Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka? (LN) - Volume 13 - Chapter 5.5

Interlude The Pontiff and the Administrator Share a Drink

As the evening wears late, I finish my duties and go to my room.

Since I was seated at my desk working all day, much of my body has grown stiff.

My shoulders and back ache, and while I can temporarily ease the pain with Healing Magic, there is little hope of healing it completely.

I am getting on in years.

This pain will probably accompany me for the rest of my life.

Suddenly, I find myself thinking back on all the lives I have repeated.

As I think of them, all manner of memories rise up as if they happened just yesterday.

Times that things went well.

Other times when things went poorly.

Perhaps I am becoming a little sentimental because this is the most tempestuous era I have lived through yet.

The end is drawing near, I feel.

Though I do not yet know if it will be the ending I hope for or not…

I enter my room and pick up the bottle of liquor I have been saving.

It has been a long time since I drank such things, but today, I find myself in the mood.

“Could you pour a glass for me as well?”

A voice speaks suddenly from the shadows.

Startled, I turn around to find Lord Black Dragon seated calmly on the sofa.

“…I do wish you would at least knock to alert me of your presence. Please, such surprises are not good for an old man’s heart.”

“That steel heart of yours wouldn’t stop over something so trivial.”

Lord Black Dragon smiles, unbothered by my complaints.

For someone who usually has his brow deeply furrowed in a grim expression, it is a rare sight indeed.

I oblige him by producing a second glass and sit down across from him.

Then I pour liquor into both glasses.

Silently, we raise our glasses and bring them together, touching off a clear chime that resonates in the room.

I take a small sip of liquor, and the mellow scent permeates my nose.

“This is good stuff.”

“A favorite from my private stash.”

I have been saving this bottle for several generations now, intending to drink it when something good happened.

Though it would be hard to claim that anything good has happened quite yet, I supposed there was no harm in opening it now.

I had a feeling that if I missed this opportunity, I would most likely be too busy to open it later.

For a while, we sit and savor the taste.

Lord Black Dragon and I are both silent, drinking only little by little.

Once we both finish our first glasses, I stand up to bring some light snacks, taking care to choose something mild enough in flavor that it will not detract from the taste of the drink.

Most people seem to prefer more flavorful snacks with their drinks, but I am sure it will not be a problem.

For a god like Lord Black Dragon, eating is a somewhat meaningless act.

In fact, though he maintains a human form, I cannot say for sure if his sense of taste is the same.

In which case, it should make no difference to him even if I simply choose whatever foods I prefer.

Especially considering that I did not even invite him here tonight.

Making such excuses to myself, I put a plate of my favorite cheeses on the table.

Looking unbothered, Lord Black Dragon reaches for the plate and helps himself.

“Oh-ho.”

It seems my choice suits his tastes just fine.

As soon as he’s finished with his first piece, he immediately takes another.

“You definitely have the food to match your station, Pontiff.”

Evidently, Lord Black Dragon grasps the taste of human food after all.

We have known each other for many long years, and yet I only now realize that I was unaware of even this basic fact about him.

It occurs to me that we have only ever spoken of business and never once discussed our personal lives.

There was never any need.

Though I would not call him my enemy, he is certainly not my ally, either.

I am sure Lord Black Dragon feels the same way.

Though we are both working toward the common goal of saving this world, what we ultimately want to protect is different.

I wish to save humanity.

He wishes to save the Goddess.

Each of us only seeks to save the world because it is a necessary condition for saving that which we truly care about.

Saving the world is only one step in that process.

So once we accomplish that step, Lord Black Dragon and I may very well start considering very different paths.

It is that difference that prevents us from becoming allies in the truest sense of the word.

Besides, Lord Black Dragon has every right to despise me in the first place.

Because I chose to abandon the Goddess in favor of humanity.

Out of respect for that circumstance, I have never asked Lord Black Dragon for help, and I doubt he has ever entertained the idea of joining forces with me, either.

Truly, the fact that we know so little of each other’s personal preferences is a perfect reflection of the surface-level relationship we have always maintained.

“I am quite fond of cheese, you see.”

“Oh?”

This may very well be my last chance to have a peaceful conversation with him.

Perhaps that is why I naturally begin to speak of myself.

“It took no small amount of effort to reach this point in the cheese-making process. After the system was set up, even bacteria seemed to be affected, and all of my old methods no longer worked correctly.”

“Really…?”

Lord Black Dragon looks surprised; he must not have been aware of such trivial information.

“Yes, and so I could not eat cheese for several generations. What a terrible time.”

“…Now that you mention it, several kinds of liquor were lost, too.”

“Indeed. Those that were already made remained intact, but it became impossible to make any more.”

“Right, and so people stole it from one another for a while. How nostalgic.”

It certainly is nostalgic indeed.

I imagine I would not be able to remember stories from so long ago without my Records skill.

In those days, the entire world was dramatically changed by the introduction of the system. Even I struggled not to drown in the whirlpool caused by such chaos.

Now that it is so long past, of course I look back and think I could have done better, but at the time, it was all I could do to deal with what was directly before me. Naturally, I could not stop and look at the bigger picture.

Because of that, I left my guard down and allowed the rise of the elves to occur, a terrible legacy which is now one of my greatest regrets.

Though I am loath to admit it, Potimas is a genius.

In the chaotic period after the system first began, he saw ahead farther than anyone else and dispatched his elf pawns to mingle among the humans, corrupting their minds.

This was mainly achieved by making them think the elves are their allies.

At the time, even I thought this mysterious race that had appeared out of nowhere was on our side.

They defeated monsters, quelled riots, and in time grew close to humans, often offering them help.

Since they appeared suddenly, just like the monsters, I assumed they were a sort of helpful entity made by the system’s architect.

I recall a game-loving secretary who referred to them as “support characters.”

“We did such horrible things to the gods, and yet they will not forsake us…,” the secretary sobbed.

He believed the elves were messengers of the gods and revered them.

I wonder how he would have reacted had he learned that those elves were actually pawns of the detestable Potimas?

That man is truly the definition of wicked and cunning.

He commits acts of cruelty without hesitation.

As that thought crosses my mind, I shake my head in self-derision.

Am I myself not making plans to commit heinous acts at this very moment?

In that regard, Potimas and I are not so different.

“…We were so young back then.”

As I get lost in my thoughts, Lord Black Dragon speaks to me.

As if he is reflecting on the past with both longing and regret all at once.

“Yes, indeed. Though I made an error too grave to be dismissed as youthful indiscretion.”

The words escape me before I can stop them.

Even I am surprised at my own statement.

Though I kept those feelings hidden in my heart, I had never once said them aloud, and now they have slipped out on impulse.

“…Do you regret it?”

Lord Black Dragon looks at me searchingly.

After thinking for a moment, I confess the thought that I have kept buried all this time.

“Yes, of course. I always have.”

I did regret it.

I knew even at the time that I was making the wrong choice.

And yet, I chose it anyway.

I chose to sacrifice the Goddess for the sake of humanity.

And since I made that decision, I have a responsibility to see it through to the end.

Even if I knew all along that it was a terrible mistake, it was my choice, and now it is my duty to fulfill it by saving humanity.

No matter what I must sacrifice to do it.

From the moment I forsook the Goddess, that was the only path left to me.

Otherwise, it would not be fair.

I cannot give up halfway through on my goal after I sacrificed the Goddess in order to accomplish it.

“I think about it time and time again. About what would have happened if I made a different choice.”

I chuckle mirthlessly at myself.

No matter how much I think about it, I cannot change the past.

I am only deluding myself.

And yet, I think of it nonetheless.

If I worked together with Lord Black Dragon and Lady Ariel and the others, if we joined hands to face those trials together…

I cannot help wondering if such an absurdly convenient option ever existed.

“But there is no point in dwelling on such things now.”

“Perhaps you’re right.”

I try to cut off my wretched delusions, but to my surprise, Lord Black Dragon responds.

“I’m the same way.”

With that, he smiles wanly and tips his glass.

“I think of it all the time. Could I have done more at the time? Wasn’t there any other way? A better way?”

Ah, I see.

So he has regretted it all along, too.

“But no matter how much we think about it, we’ll never find an answer. That’s how it is for you, too, right?”

In lieu of a response, I simply smile back in grim silence.

He’s right, of course.

No matter how much I think about it, I never come up with an answer.

But at the same time, when I think it through, is it possible that this present situation is for the best? Sometimes that idea occurs to me, too.

Though I could never say such a thing to Lord Black Dragon.

How can I even think that?

Because if everything went well, then I doubt I could have ever gone this far.

It is because of that all too strong regret that I have succeeded in controlling myself and doing whatever it takes all this time.

Without it, I might very well have broken down by now.

In which case, Potimas would have only risen to even greater heights.

Despite all my faults, I do believe that I have been a successful breakwater against Potimas all this time.

If I crumbled and became useless, then Potimas would have been able to do as he pleased all the more.

That man is cautious and cowardly.

Even if I were not here, I imagine he would not have done anything truly reckless out of fear of Lord Black Dragon, but I wager things would still be vastly different without my presence.

No doubt he would have spread his influence like a slow poison, sneakily and out of Lord Black Dragon’s sight.

He has always excelled at such sly, covert movements.

I know this all too well because I am the one who has contested him in the shadows all this time.

In that sense, Potimas’s recent actions have been uncharacteristic.

His moves have been too big, too dramatic.

For better or for worse, there is no doubt that the foreign substance known as reincarnations has caused a great deal of movement in this world.

But even so, I feel as if Potimas’s movements are rather too large.

I assumed it was all sparked by the reincarnations, but would that alone be enough to cause such a pathologically paranoid man to act so outrageously?

And all these movements of his have been hindered by Lady Ariel and her people, leading to several overt failures.

It is incredibly unusual for him.

That man certainly does have the rather childish habit of craving petty revenge whenever he is wronged, but even that does not explain his artless actions of late.

One might suspect that this is all part of some master plan, but his losses have been far too great.

It almost seems as if something has caused him to panic…

I do not know what the cause might be, but now the tide is shifting in our favor.

I should be happy.

When I think we might finally put that man in checkmate, I am filled with joy, a small hint of sadness, and most of all, a despondent numbness that it will all soon be over.

Perhaps this ought to be cause for celebration, but I suppose I am a bit too old.

Not just physically, but mentally.

I have been fighting for a long time. Too long. The loneliness and desolation that plagues me has long since outstripped any sense of accomplishment.

“…So Potimas will finally meet his end.”

“Seems like it.”

Lord Black Dragon drains the rest of his glass, looking equally full of emotion.

“I see your habit of getting off topic hasn’t changed at all.”

As I pour him another glass, he comments rather dryly.

At that, I realize that I have made yet another off-topic remark mid-conversation.

“Oh dear. Have I done it again?”

“I’m sure it all made perfect sense in your mind.”

“…I do try my best to be careful. But it seems this bad habit is the one thing I cannot fix no matter how many times I am reborn.”

I have an unfortunate tendency to get lost deep in thought and forget everything around me.

Then I speak one of my thoughts out loud without explanation, making it seem to everyone else that I have suddenly decided to change subjects, or so I am told.

Just as Lord Black Dragon says, it all seems perfectly logical in the context of my own thoughts. However, if I do not lay out all those connections aloud, it simply comes off as if I abruptly wandered off to a new topic.

“Still, if you said all of your thoughts aloud, I’m sure there wouldn’t be enough time in the world.”

“Very true. I imagine my voice would fail me first. Actually, I would probably bite my tongue first.”

“Fair enough.”

Since I am always using the Thought Acceleration skill, I can think about a vast number of things even in a short period of time.

If I tried to share everything that goes through my mind, I would have to speak terribly quickly.

In all likelihood, I would struggle to keep up and end up biting my tongue.

Imagining myself doing something so foolish, I cannot help but chortle a little.

“That would tarnish your dignified image somewhat.”

“Indeed. It would appear I am still better off keeping most of my thoughts to myself, even if it causes a bit of inconvenience for those around me.”

With that, we exchange small smiles.

What a mysterious feeling.

I never thought I would have such a lighthearted chat with Lord Black Dragon.

But this peaceful atmosphere cannot last forever, I am afraid.

“Now, then. What business brings you here this evening?”

I know I am ruining the mood, but I must move on to the matter at hand.

“That creature’s taken care of things in the Analeit Kingdom, which should alleviate some anxieties.”

“I see.”

By “that creature,” Lord Black Dragon most likely refers to Lady White.

She is a reincarnation who has been a constant companion of Lady Ariel these past few years.

And she is also the individual responsible for changing history forever.

“Knowing her, I’m sure she accomplished everything perfectly.”

“Oh-ho. You seem to think quite highly of it.”

“Of course. She’s the one who brought about a tidal wave of change to this perpetually stagnated world.”

“A tidal wave, hmm? What an apt turn of phrase.”

In all honesty, that hardly does do her justice.

Perhaps she is more like an all-consuming flood that swallows everything in its path.

A great deluge that will wash away that which has stood still in this world for so long, leaving empty land in its place.

“Potimas will meet his end at last.”

I bring us back to the earlier topic.

With Lady White on the job, even someone as detestably tenacious as Potimas is surely finished.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. You know Potimas as well as I do. It’s entirely possible that he’ll slip away somehow.”

“No. I am certain of it.”

There is no doubt in my mind.

Because I have fought against Potimas for so long, I know his limitations.

But I have yet to perceive Lady White’s limits.

It is obvious who will prevail.

I am sure Lord Black Dragon knows this as well.

“In all probability, Lady White only sees Potimas as nothing more than just one more obstacle.”

“That’s true.”

Lord Black Dragon agrees with my observation.

For Lady White, defeating Potimas is simply a sideshow on the way to her ultimate goal.

He is in the way of her reaching that goal, so he must be removed.

I am sure that is all she thinks of him.

And her ultimate goal is the destruction of the system itself.

“…Lord Black Dragon. Destroying the system and using that energy to revive the world… Is such a thing truly within the realm of possibility?”

Lord Black Dragon has told me about Lady White’s goals and proposed methods.

I asked the same question at the time, but now I find myself asking it again.

“It should be possible, at least in theory.”

And his response is the same as it was before.

Should be. In theory. It is safe to say from such uncertain phrases that Lord Black Dragon does not know for sure, either.

“The fate of the world hangs in the balance. I cannot say I am thrilled with staking everything on an uncertain gamble…”

“I know. And I haven’t simply been sitting around since I first heard about it, either.” Lord Black Dragon waves his hand rather irritably. “I did investigate, but I couldn’t find a definitive answer. Unfortunately, I can’t meddle with the system too much. Since I don’t fully understand it, I don’t have much choice besides relying on conjecture.”

Hrm. That is sensible.

When one is trying to assess any situation, predicting the outcome requires a firm grasp of all the matters and events involved.

Without a clear understanding of the system, it is impossible to predict what results it might produce.

“But if you’re willing to hear me out based on that conjecture, I do believe that reviving this world by destroying the system has a fairly high success rate.”

“And your basis for that conclusion?”

“I did a rough calculation of the total amount of energy contained in the entire system and found out that it’s surpassed the amount needed to restore the world. Even after removing the amount that’ll be consumed in the process, I believe it should still be close to the required amount.”

“‘I believe.’ ‘Should.’ It sounds to me as though this is more wishful thinking than anything else.”

“None of this is a sure thing. Either way, if the attempt fails, it won’t be due to insufficient energy. I’m certain about that much, at least.”

If that is based on the calculations of Lord Black Dragon himself, I suppose I can trust it…

“But even ignoring objective facts, I have reasons to believe that creature has already found conclusive evidence, which might be answer enough.”

“By which you mean…?”

“The thing’s already discovered a method for doing exactly that. Moreover, it actually exists as an official feature of the system.”

At that, my thoughts come to a halt for just a moment.

The system already has such a function?

Does that mean that the self-destruction of the system itself was always meant to be an option?

“That shouldn’t be so surprising. The system has plenty of other functions that even I don’t know about. Who’s to say a feature like that doesn’t exist?”

I suppose that is true, but to think that an option like self-destruction would be included as a regular option from the very beginning…

It makes me doubt the sanity of the system’s creator.

“Besides, the system itself is already irrational in so many ways. At this point, one or two more bizarre features hardly makes a difference.”

“…You have a point.”

I do not wish to speak ill of the system that keeps us all alive, but it certainly is strange that it is built upon a foundation that forces its inhabitants to kill one another and then recovering energy from those who are killed.

“I suspect that it may have some connection to the Rulers.”

“What do you mean…?”

A Ruler is a particular individual who has a Seven Heavenly Virtues skill, like my Temperance, or a Seven Deadly Sins skill, like Lady Ariel’s Gluttony. One holder of each skill is given ruler authority.

Simply acquiring the skill is not enough to make one a Ruler; the authority to rule must first be established before any individual can become a Ruler.

Rulers receive several benefits, including permission to interfere with the system to some small degree.

“But there is no such thing included within the rights granted to a Ruler, is there?”

I am a Ruler myself.

This means I am very familiar with the authorities of a Ruler.

To my knowledge, that does not include anything to do with the destruction of the system.

“What if one Ruler alone wasn’t enough? What if, for instance, all of the Rulers had to gather together and perform specific actions in a particular location?”

I cannot say for sure that such a thing does not exist.

The Rulers have virtually never cooperated on anything.

After all, three of them are in a perpetually antagonistic relationship.

Lady Ariel, Potimas, and myself.

As for the rest, they have seldom even been born.

The only time the Rulers of all fourteen Heavenly Virtues and Deadly Sins have ever existed all at once must have been at the very beginning, when the system was first put into place.

Even then, they existed in different factions, not as one united front.

In other words, the Rulers have never once assembled in pursuit of a common goal.

If there was some special condition related to such an unknown scenario, we would have no way of knowing.

As far as the particular location, I do have one inkling.

The innermost part of the Great Elroe Labyrinth.

The center of the labyrinth that the very first Ruler of Sloth spent an entire lifetime creating.

If there was such a place, it would have to be there.

“These past few years, that creature has been frantically trying to make people pick up ruler skills.”

“How curious.”

I had no idea.

If that is the case, then perhaps there is something to Lord Black Dragon’s prediction after all.

“But if so, then would defeating Potimas not be counterproductive?”

Potimas is a Ruler, too.

If all the Rulers are required, that would unfortunately include his participation.

“I’m sure it has taken that into account and most likely formulated a strategy accordingly. Though I do not know what that strategy might be. Either way, even if we let Potimas live, there’s no way he would cooperate with our plans.”

“I see. If he is only going to hinder her goals, then I suppose she wants to be rid of him as soon as possible.”

Potimas would never cooperate on something like this.

That being the case, then it would indeed be more effective to simply remove him and seek another approach than waste time attempting to convince him.

“But if that is truly the case, then the next target for elimination must be yours truly, correct?”

I say it in a joking manner, but I suspect it is not entirely inaccurate.

That is one scenario which I have been contemplating since before speaking with Lord Black Dragon today.

After Potimas, who is the next person Lady Ariel would find most loathsome?

That would be me. Of that I have little doubt.

What’s more, the Word of God religion is weaker than it has ever been.

We lost many soldiers in the battle against the ancient mechanical weapons that were resurrected about a decade ago.

During that incident, when I temporarily joined forces with Lady Ariel and even Potimas, the Church’s army was left in shambles.

I have managed to restore its strength a fair bit in the years since, but the hole has not been entirely filled.

We lost many promising young soldiers who should have built up experience and become seasoned veterans by now.

Now, since we have so few soldiers left from that era, I have been depending on old soldiers who should have long since retired and young ones too inexperienced for their posts.

But that, too, fell apart in this most recent war.

I knew from the beginning that we would not prevail, but it would have been strange if the Word of God religion did not provide any reinforcements. I had to send a considerable number of soldiers to aid the empire, none of whom returned.

Events have conspired to greatly weaken the military strength of the Word of God church, although I do think there is little point in attempting to compete with Lady Ariel on that front.

And between the announcement of a false hero and the imperial army’s call for a new expedition, I am already at the end of my rope.

None of the other nations know about the false hero just yet, but if and when it is discovered, the Church will lose a great deal of influence.

That is how important the existence of the hero is to humanity.

And if anyone found out that the imperial army we allowed to pass through human lands was actually composed of demons, this religion would be finished.

It was all necessary for the sake of defeating Potimas, but if Lady Ariel also made this proposition in order to lessen the power of the Word of God religion at the same time, then her ultimate goal is likely to take my head.

That said, I agreed to all of Lady Ariel’s demands, despite knowing exactly where it might lead.

“…And you’re all right with that?”

“Quite. This is the perfect use of the Word of God religion at this moment. I cannot afford to miss the opportunity to ride the tides of change in this world simply because I balked at the price.”

Right now, the world is changing in a major way.

The Word of God religion will be swept along with those changes, like it or not.

This current is already far too strong for the Church to resist.

So there is nothing left but to hasten it on its way.

Even if that means the Church will be dragged down by the current and crushed.

The Word of God religion exists solely to protect humanity.

If it can accomplish that goal by perishing for the greater good, that, too, is perfectly acceptable.

“For the sake of humanity. For the era of upheaval that no doubt awaits after Potimas meets his doom. The Church will become the villain against which humanity unites. I have already made the preparations.”

What is required for people to band together?

An easily identifiable villain.

Anger, grief, feelings of helplessness.

And a target they can aim those feelings at.

For the masses, the belief that they are in the right is the swiftest path toward unification.

And so I will turn the Word of God religion into a villain to unite humanity.

“…You certainly are thorough.”

“I have no other choice. I am not even permitted to properly atone, you see.”

Atonement? That would be far too presumptuous for one such as myself.

No, I can never atone.

Which is why I must see this through to the very end.

For humanity.

That is all I can strive for.

It is for that cause that I forsook the Goddess.

So I must now offer up everything to that cause, even if it means making an enemy of the gods.

“…I must admit, I envy that decisiveness of yours. Just a little.”

“……”

From my perspective, it is you whom I find myself envying.

You who can draw closer to the Goddess’s side.

But while this thought crosses my mind, I do not speak it aloud.

Lord Black Dragon has his own circumstances, his own burdens to bear.

“Neither of us can quite have our way, can we?”

“You’re not wrong.”

After that, we stayed up all through the night, talking of only inconsequential matters.

I believe we both knew that this would likely be our last chance to spend a quiet evening drinking together.

Whether what Lady Ariel is attempting to do fails or succeeds, the times are about to become very turbulent indeed.

That is not a premonition, but a fact.

When the pivotal moment comes, I must do everything I can to ensure that humanity survives.

Because that is the only duty I have been permitted to uphold.