Chapter 75: ...To The Land Of The Myriad Kings III & IV (1/2)
<...To The Land Of The Myriad Kings III>
「So, who are you?」
His Majesty asked.
The old man and the beastkin were pointing lances at me.
His Majesty was bathing completely naked without any reservations. He wasn’t bothered by the cold of dusk, and was washing off the blood that had splashed on him. Steam was rising from his skin.
「I work as an adventurer in the Kingdom of Lemuria on the right continent. My name is Souya」
「Right continent, huh? That sure is far away. What brought you to a place like this?」
「Umm, I think it may be hard to believe, but when I was relaxing at my camp, I was swallowed by light, and then dropped into the royal castle here」
Well, I think it's more believable than the earlier battle though.
Also, I’ll omit the thing about the A.I.s because it’s complicated.
「………Who in the royal castle did that to you?」
「A young queen. She’s a beautiful-looking person」
Her personality is the worst though.
「How did she look? Did she look unwell? How was her complexion? Was she stricken with illness?」
He fired off a volley of questions at me.
「She was very much the picture of health」
「That’s good then. There’s one thing I don’t understand though. Why was the person summoned by Amelia looting?」
That queen, she’s called Amelia, huh?
「Due to some kind of mistake, I was summoned as a Brave, but when she found out that I’m inept, I was thrown out. In this cold weather, I had no one to rely on and only had the clothes on my back, so I had no choice but to loot an empty house to get supplies」
「………………」
His Majesty frowned as he wiped his body with a towel.
I watched silently and waited for him to finish putting on his clothes.
「It’s fine」
The two of them lowered the lances at His Majesty’s words.
「Souya, as her father, I apologize for my daughter's atrocious act」
Ehh, she’s his daughter?
No matter how I look at him, His Majesty looks in his early thirties at most. Did he have a child at a really young age?
「There isn’t much I can do, but tell me what you wish」
「I would like you to arrange for a ship to take me to the right continent」
I’ve been saved by someone reasonable, but……
「That's difficult. The northern port is now blockaded by the armies of the black elf’s Myriad Kings. I’ve driven off three flags today, but that bunch still has more stained flags. Even if we get into the port and steal a ship, it’s unclear if the sailors will obey us. At any rate, arranging a ship will be difficult」
That's right.
I had a feeling it would be like this.
「Aside from the northern port, is there no other way to go to the right continent?」
「There is another port if you head south to the edge of the continent. But that’s also difficult. The Myriad Kings who have sided with Elysium have set up camp in the south. In other words, my country of Ashtalia is surrounded by the flags of those who are shameless and foolish, and is in the midst of dying」
「That is………I see」
That must be why they crossed their fingers and turned to a Brave for help.
「Your Majesty, can I say something?」
The old man took a step forward and asked for permission.
「Speak if you have an idea, Zamonglass」
What did he just say?
「I have an old connection with Elysium. If it’s just one man, I believe I can get them to let him through. I’ll need some time though」
「Hmm. Is that okay with you, Souya?」
「Oh, thank you very much. I'm sorry, umm, err——」
「If you’re a man, speak clearly」
I got scolded.
「I'm sorry」
「Don't apologize indiscriminately」
「Yes」
I got scolded again.
「So, what is it?」
「If I didn’t hear wrongly, is your companion the Scarlet Knight, Zamonglass-sama?」
「None other. I met him by chance in Elysium. He has pledged his fealty to me. It’s the same for Regure over there」
You’ve got to be kidding me. Another name that I know has come out.
The old man, Zamonglass, drew closer and questioned me.
「Where did you learn of my nickname? Are you really an adventurer from the right continent?」
He has a piercing gaze. How scary.
「Zamonglass-sama, do you know a man called Irvin・Foz・Gasim? He should be one of your disciples. He and I were fellow adventurers in the Kingdom of Lemuria」
His Majesty stepped in between us and interrupted our conversation.
「…………Zamonglass, why do you have a connection with someone with the Gasim name?」
He has a really menacing look on his face.
That’s not a look a person directs at someone who fought alongside him on the battlefield just a while ago.
「Your Majesty, I didn't mean to hide it. It’s just that I didn't have a chance to speak of it」
「It’s fine then. I’ll take it as my own lack of caliber」
「No, such a thing is definitely not——」
「It’s alright」
His Majesty stood in front of me.
He’s huge. He’s a head taller than me.
「Souya, I have a history with the Gasim family」
Irvin's grandfather was an executioner. There must be people who hold grudges against him.
「I had two daughters. One is Amelia, who summoned you, and the other was Amelia's younger sister by five years, Irisetta. Irisetta had married into the Gasim main family, where she was embroiled in a plot and was sentenced to death」
Gasim's blood relative had conspired with the black elf and had plotted to assassinate a Pope. However, it was foiled in advance, and the entire family was executed, leaving only a pair of siblings.
「I went to Elysium to save Irisetta. However, Irisetta herself refused my help. “It doesn't matter whether the sentence is just or not. It’s the wife's duty to accompany her husband,” she said to me」
Irisetta-san was probably in her early teens. To be able to accept her fate despite that…… That’s courage befitting this person’s daughter.
「But, however, what do you think Elysium, the executioners did to my daughter? They didn’t allow those who were prepared for death to die, and made my daughter go through all the humiliation and indignity in the world. It was done not for justice, not for the atonement of sins, but simply for the sake of satisfying the desires of those beasts.
If Zamonglass hadn’t helped me meet my daughter, I wouldn’t have heard my daughter’s last words, or even know of their evil deeds. I’m truly foolish.[1] Because of my foolishness, my punishment was to see my country in this state upon my return. From what I heard, it was attacked by a beast that was wrapped in flames. The four generals and the soldiers of Ashtalia laid down their lives to defeat the beast, but most of the country was burned to ashes along with its people」
A beast of fire. One strong enough to destroy a country at that. Only one thing comes to mind. It was probably a beast of abominable blood of St. Lyridias.
What surprised me the most is His Majesty’s generals and soldiers, who had defeated that beast. The strong attracted the strong, I suppose.
「Amelia buried her younger sister’s remains and exiled me. “Live and kill as you like,” she said. I wanted to attack Elysium, but the black elf brought the surrounding Myriad Kings and invaded Ashtalia. And then, we fought battles like the earlier one………Zamonglass, how many times?」
「Six times, Your Majesty」
「Is it already six times? Because they’re boring battles, they don’t leave an impression on me. That damned black elf, only bringing weak soldiers to the fight. It smells like a ruse, but I can’t think of any other way aside from going out and driving them off」
「A normal person would have died the first time though」
Regure said lightly.
In the first place, a normal person won’t fight an army of 5,000 head-on.
「Oh, I’ve strayed from the main subject. Souya, can you tell me about that man called Irvin? I’ve heard that he was the only Gasim to be let off with exile. It has been on my mind」
「He was a good man. He had dauntless courage, a strong sense of responsibility, and wasn’t afraid to die for his party’s sake. To me, he was an irreplaceable friend. He defeated a giant beast that was attacking Lemuria, and died as the hero who saved the country」
「What, he died?」
I nodded and answered Zamonglass.
「Until the moment of his death, he was concerned about us and his imprisoned sister. He met an admirable end」
It's not a lie. So long as I, the person who survived, continue to say it, it’ll become the truth.
「An admirable end, huh?」
Zamonglass stared at me.
Somehow, his eyes look sad. This person probably knows everything. Then at the very least, for the sake of your disciple's honor, keep your mouth shut for now.
「That’s good then. If he met an end that doesn’t disgrace the Gasim name, or my daughter, then it’s alright」
The sun had set completely.
A white sigh escaped into the darkness.
「Well, Souya. My country is dying, but as my guest, I’ll treat you as well as I can」
「There’s no need for that」
I refused His Majesty's generosity.
He scratched his head with a slightly troubled expression on his face.
「Well, but as the monarch, if I fail to treat guests well, it’ll tarnish the reputation of Ashtalia」
Umm, your daughter threw me away carelessly though.
Leaving that aside,
「In that case, Your Majesty, would you please take me in as a vassal? It’s fine if it’s only until the arrangements for me to go south are done」