

“Hmm.”

Isla grabbed my hand, or rather my fingers. Isla’s hands are so tiny. When we returned to the lord’s mansion holding hands like this, Sylphy, Melty, and Grande were waiting for us in the dining room. It seems that Isla and I are the only other people who eat together.

“Isn’t Danan or Ms. Zamir going to eat with us?”

“Danan has plans to eat elsewhere. Zamir is in awe of the idea of eating my cooking.”

“Sylphy was a princess, after all.”

“What do you mean by “was”… She’s still a genuine princess.”

Sylphy, who had brought in a pot from the kitchen, lightly chopped Melty on the head. The relationship between these two is kind of strange. Especially on Melty’s side, there is a sense of complete separation between on and off.

“So, did you feel refreshed?”

“Well, yeah. I was thinking about it a lot on the way back.”

“Good grief… Well, it’s a co-schedule, I guess. I’ve asked Lime and the others to take care of the saint, so don’t worry.”

“I see… If that’s the case, well then, yeah. That’s good.”

I know how strong Lime and the others are; I’ve seen it myself. In a face-to-face battle, I would be helpless. It’s safe to say that even Melty, who could overwhelm the Grand Dragon Grande, would barely be able to beat one of them.

While eating the soup and chicken-like sandwiches that Sylphy made for us, we talked about what happened during the scripture search, the airboard we made over there, and the prototype magic gun we had just seen.

“It seems that you had an exciting day. It’s been boring as hell here. Routine work, if you will.”

“I guess it’s a good thing that nothing major happened, though.”

Melty smiles as she elegantly munches on her salad.

“That’s right. I believe that a peaceful life is sometimes irreplaceable and precious, especially for you.”

“For us, yes. That’s true, I suppose.”

We’re probably going to have to deal with the Holy Kingdom army soon. When that happens, it’s going to be bloody for a while. I’m sure I’ll never go to a place where I’ll be directly exposed to blood.

On the one hand, I’m relieved, but on the other hand, I’m not sure if that’s the right thing to do. It’s as if I’m giving everyone weapons and sending them into battle. It will kill many enemy soldiers of the Holy Kingdom and probably damage the Liberation Army as well.

“Are you worrying about it again?”

“A little. Well, I’ve made up my mind, and I don’t really care.”

I’ve already made up my mind that I’m going to the depths of hell with Sylphy. If I am going to do this, I can’t do it halfway. I’m going to have to go all the way through. I think I’m going to be called the worst mass murderer in the history of this world, but I don’t care.

“Kosuke-san, this eating knife is for eating. You can’t send it to the front lines as a weapon.”

“I know what you mean, but I think it’s a bit more dangerous than that, I think.”

“That’s true, too. The axe… is as noisy as a mithril logging axe, isn’t it?”

“Hmm, yeah, that’s about as gnarly as it gets. If you think it’s just a logging axe, it’ll take your weapon and armor with it.”

“That’s a good point. I think that’s still too lenient of an assessment.”

“Hmm, Grande is right. If we let Kosuke go unchecked, he’ll turn the Holy Kingdom’s army into dust all by himself if he’s not careful.”

“Isn’t that too much to say?”

When Melty didn’t take the joke seriously again, Isla quietly shook her head.

“It’s not an exaggeration. I’m not joking.”

“What if you use a strategy like you did when you blew up the fort?”

Isla shook her head at Sylphy’s words as well.

“If Kosuke really wants to destroy the Holy Kingdom, even if the Holy Kingdom comes with 100,000 soldiers, he can blow up the encampment from a distance, safely, without a trace.”

Isla stared at me as she said this. I don’t think I’ve ever really talked to Isla about rocket bombardment using magic sparkling stone bombs and propulsion systems… Isla has been working with me for a long time, building things. I’m sure she figured it out.

“If you’re asking if I can do it, I probably can. I don’t have any plans to do so at the moment. If I did, I could probably beat the Holy Kingdom, but there would be a lot of problems if I were to do that by myself.”

If I really wanted to do such a thing, I would have to create and test the detonation of a magic sparkling stone bomb, build a detonation device to ensure that it would explode, and develop a rocket that would fly the magic sparkling stone bomb to a destination without fail. It would be unfashionable if I blew myself up by shooting a rocket with a magic sparkling stone bomb.

“When did this become such a big deal…?”

“I’ve been doing this since the beginning, but I’m totally in the strategic weapons arena.”

I’ll be able to mass-produce food and weapons, develop powerful projectile weapons that didn’t exist in this world, and even gain the ability to control large areas from a distance. If I were the king of the Holy Kingdom, I would sacrifice everything to capture or kill these people.

“…If I heard such a story, I couldn’t let you go to the front no matter what.”

“That’s right. But if you want to take full advantage of my abilities, it’s best to put me close to the front lines.”

The key to my abilities are my construction and demolition abilities and my crafting abilities. In particular, the ability to demolish buildings is far more useful near the front lines than in the rear.

“So don’t store me away in the back; take me to the front.”

Sylphy and Melty looked at each other silently and let out a sigh when I said that. I’m not going to give up on this one either. In a way, I’m helping the war along, so I need to at least see the scene and atmosphere for myself and feel it firsthand. That’s my responsibility, isn’t it?

“Let’s talk about it at night. In bed, if you like.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

“Oh, that sounds like fun. Let me join you.”

“…I’m not going to compromise on this one.”

You guys think you can get me in a straight fight, don’t you? My iron will won’t bend like that. If it doesn’t bend, it won’t bend. So calm down. Be gentle. Okay? On the other hand, don’t get mixed up with me just because you think it’s funny, Grande.

I feel if I don’t forget this matter by the end of the night, I’ll be in trouble… Let’s hope that Ellen can make it! Please, Saint! I’m really begging you!

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