That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (WN) - Chapter 289：Visit to the Unknown

Now that the fight was over, Veldora returned to cooking pancakes as if nothing had happened.

Michele seemed a little taken aback at suddenly being abandoned, but she now walked towards Veldora.

She saw that the children looked afraid, and then she opened her mouth as if remembering something.

“Sorry about what just happened. We were being spied on, so I had to call it trash. But I was really surprised that you were eating something that looked delicious.”

She apologized.

It was the truth.

According to the regular reports from the informers, the food that the resistance were eating was supposed to be tragic.

She had thought it would be the case here, and yet they were eating pancakes.

So it was no wonder that she was shocked.

“Kahahaha! Is that not right? Do you want some too?”

-Well, eating the same thing would be a good shortcut to clearing things up, wouldn’t it? Michelle felt that Veldora had that in mind when offering some to her.

“Thank you. I shall accept.”

She received the plate with a little hesitation.

And then she began to eat. A fork and knife had been brought out seemingly from nowhere, and she used them to cut out a piece and bring it to her mouth.

The way she ate was like an example of sophistication.

You wouldn’t imagine someone like her eating something as commonplace as pancakes, and yet she somehow looked good doing it.

“—It’s delicious.”

She muttered.

While it was not all that in terms of presentation, the taste felt so nostalgic to her.

It was not like the refined food she ate in the city. It felt very homemade.

And through eating the pancakes, the sense of caution the children felt towards Michelle began to fade away.

She was human just like them.

Michelle noticed this change and smiled.

That sealed the deal for them.

The smile of a beautiful woman is most potent indeed. Even those who had been sure they were going to be killed a moment ago were softened by that smile.

Everyone was now relieved, as they wholly believed that the battle was now over.

But then again, there were now some who began to feel anxious in a different way. What was Michelle’s purpose?

“Uh, um…General…Michelle? From what you just said, you have not really come to purge us afterall…?”

It was Karman who asked the first question.

He had been called a traitor, after all. He anxiously scratched his head.

Then Michelle looked at him with a puzzled expression.

She chewed, her mouth full of pancake; savoring the taste before swallowing it.

It was a childish gesture that did not match such icy beauty.

She smiled with satisfaction and then glanced at Karman.

“Purge…?”

And then she thought about it—

“Oh, that! Hiragi was making such a fuss about it. You know how he can be like. I don’t think you are a traitor just because you let the resistance escape. After all, what would that make me? I’ve been sending them resources all this time.”

—She dropped this bomb as if it were an afterthought.

“What!?”

“Sending resources!?”

“Wait-wait-wait! General Michelle!? What do you mean…?”

Michelle looked at them without concern.

“It’s just as I said. In the first place, if I really meant to have you purged, I wouldn’t have come here myself. Quite the opposite, really. I came here so you wouldn’t be killed.”

She said all of this in a light manner as if it were below her pancake in terms of importance.

Those of the resistance were very shocked by this.

“What!? But she is the leader of the empire…”

“So… Who have we been fighting all this time?”

“I can’t believe it. Is she trying to trick us?”

Etcetera.

No one could believe Michelle. And they did not know how to react.

And so Sharma stepped forward as if to represent all of the adults.

“I am Sharma, leader of this department. General Michelle, I have a question, if you do not mind?”

“I don’t. Ask me anything you want.”

Michelle replied casually.

She had no intention of hiding anything at this point.

Of course, being believed was a different matter…

“Well then. The first question… Is it true that you have been sending us resources up until now?”

“That is true. I have always felt that we should help each other, as we are the same species. However, the reality is that this is quite difficult. A city was destroyed through a revolt. It will be quite a feat to change the minds of those who live in the city now.”

“Please wait. Then why do you send us supplies? As protector of the city, are we not your enemies!?”

“It cannot be helped that you would think like that. However, I think it is horribly twisted that we must see each other as enemies when our number as a species has fallen so low. Still, we cannot take in every refugee either. What I can offer now is a place to live and hide. Also a small supply of food.”

“In other words… You could not take us in, but you wouldn’t abandon us either? Why could you not tell us that…? Then maybe…”

All of this fighting would not have happened—Sharma was about to say this, but she was interrupted.

“It’s nothing but hypocrisy!!”

Rindo shouted.

He was glaring at Michelle with eyes that burned with hatred.

And then he continued his attack.

“You want us to suffer while you live in comfort. And yet you have no shame at all!!”

Michelle glanced at Rindo without changing her expression in the least.

This was because she was talking to Sharma, the representative, not Rindo.

“Rindo. Be quiet.”

“But—!?”

“That’s an order. Michelle is talking to me. I am speaking for us all!”

Sharma was intimidating enough that Rindo became silent.

Though Sharma did feel that Rindo’s outburst had allowed her to realize that Michelle had yet to address the real issue here.

“…I see. In other words, the people of the city do not trust us…”

“Yes. You people were unable to trust us as well. You would have suspected a trap and we would not have been able to cooperate. After all…”

It was impossible for every survivor of the great war to enter the cities.

And so there was a need to select.

Fairness was lost. As was justice.

Those who already lived in the city and the refugees. They were all human life. And it was because of this, that individual talent became the deciding factor.

But who could decide?

—How could humans who are not God decide the worth of a human?—

And so the standard for selection became very simple.

Those who already lived in the city and those who didn’t.

Such an explanation would not be satisfactory.

Of course, it wouldn’t.

And so the Emperor of the Mechanized Empire of Almsbine initiated it without explanation and by using force.

Michelle explained this to them, but it was meaningless.

She never believed that they would understand.

Which was no surprise, as she herself did not understand.

“-That was the decision at the time. No one could go against it. I know you will not understand and I realize you must be angry. However, it is the truth.”

“Understand!? How dare—”

Rindo stopped here and broke into a fit of tears.

The others all listened to Michelle in a state of shock.

It was hardly a surprise.

The difficult lives they had lived, the deaths of friends, all manner of hardships—The was no clear reason why it had to be them who had been burdened with it all…

“And so why…are you helping us? Do you want to prolong our suffering!?”

“No, that’s wrong. The man over there was close. I don’t care if you call us hypocrites. However, I truly want to do good.”

“Bu-but…”

“One day, the cities will no longer be able to function. When that time comes, the people who have been living comfortably will find it very difficult to survive. So, from the perspective of danger management, wouldn’t it be important to consider all kinds of possibilities?”

“In other words, as long as we survive, the cities can fall?”

“Yes.”

“That is—that is an incredibly arrogant way to think!!”

Sharma shouted, but Michelle didn’t budge.

Belief in what you were doing was right. It was something she had decided on the moment she joined the military.

It was justice in her eyes.

“Well then, let me ask you this. What do you think would have been the right thing to do back then?”

“Th-that…”

Sharma hesitated.

She had not been born back then, and yet not a day went by where she didn’t think about it.

She hated this world and wanted to know the reason that the empire had made things this way. It was because of those crimes that they felt they were on the side of justice.

But was it really right to say that the empire was evil-Sharma had always had this doubt in her mind.

“You cannot answer? Well, let me tell you then. If they had made the wrong decision back then, humanity would have gone extinct long ago.”

Michelle declared without hesitation.

“You are saying that you helped us because we could possibly be a way for humanity to survive? Do you think we would believe that? The words of someone who stands at the top of the empire?…”

There was pain in Sharma’s voice.

She was now finding it difficult to believe that Michelle was lying, however, it was too much to take in all at once.

“Hmmm. We will not be able to start negotiating if you do not believe me…”

Michelle said in a troubled voice—

“Surely it is fine now, General Michelle? Miss Sharma, Rindo. I am working for the empire. I am sorry for hiding this from you. But it was necessary…”

Zaza had been watching quietly up until now, but he suddenly opened his mouth.

◆◆◆

There was an uproar after that, but Sharma silenced them with a shout.

Still, it became necessary to move to someplace quieter.

They were currently in a corner of a warehouse that was used for meetings.

“Why was I called here as well?”

“It’s probably because everyone knows you are amazing now, master?”

“Oh? Tell me more!”

“Uh, like I said…”

“Hoho! I see!”

Such words were exchanged in the room, but no one else chimed in.

Michelle was the only one who looked at Veldora with interest. But she still gave little more than a curious glance.

“And I’m calling you a fool. From what I heard she doesn’t even have a reason to try and kill us all. And so it is normal to think there is some other purpose. Zaza, you should have realized that!”

“Uh, that is true, but… Well, ultimately, it was quite a show. Wasn’t it?”

Zaza chuckled awkwardly.

◆◆◆

Now, on to the main subject.

Everyone was shocked by the revelation that Zaza was a spy, but one cough from Michelle had them all tense again.

“I am sure you have a lot you would like to say about me and the city. But I ask that you set them aside for now. The reason that I came here directly is because I have sensed a disturbing presence within the city. I can no longer trust those on the upper level. It has become difficult to determine who is on my side. And so I want collaborators on the outside. Though, it is very sad and ironic that you are all more trustworthy than the people of the city…”

“Wait a minute. A disturbing presence? What do you mean?”

“Exactly. You sound as if you are saying you have enemies within the city. But no one in the resistance has ever succeeded in entering it. What is this enemy you are afraid of…?”

Rindo and Sharma were quick to question her on this point.

Michelle seemed to think about it for a moment before opening her mouth.

“Yes, since I am asking for your help, it is only right that I tell you. However, this must be kept a secret—”

And so she began to tell them.

Even Zaza had not known about it. This ‘shadow’ that Michelle was facing.

In the first place, what was the cause of the great war?

The biggest reason was the forecast about starvation. That and the explosively rising population.

Still, even if that forecast hadn’t been made, you could say that the collapse was only a matter of time.

“Don’t you think it is strange? If those who entered the city didn’t have to work, that would mean less work every time a city was made. It was said that people would be selected through a lottery, but that was not the case. Those who were brilliant or had good genes were selected first. That was how the five cities gained their population…”

They nodded as Michelle explained.

As long as the labor force was so connected to the completion of a city, it would be difficult to continue buildings cities once a certain number had been completed.

Whatever the deciding factor was, it was really just a trigger.

No, if anything…

“…Once you have finished acquiring a certain number of brilliant personnel, they cut off and abandoned the rest. That’s what I started to think.”

Michelle paused here.

She looked around to see the reaction of the others.

Sharma was closing her eyes and seemed to be deep in thought.

Rindo looked shocked.

Zaza remained quiet, perhaps he had already sensed it.

Karman was smoking his cigar, processing the information in his own way.

“That… Is there proof…?”

Sharma asked.

Michelle nodded.

“No proof. It is all my own speculation. However-”

-However.

The seventh city did not have enough troops to defend themselves.

On top of that, the defense systems were incomplete and would not activate. That was why the city became the first casualty in the war.

They had taken in refugees from the sixth city, which resulted in their ruin.

After that, the other five cities united. They now had a reason to refuse any refugees entry.

And that was how the Mechanized Empire of Almsbine was born.

The population that had been on the rise suddenly began to plummet. All the technology of the world was now focused in the empire.

If only the radiation that polluted the world could be removed…no, even that…

-What if all of it had been planned?

Every incident may look unrelated when viewed by themselves, but if looked at from a bird’s eye view, you might see a different picture.

It all seemed to move too conveniently for the empire.

“Then!! Are you saying that it was all planned by the emperor!?”

Sharma shouted in horror.

However, Michelle remained calm.

“I have no proof. Even circumstantial evidence is weak. Still, it is also true that the dots connect when considered in this way. And that is why I have been investigating in secret.”

She continued calmly.

And then…

“And so, I want people that I can trust. Please, will you help me?”

She said.

……

…

…

They all sat in silence.

They were unsure about how they should react.

They didn’t know if they should say yes or no.

It was in this oppressive atmosphere that Veldora’s laugh suddenly echoed.

“Kaaahahahahaha! Help you? Very well! We were just talking about crushing this empire or whatever you call it. So it is perfect. Of course, you will also help, won’t you?”

He said as he put a hand on Zaza’s shoulder.

“Hey, what!? You know, you really should…”

Zaza was confused, but he soon made up his mind.

“Well, I had already offered my life to General Michelle. And so I will believe that this is for the good of the rest of humanity!”

He said. Then he smiled at the laughing Veldora.

Next, it was Karman and his men.

“Huh. In that case, I will also help you. If the great war really had been planned from the beginning, it would make everything I have done up until now a joke. I cannot stand the thought. Can the rest of you?”

“No!”

“No!”

“No!”

Their resolve was firm and they were united. And so Karman and his men agreed to help.

“In any case, our future is tied with cooperating with the empire. I cannot make any promises regarding what the other branches will say, but this branch, or at least me personally, I will believe you.”

“…Indeed. Even if Zaza was connected to you, I do not see it as a betrayal. My decision is the same as yours after hearing your story. I will believe you, Michelle.”

All her doubts and fears were pushed aside momentarily. Sharma decided to put her faith in Michelle.

And Rindo seemed to have decided as well.

“So we’ve decided then! Well, I just have to follow master!”

After all, he’s the one that will take all the blame if we get in trouble! Ramiris thought.

There wasn’t any point in even hearing Beretta’s opinion, as he followed Ramiris.

And so they all promised to cooperate with Michelle.

The result of this was that Karman and his men would now work under Zaza.

Zaza had been a first lieutenant, which made him a superior to Karman in the chain of command.

As for Sharma and the others, they would leave this place and head to a new hiding place that Michelle had prepared.

While Michelle’s power was currently shutting them off from the surface, she would ultimately burn it all down and make a report about how she had killed all of the members of the resistance.

And under Michelle’s guidance, they decided on their future direction.

The only thing left was the role of Veldora and the others.

“It’s finally our turn. So, Michelle or whatever your name is. What do you want us to do? Should we go now and attack?”

“What! What the hell are you!? As if you would have a chance if you went and attacked now!!”

“Yes, Zaza is right. Even if General Michelle is your ally, the empire still has three others of the Machinery Four. And there are other officers as well. You don’t have a chance of winning!!”

“That’s right, Mister Veldora. I am an amateur when it comes to fighting, but it would be foolish to try and fight now. You must allow the investigation to continue so the enemy can be singled out!”

Veldora had volunteered enthusiastically, but Zaza, Karman and Rindo berated him.

As for Michelle, she wondered why Veldora seemed to love to fight so much. Or at least, her expression seemed to say so.

“Master. I don’t think this is the best timing to go all out like that…”

Even Ramiris moved frantically to stop him.

She felt that it would be very dangerous.

And Beretta…

He was good.

“The star of the show should appear at the very end, don’t you agree? It would be unwise to sell yourself so cheaply. That is what I think…”

“Hmm!?”

He was used to this, and so he knew what to say to get Veldora’s attention.

He did not need to rely on skills. One word could be enough to manipulate Veldora.

“At the very end, when you know the enemy well and that woman called Michelle is struggling in the battle. That is when you can swoop down and help them. That would be quite easy for you, wouldn’t it, Lord Veldora…?”

“I see. You have a good point, Beretta! So I can make an appearance at the end and take the spotlight, eh? That’s basic stuff!”

It was really all he thought about and usually failed at, but Veldora didn’t remember any of that now.

He decided to take Beretta’s advice and obey Michelle.

“Then, Veldora. I want you to escort these people as they relocate to their new home. There are many dangers on the surface, so they will need all the help they can get. And I am sure that you are capable of dealing with any situation.”

Michelle was the only one who had guessed at what Veldora was truly capable of.

And quite accurately as well. She believed that he was stronger than herself.

And that was why she gave him the most important task as a sign of respect.

They would fight once she had evidence. In other words, there was more than enough time to take the non-combatants to safety.

And so Veldora listened to Michelle’s request and agreed to go with Sharma on an escort mission.

Once that was settled, Sharma turned to Michelle.

“So, if we are to believe your words, it is possible that the Emperor was behind all of it…?”

“As for that, the investigation is still underway. However, as I said before, we do not have any proof yet. I don’t even want them to know that I have suspicions, which requires that we move cautiously. So I cannot give you an answer quickly…”

“I see… However, General Michelle. Is the emperor not your own father? What will you do if he really was responsible…?”

“What does it matter if he is my father? I will defeat evil. I cannot imagine hesitating in doing it.”

Michelle made this declaration with such a strong show of will, as if to cut through whatever fears and doubts Sharma and Zaza had.

She had carried this suspicion for decades. And she had decided that she would defeat the person behind it once she found out, no matter who it was.

However, Michelle was not sure if her father the emperor really was the man behind it all.

And she would not act until she was certain.

She would decide once she had evidence that she could really trust.

And in preparation for that moment, she wanted to unite the resistance.

—Lastly, she asked that they gather together volunteers for combat personnel. And then Michelle ended the meeting.