BXBX NOVEL Chapter 318 - Dirty
Chapter 318 - Dirty
<Sogou Ayaka POV>
The forces to defeat the Demon Emperor were sent back to Alion.
I haven’t heard the reason why we were turned back.
It seemed like it wasn’t explained to the others either.
The only thing the Goddess told us was ……
“The situation has changed.”
Everyone was puzzled.
We were excited that the decisive battle was finally near, so we couldn’t help becoming puzzled.
Of course, we asked the Goddess for more details.
However, what the Goddess’ response was……
“There are still many matters yet to be determined, and I will tell everyone the details when we confirm it. I promise everyone that.”
As expected, it didn’t seem like she intended to give any details.
Thus, without us knowing why, me and the others returned to Alion’s royal castle.
We were made to wait on standby for several days.
During this time, a certain rumor was spreading in the castle.
“It seems that the Great demon Emperor is already dead.”
Of course, I tried to confirm with the others about the truth.
However, gathering reliable information is rather difficult at the moment.
For some reason, they had me placed under some sort of house arrest.
Even the time I can spend with my classmates has also been restricted.
When I asked for the reason why……
All I heard was that “there are unavoidable circumstances”.
(I wonder if something has happened……)
On such a day though, first thing after I woke up, I was summoned by the Goddess.
There was apparently something important she had to discuss with me.
Going to the office she was usually in, I asked the Goddess.
[What in the world is going on? I’ve heard rumors that the Great Demon Emperor is dead……]
At my question, the Goddess looked at me with a mysterious expression on her face……
[The situation has begun to move in a completely unexpected direction. The truth is———-]
The death of the Great Demon Emperor.
The Goddess first told me about that.
It seems that those rumors really were true.
Moreover———— The one who defeated them was Kirihara Takuto.
When the army against the Great Demon Emperor was near the boundary line, me and the other heroes were ordered to stand by at the encampment.
At that time, I had seen the Goddess take some of her men to apparently meet someone.
And then, they met him.
[Kirihara-san, who was thought to have already been taken care of, has, to my surprise, defeated the Great Demon Emperor. I have the means to determine whether the Great Demon Emperor is alive or dead, so I am certain that he is dead. Well, it’s by the same means I used to know the appearance of the Root of All Evil.]
[B- But, if that’s the case…… That means————]
We can finally go back to our original world.
However, the joy I felt upon hearing that news was short-lived.
[———–No way…… Kirihara-kun did……?]
The content of what the Goddess spoke next was astonishing.
[Yes…… It seems that he has hidden the Great Demon Emperor’s heart somewhere.]
The fact that Kirihara Takuto was safe was good news.
However, after that meeting, he parted ways with the Goddess.
In other words, he has not returned to Alion.
The Goddess then continued her explanation.
In her opinion, Kirihara Takuto is now someone that the Goddess couldn’t control.
Her mind was already reaching her limits just by talking to him at that meeting.
His level seemed to have risen considerably, probably because he killed the Great Demon Emperor.
Even she, one of the Deities, apparently felt danger when facing him.
And so, at the moment, she acted as if she had agreed to his demands.
She feigned to be fighting on the same side as him.
After she bought time for everyone in this way, we returned to Alion to plan countermeasures.
[You asked me what in the world is going on? To be honest, I don’t know either…… I don’t know what to do. However, if we just leave everyone near the border, Kirihara-san might attack us and put us in danger. And so, for the time being, I decided to have everyone retreat.]
At the words the Goddess said though, I frowned.
[Ummm…… You said you would feign to fight on the same side as him, didn’t you? However, if the Great Demon Emperor was already defeated…… Who else is he supposed to fight?]
[It seems that he intends to fight Mira.]
[Mira? W- Why……]
[In fact, Fly King Squadron is currently sided with Mira……]
(Fly King Squadron? The group of that man———– Belzegia-san? Why is a mercenary group being brought up in the conversation now……)
[In the beginning…… Kirihara-san spouted incomprehensible things such as “I will be Magnar’s King”. Then, he said that he will take Seras Ashrain, a member of the Fly King Squadron, as his wife.]
[! T- That’s impossible…… Saying things like that is just———-]
[No. Unfortunately, he actually seems to be serious. Moreover, he has acquired a skill that allows him to control Demons and Golden-Eyed Monsters. This might sound unbelievable…… but he is now leading an army of Demons.]
[An army of Demons……]
I was at a loss for words.
Thereupon, the Goddess continued.
With a face more serious than ever……
[To tell you the truth, I’d also like to finish this battle against Mira.]
[H- However…… There’s no need for us people to fight……]
[Mira seems to have acquired the power to kill Gods…… in other words, the power to kill me. They had acquired the power…… of something known as the “Forbidden Curses”.]
[Forbidden Curses……]
[A forbidden power that allows one to kill God. However, this certainly explains things. The reason why Mira rebelled against me was that they had acquired this power.]
(This…… explains things……)
The Goddess would have been incredibly strong if not for the weakening of the Tyrant’s Miasma around.
I heard that she’s so strong that even Human-Faceds are no match for her.
No———— She has reigned in this world for far too many years.
Considering that no one has been able to defeat her, it would be natural that she would have the strength to back her authority up.
(However, a power that could even eliminate such a Deity…… has finally been acquired by a human……)
[However…… If I were to disappear, Heroes would not be able to be summoned. If the Goddess disappears from this land…… When the next Root of All Evil appears, the people of this world will be helplessly eradicated. Whether it’s through messed-up massacres or under a scourge……]
The Grand Invasion back then……
I had seen the brutality of the Great Demon Emperor’s Army with my own eyes.
Such a situation would make it so the people would have lost the means to oppose such brutality.
If the Goddess disappears, the people of this world will surely suffer terribly.
[H- However, Goddess-sama…… Wouldn’t Mira themselves know about this too? Even they should have known that the Root of All Evil will appear again, so perhaps, they may have been convinced by some sort of means against them……]
[The next appearance of the Root of All Evil, it may not appear again for hundreds of years, you know?]
[Eh?]
[The Mira who is alive today…… will be dead by then, and generations of their kin passed several lifetimes. The original wish of their Emperor’s bloodline has always been the unification of the continent…… That is all they have ever wanted.]
[D- Don’t tell me…… If they fulfill such a wish…… What happens in the next generations…… isn’t their problem to care about……]
That’s just———– That’s just wrong.
People should work with each other.
We should create a happy present, and connect with each other, leading to a blessed future.
Preserve things for the future.
Being happy only while they’re alive……
Not caring if someone else suffers after their death……
Only thinking———- about their current happiness……
That is absolutely wrong.
[The highest priority of the Emperor’s bloodline is the fulfillment of the long-cherished wish that has been handed down from generation to generation. In fact, they don’t think about the people. If they had, they wouldn’t have started a war at a time like this, would they? The people of Mira have been deceived. Well, I suppose I couldn’t be out of blame…… I have been tolerant for years, hoping that one day, they would realize their mistake, and even when they had acted defiantly, I have only been taking only the minimal measures against Mira. However, it ended up not being a good thing. They just gradually began resenting me…… and this was the result.]
[H- However…… However……]
[Kirihara-san said he would rescue Seras Ashrain.]
[ ! ]
[He also said he didn’t like the way they handle things, doing as they please at the expense of Mira’s citizens.]
[……That is……]
—–something I can somewhat agree with.
I thought about this for a moment.
Thereupon, the Goddess suddenly asked.
[I have a nasty personality, don’t I?]
[……That is, well……]
[Fufu, you don’t have to be mindful about it, you know. However…… Without cultivating a character that one considers detestable, the balance of the several countries couldn’t have been maintained for so many years. Besides, the fact that the people still need to be protected from the Root of All Evil…… and for the sake of the continued existence of the many countries. Ahh, that’s right, the Holy Kingdom of Neia, which had been occupied by Bakuos, has recently been reinstated to the Holy Alliance.]
[ ! ]
[I had promised them after all…… that they would be granted independence as a country again, depending on their achievements in the previous Grand Invasion. I negotiated with Bakuos. Even though I may have a nasty personality, I’m someone who keeps my promises. From what I heard, it seems that Cattleya Stramius, the only daughter of the former Holy King, will ascend the throne as the Queen.]
[……Cattleya-san will……]
She was a good person.
Her country’s Holy Knights and the soldiers too.
[Bakuos’s Emperor has also accepted Neia’s independence without any protests and has withdrawn their troops from the Holy Kingdom of Neia, thanks to the advice of Gus Thornfield, the “last Dragon Warrior”, who you fought with in the Grand Invasion.]
Neia.
Bakuos.
“Their” countries already had a special place in my heart.
[Sogou-san.]
The Goddess’s expression grew serious.
[In the current battle against Mira, the fighting strength of Alion, the linchpin of our country, including Alion’s Thirteen Cavalries, has been annihilated. We had also lost contact with the Heroic Sword…… It’s safe to assume that they have also been annihilated. However…… No matter how strong Mira is, it’s hard to believe that our main force could be so helplessly beaten.]
From her understanding of Mira’s combat strength, they shouldn’t have the ability to do all that.
That is, even if you overestimate the strength they had been hiding from public eyes.
The Goddess explained so.
After the explanation, the Goddess continued.
[As a matter of fact…… One of the men who belonged to the 9th Cavalry has come back to us after narrowly escaping death.]
The war against Mira continued to this day.
Alion’s Thirteen Cavalries suffered a blow that amounted to annihilation in their previous battle.
However, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a single survivor.
There are survivors.
However, considering their original numbers, the survival rate of their previous battle could be described as dreadful.
I had heard about the 9th Cavalry before.
They were operating outside the country though, so I wasn’t acquainted with them.
However……
[I had heard of their reputation…… That they regularly gave money to an institution that takes care of orphans and raises them.]
Alion’s Thirteen Cavalries didn’t have a good reputation.
That is, with the exception of the Ninth, which I’ve been hearing good things about.
Perhaps, it was because they were different from the others that they had a stronger impression on me.
Perhaps, it may be because they share the same kind of reputation as the other cavalries that they left an impression on me.
[I heard that they———– were killed by the Fly King Belzegia.]
[ ! ]
[They had admitted defeat in the middle of the battle, gave up their weapons and expressed their surrender…… but they seemed to have been killed mercilessly. However, I heard that they didn’t beg for their lives. I had this impression has a rather naive disposition…… but as expected, even I think their end was honorable.]
The Goddess looked down regretfully.
[I hate to believe it myself, but there had been a witness…… Yes, the member of the Ninth who survived, the one I mentioned earlier, was an eyewitness to the events that happened. If you wish, I can have someone bring him here……]
[That is———–]
The Goddess didn’t make her fake crying this time.
Looking really regretful, she slightly bit the corner of her lip.
[……The same also goes…… for the Drunken Sword Party.]
[Eh?]
[Their leader, Lili Adamantine, petitioned to let the others go at the cost of her head…… but still, the Fly King ruthlessly…… everyone of the Drunken Sword Party……]
I gasped.
[———–T- That is…… That can’t be! That person isn’t the kind to…… mercilessly……]
I had directly talked with him.
I couldn’t see him doing such a thing———- At least, I don’t think he himself would want to do that.
[I too was shocked…… I thought we could be comrades.]
Thereupon, the Goddess raises her gaze.
[However, please think about it again, Sogou-san. How much do you know about him?]
[———That is……]
[The Fly King was originally the one who killed all the members of the other faction of Ashinto, those who didn’t agree with his ideas, before he established his Fly King Squadron. In other words, he’s a person who doesn’t mind killing those who become obstacles. That’s why…… Ummm…… What I’m about to say…… I want you to calm down and listen……]
The Goddess’ face contorted with grief, and she seemed to be having difficulty finding the words to say.
For some reason, I’m starting to have a bad premonition about what she’s about to say.
My heart was beating fast.
These heavy thumps…… I don’t like the current sound of my heartbeat.
From the bottom of my heart.
[Among the executed prisoners of war is…… to tell you the truth, Yasu-san———–]
[———————–]
Ugh.
I feel like my brain is shaking.
My eyesight warps about, getting distorted.
[Ya…… su……? No…… way……]
[……I’m sorry. I had given him a special mission…… Since he was accompanied by the 6th Cavalry, our country’s largest force, I thought he would be fine…… but my assumptions were naive. It’s all my fault.]
She deeply bowed her head.
That Goddess deeply bowed her head.
[My apologies. I’m really sorry.]
[……Ummm.]
I tried squeezing it out of my throat, but my voice was trembling and hoarse.
[Ya…… su……-kun…… too?]
With her head still lowered, the Goddess found it difficult to answer, keeping her silence for a few seconds.
[……Yes…… By the hands of the Fly King.]
[Ya…… su…… is……]
Thereupon, the Goddess raises her head.
[I heard that he cried and begged for his life…… saying that “he wanted to return to his original world and to spare him”. However, the Fly King still did not listen…… ————–Sogou-san?]
[……………………………………..]
[Ummm…… When you follow the source of all these, I think it may have been the Mad Emperor.]
As I lowered my head, trying to urge myself not to believe all of this is happening, the words the Goddess said caught my attention.
[The Emperor has the faith of his people. Yes, he has the demonic charm to make people go crazy…… You did know that he’s called “Mad Emperor” because his beauty makes people go mad for him? That guy…… He makes people crazy. Making people crazy———– Brainwashing them by manipulating their feelings…… I have long been worried that he might be that kind of monster.]
[……Are you saying that the Fly King too…… has been brainwashed by the Mad Emperor?]
[I have no proof about this…… but yes, I’m convinced that that was the case. He too has been infected by his demonic charm.]
[…………………The Mad Emperor.]
[The same goes for Asagi-san’s group too……]
[ ! ]
[We have not heard from these women again. Moreover, they are not in Jonato at the moment……]
[Could it be———- they ended up in Mira……]
[It would be great if they hadn’t been killed. If not, they may have been locked up…… or worst case scenario, they had been brainwashed by the Mad Emperor’s cajolery.]
[……!]
[In that sense…… The source of all this may well be the Mad Emperor. The Fly King too may have encountered the Mad Emperor and got entranced by him. So, he was forced to help the Emperor to get rid of the obstacles for him one after another…… And so, the Fly King and his comrades could be said to be victims too. No, my apologies…… All of what I said was just my speculation……]
[………………….]
[And also…… About Takao-san and her sister……]
[ ! H- Have they been found!?]
[No, we still haven’t heard news about them…… It’s just…… we’ve found traces of them being in contact with Mira’s people behind the scenes.]
[Mira’s people……?]
[Perhaps…… The Mad Emperor also intended to brainwash them…… and if he can’t do that, they must have been dealt with……]
I couldn’t help sitting up.
As for how I look now———— that’s something I don’t know.
However, what I do know…… is that my fists were inadvertently clenched.
[Sogou-san.]
[……Yes.]
[I think you are the only one who can stop Kirihara-san.]
[……………..Only I……]
[There is something I must do at the moment, something I must do by myself. With the Great Demon Emperor defeated, even though the heart still isn’t here yet, I have to make preparations to return everyone to your original world. These preparations are something I must do and I can’t put it off. And so, I’m sorry…… but I can’t act together with everyone on this matter.]
[………………And that’s why, I will have to……]
[I really wish I could have stopped him at the meeting…… but if anything should happen to me, I wouldn’t be able to bring you back to your original world, would I? That’s how dangerous————- the current him seemed to me.]
The Goddess stood up from her seat and stepping forward, she held my hand.
[To tell you the truth…… I also feel that the current you are already stronger than I am. If it’s you, who fought evenly even against the Great Demon Emperor and Kirihara-san, you might be able to beat that Kirihara-san……]
[If it’s me……, —————]
[I told you earlier that Kirihara-san seems to be heading for Mira, didn’t I?]
Hearing those words, I realized something.
[That’s right. As long as the Fly King is in collusion with the Mad Emperor, there’s a danger that he too will be dealt with by the Fly King if things continue as they are.]
[———————]
Who could say that such a thing wouldn’t happen?
Is there anyone who could tell me that wasn’t the case?
[However, you can stop Kirihara-san without killing him. I believe you can help him. In order to bring him back to your original world alive, we need someone who can stop him without killing him. Yes, someone who can protect him…… From Mira…… From the Mad Emperor…… From the Fly King. And the only person who can accomplish that———— is definitely only you.]
[I…… I am…… I had to……]
[The other day…… Neia and Bakuos’ armies headed west to the battlefield. They were on their way to reinforce Duke Polarie’s units, who were struggling in the battle against Mira. From Neia, the new Queen, Cattleya Stramius. And from Bakuos, the “last Dragon Warrior” Gus Thornfield is Bakuos’ Commander.]
[ ! ]
[……However, Mira’s army is strong…… If our Alion’s main force that was slaughtered by the Fly King were still alive and well, I think they could still fight against them but…… ummm————-]
[Are you…… asking me———- to join that war?]
Standing still in place, I lowered my head.
[Having me fight not monsters…… but against people……]
[……………….It must be difficult, isn’t it? No, my apologies, I wouldn’t have asked you such an unreasonable thing if our army wasn’t in such a tight situation……]
What is the right thing to do here?
What should I do here?
I thought of Hijiri-san.
I would have liked to ask her for advice at a time like this, but she is not here right now.
I have to decide what to do here.
My actions from here on out.
It has to be decided by my own will.
After a long period of silence, thinking about this———–
[————–, ……Just me.]
[Y- Yes…… What is it? Please speak.]
[The one participating in this war will just be me…… My other classmates will not participate———— That…… will be my condition.]
I will not let them stain their hands with the blood of humans.
I definitely can’t let such a thing happen.
[Eh? Can I take it…… that you will participate?]
[I can’t let both Cattleya-san and Gus-san die. Moreover…… If I’m going to help Kirihara-kun, who is going to Mira, I need to go to Mira-san as well. I’m not going to go north to avoid the western battlefield. Doing that wouldn’t help me save Cattleya-san and the others.]
I exchange a straightforward gaze with the Goddess.
Thereupon, the Goddess held my hand in hers and squeezed it tightly.
[Will you do it?]
[……I will do it. If I’m the only one who can stop the “worst” from happening now……]
[Sogou-san…… Thank you very much.]
[However, will you leave the way I fight them to me?]
[The way you fight?]
[I didn’t come to this world to kill people. I’m prepared for people to die because it’s war. However, I’m going to fight in a way that keeps the deaths to a minimum…… Please accept that.]
[Fufu…… That’s very kind and just like you, Sogou-san. I understand. Please do as you like.]
Saying this, the Goddess held my hand even tighter.
[Sogou-san, I’ve already realized it myself. That I now have no choice but to rely on you. You can curse me all you want, saying that I was stupid and dumb even though I’m supposed to be a Deity. I apologize from the bottom of my heart for my rudeness. I will be honest with you. I didn’t like your attitude.]
[…………………]
The Goddess grew meek.
[As a Goddess, I have witnessed the treachery many humans had done and the evils your kind has committed…… Before I knew it, I came to realize that I, too, have been subjected to the malice and evil of such people, so I could no longer believe in that idealism that assumes people are inherently good. That’s why, faced with your actions, my first thought———– was that your goodness was also a deception. It’s for this reason that I didn’t like you.]
Thereupon, the Goddess looked at me with some sort of enlightened eyes.
[However…… you were different. You were a genuinely good-natured human…… a true Hero. Even now, I couldn’t believe that such a Hero still exists. However, it exists———- here you are.]
[Goddess-sama……]
The Goddess sighed.
[That being the case…… I suppose the act of taking a hostage and making you listen to what I say…… is quite meaningless.]
The Goddess rang a bell by the tabletop.
Thereupon, two men emerged from a room behind her.
One was being taken away by the other.
Upon seeing the man, my eyes widened.
That man being taken towards here……
[S- Sogou…..]
[Zakurogi-sensei……]
Our class’s homeroom teacher was there, looking completely exhausted.
He seemed to be quite worn out.
The purple mark on his cheek looked like a bruise.
Zakurogi Tamotsu.
After we were summoned, we were told he was working in the castle’s kitchen.
“I don’t think he’s a good role model in terms of personality, so I don’t like having everyone being in contact with him.”
When the Goddess declared so, my classmates weren’t able to meet him very often.
I did, however, actually went to check on him several times.
Whenever I visited, he always smiled happily but……
[My apologies, Sogou-san…… but when I thought of failing to persuade you this time, I was shallowly thinking of holding him hostage…… so that you would listen to us.]
[ ! ]
[However, it seems that that was a big mistake. It’s just…… I think he still has a personality problem. He is very different from you.]
Bam!
The soldier who had been bringing in Zakurogi kicked him out of the way.
Zakurogi screamed pitifully, his hands on the floor.
He was frightened.
Upon seeing this, I looked at the Goddess with seething righteous indignation.
[What does this mean? Moreover, that bruise……]
[Zakurogi-san…… Why don’t we have Sogou-san hear about it from you yourself?]
[Eh!?]
While still down on the floor, on his knees, Zakurogi turned around in surprise.
[Ah, eh…… Ummm……]
[Za- ku- ro- gi- san?]
[Uuuu…… S- Sogou…… I- I was……]
A silent pressure was emanating from the Goddess.
Unable to grasp what was going on, I could only look at them confused.
[……T- The reason why I became a teacher…… W- Was because I thought that working in a job with high school girls…… gives me a chance with JKs……!]
[————Eh? Zakurogi-sensei……? What are you……]
[A- After all…… Teachers can easily come back even if we committed a sex crime…… and after the student we were flirting with graduates, w- we can just meet up normally and do whatever we want, right? If you’re looking for one-night stands with young undeveloped JKs, e- even the internet would tell you, you should just get a teacher’s license! After all, our country is so indulgent with sex crimes, turning our country’s schools into paradise! Y- Y- Y- You do know I’ve been aiming for you, right!? There are a lot of pretty girls in my current class, having sex appeals not matching their age……! Haha…… Well, but I have a strong habit and am kinda scared…… so I had been hesitating on whether I should reach out my hands…… and ended up not taking any action…… but I was recently thinking it might work if I reach out for those with lower rank like Kashima……]
A big sigh came out from the Goddess.
[I thought I should expose his true nature to you, and show why I have such thoughts…… My apologies, he seemed more evil than I had thought…… so I unintentionally hit him.]
Faced upon this situation though———– I could only look at him, stunned.
However, I quickly regained my composure.
[Zakurogi-sensei.]
[Hyiiih!?]
[You…… are the worst.]
[……Y- Yes.]
[Moreover, you saying that many of the teachers became one for the purpose of committing sex crimes is just…… It’s really rude to the teachers who work hard every day, seriously thinking about the future of their students.]
[Uuuu…… I- I’m…… I’m sorry.]
[……When we go back to our original world, you need to change the way you handle society. Make sure of that.]
[Y- Yeah…… I promise! I will change! I realized that when I came to this world…… I would look at myself again! When I confessed my wickedness honestly…… I felt like I had been possessed!]
People can change.
Because they’re bad people……
Because they’re weak……
It’s wrong to just dismiss people because of that.
If you do your best with sincerity……
If you do your best talking with them……
People will surely change.
What is needed now is the absolute power to convey your sincerity and words
An overwhelming power to defend against evil and help the weak.
[It’s a promise, sensei.]
[Ah——— Yeah! I’ll change, Sogou! I’ll redeem myself back in our original world…… That’s why, I’m begging you. Please save me…… Save everyone! And then, together with everyone! Let’s go back to our world!]
[Yes, I’ll make sure of that.]
Seeing that we reconciled, the Goddess has a joyous smile on her face.
[I’ll heal the teacher right away. Zakurogi-san…… I’m sorry that I also lost my temper and hit you.]
[N- No…… I’m rather grateful to Goddess-sama for making me realize the truth! Thank you very much!]
After Zakurogi thanked her, he walked out of the room with the soldier.
[Well then, Sogou-san.]
[Before that, ummm…… Oyamada-kun, is he alright?]
[Yes, he’s still recuperating, but there’s no problem. However, he’s still mentally unstable…… and is in no condition to be allowed to meet with people. If you meet him, even though he should be getting better, there’s a risk that he will get worse again……]
[I see……]
[I think he might be cured by the time all of you return to your original world. Yes, though he may see everything that happened in this world as a bad dream…… He would gradually be cured.]
[Please continue your search for Takao-san and the others.]
[Earlier, you were very upset by what I said…… but it seems that you have made up your mind.]
[If I just let myself be crushed by my own emotions, there may be another life lost in the meantime. Now, I will do my best to save the lives that can be saved. I will grieve only after it’s all over.]
[Thank you……]
[Please take care of Oyamada-kun…… and everyone else who remains in Alion.]
[Yes.]
[I won’t forgive you otherwise.]
[……Yes?]
[If you betray me———- I will never, ever forgive you.]
Who is it that I can trust?
Is there anyone I can actually trust?
At that moment, I thought of Hijiri-san again.
(……Yes, Hijiri-san. The one I can trust is myself…… I will do what I think is right…… and then, I will go back to our original world with everyone————— I will make sure of that.)
Even if————
Even if I had to dirty my hands to achieve that.