Chapter 850: The Sand City Uprising 7
“I can’t take it anymore……Boss, should we just go for it?”
“Stand down. ……You think you can take on that thing? If you’re that clueless, I’m disappointed”
“Boss……?”
Tack-san’s expert-like subordinate flared up, but was immediately stopped by Tack-san himself. At the very least, Tack-san seemed able to sense the aura of strength emanating from Nancy-san. And Dorado-san, the flashy dandy, also gave his subordinate a look and waved him off before he could say anything. He didn’t seem to be just a muscle-head either. Carlos, still seated, raised one hand lightly and glanced sideways at Nancy.
“Nancy. Don’t egg them on. I’m trying to talk them into cooperating right now”
“……Right. Sorry”
Nancy took a step back. Both spoke with such composure, it felt like Carlos had anticipated her outburst and stepped in beforehand.
“You brought us this far into this place, thinking that even if we cause trouble, that woman would keep us safe, huh?”
Dorado-san asked, and Carlos spread his hands lightly.
“We’re not that close that I could simply tell you, the key players, to come alone and expect you to readily agree. That’s all. ……Besides, I believe you possess the qualities needed to be leaders. Meaning, I trust you understand that beating me to death here would only leave you with nowhere to go”
“Well, even if someone rashly tried something like that now, I wouldn’t let them”
“Nancy. ……My apologies. If you use violence to break off a proposal backed not just by Onyx but by the Five Great Trading Houses, your faction will only gain more enemies. Especially Trident—even after seizing control of the entire 『Tower』, they wouldn’t lightly start a war. And with your faction currently divided, it would be tantamount to suicide”
“……With all those pieces in place, you’d think they’d come after us openly”
“If it were just about crushing one or two of your factions, that might be an option. But giving the three bloodline factions an excuse to fight us and fanning the flames would be putting the cart before the horse. We don’t want to destroy the 『Tower』 in the first place. Let’s aim for coexistence and mutual prosperity”
“……Tsk. Don’t want to get your hands dirty, huh?”
“This mess is your family business. We’ve no reason to risk our necks. ……Well, maybe one reason—I mentioned it earlier”
“McNeill? ……Let me make this clear: that kid isn’t under my wing or Tack’s. He’s got Oval’s faction backing him”
“You know him?”
“Yeah. He’s crossed paths with our young guys a few times. Cocky little brat”
Dorado-san spat out the words before continuing.
“If we go after his head, it means all-out war with Oval’s faction”
“Are you serious, Dorado?”
“Can’t you keep up, Tack? ……We can’t just crush Onyx here and call off the deal. If we let their funds go elsewhere, we’re finished. We have no choice but to do it”
“Even though accepting means faction realignment?”
“We’ll settle who sides with whom later with our fists. Anyway, both you and I lead factions. For our men’s sake, we can’t back down now”
“…………”
Tack-san wore an expression that perfectly matched the phrase 「Biting the dust」. ……And Carlos-san smiled coldly.
“Which faction you belong to is of no concern to us. Whether you settle things with just a beheading through your deal with Oval, or use force to subdue them, is entirely up to you. We can’t provide manpower, but we can supply ample funds and supplies”
“……What’s this about the youngster MacNeil killed? Why is Onyx so fixated on it?”
“What? He’s a bastard born in a brothel. ……But it was under our umbrella”
“……You’d stick your hand into the fire for some whore’s brat?”
“Of course”
Carlos-san suddenly lowered his voice. All trace of a smile vanished. He exuded a chilling aura.
“The lives connected to us are far heavier than yours, which you casually crush over trivial matters. Don’t underestimate us dark elves. To protect our friends, our family, we’ll fight dragons. By any means necessary”
“…………!”
“……Tsk. You’re the one getting worked up here”
The ogres faltered, yet somehow regained their footing. ……Those words were both a threat to the ogres and a declaration of resolve to me. Fighting dragons. That meant using every means possible right now, in this very negotiation, to eliminate any chance of dragon intervention and protect the families living in this town. ……After a moment, Carlos regained his composure.
“Well then. That concludes our discussion. Care to have a drink? We’re no longer enemies, after all. If you like, we could even have a drinking contest to decide who’s the top drinker”
“Ha, sounds good. What do you say, Tack? That way, no hard feelings”
“Hmph. Fine. ……Onyx, bring plenty of liquor. Don’t think a barrel or two will suffice”
Starting with Dorado.san, the ogres, as if freed from paralysis, regained their vitality. They took huge mugs from the maid, plunged them into the barrels, and began drinking.
I watched the entire scene unfold before returning indoors. Though I wasn’t close to the action, the sheer intensity and pressure made my heart pound just watching.
“Uniting the two factions and handing over the money……will that really solve it?”
“It should at least speed things up. ……Yes, Master. I brought some back”
“Cosmos-san. What about Isabel?”
“She’s been asleep since her treatment ended. I guess the tension finally snapped”
Cosmos-san poured from the bottle into a glass. Was it that rare liquor?
“……Soon, similar proposals will come from other factions and merchant houses in this area, leading to consolidation. Once the remaining factions are either driven out or absorbed, leaving just two major factions, the lawless destruction will subside. A hierarchy will eventually form, and things will settle down”
“……Eh, what? You mean we’re rolling things so they win?”
“If that happens, the chaos will only intensify. If too many casualties or irrecoverable losses occur within the 『Tower』, their territory becomes a vacuum, potentially sparking new conflicts. ……That’s why they’re co-opting dominant merchant guilds in the surrounding areas, establishing a framework to collaborate and manipulate the 『Tower』……rhat seems to be Carlos’s strategy, and the reason Nancy was running around”
“……Seriously”
“The ogres think they’re striving to survive by their own will, but in reality, they’ll be controlled by the funding provided by other major merchant guilds. Their positions will be manipulated, and their true nature will be defined. ……Though their rapid generational turnover means funds won’t be needed long-term, I never imagined Onyx would weave such an elaborate web to bind them”
“……Maybe we really were just meddling unnecessarily”
The sake certainly had an unusual taste. Floral notes mingled with the sharpness of animal blood, rich sweetness coexisting with a peculiar, tongue-tingling spiciness. It might grow on you, but honestly, I’d rather dilute this……as I peered into my glass, I noticed Cosmos-san smiling, his expression almost tearful.
“……But if you hadn’t come……Isabel would never have escaped”
“Well……that’s true”
Nancy-san wouldn’t have rushed over personally either, had she not heard reports of us scrambling about. Our actions had meaning. Just as we’d set out to do from the start: we wouldn’t let Isabel die. For that reason alone, we were necessary. Beyond that, we’d already calculated that waiting would let Carlos-san and the others handle it. Well, it’s probably a good thing we didn’t need to cause any unnecessary trouble. What are you so disappointed about?
“Plus, we can get Lucky’s revenge”
“……Yeah”
Regarding that, I can’t say I don’t feel a little uneasy. While we were running around, they were nothing but enemies. But now, having accepted Carlos’s proposal in the garden, they’re just people. Well, 「Just people」 might be an understatement, but to Celesta, even demi-humans are people. And those people are going to cut off their comrades’ heads. Of course, it’s not like Lucky deserved to die, but even that ogre named McNeill, who’s definitely going to be killed tonight, has parents and comrades too. It’s not like 「Hooray, they’re dead, problem solved」. There’s no guarantee they’ll go down quietly. If things go wrong, some of the ogres drinking here tonight might lose their lives in the fight to take those heads. I know this is unnecessary sentimentality. But many of my crossbow squad comrades who shared my meals and sleep were ogres too. Even that Goto from the Masturbation Brothers was a one-horned monocorn, just like the 『Tower』 crew. ……This isn’t just a negotiation meant to bring happiness. Feeling a bit gloomy about that is probably just my arrogance, I suppose.
“……Right. Emma, Leda!”
I suddenly remembered and called out to them. ……After waiting a little over a minute, the two leapt over several buildings and flew to the window.
“Master!”
“…,,,Y, Yes? Did you call?”
“Yes, come in. Come inside. Sit down for a moment”
I had them go around the entrance and come inside, sat them down on nearby chairs, then pulled my own chair up to face them.
“Did you shoot the crossbow?”
“…………”
“…………”
They both looked away. In this situation, they probably just expected to get scolded, and honestly, I was a bit inclined to reprimand them. They saved me tremendously. If those few arrows hadn’t arrived in time, by the time Nancy-san got here, I would have been killed……or at least forced into some reckless action that would have left me badly injured. But still, orders are orders. I had to say what needed to be said, or else our relationship might just become one where she casually ignores me from now on.
“Emm……wh, what are you talking about? There’s no proof, right?”
Leda played dumb. She kept glancing at Emma. For a dragon, she’s surprisingly bad at lying. ……Well, maybe it’s the conflict between not wanting to hide things from me and the promise she made with Emma about keeping secrets. Then, after staring down at the floor for a moment, Emma said.
“…It was just……Leda and I were bored, so we figured we’d practice just in case……”
“That’s not covering for each other!”
Covering for each other? Try a little harder to lie, Leda.
“We didn’t check how far the arrow flew, but well, I suppose you could say we shot it……so it’s not like we tried to force someone’s mind with our power or anything”
“Emma. ……This isn’t the issue, is it? The issue is whether it counts as me using a dragon, right?”
“……Haa”
“It’s incredibly nuanced, but, um, anyway, apologize first. In front of Cosmos-san”
“……Um, I’m sorry……?”
“Master, are you a little drunk?”
“No, I’m not drunk, but”
It was fairly strong liquor, so I do feel a bit tipsy. No, it’s just that fatigue and tension have been constant, so I’m starting to lose track of what exactly the problem is. But first, I had to apologize to Cosmos-san alongside the dragons. That much was necessary. So I lined up with Emma and Leda and apologized to Cosmos-san.
“I’m sorry. I might have broken the promise a little”
“E, Eh……what do you mean?”
“Emma and the others. During the battle earlier today. ……Well, Cosmos-san didn’t actually see the battle, right? If I hadn’t said anything, you wouldn’t have known, would you?”
“So that’s the angle I’m taking. ……Emma, why are you twisting it into some weird excuse?”
“The issue is whether we intervened with force, right? The crossbow’s range and accuracy aren’t related to a dragon’s abilities, so it’s valid, isn’t it? Rather, that could be considered the power of Master who maintained it”
“But you were the one who said making arrows out of ice means they’ll melt eventually and leave no evidence……Emma. But that’s something only us dragons can do, right? When pressed on that point, you have to admit it somewhat, don’t you?”
We’re just a bunch of messed-up people, shifting blame back and forth, taking it on, losing track of it. Cosmos-san, who had been watching us in stunned silence, finally chuckled softly.
“……Thank you. For putting your heart into it like that, for protecting Talc……for protecting Isabel”
“E, Eh—……”
“That thing really is fine, you know”
I’m not convinced. Leda takes the attitude that it’s actually fine. Cosmos-san takes my hand.
“……I think I understand a little now. Why so many powers gather in you……not just dragons, but Dianne-chan, Hilda, Laila-san, Aurora-san……even Carlos-san and Nancy-san. The meaning behind gathering so many powers”
“?”
……Ah. Well, honestly……I was doing all sorts of naughty things and somehow ended up feeling really good……but does that even count……?
“It’s not about riding you, the 『Winner chosen by history』. It’s because, no matter how many means are taken from you, you never give up reaching out……I want to see what lies beyond what you see. That’s what it is, I suppose”
“Ah, no……do I even have something I’m aiming for that much……?”
Or rather, it just happened to be within reach, and it’s not like I have some special, unyielding willpower. Even this time, I thought about giving up countless times, about just going with the flow. ……Seeing the look on my face, Cosmos-san smiles.
“I’m sure it’s fine just the way you are. ……Because I think the things you’ve grasped so far, and the things you’ll grasp from now on……are visible precisely because you’re so natural. That’s why no one finds it burdensome to be by your side. You don’t have to force yourself to become something great”
“……Is that really okay?”
Somehow, if Cosmos-san says so, then maybe it is okay, I find myself convinced. It felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders a little. Drawn by that lightness of heart and the sounds of revelry outside, I took another sip of sake. ……It still tasted complicated. But maybe because I drank it on a high, it seemed a bit tastier than before.
“This stuff’s kinda addictive”
I muttered that, looking up at the night sky. Somehow, my memory just stopped there. ……Lately, I keep forgetting how weak I am to alcohol.
——————————–
The next day. As promised, the head of an ogre was delivered to the Onyx Trading Company. And when Isabel awoke from her deep sleep, she raised her sword to strike the delivered head……but then dropped the sword and collapsed, weeping.
“The beloved family you lost won’t return. No matter what you do to the neck of the dead culprit……you knew that, didn’t you, Isabel? But that’s not something we outsiders can just lecture you about”
Nancy-san, who came to stand beside me watching the scene, said this with a slightly sad, gentle look in her eyes.
For us, the turmoil surrounding the 「Tower Emblem」 ended here.