kscans

Chapter 353 - The Princess Abducted by the Demon Lord

The day after the battle at Deep Impact, Hayato spent the morning lost in thought.

It was possible that everyone couldn't fight at their full potential because he was being held hostage.

At the very least, Esha and the others hadn't been there. The ones present were Lunaria's Demon Lord's Army, Ney's group, and members of the major clans.

There was a chance he just couldn't spot them on the monitor, but if Esha had fired Destroy, he would have known for sure. Since that didn't happen, Esha, Ash, and the others hadn't participated.

They could manage without him. That's what Hayato had thought, but on reflection, they had no idea what his situation was, and he hadn't even logged out. It wouldn't be strange for them to think something much worse was happening.

(So not only am I not helping, I'm actually holding them back. But I checked yesterday, and I can't get out of the Demon Lord's Castle... If I could just let them know the situation, I think they could fight seriously with peace of mind.)

After the battle ended, Hayato had searched for an exit somewhere in the Demon Lord's Castle, hoping to find a way to escape. But of course, he wasn't allowed to do so alone, and Hypnos had followed him.

He had told Amanda he wanted to examine ingredients for meals and gone to the food storage, and as a production player, he had said he wanted to see the weapons and armor in the Demon Lord's Castle and gone to the treasury. He went everywhere he could.

But he couldn't find any place that seemed to lead outside.

If there was one, it would be the balcony Nanagi had mentioned, on the top floor of the eastern side of the Demon Lord's Castle.

It was a place that overlooked the Demon Capital Zardogia, and since it was the easternmost point of the castle, jumping from there would count as being outside. And if he was outside, he could log out, use voice chat, and return from death.

But naturally, Hayato couldn't get to that place. The room leading to the balcony was locked, and he couldn't open it. He was told that only members of the new Demon Lord's army could unlock it.

This information came from Hypnos. He had already figured out why Hayato was exploring the castle and had given him more information than necessary.

As a result, it became clear that Hayato couldn't get out of the castle on his own.

(I have to find a way to get information to Esha and the others.)

Just as Hayato made up his mind, a knock came at the door.

"Hayato, are you awake?"

The voice was Hypnos's. He had already told Hayato yesterday that they would watch today's event on the monitor.

Hayato immediately asked him to come in.

Hypnos said, "Understood," opened the door, and came inside. He looked at Hayato and said with a smile, "Good morning."

Hayato was taken aback but calmly replied, "Good morning."

"What do you think? My greeting was quite natural, wasn't it?"

"It was certainly natural."

"Of course, of course. I practiced, you see."

Hypnos said this in a good mood, but Hayato's only thought was, he practiced a greeting? The image was a little endearing, but he figured Hypnos would get angry if he said so, so he just returned the smile.

And since time was precious, he got straight to the point.

"Actually, I have a favor to ask."

"Oh? What might that be?"

"I want you to tell Esha and the others about my situation. That I can't log out, but I'm otherwise fine."

"...I see. You think that because they imagine your life is in danger if Lunaria and her side win, they held back. That's how you saw yesterday's battle."

"You're quick on the uptake. But you're right. I just can't log out. If they knew that, Esha and the others could fight at full strength."

"That may be so, but unfortunately, I cannot send a voice chat to their members. Amanda has ordered me not to."

Nanagi had discovered that Hypnos had previously provided information to Hayato's group. Because of that, he had been ordered not to send them any information.

Hayato judged that this was still in effect.

"Then can you unlock the room to the balcony? I'll jump off and escape."

"I refuse."

"I figured... wait, huh? You're refusing, which means Amanda didn't order you not to? You mean you're refusing on your own accord?"

"That's right."

"Man, saying ‘that's right’ with such a smug face. May I ask why?"

"Because it's more interesting this way."

For a moment, Hayato didn't quite understand what Hypnos had said, but after a short while, he understood. But even though he understood the words, he didn't understand the meaning. At the very least, Hayato didn't find it interesting.

"What do you mean, interesting?"

"Interesting is interesting. Life since you arrived has been interesting. I would very much like for it to continue."

"Um, thank... you?"

Hayato offered his thanks for some reason, but he himself wasn't sure if that was the right response, so it came out as a question.

Hypnos laughed and continued.

"Here's a proposal from me. What if you sided with Amanda, Hayato?"

"You mean betray everyone?"

"Whether it's a betrayal is a matter of perspective. If you act for the sake of everyone, it's not a betrayal. Let me ask you, is the act of putting all of humanity into a virtual reality evil?"

"If you're talking good or evil, then it's evil."

"Why?"

"There are people who want to live in reality, right? I think it's wrong to put them into a virtual reality without giving them a choice. You'd be taking away their right to their own lives."

"But in reality, don't the so-called Foundations hold sway, doing similar things to you and your people? Is that not evil?"

Hayato was at a loss for words.

The Foundations held power over the colonies, and as such, they had enough authority to give any order to those outside their bloodlines. They could even give orders that seemed to disregard human rights.

If you were to call that good or evil, it would probably be closer to evil.

"I can't say it out loud, but it might be evil."

"Then it should be fine for Amanda to do it too, right? Besides, you live normally under that system. Do you rebel against the Foundations, saying they are evil?"

"...I don't."

"See? So if Amanda's world domination succeeds and she puts all of humanity into a virtual reality, it would just be the Foundations being replaced by Amanda, and not much else would change. And if you erase their real-world memories, there's no problem. In fact, things like sickness and injury would disappear, and people could live better lives. What do you think? I won't say it's completely good, but if more people can be happy, it's not a betrayal or anything. Won't you join us, Hayato?"

Hypnos smiled as he said this.

Put that way, it made Hayato think that maybe it wasn't a problem, but he shook his head.

"I refuse. Your whole argument is flawed, isn't it?"

"Is that so? What's flawed about it?"

"This isn't a discussion of good and evil, is it? It's about whether it's okay to force people into a virtual reality. I don't want to live only in a virtual reality. So my way of thinking is incompatible with Amanda-san's. Besides, it would mean destroying Diite-chan, so I can't accept it."

Hayato stared at Hypnos as he spoke.

After they stared at each other for a few seconds, Hypnos burst out laughing.

"So it's no good after all. I thought I had a chance."

"I've fulfilled my dream of opening a cafe, there's no way I'd want to live only in a virtual reality, right?"

"You could just open a cafe in the virtual reality."

"Diite-chan said the same thing to me once, but I refused."

"Come to think of it, that's right. Something about wanting to make the perfect cup of coffee."

"...You know a lot about that?"

"I looked into it. It's true that in this virtual reality, taste is only on a five-point scale, so it must be boring for you, Hayato."

"It's not about being boring or anything. I'd like to have you and Diite-chan try the coffee I make sometime. Then maybe you'd understand how I feel..."

Hearing those words, Hypnos blinked repeatedly. So much so that Hayato was a little taken aback.

"Are you okay? You're not broken, are you?"

"...I'm surprised you want to have an AI drink coffee. Though I suppose it's very like you, Hayato."

"It's just that I can't explain the goodness of reality well. I only said that because I can't explain it with words."

Hayato paused there, but a question remained.

Siding with Amanda would also affect Hypnos's future.

"If I side with Amanda-san, doesn't that mean you'll stay under her control forever, Hypnos? Are you okay with that?"

"If you're asking if I'm okay with it, then of course not. But if you were to serve Amanda, Hayato, I thought it wouldn't be so bad. If my life continues as it is now, even under Amanda's control, it wouldn't be so bad."

Hayato was surprised. He had never dreamed he would hear such words.

Setting aside Hypnos's recent actions, he had previously acted in a way that disregarded the feelings of Ash and the others. As an AI, that might have been natural, but it wasn't that he didn't understand human emotions. He understood them and acted that way regardless.

And his thinking had been that no matter what happened, he could just erase their memories. But now, he was saying something quite human.

However, another question arose.

"Is having me around really that interesting?"

"You may not realize it yourself. Just by being here, Hayato, you bring about all sorts of results. That's what's interesting."

"Results just by being here?"

"You've heard from Diite that the NPCs in this virtual reality are talented people, right?"

The topic suddenly changed, but Hayato nodded without pointing it out.

He had heard that the people brought into this virtual reality, this spaceship, were all talented in their respective fields. The reason was that they were chosen to one day rebuild the world, and that this place was a Noah's Ark.

"Amanda is one of them, but you don't put up a wall against that, Hayato. You're always natural. The same goes for how you treat Diite and me."

"...That may be so, but I don't think that explains why it's interesting."

"You're rushing to the conclusion. Let's see. When it was just me, Amanda, and Nanagi, our conversations were nothing more than simple reports. We didn't even make small talk, so I didn't even know what sweets they liked. We don't try to understand each other, and we don't think it's necessary. We're just strangers with a common goal. It's questionable if you could even call us comrades."

Hypnos paused there. Then, with a slight smile, he looked at Hayato.

"It's only been a few days since you came, Hayato, but the three of us have started talking more. Of course, reports are still the main thing, but talk about you and other small talk has increased. Last night, after I took you back to your room, Nanagi came while I was having my after-dinner dessert. Apparently, Nanagi likes mitarashi dango. She even asked if there was any for her."

Hayato found it hard to imagine. It was so far from Nanagi's image. It might make sense if she liked samurai, but he had an image of her being like Simon, liking bitter tea and pickled plums.

"Um, should I make some for her?"

"I think she'll make a sour face, but do as you please. That's not important. What I'm saying is that thanks to your normal, natural actions like greeting people and eating meals, we've been able to have something like a human relationship. It feels like a little blood has started to flow through our sterile relationship. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, and I don't know what results it will bring, but I do think it's interesting."

It wasn't that Hayato's presence itself was interesting, but rather the things that happened because of his presence, and how they affected various things. That's what Hypnos said was interesting.

"But it doesn't have to be me, right? People normally eat meals, don't they?"

"It means that you, Hayato, have the courage to do so in a dangerous situation where you can't log out. And as I said earlier, you're natural with everyone, no matter who they are. Humans usually adopt a certain attitude in front of socially prominent or famous people, don't they? You don't have that. I think that's what Amanda likes about you, just as I do."

It felt like he was being called oblivious, but it was more of a compliment. Hayato decided to think of it that way.

Besides, even if he was in a dangerous situation, he wasn't that worried. Esha was near his real body. He believed that if she knew he wasn't logging out, she would take some sort of action immediately.

He didn't fully understand what Hypnos was saying, but since he had been a salesman at his job and was now the owner of a cafe, he made a point of treating all customers equally. That might have had something to do with it.

Hayato came to that conclusion.

And he vaguely understood why Hypnos had told him to side with Amanda.

He wanted to see the changes that occurred because of Hayato's presence.

With all this in mind, he decided to negotiate with Hypnos.

His life wasn't in danger, but it would be meaningless if they lost this event. To get Esha and the others to fight seriously, he needed to tell them his situation.

"I think I sort of understand why you told me to side with Amanda-san, Hypnos. Taking all that into account, I'd like to negotiate."

"Negotiate, you say. Interesting. Let's hear it."

"I promise I won't run away from here, so could you tell Esha and the others my situation?"

Hypnos looked at him with an exasperated expression.

"That's not a negotiation."

"Huh? You think so? But isn't it more interesting if I'm here?"

"There's no point in such a negotiation since you can't escape in the first place. If you can escape, feel free to do so."

"Oh."

It wasn't that Hayato wouldn't escape, but that he couldn't. That wasn't a negotiation.

"You can be an idiot sometimes, Hayato."

"Well, it's not just sometimes. I am a hostage, after all."

When Hayato said that, Hypnos snorted and then clutched his stomach, laughing.

"That's true, it's not just sometimes. It's always, isn't it? But that's what's good about you. If you were a sharp-witted guy, you probably wouldn't be this well-liked by everyone."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Of course, I meant it as a compliment. This isn't an apology... it's a reward for making me laugh. I'll give you some information."

"Information?"

"Esha and the others should know that you're just unable to log out."

"Huh? Don't tell me you..."

"I haven't said anything. Diite probably doesn't know either. But they know your situation over there. Though it's just speculation."

"May I hear the reason?"

"It's better not to know unnecessary things. And it's also better if Esha and the others don't let on that they know. It will be troublesome if Amanda or Nanagi finds out. They should be plotting to get you back right now. If you do anything unnecessary, they'll fail. Just stay put like a princess abducted by the demon lord."

Hearing those words, Hayato remembered something from the past.

He had once been asked by Esha if he had any plans to be abducted by a demon lord. And he had said he had no such plans.

Before that conversation, when he asked Esha what she would do if he went somewhere, she had said she would bring him back, no matter where he was.

At the time, he thought Esha was an NPC, but he remembered being happy nonetheless. And when he was being attacked by Diite, Esha had come to his rescue.

He began to think that maybe she would do something this time, too.

"Alright. Then I guess I'll just wait here patiently for everyone to come and rescue me."

"You seem quite happy about that. I'm telling you, it's just speculation. It's not a certainty."

"That may be so, but hearing you say that made me decide to believe in everyone. Even if it's just speculation, thank you, Hypnos."

Hypnos made a complicated face. He probably didn't expect to be thanked.

"Humans are strange. Just a moment ago, you looked worried, but after a short conversation, you look completely refreshed. And to think you'd believe my words again, after I tricked you and brought you here. It's at a level where I'm worried for you, even though it's not my problem."

"Maybe it's because I'm fundamentally optimistic. And hearing you talk, I thought there was a good chance it was true. Even if you were lying, Hypnos."

"So you didn't believe my words, but believed in Esha and the others. A wonderful relationship of trust... Oops, I've talked too long. Let's go to Amanda's room. She seems to be looking forward to breakfast, and if we're late, I'll be the one to get scolded."

He probably didn't care about being scolded, Hayato thought, but he kept it to himself and left the room with Hypnos.

They walked down the long corridor and arrived at Amanda's room.

As usual, he knocked, got permission, and went inside.

Amanda was on the sofa as always, but today she was sitting normally instead of lying down.

"G, good morning."

Amanda greeted him before he could. It made him think she had been practicing greetings just like Hypnos. There was a certain awkwardness to it.

"Good morning. I didn't expect you to greet me first."

"I am constantly growing. Well, that's enough of that. Everyone, have a seat."

He felt bad for Amanda, who was saying this with a smug face, but it was hard to agree that being able to say hello was growth. Still, Hayato could tell she was trying.

That aside, there was a man who was surprised by this. Nanagi.

Nanagi was looking at Amanda, but then he covered his face with his right hand and sighed, before directing a sharp gaze at Hayato from between his fingers.

"Um, good morning."

He said this to Nanagi, but his gaze only sharpened, and he seemed to have no intention of returning the greeting.

"You're nothing but trouble..."

"Should I apologize?"

"Are you being sarcastic...? Or are you just being yourself, I can't tell..."

Nanagi sighed once more and sat down in a chair.

Hayato and Hypnos also took their respective seats.

Amanda sat on the sofa on the south side, with Hayato opposite her, Nanagi to his west, and Hypnos to his east, surrounding the table.

After everyone was seated, Amanda spoke.

"Let's watch the event while we have breakfast together."

"Um, Nanagi too...?"

When Hayato asked, Nanagi sighed again.

"I said I didn't want to, but Amanda was insistent. I just decided it would be faster to just eat."

"What's wrong with it? It's not like I'm asking us to be friends. I just thought we could watch the event while eating. Now, Hayato. I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you make bacon and eggs and toast today?"

"You got it. What about you, Hypnos?"

"I'll have pizza toast and coffee."

"Alright. Nanagi?"

Nanagi seemed to be struggling with a great deal of internal conflict, but he opened his mouth as if he had resigned himself to his fate.

"A rice ball with pickled plum, salt-grilled saury, and if possible, I'd like some miso soup too."

"That's a refined choice. I can make all of that with the ingredients I have on hand, so I'll make it right away."

Hayato said this and immediately started making the requested dishes.

He made everything five-star quality and placed them in front of everyone. Hayato made himself a consommé soup with lots of vegetables.

Then everyone, including Nanagi, said, "Thanks for the food," and began to eat.

Amanda and Hypnos ate cheerfully, but Nanagi ate with a furrowed brow. The food wasn't bad, but he probably didn't like the situation.

Hayato watched them as he speared a potato in his consommé soup with his fork and brought it to his mouth.

After that, a period of silence passed.

And on the monitor, the battle of the event "Conflict" began.

The battlefield this time was the "Great Forest of the Undead."

It was the forest where Mist's mansion was located, and there were many undead monsters. There were also many NPCs who had used Necromancy to become vampires and live in the Demon Country like Mist, and those people were naturally on the side of Lunaria's old Demon Lord's army.

Unlike the area around Deep Impact last time, there was a lot of cover. Hayato didn't know what kind of battle it would become.

"Are you not participating this time, Nanagi?"

When Hayato asked, Nanagi looked at him and glared slightly.

"You and I are enemies. I wouldn't answer something like that."

"But you're eating the breakfast I made."

"...I really want to throw you off the balcony right now... Fine. The only ones participating this time are the members of the Ten Holy Demonic Swords. I am not participating."

"Why not?"

"Last time, the opponent was just too weak. So I just wanted to check the situation."

Nanagi said this and looked at the monitor.

"Besides, your companions, Esha Crown and Ash Brandle, are not here. It's possible they're waiting as reinforcements, but I doubt they can win just by holding back that firepower. I thought there might be some other intention."

"I was just asking casually, but you're telling me that much?"

"I just decided it wouldn't matter if you knew. In fact, if you know the reason they're not here, why don't you tell me?"

Perhaps in retaliation, Nanagi's face became provocative as he looked at Hayato.

Of course, Hayato didn't know, but he had his thoughts.

"I guess they're worried about me and can't go all out."

"I'm impressed you can say you have value as a hostage yourself."

"Oh, but you're right, you know?"

Amanda interjected with a smile. She put the last piece of bacon in her mouth and chewed.

Nanagi looked at Amanda and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you know something?"

"I don't know if it's Esha Crown and her group, but there is a team to retrieve Hayato from the Demon Lord's Castle. That team isn't participating in the event battle and is near the castle."

Hayato was surprised by Amanda's answer.

Why did she know such a thing? The fact that she was stating it so definitively meant it was based on fact, not speculation.

Hypnos had said that Esha and the others were planning something, but Amanda knew more details.

"Um, Amanda-san, you can see what's happening around the Demon Lord's Castle?"

"It's not like that. A woman has her secrets. But I'm glad they're trying to save you, Hayato. Well, it seems they're just overly worried this time because they don't know the specific situation."

Hayato felt something was off about Amanda's words.

Hypnos had said that Esha and the others knew their situation, but Amanda said they didn't. Furthermore, her tone sounded like she had heard it from someone.

He didn't know what the situation was, but he decided to follow Hypnos's advice not to let it show on his face.

"Um, if that's the case, I'll have to thank everyone later. Right, I have to thank them properly in the real world too... I wonder if I have to treat them to yakiniku..."

"Reality... come to think of it, it's the third day since you came, but you're surprisingly energetic. Even if you don't feel pain or hunger, your thoughts should start to get fuzzy from dehydration, and you should be feeling dizzy. I wonder if someone is already taking care of your real body?"

Setting aside food, Hayato had heard that not drinking a single drop of water for a few days was dangerous. Considering that, he should have been in a dangerous situation, as it was now the third day, but so far nothing was wrong.

"I run a cafe, so I gave a key to the shop to someone who helps me out. I think they noticed that way."

"That's right. Then your body is safe."

Amanda said this and happily finished the rest of her breakfast.

"You seem quite happy."

When Hypnos asked, Amanda tilted her head.

"Happy? Who?"

"You didn't notice? The smile on your face was bigger than any I've seen before. Were you happy to know that Hayato won't die?"

Her happy face instantly turned sour, and Amanda glared at Hypnos with disgust.

"I was just thinking that I can eat delicious food for a while longer. And it means I don't have to let him escape out of pity. There's no other reason."

(She's talking so fast...)

She was probably talking fast to hide her embarrassment, but it was so obvious it was almost pitiful. And Nanagi was pressing his fingers hard against his brow, while Hypnos was holding back laughter.

That aside, there was one thing that made Hayato feel a little relieved. The fact that there was a team to rescue him. He didn't know the specific method, but if it was true that they were planning something, he felt he could wait with peace of mind.

"Oh, right, there was another reason to be happy. As long as Hayato is a hostage, they can't go all out. But they can't enter the Demon Lord's Castle, and there's no way to rescue Hayato. Looks like we can win this in record time!"

Amanda said this happily.

And it seemed like that would come true.

The undead monsters that appeared in the Forest of the Undead attacked the old Demon Lord's army. With Ghosts present, Lunaria became even more useless than usual, and they lost even faster than the day before. It was a result that seemed to foretell the outcome of the battles to come.