Chapter 121
“Excuse us. We have brought the former Golda King, and the person necessary for this report.”
Lemia entered the audience chamber first and announced our purpose as a herald.
The lack of presence felt beyond the doors told me this audience…no, this meeting…would be extremely closed.
…Probably everyone beyond those doors had been told someone from Golda would be brought in, but only those inside knew it would be the former king.
“…Still-dono, please enter first.”
“Oh? Me first, then?” (Still)
I was ushered into the audience chamber first.
A space I have entered many times in memory.
When I was shown inside, the usual faces were already there.
Kres and Kokuri of the Thirteen Knights, and…Bark, head of the General Guild, was also unexpectedly present this time around. I took a few steps down the red carpet and, instead of kneeling before Her Majesty the Queen, I stood calmly in place.
Why should I bow my head to anyone other than My Lord?
“You’re being rude, aren’t you? You are before the Queen.”
“My apologies. I’m not well versed in such formalities.” (Still)
I brushed off Kres’s scolding with a lie and tried to read the Queen’s expression.
Suspicion, questions, and anxiety. Even in this situation where we won the war, she was clearly troubled.
…A good ruler. But a weak one, too. If you had wielded force earlier, you might have reduced the sacrifices of this war.
“Another person from the Brigade, Seimu, is absent, so I’ve brought Melt-san, who has ties to the Brigade.” (Lemia)
Melt came in next, toddling over in her usual manner and knelt a little awkwardly.
“Still, copy me, okay? Like this, like this!” (Melt)
“Nn…fufu… I’ll pass.” (Still)
Melt whispered to me while I remained standing.
…I felt I understood, a little, why everyone doted on this girl.
“Finally… We have brought the former Golda King.” (Lemia)
Last of all, the former Golda King was brought in.
Even with shackles on his hands and wearing shabby prison-like clothes, he still walked as if to claim he was a king, and stood beside me.
“Oh my, shouldn’t you be kneeling?” (Still)
“Eek!”
“Shall I make your legs unusable again?” (Still)
“Eeeek!”
He hurriedly dropped to his knees. You have a talent for clowning, don’t you?
“…What is your name?”
The Queen’s voice addressed me after watching this exchange.
“Hmm… Shall I borrow the knight’s earlier words? ‘Isn’t that rude?’ If you’re asking my name, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?” (Still)
“Y-YOU!”
As expected, Kres flared up. Lemia quickly stopped her.
“Hmm, what you say is reasonable. My name is Eltosia Amaldi Lendia. Fufu… I wonder how many years it’s been since I introduced myself.”
“Well, how very polite. My name is Still. I am an insignificant missionary and a small priest of a modest faith. And… the former Golda King here is a good friend of mine.” (Still)
When I introduced myself, the former Golda King, still kneeling, shook his head violently from side to side.
Lemia finally spoke after that chilly little self-introduction.
“Your Majesty… Our victory in this battle is certain. However…we may have lost something far greater.” (Lemia)
“…Hmm, tell me.” (Lendia)
“…There is an extremely high possibility that Seimu has lost the Brigade’s trust.” (Lemia)
“Fufu… Hahaha! You’re reporting that first!? Hahahahaha!” (Still)
The unexpected turn of the conversation made me laugh.
But it seemed everyone here truly feared deterioration in the relationship between that Brigade and My Lord as Seimu.
How perverse. That a nation would be so afraid of a single person. Still, it’s also the accumulation of My Lord’s achievements.
This is not really something to laugh about, huh.
“Huh? What? What happened? Did you make Seimu angry?” (Melt)
“Fufu, in that posture it’s hard to talk, isn’t it? Your Majesty? May I have her stand as well?” (Still)
“A-Alright.” (Lendia)
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” (Still)
Now…it’s about time.
Lemia hesitated to continue.
…Then fine. May I speak? May I explain?
“Lemia-san? If you don’t mind—” (Still)
“Your Majesty… Shilent-sama, who was dispatched by the Brigade…has been killed.” (Lemia)
Oh, what a shame. I was cut off.
“Eh? No way! That can’t be! Shilent can even defeat the strongest Dungeon Masters, you know?” (Melt)
“…Lemia, continue.” (Lendia)
“Yes. Former Golda King here and…Still have witnessed it.” (Lemia)
The former Golda King broke into laughter at that while still kneeling.
A laugh mixed with joy, bravado, and a little falseness.
“I see… So that’s what happened! So it was you who sent Shilent, Lendia-sama! Though you lost the battle… My hero was stronger! That Shilent…paid for betraying my nation!”
“Former Golda King, mind your tongue. You were not permitted to speak.” (Lemia)
“Hmph, I’ll be executed anyway…what fear do I have now?”
Even when Lemia snarled, the fool Golda did not change his stance. Amusing, so I let him be.
Now, let me add some clarification.
“It seems you don’t know. That man called Shilent, who had abnormal strength, was a summoned hero from another world at Golda’s instruction. My, my… I had an eye on him as well… I never would have expected him to be killed by another hero.” (Still)
“Shilent-sama… A hero from another world…?” (Lemia)
I see…Lemia hadn’t yet heard the full details from this fool.
“I wanted that man, too, but before I knew it he belonged to an organization calling itself the Brigade. Still, I couldn’t give up. I was always watching for an opportunity.” (Still)
I described in detail how Shilent stormed Golda Castle and was defeated by Isaka.
Of course… I included the fabricated episode about the promise I made with him beforehand.
“…So you watched Shilent be killed and did nothing?” (Lendia)
“Yes, that’s how it is. I never thought he’d lose, you know? To a mere ‘test subject’ like that.” (Still)
“Right! You! Because you appeared, everything went wrong! What are you?!”
“Oh, you’re much more spirited after cutting loose, aren’t you?” (Still)
“!”
“Very well. Your Majesty? It appears this war may have been orchestrated not by the Golda King, but by a mysterious man claiming to be his friend.” (Still)
Let me explain. I combined all the information I’d seen and heard with what My Lord had gathered, and laid out my theory.
“I don’t know the true origin. But…someone brought Golda the knowledge of powerful summoning magic and dungeon lore. As part of those experiments, they advised the Golda King, who disliked this country, to summon heroes from another world and start a demonic beast modification experiment that doubled as an attack on this country.” (Still)
In my estimation, those experiments to strengthen demonic beasts injected them with the power of the land concentrated in Dungeon Cores, testing whether they could serve as vessels.
And then, for a preliminary confirmation of the experiment, they tried the same procedure on a hero.
They had a fake Elkood Church merchant offer the crucial accessory for the experiment, had that item given to a hero within this country, and then, upon activation, the enhancement experiment triggered the same effect: an enormous power streamed into one of the heroes.
Probably the purpose was less about confirming results and more about shaking Lendia.
Even if they couldn’t bring monsters directly into Lindblum, this method could create damage within Lindblum’s interior…in places meaningful like the noble district.
They must have thought that it would be enough of a shake even without large direct damage.
But since the damage ended up far smaller than imagined, it never came to light.
That, too, was likely thanks to My Lord’s efforts.
I told the Queen this summary plainly.
“And the final phase: the involvement with artificial dungeons. This is my speculation, but I think they obtained fragments of a natural Dungeon Core and used it in their experiments. In fact, the otherworld hero who killed Shilent seemed to have acquired vast power perhaps from that experiment.” (Still)
“…Is that true, former Golda King?” (Lendia)
“…Well, I don’t know the specifics. But it is a fact my hero gained vast power. Using that as leverage, we planned to attack and overwhelm you…! And yet…!”
The fool glared at me insolently. But if Shilent had truly been defeated and that young man had invaded this country, Golda would have won the war, and many more would have died.
All those sacrifices would have flowed into that youth, making him even more powerful.
…Well, in reality Shilent wasn’t even close to dying.
He only assisted in pretending his death as part of my plan, playing the role of material for that deception.
And then…
“Yes! That’s right! The monster Shilent was defeated…this otherworld hero who probably absorbed Dungeon Core power and drew the life force of thousands! Unfortunately I seized all the research results myself! Your Majesty, how about it? My faith and strength surpass Shilent’s and those who move nations! That youth was slain by my hand! And this is the experiment’s result!” (Still)
I produced the core fragment I’d taken from the youth’s chest while acting the raving lunatic… The very shard likely used originally in this country’s artificial dungeon.
“Look here! This crimson jewel must have been used to absorb thousands of lives and thus triggered this war! I don’t know the exact goal, but that ambition was crushed by me! So, Queen, what will you do? You cozy up to some Brigade and acquired a Dungeon Core, yes? Now how will you respond to me…this new faith, this new force? Support me and aid my faith, and I will not spare assistance to your country!” (Still)
I demanded they accept me, my faith, my organization…be bound to this person who they don’t know anything about.
But…
“Shut up!!! Be quiet!!!”
A voice cut that mad performance off from beside me.
“I’ve been listening and I don’t get why everyone says such nonsense! Shilent can’t be dead! Shilent will come back! There’s no way Shilent could lose!” (Melt)
“Hmph! Queen, why allow such a beast here!? I’ll explain it to this stupid beast again: Shilent was defeated by my hero Isaka and died!”
“Former Golda King? You’d do well not to show beastkin discrimination before me. It’s unpleasant.” (Still)
Let’s silence him a bit. I can’t have the best moment spoiled.
I kill his throat. He can still breathe, yes?
“C…ha…”
“Now then, Melt-san. Unfortunately, Shilent was truly killed. I saw it clearly. A sword plunged deep into his belly, and when he tried to flee the hero drove a sword even deeper into his back. Then, from the upper part of the castle, a dying Shilent fell. Well? Perhaps he was buried in rubble in a near-death state…” (Still)
Is there anyone to continue from here?
Ah, of course you volunteer.
“This man prioritized a promise over rescuing Shilent-sama. He secured Golda’s upper echelons and then…along with Shilent-sama who might still have been saved…devastated the Golda Castle without a trace. Countless corpses became mere stains on the earth… This man hides such power… He is dangerous.” (Lemia)
“Fufufu, don’t praise me too much, Lemia-san. So, Melt-san, I’m afraid Shilent-san did return to the earth properly. Please accept that fact, okay?” (Still)
She wasn’t there, and so she has no means to deny it.
“…So Still killed Shilent?” (Melt)
I sensed faint murderous intent from her.
Perhaps because I am the only one she could direct that anger at.
“No, the hero killed him, right? Well, maybe he was still alive? But I fulfilled Shilent-san’s wish…I captured the king and utterly destroyed the castle.” (Still)
“…Did the hero die at Still’s hands?” (Melt)
“Yes. I killed him and took the core. Fufu…it seems to contain wondrous power… The mastermind might come to retrieve it someday.” (Still)
This girl’s people were probably annihilated because they were judged to be a latent threat. Otherwise it makes no sense.
Why should I fear someone as trivial as this girl?
I clenched my slightly trembling fingertips hard and crushed this feeling.
“I see… I’m done here. I’m going home.” (Melt)
I couldn’t explain this emotion. Why did I feel relieved now? Why…
“Wait. You’re related to the Brigade, aren’t you? You must listen until the end and…you’ll have to explain this to this so-called Seimu-san, won’t you?” (Still)
That name must have been the trigger.
Not Shilent, but the name Seimu…the one who’d been entwined with her the longest.
A scream-like plea echoed through the chamber.
“He is not coming back anymore!!! If Shilent’s dead!! He won’t come back!!! No one will come back!!! Everyone, everyone! No one will return!!! You know nothing! You know nothing!!!! It’s all over!! Everything is finished!!” (Melt)
Yes. That’s it. For her, Shilent’s death meant all transformed forms disappear. At least that’s what she believed.
I don’t know if that will actually be the case, but she believed Seimu, Shire, Seira, Hash…no one would ever return to her.
Including Shizuma, My Lord and origin of all.
“Is that so? Queen? Did you hear? It seems this country is destined to be completely abandoned by that Brigade. How about it? Why not ask for my cooperation? You could gain the same power and wealth. Just help my faith a little, yes?” (Still)
“I refuse. Your contributions to this battle were indeed notable. But I have neither the desire nor the trust to rely on you. Please depart.” (Lendia)
“…Oh? Fine. There’s a kind of faith in remaining loyal to those who won’t return. I will respect your faith. Then I’ll take this, okay?” (Still)
I slipped the core fragment into my pocket. I won’t be handing this, I will be taking it.
“Then I take my leave. Oh, and shall I return the voice to this fool?” (Still)
“…Please.” (Lendia)
“Very well.” (Still)
I stabbed into his throat. He coughed, writhed on the floor, and I spoke my last words to the fool.
“It seems the Queen does not intend to execute you. I believe Shilent demanded that this fool’s life or death be under his jurisdiction. Your Majesty, would you imprison this fool for now? Perhaps the Brigade members who won’t return will come to meet him instead of Shilent?” (Still)
“…I see. I’ll remember that as a final warning. Farewell, Still.” (Lendia)
“I am awfully disliked, huh.” (Still)
And with that I turned on my heel.
I paused at the sight of the girl…who was now back to being a little fox…and left a parting gift.
“Fufufu… A crying child gets candy. Here, take this.” (Still)
I slipped a tin of my favorite candies into the sobbing girl’s arms and left the audience chamber.
It’s over. All the schemes are directed at me now.
The man who hadn’t said a word will notice me, too.
Not confirmed, but that Bark man… There’s a high chance he knows something.
“The moment when someone loses the support they believed in… It’s ephemeral and beautiful, but…oddly, my heart doesn’t dance as I thought it would…” (Still)
I left the castle. Not toward the south gate…just running at full speed through the forest with my own feet.
I want to rest somewhere. Alone, where no one will come, and sleep.
Why is my heart this unsettled? In order to find out…
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