CH 103

Possibility of reverse summoning

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The large turmoil that occured with this summoning was caused by a human named Camilla Resenburg.

Even though the western part of Resenburg is desertifying, the royal family doesn't take any effective countermeasures.

Although she, herself, took the lead and embarked on the development of the Devil's Forest, it is undenaible that there is an absolute lack of fighting power.

In that case, it would be better to reinforce the fighting strength from other sources ... I guess that's why we were summoned, the result of such an idea.

Camilla is certainly superior compared to other members of the royal family, and has compassion for her subordinates and the people.

At the garrison and in the city of Lastock, the gazes of those around her towards Camilla are truly charismatic.

Because of that, she had to bear the burden of expectations, and because she continued to respond to those expectations, the people around her began to accept Camilla's actions without hesitation, and it seems that such a sloppy summoning plan went unnoticed.

Or rather, the details of the summoning might not have been revealed to her subordinate knights.

"Did you just change the age, gender, and number of people to be summoned?

"No, that's not all. Since we increased the number of people, we made the scale of the magic circle 200 times larger than before."

Up until now, Camilla has been hunching her shoulders and shrinking, but now, she's speaking with a bit of pride, as if she was thinking about it properly.

"Does that mean the diameter of the circle has been increased by two hundred times?"

"That's right, the number of people was increased, so the summoning wouldn't have been successful if the scale hadn't been increased."

"But, if you increase the diameter by 200 times, the area ratio will be 40,000 times ..."

"Eh ... if you increase the diameter ..."

"Isn't that the reason why we were summoned with the school building?"

It seems that she didn't think about the area ratio, and when I stare at her with a stern eye, Camilla shrinks again.

"Hey, it's obviously impossible to draw such a huge magic circle alone. If you use someone to draw the magic circle, the secrets of the royal family will be leaked to the outside, right?"

"There is no need to worry about that. We used criminals to lay the magic circle."

Camilla, who got back on her feet again, puffed out her chest and answered.

Yeah, she seems to be doing it seriously, but it looks like I'm watching a skit, which reduces the tension.

"Criminals, what do you mean by that?"

"Here is a list of the criminals."

The number of people's names lined up in a row is more than 50 even with just a glance.

Next to each name, charges such as theft or injury are also written.

"No, no, if you use something like a criminal, won't the risk of information being leaked increase?"

"Don't worry about that."

"Ah, I see, you made it a complete division of labor and only showed a specific part of the technique?"

"As expected of Maou-sama ... but, you're only half correct."

"Hmm? Half correct? Somehow ... did you shut their mouths?"

"Yes, everyone, was executed in the Devil's Forest."

"Eeh ...?"

I looked down at the list of criminals, while Camilla puffed out her chest as if asking for praise.

"Are these people guilty of serious crimes that deserve the death penalty?"

"No, but now that they know the secrets of the royal family ..."

"No, wait, wait, did these people draw the magic circle knowing that they were going to be executed?"

"It's a dangerous job in the wasteland near the Devil's Forest, but when it's done, I'll release you from the slave bracelet ..."

"Did you deceive them?"

"I actually released them from their bracelets, and they're criminals. If they can be of use to the royal family despite being criminals ..."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

I stood up and yelled at her, and Camilla, who thought that she was in the right, shuddered and cowered.

"Even if they're a criminal, if they atone for their crimes, they can go back to their normal life, right?"

"That ... that's right ..."

"Wouldn't the people on this list be freed from the bracelet of slavery once they've served their sentences?"

"That's right ... but at that time they were criminals ..."

Camilla is crouching down looking at my expression, but she doesn't seem to understand why I'm angry.

For some reason, I feel like there's a tremendous gap between Camilla's perception and mine.

Even if I talk emotionally like this, I don't feel like I can fill the gap.

"Fred, in Resenburg, are criminals allowed to be treated unfairly?"

[ On paper, no, but in reality, there are many things that are not treated as human beings ... ]

"That's ... if that's the case, it's impossible to get back on their feet ..."

"Um ... Maou-sama, is there something that bothers you?"

Once again, my legs felt unsteady, so I sat down on the sofa and thought about it again.

In Japanese prisons, if a prison guard treats a prisoner unfairly, he or she will be charged with a crime, in Resenburg, unfair treatment of criminals, even life-threatening acts, is openly practiced.

It seems that if you commit a crime and have the bracelet of slavery put on you, you will be treated as only half a human.

The reason why Camilla and her knights were calmly treating my classmates cruelly might be because they had a sense of contempt for those who slave bracelets were put upon.

"Um, Maou-sama ...?"

"Fred said that it was originally forbidden to treat criminals unfairly, but what do you think?"

"That's ... it's certainly stipulated in the legal code, but as a custom ..."

"Is it really good for Resenburg to throw away the people on this list like that?"

"However, it's a necessary measure to protect the secret of the summoning technique."

"As I said before, it's a mistake to rely on people from other worlds even though it's a Resenburg problem. Shouldn't you have taken countermeasures against desertification, even if it meant kicking the asses of your idiot brothers?"

"That's right ... I guess so, but I have petitioned the King and my step-brothers many times, but I haven't received the response I expected ... I had no choice but to rely on the summoning technique ... If I had even half the power of the Maou-sama ..."

Looking at Camilla, who drooped her shoulders silently, I began to hesitate.

From our standpoint, there is no reason to force us to suffer because of Resenburg, which has nothing to do with us, and we can't easily wash away the treatment we've had so far just by bowing their heads.

In fact, when I found out that the repatriation technique didn't exist, I punched Camilla, who lowered her head.

Take power by killing her father and step-brothers ... I said that, but Camilla's fighting strength and the fighting strength of the First and Second Princes would not be comparable, I would say it would be impossible to achieve.

Also, if she fell, it would be a situation where there would be no royal family who cared about their country, she might have had no choice but to rely on the summoning technique.

"Hey ... Do you think I can use the summoning technique to bring everyone back to the original world if everyone except me is gathered at the place where we were summoned?"

"I think it's probably impossible."

"Why do you think it's impossible?"

"If Maou-sama activates the technique in his original world, Maou-sama and the person who died before will be left out. The summoned target is 200 people who are 15 years old, so the number will be insufficient."

Our grade isn't extactly 200, but on the day we were summoned, there were a few absentees, so it was exactly 200.

That said, even if we had our birthday, we're still only 14 years old, so maybe it's counted by age reckoning.(TN:Age reckoning is where they're counted as 1 year old when they're born, and on the New Year's day, one year is added to their age. A traditional East Asian way of counting.)

The teachers must have been caught up in the summoning of us students, just like the school building.

"Then, if we adjust the number of people to 198, can we bring them back to the original world?"

"To be honest, I don't know. If the teachers were involved in the summoning, if there was another place where more than 198 fifteen-year-olds were gathered, extra people may be involved, they may be summoned from that location."

If we were to specify a world where 200 fifteen-year-olds gathered, the closest thing to Resenburg would be our world, our school.

However, from our world's point of view, Resenburg may not be the closest world to find 198 fifteen-year-olds.

That's why there's no guarantee that people will not be summoned from the middle school in the neighboring town.

It would be impossible to pinpoint my classmates by specifying only their age and number.

"Come to think of it, I've always wondered, did the Maou who was summoned a long time ago have the same black hair as us?"

"Huh? The hair color of the previous Maou?"

Camilla seems taken aback by the sudden change in topic.

"Yeah, black hair and eyes are rare in Volzard, and it's the first time they've seen it. Isn't that probably the same in Resenburg? If so, wouldn't it be written in the legend if the Maou had black hair and black eyes?"

"Certainly ... Maou-sama and most of your companions have black hair and black eyes, but it seems that there were some with brown hair ..."

"Ah, it's dyed or bleached ... Our people, especially the old people, almost 100% have black hair and black eyes."

"Is that so ... If that's the case, considering the Maou's deeds, it wouldn't be strange if there were legends about black hair and black eyes, but there is no story about the Maou having black hair in the royal lore."

"In that case, the previous Maou may have come from a different world from ours.

"Yes, there are no such descriptions left."

"Well then, how can I check it ..."

If they used characters that have never been seen on Earth, like the ancient characters used in the spell, it would be evidence that the previous Maou was summoned from a different world than Earth, since only one person was summoned in the first place, the only chance to use the characters from the original world would be a diary.

However, it's hard to imagine that the debauchery driven Maou I heard about would be keeping a diary.

"Hmm ... If I activate the summoning technique in my original world, I might be able to bring back all my classmates ... I was thinking about that, but the risks are so high that I can't even feel a shred of certainty."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you."

Although the situation caused by the summoning and the treatment of us who were summoned is unforgivable, knowing that the summoning was done as a last resort, I felt a little pity for Camilla, who was crouching and hanging her head.

"Are there any other materials related to summoning?"

"Yes, all that is left in the royal family is what I have copied here."

"Okay, if I have any questions, I will come to you, so Camilla should concentrate on countermeasures against the maximum outbreak. Reinhardt can listen and communicate in writing, and all the Kobolds can respond normally, so try to communicate properly."

"Huh? Um, Maou-sama, can the Kobolds speak?"

"That's right ... hey?"

"Goshujin-sama, pet me, pet me."

"Me too, my belly, rub my belly."

Camilla opened her mouth wide in surprise when she saw Mart and the others calling out to be stroked.

"Ah, that's right, I almost forgot. Celia will be taken over by Volzard when the time comes, so please bring her mother from the capital as well."

"Huh? Celia is it, that person is already damaged ..."

"Yeah, I don't like treating people like things ... Besides, I want Celia to hold the reins of the Novice Hero."

"Excuse me, I didn't realize you were thinking like that ... However, Celia's mother is being watched by the First Queen, so it will be difficult to take her out right away."

"Yeah, you should have her come to Lastock under the pretext of meeting Celia, and she's going to disappear in the chaos of the outbreak ... or something like that to convince her."

"I see, then I think she'll agree."

"Then, I have other work to do ... so please take care of the rest."

"Um! Please wait, Maou-sama!"

"Hmm? Is there something else?"

When I left my seat to return to Volzard, I was stopped by Camilla.

I turned and saw Camilla, who stopped me, kneel down again and began to talk.

"When I came into contact with Maou-sama, I was reminded of my own shallowness. Although I wanted to protect Resenburg, it was a mistake to easily rely on people from other worlds. I didn't have the heart to think about how many people my careless actions would hurt. In addition, I was swept away by old customs and mistreated those who put the slave bracelets on. I may be such a fool, but I dedicate every drop of my blood, even the fragments of my bones, to Maou-sama, and pledge my allegiance once again. Please, please lend me your power, Maou-sama, to protect the people of Resenburg. I beg you."

Guu ... That's a foul.

If that Camilla appeals to me with her moist eyes that look like tears are about to fall, and if she bows her head deeply, I can't reject her ruthlessly.

"I won't allow you to become lazy by relying too much on me and my genus. However, I will lend you my strength to protect the people. Camilla, think carefully about what you can do and what you should do, and do your best!"

"Yes, as you wish!"

While Camilla is bowing her head, I dove into the shadows and headed for Volzard.

[ As expected of Kent-sama ... you can do whatever you want with every corner of her outrageous body ... ]

"I won't, because the chairman found out about the scent yesterday and it was hard."

Even Basten, along with Fred, gave me a smirking look, so I immediately denied it.

I denied it, but when it comes to every drop of blood or fragments of bones ... deep down, I can't deny it.(TN:Basically a way of saying she's completely devoted.)

"A, anyway, Basten, go check out the state of the royal capital. If the Minotaur's turmoil was reported by a fast horse, there may be some movement."

[ Roger that. It seems that both the First Prince faction and the Second Prince faction are trying to move with the maximum outbreak as a trigger, however, the attack of the Minotaurs may be the trigger. ]

"Fred, use several of the Kobolds to guard the Devil's Forest."

[ Roger ... If there's any disturbing movement, I will report it immediately ... ]

I took Mart and the others as escorts and visited the teachers at the garrison's temporary dormitory.

When I told them that the summoning technique was written in ancient characters, and only about 5% of the total had been deciphered, the teachers all looked disappointed.

"Oda-sensei, I told the Investigative Headquarters that I would translate this document before submitting it, but what should I do?"

"Is that so ... I can't come to a conclusion unless I think about it for a while."

If it can be easily arranged and used to bring everyone back, it will be necessary to ask for cooperation in creating the magic circle, and in that case, of course, it will be necessary to disclose information.

However, in the current situation where it is doubtful whether it can be used as a method of returning home, we must consider the concern that the information will be leaked and misused.

"I feel it's better not to tell them."

"Hmm, why is that, Senzaki-sensei?"

"Yes, I'm interested in Egyptian hieroglyphs and have researched other ancient characters, but to decipher the undeciphered characters, you have to use multiple languages, like the famous Rosetta Stone. It is based on the written contrast and the work of matching with similar characters. In any case, a lot of materials are required, and if the only text is this technique, it shouldn't be possible to decipher it even with a supercomputer."

Certainly, as Senzaki-sensei said, it is undeniable that there is a shortage of materials for deciphering the ancient characters.

"If you can specify the gender, age, and number of people, then if you specify the number of female students, and the number of male students, wouldn't it be possible to successfully summon them?"

"I am against Nakagawa-sensei's proposal."

"Why, Furudate-kun, tell me why."

"The reason is that it is unclear from where it summons. If it is from the nearest place or from the Earth, there is a risk of summoning from a nearby junior high school in the area. What will you do if something happens?"

"If that's the case, shouldn't we summon them in the middle of the night when classes aren't being held?"

"No, no, that's no good. If they are summoned from overseas, where classes are held at different times, and the school building collapses there, it will be an international problem."

Nakagawa-sensei, who wants to go back to Japan as soon as possible, may want him to take on the challenge if possible, but the other teachers seem to agree with Furudate-sensei.

"I wonder if it's okay, Kokubu-kun ..."

Satou-sensei came over to talk with me.

"These ancient characters are also used in other magic formations, right?"

"Yes, for example, magic tools for lightning use the magic circle that combines the word 'light' and the word 'activate'."

"In other words, is there research on ancient characters other than this summoning technique?"

"Yes, that's the material over here. It seems that this is a list of characters that have been deciphered, but there aren't that many."

"But, this is only what has been deciphered, isn't it? Isn't there more material that has not been deciphered?"

"Ah, I see ... this is only a document about the summoning technique. There should be more ancient documents written by the Resenburg royal family."

"Besides, if ancient characters are being used as magic circles, there should be people studying them."

"That's it, that!"

Senzaki-sensei suddenly stood up and shouted, but everyone's attention went to him and he hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands.

"I'm sorry for yelling so loudly. But that's right, you should collect the materials that are the basis of the research on those magic circles and have them analyzed in Japan."

"In that case, wouldn't it be very dangerous to bring it to Japan?"

Oda-sensei nods, and the other teachers seem to agree.

"Um, is it okay?"

"What's wrong Kokubu?"

"Isn't it better to hide the magic circles that are commonly used? Probably, I think it won't activate unless you bring in magic stones or something like that ..."

"No, no, Kokubu, I think they should definitely research that."

I felt uneasy and tried to make a proposal, but Furudate-sensei immediately rejected it.

"Magic has not been proven on modern Earth, but if it could be used on Earth, it would bring about a major technological innovation, and above all, it would be ecological! Even if you make a fire with it, no soot will come out, that is amazing."

According to Furudate-sensei, the amount of heat generated by a fire magic tool is unimaginable according to the laws of physics on Earth, moreover, since there is not even the slightest amount of soot attached to the magic tool or the bottom of the pot, it seems that the combustion is terrifyingly clean.

"Think about it in the first place. If you have the fire attribute, you can create fire from nothing by just concentrating and chanting. Creating combustion energy from scratch, even a perpetual motion machine might not be a dream. If we can get the trump card for a fossil-fuel-free, carbon-free society, Japan can become the worlds number one economic powerhouse."

Everyone is a little reluctant to see Furudate-sensei stand up and spread his arms wide.

"But if that happens, won't everyone be turned into guinea pigs when they return to Japan?"

Ayako-sensei who was participating in the corner of the room today muttered quietly.

"Ah, no ... I think it's fine, but I'm worried that we might end up being confined in a place like the Lastock garrison again under the pretext of cooperating with an experiment ..."

"You can't say that it doesn't exist. After all, a real magican will appear, so the research institutes all over Japan ... no, the world will be watching, and if you're not careful enough, you'll be kidnapped, won't you?"

When Katou-sensei expressed his concerns, Furudate-sensei's excitement seemed to cool off a bit.

If someone could use magic that could become the energy of their dreams, they would attract attention from all over the world, and there is no guarantee that an intelligence agent from a certain country would come to kidnap them.

"However, I have already written in the report that I was forced to undergo magic training, and the information ahs been passed on to the Japanese government."

Ayako-sensei's expression clouded over at Furudate-sensei's words.

"Hmm, that's ridiculous. Instead of being afraid of a situation that we don't know if it will actually happen, what we should do now is find a way to return to Japan. Even though we can't go back, we should leave worrying about it for after we get home."

"What Nakagawa-sensei said is understandable, but even so, we can't afford not to think about what happens after we return. If we were to be targeted, I would be worried that our families in Japan would be in trouble."

Nakagawa-sensei frowned at Oda-sensei's counterargument, but changed his expression when he heard that he was worried about his family.

I thought that information should continue to be kept secret, but Furudate-sensei said that information about magic tools should still be disclosed.

"If there is a possibility that we may be targeted, that's all the more reason we should give information about magic tools. Rather, if we don't convey information about magic tools, our importance will increase, and the danger of being targeted will likely also increase."

Certainly, just as Furudate-sensei said, if there were other research materials, I feel that the level of attention towards us summoned people would decrease.

In the end, nine people, including me, voted anonymously to determine whether or not to disclose information about magic tools, and it was decided to disclose the information with a score of 6 to 3, but we decided to go with a passive disclosure of answering questions.