Chapter 209
If you view Earth as one large ship, Edel’s position would not be that of the absolute captain.
Above Edel stood the highest authority—the Administrator of Earth—firmly in control.
However, if something were to happen to the captain, Edel was in a position capable of inheriting their power.
In other words, the second-in-command.
In reality, there have been instances where people on ships, aiming for that very position, deliberately caused trouble for the captain and staged what is called a mutiny.
At the very least, Edel had no such intention.
The world Edel had created was subordinated to Earth, and in the process, Edel himself had been demoted from a position equal to the Administrator to one step below.
In fact, no complaints could be made even if Edel were treated poorly.
It was entirely thanks to the Administrator’s goodwill that Edel was treated as either slightly below or on par with them.
Of course, there might have been those among the mutineers who betrayed the trust and goodwill of their captains, but as stated earlier, Edel wasn’t among them.
Discomfort at repaying goodwill with betrayal aside, the exceedingly low chances of success weren’t the primary issue.
Even if they succeeded in a mutiny by some miracle and seized power, there would be no benefit.
The ship was navigating through the eye of a violent typhoon, surrounded by schools of sharks waiting for prey to fall into the sea.
What use would a mutiny be?
If they wasted their time on such foolishness and were swept away by the towering waves, they’d all end up shark food regardless of who was in charge.
Thus, it was more reasonable to discuss ways to escape the typhoon or to repair the ship rather than focusing on such trivial matters.
Though Edel had lost much, she wasn’t foolish, and so she chose the latter.
Thanks to this, the ship led by the Administrator and Edel continued to sail relatively smoothly—
“I told you. If you don’t take risks, you’ll just be manipulated by them.”
Recently, however, the ship they were on had started creaking bit by bit.
That wasn’t to say there was an immediate problem.
But it was undeniable that there were creaks.
“Here we go again. Do you know how many times you’ve said that?”
“Exactly one hundred and thirty-four times.”
“Then you also know what I’m going to say next.”
“And in turn, you know what I’ll say in response.”
“Hmph.”
The Administrator shrugged.
Conflict stemming from differences in perspective wasn’t impossible, nor was it rare.
Especially when significant stakes were involved, disagreements were bound to become more pronounced.
“In the end, nothing major happened, right? We just need to tighten our defenses going forward.”
“…Nothing major happened?”
Edel didn’t bother hiding her disbelief.
“They managed to infiltrate us, leave something like this behind, and even had the audacity to separate a dimension while we were unaware?”
“And what damage was done? In the end, we uncovered one of their methods and rejoined the separated dimension, didn’t we?”
“If that child hadn’t happened to be there at that moment, damage could have occurred.”
Edel’s argument was that it was purely by chance that the outcome had been favorable.
“Chance, huh. Well, where does coincidence end and inevitability begin? Aren’t you curious?”
“Stop spouting nonsense.”
Edel cut off the Administrator’s words without hesitation.
Although her words were treated as less valuable than scraps of paper, the Administrator’s composed face didn’t show much offense.
“There’s no guarantee we can always count on luck to save us. We need to act now.”
“By action, you mean what you’ve repeatedly mentioned: sending scouts beyond the wall.”
“Exactly.”
“And you’re fully aware of the risks that come with that.”
“Are you going to keep nagging? I’ve already said this over a hundred times.”
“….”
The conversation always ended with the Administrator’s decision prevailing.
Edel was fully aware of the risks the Administrator mentioned.
“But the situation has changed now.”
“….”
At Edel’s calm statement, the Administrator said nothing.
Perhaps he couldn’t.
“…Hah.”
The Administrator still thought Edel’s proposed method was too risky.
However, he had once claimed that as long as they could perfectly block attacks without information, it wouldn’t matter.
Having said such a thing, he couldn’t deny the shame of failing to detect their enemy’s stealthy invasion and trickery.
“…Do you have a concrete plan?”
“…!”
A clear shift in attitude.
Edel’s head snapped up at the Administrator’s unexpectedly positive response.
The sudden change caught her off guard, but she quickly calmed herself.
“I do.”
“And? The child you’ve prepared isn’t ready to handle this yet, is she? Sending angels would—”
“They’d be torn apart by the Dimensional Vortex.”
The souls of angels were far stronger and sturdier than those of humans or other beings.
However, the Dimensional Vortex beyond the world’s walls was far rougher, fiercer, and sharper.
They wouldn’t even make it to reconnaissance; they’d be shredded into nothingness, leaving no trace behind.
It wasn’t without reason that Edel had been shocked to discover a soul from Earth drifting through.
Although he pretended to remain composed, the Administrator was also displeased with the recent events.
Who wouldn’t be annoyed at being caught off guard and struck unilaterally?
His decision to listen to Edel’s argument one more time stemmed from that irritation.
“Practically, it’s impossible.”
Even after hearing Edel’s argument again, the Administrator reached the same conclusion.
Without even taking a single step beyond the wall, reconnaissance was out of the question.
Thus, the Administrator once again shook his head.
“It’s not impossible.”
“You know this isn’t an issue to approach emotionally. Making decisions based on emotions is not something we’re permitted to do.”
Mistakes are a privilege only afforded to those with little to lose.
That was what the Administrator was implying.
“Think about what is at stake for us.”
Losing a world was not something that could be compared to losing a mere coin.
It was the same as saying that all life and every possibility within it would vanish.
“You, too, understand that weight, which is why you subordinated your world to mine. So calm your excitement and think rationally—”
“I’m not excited.”
The Administrator’s words were cut off once again.
It was a behavior that could have been deemed disrespectful, but the Administrator neither got angry nor rebuked Edel, instead carefully observing her expression.
“This isn’t an emotional decision either.”
Just as she said, Edel’s face was calm and composed without the slightest tremor.
If anything, she seemed colder and more detached than usual.
“Why is it impossible? There’s someone who can survive even if they go beyond the wall.”
“…There’s someone like that?”
“Well, it’s not a person.”
Edel smirked slightly.
“I’ll go.”
“…What?”
Contrary to Edel’s cheerful expression, the Administrator’s face crumpled into a scowl.
***
Calm.
If I had to summarize my recent daily life, that would be the word.
Since Da-eun started learning how to handle Mana, her skills have been improving day by day.
Although it’s more like small steps rather than leaps, focused solely on handling Mana, it’s still progress.
When I think back to the days when Da-eun struggled to grasp the basics, it’s fair to call this significant improvement.
It’s not as though her pace is terribly slow either.
On the other hand, Yuki was the exact opposite of Da-eun.
No, that’s not right.
Saying she’s the opposite might make it sound like she hasn’t made any progress.
So, let’s say her direction of progress is different.
While I taught Da-eun how to handle Mana, I mainly taught Yuki how to handle a sword.
When Da-eun happily smashed a brick with her bare hands that she’d found somewhere, Yuki, feeling envious, begged me to teach her as well.
I refused Yuki’s request.
There was no need for it.
“…Why?”
For reference, Da-eun’s brick-breaking spectacle happened earlier today.
It’s a fresh incident from just a few minutes ago.
Why was she picking on an innocent brick…?
Shaking my head, I turned my gaze away from Da-eun, who was gleefully shadowboxing.
“Da-eun is inexperienced with physical movements. She needs to compensate for that in other ways.”
Of course, I didn’t completely neglect her physical training.
She’s not a sneaky magician who hides in the back; as a swordsman, she should be able to handle her body.
“But you’re different.”
Yuki, despite having a few screws loose, had an innate genius for physical movement.
Though, not as much as me.
“Ahem.”
“What are you doing in the middle of your explanation?”
Oops. I unintentionally got carried away.
I refocused on the topic as Yuki interrupted my thoughts.
“You’ve already learned how to handle Mana in Silia Online.”
I recalled how Yuki strengthened her body without relying on skills.
Even though Da-eun had trained under my guidance during our journey, she still couldn’t accomplish what Yuki managed to achieve on her own.
Perhaps she picked it up from overhearing Da-eun’s broadcasts, but let’s say Yuki mastered it independently since I didn’t directly guide her.
“…Kana, you know words can become self-fulfilling prophecies, right?”
“It’s just your imagination.”
I dismissed Da-eun’s suspicions, which she raised as she approached us at some point.
“Once Edel gives you a body similar to the one you had in Silia, you’ll naturally be able to handle it. There’s no need to teach you now.”
It’s like a door that’s tightly locked with a padlock.
Though you can’t pass through it as you did before, the room on the other side isn’t going anywhere.
Once the lock is removed, you’ll be able to come and go as usual.
After hearing my explanation, Yuki nodded slowly.
“Ah, I completely understand now.”
“…Are you sure you understand?”
For some reason, I couldn’t shake my doubt.
—
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