The day after they had become able to communicate with Zozo, Rei and his entire party visited Daskar's manor.
Originally, Rei should have headed to the Treant Forest to escort the woodcutters and stand ready for any contingencies, but he decided that informing Daskar about the Stone Tablet took top priority.
Naturally, when they heard about the Stone Tablet, Ara and Byune each wore expressions of dissatisfaction.
After all, Rei's group had secluded themselves in a room, and before anyone realized it, Zozo was holding the Stone Tablet.
They were told that Rei's master had appeared and left it behind, but whether that explanation was satisfying enough was another matter entirely.
Still, Ara accepted it because Elena vouched for it, and Vihera managed to talk Byune into accepting it as well.
Of course, neither of them was completely convinced.
"Is that... true?"
In the Office, hearing that communication with Zozo had been achieved, a voice of astonishment slipped from Daskar's lips.
Lunora and the other Lizardmen had been studying the language all along, which was precisely why this came as such a great surprise to him.
"Yes. My master came yesterday, and when I spoke with him then, he lent me this Magic Item for communication."
So saying, Rei explained what kind of abilities the Stone Tablet possessed.
What particularly captured Daskar's interest was the fact that mutual communication with Zozo was possible—but amid all that, he voiced a question.
"I understand that if Zozo uses the Stone Tablet, our words appear as readable characters for Zozo, and Zozo's words become readable for us as well. But wouldn't that mean someone other than Zozo could also use it? Zozo and the Green People presumably share the same language and script, after all."
"I had the same question. But since none of Lunora's companions were on our side at the time."
"I see. After we finish this discussion, I'll have you guide me to where Lunora and the Lizardmen are. You can test it there in person."
"I'd appreciate that."
"...Still, the Gran Dragonia Empire, huh."
Daskar had been pleased about the Stone Tablet, but upon hearing the name of the country Zozo belonged to, he wore a troubled expression.
As if gently teasing him, Marina spoke up.
"Based on what I heard yesterday through various conversations, the Gran Dragonia Empire's scale is slightly below that of the Kingdom of Mireana."
"Thank you for the detailed information."
Daskar offered his gratitude, but his tone carried a hint of resentment beyond mere thanks.
From Daskar's perspective, it was more a case of not wanting to hear such complicated matters.
Right now, Gilm was extremely busy with the Expansion Construction.
Beyond that, things were already in motion regarding the Land Ship issue, and they had also begun examining whether the Green People could be used to cultivate spices and rare medicinal herbs.
Under such circumstances, getting involved with a country whose national power was slightly below the Kingdom of Mireana's—which is to say, roughly equal—was by no means a sound strategy no matter how one looked at it.
However, Zozo aside, knowing that Lunora and his people were beings persecuted by that very Gran Dragonia Empire left Daskar deeply conflicted.
To Daskar, who was wrestling with these concerns, Rei offered an additional piece of information.
"Also, this is something my master said, but based on the circumstances of the teleportations, there's a high likelihood they came not from another continent of this world, but from another world entirely."
"...What? Another world?"
Daskar fell silent for a moment, as if unable to comprehend what Rei was saying, then asked in an almost fearful manner.
It would have been understandable if he thought Rei was delirious.
But from what Daskar could see, Rei was perfectly serious, and nothing about his demeanor seemed off.
Moreover, Byune, who was eating dried fruit, aside, none of the others showed the slightest concern about Rei's state.
Only Ara displayed what appeared to be a hint of skepticism.
"Yes, another world. That said, it is merely my master's conjecture, so I cannot say with absolute certainty."
Even as he said this, Daskar could see that Rei was fully convinced Zozo and the others had come from another world.
(For that matter... this is truly long overdue, but when exactly did Rei's master arrive? Given what happened in winter, and now that spring has come, entering from outside without passing through the gates should no longer be possible.)
The Earth Wall that Rei had built as a countermeasure against Cobolts still existed.
Once the Expansion Construction extended far enough, the Earth Wall would be torn down, but for now, it was being repurposed as-is to prevent unauthorized entry from outside.
Of course, that was not all. Even now, Guards were keeping a strict watch at night in case of any incidents.
...In fact, several people who had tried to cross the Earth Wall and enter Gilm secretly had already been caught.
Under such circumstances, where had he come from?
Daskar pondered this for a moment, but reconsidered. If it was Rei's master, accomplishing such a thing would not be strange. No—rather, one should say it was only natural.
"Another world, huh... If Rei's master says so, it can't be dismissed as nonsense. Let me ask just to be sure—it is a fact, correct?"
Marina, to whom his gaze was directed, nodded as if it were obvious.
"That's right. I heard it too. Elena and Vihera both heard it as well. So there's no mistake on that point. However, it's only a suspicion—nothing has been confirmed. Keep that in mind."
"Right... Still, another world, huh."
Daskar repeated the words once more.
They had delivered that much of a shock to him.
Feeling sympathetic, Marina called out to him.
"Come now, calm down, Daskar. Depending on how you look at it, the fact that this concerns Zozo and Lunora's group means you don't have to worry as much."
A twitch.
At Marina's words, Daskar pulled himself slightly out of his daze.
"I see. Now that you mention it, that's true. Thinking of it that way, 'another world' isn't necessarily bad news. Though, given the possibility that they teleported from a different continent, I'll still need to report to the Royal Capital."
His displeased expression was surely because he understood that last year's Eyeball and Cobolt incidents were the work of the King's Faction.
However, as a noble of the Kingdom of Mireana, he could not fail to report something of this magnitude to his superiors—to the King of Mireana.
On top of that, given Gilm's current situation, he was in no position to abandon the city and deliver the report in person.
"Do your best with that. It's your time to show your skills as the lord of Gilm."
"...Marina, who resigned as Guild Master, has it so easy."
Daskar looked at Marina with a mixture of resentment and envy.
Marina, in turn, offered a smile that radiated genuine happiness from the bottom of her heart.
It was a face that said, without needing to put it into words: Jealous, aren't you?
Daskar had been about to say something to Marina, but over the course of his life, he had learned all too well that he could never win against her in a verbal exchange.
"For now, let's set that matter aside. Whether it's another world or not isn't something we'll find out right away. Right now, the priority is to confirm whether the Stone Tablet Zozo has actually works—and whether the Green People and Lizardmen can use it as well."
Honestly speaking, Daskar's genuine hope was that if the Stone Tablet could be used by others, he would have Lunora's group use it.
Of course, since the one who had lent the Magic Item was Rei's master, he couldn't push the matter too far.
Still, knowing whether proper communication could be established when something happened was extremely important.
As for Rei, he had heard from Grimm that fundamentally only the first person to use the Stone Tablet could operate it. But given that text was displayed in the first place, he harbored the suspicion that anyone who used the same script might be able to read it.
After all, when Zozo's words appeared on the Stone Tablet, Rei, Elena, Marina, and Vihera had all been able to read them clearly.
...That said, the Stone Tablet was originally designed for someone who could not speak, and was by no means intended for communicating with someone who used a different language.
Since it was being used in such an unexpected manner, there was no question that confirming these details was necessary.
"Understood. We'd also like to know whether the Stone Tablet works for anyone besides Zozo. Before that, though—Lord Daskar, would you like to verify for yourself whether the Stone Tablet truly works?"
"Yes."
It seemed Daskar had intended to verify the Stone Tablet's effects from the start.
He nodded readily at Rei's words.
"Very well, let me try it."
After seeing Daskar nod, Rei looked at Zozo standing behind him and addressed him.
"Zozo, Lord Daskar—the lord of Gilm, and the most important person here—is going to ask you some questions. Please answer them."
['Understood.']
The Stone Tablet translated Rei's words into text that Zozo could understand, and after Zozo read it and spoke in words Rei could not understand, the Stone Tablet displayed text that Rei and the others could read as well.
Watching this, Daskar nodded in admiration.
He had been able to see with his own eyes exactly how the Stone Tablet was being used.
"Hoh, I see. So it works like this... Then, may I ask a question?"
Rei nodded, and after a few seconds of silence, Daskar spoke.
"Are there hostile nations surrounding the Gran Dragonia Empire?"
['Yes. The Shouban Nation and the Kingdom of Leodemona. Those two aside, though not to the same extent, there are also several other nations that do not submit to the Gran Dragonia Empire and are allied with those two.']
"That is..."
Zozo's words were apparently somewhat unexpected to Daskar as well.
He directed an expression of surprise at Zozo.
Based on what he had just heard, the Gran Dragonia Empire, while a great power, was by no means the sole superpower. There were several other nations of comparable scale.
Furthermore, from what he had just heard, it seemed the enemy nations were more numerous.
"Under those circumstances, can the Gran Dragonia Empire hold its own?"
['I cannot say there are no problems whatsoever, but we can fight on roughly equal footing. There are enemy nations, but there are also many friendly and vassal states.']
In terms of having many vassal states, the Kingdom of Mireana was similar.
Even so, in the single regard of the number of enemy nations, the Gran Dragonia Empire surpassed the Kingdom of Mireana.
And yet, considering that the Gran Dragonia Empire's scale was roughly equal to that of the Kingdom of Mireana...
"Does that mean the continent where the Gran Dragonia Empire exists, or the continent of another world, is larger than this continent?"
['I do not know the exact details, but based on what I have heard from Lord Rei, that appears to be the case.']
"Nngh..."
Such a sound escaped Daskar's mouth.
The fact that it was a nation of Lizardmen probably gave him a meaningless sense of superiority—a feeling that his own side was somehow above them.
Even upon hearing that the Gran Dragonia Empire was a nation of comparable scale to the Kingdom of Mireana.
"That is... you're fighting on quite a large continent. Are all the citizens of the Gran Dragonia Empire Lizardmen?"
['No. The majority are Lizardmen, but other races exist as well. The Green People, for instance, are technically citizens of the Gran Dragonia Empire.']
"Why it would be necessary to go that far against their own citizens is, frankly, something I find baffling. The power the Green People possess—the ability to grow plants. How beneficial that is should be obvious with even a little thought."
['It is by order of His Majesty the Emperor.']
Hearing Zozo say this, Daskar was puzzled.
Why would an emperor powerful enough to rule a nation on the same scale as the Kingdom of Mireana do such a thing to the Green People?
As he had told Zozo, the Green People, who possessed the power to accelerate plant growth, were unquestionably useful—indeed, they were beings who could bring enormous profit.
If so, Daskar could not understand the reason for persecuting them.
"Since you haven't been informed of the reasons, asking would likely be pointless. At any rate, I now understand the Stone Tablet's effects. The remaining question is whether others can use this Stone Tablet as well. I suppose we have no choice but to test it in practice."
So saying, Daskar rose from the sofa where he had been sitting.