Chapter 528: Golden Homeland 3
We were allowed to stay in the village for the night. Fortunately, there was an empty house. I was told that in this country, there are empty houses everywhere.
“There aren’t many people here. There’s not much competition for housing”
“……You said something about not wanting to add more people”
“There will be less food to feed and support. And even if a child is born, we don’t know whose child it will be. There is no way to be attached to procreation”
In this village, procreation is obligatory at a certain age and a certain number of children are born. These children are taken to daycare facilities that exist in each village and are raised as the children of the community until a certain age. The idea is that parent-child affection is the source of crime and in fact, if a famine occurs before the children grow up, they are not only the first to be deprived of food, but they are also the first to be killed and used as food for the adults. As far as outsiders are concerned, a social system that assumes such a situation is obviously insane……anyway, it’s all for the good of the country. Unlike the outside world, where private property and the desire to make life a little easier for one’s offspring is the driving force behind labor, for the inhabitants, whose own parents and children have little to do with each other and who are constantly starving unless the entire village is compacted together, the increase in children means nothing more than the renewal of the work force. In a manner of speaking, the number of houses seems to be provided to the extent that all villagers can have their own houses, but even though it is of little significance, in many cases, married couples or those who are kindred spirits live together. This has led to the creation of a considerable number of vacant houses. The houses are shabby, as if they were coated with mud, but that is the same everywhere. The only place where one could find a comfortable home like the ones outside would be in the royal palace. It was not a bad place to shelter from the rain and dew for a night or so.
“I hope all those children were satisfied with their meat and went to sleep”
Apple murmurs as she prepares her bed, wondering if the children who listened to the song liked it. But Neia chuckled, 「I don’t think that’s going to happen tonight yet」.
“It’s late at night and kids aren’t exactly a priority for nourishing food. But still, I think three cows would be enough to go around for the kids”
“……That’s a funny thing. When it comes to nourishing food, children are usually the ones who should be given the highest priority”
“If we can’t pay the tax, the worst that can happen is that one of the adults in the village is punished. ……There is almost only one punishment in this country. It’s a matter of life and death to work poorly”
“……This is truly a sad country”
Apple turns over.
“I can’t believe that adults have no choice but to keep working at the expense of their children. It makes me nauseous to think of Peter’s and Selenium’s unborn child being treated that way……”
“……I know”
Neia says just that and looks away. It’s no use arguing with Apple’s quiet rage. We’re going to work to destroy the situation.
Midnight. I quietly slip out of bed and go outside. Maia gets up and follows me and when I go outside again, I run into Emma guarding the door like a sentry and the two of them begin to quietly glare at each other.
“How many times do I have to tell you to get along……?”
“I, I know. ……Neia-dono came outside a while ago, do you have any plans to talk?”
“No……”
I didn’t notice any sign of her, but I didn’t know if Neia had also woken up. But it might be a good opportunity. I’m sure Rainer dragons won’t be watching too closely here. I was beginning to think that it was time to hear what the flash sword had to say…….
‘” need to talk to Neia alone for a minute. I’ll let her use her audio illusion, but don’t worry”
“……Understood”
I said to Emma and put my hand on Maia’s head and let her wait there. I’m not sure if they’re going to glare at each other again, but I’ve decided to be content with the fact that it’s probably just like cats playing with each other when they’re alone together.
Neia was standing in front of a small rise of earth overlooking the field.
“Neia.”
“……Smithson-san”
“Can I have a word?”
“……?”
“Audio illusion. Can you do that for me?”
I point to Neia’s waist with my gaze. Under the moonlight, which felt as bright as sunlight once I got used to it, Neia nodded and set up the audio illusion. A beat later, I heard a voice from Neia’s waist.
“This is Faria’s tomb. ……Between me and Neia, you know”
“Ah, there’s no bodies or anything, so……”
“Right. Faria herself left it in front of Orn, so there’s nothing buried here. But to interact with the dead with your mind, you need some kind of marker. So I decided to think that Faria is here. That’s what I decided”
The flash sword told me this in its same aloof tone of voice.
“She was not immediately able to take over as the hero, even though she had inherited the hat and me, Faria’s legacy. For a while, she was here doing penance to Faria and whining about it”
“Fl, Flash sword. ……That’s something we don’t need to talk about”
“That’s true too”
The flash sword seemed to realize that it was bullying Neia and it easily backed down. It remains elusive. Even though it’s a sword. ……No, it doesn’t matter.
“Flash sword. I’m going to ask you a straightforward question. ……Do you think we’re right in our deductions?”
“Theory? ……About the king and Rainer Exeliza are trying to use you against each other?”
“Yes. ……But that’s too straightforward. It is said that even the dragons are confused. I just feel like there’s a little more to it”
“I see. You’re trying to be smart for a guy like you”
“Are you making fun of me……?”
“No. ……I thought that even if I made a good guess, it would not make much sense”
“…….W, Well, in the end, I have no choice but to go along with one or the other’s intentions. I’m almost a prisoner”
“My guess is that it’s not that difficult”
“……?”
“Your presence is of little importance. Probably. ……It’s a sideshow of sorts”
“Wh, What do you mean?”
“That king is……well, I can see that now. That king has been waiting for you from the beginning. From the moment he formed the Heroes Alliance”
“So what?”
“The moment of death”
……Ha? What are you talking about?
“You only encountered Orn for a few minutes. So you may not have fully appreciated the insanity of that monster. But that is the kind of madness. Watching people die for entertainment? Such a passing fact should not be called insanity. It’s different”
“Flash Sword……?”
The flash sword rolls its own words as if asking itself the same question.
That thing is madness that plays with death. It is a will that makes even the moment of disappearance of self-consciousness the height of pleasure, and forces it on himself and everyone else. If that king has changed his values since he came into contact with it, he is in no condition to make excuses. It is waiting. It is waiting for the moment when the naked lives, each placed in its own extreme, will begin to play with the others”
“……Flash Sword”
“You were just there. Rainer Exeliza may not be able to gauge the distance to that man’s broken pleasure. ……You have no choice but to go deep into that madness. I believe Rainer Exeliza is only daring you and Neia, the white material, to confirm it”
“……That’s what it is”
I can think of some things if you ask me. Oh, yeah. The king. The king never intended this country to be the last paradise for people to survive, did he? And in that harshness, people have been living in for 300 years…….
“It’s dangerous to take it on faith, Smithson-san”
“Eh……”
I shudder and Neia interrupts my thoughts.
“……You still believe in that king?”
“Flash Sword was just expressing his own opinion. I am telling you not to be hasty”
Neia stares up at me.
“I’m not defending the king. ……I’m just saying that there may be something wrong with Rainer”
“Neia……?”
“Even if you have no choice but to be carried away, please be careful. ……The truly frightening thing is the unobtainable. Anything that is known can be dealt with in any way, even if it’s a monster”
Neia was serious. It was a strong distrust of the man Rainer……no. It looked like frustration for me, standing in a position where I could be entangled in it.
“You are not a person who can die, even if you are wrong. There are too many people waiting for you and too many things you can change. ……Take care of yourself”
“A, Ah……”
Does she value me that much, or……more than that? I could only give a small nod, feeling my cheeks heat up slightly.