Ch.1222Back to the West

======[ Haschal ]======

“Did everyone get a good rest? Well, regardless of how you feel mentally, I’m sure your bodies have had enough rest after such a long time.”

After finishing our lengthy break, I gathered the reorganized allied forces and delivered a speech.

Nothing special, just a simple morale-boosting address.

We may have abandoned our stronghold and retreated here, but we defeated three demigod-level enemies and then withdrew, so this isn’t a defeat but a victory.

I know there’s been talk about Turangkai not returning, but he’s currently carrying out a separate mission elsewhere, so don’t worry.

That’s roughly what I told them.

“Our goddess is quite good at lying. Is that allowed for a goddess?”

“…Don’t say that so loudly, human. What if someone hears you?”

Ophelia, who was listening beside me, kept snickering every time I said something.

“Don’t all religious texts from every Church contain commandments about honesty and truthfulness? Shouldn’t you be setting an example as a deity?”

“Didn’t you know? The boss can tell a few lies, but the underlings can’t. That’s just common sense. That’s how the world works.”

“What sophistry. In what world is that common sense?”

“Well, my world?”

As Ophelia pointed out, it was half a lie… but aren’t all morale-boosting speeches to armies like that?

Even in unfavorable situations, never showing weakness and maintaining soldiers’ morale with brazen lies—that’s a core virtue of a commander.

At least that’s what I was taught. Though I rarely put it into practice.

Actually, it’s not entirely a lie. Preparing a place for his people in the afterlife could be called “carrying out a separate mission elsewhere,” right?

…Is that too cruel a joke?

Well, there’s no need for such sophistry anyway.

After all, Turangkai’s death is merely speculation based on circumstances—I never confirmed his corpse with my own eyes.

If by some chance he’s still alive, then my speech wouldn’t be a complete lie. Though that possibility is slim.

Anyway, I managed to somewhat reassure the rock monkeys who were agitated after losing their leader.

Honestly, I was skeptical whether such an obviously intentional speech would work, but…

– “Ooh! Our king is alive! The human god said so!”

– “As expected of Turangkai! He’s doing great things!”

…Surprisingly, it worked quite well. Perhaps because they’re a species with lower intelligence than humans, they didn’t even think to doubt my words.

– “I believed it! The great warrior human, Jahan, was right!”

Maybe Jahan, who was sent to calm them down, did his job too well. To the point where the monkeys believed my words unconditionally.

“But what if Turangkai’s body is discovered?”

Of course, if Turangkai’s death is later confirmed as fact, the rock monkeys would demand answers… but that wouldn’t be much of a problem.

“Then it would become ‘died during the mission.’ Not during the previous battle.”

The worst scenario I can imagine now is the alliance dissolving, leaving me to hunt demigods with only my original companions.

However, if I can coax the rock monkeys and nagas to advance to the central region again, that possibility would essentially disappear.

It’s only because we’re hiding in a safe shelter that talk of disbanding is even possible. Once we restart the war, they won’t be able to back out later.

So once we advance to the central region again, Turangkai’s death becoming known won’t be much of an issue.

I might even be able to use it to motivate the rock creatures to fight harder, saying we need to avenge Turangkai.

Sounds a bit underhanded? But it’s necessary.

I still needed to become stronger, and the nagas and rock monkeys needed to keep fighting to preserve their species’ survival.

In other words, it’s underhanded for everyone’s benefit.

Whether they want it or not, from the moment they caused trouble in the central region, their future held only victory or extinction.

—-

Hours after the speech, the allied forces, having completed all preparations, began marching westward again.

– Krudddddd!

Like before, our route was underground beneath the underground.

The rock monkeys crushed and moved bedrock to create paths, and in some of the tunnels they created, the nagas and I filled them with water to create waterways.

– Kugugugugung…!

“Earthquake! Earthquake! Cover your heads!”

“Again? How many times is this now?”

Unlike our previous construction efforts, this time there were ominously frequent accidents.

Every time we advanced a little, earthquakes would occur, completely burying the tunnels—this happened with alarming frequency.

The rock monkeys could move the bedrock to block falling rocks and dirt piles, so tunnel collapses rarely resulted in deaths, but the delays in our work were unavoidable.

“These earthquakes are unusually frequent… Is something happening above?”

The earthquakes were too frequent to be mere bad luck or natural phenomena. Honestly, it felt like a giant might be tap dancing on the surface.

“Maybe…? Want to check? We could send up a few homunculi.”

“Can you share vision with them?”

“There’s a magic that lets you borrow the eyes of a controlled animal. It was originally sorcery, but I modified it into magic. The different perspective makes it a bit uncomfortable though.”

Ah, I think Meiharin used to have that kind of sorcery. So she recreated it as magic. Seems she’s still making good use of the captured soul.

“In that case, I have no reason to refuse. Go ahead.”

Following Ophelia’s suggestion, I decided to send her homunculi upward to investigate the situation on the surface above us.

Sending regular scouts upward during frequent earthquakes would likely result in deaths, but homunculi were expendable lives.

Moreover, they could share vision in real-time despite the short connection distance—what better reconnaissance tool could there be? It was literally almost like a biological drone.

“The form should be… spider… no, maybe a mole would be better? Enlarged front legs, pressure-resistant carapace on the body… Ah, adding spiral horns would be good too. Then…”

As soon as I gave my permission, Ophelia immediately began designing reconnaissance homunculi, completing a couple of prototypes in no time.

“—What do you think? Pretty good, right?”

Ophelia proudly showed me the prototype of her reconnaissance homunculus.

“Grrrrrr…”

A creature covered in hard carapace with arms larger than its legs, and a drill protruding from the center of a face with human-like eyes.

“Uh…”

…Isn’t this a Digimon?

It looked like what you’d get if you mixed a boy’s fantasy with several spoonfuls of nightmare.

Faced with this monster that seemed like a more realistic, more malevolent reinterpretation of a familiar design, I was at a loss for words.

“What? That’s it? Your reaction is rather underwhelming.”

“…Well, it looks… functional. Very functional.”

“It’ll exceed your expectations. By my calculations, it should reach the surface in less than twenty minutes.”

Twenty minutes… that’s about twice as fast as the rock monkeys.

True to its appearance, which seemed well-suited for digging, it apparently had excellent excavation performance.

Since she said mass production in a short time wasn’t possible, the rock monkeys would still have to handle most of the tunnel digging.

“Twenty minutes is a perfect speed. We can order everyone to rest briefly while we investigate.”

“Right. Shall I send it up now?”

“Yes. Do you need anything else?”

“Not particularly. Just make sure no one disturbs me while I’m synchronizing with its vision.”

So she shouldn’t be interrupted while using magic?

That’s not difficult. I can just sit next to Ophelia and protect her while waiting.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right beside you, keeping watch.”

“Hmm…”

But this person’s reaction is strange.

Instead of nodding in agreement at my reassurance, Ophelia gave me a skeptical look and let her words trail off.

This irreverent quasi-witch dares to doubt a goddess’s word. Ophelia, Ophelia, do I need to douse you with water a hundred times before you’ll believe me?

“If you’re that anxious, I could make a sarcophagus and bury you deep in the ground. Then you wouldn’t be disturbed, right?”

“Huh? Oh, no. That won’t be necessary. I’ll start right away, so please watch over me?”

Apparently not wanting to be placed in a coffin, Ophelia hastily shook her head, then immediately sat down on her cloak spread on the ground, drew up her mana, and muttered an unintelligible incantation.

“Kee? Keeeee-!”

After a moment, the homunculus that had been standing blankly suddenly let out a shrill cry as if jolted awake, then leaped up and began burrowing into the ceiling.

‘As always, they only work efficiently after I say something. I wonder who my companions take after, all behaving this way.’

[ Wouldn’t that be your responsibility? ]

As I sighed lightly and grumbled to myself about how every instruction turned into a comedy routine, Hersella, who had somehow overheard, spoke up as if she’d been waiting for the chance.

[ Instead of blaming others, look at yourself. Whether people or beasts, groups always tend to flock with similar types. ]

‘Ah, like how all your subordinates except one were traitors?’

[ …. ]

And she closed her mouth again.

I don’t understand why she keeps starting arguments she can’t win. Is she bored because there’s no one else to talk to?

I suppose she might be bored since I’m the only one who can entertain her… but what can I do?

Even though I’ve ascended beyond humanity to godhood, I still haven’t found even a clue about how to return her body or gift her a new one.

Is such a method even possible?

The celestial gods might know, but considering that Astraea, who has conversed with me multiple times, hasn’t said a word about it, I should assume that even if she knows, she has no intention of telling me.

The reason is probably… that my presence in this body is beneficial to them, or to the world.

I myself have greatly benefited from this body every time I’ve fought powerful enemies, and it’s impossible to predict what would happen or what Hersella would do if separated from me.

So Hersella and I had no choice but to remain together. Probably until this body’s lifespan ends. Though I can’t even begin to guess when that might be.