Chapter 4: In the world, money and talk
Thanks to the rich river flowing from the Doggu Valley, the Boa Kingdom with a fertile and suitable land for farming was often targeted by other countries and so the walls surrounding the city were made tremendously robust. Many soldiers stand at the castle gate as gatekeepers and they rigorously investigated those who are suspicious and any that enter the city. Obviously, they couldn"t be silent when a shabby, peasant-like, middle-aged man with a beautiful blond haired maid approached.
“You guys, where are you from?"
“Yes, I"m called Manju who came to work from Daif.u.ku village in the south"
“Daif.u.ku? It"s a name I"ve never heard of"
The gatekeeper glared at the peacefully smiling farmer.
“Also, that countryside man said that he came to work here with that woman"
The gatekeeper ogled the beautiful blond maid from the tip of her head to her feet. The farmer moved toward the gatekeeper while lowering his waist to block the unpleasant gaze.
“Yes, this girl was the best in our village and she was supposed to go to a n.o.bleman´s place"
Saying that, the farmer thrust his hand into his waist bag and took out several shining gold coins before handing them over to the gatekeeper.
“So you came to do service, that"s nice"
The gatekeeper quickly put the gold coins into his chest robes, before suddenly changing his att.i.tude and giving a friendly grin.
“If it is such a beautiful woman, I would like you to do me that『Service』”
If you had been invited to a n.o.ble house in person, you would have gotten a letter of introduction. It could be judged that it was not so and the story of service became that of a brothel.
“Yes, if there is opportunity, by all means"
“That would be fun. Okay, let"s go"
The gatekeeper opened the road with a vulgar smile towards the low farmer. They entered the city, quickly walking through the gates and entering the shadows of the buildings. At that moment, the middle-aged farmer reverted to the appearance of a high school boy by unravelling the illusion magic that had been applied.
“They cannot see through the illusion magic, and it bothers me slightly. General soldiers seem to have little ability and enthusiasm. "
“Did you do that a small play just to make sure of it?"
Truthfully, the pale blond maid that asked Shinichi was Ceres who had naturally changed her appearance using magic. Since Ceres would be found out due her long ears, she left the illusion activated while with Shinichi.
“Just to be safe. I thought I could understand a little of the country"s ethos. "
If it was just entering the city, they could have simply crossed over the castle wall with『Flight』under the cover of darkness of the night. It was for the purpose of the investigation that Shinichi went as far as to walk in from the outside.
“It is dangerous to judge everything with just a gatekeeper as the sample, but it seems that it is not a tough country since there"s no death penalty if bribery is found."
Taking advantage of this grat.i.tude, Shinichi smiles wickedly. Then, he tapped the heavy bag lying in on his waist causing the gold coins within to rattle.
“The devil king"s castle had a pile of gold, and I got permission to use them all. It worked for those knights, but I think it would be a good option to conciliate the n.o.bles and merchants with bribes and make a settlement"
“Using money for reconciliation, human culture is inexplicable"
As for what Shinichi intended, he explained the general theory. But even so, Ceres tilted her head beautifully in puzzlement.
“No, I collected money and the demon race has a monetary system too, right?”
“Yes, bartering is orthodox"
“Then, why don"t you pay money to avoid war or make the enemy general secede using money? "
“Why should we do this? Isn"t it only a story of fighting to win? If you lose, it"s just that you"re weak”
“Ah, yes, that"s right"
Ceres who was demonstrating the peculiar intrinsic mindset of the demon race failed to understand the meaning completely and so Shinichi gave up on his explanation quickly.
(If you only look at their production of castles and tableware, you can tell that the level of culture is high, so why the muscle-brain......)
It was probable that Shinichi would expect it to be due to magic. In the first place, monkeys acquired fire and wisdom and achieved the evolution into humans which were 『Weak』 only. No development of claws like a bear, nor agility like a tiger, no fangs, no elephant-like giant. A weak monkey that survived onerous nature and clutching the weapon called 『Wisdom』not found in other animals. Sharpening stones into weapons collaborate with friends and invite them into traps like pitfalls. Such wisdom was born because everyone was weak. If there was the power to defeat a bear and a tiger with bare hands, there is no need to polish wisdom. Monkeys wouldn"t become a person and would have lived retired in the forest as an animal. The demon race had more power than magic, fangs and claws. Therefore, it might be more than possible to have become a simple muscle-brain thinking that everything is magic-related and it is correct to solve the problem with magic ability. [1]
(Rather, it is more mysterious that the demon race acquired intelligence like humans. There are a lot of different species in the form of Orcs or Goblins, but they all have a certain level of intelligence. Is this a coincidence?)
It is very convincing to say that the existence called G.o.d is a creature that has been deliberately created.
“So, what are you going to do now?"
“Ah, first of all, information gathering"
Ceres"s voice slipped Shinichi out of his vortex of thoughts and so Shinichi went out to the street again and began to stroll.
“Information huh, are you going to figure out where the hero is?"
“I was, initially, but let"s eat for now"
“......Haa?”
Disregarding the maid"s disgusted exclamation, Shinichi was continuing down the road and looking for a suitable shop.
“All right, let"s go there"
Once the sign with a beer barrel came into his view, he opened the door of a bar-like store and entered. Four old but well-polished round tables were arranged and in the front counter, a strict middle-aged shop owner carved potato-like vegetables.
“Welcome, sit down at the counter"
There were no other customers inside the store as if it had just opened. Shinichi sat at the counter seat as ordered and ordered something while placing three gold coins.
“Two of the most high-quality and finest dishes in this shop that you can offer "
“Fool, all my cooking is delicious"
In response to the cheeky order made, the shopkeeper laughs, saying all that and taking all the gold coins.
“Which part of the country did you come from that doesn"t have the Kingdom"s silver coins?"
“It"s Senbee village in the south”
“Huuh, it"s the first time hearing that name”
The shopkeeper aptly replied, before taking out about twenty thin silver coins from the box with sales proceeds and placing them before of Shinichi.
“If you change money, go down the road to the castle, to the place where the scales are drawn”
“I see, thanks"
Shinichi obediently said thank you and put the silver coin into his bag. He didn"t know if this cash is the correct amount, but the shop owner didn"t seem to be a bad guy who deceives others and he seems to be kind enough to introduce money exchangers.
“Old man, was there something interesting recently?"
“Yes, the legendary Demon King appeared in the Doggu Valley and it was a big loss. There are spicy stories everywhere"
While saying so, the shopkeeper placed a wooden cup in which he"d poured a wheat drink before Shinichi and Ceres.
(Ale? I heard that it was safer than raw water in Europe in the old days because of the dangers of parasites)
For now, Shinichi decided to forget the laws back on Earth and drank the ale while pondering a little worriedly whether the water he had drunk in the demon castle was okay. After seeing that, Ceres also raised the cup to her mouth, but then she opened her eyes and held her hands over her mouth due to the taste she had tasted for the first time.
(After all, alcohol from Makai is unpalatable)
While thinking about that, Shinichi tried drinking the human"s ale of this world but compared to a c.o.c.ktail, it was not very pleasant. When he was a child, Shinichi had drunken alcohol with his relatives so had the feeling that It tasted like j.a.panese beer only, more watered-down.
(Whether the material is bad or the manufacturing method is bad, this is how it ends up......)
“Huh, the soup has been warmed up now, so please eat it first"
The dish placed in front of them was sliced ham and black bread.
“Thank you”
While thanking the shopkeeper, Shinichi carried the ham and bread with his hands towards his mouth while also lowering his expectations.
(the Ham is a bit too salty, but not bad. But the bread......hard and sour)
The taste is similar to the rye bread eaten in Germany, not the bread made from wheat flour that is normally sold in j.a.pan. However, the quality of the rye used is far inferior to that of the 21st century"s and there is also a bitter taste.
(It really needs improvement!)
Looking to the side, Ceres was looking even bigger and bigger than before. Of course, the surprise that she felt is opposite to that which Shinichi felt.
“Delicious......”
Her cold expression collapses and instead wore on her face a smile usually never shown.
“Reno-sama used to say that bread is delicious with cooked meat"
It"s different to the sloppy stuff that came out in the feast though. Black bread and ham, which could honestly be said to be a human cuisine, let her eyes shine like a child and make her small mouth struggle hard. That child-like gesture, which was nothing like her usual demeanour was quite lovely, seeming to make Shinichi captivated. Luckily he still had some bread and ham, and so placed them in front of her.
“Eat it if you want, the taste is a little too strong for me"
“Shinichi-sama......it is useless to try to drop in aphrodisiac."
“Don’t have it then! I didn"t do that!"
Just how much of an ero-b.a.s.t.a.r.d did she think Shinichi is, Ceres ate the bread and ham that Shinichi handed her without hesitation. After that the potatoes,
(Similar vegetables)
Although the soup was only prosaically salty, it was a praxis to eat adequately so Shinichi filled his stomach for the first time and raised a smile before continuing with the main subject.
“By the way old man, I heard that the G.o.ddess"s hero is coming to beat the demons you were talking about a while ago"
“Hero? Oh, it"s about Ariane-sama, she is certainly staying at our shop"
“......Hee, so it was true"
It is pointed to the second floor which seems to be an inn and Shinichi swallowed the surprise which cut off his throat somehow.
(I just heard that she is in this town, but what I didn"t know was that she was in this store......)
It is just a coincidence, but there is a dark place in the back of Shinichi"s mind that worries whether it is a trap or something else.
“Is Ariane the hero, so strong?"
“Oh, it"s not like I"ve seen it with my own eyes, but it seems she is strong like a monster. Anyway, there were other heroes in this country. But as the story goes, they fought with all the Demons at a battle and they were knocked down single-handedly”
“Hee, that is amazing"
It might be natural that she is stronger than the five other heroes who were not able to inflict a single wound on the Demon King. While thinking so, Shinichi naturally cut out the story.
“The G.o.ddess hero......if she was so great, would I be able to become one as well?"
“............”
Ceres" s line of sight became slightly sharp, silent. Is he going to turn over to the human"s side──the shopkeeper laughed loudly to blow away the air that froze between the two of us.
“Don"t be silly, if a young boy like you can become one, I"m going to be a hero too!"
“Ahaha, that"s right”
“Even though there are 50,000 people in this Boa kingdom, there are six heroes chosen by the G.o.ddess. No, there are only seven of them. Can you use sword skills and magic?”
“Is it impossible, do I just give up?"
While giving a refreshing smile to the owner, Shinichi laughs at the wickedness of his heart.
(Seven people, the five-man knight party, Ariane and who is the last?)
Shinichi also realized that the G.o.ddess heroes were selected not from the birth but from strong and superior ones. There is only one thing to check afterwards.
“But, if you become a G.o.ddess hero, you will be revived; even if you die a death where your corpse doesn"t remain?”
This is a desire rather than a guess. If all humans are able to revive from nothing, then the demon race will have no victory. Secretly, Shinichi tensed up to wait for the answer and the shopkeeper nodded giving a wry smile.
“Yes, it"s tempting to be able to revive from any kind of death, but how many of us common folk can handle that kind of cruel treatment?"
“Certainly, the damage to the corpse is so terrible that resurrection magic doesn"t work......so it’s something like death by being burned whole huh?"
“A hunter swallowed by a snake completely will be digested to the bones"
“Well, it"s a traumatic thing to be reborn"
“Generally, if you don"t pay enough donation to the temple, won’t the poor not get resurrected? No matter what they would want to revive, it is too luxurious a wish"
“I see”
While admiring and nodding Shinichi did the guts pose in his heart. [2]
(All right! The normal resurrection condition is the same as the demons. After all, only the G.o.ddess heroes are special)
Shinichi doesn"t know what the reason is, but the G.o.ddess whose" intention is to only save the chosen ones, seems to be a stingy existence. Thanks to her, they should only be vigilant of the heroes.
“By the way, if you go to the temple without money, will you be driven out?”
“......Was the priest of your village such a bad guy?"
“No, no. The city is a scary place and the priests are also stingy"
When listening with interest, Shinichi was earnestly pitied and he hurriedly made an excuse.
“Our priests are not that stingy, they will not wait for you to pay them donations. However, the debt does not change, if you have never paid, your reputation will be bad, unless if you cannot work anymore, or you are an old man then certainly …... "
“It cannot be helped then"
Shinichi nodded with a complex expression towards the owner who was cloudy.
(Is it possible to resurrect the dead? Is it a problem?)
Just imagining the kind of eyes you will encounter after resurrection is frightening, such as husbands who cheated on their wife or killed their wife. It is a world where injuries are cured by magic and although Shinichi would like to investigate in detail about the laws and population problems around here, he didn"t have the time right now.
“Thank you old man, I will come to eat again"
After he had heard the good news and giving a heartfelt thank you, Shinichi stood up from his seat. Ceres also followed, and just as they put their hands on the door of the doorway, a cheerful voice sounded from the second floor of the tavern.
“Old man, good morning!"
“Oh, good morning Miss. Today you get up very late which is unusual"
“Yes, I trained until very late yesterday, so I overslept!"
A girl got down the stairs lightly and Shinichi couldn"t hide behind the counter seat.
“Is it so strange seeing a woman?"
“No, that"s not particularly strange"
Because there is magic, Shinichi knew that there is no difference in power between men and women; a look at Ceres and one would know. So, what caught his mind was simpler and more common.
“I thought that she had a cute face"
“Is it fun to mess with tears and white liquids? You"re really a perverted b.a.s.t.a.r.d"
“What? Do I really look so much like a s.e.x offender?"
Why does this junk maid try to contemn people with her pink-coloured thought circuit instantaneously? Shinichi thought it was a mystery greater than the mechanism that the heroes used to revive indefinitely.
After leaving the tavern, Shinichi made his way towards the city centre while asking pa.s.sers-by for the way. A large stone building with luxurious décor was built near the royal castle. It is the place dedicated to raising the thing that would have been the greatest enemy threatening the Demon King.
“Welcome, traveller, what can I do for you in the name of the temple of Boa Kingdom of G.o.ddess Erezonia?"
A middle-aged woman dressed in a priest"s habiliments with a golden symbol on her pure white vestment, welcomed Shinichi with a soft but tired smile.
(Is this the temple dedicated to the G.o.ddess who created the heroes? Now, what do I get?)
Shinichi spoke with a very natural smile as he entered the place that could be called the enemy"s stronghold.
“Although I came from a country called Senbee village in the south, I wanted to devote a prayer to the G.o.ddess of this wonderful temple because it is a big deal"
“Well, that is a good att.i.tude. It"s a little hectic right now, but please do come in"
As prompted by the woman, Shinichi pa.s.sed the big door and set foot into the Temple of the G.o.ddess. It is a beautiful complex structure with many arches, the floor and the pillars were made of well-polished marble and it exuded a heavy, solemn air.
(Profitable, I should make a religion, too)
(Do you have any other impressions?)
Shinichi was whispering with Ceres so that the priestess who is walking in front of them wouldn"t hear. Then he saw something that perturbed him.
“This is......”
An enormous painting hung on the wall. It depicted a spectacle of a terrible h.e.l.l where one fell into a bottomless abyss and a demon with a horn and a black ominous dragon.
“A long time ago, they were defeated by the good G.o.ds lead by the G.o.ddess, so the ill.u.s.trations of the Evil G.o.d and the Evil Dragon show them to be enclosed below ground"
The woman was kind enough to explain it, but her face has a colour of disgust and horror.
“It is frightening to remember it from time to time that the evil people are sealed under the land upon which we stand"
“That"s right"
Shinichi aptly affirmed but had a little doubt.
“However, I understand the Evil G.o.d, but is the Dragon really so bad?"
Because it is a fantasy world where magic is real, even if there is a dragon, it is not surprising. However, even though the image of the villain was strong on the earth even though it was a dragon, there are many traditions of good dragon-kings in the Orient and the Middle East, including the blue dragons of the Four G.o.ds. Also, it is a bad dragon that has the name of a colour such as "Red Dragon", but Shinichi remembers listening to the story that it is a good dragon that brings the name of the metal such as "Gold Dragon". It was a casual question that came out of such a thought, but the priestess spread her eyes to astonishing eyes and embraced the expression of a foreign person.
“Dragons are truly evil and terrible beings who are said to have eaten and killed all the G.o.ds except G.o.ddess Erezonia long ago. You will incur the G.o.ddess"s punishment if you think about the possibility of having a good dragon"
“Yeah, I"m sorry......”
Being strongly warned as if scolding a mischievous child, Shinichi pretentiously reflected and sent a gaze to Ceres.
(Is this story true?)
(......It is quite different from the story transmitted to the demons)
The face of the maid who answered so was slightly grumpy.
(From when, from where, its ident.i.ty is completely unknown, but the story that the black dragon sleeps in the depths of Makai is transmitted among the demons)
However, it is a strong, n.o.ble existence. She also says that it cannot be measured by the human concept of right and wrong.
(Let"s talk about that story. There used to be a demon who claims to be the "Black Demon King", he was convinced that only one who is crowded with black is willing to be alone, he has led a large army to get rid of the black dragon)
(I can see the punch of the story.)
Shinichi is looking forward to seeing whether it was completely annihilated, but Ceres shook her head.
(No, he and his army seem to have returned without losing one person. However, he subsequently abandoned the name "Black Demon King" and the demons in the demonic world who heard the story never said "Black" again)
(Why is that?)
The demon who she served is said to be "Blue demon king" and for demons, it is a great honour to have a colour in your name. But why did that guy abandon the name of the black devil, the reason was simple and straightforward.
(Even though he and the great army did their best, it was impossible to wake up the black dragon from its sleep, even the black dragon" scales weren"t even scratched)
“Haaa!?”
Shinichi suddenly gave cried out and the priestess looked at Shinichi who had an ambiguous smile with suspicious eyes.
(Even the man who took himself as the Demon King, wasn"t he just ignored like an insect?)
( Since it is transmitted as a fable, there is no guarantee that this is a fact so they say you should train yourself without fear)
However, many of the demons believe in the existence of the black dragon and they long to believe in their great strength.
(Perhaps our Demon King also?)
(He has a great respect for the black dragon, but when Reno has grown up and left his hand, he said he wanted to find out the truth)
(In that situation, I think that he won"t be able to be apart from his child)
While his heart is so chaotic, Shinichi wipes his cold sweat.
(Dragon......in recent games it was treated as prey for its material, but this one seems to be in a different league)
It is a legendary existence that is unknown to even exist; it will probably be salvation to never meet it. Shinichi also wanted to hear more about the dragon, but since it seems suspicious that the secret talk went on for too long, Shinichi walked away from the front of the painting. And soon after, there was a sight that incited worry. At the end of the wide aisle, the shadow of an armoured figure lurking in the corridor. Hundreds of them were corpses of soldiers with beautiful holes in their chests.
“By any chance......"
“Yes, the soldiers of the kingdom who fought bravely with the wicked demons and lost their lives"
The priestess nodded deeply, explaining the dead and laying bare hatred to the demon race slightly.
“As a result of the G.o.ddess" s protection, resurrection has been possible, but the number of victims was too large. Half of them have been sent to the neighbouring temples, who are doing their best, but they don"t have enough people...... "
They were in the state of waiting for resurrection using the antiseptic treatment magic.
“We also lend a lot of power, but considering the burden of the bishops, the maximum number of people we can save is fifty a day......"
“Well, that"s a hard work"
Shinichi showed a painful expression while being pleased with the new information obtained.
(After all, there are few users of resurrection magic)
On the demon"s side, there are only two. The demon king and Ceres and probably Reno if she does her best. The problem is the same on both sides.
(However, it seems to be able to cooperate even if weak. They also have a way to divide their power, such as magic to advance the MP, like in a shounen manga)
Either way, the human group is never to be reckoned with. While thinking about such a thing, Shinichi reached the chapel in the very depths of the temple. No corpse is put in this room which is higher and wider than the others. Only a huge white statue of a woman was enshrined, shining mysteriously in the light from the gla.s.s window.
“Is this the G.o.ddess......"
She is a beautiful woman with a gentle smile and long hair; she also has no wings and really looks like a human. After imitating the pious parent and child who had come earlier, and pretending to pray appropriately, Shinichi got a handkerchief from Ceres and wrapped a gold coin in it, before giving it to the priestess.
“Thank you for your busy schedule. Because I´m a countryman, it might be impolite, but this is for the G.o.ddess……”
“Well, you don"t have to do something like that"
“No no, because it is all thanks to the G.o.ddess that we can live peacefully, I want to do this"
“If you say that......"
The woman who was hesitant at first also received it obediently after he insisted repeatedly.
(Your commoner´s performance is really good)
(You"re not praising me, are you?)
While listening to Ceres"s irony, Shinichi makes out with a face that he remembered something now.
“By the way, I would like to ask you a question, if it is okay?"
“Yes, what is it?"
“To tell the truth, my younger brother heard the rumour that the Demon race has appeared recently and said 『I will defeat them by becoming a G.o.ddess´s hero 』threateningly.”
“Well, that is a funny brother"
“I don"t really want to let him do it because it"s dangerous, but I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about the heroes"
“I don"t mind if it is just that much"
Since she got a large amount of gold first; the woman gladly invited the two to the wall chair.
“First of all, how is a hero chosen?"
“Those who have courage and strength and who have sword and magic skills great enough that they can annihilate the demons that threaten the people, receive the G.o.ddess"s consecration and are recognized for the first time as heroes"
“Well, what is that consecration?”
Shinichi also became obsessed with words that are somewhat different from what the Demon King and the demons said but he will continue talking about the heroes in the meantime.
“It"s not so difficult. It is enough for those who are confident in their courage and power to stand in front of the statue of the G.o.ddess in the temple, and dedicate their all to the G.o.ddess and fight for people"
“Just that?"
“Yes, and if the G.o.ddess recognizes you, the hero"s mark dwells somewhere upon your body"
The woman says so and points to the symbol of the G.o.ddess depicted in her robe.
“Is it really that simple? Well, it looks good even if there are many more heroes”
The woman showed a slightly embarra.s.sed face when Shinichi points it out.
“No, if there is just sword or a magic skill, then there are others who deserve to be heroes. But you must have the courage or pure heart to be chosen by the G.o.ddess..."
“In other words, there are those who are not chosen even if they have the ability?"
As she said it was difficult to say it, instead of telling Shinichi, the woman nodded while worrying about whether the surrounding people heard it.
“If you are chosen as a hero, it is a great honour. Those who want to be authorities or archbishop of the cardinal must be absolutely holy. It"s just that you weren"t chosen, right?”
Because the contempt is lubricated, there are a lot of people who do not dislike and do not receive the holiness because their character is poor. There is a position from the origin, and the Royalty n.o.ble etc. who care about the hearsay might be especially severe. Also, for the priest who serves the G.o.ddess, the evidence is rejected by the G.o.ddess, and the future road is closed, and if it is poor, it becomes a fatal wound which is kicked out from the temple. It is a cause that the hero full of merit that can be revived infinitely is not easily increased.
(Is it like getting a declaration of expulsion from the church? That"s scary, isn"t it…?)
At the time the heroes ran, there should be a reasonable ability and the result built up by it. It is too bad bet that it will be destroyed with a branding of "Personally Defeated Person" in a moment.
(Maybe the Knights were quite some gamblers)
In fact, there was no end to the verge of downfall, and there was no other way to obtain it. To Shinichi"s side, Ceres was patting and lowering her big chest.
(I"m relieved; Shinichi will never become a hero)
(Yes, yes, I guess I"m a b.a.s.t.a.r.d anyway.)
The tongue which has become accustomed already flows lightly and Shinichi rises from the chair.
“Thank you for the talk. Also, although it may be bad to question this......is that statue similar to the real G.o.ddess?"
“Yes?”
For a moment, what did the woman say? She looked puzzled at first, but she immediately answered with a smile.
“Unfortunately, I have never seen the G.o.ddess personally, so it cannot be said to be similar or not alike"
“Is that so”
“However, the statue of the G.o.ddess in the great temple, which is the model of all statues, was carved by the first pope that has been given a direct teaching from the G.o.ddess who came to this place"
“Well, it was also good to hear the story”
When Shinichi finished the talk, he turned away from the woman and the G.o.ddess. And, the man in his thirties walked in, bringing along a lot of priests in front of two people who tried to leave the temple. Simple but dressed in a habiliment nicer than other priests, bowed from those who pa.s.s by, raise their hands and give back a meek smile. Shinichi also follows other believers, lowers his head and casually standing in the position where Ceres is hidden while stopping at the edge of the pa.s.sage and leaving the road. Without even noticing him and the maid behind him, the man pa.s.sed with a smile.
(Hoo......)
On the verge of pa.s.sing by, Shinichi"s eyes caught it. The golden symbol of the G.o.ddess which is engraved on the right hand of that man.
(That"s the seventh hero and is the most important bishop here?)
It is indeed troublesome that the caster of the resurrection magic is immortal. However, they are still busy by reviving the deaths who remains still hundreds, and there is no room to attack the devil king castle.
(The enemy for the moment is only Ariane)
Thinking of that, Shinichi left the temple and looked up at the blue sky.
“Did you get what you wanted?"
“About 70%"
Shinichi thinks further while giving a quant.i.tative response to Ceres" question.
(If possible, I wanted to see the moment when the hero of the G.o.ddess was revived, but it"s impossible)
Shinichi"s face is cloudy since it would now be necessary to do human experimentation as just hearing the story from those knights he"d tortured, he only had guesses.
(I didn"t get to hear anything about the process through which the Heroes revive from nothing since it would be too suspicious to ask about. Had I asked, she"d only give the answer that it"s『The Power of the G.o.ddess』)
Of course, the other priests in the temple may not know the truth about the G.o.ddess and the heroes either, as no other human could know.
(G.o.ddess Erezonia, I do not know if she is an individual with an ego or just a huge shapeless system. The only thing certain is that she is an『Existence』)
No one has ever met her. However, it is a fact that the dead heroes revive. And──
(It is impossible even for the Demon King to enable autonomous resurrection. Is it that the G.o.ddess is stronger than the demon king?)
Scared by his own imagination, Shinichi ground his teeth to avoid shuddering. He didn"t know what the full extent of the Demon King"s power. However, he knew that the Demon King seemed to have a large-scale extirpative ability like a small nuclear warhead. Transcending such a Demon King, is there really such an existence in this world?
(Because I asked, don"t come out)
For now, it seems that the G.o.ddess herself didn"t appear, but no one knows what will happen if the situation changes to one where mankind stands on the brink of annihilation.
(Again, for human beings and for demons, it is necessary to avoid exacerbating the matter)
Prior to this, before Reno, when people attacked Makai, they said that they are going to go extinct due to counterattack magic, but perhaps they are in danger of extinction, because of an evil Existence.
“So, what will you do next?"
“Uh, that"s right"
Pulled out of his negative thoughts with Ceres´s voice, Shinichi returns to a positive and realistic state.
“In my hometown, there is a proverb 『If your OS is destroyed, then your PC is just a box』"
“Haa......”
“To put it briefly, if you crush the head that gives the orders, then it"s the end"
Forging up a suitable proverb, Shinichi looked up at the large castle next to the temple.
“In other words, defeat the king of this country"
If you defeat the king of the Boa kingdom, you will not even have to fight with the heroes.
“Winning without fighting, this is the secret of war strategy"
“From what you have learned about the heroes, that is your conclusion?"
“I looked into it. It"s inefficient to deal with the hero because it is impossible to solve the issue of immortality"
Besides, when the king is suppressed, the peace of the demon race is preserved regardless of whether or not more heroes will appear.
“But can you win?"
Shinichi unconcernedly nods, unlike Ceres who was worried because of the typical demon standards; a.s.suming that the king = the strongest existence.
“It"s alright, we"re not going to fight each other"
“Haa?”
“It is the mouth which politicians decide to fight with "
Saying that Shinichi took out a silver coin from his heavy waist bag.
“If you have money, you can do anything, hooray for capitalism!"
“Guess that"s it"
Even if the mechanisms of the human society isn"t understood, there"s no doubt in that, Ceres affirmed coldy.
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King Tortos IV"s work begins with audiences in the morning. Va.s.sal n.o.bles, the head of the commerce guild that supported the city and messengers from other countries. He had to listen to their advice and requests and answered after consulting with the prime minister. He didn"t want to bother with any pretentious imitations, and would rather make written exchanges. Instead, as it was a King"s job to maintain the dignity of va.s.sals and the messenger through the talks.
(A man who is a puppet of the bishop, has no dignity at all)
Tortos IV, while spitting a sigh in his heart, pridefully reached the throne with a dignified att.i.tude of a King.
“Good day, who are you?"
“Yes, it is......"
The prime minister who is called, looks at the parchment at hand with an embarra.s.sed expression.
“I"m Manju a merchant from Daif.u.ku village"
“A village merchant? If you"re talking about business, you should go to the guild"
The King is so not free as to bother with meeting with a merchant. Naturally, the Prime Minister understood that.
“But I would like to meet His majesty and talk to him personally......"
In response to the Prime minister"s eyes, two soldiers were carrying a big box. It is placed with a heavy sound, and the lid is slowly opened in front of the king. Immediately, his eyes were blinded and a golden glow enveloped the audience.
“What, this box is full of gold bars!?"
“I examined it and found that it was all pure gold without any adulteration"
In terms of gold coins, wouldn"t it exceed 100,000? If you compare it with a soldier"s stipend of about 15 gold coins a year, you"d realise just know how much money it was.
“Regardless of your reply, I would like to give this to you as I ask you for an audience"
“Fool, who on earth are you!?"[3]
It is no wonder that Tortos IV was astounded. The treasure offered by the guild and the treasure offered by the messengers of other countries is less than one-hundredth of this box. Of course, it means that there"s a request that suited the price. Nonetheless, a merchant named Manju offered a golden mountain just to meet him.
“What village merchant, who the h.e.l.l are you?"
“And no one in the merchant guild knows you......"
If a merchant whose ears are better than any n.o.ble or knight, is unaware, then there will be no one Boa kingdom who knew about it.
“Your Majesty, what will you do?"
“Umumu......”
Tortos IV let out a light groan as he thought. The merchant is obviously suspicious. Ten to nine, he would be a provocateur of another country aiming for the Boa kingdom. However, even if he knew it was poison, the king would want to drink a beautiful wine. The golden shine in front of him was just a deposit,
“If you listen to me, I"ll give you more money"
with an exterior of self-confidence. The more the king refuses without hesitating, the more the bosom of the Boa Kingdom was warm.
(For the resurrection costs of the soldiers, they probably have taken half of the national treasury......)
The subjugation of the demon race that appeared in the Doggu Valley has cost three thousand soldiers their lives due to the Demon King. The kingdom had paid a large donation to the temple as remunerations for the resurrections. Half was carried to the temple of another country, and the kingdom was made to prepare dozens of wagons. To insist on the annihilation of the demons firmly, the King forcibly sent troops to the temple with Bishop Hugh. Rather, the purpose was to deprive the donated money and to make the temple wary, because they had weakened the kingdom and waged war with the demons.
(No way, isn"t he the bishop"s p.a.w.n?)
Tortos IV glanced at Hugh who stood sideways and didn"t change his expression even after the gold was revealed; only giving his usual meek smile.
“Alright, come here"
No matter what kind of trap it is, it only is the first meeting. The Prime Minister brought the merchant to the throne in response to the king who had decided so. Who appeared was a mediocre, featureless, middle-aged man with simple clothes. However, the blue-haired maid who stood behind that man was a beautiful woman.
“King Tortos IV, I am honoured to meet you"
“Do not bother yourself, raise your face"
To the merchant who gently kneeled and lowered his head, the king gave his standard response.
“Then, what do you want to talk about?"
“Yes, I would like to have your Majesty"s permission for business"
“Business? Then have you talk with the guild about this already?"
If you acc.u.mulate that much money, you will be welcomed into the merchant guild with great joy. However, this middle-aged merchant named Manju slowly shook his head.
“No, for my business I need his Majesty´s permission"
“I don"t understand, what do you want to do?"
He firmly piqued the king"s interest, and the merchant answered while grinning a bad smile.
“It is a trade permit with the demons of Doggu Valley"
“Wh, Whaattt!?”
To these words, the king, the prime minister, the ministers, the guard soldiers and everyone else was quite astonished. Even Bishop Hugh widened his eyes with a stunned look.
“Are you in your right mind to do business with the Demon race!?"
“Of course, I"m sane. However, I will not do business with just sanity"
To the upset Tortos IV, the merchant keeps laughing to the end.
“I have heard the rumours already about how frightening a demon is. But are they really our enemies? "
“Wh, Whaattt!?”
Uneasiness, the reason is that the king also shuddered instinctively from this answer. Seeing it, the merchant explained with a satisfied look on his face.
“Although our six thousand soldiers attacked and half of them were killed, why hasn"t the Demon King attacked Boa kingdom at all since then? If he has the power as in the rumours, he should be able to annihilate everything in less than three days"
“U, Umu......”
“Then, there is only one answer. The Demon race in the Doggu Valley isn"t hostile towards humans. At the very least, they don"t feel like attacking and destroying Boa kingdom"
“Naa!?”
Even though he is astonished again, Tortos IV is convinced. Because he had already thought of the possibility. However, it was an idea that couldn"t be accepted so easily.
“The other party is a wicked demon? It is a fellow of the evil G.o.d who fought and was defeated by the G.o.ds before being driven to the bottom of the earth? They don"t have any grudge against us humans who are the children of the G.o.ds!"
Just like the others that live in this world, Tortos IV desperately tried to deny it using tradition that everyone knew as a shield. However, the merchant did not seem to be anxious and shook his head slowly.
“Perhaps the legend was wrong. No, maybe the demons are an evil existence as in the legend. But, as rarely evil humans are born, the demons that appeared in the Doggu Valley might have been friendly demons that are unusual in this world"
“No way, such a thing......"
“Only half of the 6000 soldiers were killed, the Demon King went easy on the resurrected heroes, he didn"t try to retaliate even though he was attacked and he didn"t leave the valley once......if you just look at these facts, don"t you think that story might be true?"
“...........”
A legend is an old and ambiguous thing, but Tortos IV was presently confronted with the clear reality, and so remained silent.
(Is that still the case? Are the demons as wicked as told?)
The Demon King was so mighty and frightening that he kicked around the kingdom"s army, and Tortos IV"s eyes became clouded. If the prejudice and the conviction are thrown away, the word of the merchant certainly seems to be correct.
“Of course, it is not easy to trust the demon race that has attacked and killed many soldiers of the kingdom and even defeated the heroes. It might be a wicked scheme of theirs to not attack"
“Umu”
“That is why, first of all, I would like to make contact in the form of business, and let me explore the true intentions of the demons"
“Muu......”
The Merchant"s words have a point, the kingdom wouldn"t make any losses.
“But, what are the benefits to others?"
To Tortos IV"s question, the merchant also responded with a sly smile.
“I expect, if trade with the demon race succeeds, we will get goods and techniques that only the demons possess. They must yield many times the wealth of gold sent to His Majesty."
“But it won"t be limited to the things you want."
“If business is a bet, it is natural that you put down the danger of failing. Besides, there is definitely something better than materials and technologies"
“And what would that be?”
To the curious king, the merchant spoke with a truly wicked smile.
“The strongest force that will surpa.s.s ten thousand troops──it"s the aid of the demon king”
“Whaatt......!!?”
To this answer, everyone in the throne room was speechless again. The merchant"s words were too dangerous, blasphemous and attractive.
“If the terrible demon king becomes a friend, it is not a dream to destroy and flatten other countries and that the Boa kingdom becomes a huge unified kingdom──the Boa empire"
“Boa Empire......I"d be the Emperor......?"
“Even if it does not go well, if you can establish an alliance, it will be a check for other countries. I do not know because I"m too uneducated, but haven"t we been attacked by another country twice or thrice?"
“Muu......”
The words of this dangerous merchant were sweet as honey and surely gnawed the mind of Tortos IV.
“In the place where I failed, only a foolish merchant dies alone. Your Majesty, please give me permission for trade with the Demon race"
Concluding so, the merchant bowed his head deeply. All of his words are reasonable, and the Boa Kingdom will only profit. Therefore, the answer was decided without any need to worry.
“I, I──”
*Clapping*. Dry applause interrupted Tortos IV"s voice just as he tried to answer.
The clapping came from the bishop who wore a meek smile on the side of the throne.
“That was a brilliant speech, renegade merchant"
“Renegade?"
As the merchant raised his eyebrows, Bishop Hugh deepened his smile in certainty.
“Under the light of G.o.ddess Erezonia, you want to work together with wicked demons, if this is not a betrayal to the G.o.ddess or mankind, what do you call it?"
Saying that, Hugh looked at those in the audience. The light in his eyes was more threatening than his mouth. ──If you disobey the teachings of the G.o.ddess, there is no life for you. No injury or sickness will be cured in the future for a lifetime and you won"t be revived if you die. No, it is not enough. The strongest of the temple in this world──are the invincible heroes, and they will turn their blades to you. No matter how you kill them, they will come to you again and again, as the worst a.s.sa.s.sin. Threatened by the security of life, the king couldn"t disobey.
“U, Umu, as Bishop Hugh says. Merchant, I admire your enthusiasm for business, but it will not be tolerated by the G.o.ddess"s teaching"
“Yes, Even if you do not rely on a dirty plot, the Ariane that I found will destroy the wicked demons"
As if signalling to not be greedy──Bishop Hugh put his hand on the king"s shoulder.
“It is regrettable, but give it up"
The Prime minister is forced to cut off the story in an attempt to disperse the tense air quickly. Looking at him, the merchant unexpectedly stood up quietly.
“Your Majesty and va.s.sal n.o.bles, I am very sorry that I have taken up your time to talk to you. Please accept this gold as an apology"
While apologizing, he indirectly urges for a pardon for his sin by reminding them of the existence of gold again.
“Umu, whenever you come up with any business, you can always come for an audience"
Even though he was inhibited by the bishop, Tortos IV raised words of labour in antic.i.p.ation of those eyes. And a smile of pure joy is returned, the merchant starts to walk away. However, there was a person who did not allow it.
“Guards, seize the renegade"
It was the Bishop of the G.o.ddess who ordered with a cold voice and a gentle smile.
“Going against the teachings of the G.o.ddess, he probably joined hands with the wicked demons and works for the Demon King"
“Bishop Hugh, that would be too much!"
The selfish action which disregarded the King and the cruel accusation couldn"t be endured any further and Tortos IV raised his voice instinctively. However, the Bishop"s smile didn"t change.
“Your Majesty, there is no doubt that that Renegade is the Demon King"s p.a.w.n. Since he is using illusion magic”
“Wh, Whaatt!?”
The people in the throne room looked at the merchant and the maid, raising voices of surprise which appeared many times today. Both glanced at the bishop and felt like stiffening their faces because of the tension.
“Come on, manifest your ident.i.ty, evil follower. Or do you want to be revealed by my hand?"
Hugh said so and raised his right hand upon which was engraved the symbol of the G.o.ddess. After seeing the movement that tried to use the magic, the maid, who had been in silence for a long time, wanted to step forward. However, the merchant raises his hands and suppresses her.
"If possible, I wanted to hide it through, but there is no way I can do it if you desire it"
Saying that, the merchant sent a signal to the maid with a glance. Then, she unravels the illusion magic that was put on the merchant according to his wish. What appeared then was an ugly face full of sores, burnt red skin, with no age or physiognomy.
“Uguu......”
The merchant spontaneously spoke, not blaming the guard for vomiting.
“It is a wound given by a certain rival. Because it is so unsightly, I usually hide it with magic"
“This girl has a similar wound, so please forgive me for uncovering it"
Disregarding himself, it was too pitiful for young girls to expose their ugly faces to the public, and the merchant requested earnestly while prostrating. Neither the king nor the subordinates were geezy enough to haunt that hard figure.
“Manju-dono, you can raise your face. There is no need to apologize for it"
“Thank you very much for your generous forgiveness, your majesty"
When the merchant lowered his head again, the maid put her magic back on and hid the burn. However, the merchant stopped in front of the door and looked back.
“When I suffered this wound, I thought, 『People are much more wicked and dreadful than the legendary demons』 what do you think, Bishop?”
As he said that, he looked at Hugh for a moment, before turning around without hearing the answer and left. The bishop persisted with a gentle smile beside the king who was freed from tension and sighed unexpectedly. However──
"You renegade, humiliated me the bishop of the G.o.ddess......!!"
In a small voice not heard by anyone, he leaks curses. Only for that moment, the smile that had been stuck disappeared and his black nature seeped out.
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“Well, the『Agree with me and become an emperor』 strategy was a failure.”
Shinichi stayed in a room of a tavern while noting the fact that there were no pursuers. Seating himself in bed as if he did not feel so sorry. Ceres had unravelled her illusion returning to her brown silver hair and quickly put her hands on his face.
“Oh, my goodness"
That said, Shinichi himself burned his face, which was healing now using healing magic.
“But it was useful, wasn"t it?"
Even if you can see an illusion by any chance, had they not shown a serious injury and attached conscience to it, they would have ordered the maid to release her illusion too. Thinking that the prepared insurance worked.
“But why do you go so far?"
Although it was a strategy and the pain was erased, from the point of view of a demon, burning your own face was still only insane.
“It must be pleasant for an arrogant, perverted m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t to embarra.s.s himself, I guess”
Ceres seemed to be unusually angry as she spat out poisonous words.
“Ceres, did you happen to be worried?"
“I"m always worried about what"s inside your head"
While saying that, the burns on Shinichi"s face all faded away.
“I connected your eyebrows as a bonus"
“where is the police officer!? ......However, there was harvest"
Just to be sure, while touching his eyebrows, Shinichi reconfirmed his achievements and smiled.
“The king and his men do not hate the demons so far, and they understand the story. The problem is that Bishop Hugh"
Shinichi was surprised that the man who he pa.s.sed by the temple got in the way during the audience but thanks to it, the enemy became clear.
“Those knights as well, but the believers and the heroes of the G.o.ddess seem to dislike the demons a lot. What will we do?"
“I don"t know, I didn"t hear anything about the G.o.ddess in Makai"
Ceres shook her head without hesitation. As they heard in the temple, the legend that the G.o.ddess has sealed the evil G.o.d and the evil dragon in the bottom of the earth, was not transmitted to the Makai side. But even if they are said to be an enemy the G.o.d"s kin, they could only react.
“Even if the story was true, I think it"s irrelevant to us now"
“It"s difficult for a human to be able to reasonably divide it"
In front of the enigmatic Ceres, Shinichi sighs deeply.
“When it comes to religious hatred, it"s bad for Reno, but the argument has disappeared"
Faith is born of emotion, not reason. Therefore, regardless of the evidence or theory, they believe because they believe. They are right and blind, and will not listen to the opinions of others. The inability to interact with such fanatics, even in the world where Shinichi was born, had been proven to be disagreeable.
“So, after all, we have to go back to square one"
Subdue the heroine who attacked the Demon King"s castle with intelligence. The only purpose that he had been summoned into this world is to repeat it again.
“Bishop Hugh is a man, his voice changed a little when he said 『The Ariane I Found』, so if this child is captured by a demon and raped, what kind of face will he make then? Kukukuu!"[4]
“I"m not sure, but I understand I think "
Moreover, Ceres did not try to stop Shinichi"s cruelties and evil laugh. The reason is that the believer of the G.o.ddess to who does not hear person"s story, and is evil without permission because those people were exhausting.
“So, what will you do next?"
Shinichi answered Ceres"s question without hesitation.
“Yes, let"s practice!"[5]
“......Haa?”
The face of the expressionless maid changed to a little goofy one because she didn"t understand. Shinichi thinks that it is pleasant to see it and his intentions weren"t predicted.
__________________________________________________________________________________
[1]EN: while I read that I couldn"t help but think of how similar it is to Sora"s speech when he becomes king (from NGNL)
[2]EN: This pose:
[3]EN: "bakana" would translate to "foolish" and I think this exclamation is used for situations to express something stupidly impossible or too stupid/unbelievable to be possible, oslt……
[4]EN: well…that escalated quickly.
[5]EN: I actually nearly Loled out loud there….