CH 168

Side: Jessica

After I finished the Zilba Empire-related talk with Yuki, I went to a certain place.

There…

「Oya, welcome-ssu. I’m busy right now, so please sit down and have some tea yourself-ssu」

Right now I’m in the room of Steve, the goblin general who had been given an unreasonable task by Yuki.

「Then I’ll help myself」

As usual, I put water from the faucet in the magic kettle that boils water, press the switch and boil the water.

Though it’s easy to remember, at first, I used to say there’s no way I could do that, confused by the reality of what I saw.

In fact, that water came out of the faucet itself was even a surprise to me. The theory is simple, but even I wouldn’t be able to come out with something like that.

This kind of thing makes convincing the fact that Yuki came from a different world.

From our point of view, he certainly is thinking about the day after tomorrow, a means of enriching people’s lives.

「So, what can I do for you-ssu?」

Oops, now it isn’t the time to be doing a general review of Yuki.

I wanted to talk to Steve.

「Yes, I’ve come to talk to you」

I put down the tea I was drinking and look around Steve’s room once.

This room is in the center of the ruins and it’s the mercenaries group… Wrong, we are currently on Weed, where private rooms and training grounds for the officers were built in a blink of an eye.

And one of those is this room where general Steve is.

It looks simple to them, but to us, it’s an unbelievable mass of technology.

The kettle that boils the water I mentioned earlier, the faucet, electric lights as bright as day even at night, good quality paper, ballpoint pens, etc.

The most surprising part is that this room is used by goblins.

What’s more, they don’t trash the room, they sit in a chair with a desk, paper, and materials to work on.

「Ahー, it’s weird that we are working like this-ssu?」

I don’t know if Steve thinks he’s weird, but he sees my expression and says that.

「No, I think it’s only natural for a general to perform its duty」

「As general, eh-ssu? Then, how about a goblin sitting on a desk like this-ssu?」

「With all due respect, I’ve never seen it before. The goblins I know are…」

「Are lowly creatures, naked or wears a straw skirt and that attacks humans with crude weapons and impregnates women-ssu?」

「I won’t go so far… No, our common goblins are like that. But if I were to add something, we keep them as war tools」

「Well, around that extent, eh-ssu?」

Steve doesn’t seem to be offended by my opinion and continues to fill out the paperwork.

「But I realize that the goblins led by Yuki are completely different. Of course, Steve too」

「I’m grateful if you think like that-ssu. But I wonder how you can talk normally to us after being beaten to a pulp by me-ssu」

「It happened in a battle. We will never have peace if we always bring in grudges」

「That part of you is adult-like-ssu. But around here is different. We’ve all been well accepted by Weed. Even now, newcomers and adventurers are still scared and try to fight us because we are goblins-ssu」

「This…」

It’s not easy to abandon the values you had all your life.

Even though Steve and the others are different from the other goblins out there, to the uninformed, they are nothing but lowly monsters.

「That’s why, the general is always giving us reckless orders as public stance-ssu」

「Eh?」

「That way, they’ll feel like we are being pushed around-ssu. And we will be seen as obedient goblins. Furthermore, we’re given unreasonable orders, and we can complete them well-ssu. That’s why we are so appreciated in Weed just like Jessica-nee-san-ssu」

「If you talk like that, doesn’t it sound like Yuki is calculating and doing it on purpose?」

「That’s obvious-ssu. Goblins are purposely trying to fit into society-ssu. It’s the same for the other monsters-ssu. We’re the ones who get this kind of work first since we are one of the most despised among all the monsters」

「…I wonder what in the world is Yuki thinking?」

「Hmm? Didn’t Jessica hear about the magic depletion problem-ssu?」

「I know that, but what does it have to do with improving the status of the goblins?」

「Ah, that? Normally, I’d stop thinking right there-ssu. The general is also thinking in the event that some monster could have knowledge of the magic deletion problem-ssu」

「Wha!?」

A monster is the cause of the magic depletion problem?

There are monsters that eat magic power. Rather, in places where magic power gathers, a monster is born.

It’s surprising that we couldn’t reach that answer by ourselves. I wonder why did I think that it was a good idea to subjugate them?

After all, I can even talk to Steve like this.

「If you can’t solve the problem by killing them, then it’s better to have a conversation with them as much as possible-ssu. And then, if we can hold a conversation, people may not attack us in the future-ssu. And that connection will make…」

「Goblins trusted by the people… Especially, Steve and the other, eh?」

「Well, something like that-ssu. Surakichi-san and Mino-chan were also candidates, but Surakichi-san can’t stay there for a long time because of the magic power depletion problem, and Mino-chan is a legendary monster. So, we were the only ones-ssu」

I’m now convinced.

Steve’s treatment, too, was all because of the magic depletion problem.

No, I’m sure the status of the goblins will also rise in the future.

Yuki might be an amazing person as a politician.

I thanked him and went back to Yuki’s lab.

I guess he’s doing something unpredictable again.

Side: Steve

Fuu, at last Jessica-nee-san is gone.

「Even though I was given such an unreasonable request, all the paperwork is almost done」

I’m going to allocate the budget that the general has prepared for me to whatever is needed for the next operation.

「Should I say how naive is she…? Actually, the reason for our existence has another meaning-ssu」

One person murmurs at the door where Jessica-nee-san has left.

「We, monsters, have a role to play in stopping the general from going mad, including killing him if necessary」

It’s the most annoying task that I have been forced to do-ssu.

Even if the general goes really mad, all the sisters who protect him will have to do something about it, and I’m sure even princess Asurin will become his enemy-ssu.

「First, let’s start by undoing the slavery command, shall we-ssu?」

If we don’t do something about the magic of absolute obedience that the general cast upon us, I cannot even fight him.

『If you can’t do something like that, you won’t be able to kill me』

So I was told-ssu.

「That’s a must, but as expected, isn’t it still unreasonable!? 」

Today, too, I spent five minutes trying to find a way to release the general’s absolute obedience, and then I dozed off.

I’ll finish the paperwork later.

I’m not slacking off, you know-ssu? My mind just needs a break-ssu.