E8 - The Forest in Labour

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:10] ---
    Because of the existence
    of magic in this world,
[00:12] ---
    their technological systems seem
    a little strange in my view.
[00:18] ---
    For example,
    there's the Battleship Albert.
[00:21] ---
    It's the single ship possessed
    by the Forbidden Army,
[00:23] ---
    which bears the previous king's name.
[00:25] ---
    Looking at it as a whole,
    one might think it strange
[00:28] ---
    that a world that hasn't even reached
    the industrial revolution
[00:31] ---
    should have a battleship such as this.
[00:34] ---
    However, despite being made of iron,
[00:37] ---
    as long as its buoyancy is taken
    into account in its configuration,
[00:39] ---
    it can still float on the water.
[00:41] ---
    In other words, the outside of
    a battleship can be fashioned,
[00:44] ---
    even with the technological level
    of the middle ages.
[00:47] ---
    The reason they were not built
    until after the industrial revolution
[00:50] ---
    was that there were no engines
    that could propel a heavy iron ship.
[00:54] ---
    However, in this world,
    there are sea dragons,
[00:56] ---
    who have the brute force necessary
    to tow an iron vessel.
[01:00] ---
    By taming them and
    having them pull the ships,
[01:02] ---
    long-distance voyages become possible.
[01:05] ---
    That is why they were able
    to build iron ships.
[01:08] ---
    The same goes for the cannons
    mounted on the battleship.
[01:12] ---
    This world already has gunpowder.
[01:14] ---
    However, there are no firearms.
[01:17] ---
    Since intermediate magic was used as
    a means of launching long-range attacks,
[01:20] ---
    guns were never developed.
[01:23] ---
    Also, there is something
    they call infusion spells,
[01:26] ---
    and by imparting various effects
    to an object using these spells,
[01:30] ---
    you can make them stronger,
[01:31] ---
    or increase their ability
    to cut through things.
[01:34] ---
    So, while they have no guns,
    they did have cannons.
[01:38] ---
    That's because for some reason,
[01:40] ---
    any non-water magic is greatly
    limited while on the water,
[01:44] ---
    so cannons were developed
    as a means to attack battleships.
[01:48] ---
    It turns out that technology
    is developed as it is needed.
[01:53] ---
    And here in this world of unbalanced
    technological systems,
[01:56] ---
    I was attempting to advance
    my own civic projects.
[02:11] ---
    "Never mind, face forward,"
[02:16] ---
    my heart just cried until it was hoarse
[02:22] ---
    When you lose something,
    is that the end of it?
[02:27] ---
    Is there no putting things back
    the way they were?
[02:33] ---
    Just as a line of clouds
    moves off somewhere
[02:39] ---
    when you take your eyes
    off of them for a moment,
[02:44] ---
    so does everything else
[02:49] ---
    I never thought there was a version of me
[02:56] ---
    that the world would have a need for
[03:01] ---
    But when I believed in what I believe,
[03:07] ---
    I found myself as I truly am
[03:13] ---
    Hello, yes, the first step
    I take after nodding
[03:18] ---
    Hello, yes, is toward
    the yet-unseen horizon
[03:30] ---
    "The Forest in Labour"
[03:54] ---
    Whoo... Man, why does the Forbidden Army
    have to do road construction?
[03:59] ---
    You there! No goldbricking!
[04:01] ---
    Stop running your mouth
    and get back to work!
[04:05] ---
    Hey, Kaede--
[04:06] ---
    Oh, no you don't!
[04:07] ---
    Hal, you serve under me! You will
    address me as "Site Foreman"!
[04:12] ---
    Foreman, is this really a job
    for the Forbidden Army?
[04:17] ---
    There were unemployed people
    from the capital hired to do this,
[04:20] ---
    but they are extremely shorthanded.
[04:22] ---
    After all, this project is to
    build a network of roads
[04:25] ---
    that goes throughout the kingdom,
    starting from the newly-built port city.
[04:29] ---
    Even so, is this something you'd
    usually make the Forbidden Army do?
[04:33] ---
    Our job is to protect the kingdom.
[04:48] ---
    Mmm, this is good!
[04:49] ---
    The sauce mixed in with the meat
    has a nice salty sweetness to it!
[04:53] ---
    This is a dish that the king thought up,
    and he calls it "shogayaki."
[04:57] ---
    I have to hand it to that king. He has
    a talent for cooking, if nothing else.
[05:03] ---
    After the mystic wolves came
    to the country as refugees,
[05:07] ---
    a settlement was set aside for them,
    and that's where they make seasonings
[05:10] ---
    called "shoyu" and "mirin,"
    which are used in these.
[05:12] ---
    The mystic wolves are able to
    make their way in the kingdom
[05:15] ---
    by manufacturing these seasonings,
[05:17] ---
    and we get to eat this delicious food!
[05:20] ---
    It's a policy that kills
    two birds with one stone!
[05:25] ---
    What's more, it's amazing that we can
    eat some fresh vegetables.
[05:29] ---
    These came from
    the village closest to here,
[05:31] ---
    which is connected by
    the road to the capital.
[05:34] ---
    The power of roads that make supply
    lines easy to maintain is tremendous.
[05:39] ---
    So the road we made
    is already coming in useful?
[05:43] ---
    With this kind of
    transportation capability,
[05:44] ---
    we're making a huge contribution
    to solving the food shortage.
[05:48] ---
    We are?
[05:50] ---
    Once distribution gets smoothed out,
[05:51] ---
    imbalances in supply and
    demand will be eliminated,
[05:53] ---
    and food prices will come down
    to some extent.
[05:57] ---
    The king has all that
    in mind in doing this?
[06:00] ---
    The king is an amazing man. He has
    so much foresight, it's almost scary.
[06:06] ---
    Once we finish eating,
    are you going to take a nap?
[06:09] ---
    Yeah, I guess. The king does
    recommend sleeping after a meal
[06:13] ---
    to increase efficiency, after all.
[06:15] ---
    Given that the king comes
    from a different world...
[06:18] ---
    Oh, the king! And the princess, too!
[06:21] ---
    Halbert, are you settled in
    with the Forbidden Army?
[06:23] ---
    Yes, sire! No problems at all!
[06:26] ---
    That's so stiff. Where's that spirit
    you had when you first laid into me?
[06:30] ---
    I-I am terribly sorry about that, sire!
[06:33] ---
    It was an awful act of rudeness
    against Your Majesty--
[06:35] ---
    This is a royal decree.
    Stop being so formal.
[06:38] ---
    And drop that "Your Majesty" business,
    too. Call me "Souma."
[06:41] ---
    Oh, but sire...
[06:43] ---
    Hal, did you not hear me?
    That was an order.
[06:46] ---
    A-All right... Souma.
[06:49] ---
    That's better. I've been
    hoping to find a guy my age
[06:53] ---
    that I can just chat informally with.
[07:01] ---
    So this is how you make a road, huh?
[07:04] ---
    I've walked on them many times,
[07:07] ---
    but I've never even wondered
    how roads were built.
[07:11] ---
    This is ostensibly an inspection,
[07:13] ---
    but watch closely,
    and think of it as an education.
[07:20] ---
    What's that mushy stuff?
[07:22] ---
    A mixture of volcanic ash and lime.
[07:26] ---
    In the world I come from,
    they called it Roman concrete.
[07:30] ---
    It has the property of
    hardening over time.
[07:33] ---
    Its toughness is such that one
    of those can't make cracks in it,
[07:36] ---
    even at a full gallop.
[07:38] ---
    That's pretty amazing.
    It's really that hard?
[07:41] ---
    No, in fact, it has a certain
    degree of flexibility,
[07:44] ---
    which distributes the forces it takes.
[07:46] ---
    Back in my world, there are
    buildings made of this concrete
[07:49] ---
    that are still standing after 2,000 years.
[07:55] ---
    Are those streetlamps
    on either side of the road
[07:58] ---
    the same kind we have in the capital?
[08:00] ---
    Yes. They're designed
    so that when it gets dark,
[08:02] ---
    the lightmoss inside them provides light.
[08:05] ---
    Also, the roadside trees planted here
    are "warding trees,"
[08:08] ---
    from the God-Protected Forest.
[08:10] ---
    Warding trees?
[08:11] ---
    Aisha, would you mind explaining?
[08:13] ---
    Right!
[08:17] ---
    These warding trees
    constantly emit a frequency
[08:19] ---
    that monsters and wild animals
    seem to find unpleasant.
[08:23] ---
    It's probably to prevent giant boars
    and such from devouring them.
[08:28] ---
    In the God-Protected Forest, we plant
    these warding trees around our villages,
[08:31] ---
    in order to keep monsters and animals out.
[08:35] ---
    Sort of like a rudimentary barrier, huh?
[08:38] ---
    Yeah, but if we plant them
    too close together,
[08:40] ---
    there's no telling what
    they will do to the ecosystem,
[08:43] ---
    so we moderately space them apart,
[08:45] ---
    making it just hard enough to keep
    wild animals from getting too close.
[08:49] ---
    But why? Wouldn't it be better
    to keep them out completely?
[08:52] ---
    Okay, Liscia,
[08:54] ---
    what do you do when animals who
    seasonally change hunting grounds,
[08:58] ---
    such as gray wolves or red bears,
    are unable to migrate because of the road,
[09:01] ---
    get stuck where they are,
    and their food runs out,
[09:03] ---
    so they start attacking
    livestock and people?
[09:06] ---
    Or suppose instead that it's
    giant apes or giant boars
[09:08] ---
    who find themselves stuck in one place
    and eat up all the food,
[09:12] ---
    and have no choice but to descend
    on settlements and eat up their farms.
[09:15] ---
    Then what do you do?
[09:17] ---
    I get it, we shouldn't stop them entirely.
[09:21] ---
    But why are you being so specific?
[09:23] ---
    Because animal control is an issue
    that local authorities all share.
[09:29] ---
    Local... authorities?
[09:31] ---
    I didn't know you were thinking so far
    ahead! Leave it to you, Your Majesty!
[09:42] ---
    What's that?
[09:44] ---
    A messenger kui.
[09:46] ---
    A kui is a kind of bird that has more
    than just a homing instinct.
[09:49] ---
    It can detect the frequency
    of its master from a distance.
[09:52] ---
    I see. So that behavior makes them
    useful as long-distance messengers.
[10:00] ---
    It looks like it brought
    a letter for Aisha.
[10:08] ---
    Oh, no!
[10:09] ---
    What is it, Aisha?
[10:11] ---
    It's a message from my father,
    the chief of the dark elves.
[10:15] ---
    Last night, there was a large-scale
    landslide in the God-Protected Forest,
[10:19] ---
    and it swallowed up half of a village.
[10:23] ---
    It says that the God-Protected Forest
    has had a long stretch of rain...
[10:28] ---
    ...and that there are many
    who are... missing...
[10:34] ---
    Souma...
[10:38] ---
    Hey, what do we--?
[10:39] ---
    Shh! The king is thinking right now.
    Do not disturb him.
[10:44] ---
    Kaede...
[10:46] ---
    ...how many men do we have here right now?
[10:48] ---
    Sire, there are 54
    from the Forbidden Army,
[10:50] ---
    and four engineers on loan
    from the civil engineering guild!
[10:53] ---
    Of those, there are six who are
    earth mages, including myself!
[10:57] ---
    All right, this group is going to go to
    the dark elves' village to rescue them.
[11:01] ---
    Your Majesty!
[11:02] ---
    Aisha, one-on-one,
    I am far weaker than you are.
[11:07] ---
    But I am in a position to mobilize
    a lot more manpower.
[11:10] ---
    So let me handle this. We will
    save as many lives as we can.
[11:17] ---
    Aisha, crying will have to wait.
[11:19] ---
    If outsiders like us are to enter
    the God-Protected Forest
[11:22] ---
    and carry out a rescue, it's best
    that we have you with us.
[11:26] ---
    I need you to show us the way.
[11:28] ---
    --Right!
    --Mm-hmm.
[11:30] ---
    Disaster relief is a race against time.
[11:33] ---
    Luckily, this place is closer to the
    God-Protected Forest than the capital.
[11:36] ---
    We'll head from here directly to the site.
[11:38] ---
    As you wish, sire. I will get
    the soldiers ready to go at once.
[11:42] ---
    Go to it.
[11:45] ---
    Liscia, you go back to the capital and
    request that they send a rescue party.
[11:49] ---
    Also, ask Hakuya to send relief supplies
    to the dark elves' village.
[11:53] ---
    All right, I'm on it.
[11:58] ---
    Aisha, how long will it take to get to
    the God-Protected Forest from here?
[12:01] ---
    Half a day by fast horse.
    At a normal military march,
[12:04] ---
    it will take two days,
    no matter how fast we hurry.
[12:06] ---
    Two days?
[12:08] ---
    Assuming it happened around midnight,
    about half a day has already passed.
[12:12] ---
    And however fast we go,
[12:13] ---
    we won't arrive until
    two-and-a-half days after it happened.
[12:16] ---
    Having only half a day before hitting the
    72-hour threshold is going to be tough.
[12:20] ---
    Seventy-two-hour threshold?
[12:22] ---
    During natural disasters like this,
[12:24] ---
    after three days from the incident,
    which is to say, 72 hours,
[12:28] ---
    the death rate of those who
    need rescuing shoots way up.
[12:31] ---
    Then let's head for the
    God-Protected Forest right away!
[12:34] ---
    I know! But a normal military march
    will take too much time.
[12:38] ---
    Is there any magic that can instantly
    transport a large force to another place?
[12:42] ---
    No! If there were such a thing,
[12:45] ---
    we wouldn't need to be pouring so much
    sweat into building these roads, right?
[12:49] ---
    Damn, isn't there any
    other way to move us?
[13:22] ---
    "Star Dragon Mountain Range
    Population: Several hundred dragons
    An autonomous dominion created
    by the Mother Dragon, Tiamat."
[13:25] ---
    "Excel Walter: Displays an attachment
    to whatever subject holds her
    interest. Although seasoned,
    there is also a girlish side to her."
[13:34] ---
    My king, it is a pleasure
    to make your acquaintance.
[13:37] ---
    I am the dark elf chief and
    Aisha's father, Wodan Udgard.
[13:43] ---
    Let's dispense with the formal greetings.
[13:45] ---
    Right now, rescue efforts come first.
[13:49] ---
    For now, I brought about 50 Forbidden
    Army soldiers who were with me.
[13:53] ---
    In the coming days, a second unit
    with relief supplies should be arriving.
[13:58] ---
    You can start by explaining the situation.
[13:59] ---
    Right.
[14:01] ---
    The landslide occurred on a slope
    to the east of this village.
[14:06] ---
    We have already counted
    over a hundred dead.
[14:10] ---
    There are still more than
    40 people unaccounted for.
[14:13] ---
    In that case, please compile
    a list of those who are missing.
[14:17] ---
    If we cross them off the list once
    we determine whether they're safe,
[14:19] ---
    no one will slip through the cracks.
[14:20] ---
    Very well. I will arrange for it at once.
[14:23] ---
    Also, pull some people to have them
    stand watch over the mountain.
[14:27] ---
    If the mountain moves even a little bit,
[14:29] ---
    or there are any unusual sounds,
    have them report it.
[14:32] ---
    It will be no laughing matter if there's
    another slide while we're out rescuing.
[14:35] ---
    Your Majesty, please allow me
    to carry out that duty.
[14:40] ---
    My daughter has played in
    the God-Protected Forest
[14:43] ---
    since she was a child,
    and knows the area well.
[14:46] ---
    I think it is safe to let her do this.
[14:49] ---
    There are others whom you once
    ran around the forest with, right?
[14:53] ---
    They should know the forest
    just as well as you do.
[14:58] ---
    Reach out to them and take them with you.
[14:59] ---
    Yes, as you wish.
[15:02] ---
    We're counting on you, Aisha. Just make
    sure you don't do anything crazy.
[15:07] ---
    We are about to begin working
    to search for those who are missing.
[15:11] ---
    Listen close for voices in
    the dirt asking for help,
[15:15] ---
    and work cautiously to rescue them!
[15:17] ---
    Time to show off the excavation skills
    you developed while building roads!
[15:23] ---
    But no matter what,
    don't get in over your heads.
[15:25] ---
    If you think another slide is coming,
[15:26] ---
    get out of there,
    even if in the middle of a rescue.
[15:29] ---
    I will not have a single casualty
    from my rescue detail! Understood?!
[15:34] ---
    Yes, sire!
[15:45] ---
    I heard a voice!
[15:46] ---
    Huh?
[15:50] ---
    Under this thick trunk!
    They're still breathing!
[15:53] ---
    Huh?!
[15:55] ---
    I don't hear any voice--
[15:56] ---
    They're here! Hurry and dig!
[16:04] ---
    Are you serious?!
[16:21] ---
    I'm surprised you could tell
    anyone was buried there.
[16:24] ---
    This is what told me.
[16:26] ---
    What is that, a mouse?
[16:28] ---
    Carved out of wood.
[16:37] ---
    I'm controlling them to go around looking
    in places where people can't get into.
[16:42] ---
    Oh, so this is that Living whatever-it-is
    power that I've heard about.
[16:46] ---
    Yeah. I made up a few prototypes
    for exploring dungeons,
[16:50] ---
    but I didn't expect them
    to be useful here--
[16:54] ---
    What's wrong?
[16:57] ---
    H-Hey, are you all right?
    What suddenly came over you?
[17:03] ---
    Oh, sorry...
[17:05] ---
    One of my wooden mice out searching...
[17:08] ---
    ...just located some
    horribly mangled remains...
[17:11] ---
    You could tell from just a glance
    that they were dead, then?
[17:18] ---
    I see. All of the missing
    have been accounted for.
[17:23] ---
    Unfortunately, there are some among
    them who are now cold, lifeless bodies,
[17:27] ---
    but if Your Majesty had not
    come rushing to our aid,
[17:29] ---
    their numbers would
    have been even greater.
[17:32] ---
    As chief of the dark elves,
    I once again express my thanks.
[17:37] ---
    Majesty! Father!
[17:41] ---
    The princess has arrived from the capital,
[17:42] ---
    and so has the second relief unit.
[17:45] ---
    They're here?
[17:46] ---
    It's too late...
[17:59] ---
    It's true, they aren't here
    in time to search.
[18:02] ---
    But the relief part is actually
    just getting underway.
[18:06] ---
    Tending to the wounded, removing the
    sediment, building temporary housing--
[18:11] ---
    there are any number
    of things still to do.
[18:15] ---
    But that won't bring the dead back.
[18:19] ---
    Stop that, Robthor!
[18:21] ---
    This man is my younger brother, Robthor.
[18:25] ---
    He lost his wife in this disaster,
[18:27] ---
    and his only daughter is still wandering
    the border between life and death.
[18:32] ---
    I know he must be somewhat distraught,
    so I beg you to forgive him.
[18:36] ---
    No, it's okay.
[18:37] ---
    My king,
[18:38] ---
    I've tried to keep the forest safe!
    So now why...
[18:43] ---
    ...why has the forest taken my family?!
[18:45] ---
    Robthor!
[18:47] ---
    This is no time to be assigning blame.
[18:50] ---
    That goes for yourself, as well.
[18:54] ---
    Right now, mourn your wife's death.
[18:57] ---
    And pray that your daughter's spirit
    remains in this world.
[19:18] ---
    My uncle opposed thinning the forest.
[19:21] ---
    He felt that for dark elves,
    guardians of the forest,
[19:24] ---
    to log it instead was out of the question.
[19:26] ---
    Ah, that explains it.
[19:29] ---
    If my uncle had been more
    cooperative toward thinning,
[19:32] ---
    do you think his family
    would have been spared?
[19:35] ---
    There's... no way of knowing.
[19:39] ---
    It's true that if some moderate trimming
    is done and the undergrowth comes in,
[19:42] ---
    allowing the soil's water-retaining
    ability to increase,
[19:44] ---
    we can create an environment
    less prone to landslides.
[19:48] ---
    But ultimately, it would
    still only be "less prone."
[19:51] ---
    In the case where
    prolonged rains are the cause...
[19:54] ---
    ...then they could conceivably
    happen anywhere.
[19:56] ---
    Are you saying that he
    merely had bad luck?
[20:00] ---
    In regard to the location
    of this landslide, yes.
[20:03] ---
    However, thinning would be a
    constant operation within the forest.
[20:07] ---
    Hearing unusual sounds,
    having the forest look like it's moving,
[20:11] ---
    and other signs of an impending landslide
    would be easier to notice, to be sure.
[20:14] ---
    Once they're spotted,
    plans can be formulated,
[20:17] ---
    and evacuation would have been possible.
[20:19] ---
    Protecting the forest--
    it sounds so noble to say,
[20:22] ---
    but the thought that he is
    protecting it at all is mistaken.
[20:25] ---
    Nature is not so weak that it
    needs people to protect it.
[20:29] ---
    If it's egotistical for people
    to presume to destroy nature,
[20:31] ---
    then it's also egotistical
    to presume to protect it.
[20:35] ---
    Nature typically goes through destruction
    and rebirth all the time,
[20:38] ---
    and we're just trying to keep it
    in a state that suits us.
[20:43] ---
    All mankind can do is
    tweak things through thinning,
[20:46] ---
    maintaining the forest in a way
    that makes it possible to coexist.
[21:09] ---
    I wasn't able to do anything
    this time around, huh?
[21:13] ---
    You went and brought back
    the relief unit, didn't you?
[21:16] ---
    Everyone gave their all.
[21:18] ---
    On the contrary, I was the one
    who couldn't do anything.
[21:22] ---
    Nonsense! I heard you made
    a huge difference.
[21:27] ---
    My role is to be the king.
[21:30] ---
    It's not the king's job to direct things
    onsite during an emergency.
[21:34] ---
    The king's job is to make
    preparations ahead of time,
[21:37] ---
    before the emergency happens.
[21:39] ---
    I neglected to do that.
[21:41] ---
    What are you talking about? Souma, you...
[21:44] ---
    I think using the Forbidden Army
    as a rescue team went pretty well.
[21:48] ---
    But beyond that, there are plenty
    of places where I've fallen short.
[21:52] ---
    A means of information exchange,
    a means of long-distance shipping,
[21:55] ---
    stockpiling rescue supplies
    in each area,
[21:57] ---
    having medical teams assigned
    to rescue parties...
[22:00] ---
    None of it was sufficient.
[22:03] ---
    I've been so occupied with the food
    shortage and the Three Dukedoms...
[22:07] ---
    ...that I failed to prepare
    for everything else...
[22:10] ---
    Souma...
[22:18] ---
    The wind blowing by rushes
    through the world,
[22:22] ---
    connecting us when otherwise
    we never would have met
[22:26] ---
    Unfurling wings that no one else can see,
[22:31] ---
    I take flight in search of a miracle
    that no one else can find
[22:43] ---
    Seeking the courage to keep on choosing
[22:48] ---
    the outcome of an ever-meandering morrow,
[22:52] ---
    I never want to fear change
[22:56] ---
    or doubt the blueness of the sky
[23:01] ---
    More than any dreams I once had
[23:03] ---
    and beyond any future I've imagined,
[23:05] ---
    I want to keep on drifting along
[23:09] ---
    within this transcendentally beautiful
    moment I'm spending with you
[23:13] ---
    If I can make that come true...
[23:17] ---
    I shoot up through the blue
    to the sky where we connect
[23:22] ---
    Grasp my destiny and reel it in
[23:25] ---
    And through our joined hands,
[23:30] ---
    you feel my helpless wish for eternity
[23:35] ---
    Even if this is only an illusion
[23:37] ---
    taking place within someone's dream,
[23:39] ---
    I'll still take this blowing wind
[23:41] ---
    and hold on tight as I take flight