Author: Himezaki Shiu	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: Jiro	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

In the end, it seemed like the leader of the Beastmen believed that the end of the world was impossible. He was even convinced that the reason for the bad weather was the Elves. Given this was the case, it was likely that anything else I said would be dismissed.

Farana appeared to be the only one intrigued by my words, so I followed her until she was alone. She was currently in one of the rooms of the huge building, probably her private quarters. Unlike the room assigned to me, hers was well-furnished, a clear indication that she truly came from a distinguished background. Still, the decor of the room was simple, if not plain, especially when compared to the room of Fraus’ princess.

Farana was sitting at her desk, sighing over something, so I quickly asked her.

“What’s wrong?”
“Both we and the Elves live in the same kingdom, so why do we have to be at such odds?”
“That’s because the Beastmen’s perception is wrong.”
“I think so, too. But neither my father nor my brother will listen to me.”
“That’s just the way they are; there’s no helping it. Though they do seem like they have a sensible side.”

After we had talked this far, Farana finally noticed something unusual was inside her room. She jumped up as the realization struck her. The scene felt like something out of a story, but I knew from experience that when you’re truly troubled, it can be hard to pay attention to your surroundings. Before, I would also feel like doing nothing at all the entire day when I was depressed.

At times like those, I felt that if someone entered my room without permission and started talking to me, I would simply respond in the moment without much thought.

When Farana finally turned to me, her eyes widened in surprise, and she mumbled, “You’re the one from before… Why did you come? More importantly, do you know where you are right now?”
“Well, of course. This is your room, is it not, Lady Farana? As for why I came. I’m here to talk. Please don’t call anyone. If you do, I’ll simply take care of what I came here to do and then disappear.”
“Okay.”

She didn’t look entirely convinced, but she seemed willing to listen.

“Lady Farana, you are against fighting the Elves, correct?”
“Yes. My father and brother insist that the Elves have started monopolizing the spirit’s blessing, but I don’t think that’s true. It just doesn’t make sense to do so, given that everything has been normal until now.”
“Whether or not that logic holds, the Elves certainly don’t have a monopoly on the blessing. The blessing has been distributed equally throughout Viridis. In other kingdoms, the blessing is centralized in the heart of the nation; as such, it grows weaker the closer you get to the kingdom’s border. Compared to that, I think the system here is very fair.”

Farana listened intently to my words, her expression one of deep thought.

“The reason the blessing has weakened is because the spirit itself is debilitated.
The problem isn’t entirely the Elves’ fault; it stems from the fact that the spirit was locked away. It is also true that this is tied to the end of the world. However, it has reached a point where nothing can be done even if the spirits are released.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”

Farana asked me with a worried expression in her eyes. I understood her hesitation and didn’t mind. Instead, I gave her a direct answer.

“Because I want to know how you’ll act after knowing this, Lady Farana. Your father and brother wouldn’t have reconsidered their plans to overthrow the Elves, nor would they have released the spirit afterward even after hearing this.”
“Would you tell me what you expect from me and also what you plan to do?”
“Fine, but you are not to tell anyone about what I’m trying to do, who I am, or what I’ve told you.”
“Okay.”
“Do you promise?”
“I do.”

With her promise secured, I decided to continue. I didn’t need to set up a contract, but I decided to do so just in case.

“How should I start then? Let’s start with the case they accept my story. If the leader promises to accept my story and release the spirit after overthrowing the Elves, I will side with the Beastmen.”
“Is there a possibility of you siding with the Elves?”
“How should I put this… I have a promise with the king of the elves that states that if I bring him the head of the leader of the Beastmen, he will allow me to meet the spirit.”
“Father’s head…”

She looked shocked, but at the end of the day, we were in the middle of a conflict. And my promise aside, one of the major goals was to take down the leader. The Elves viewed him as the head of a criminal organization. It was only natural that they would want him dead. I rather found it odd that she’d put on a face that suggested she hadn’t considered something like this.

“That’s the way it is. That is why I cannot say that I will not side with the Elves. But no matter what happens, I will release the spirit. And that would then make me an enemy of the Elves. If I release the spirit, the Tree of Spirits may collapse, and if that happens, the Elves will suffer a significant blow. The Beastmen, on the other hand, will lose their leader, and the Elves will likely lose many of their people—and perhaps even their royalty, if things go poorly.”
“You said that releasing the spirits now wouldn’t change the world’s outcome, so why do it?”

Farana asked, almost seeming as if she were trying to grasp onto something. A path where everything would go smoothly. A way for the Elves and Beastmen to live as they’d done before. The hopeful look in her eyes told me she believed I could make that a reality.

“I was tasked with retrieving the spirits that were originally meant to regulate the world. The people of this world have made a mistake. The spirits aren’t meant to be captured or exploited for their benefit. Yes, by taking the spirits’ power and using it, the kingdoms became richer. But that was only for a time. While the power of the spirits is immense, it is not infinite. If you continue to draw from it, eventually, it will run out. And that is where we find ourselves right now. There are also other reasons for the world’s collapse, but it mostly boils down to its people reaping what they’ve sown. I do not feel sorry for you.”
“You said you were tasked to do this. Who asked you?”
“God. I am a Demigod that has been sent to this world. If I were to make it sound cool, you could say I’m a divine messenger.”

Though if one were to paraphrase that, I’d simply be god’s gofer¹.

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