I feign ignorance.
"Oh? Why exactly is it wrong?" (Mizuki)
Alto looks at me like I'm insane.
"Don't play dumb, you know that only countries are supposed to be making coins like this! It's illegal for random people to do it!" (Alto)
"Well, I know governments don't condone it, but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong. For example, it's legal for you to be a slave in the human countries, but it's not 'right'. Conversely, I can't imagine that your government would approve the marriage of a human and elf, but that doesn't make such a relationship wrong. It just means the government doesn't like it, nothing more and nothing less." (Mizuki)
Alto looks surprised. I'd say she's not ready to give up chastising me, but she's less sure I'm being an idiot. I press on.
"It'd be legal to just make gold and sell it for high profit, and most of that would become coins, but we'd just stick out. If you disagree with me making the gold, I could track and mine it almost as easily, then the result would be the same. If that totally conventional method is still not okay with you, how should I use my abilities for profit? Mercenary work? Charging people who usually can't afford it for healing? Taking the rich on joy flights? If you have an ethical alternative that doesn't endanger us, I'd value my friend's input." (Mizuki)
After this…Alto's face turns quite solemn. Her face is a mix of embarrassment and guilt, and she's silent for several minutes. Eventually, she shakes her head and gives me an appreciative smile.
"No, Mizuki. In all honesty, the thought of you using your abilities in the ways others normally profit is no better, if not downright terrifying. It was naïve to lecture you so quickly, and you've obviously given this some thought. I agree with your approach for the time being." (Alto)
Cool. I smile at her warmly and gesture at her in a way that's dismissive of her guilt.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that we're on the same page, and I'm not offended. I also don't think you're naïve. In fact, would you believe me if I told you that you may be the most reliable person in our group, and that I value you immensely?" (Mizuki)
Alto's eyes widen in surprise, and she looks so grateful that I think we might be about to have a touching moment. Then, she smirks instead.
"Oh, I'm pretty reliable, huh? I'd guess that makes sense, with your standards." (Alto)
Shots fired, but that's okay. I'm not gun shy. I smile back at her like I appreciate her rude remark.
"Absolutely. In fact, you're so reliable that I'm going to rely on you tomorrow to convince Ilina that my money-making strategy is the best option, and that she should keep it to herself. You may recall that she wanted to know where I get my money from. So, since I went through the trouble of explaining it to someone reliable like you, and you already said you agreed with me, I'll just let you handle the explanation to Ilina and all the fallout." (Mizuki)
Alto's eyes become fearful, and her tone turns a little desperate.
"Mizuki, that's not funny!" (Alto)
"That makes sense, because it's not a joke." (Mizuki)
I meet her gaze calmly. I have no intention of backing down, she totally was asking for it. After a minute, she looks down dejectedly and nods her head in resignation.
"Great, I appreciate your sacrifice! I was really dreading that, so I'm grateful. Now, it's time for your questions to continue." (Mizuki)
Alto glares at me for a moment, then nods.
"Second question. In terms of your power, how much damage do you think you could single-handedly do if you set your mind to it? Could you take down a large city like Elmesia?" (Alto)
That's tricky. Most of my skills are suited for selectively killing opponents in a controlled manner. Mass destruction isn't something I've worked towards. That said, I'm almost certain that I could make a kind of magic nuclear bomb.
I'm a little shaky on my energy calculations for how much fusion produces what size blast. I also don't know of anywhere truly safe to test it. So, I've pretty much dismissed it for safety. If I ignored that, though, then…yeah, I could be a monster.
"If I had absolutely no regard for anyone's life, the truth is that entire countries or continents could probably be stripped of life in under an hour. I know that's absurd, but you asked for the truth. I hope that doesn't change how you act with me." (Mizuki)
Alto goes pale, as expected, and holds my gaze for a while. I just wait patiently until she accepts it. After a few moments, she responds quietly.
"I knew that no single person could stand up to you, but I never imagined that you could destroy whole countries if you wanted to. You promised me that you're human once, and I believe you, but do you have any idea why you're so strong? What you described is absolutely beyond human limits, Mizuki." (Alto)
I would have been surprised if this didn't come up. I already knew that I'd tell her if asked, though.
"Yes. In short, it's because I'm not from this planet – I was sent here from another world. That's the same reason my eyes are this color. I won't bore you with all the details, but essentially my home world has no magic. We don't even know it exists. It just so happens that, because my body developed in a place like that, it's extremely compatible with magic here. That's it." (Mizuki)
Alto's mouth is pretty much hanging open in shock now, but after a minute it changes to…annoyance? She really is a funny one.