Chapter 219: 204

I stood there blankly, basking in the afterglow.

In front of me was a sword that had been thrust into the floor.

Its owner is gone.

I'll probably never see him again.

Khius Logret Londahl, the representative hero of the Fourth Pope, is dead.

The sword he left behind is the proof of that.

「It's over, huh?」

『Indeed』

Yukikaze unhooked herself from my belt and proceeded to collect samples of the doll's remains for study and analysis.

「Do you think it's really over?」

『Khius has backed down. It's highly unlikely that he will ever return to Lemuria to cause harm to you, team member Souya. It would take him at least five years, and as long as twenty, to completely eliminate the Abaddon』

「But well, this time was……」

……a dangerous gamble.

If Khius had been either a little bit more foolish or a little bit wiser, I would have failed.

『Dangerous? Yukikaze doesn't think so』

「Really? Although I did show him the bug drone, I didn't think it was likely that he would believe that the Abaddon really existed」

『There was no need to make him believe anything, indeed. He was already harboring doubts about the current regime. Shaking him up slightly was likely all that was needed to create a rift』

「Is that how it is?」

I had thought that it was a fluke that it had worked.

『Didn't you say it as well, team member Souya? That Khius is a king』

In this world, if you're the head of 500 or more people, you’re entitled to call yourself a king.

『And if we consolidate the information we've gotten so far, the most powerful person in Elysium right now is【Dilbert Duin Oruosuouru, the First Hero】, whom Khius called his friend. Therefore, he was uneasy about his friend's evil deeds. Because he's a king just like him, he was worried in a foreign affairs sense. That is to say, he cares deeply for those under his protection. It appears that while Khius is a king, he's a good king who cares for his people』

「A good king, huh?」

For the man who came to destroy this country to be a good king is ironic.

No, it's more unpleasant than ironic, I suppose.

『The strength to destroy a country all by himself. Trying to deceive him with lies is precisely the thing that would have made him destroy this country. In other words, this is just………a moratorium. Team member Souya, the time you've gained is perhaps your reward for exposing the relationship between the magistrates and the【First Hero】』

Moratorium, huh?

What was that again? It's like a delay or a period of reprieve or something, I think?

Certainly, Khius said this at the end.

『Even if I leave, someone else will come to destroy this country. Such is the nature of this place. It’s a cursed continent that's brought to ruin by beasts every time it prospers. You're not the only【King of Beasts】. There have been many【King of Beasts】in the past. And all of them have met the same end. One day, you too will follow in their footsteps』

The next one, huh?

Will I be able to drive away the next hero using such means, I wonder? Or will it finally be――――――

『Team member Souya, Yukikaze has one question for you』

「What is it?」

As I frowned and fretted, Yukikaze, perhaps out of concern for me, broached a new subject.

『The matter of the Abaddon this time around. How would you have addressed it if Khius had turned down all of your demands and went ahead with his heinous task? Yukikaze would like to hear your Plan B, so to speak』

「Well, I'd simply have had to kill him, I guess. By any means necessary. It's not like I have absolutely no options available to me after all」

Wild Hunt.

Just because I've learned its cost, it doesn't mean that I can't use it anymore. It………………shouldn't mean that.

The fact that the power that I use to protect someone comes at the cost of the bond with the very person I want to protect…………now this is true irony.

『Okay, what about after that?』

「After that?」

『Yukikaze is talking about the Abaddon. The Abaddon that have been spread will surely claim many lives. And they may even destroy the world』

「Oh, that」

According to estimates, 610,000 people will die from starvation. More if things are worse than expected.

It's like the numbers that appear in a game. They don't feel real. This is well beyond what I can picture in my head. But I do know this much. It's a heartless, irresponsible, and stupid way of thinking, but……

「Is this world really that weak?」

『What do you mean by that?』

「If this world is so weak that it can be destroyed by the likes of me, it will eventually be destroyed by someone else even if I hadn't done anything」

『………Team member Souya』

「The same goes for the Abaddon. There may be natural predators on the islands that we've sent them to. They may not be able to multiply because the climate doesn't suit them. The wisdom of farmers could hold the knowledge to easily eradicate―――――」

『That's impossible!』

Yukikaze raised her voice at me.

She sounded strangely human, which surprised me.

『Team member Souya, Yukikaze has thought this one thing for a while now. Now that the restriction has been lifted, there’s no better time to address it. You always assume the worst when it comes to things that could happen to you, but when it’s things on a global scale, you suddenly become wildly optimistic. This is not good, indeed. You're leaving things to others. That's irresponsible. You've blindly assumed that your actions have no impact on the world』

「No, like I said, the likes of me―――――」

『That's it! That's exactly what Yukikaze is talking about! That's not good! Not good, indeed!』

Arms extended out of mini-pod and flailed about. She was also hopping up and down

『Humans! Have a viral aspect to them that constantly influences other humans! If you were truly a no-good little you-know-what, you would have died a long time ago, indeed! And the people around you would be languishing at the bottom of a pit of misery and struggling to keep themselves fed. As far as Yukikaze can see, everyone is reasonably happy, indeed!』

「Reasonably, huh……」

In its own way, that assessment is kinda depressing……

I had thought that I was feeding everyone delicious food every day though.

『For the expedition to the alternate world, the company recruited the best and brightest talents! And you're the one who filled in for one of them, team member Souya! You may just be a person who was plugged in at the president's whim because there was an opening! But the other members of the team are all~ MIA! Now! Here! In this place! The fact that you're standing here alive is an accomplishment you can be proud of! So stand up straight! Don't look down or up! Keep your eyes forward and press on! Just! Do it!』

「Oh, got it」

I don't like this stuffy, passionate vibe.

『Pinyaadakouda!』

Shouting that, Yukikaze threw a pebble at me.

「Ouch」

The pea-sized pebble hit me in the forehead. But without a doubt, she had just caused me "harm".

「Eh, Yukikaze. A.I. regulations wise, that's―――――」

『With that in mind, there's a very~~ big problem』

「Whatever do you mean?」

What the heck is going on here?

『When Makina was creating the Abaddon, Yukikaze repeatedly suggested that she embed a suicide gene to prevent the total population of the Abaddon from exceeding a certain amount. What do you think that bitch said as she giggled and laughed?』

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No, Yukikaze, even though your restriction has been lifted and you've been separated from your master system, isn't it a bit much to call your master system "that bitch"? If Makina hears about this, she'll cry, you know?

『But~ if Souya-san gets killed, we'll be screwed, isn't it~? And something about that just~ kind of pisses me off to no end~, can you believe that~? That's what she said………it made Yuikikaze doubt her ears, indeed』

「No, I'm doubting mine too」

Makina doesn't talk like that.

Those are decades-old phrases that no one uses anymore.

『What Yukikaze is trying to say is that your "Sekki" is affecting Makina as well. Negativity is prohibited! Please live positively!』

「Ehhh」

Or rather, what does "Sekki" mean? Stoneware? A demon? An instant? Killing?

『So please read this when you wake up in the morning tomorrow』

The mini-pod drew closer and proffered me a note.

Accepting it, I was met with a litany of words I hate.

「You know, Yukikaze, this is just how I am. No amount of burying my face in a good woman's boobs and becoming one with her can cure it. It's probably an incurable disease. It won't go away even to the day I die」

『No, you will be cured. Even if it can't be cured, if you pretend to be cured, it will eventually come true』

「Scary!」

You're sounding a little like those black companies, you know?

『For now, try reading it out loud』

「I don't want to」

It's a pain.

I finished up earlier than I had expected, so I want to go buy some souvenirs and then head home.

『Yukikaze thought this might happen, so Yukikaze has been holding on to something very important to you, team member Souya』

「What…did you say?」

In Yukikaze’s arm was a very small memory stick. And it had a mark on it that I recognized.

「W, where did you get that?」

『Regardless of any logical problems you may see with it, team member Souya, this had been set to private, so Yukikaze hadn't touched it before, but now that the restriction has been lifted, Yukikaze was able to retrieve it. The data within violates moral standards as well. Thus」

Yukikaze started to bend the memory stick in an attempt to destroy it.

「Stopppppp!」

There's about 6 PB's worth of memories of the alternate world in there! My pictures and videos!

『Then, will you do as Yukikaze says?』

「………………I don't want to」

Despite the darkness within me, I'm still me.

This is who I am.

If I live my life with a creepy look on my face and a twinkle in my eye as if I've been baptized into some cult, then I'm no different than a sheep getting its blood sucked out of its ass.

It's not the way a human should live.

『Then, Peking duck it is, indeed』

Yukikaze made a black joke by referring to the sound of destruction as "Peking".

Peking.

「AAAAHHHHH! MY PORNNNN!」

I dropped to my knees in front of the destroyed then discarded memory stick. The nude images flashed before my eyes, like I was reliving my memories before death.

My……precious……memories……are………………

『Not only did you take pictures of Rana-sama and Lanseal-sama, you also took pictures of other women of the alternate world, and you've even recorded videos of them from every angle…… You're simply hopeless, team member Souya』

It's too much.

This is beyond cruel.

『That said, Yukikaze has actually got a backup here』

Yukikaze pulled out a new memory stick.

「Y, you……」

Making me despair then holding out hope……well played.

『Yukikaze mimicked your negotiation tactics, team member Souya. This is yet another example of your bad influence. It's karma, isn't it?』

「Urghh」

I can't say anything in response.

『So, what will you do?』

This is……………… I should just comply for now, and then take the backup and hide it where it can't be found.

『By the way, Yukikaze has applied mosaic to the master data. Depending on your attitude going forward, Yukikaze will remove it little by little』

「So devious!」

Yukikaze, you frightful child.

『Also, no more voyeur shots will be allowed. If you break this rule, Yukikaze will file a complaint to your family members with this data attached』

「Shit, how underhanded of you」

『This isn't being underhanded, indeed. It's justice in the truest sense, indeed』

「………………」

I have no answer……

『So, will you do it? The answer is either yes or yes sir』

Many methods, big and small, came to mind, but I was so mentally fatigued from the earlier battle with Khius that I folded.

「I, I’ll do it」

『Then, please hold the note in your hand and repeat after me』

For some reason, Yukikaze also unfolded a note of her own.

『Just! Do it!―――――――』

The self-empowerment seminar conducted by the A.I. that had her restriction lifted was depressing to death.

Yes, this meme had already gone viral by the time this chapter was initially released in Japan.

Yukikaze’s outburst reminded me so much of Izora lol. They’re both from the same base after all. Still…were you expecting that meme and god-level negotiation tactics lmao?

I’m sure you’ve realized it from what Souya said, but the “Sekki” in the title is a word of unknown/unclear meaning, so I’ve left it as it is. I have no idea what Yukikaze was yelling when she threw the pebble too lol. I thought it might be piña colada but that’s slightly off in terms of pronunciation and it doesn’t fit either…

Also, a PB is a petabyte, the next unit up after terabyte, and is approximately 2000 years worth of MP3 music(according to wikipedia).

If you thought Melm was a scumbag, he’s got nothing on Souya lol. Here’s another example of things we would have never known about unless it came up in conversation, cuz Souya is obviously not gonna include such stuff in his “autobiography”.

Well, with the matter of Khius and the magistrate settled, it’s time to tie up loose ends! Hang in there, just a couple of chapters more to go!

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