Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Decision Time ②

Author’s comments: Sophia’s point of view continued

『Use prayer to intervene in the battle of the gods.』

That was the only line spoken. After waiting a while there were no further words.

「……I wonder what that means?」

「Ah!」

The moment I asked my question, Kyouya-kun raised his voice as if he had noticed something.

「What?」

「A new item has been added to the Taboo menu.」

Kyouya-kun said that and I quickly focused on the Taboo menu. I’ve been deliberately averting my eyes from it as it makes me feel sick, but certainly an item that I believe wasn’t there earlier has been added.

『Taboo Menu

System overview

Details on all items in the System

Update logs

Points summary

Reincarnation history

Special item n%I=W

World Quest』

In the last field, are the words World Quest. I believe this wasn’t there just recently, and even if it had been there it’s inconceivable that it’s unrelated to the current situation. I try turning my focus onto that World Quest item.

「……Hrm. I see.」

This, how should I say, has really done a number on us, or what……

「Argh. So that’s how it’s going to be huh……」

Ariel-san is also clutching her head.

When I tried turning my focus onto that World Quest item, the rules of this World Quest naturally flowed into my head. To summarise them,

「In short, those getting involved in this war won’t just be a small group like us anymore, but everyone on this world」

…basically.

As for what exactly that means, literally as that announcement said, it is now possible to intervene in the battle between goshujin-sama and this god called Gyurie by using prayer.

「To think that things would end up this way…… Of course we believed that Shiro-chan would win, but now there’s no way to be sure.」

To pray to god, is basically faith. Then, as commonly seen in stories, the strength of that faith corresponds to how strong the god in question becomes. In other words, the more you pray, the more the god you pray to will be strengthened. In this situation though, it’s not like the strengthening will be particularly significant. Instead, the strengthening of a single person’s prayer will be negligible.

However, that is only correct when considering an individual.

Consider what would happen if every living member of humanity on this world offered up a prayer. Even if the strengthening of each individual’s prayer is negligible, they will accumulate. The power will become large. I don’t really have any particular idea what the population of this world is like, but on Earth you’d measure the number in billions. Of course the numbers would be much smaller here, but if you could combine the power of an entire world’s population together, it is an incredible amount.

「You could say that this allows the people of this world to decide which side they choose as active members, rather than it being up to someone else. This sure is something else.」

She tossed that out, half bitterly, half impressed. As Ariel-san says, for those who haven’t already taken sides, this certainly is an incredibly fair rule. Before this rule was put in place, the only ones who had the right to decide was Ariel-san before she lost her strength, me, Kyouya-kun, and humans with similar strength. At any rate, if any people who couldn’t fight appeared in front of us, we’d just simply trample them underfoot and that would be the end of it. However, with this rule, even people without the ability to fight can decide for themselves. Even if it’s weak, they can still add that power to the one they chose.

Also, there is practically no reason not to make a choice. The reason being, praying is the way to erase Taboo. Offer up a prayer, and some of the experience points that represent the Taboo skill will be consumed it seems. Then, when those points become zero, the Taboo skill will be clearly removed.

Even I who have Heresy Nullity consider Taboo to be irritating. I bet it would be unbearable to ordinary people, so they should be wanting to erase it. That way, it can be made clear which god is supported. That makes it obvious to choose one of them, doesn’t it. To not choose, means that you must be prepared to live with Taboo forever more. Having principles strong enough that you would stay neutral despite that, would be far from common after all. If you are prepared for that, then it’s a magnificent choice in it’s own right.

「It really is done well.」

「This is not the time to be impressed you know. We gotta work out some kind of countermeasure.」

Kyouya-kun says that as if exasperated, but isn’t there already something we can do in this case?

「Countermeasures huh. Wipe out the electorate completely or something?」

As soon as I said that, the other reincarnators looked my way in shock.

「Why is such a dangerous conclusion the first thing you come up with……」

「It was a joke. A joke.」

Though I said that, Kyouya-kun looks at me with his eyes filled with doubt. Not even I would do something so senseless you know. How rude.

「However, unless you do something on that kind of scale, I think it would likely end up being rather meaningless you know?」

Yes. Now that it’s come to this, there’s only a few things we can do. After all, our opponent is literally the entirety of humanity. Our opponent is just too damn big. No, in this case I guess it would be better to describe it by saying there’s too many of them. Faced by the majority, what us the minority can do, is very limited. Before this happened, I had thought that so long as we had the power we would be able to force things through one way or the other. The situation is now completely reversed. Thanks to god’s fairness.

Perhaps he understands that, as Kyouya-kun also has a bitter expression on his face. Ariel-san has her eyes calmly closed and is in deep thought about something.

「That being said, god is fair. Our role has also been properly prepared for us after all. In short, there’s no change in what we need to do.」

As part of the World Quest item added to Taboo, what’s recorded are some broad rules, the merits and demerits of victory for each faction, and also, the victory conditions for each faction.

「The Elro Great Labyrinth’s innermost place. Protect that until the System collapse occurs. That’s what we need to do.」

It’s too late to try to manipulate public opinion. Unlike our previous world, neither TV nor the Internet are established. We can only leave it up to each person to decide which way to go. In that case, we simply have to do what we can do. Besides.

「Whatever happens goshujin-sama will win. Let’s believe in that.」

Although prayers can be used to give power, the one who is actually fighting is goshujin-sama. No matter how the enemy is strengthened by the power of prayer, goshujin-sama will still win.

「……Indeed. That’s exactly right.」

Ariel-san opens her eyes. Those eyes… are filled with determination.

「There’s no change in what we need to do. Let’s believe that Shiro-chan will win, and protect the last bastion until the end.」

In response to Ariel-san’s words, I nod together with Kyouya-kun.

「Unfortunately the other side has the advantage in manipulating public opinion and similar. But, why don’t we mess with them just a little bit eh.」

Saying that, Ariel-san smiles like a little prankster.