Chapter 98

“Hmm…”

After pondering for a moment, I spoke up.

“Surely, if there are hundreds of thousands of Dwarves, it’s possible they wouldn’t look kindly upon ‘passing by.’”

People tend not to trust people. Moreover, when the numbers on the other side tally to “hundreds of thousands,” no matter how hard they try, it’s quite unlikely they could maintain complete control.

Not to mention, there could be extreme individuals here who think, “I like this place.”

“Um, could we pretend we didn’t hear what was just said…?”

“It feels like the suggestion you’re trying to make, Your Highness, is not quite along those lines. What you made me feel directly, must be related to me—”

“Uh, excuse me? Sister? That was a pretty important thing we just discussed?”

“……”

“Hey, hey.”

I sealed my lips, and Ria poked my arm with her elbow from the side.

“Do you get it now? How I feel when you suddenly throw around something like a prophecy?”

“…… You mean to say that you throw around prophecies? Isn’t there some sort of ritual required?”

Ria asked the princess, tilting her head in confusion.

“Yes, this one tends to just casually say things as if she had a sudden inspiration while sweeping the courtyard with a broom for dinner. Probably so accustomed to talking to the being up above.”

Well, I wouldn’t go that far. The most I see usually is just some light falling from above.

However, I couldn’t deny that here. After all, I had already been lying about it.

“Everyday, you say?”

The princess appeared even more perplexed. Fortunately, she didn’t look like she didn’t believe me, which relieved me… um, can I really feel relieved?

Thinking it over again, maybe I have been digging my own grave all this time? It’s just an excuse since I’m a Saint Candidate anyway, but even the original Saint didn’t seem to have such a depiction.

No, it’s just that kind of drug that works the best that I chose.

“Anyway—”

“Ah, I see.”

But thanks to that, it seemed I could let the discussion about the princess’s lineage slip by, so I quickly opened my mouth, only for the princess to cut me off cleanly.

“Let me talk about my bloodline.”

“No, Your Highness. Even so, since I’m not a real Saint yet, it might be a bit awkward to extract the most important information of our country like that…”

“I’m not trying to extract it. I’m just speaking.”

“Is there a need to take such risks?”

“Yes.”

The princess replied in a manner so crisp it was almost refreshing.

“First, the reason my bloodline is mixed is simple. My father has been slowly mixing our highest bloodline with Gnomes. I’m a princess, and presumably, in the future, I’ll marry another noble. For about one generation, it probably won’t be evident, but when my descendants continue and grow in number, even the most rigid nobles would be unable to deny it.”

Um… I get that.

The fact that not having a beard might be explained away, after all, the Dwarves wouldn’t even imagine that noble blood flows in them.

“But isn’t that humiliating for a Dwarf?”

“Yes, this is a long process to prepare for living together with Gnomes in a very far future. It’s going to take a long time to prepare many things. But it’s worth it.”

No matter which direction it goes, the result is always invasion and war.

Take a brief look at history, and it’s clear. Nations that couldn’t hold onto their places for some reason pushed out the ones that were once there, ultimately leading to the fall of the existing state.

However, Dwarves and Gnomes have waged war for ages, and the front lines have almost become permanently fixed. If an all-out war broke out, it would mean mutual destruction.

……Going to other regions is impossible as well without abandoning the Dwarves still living there. Digging into mountains instead of building is a massive labor force. No matter how well Dwarves handle heavy machinery, that remains true.

It’s one thing if we were a small tribe that started living here, but when it comes to moving hundreds of thousands of kingdom citizens, that’s another story altogether.

“Of course, other plans were being executed as well.”

The princess said calmly as she saw my expression.

“However, sadly, we have lost a lot of technologies.”

The princess looked up at the ceiling.

“We can no longer create spaces like this. If we were to research it again, who knows what could happen, but it would probably take a long time. Building it would take decades.”

“……”

“I’m fine. My father is fine too. As long as we can sustain our kingdom, we could endure digging in a randomly discovered cave to withstand the cold. It’s how Dwarven history began. But.”

The princess looked at me.

“What do you think, Saint Candidate? Do you think the hundreds of thousands of Dwarves and the hundreds of Dwarven nobles would obediently follow along with such words?”

I shook my head.

“Yes, that’s why everyone is preparing. In one way or another, whether it’s borrowing land from another civilization or giving up all past heritages to seek new lands.”

But all that is already too late.

Because the Dwarven territory has already festered to the point of rot.

As they expand by digging into the mountains, places where the above space touches begin to appear. There are even gaps that leak magic power.

Even if they cultivate outside and use the melted snow for drinking water, that’s only enough to sustain bits of Dwarven civilization. Most Dwarves, if they aren’t royalty or nobles, will have to live off mushrooms and livestock that can only be raised in caves, along with the water they can obtain from those same caves.

All of that is slowly decaying. And by the time they realize it, it’s already too late.

There’s no peaceful method except those that take a long time. But the Dwarves had no time to make that choice.

“……”

Having thought that far, I looked at the princess. She had only a calm expression. Just stating the facts, her face didn’t seem like she was evaluating or making claims.

Though I was looking up at her from a lower position, she didn’t seem small at all.

“……It seems, Your Highness, that you’re against invasion regardless.”

“Did the divine tell you that as well?”

“No, that’s my judgment. I hoped there would be a way in the first place, which is why we’re both looking at each other like this. It must be why you chose to speak so openly with me.”

“Yes, that’s right. I believe war is inevitable. No matter how much we prepare, war will inevitably take the form of a coalition that the Dwarf Kingdom alone will have to bear.”

“It sounds like you would’ve done it if you could achieve an overwhelming victory.”

“My father would’ve. And I agree, yes, I think so. If that’s the simplest way to resolve things and the method that can ensure benefits, I would give it my full support. What ruler wouldn’t?”

But all rulers try their best to avoid war because they think it will eventually harm them more. Sure, those who think it’s possible have been waging wars all the time.

“……I’d like to know what you’re hoping for from me.”

When I said that, the princess paused for a moment.

And then.

“……If I were to convert.”

She shifted the conversation in a direction I hadn’t considered.

“And if the Dwarf Kingdom were to accept my religion—Sister, would you be willing to help our kingdom?”

“……”

Ah, right.

I was here representing the Church.

I clapped my forehead with my hand.

Ria sniffed in disbelief beside me, but I chose to ignore her for now.

“That matter seems a bit complex. First of all, I’m in a position where I hold no real power in the Church.”

“But at the same time, you would be a symbolic figure. In religion, at times, a symbol can hold more importance than power.”

“Uh, well, yes, that’s true, but I mean what I’m trying to say is…”

I stopped myself mid-sentence.

And took a moment to think.

How to explain that while I don’t believe in the concept of a god, I have no qualms about borrowing power from a being looking down on me? It was very challenging to put into words.

Ria was staring at me intently.

Emotions couldn’t be read from that expression. It seemed as if she was deliberately suppressing her feelings, tightly sealing her lips.

If it were Ria, would she be opposed?

…I’m not sure. The Ria I know feels different from the character in the novel, but she might act out.

However, there’s one thing I believe.

If it’s Ria, she’ll understand my decision. She’ll believe in my words.

Though it feels a bit awkward to say.

“……I don’t move just for that kind of benefit.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means if I can do something, I will.”

“……”

“And the reason I came here in the first place was to prevent your highness’s abduction.”

I’m not aware of exactly how everything turned out. The context in the story starts only after the incident has already exploded.

However, still.

If I can at least prevent the princess’s abduction, the situation won’t escalate to the same extent it did back then.

The more magic power there is, the larger the magic circle can be made.

If the magic circle gets larger, it can become the core of a monster.

There are beings that can command those monsters.

……The one who sees the Gate as a gift from the gods. There were some comments speculating that they were born in such a manner.

I found that comment plausible.

“……”

The princess stared at me for a while before turning her body toward the table.

Then she placed three cups and poured drink into two of them.

In the remaining one, she took some fruit from the side and handed it to Ria.

Ria reddened and accepted the cup.

The princess lifted the remaining two cups and offered one to me.

“Even if that’s the case, I can’t just accept it. Sometimes, the very fact of having received nothing can be the most expensive cost.”

“……You should discuss that with the practical person.”

Just thinking about such things gave me a headache.

“Now I feel like I can understand a bit about who you are, Sister. Don’t you have anyone worrying about you?”

Ria’s gaze was directed at me.

Why?

Even looking like this, I’m a rational and logical person.

Of course I act in a way that benefits me.

The three cups clinked together.

We drank from our cups simultaneously.

Now that I think about it, this is the first drink I’m sharing with the princess since coming back from the mine.

Before, it had been the princess drinking alone the whole time.

……Maybe drink will help me forget rudeness.

Perhaps the princess was trying her utmost to maintain manners in her own way.