Chapter 132: The Great Migration
Six days have passed since then. By conserving Magical Power and only subjugating nearby Bloody Bears, I’ve accumulated a considerable amount.
It’s thanks to my Magical Power capacity increasing all at once.
If I can save this much in five days, it seems I won’t have to worry about conserving it for a while.
Feeling a deep sense of relief about that, we headed to Neo-Tokyo once again.
“Prince Rui, we’ve been expecting you!”
When I went to the reception of the National Diet Building, Defense Minister Takagi immediately came out to greet me and guided me to a reception room.
There, we discussed our mutual progress while drinking tea.
It seemed they had a rough schedule for departure, and they were apparently in a situation where everyone could gather quickly if an announcement was made.
“We’ve also gathered the items we’d like you to transport, so I’ll show you them later,” she said, bowing her head.
Perhaps she’s in work mode today; her tone is quite formal.
From my side, I also talked about the situation at the receiving end.
I explained that Duke Fastall is currently setting up partitions and explaining that it’s an area off-limits to our people.
Since it would be awkward to talk about it later, I also informed them that we are currently accepting people from a nation we are hostile towards.
To avoid any misunderstandings, I thoroughly conveyed the circumstances up to now and the reasons why the people of Neo-Tokyo would be heading there.
“Um, regarding the carrying of weapons, how far is it permitted…?”
Eh… I wonder.
But if it’s only within my village, is it within my authority to decide?
“Um, here, Hunters are allowed to carry swords, and I don’t think there’s a problem with the Self-Defense Forces possessing heavy firearms capable of dealing with ordinary people.
However, as for whether it’s okay to go to other towns with them…
Would it be alright to decide on the detailed conditions and such after arriving at the village and consulting with Duke Fastall?”
While replying that I was uneasy and wanted to consult with Gramps, when I conveyed my thoughts, she smiled and agreed, saying, “I understand.”
“It seems they said you can have freedom of movement.
However, please understand that if any problems occur after leaving my territory, it may be your own responsibility.
As long as you abide by the law, we will generally help, but there’s a possibility we might not be able to manage.”
This was something Gramps and I decided together.
We simply don’t have enough military strength to individually protect over ten thousand people.
Moreover, there’s the future to consider. If they are to live as our people, we can’t keep giving them preferential treatment indefinitely.
Gramps was reluctant at first, but he eventually concluded that it came down to two choices: either grant them a status that would satisfy those around them, or treat them the same.
We can’t make everyone a noble.
So, we settled on the plan to give them preferential treatment for the time being in my village, where problems with the outside world wouldn’t occur, and gradually have them get used to it before transitioning them to normal treatment.
“Ah, however, it seems he intends to grant peerages to the top three individuals you select, so that you can handle matters on your end.”
“I-Is that alright?”
One Count, and two Barons.
In this world, peerages generally hold sway, so he said he’d rather the higher-ranking individuals have them.
When I conveyed that, Takagi-san looked genuinely surprised.
“However, please understand that it will take time before they can enter the core of the country.
Granting strong speaking rights without any contributions would naturally lead to backlash from those around.”
“Yes, of course, I understand that. But these are exceptional terms; what about the compensation…?”
“No compensation is needed. Please think of it as, well, an upfront investment…
Your mere presence will undoubtedly enrich the country.”
When I told her that, she smiled and said, “If that’s the case, we will gratefully accept your kind offer.”
If we have them offer even a part of their technology here, and announce it as an achievement, it should be recognized among the Belfast nobility.
As the first step, we’ll be allowed to use Gravity Power Generation.
Technically, it’s technology I received in exchange for my materials, but if I can use it freely, there’s no problem, so I accepted Gramps’s proposal.
For that achievement, a Countship will be granted, and the Count will be given the authority to appoint two Barons.
Granting a Countship from the start is exceptionally unusual, but if it means being able to cover the energy used in a town without consuming anything, anyone who isn’t a complete fool should understand.
That it’s something incredible.
“So… you mentioned you don’t need preparations for food, clothing, and shelter, but are you really sure about that?”
“Yes. Even without Master Authority, if it’s just for sleeping and staying, it takes about a day, and even to gather all necessities, it will be done in about three days.”
Oooh. It’ll all be done in three days?
…That’s insane.
“However, I believe the strength is completely insufficient for you to use over there.”
Apparently, processing items imbued with Magical Power isn’t easy, and if we were to reuse materials from here, we’d have to remove the Magical Power once through an incredibly inefficient method.
Therefore, they basically reuse supplies, and this time they dismantled two sections, or so I heard.
“I think you’ll understand if you touch this,” she said, offering a metallic-looking rod.
“This is a reinforced special alloy that, no matter how much we temper it with our strength, we cannot bend.”
She said I could bend it, so when I gripped it strongly, it felt like I could crush it as is.
It felt, sensorily, about as strong as firm clay.
I tried using Reinforcement and pinching it with my fingertips, and I could easily crush it that way.
Tearing it off with my fingers and rolling it into a ball was also easy.
“Indeed, if this is a reinforced alloy, it seems it would be tough.”
“I-Is it that much? The difference far exceeds our assumptions; we are also surprised…”
“Um, Rui possesses some of the greatest strength in the world, so if you use him as a standard, you might make the wrong choice…” Yuri interjected.
Ah, right.
In terms of physical strength, I’ve gotten quite strong, haven’t I?
I’ve become able to easily cut down several of the large trees here, which are said to be protected by Magical Power.
It would likely be impossible for an ordinary Hunter, so it can’t be helped if it far exceeds their assumptions.
“Ah, that’s right. How much of a difference is there?”
“Eh!? Um, it’s an incredible difference! It’s, uh, difficult to explain…”
Perhaps affected by the capable adult woman aura that Takagi-san exuded, Yuri was more nervous than usual and at a loss for words.
Trying to help her out, I replied to Takagi-san, saying we could discuss that after arriving at the village.
Well, either way, as long as they could establish a base for them to live in, that would be fine. As I moved the conversation forward, it shifted to the topic of the packed luggage.
I was asked to see if I could carry it, so I had them show me, and I was surprised by how little there was, relatively speaking.
No, there was enough to fill a warehouse normally, but it wasn’t a particularly large warehouse.
“This much is no problem,” I said, storing it all on the spot.
Takagi-san showed her surprise at that, but she quickly composed herself, and I asked her.
“…So, what shall we do? The date and time of departure.”
“We will leave it to your convenience.
You’ve also refilled our energy, so there are no problems.
We can adjust to your schedule.”
“Hmm, for me, making multiple trips back and forth is a pain, so sooner is better, but surely today or tomorrow would be an inconvenience for you, right?”
“No, it’s no problem at all.
However, if possible, starting in the morning would be preferable, so would tomorrow morning be alright?”
I nodded, saying of course it was fine, and decided to stay over again today.
And so, the next day, when I went to the designated spot where the hole had been dug, it was overflowing with a large number of people.
In front of the hole, many large vehicles were neatly lined up.
I saw Prime Minister Aso nearby, so I headed towards him.
“Good morning, Prince Rui.”
“Ah, yes. Good morning. I just need to transport those, right?”
“Yes, could I ask you to?”
“Of course,” I replied to his request, and once I took out the stored luggage, I started putting all the vehicles in.
“Um, I can’t choose what comes out, so I’ll take everything out over there and then re-store the luggage.”
When I explained that to them, they said if that was the case, and the conversation proceeded.
After that, I was made to go up onto a simple, makeshift platform, and along with the Prime Minister’s speech, I was introduced.
When the introduction finished, the sound of loud applause echoed.
I felt relieved at that sound.
That, for the most part, I was being welcomed.
Being told to suddenly leave the place where they were born and raised should have been accompanied by considerable anxiety, but perhaps they had sensed their impending doom, as their expressions were surprisingly bright.
As expected, many showed signs of restlessness, and some had tense expressions.
Therefore, from my side, I promised that as long as they abided by the law, I would definitely protect them.
Since they could manage their own food, clothing, and shelter, their only anxieties would likely be Monsters and people.
And so began the great migration.
With me and the Prime Minister and others at the head, we advanced through the hole and reached the vertical shaft that connected to the surface.
There, I took out the stored vehicles and had them board.
Once people were on, I raised them to a certain extent, repeating this process and forming a vertical line.
And so, the boarding, along with a headcount, was finally completed.
“Alright, I’m just going to go get the luggage.”
Saying that, I created a car, sped through the tunnel with jet propulsion, stored the luggage again, and returned to the vertical shaft. The Prime Minister showed an expression that made it hard to tell if he was pleased or troubled that everything progressed at a speed beyond his expectations when I was around, but that too was only for a moment.
Immediately, he reported via radio that preparations for departure were complete.
“Then, Your Highness, please board. We will be transporting you this time.”
Following his guidance, I boarded the vehicle.
Wait, it doesn’t have tires and it flies, so is it an airplane?
As I boarded while thinking such things, my eyes were immediately drawn to the scene inside.
The interior was like the relaxation space of an upper-class home, with carpets, sofas, a platform, and so on, on par with a camper van… no, it easily surpassed that.
However, there was only a single touch panel on the wall, and nothing that looked like it could be used for piloting.
Just as I was thinking, ‘It really is autopilot, isn’t it?’, the Prime Minister and Takagi-san made a general radio call, and things started moving forward.
“We will now commence movement via centralized control from here. After rapidly ascending to a high altitude, we will switch to a normal flight, so please wait until then to enjoy the view outside.”
When the time for departure arrived, the ministers all turned their gazes to the Prime Minister at once.
The Prime Minister, receiving their ardent gazes, showed a smile with a slightly childlike expression.
“Well then, shall we go?”
As the Prime Minister’s voice resonated, they all replied in unison, and finally, a last confirmation came in the AI’s voice.
A route was drawn on the map projected in mid-air, and after the speed, estimated travel time, and so on were read out, the craft began to move.
It was a sudden launch, but they ascended at regular intervals as if everything was connected.
The speed increased rapidly, easily surpassing any speed I could achieve.
“S-So fast…” I heard Yuri’s murmuring voice.
“Hahaha, this is the one area where we excel, isn’t it?”
The voice of the Chief of Staff, who oversees the Self-Defense Forces, responded to her murmur, but the Prime Minister’s chiding voice followed with a “Now, now.”
We were in flight, but since we were sitting on sofas talking face-to-face, it felt just like being in a normal room.
There wasn’t even a sensation of flying. They must be manipulating various things like gravity.
“With all this technology you possess, what are you even saying…?
The only thing we’re superior in is probably power, right?
Since you intend to create a peaceful world, it’s our complete defeat.”
Yeah. I really want to be spared from any more wars; peace is the best.
At the very least, I want to bring peace to Belfast.
“No, no, what are you saying? If it comes to that, we’d barely be even at best.”
He, who had shown a bitter expression when we first met, now smiled with a face like a child going on a field trip.
Including the other ministers, everyone seemed to be eagerly anticipating seeing the outside.
I was continuing to chat with them like that, but suddenly, the words stopped.
“Ah—————————”
A strong morning light, distinctly different from the light within the Dungeon, illuminated the interior of the vehicle.
Each of them stood up as if guided, and slowly walked towards the light.
“Oh, ooh…”
“How beautiful.”
“Is such clear light a natural phenomenon? Wonderful.”
From behind, Takagi-san replied, “See? I told you so, didn’t I?” her composure also breaking like a student’s.
After that, while confirming the schedule for our time at the destination with the Prime Minister who remained at the platform, we headed towards the village.