Konbini Ossan Volume 3 Chapter 13 — Sharing the Old Man’s Perspective
“First of all, let me make it clear that I haven’t laid out any precise plan.”
I declared that right away. It was something I wanted them to understand as a premise.
“So you’re saying you’ve got no plan?”
“No, that’s not it.”
Just as expected, Arisa gave that reaction. I denied it and added an explanation.
“I’ve thought in broad strokes, like ‘If this happens, I’ll do this.’ But I haven’t nailed down our actions in detail.
…
Put nicely, it’s adapting to circumstances. Put harshly, it’s improvising. That’s about the size of it.”
At my words, Arisa made a troubled face.
“But you’ve at least decided on a general direction, right? In the end, are you siding with this country? Or against it?”
“Who knows? I can’t say either way.”
I answered according to my current thinking. That made Arisa scratch her head furiously.
“Gahhh! I don’t get it at all! Isn’t that the same as not thinking about anything?”
“That’s not true. If you think it through properly, you’ll see that there’s no answer to the question you just asked, Arisa-san.”
“Huh? What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
Since Arisa didn’t seem to understand, I went into detail.
“My goal, as I said earlier, is twofold: securing safety, and protecting the children. To prioritize those, think about what needs to be done.”
When I said that, Arisa folded her arms and tilted her head in thought.
“Uh, for safety, you just need no enemies, right? Or go somewhere that’s not dangerous. And to protect our classmates, you’ve gotta get super strong, yeah?”
“Exactly. Both are mostly correct. To go further, if we become strong, we can guarantee safety as well.”
I said that, then elaborated on the point.
“In this world, there are three major factors that threaten safety. One is war. Another is monsters. The last is public order.
…
Of these, monsters and order can be handled with sheer strength. Which means the truly difficult issue is only war.”
At that, Arisa nodded, apparently convinced. Since there was no problem, I continued.
“There are two main ways to escape the danger of war. One is to flee somewhere unaffected by it.
…
The other is to end it. As long as one of those is met, safety can be assured.”
I laid out those two options.
“If we choose to flee, then we must think about how to flee. Where to flee to. How long we can stay safe there. If the war drags on, the flames may spread even to where we’ve escaped.
…
The means of fleeing are also a problem. Depending on the situation, we may have to cross borders, and in that case we can’t just ride a carriage leisurely down the road.”
Even saying ‘flee’ in one word, there are countless things to actually prepare for.
If we keep running, we’ll need supplies to live without hardship.
And if the Matsugaya High students come with us, what we must do multiplies without end.
“In short, unless some absolutely safe country exists in a corner of the world, the option of fleeing cannot be chosen so simply.”
The option of fleeing cannot serve as a guiding policy. Only by thinking it through do you realize it can’t be chosen.
I wondered if Arisa understood that much. From her expression, it was hard to read. I decided to continue.
“Next, suppose we take the option of ending the war. But it’s the same story here. Wars don’t necessarily end with a single victory or loss. Which makes ending it difficult.
…
Everything depends on circumstances. If this country’s or the Demon Lord’s situation changes, the key to ending the war changes too.
…
At this point, thinking ‘how to end the war’ is nothing more than speculation.”
In other words, just like fleeing, it cannot be set as a concrete goal. One can vaguely think ‘I want to end the war’, but that’s as far as it goes.
To try weaving detailed strategies now carries high risk. Depending on how the situation changes, everything may come to nothing.
“So in the end, neither option can be chosen right now. We need more information, and until the situation stabilizes, we can’t make big moves.
…
Whether to side with this country or not. Whether to stop the war ourselves or flee. None of it can be decided yet.”
“Man, isn’t that kinda like being stuck?”
Arisa frowned as she asked. I shook my head.
“It’s a difficult situation, but not checkmate. It’s just that we can’t choose yet.
…
Which also means that once more information comes in, and the situation shifts, the choices will become clear.
…
What we need to do now is increase our options, so that when the time comes, we can choose any path. That is the best solution at present.”
“Ohh, so you mean like, rise up in this country’s ranks or something?”
“No, I’m speaking more broadly. Put simply, if we become the strongest, then we can do anything. So, let’s become the strongest.”
“Pfft.”
When I half-joked like that, Yuuki laughed. I was glad my joke got through. It seemed that in that respect too, Yuuki and I shared a similar sense.
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E/N:
Arisa be like: "Everything went over my head" 😂!
It's right to not choose sides now since they don't even know the full story of this war or what is the motive of Demons! Stay tuned!
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