Mobile Fortress Cozette Chapter 31 (Patreon)

Chapter 31 I'm going to get some rest

"Have you calmed down yet?"

In the white room, I am resting my head on Chiyo-sama's lap.

It's called a lap pillow.

It's very calming.

I press my face against Chiyo-sama's stomach.

"Please stay like this for a while longer."

"Yes, okay~"

Chiyo-sama is combing my hair, looking somewhat happy.

Her hands are very gentle.

"Let's give some cookies to Slime, too. Today's chocolate chip is very different. Let's see if you can guess~"

"Pyopoypoyo."

"Oh~ You're so smart."

How can she tell?

To me, it was just a wave of emotion that I felt.

"Hmm~"

I pressed my head further against her belly.

"Today's Cozette-chan is a spoiled girl, isn't she?"

"Don't you like it?"

"Not at all? I don't mind if you let me spoil you more! You've been working especially hard today!"

You worked hard... I wonder if she could have done it.

"...Is that really so? Wasn't I a tyrant who solved everything by force?"

To tell the truth, I was more interested in what Chiyo-sama thought about it than the instructor's reaction.

It must have been a bad act.

"Hmmm... There's that whole town thing, isn't there? You were thinking about it and did that, right?"

"Yes."

I thought it was a good idea to do so at that time. Physically hurting her and putting shackles on her.

I thought it would be a good measure of restraint.

But how can you tell that I didn't think it was "fun"? Couldn't there have been another way?

"I guess it's okay then."

But Chiyo-sama said in her unchanging, matter-of-fact way.

"--is it good?"

"Yes. I think it's good."

"But I might turn out to be a bad girl, you know?"

I thought my heart was a little fragile. Chiyo-sama always acts as if she knows everything, as if everything is trivial. At least, that's how it seems to me.

But at the same time, there are times when she seems very irresponsible.

"Kids who think that way don't turn out to be bad kids. The only time I get angry is when their actions are thoughtless."

"..."

"It's very hard to change people, you know. If you were to ask me if someone who has been doing bad things would become a real human being if they got a little hurt, I don't think so. Even if you turn them in to the police - in this case, the guards? Even if you turn them in to the guards, I'm sure they'll show up again immediately. Cozette-chan's actions restrained them, but at the same time you planned to take care of them afterwards, didn't you?"

"Yes, I would."

Rather than taking care of them, it was more of a matter of convenience as someone who knew the details of the city. There would be work to assign, I thought.

"I guess it's fine then. You just have to make those people happy as a result."

"Make them happy..."

Oh no, not like that, like a pet cat or a dog.

"Pretty simple, right? Just give them some work, give them some money, and let them go when they've done enough?"

"Is that what you want to do?"

"Well. I don't know."

"Huh."

Is that really the right thing to do?

I've killed many demons, too.

"And you killed many demons."

"Yes."

"At first I thought it was natural."

In Izfield territory, it is natural to do so.  And if I hadn't done it, the cave would have been dealt with by my instructor or my family's knights.

The result would be the same. The outcome would have been unchanged.

"But in the cave..."

"Yes."

"There were babies."

Yes, there was. There were babies. One that didn't seem to understand its surroundings yet.

"Yes."

"I have made my decision. To kill them all equally."

"Was it hard?"

"No. I decided that it was only natural. The children were alive, drinking their mother's milk. In other words, they were enemies of ours."

What kind of meat did they eat to make that milk?

I already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"But at the same time, there was a part of me that wondered if that was really the right thing to do. It's hard to explain, but my thoughts and feelings were divided."

The mother might have been wrong. But the child?

Maybe the goblins had no choice but to do it. Didn't they have a reason to do it?

There was definitely something about that that made me want to think about it.

"I suppose it could be something like that."

"What do you think, Chiyo-sama?"

It was a demon. But at the same time, it was also a baby. Was it really right to take its life?

"Hmmm. That's another difficult story. However, Cozette-chan was born as the daughter of a nobleman, right?"

"Yes."

"If that's the case, then I think it's important to look at things broadly."

"I understand."

"I wonder what would happen if I left this behind. If we leave it with the feeling of pity, it might kill people."

"Yes. I understand..."

Yes, I understand. That's why I did what I did.

I had no choice but to do so.

"That's why it seemed so painful."

"I guess so. You're only five years old, after all."

"Will you forgive me if I'm five?"

"I forgive you. And maybe your instructor, father, mother, and brother will all forgive you too."

The way Chiyo-sama stroked me was very gentle.

"But..."

"But?"

"I don't know if Cozette-chan herself can forgive herself."

I gasp when she says that.

That's right. After all, it is up to me.

I'm sure I can't forgive myself for worrying about myself because I'm five years old.

That's probably why I'm so confused.

"...Yes, that's right."

"Cozette is a serious and great girl, you know. I'm sure your reasoning is that of an adult. But your heart is still soft, isn't it?"

"I wonder if that's true."

Being called an adult makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

"Yes, that's right. The reasoning and thoughts you have been more like an adult. So, even if your emotions hold you back, you can push them down and do the calculations. Maybe that's why your mind decided to scream."

Was my heart screaming? Was I crying?

"And this is Cozette-chan's problem. I don't have any answers for you. And I can only watch and help you."

Chiyo-sama gently caresses me.

Yes, she is right.

Chiyo-sama can only watch.

Isn't it natural to be irresponsible? She can only be irresponsible. Chiyo-sama has no way to take responsibility.

That's why I can't even answer this question.

And yet, I am doing something that could affect Chiyo-sama.

I have been struggling with myself for so long.

I'm really ashamed of myself.

"But I know what to do, Cozette-chan."

"...What should I do?"

And so, this is how weak I am, and how easily I rely on you.

Chiyo-sama is still smiling at me.

It's so warm.

The reasoning that Chiyo-sama was talking about is easily defeated by my emotions.

"You have to talk like now. It's hard, but just think about what you can do."

"Is it okay to talk?"

"Of course it is!!!"

"...To whom?"

Everyone.

"Everyone..."

"Your father, your mother, your brother, your instructor, Anton-san, the gardeners, the maids, the refugees at the processing plant, the ruffians who hurt you today, the girl you saved..."

Lady Chiyo counts, folding her fingers as she remembers.

The slime shudders.

"And the slime."

"Pegyiii"

I'm sorry, Slime, but I already know your answer.

"It's delicious, give me more."

That's not an answer.

"He's full of it, isn't he?"

"Does that give you an answer?"

"I don't know. Maybe not. But I can ask them what kind of answers they all have."

Yes. It was simple if you ask me.

You don't have to be an adventurer to ask how you feel about goblins being defeated or not.

It was a simple story.

"I see. So, I should just rely on you the same way I always have."

" That's right. I've never killed a large creature before, so I don't know. I probably wouldn't be able to kill a goblin either. Maybe slimes would work."

Chiyo-sama chuckled.

It seemed to be a sincere laugh.

I once again felt Chiyo-sama's elusiveness.

"Puggyiiii!

The slime stretches out, trembling as if angry. On its head is a chocolate cookie.

"Oh? You want some?"

"Peggyiii!"

Instantly, it was crushed.

By something invisible.

"Hmph, you can't even manipulate concepts, and you're going against me... Well, you're about three days too early."

So, what are you doing in my mind? And what's three days?

"What's that concept?"

"That's a tough question! I pulled the process out of the result of being crushed and hit the slime! In this space, the result and the process are equivalent! Or perhaps it's gag comic space-time! --Do you understand?"

No, I don't understand at all.

"Well, let's leave it at that."

It doesn't seem like it should be left aside.

"I can't do anything about it, but I can listen to you complain when you're tired. So talk a lot, Cozette-chan."

"...Yes."

That day, I ended up being taken into a sleeping bag-like bedding on the floor - a futon - and felt the warmth of Chiyo-sama's chest as we chatted a lot, although it may not be polite to do so, until I woke up in reality.

She told me that her daily training was not so easy.

We talked about how the daily training was hard, and there were too many things to learn.

It's time for slimes to learn to throw.

I wonder what's going on with my magic.

I've been a little afraid to look at the reports lately because Brother Henning is so good.

I want to give that instructor a shot in the stomach soon.

We chatted a lot, a lot.