kscans

Chapter 53 - The Twilight of the Gods and the Kobito-san ~The Second~

"A hand that’s one card weaker…"

With the relocation of the Kilfan people settled for now, the Kobito-san entrusted the rest to Katsumi and began to reflect on everything that had happened so far.

Arcadia, a world where otherworld transmigrations occurred frequently. With this fact revealed, she felt like she was starting to grasp the sense of wrongness she had felt all along.

One thing was that this world had once been a very dry and harsh place. This was recorded in Frontier’s history, and Merda and the others had confirmed it.

What saved it were the Forest Masters.

The first Golden King who founded Frontier had written down the details meticulously, and based on that, Frontier had cherished the Masters’ forests.

As a result, the prosperous Frontier of today exists.

However, the Kobito-san, being a modern person, couldn’t accept this at face value. There are magical beasts. There is magic. She had no objections to those things. She thought that’s just how it was.

But if magic were to be lost, the land would revert to a wasteland. Why couldn’t the people of Frontier understand this terrifying reality? The surrounding countries were actually facing that very fate. And yet, there was no sense of crisis at all. They probably understood that if they lost the forests, they would lose magic. But they only made efforts not to lose the forests, and made no preparations whatsoever for the event that they were lost.

In a way, the most fragile and precarious country was Frontier.

The second thing was that the Kobito-san only noticed this precariousness, which she had almost but not quite been able to grasp, after visiting Kilfan. She was shocked that a country under the same conditions could be so prosperous without receiving any of the boons of magic. It was because the Kobito-san herself had been under the illusion that this was a world where magic was a given.

That wasn’t the case. Magic and magical power weren’t necessary. Just like Earth, this world could grow. In fact, wasn’t the gods’ magic hindering that growth?

Wasn’t it written in history? That it was a blessing given by the gods. It wasn’t something humans had acquired through their own efforts, nor was it something that had existed in the world from the beginning. If it was something given, then it was outside the natural order of things. Since it wasn’t created, it could be lost or depleted.

It was likely due to her having the concepts of another world, Earth. When she thought it through, the worldview of Arcadia was fragile and precarious. She suddenly understood it.

A vague, indescribable anxiety clung to the back of the Kobito-san’s mind. The ground beneath her feet, which had been so certain until now, felt like ambiguous and incomprehensible sludge.

Something is strange. Where is the problem?

The third thing was that night, when she thought about it. When she remembered the meaning of Ei-sa, she was astonished. If these were names based on cards, it was bad. The gods of this world shouldn’t know poker, which meant this had to be a message from the gods of Earth. A message addressed to someone related to Earth, whether a transmigrator or a reincarnated person.

They probably thought that anyone from Earth would understand.

Once she realized, she couldn’t stay still and had rushed to Zett. She wanted him to deny it. With that thought, the words she spoke were shattered by the affirmation of silence.

Not a jack, but a joker. Isn’t this a losing game?

The Kobito-san unconsciously looked up at the heavens.

If this was based on poker, there had to be an opponent. She didn’t know the will of the gods, but if the card hand was a royal straight flush that included a joker, it indicated that they were at a disadvantage. Even if it were a legitimate hand, there would be a possibility of the opponent holding the joker, and a higher hand like a five of a kind could be expected, but since the joker was in her hand, that wasn't possible. However, it was still a hand that was one card weaker, and while she didn’t know what was happening, she could guess that some kind of crisis was approaching Arcadia.

And the cards have meaning. A meaning that would easily come to mind for someone from Earth.

"The western forest, I guess. I won’t know until I go."

Joker. This means the trump card.

In other words, the Master in the western forest is likely the trump card hidden by the gods of Earth. It was certain that the gods of Earth were cooperating with Arcadia, and if this was a message, the meaning of the joker would also change. The fact that they hid it in a message like this probably meant they didn’t want the people of Arcadia to know.

"The poker opponent is interfering on this side too, aren’t they? I hate this."

Her wild intuition was terrifying.

The Kobito-san, who had lived her life solely on the intuition of someone raised in the countryside, was showing her true colors.

Gathering the fragments of konpeito candy shown by the gods, the Kobito-san constructed a universe. Beyond it lay a black box. Inside, was it a gruesome trap of ruin, or a wondrous gift from the gods?

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The Kobito-san stood up with a grunt, and while soothing her overheating brain, she wrote down all the possibilities that could occur.

The result was just one answer. Simple and clear.

"The golden magic isn’t needed, is it? This."

The Kobito-san’s whole body went limp. Unable to fight the fatigue, she melted like a slime.

A complete negation of everything I’ve done so far. Aiyayayayaii.

No, that’s not it. My original interpretation was wrong.

The world had changed due to the technology sent out from Kilfan several hundred years ago. Chihiro had thought that was a mistake, but from the looks of it, that was probably the correct path. Kilfan was a miniature garden prepared for that purpose. The diverse technologies had evolved uniquely in each country, leading to the present day. Frontier had been left behind in that regard, but as a nation, its development was top-notch. With the high quality of its people, Frontier could probably catch up quickly if they started trying now.

"I need to talk to Romel."

Wasn’t there a saying, two heads are better than one?

Literally intending to share their worries, the Kobito-san, with Pochiko-san supporting her faltering steps, headed for the royal palace.

"…Shall we sit down for a moment?"

Romel gave a long, hard look at the exhausted Kobito-san, who had been carried in suspended by Pochiko-san, and gestured to the sofa in his office. The Kobito-san collapsed onto the sofa like a boneless creature and handed the notebook she had written in to Romel. He took it, glanced through it, and then looked at the Kobito-san with a complex expression that was hard to describe.

"What is this?"

"The events up to now, and a prediction of what might happen next."

"…Magic is unnecessary?"

"We can live without it. It’s a luxury item, an extravagance. In fact, the way we thought it was essential until now is what’s strange."

"...Are you saying that the neighboring countries where diseases are spreading due to magic deficiency are in their normal state?"

"Yes. It’s normal for people to get sick and take time to heal from injuries. Frontier, where people are immune to disease and injuries can be instantly healed with magic, is the strange one."

Saying it out loud makes you realize how abnormal it is. The lifespan in Frontier is 1.5 times that of other countries. It’s really strange.

Even the Kobito-san, who had the concepts of Earth, had failed to notice that it wasn’t normal. She had assumed that magic was a given. That this was just how this world was. I can’t laugh at Katsumi. I had assumed that’s just how things were. Preconceptions are scary.

Her energy somewhat recovered, the Kobito-san shot up on the sofa.

"The forests were unnecessary. In fact, they should have been withered."

Romel was at a loss for words at such an answer. It was a statement that overturned the very foundation of Frontier’s existence. The prince regent was dumbfounded. And understandably so.

"That’s why. I’m going to the western forest. I feel like the answer is there."

The Kobito-san smiled weakly.

Surprised by her exhausted state, Romel hurriedly called for a doctor and picked her up.

Huh? Something’s wrong.

Romel’s mouth was moving rapidly, but she couldn’t hear his voice. Not only that, her vision was warping and blurring into white.

This isn’t good…

By the time she thought that, it was too late. The Kobito-san’s consciousness snapped.

"Chihiiroooooo!!"

The familiar scream echoed through the baron’s mansion.

Covering his ears, Romel relayed the doctor’s diagnosis.

"It’s exhaustion and a fever from overthinking, he said. With rest, she should be up in about three days."

A teary-eyed bear of a father. From the butler and maid running around, sharp glares occasionally pierced the back of Romel’s head.

But such trivial things didn’t bother him. Even thinking about it now made his blood run cold.

The Kobito-san’s complexion had gone from pale to deathly white. He had been so surprised he thought his heart would stop. So Romel could understand how Drago felt now. However, this loud noise was not acceptable.

Color returned to her pale face, and now, red as an apple, the Kobito-san breathed heavily.

Her lips moved slightly, and the onlookers held their breath. They were all speechless at the words that came from her staring lips.

"Going to the western forest… I’m going."

The silent scream in the hearts of the stunned Romel and the others was voiced by Drago.

"Don’t be ridiculous!!"

It was likely a unanimous cry, not just from everyone there, but from everyone involved with the Kobito-san.

The Kobito-san smiled faintly.

That day, the royal palace was hit by a storm of fierce debate that lasted through the night. The single notebook the Kobito-san had brought, and its answer, had thrown a spark into Frontier that ignited an endless discussion.

The overly energetic Kobito-san.

Perhaps this too was providence. Her consciousness did not return until she had had sufficient rest. Four days later, when the Kobito-san awoke, the sight of a hibernating bear with swollen, cried-out eyes beside her was just another charming detail.

Even without knowing the gods’ intentions, she knows the correct way of the world. It was precisely because she was raised on Earth that the Kobito-san noticed its clear distortion.

Kicking aside the swirling mysteries and questions, the Kobito-san is doing great today♪