“Oh yes, while this cannot begin to count as an apology, I shall lend this to you, Baraja-san.

「对了，虽然说不上是谢罪、我就将这个借给巴拉哈小姐吧」

The Sorcerer King swiftly reached into his robe and produced a bow.

魔导王迅速地将手伸入长袍，并从中取出了一张弓。

--Hah?

（——哈？）

It was bigger than what could have been hidden inside his robes. Neia blinked several times, but reality refused to change.

那尺寸远超过能够藏匿在衣服的大小，涅娅反复眨眼、但事实没有任何改变。

“This is a magic weapon. Use it to protect me.”

「这个是魔法的武器，你就用这个来保护我吧」

Part of the bow was made with animal parts, but there was no air of blood and gore about it; instead it had a sacred feeling to it.

那张弓虽然有一部分直接使用了动物组织，但那个部分不但没有血腥的感觉，反而酝酿出一种神圣之感。

She could tell at a glance. In other words, this bow was a masterwork which needed to be described with the word “super”.

一看就能明白。直截了当的说，这把武器是需要加上两个超字来形容的一级品。

“This is the Ultimate Shooting Star Super, made with the ancient art of runecrafting. For various reasons, I was carrying it on me to lend it out to someone else. Ahh, normally there would be runes carved here, but you can’t see them now because of wear and tear. What do you think?

「这是究极·流星·超级[Ultimate Shootingstar Super]，是利用一种被称为卢恩[Runes]的古代技术制造的。出于某些缘故，是为了借给他人而带在身上的。啊啊、本来的话卢恩是刻在这里的，但经过磨损而完全看不到了呢。怎么会这样」

Neia used all her strength to suppress the urge to cry out.

涅娅使劲地抑制住想要呼喊的心情。

Typically speaking, she ought to refuse it. This was very likely to be a national treasure of the Sorcerous Kingdom. However, would anyone lend such a treasure to a follower from another country?

以常理判断、应该拒绝。这个很有可能是魔导国的国宝级武器。但是，一般来说会将那样的宝物随随便便的借给他国的侍从吗。

Maybe it just looks amazing -- as if! This is definitely a very powerful weapon!

（只有外表看起来很厉害——怎么可能啊！这个、绝对是很厉害的武器啊！）

“What do you think? Will you not accept it? Your job is to keep me company and protect me, no? Therefore, I believe it would be good to equip you with a better weapon, no?”

「怎么了？你不接受吗？你担任的是随侍在我身旁、负责保护我的工作吧？所以我想多少还是应该装备上比较精良的武器会比较好吧？」

“Ngh!”

「唔！」

He was right.

说得没错。

Neia felt her brain spinning around.

涅娅觉得脑袋咕噜咕噜地在转。

“Ahh, my apologies. Is it because it looks too showy?In that case, I have something more sedate, the Great Bow Special, Which is also the product of runecraft.”

「啊啊、抱歉。是因为外观过于张扬了吗？这样的话有比较沉稳的东西、有一张巨型·弓·特别版[Great Bow Special]，这件也是以被称为卢恩的出色技术制造出来的」

Saying so, he reached into his robe again--

一边这么说魔导王再次将手伸入长袍内——

“P-please do not trouble yourself! I am more than satisfied with this one! Please allow me to politely decline!”

「请、请不要费心！这一件我就非常满足了！请容我拒绝！」

Neia’s words blended with a mournful cry as she stopped the Sorcerer King from producing any more weapons. If he took out another weapon in front of her, Neia did not think she would be able to retain her senses, and lending it to her would probably entail that she had to spend the whole day on maintaining it.

涅娅以悲鸣交织的话语阻止了想要拿出其他武器的魔导王。当下一件武器出现在眼前之时，涅娅不认为自己还能够保持理智，如果再借自己的话光是保养就会花费一天全部的时间也说不定。

“Your Majesty! I humbly accept this Ultimate Shooting Star Super which you have bestowed upon me!”

「陛下！我在此恭敬地借用这究极·流星·超级！」

She took the bow with trembling hands.

用颤抖的手接下了弓。

Given its accessories and decorations, it seemed much heavier than an average bow, yet it felt abnormally light in the hand. Holding it made her body feel stronger, like it had been imbued with power, or was it because the bow itself was surprisingly light?

装饰比起一般的弓来得多且看起来非常沉重，但拿在手上时却异常的轻。手持的瞬间肉体仿佛被流进的力量所强化，还是说这张弓本身就是惊人的轻呢。

Ah, this is bad. I wanted to reassure myself with the thought that this was just a magic item which was fancy on the outside but plain on the inside. This… this is definitely a bad thing. For all I know… This might be better than the holy sword… eh? Wait, wait a minute… no, surely it couldn’t...

（啊、不妙。本来还将、那只是外表华丽而内在不怎么样的魔法道具，来作为最后的自我安慰的呢。这个、绝对是不妙的东西啊。搞不好……在圣剑之上的话……诶？等、等一下……不、不会是那样吧）

“Do you? To me, that’s hardly worth being proud of, you know? If you’d like some other -- if you’d like a better weapon, please let me know.”

「是吗？在我看来，那还只是不怎么张扬的类型哦？别的——如果想要性能更好的武器，就告诉我好了」

This is bad. If this kept up, if she kept hearing about it, things would become extremely bad. She could not begin to imagine what would happen if a squire ended up with better gear than the top-ranking person in her country.

不妙。再这样下去、再听到和这个相关的话题的话，事情会变得非常不妙的。如果一介侍从的装备比起位居于圣王国顶点的人要好的话，会发生无法想象的事。

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I am very grateful that you have spent so much time considering someone like myself…”

「非常感谢、陛下。为我这等人而考虑这么多……」

Letting someone else hold this would be very dangerous, so Neia clutched it tightly to herself.

这个、让别人拿着绝对很危险、涅娅紧紧握着。

She smiled to the Sorcerer King as he nodded while going, “Umu”. While the smile was a little stiff, she had managed to skilfully conceal her thoughts.

嗯嗯、对点着头的魔导王涅娅以笑容面对，虽然笑容差点变僵，但企图尽一切方式巧妙地隐藏。

“If others see this, tell them I lent it to you.”

「其他人看见的话就说是我借给你的」

Can’t I not let them see it? If possible, I’d rather wrap it up or something -- but I can’t do that with a weapon His Majesty lent me to protect him… Ahh… wait, my head’s starting to hurt. So something like this is nothing to be proud of… His Majesty’s standards are just too high… Will I have to pay him back if I damage this bow? Me? Ahhh, my tummy hurts… I wish I didn’t have to think about this bow… Ah!

（不让人看见不行吗！？如果可能的话还想用什么包着藏起来——为了守护陛下而借来的武器不可能那样做啊—。啊—、等等、头痛了起来。即便如此这个还算是不张扬的……陛下的基准也太高了……这张弓如果擦伤了的话要赔偿吗？谁来？啊啊、胃好痛……真不想去思考弓的问题……啊！）

Neia thought of something she had not yet mentioned.

涅娅想起了还没有提出过的绝佳话题。

“Your Majesty! I saw those huge and grand statues of yourself in Your Majesty’s country!”

「陛下！我、在陛下的国家看见了陛下巨大且宏伟的雕像！」

“--Hoh.”

「——吼喔」

He responded in a quiet voice that was tremendously different from the one he had used in the past. It made Neia uneasy about whether she had offended him in some way.

与目前为止截然不同的小声响应，让涅娅觉得自己是否犯了什么错而感到不安。

He had named his country after himself. Thus, Neia guessed that the Sorcerer King might be an egomaniac, which was also why he had built those huge statues of himself to proclaim his might.

他以自己的名字为国家命名。涅娅猜测魔导王的自我表现欲很强，所以才会制作自己的巨大雕像用来在周边宣示那份力量吧。

Did I not praise him enough?

（是赞扬的言语不够充足吗？）

“Those statues not only showed off Your Majesty’s greatness, but they also demonstrated your power as well! We don’t have any statues like that in the Holy Kingdom!”

「那座雕像不只是魔导王陛下的伟大，还在周边宣示了那份力量，那种程度的雕像在圣王国可是没有的」

That was most definitely not a lie. Size notwithstanding, one would need engineering techniques that had been refined down to an art in order to produce such a life-like product. There was a similarly-sized statue of a Sea Dragon at a place called Lighthouse Cape, but it was cruder, and it looked very drab after being worn away by the elements.

那绝对不是谎言。巨大程度不用说，还有美术般的建造技术到达极致才会有那栩栩如生的写实程度吧。在被称作灯塔岬的地方有着差不多尺寸的海龙像，但那更加粗糙、而且经过海风侵蚀后很是寒碜。

“My subordinates often say that.”

「部下们也经常这么说」

Ahhhh, is that it? He’s heard praise like that from his subordinates, so this much is only to be expected, is that what he means?”

（啊啊、是那样啊！因为已经从部下们那里听过了赞赏的言语，所以那种程度是理所当然的、是这个意思吧！）

“My subordinates are now planning to raise statues like these in various places of my nation.”

「部下们似乎正在计划，在我国各地都建造那个雕像的样子」

“I see. Indeed, it would be a good way to proclaim the glory of Your Majesty!”

「原来如此。确实若是要赞扬魔导王陛下的伟大的话，也许是个不错的想法呢！」

The Sorcerer King looked at Neia in what seemed like surprise.

魔导王感觉吃惊的看向涅娅

“... Uh, mm. Still, I feel that placing statues of myself within my country is a little… how shall I put this. Even so, my subordinates built statues of myself that are over a hundred meters tall in the middle of the city in order to show me off to the world… I think they’ve gotten carried away with the concept of bigger is better.”

「……唔、嗯。但是，我觉得在国内放置我的雕像总有点那什么。明明是这样，部下们却在都市的中央建起超过百公尺的雕像，想以此来宣告世人的样子……所谓越大越好的想法太过武断了」

“But why is that?”

「这是、为何呢？」

The Sorcerer King coughed to clear his throat, and that was when a question arose in Neia’ mind; did the undead still have throats to clear? However, the Sorcerer King was speaking, and she could not interrupt him.

魔导王吭地清了清嗓子，涅娅脑里突然掠过一个疑问、明明是不死者难道还会有什么东西卡住了喉咙吗？但魔导王话讲到一半，可不能去打断他的话。

“A king’s greatness cannot be shown with physical objects.”

「王的伟大可不是藉由物体就能宣示的」

“Ahhh!”

「啊啊！」

Neia was shocked, but that was only to be expected.

涅娅感觉一片愕然，那是当然的事。

Neia had not only forgotten that the Sorcerer King was undead, but had come to harbor feelings of genuine respect for him.

涅娅不禁忘却了魔导王身为不死者的事实、认真的怀抱起了尊敬之念。

This man was truly a King.

这个人是真正的、王。

Suddenly, she saw the Sorcerer King clenching his fist out of the corner of her eye.

突然、视野的角落中出现了魔导王使劲握住手的一幕。

“Of course, declaring my greatness to the world by allowing my people to live in free and prosperous lives is a different matter. But showing it off with statues of myself is… I wish to be known by the peace of my rule.”

「当然，如果是借着让人民过着自由自在、物质丰裕的生活而向外界宣示伟大的话，确实另当别论。但拿我的雕像来进行宣示，这就……我希望藉由带来安宁的统治来为人所知」

“It is as you say!”

「正如您所说！」

Neia gulped, and then asked a question.

涅娅将口水吞下，然后提出了质疑。

“As one of the undead, why does Your Majesty spend so much time thinking of the people?”

「陛下身为不死者，为何、要像这样为人民考虑那么多呢？」

Neia did not think the Sorcerer King’s compassion for the masses was an act. She even began to wonder if he was even undead.

涅娅并不认为魔导王对于人民的慈悲是演技。甚至让人产生了他真的是不死者吗的疑问。

“...I have not spent much time pondering that. But this should be par for the course, no?”

「……并没有去特别考虑过。但这种程度很普通吧？」

Neia was shocked.

冲击袭向涅娅。

Were all kings such amazing people?

所谓的王是如此伟大的存在吗。

The Holy Queen, the nobles, could they rule the people with these thoughts in their heart?

圣王女也好高等贵族也好也是，都是带着这样的思考在支配着人民的吗？

Or was it because he was undead? Did he have this perspective because he was undead?

还是说——正因为是不死者呢。正因为是不死者才会有这样的观点吗。

Neia could not answer that question.

涅娅没办法得出答案。

“Also, if it really was one hundred meters high, there’d be complaints about not getting enough sunlight.”

「而且话说回来。要是一百公尺那么高的话，光是晒不到太阳之类的问题就有得吵了」

The Sorcerer King followed up with what sounded like a joke, which only served to drill the humility of this incredible monarch into Neia’s heart once more. This man was truly a King of Kings.

魔导王接下来仿佛玩笑话一般的言语，让涅娅又重新认识到了这位伟大之王的谦虚。这个人才是真正的王中之王。

As the Sorcerer King had pointed out earlier, the Holy Kingdom Liberation Army’s base was a natural cave in a mountain.

如同魔导王之前所指出的，圣王国解放军的据点是穿过一座岩山的天然洞窟。

There was an underground spring in one corner of the cave, and while it was not very high, it was very spacious, enough for a horse and carriage to enter through. In addition, mushrooms which emitted bluish-white light sprouted all around -- around half the height of a man -- so they did not need other sources of light.

洞窟的一角有地下水涌出，虽然高度不算高但相当广阔、但拥有连马都可以进入的空间。再加上有发出青白色光芒的蘑菇生长着——高度大约有半人高——也就不需要别的照明了。

The reason why they knew of this place was because the paladins had once been sent here to exterminate a monster which made this very location its lair.

之所以知道这个场所的所在，是因为圣骑士团曾被派遣来此地讨伐以此地为根据地的怪物的关系。

In addition, they refurbished this place after they had fled here, and now there were several sectors within the caves, divided by their purpose.They had even given their sleeping quarters a semblance of rooms. After cutting down the trees -- in excess of one hundred meters tall -- from the forest surrounding the mountains, they had even built them into simple furniture.

再加上、逃进这里后就开始进行整理，现在洞窟内部按用途分出好几个区域，就连人睡觉的地方都被做成类似于房间的样子。将这座山的山麓——约有百米以上宽广的森林中的树木砍伐下所收集的木材进行加工后连简单的家具都备有了。

But ultimately, it was just a cave.

但无论怎么说都只是洞窟而已。

There were a total of 347 people here: 189 paladins, 71 priests -- including trainees and other such personnel -- as well as 87 commoners with nowhere else to go. Naturally, hoping for a private room was out of the question.

逃到这里的有一百八十九名圣骑士，七十一名神官——包含见习的与相关人员在内，以及八十七名无处可逃的平民，合计三百四十七名。当然无法期待有什么单人间了。

Even so, they could not let the king of another country stay with everyone else.

可即使这样，也不可能让别国的国王一起住在大房间中。

Of course, there was the wish to minimize contact between the undead Sorcerer King and the citizenry of the Holy Kingdom, as well as the desire to keep him from making contact with the secret information within their base, and other considerations on the part of the Holy Kingdom.

当然也有让身为不死者的魔导王与圣王国的国民面对面的时间越短越好、以及在不希望他接触到在据点中滚得到处都是的机密情报，这类圣王国方面的私情。

However, they could not say that they would like him to use teleportation magic so he could take his rest in the Sorcerous Kingdom instead .

但是、也不可能说出希望让他使用转移魔法，平常只待在魔导国这样的话来。

In the end, they had to forcibly move others’ things away and create a personal room for the Sorcerer King to rest.

结果、不得不勉强的将行李移动开，做出可供魔导王休息的单人间。

Under normal circumstances, they would have sent messengers to report the arrival of the Sorcerer King’s arrival and have the others make preparations to receive him, but the Holy Kingdom was now in the thrall of demihumans. They could not send out paladins, who had poor enemy detection abilities, as outriders. In addition, Neia was now in the Sorcerer King’s carriage and waiting outside the cave. The people in the cave were frantically moving personal effects and transferring beds and cabinets and the like. In addition, they had already hung up a borrowed flag of the Sorcerous Kingdom.

若是平时应该派出先导，通知魔导王的到来、并为此做准备、但现在的圣王国处在亚人的支配下。不能让不擅长索敌能力的圣骑士作为先导。而现在涅娅正与魔导王坐在马车上，于洞窟外待机中。洞窟中的人正在拼命的移动行李、运送床和柜子什么的吧。并且应该已经将借来的魔导国的旗帜悬挂起来了。

“...Hm.”

「……唔」

“What is the matter, Your Majesty?”

「请问怎么了、魔导王陛下？」

“...While I do not intend to insult you, I have a few questions about all this which I hope you can answer to the best of your ability. It would seem you are not hiding your tracks; is that not a problem? Or will someone else take care of that?”

「……虽然我并没有要侮辱你们的打算，可我有几个疑问啊。若是能够回答的话希望可以告诉我，看起来并没有对足迹进行隐藏啊，这样没问题吗？还是说后面会有谁去进行处理吗？」

The Sorcerer King delivered his question in a flat -- as though he was reading off something -- tone of voice, and then Neia’s eyes went wide.

魔导王以平淡的——像是在朗读什么似的口吻将疑问说了出口，随即涅娅的眼睛睁圆了。

He was correct.

正如他所说。

They would leave tracks in the process of climbing this uninhabited mountain.

登上这座没有人迹的山脉自然会留下相应的痕迹。

When one added the hoofprints of the paladins’ mounts to them, it would be immediately obvious. In that case, the fact that they had not yet been discovered was pure coincidence. Or was it?

再加上圣骑士们所牵的马的马蹄痕迹简直就是一目了然。这么说到现在都还没被发现是单纯的偶然呢。又或者是——

“Your, Your Majesty. We have not performed any concealment work until today; could it be they’ve deliberately let us off? ...But why?”

「陛、陛下。至今为止都没有做过隐藏工作、难道是故意放跑我们的吗？……到底是为何」

Neia’s voice trembled as she asked the Sorcerer King her question.

涅娅用颤抖的声音向魔导王询问到。

Along this journey, Neia had become fully aware that the Sorcerer King before her was an extremely wise individual. Therefore, she thought that he might immediately supply her the answer, and her thoughts were not mistaken.

这一路的马车之旅上，涅娅已经非常清楚明白，眼前的魔导王是极为贤明的人物。因此心想或许他会立刻将答案告诉自己才对，而这样的想法果然没有出错。

“...There are many possibilities for that, but under normal circumstances, that would be the most likely one…”

「……虽然有很多种可能性、但一般来说能想到最有可能的……」

For a moment, Neia thought that she should not be listening to the Sorcerer King’s answer alone, but in the absence of the Captain, but she could not control the curiosity welling up inside her.

虽然涅娅一瞬间、有想到不应该自己一个人，而是应该在团长面前再听魔导王的回答是不是比较好，但仍无法制止自己涌现出的好奇心。

“Could it be because they do not wish to lose track of the Liberation Army?”

「是不是为了、不跟丢你们解放 军的行踪、而这样做的呢？」

“Lose track of the Liberation Army?”

「跟丢解 放 军的行踪？」

“Hm-- well, I apologize for this comparison, but say you’ve found a nest of rats causing trouble, letting them run hither and yon would be very troublesome, no? The best thing to do would be to wait for all the rats to gather and then eliminate them all in one fell swoop.”

「呃—虽然这个比喻可能有些失礼，但既然已经找到了作恶老鼠的巢穴，要是让它们四散逃开了不是很麻烦吗。应该是打算在老鼠们全部聚集在一块的时候再一网打尽吧」

He’s right! It’s just as His Majesty says. I find it hard to imagine any other possibility. He’s already thought this much in just a few minutes… it’s as though he knows exactly what the enemy is thinking, he’s amazing...

（对啊！正如陛下所说。除此之外确实难以想象。仅仅来到此地数分钟就能够考虑到这种地步……简直就像能够完美判断出对方所想一样、真厉害……）

“Well, as long as the situation stays the same, there’ll be nothing to worry about. I’m not just talking about the situation here, but changes on the enemy’s side might lead to a very high chance of being attacked, which would be troublesome.”

「只要状况没有改变的话就没什么好担心的吧。可不仅是这一边，根据那边状况的变化而使得被攻击的可能性变高就很麻烦了啊」

Neia felt nothing but awed respect for the Sorcerer King’s intelligence as he highlighted the finer points of their circumstances.

对于正确的指出这些状况的魔导王的智慧，涅娅真的是除了钦佩之外再无他感了。

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty! I shall report these to the Captain right away!”

「陛下、非常感谢您！我立刻去将这件事报告给团长」

“Then I shall go too.”

「那么我也一起去吧」

“Eh? But surely you must be tired from the long journey. We have prepared a room for you, would it not be better to rest there for a while?”

「哎？但是、长途跋涉您也累了吧。已经为您准备了房间，在那里先稍事休息不是比较好吗？」

“Have you forgotten? I am undead, you know? I do not need to rest.”

「你忘了吗？我可是不死者啊？休息什么的对我来说可不是必须的」

He was right. Neia had completely forgotten that.

说得对，涅娅完全忘记了。

The undead were beings who did not feel fatigue. She had also been taught that trying to flee an undead being of comparable speed was very difficult. While that was simply common sense, Neia’s experiences with the Sorcerer King had completely shattered her perception of the undead. At times, she even found herself thinking that he was just a human magic caster in a skeletal mask.

不死者是不会疲劳的存在。也曾接受过、要逃离可以一直保持相同速度移动的不死者是相当困难的教育。虽然那是理所当然的知识，可由于魔导王的原因，使得涅娅对不死者的观念被完全破坏了。有时甚至会不禁觉得、他莫非只是个带着骸骨面具的人类魔法咏唱者。

“Thank you very much. Then, may I trouble you to come with me?”

「非常感谢您。那么能请您一起来吗？」

“But of course. And there is no need to thank me. Since we are here to defeat Jaldabaoth, we ought to be helping each other out.”

「当然。并且不需要感谢。毕竟就打倒亚达巴沃这个目的来说，我们可是互相帮助的关系吶」

While she knew that “we” in this case referred to the Holy Kingdom and the Sorcerer King, it could also be interpreted as talking about Neia and the Sorcerer King. That made Neia feel a little excited.

虽然明白我们这个词指的是圣王国与魔导王，但也能将其理解为涅娅与魔导王。这让涅娅不禁有些心动。

Eventually, someone knocked on the carriage door from the outside.

终于马车的门扉被从外面敲响了。

“Your Majesty, we have prepared a room for you.”

「魔导王陛下，房间已经为您准备好了」

Neia opened the door.

涅娅首先将门打开来。

When the paladin outside saw the bow Neia was holding, his eyes went wide in surprise.

站在门扉前的一个圣骑士在看到涅娅所持的弓的瞬间，惊愕的他睁大了眼睛。

This was the first time she had brought the bow she had received from the Sorcerer King outside the carriage. That was because the Sorcerer King had not left his carriage ever since he had lent her the bow. Therefore, nobody else had seen it until now.

从魔导王处得到的弓一次都没有拿到马车之外过。那是因为自借到弓之来，魔导王就没有外出的缘故。结果，到此为止都没有让任何人见到过。

...You must be surprised, huh? Mm. I understand how you feel. This isn’t a weapon you’d let a squire carry...

（……很吃惊吧。嗯。那种感觉、我也很明白。这绝不是会让侍从所持有的武器吧……）

While the paladin bathed her in his gaze, Neia turned to face the carriage and bowed.

涅娅将沐浴在视线之中的身体转向马车，低下头来。

Though she was simply looking at his feet, after seeing that the Sorcerer King had stepped onto the ground, Neia raised her head and asked the paladin:

仅仅看着脚的附近，在确认到魔导王站到地面上之后抬起头的涅娅向圣骑士询问道。

“Sorry, but we need to speak with Captain Remedios, so can you lead us to her? His Majesty says he will be going as well.”

「抱歉、因为有话想要与卡斯特迪奥团长说能否带个路？陛下也说要一起去」

“Ah, ah, yes. Understood. Then, please follow me.”

「啊、啊、好的。遵命。那么请跟我来」

The paladin -- followed by the Sorcerer King, and then Neia -- entered the cave.

按照圣骑士、魔导王、涅娅的顺序进入了洞窟中。

The bluish-white illumination from the mushrooms, which were half the height of a man, were very creepy. Where the mushrooms were particularly prolific, monstrous shadows danced on the walls between the mushrooms. In addition, the bluish-white light of the mushrooms made her look like a corpse, but mysteriously enough, she did not mind it now.

由半人高的蘑菇所发出的青白色光芒相当诡异。特别是在蘑菇很多的地方、蘑菇之间相互在墙壁上映出怪物般的影子。并且肌肤被映照出青白色，虽然会让人觉得简直就像是死人一般，但不可思议的现在并不会觉得讨厌。

As they walked through the cave, they would see paladins standing watch from time to time, as well as commoners and priests.

只要在洞窟中行走，时不时的、就会看到正在做警备工作的圣骑士、以及平民和神官的身姿。

They should have heard all about him from the Captain and the others who had gone ahead of them, but they still could not help gawking at the Sorcerer King.

应该已经从先进入洞窟的团长等人听说过了吧，但他们依然无法完全掩饰投向魔导王的惊愕视线。

It’s kind of rude, though...

（虽然很失礼……）

The Sorcerer King would not get angry, right? He was a very kind ruler. However, the kinder people were, the more frightening they tended to be when they did get angry.

魔导王绝对不会生气的吧。这位王者非常的温厚。但是、越是这样的人发怒时就越为的恐怖。

Should she tell them to stop their rudeness to avoid such an event? However, she could not go and tell each and every one of them in person, and it was not a problem that could be resolved by words alone anyway. After all, to the citizens of the Holy Kingdom -- to all of the living -- the undead were fundamentally the enemy.

为了不发生这种事，是不是应该叫他们不要这么失礼呢。但又不可能一个人一个人的去说，也不是说了就可以解决的问题。因为对于圣王国的人民来说，还有对于生者来说，不死者始终都是敌人。

I’ll tell the Captain about this later… well, it’s good that they haven’t drawn their weapons.

（有关这件事晚点跟团长报告好了……嘛、没有拔出武器来已经算是不错了吧）

Suddenly, Neia sensed that the Sorcerer King had produced a piece of paper, and that he was looking at the letters written on it. Although Neia was interested in what was written there, she could not see the letters owing to the way it was concealed within his hand.

突然、涅娅察觉到走在前面的魔导王取出一张小纸片，并看起了那上面的文字。虽然涅娅对那上面写着什么抱有兴趣，但由于是藏在手中一般的拿法，所以无法看到上面所写的文字。

Finally, they were brought to a room that was partitioned off by a hanging curtain, and the sounds of a noisy exchange of opinions came from inside.

终于被带到了一个挂着垂布、能从内侧能够听到有吵杂的交换各种意见的声音。

“Captain Remedios. The Sorcerer King and Squire Baraja have arrived.”

「卡斯特迪奥团长。魔导王陛下与侍从巴拉哈来访」

The interior fell silent.

室内一下变得沈静了。

The paper in the Sorcerer King’s hand had vanished to parts unknown.

那时魔导王手中的纸片也不知消失到了何处。

“Let him in.”

「让他们进来」

After hearing the Captain’s voice, the paladin pulled away the curtain.

听到团长的声音，圣骑士将布帘卷了起来。

The paladins and the priests who rose to welcome the Sorcerer King -- who had not been part of the delegation -- had a complex blend of emotions in their eyes. Even Neia could sense this. Naturally, the Sorcerer King must have felt it too. However, there was no way to tell how he had reacted to it just by looking at his back.

站起身迎接魔导王的圣骑士和神官——没有参加使节团的人——他们的眼中蕴含着各种各样的感情。

就连涅娅也能感受到。当然、魔导王肯定也感受到了。但是、从他的背影上完全感觉不到任何感情的变化。

There’s no way His Majesty can’t feel the mood in the air… perhaps he simply doesn’t care about the petty fumblings of tiny men. Is this the bearing of a king?

（那位大人不可能感受不到现场的气氛……说不定对于小人物的所作所为根本不会放在心上，才是所谓的王者气度吧）

“Everyone, listen up. Before us stands His Majesty, the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown. Unable to ignore the plight of our nation, he has specially come here on his own to aid us. You will accord him all due respect!”

「各位、听好了。这位大人就是魔导王安兹·乌尔·恭陛下。这次因对我国遇到的困难无法置之不理而特意单身前来相助。万万不可失礼！」

After Remedios said so, everyone in the room bowed to the Sorcerer King.

随着蕾梅蒂欧丝的发言，在房间中所有的人都对魔导王低下了头。

Once everyone had raised their heads, the Sorcerer King spoke in a grand tone.

在大家都抬起头来之时，魔导王以堂堂之风开口了。

“DOMO HAJIMEMASHITE. I am STRING CUTTER. I have come to aid you, not on the behalf of my nation, but in a personal capacity. Therefore, while this might be a little sudden, I have noticed a few things on my way here, so I wish to seek your opinions on the matter. Please allow my follower to explain.”

「初次见面。我是安兹·乌尔·恭魔导王。这次并非作为国家、而是我个人想要帮助各位。于是、虽然很突然，由于来到此地而察觉了一些事请，所以想要询问各位是如何考虑的。就让随我来的侍从说明一下吧」

The Sorcerer King stepped aside, allowing Neia to walk past and in front of him.

魔导王稍微侧过身，让涅娅以从身旁走过的形式来到前面。

“Excuse me, everyone. Allow me to explain what His Majesty said earlier.”

「各位、失礼了。就让我来说明一下之前魔导王大人所说的话」

Neia relayed the Sorcerer King’s questions to everyone present. After the short speech, a heavy silence draped the room.

涅娅将魔导王询问的事情传达给了在场的所有人。在短暂的说话停止后、室内被沉重的沉默所支配了。

“...Then what does His Majesty propose we do?”

「……那么请问陛下觉得该如何是好呢？」

Remedios addressed her question to Neia, who stood by his side.

蕾梅蒂欧丝对站在涅娅身旁的存在发问。

“No, before that, what do you think? I have only come to do battle with Jaldabaoth, not to lead you all. If I end up participating too heavily in your strategic planning sessions, do you not think things will become very troublesome after defeating Jaldabaoth?”

「不、在那之前各位是怎么想的？我只是为了与亚达巴沃一战而来，并非是为了指挥各位。若是我过多参与主导的话，在击退亚达巴沃之后，不会变得很麻烦吗？」

Commotion raged through the room for a moment.

房间里顿时一片哗然。

“...Or do you mean to say you will subordinate yourself to my command? In that case, I will also use the most appropriate means to save this nation.”

「……还是说要加入我的指挥之下？这样的话我自然也会以、最妥善的手段拯救这个国家」

That ought to be the best way to do it, right? His Majesty might be undead, but everything he says makes perfect sense. He will surely abide by any agreements he makes too. Right now, at this very moment, if you want to save the suffering people, bending the knee to another country’s king for a time ought to be the right choice to make, no?

（这应该是最妥当了的吧。虽然魔导王陛下是不死者，但所言所论都句句在理。约定的事情也一定会遵守。现在、这个瞬间、若是能够拯救多数受苦的人们的话，即使一时拥戴别国的国王应该也是正确的判断吧？）

“The only one who may stand above us is Her Majesty, the Holy Queen. Regretfully, we cannot accept commands from the king of another nation.”

「能够立于我等之上的只有圣王女陛下。很抱歉、我等无法加入别国国王的指挥之下」

However, Remedios promptly rejected the offer.

可蕾梅蒂欧丝却立刻予以了拒绝。

“--!”

「——！」

You should be willing to do anything to save the people! Wasn’t that the reason why we’re using the king of another nation, and such an incredible king at that!?

（为了拯救身陷水火的人民，应该不择手段才对。不正因为这种想法，我们会才不惜利用别国的、而且还是如此了不起的国王不是吗！）

Neia hung her head. That was to keep from showing the dark, cloudy emotions welling up from inside her.

涅娅垂下头。这是为了不让内心深处浑浊的情感表现出来。

“May we inquire as to what course of action Your Majesty would take in our position?”

「作为参考能否请教陛下、若是陛下的话会采取怎样的行动呢？」

“If it were me, hm? Well, the logical thing would be to immediately move to a new location, no?”

「要是我的话、吗？一旦采取行动，就立刻将据点移动到别的场所、吧？」

“A new location…”

「新的据点吗……」

Everyone in the room, Remedios included, had a distressed look upon their face. That was because they did not know of any other place which was suitable as a hideout.

包含蕾梅蒂欧丝在内，房间里聚集的所有人们脸上都露出为难的表情。那是因为完全不知道除此之外，还有没有别的适合作为隐藏点的地方了。

“Judging by your response, I guess you don’t know. In that case, you need to plan your future operations under the assumption that the quicker you move, the sooner Jaldabaoth’s army will attack you. ...Then, since this is all, I will return to my room.”

「看气氛是不知道吶。这样的话，只能以行动得越快、亚达巴沃的军队也会越早攻来为前提，计划之后的作战一途了啊。……那么、话就说到这里，我回房间去了」

Just as Neia was about to follow him, the Sorcerer King held out his hand to stop her.

涅娅正打算同行之时被魔导王以手阻止了。

“Forgive me, but I would like you to stay here and listen to the others’ opinion on my behalf, Baraja-san.”

「抱歉、我希望巴拉哈小姐能够留在这里，作为我的代理听取各位的意见」

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

「遵命、陛下」

While he had not acknowledged her as his woman, it would seem the Sorcerer King was treating her as a substitute for himself. In that case, if she did not properly complete this task, he would be disappointed. Just imagining the Sorcerer King being disappointed made her heart flutter for some reason.

虽然并不是被当成自己人，但好像还是认同了她作为魔导王代理的样子。那么如果没有能够好好的完成这份工作的话，会让他失望。只要想象一下魔导王失望的样子，不知为何内心就有种骚动。

“I can count on you, then? You don’t mind, do you, Captain Remedios?”

「那么就拜托你了哦？没关系吧，卡斯特迪奥团长大人？」

“If Your Majesty permits it, we will not object.”

「只要陛下觉得可以的话，我等没有异议」

After hearing that, the Sorcerer King turned to leave with the paladin assigned to be his guide.

听到这个回答，魔导王便随着带路的圣骑士共同转身、走了出去。

Once he vanished around a corner, a priest spoke up.

在背影走过转角消失之后，一名神官开口了。

“So that’s the Sorcerer King… Captain Remedios. Will it really be alright? I hope we have not brought a tiger to chase away a wolf. That would be very troublesome.”

「那就是魔导王……卡斯特迪奥团长大人。真的没问题吗？可别为了赶走一匹狼而招来一只老虎啊，那可是会让人伤透脑筋的」

“Indeed. Taking poison to escape present agony… is that not what paupers do?”

「没错。可为了逃过现在的痛苦、而吞下将来的毒素……这可是典型的破产者哦？」

“We’ve talked about this before, haven’t we? Don’t make me repeat myself. The poison’s already in us now.”

「这些话刚才也说过了吧。不要让我再重复一次了。现在毒素已经进入身体了啊」

Not His Majesty, huh. They aren’t going to show him respect?

（魔导王、啊。不加上敬称吗）

Neia was displeased by the dramatic change in attitude they had shown the moment the Sorcerer King was gone.

涅娅对于魔导王刚一不在之后，就随即产生的态度变化而感到了不快。

If one understood the attitude of the citizens of the Holy Kingdom towards the undead, then their attitude was only to be expected. Rather, it was Neia’s displeasure which was abnormal. Why did she feel unhappy about this?

能够理解作为圣王国之民对于不死者的感情，他们的态度是非常理所当然的。反倒是涅娅的这种不快很是异常。为何、会如此不快呢。

“Well, he’s still useful now, so it can’t be helped… and we’ve concretely seen how he can help us… but as priests, we might have trouble neutralizing that poison, no?”

「在其还有利用价值时，也是没办法呢……而且也实际见识到了能让我方得益之处……但作为神官的我等，能否治疗那毒素还是个问题哦？」

What do you mean, useful? Someone notices a mistake we made and even goes on to supply a solution, but not only are they ungrateful, they’re still thinking about how to use him-- Ah, so that’s it. That’s what I sensed from His Majesty, something which the Holy Kingdom now lacks… a sense of purity. That’s why I feel like this...

什么叫利用价值。对于察觉我方的失误，并且还授予策谋的对象非但没有感恩之请，还在考虑要怎么利用对方吗。

（——啊啊、是这样啊。在魔导王陛下身上感觉到的，是现在的圣王国所没有的东西……就是那份高洁啊。所以我的心情才会如此的……）

How much of his grace had she received?

自己是受到了多么大的恩惠啊。

After sharing a carriage with him, she had been given the chance to realize the fact that despite being one of the undead, the Sorcerer King was a king that was worthy of respect.

能够共乘一架马车，虽然魔导王是不死者、却是位值得尊敬的王这件事，能够得以用自己的眼睛来判断的机会。

Therefore, what she felt for this people was actually what was known as pity.

所以对这些人所产生的感情的正身，也许是被称为怜悯的感情吧。

“Speaking of which, Squire Baraja. What’s that bow you’re carrying?”

「说起来、侍从巴拉哈。你所拿着的那张弓是什么？」

“Ah, yes. His Majesty said that he would lend me this weapon for the duration of my assignment.”

「啊、是的。魔导王陛下说让我用这个，在执行任务期间借给我的武器」

“...May I take a look at it, Squire Baraja? I wish to see if the bow is enchanted with any sinister magic.”

「……能稍微让我看看吗。侍从巴拉哈。我想调查一下那张弓上是否附有某些不好的魔法」

The priest extended his hand to her.

神官伸出手来。

Normally, she should have handed it to him. However--

照理应该要交给他吧。然而——

“Please permit me to refuse.”

「请恕我拒绝」

The priest was stunned. It was a face that said he had not expected to be denied.”

神官露出一副呆然的神情。那是完全没有想到会被拒绝的表情。

“This is a weapon I have received from His Majesty in order to protect his person. I will not allow it to leave my hands.”

「这是我从魔导王陛下那里、为了保护陛下的安全所借来的武器。我绝不会将其交到除了我以外的任何人的手上」

She would not allow someone who was only thinking of using an ally to touch it for even a single moment. Neia lowered her head as she replied to keep the anger in her heart from showing in her eyes.

对于只会想着利用协助者的人，即使只是一时也不会借给他。涅娅为了不让内心的愤怒映像到瞳孔之上、低着头这么答道。

“--Captain Custodio, what’s the meaning of this?”

「——卡斯特迪奧团长殿下，这是怎么一回事？」

“Ahhh, Squire Baraja, hand that bow--”

「啊啊，侍从涅娅·巴拉哈，把那张弓——」

“In other words, you don’t mind if I report this to His Majesty, then?”

「那也就是说，我将此事禀告陛下也是无妨吗」

The air in the room froze over.

室内的气氛瞬间冻结了。

“Enough. I understand. Let’s continue talking.”

「够了。我知道了。我们接着说下去吧」

Hmm~ so at least they still know that things will go poorly for them if His Majesty finds out.

（哼—嗯，原来还是有、如果被魔导王陛下知道了会有所不妥的自觉的啊）

“Before that, Captain Custodio, would it not be better to let Squire Baraja return to the Sorcerer King--dono’s side?”

「在此之前，卡斯特迪奧团长殿下，让侍从涅娅·巴拉哈回到魔导王——阁下的身边不是更妥当吗？」

Neia noticed one of the priests glancing at the bow for just a moment.

仅一个瞬间，神官里的其中一人向那张弓瞥了一眼，被涅娅察觉到了。

Neia understood the meaning he was trying to convey, but despite the anger boiling in her heart, she did not let it spill over to her words or actions.

涅娅明白他想要表达的意思，带着怒火中烧的心情却丝毫不溢于言表地断言到。

“I apologize, but I am here to listen to everyone’s words by order of His Majesty. I would be very grateful if you would let me continue to remain here and listen to your words from the side.”

「真是非常抱歉，我是奉魔导王陛下之命在场听取各位发言的。若是能让我继续在场旁听的话就感激不尽了」

“True enough… Gustav. What do you think we should do?”

「也是呢……古斯塔博。你觉得哪边比较好？」

“His Majesty told us as much in person. If we have her leave now, it will probably cause more problems in the future.

「魔导王陛下可是当着我们的面说出此事的。要是让她离席的话，以后恐怕只会引起更多的麻烦事吧」

“That’s true. So we’ll let her remain, then?”

「也对。那么，就这样让那家伙继续参加吧」

Is this something you should be saying in front of the person in question? As Neia thought this, she bowed in silent gratitude.

这该是在本人的面前说的事吗，涅娅一边这么想着一边默默地低下头表示感谢。

“Now then, following on what the Sorcerer King has said, what should we do? Does anyone have any ideas about leaving this place and looking for another safe space?”

「那么，按魔导王所说的话来看，那该如何是好？对于要从这里离开找到另一个安全的藏身处，谁有好的想法吗？」

Perhaps someone with her father’s ranger skills might be able to find a place for this many people to stay for extended periods. However, there was nobody here like that.

要是拥有像父亲帕贝尔那样的游击兵[ranger]技术的话，或许会知道如何找出能让这等人数都可以长期夜间宿营的地方吧。可是在这里并没有此等人物。

“The Sorcerer King -- His Majesty said earlier that if we do not do anything, Jaldabaoth will not make a move either. In that case, why not search for a new place before they take action?”

「魔导王——陛下曾说过如果我们不采取任何行动的话，亚达巴沃也不会作出应对的。那样的话，在对方行动之前我们便着手寻找新的地方不就好了吗？」

That suggestion, made by one of the paladins, met with scattered approval. However, Neia knew very well that putting the matter off would not solve anything. In the end, all it would do was cause a pileup of problems in the future.

对于某位圣骑士提出的提案，大家纷纷表示了赞同。可是，涅娅很清楚，像这样不断往后拖的问题是不会向好的方向转变的，结果到了那时只会乱作一团而已。

“The problem isn’t just finding a new place, but also the matter of provisions. While this is winter and so food is easy to preserve, finding enough to tide us through the entire season is not easy. Even if we have not secured the Kingdom’s cooperation, shouldn’t we at least buy some food from them? Wouldn’t that help things?”

「问题不单只是寻找新地方，还有粮食方面的问题呢。现在是冬天食物虽说是容易保存，但要跨过整个冬季却绝非易事。虽然并没有获得王国方面的协助，但至少也要购入些粮食，这样不会好些吗？」

“Unfortunately, prices are unbelievably high on the Kingdom’s side. Also, even if we did manage to buy the food, we’d need a massive amount to sustain this many people for several months, so transporting it would be very difficult.”

「很遗憾的是王国那边的食物价格高的难以想象。而且就算买下来了，可供如此人数维持好几个月的话，所需的粮食份量就太过庞大了，搬运起来将会非常困难」

“VIce-Captain-dono, I understand what you’re trying to say. However, there won’t even be anything to discuss without that food. In the end, we need some way to get rations from the south, no? Or perhaps shift our base closer to the coastline, so we can ship it in from the Kingdom.”

「副团长殿下，我非常明白您想说的意思。但要是没有粮食的话事情根本就谈不下去。果然还是需要一些措施手段让南边把粮食运过来吗？或者说让据点向海岸线附近转移，让粮食能通过海路从王国那边运来？」

“Unfortunately, we lack the funds for that, and we didn’t get a good response from the Kingdom’s traders. As for getting it from the south…”

Gustav laughed as he replied,

“They probably haven’t realised that danger is drawing near for them. Our navy is being slowly worn down, like they’re taking a step closer to the chopping block with each day that passes.”

「可惜并没有如此充裕的资金呢，也没有得到王国的富商们足够好的反应，然后要是从南边的话……」古斯塔博苦笑着说道「他们怕是还没有意识到危机已经如此逼近了吧。现在的海军是正在被逐渐消耗着的状况，就像是一步一步走在通往断头台的台阶上一样」

“So we need to produce some sort of collateral to make the south willing to help us, is that it?”

「必须得拿出、能让南边愿意协助我们的某种依据，这么回事么」

“After all, the problems with our base camp and food are stacked up like a mountain.”

「毕竟据点、食物等问题堆得像小山一样多」

“...As for resurrecting the Holy Queen-sama… can it be done? After all, once we can get that settled, everything else will be moot.”

「……关于复活圣王女大人的问题，能办到吗？毕竟要是能搞定这点，其余的就都不是什么大问题了啊」

“Unfortunately, according to what we learned from Blue Rose, even that fifth-tier spell will have a hard time working without a corpse, or if it’s badly-damaged.”

「非常遗憾，根据我们从苍蔷薇那里打听来的，即使是第五位阶的魔法要是没有尸体、或是尸体已经过度损坏的话，也非常困难的样子」

“...Can we count on His Majesty’s power?”

「……以魔导王陛下的力量呢？」

“You want to borrow the power of the undead?”

「要借助不死者的力量吗？」

“Things being what they are, what else can we do? If the Holy Queen-sama were to be resurrected, then the main problem would be Jaldabaoth.”

「都到这个节骨眼了，还能有什么办法。要是圣王女大人能复活的话，就只剩下最主要的问题[亚达巴沃]了」

Everyone’s eyes turned to the sour-faced Remedios.

全员的视线都向着愁眉苦脸的蕾梅蒂欧丝集中了起来。

“--Let’s set that aside for the moment. We discussed this while travelling through the other countries, but our main objective will be to attack the camps and liberate the people.”

「——这个问题暂且搁置。虽然在游走他国期间我们也讨论过这个问题了，但现在的首要任务是袭击收容所，将国民都解放出来」

Many people nodded in agreement.

好几个人都纷纷点头同意。

“I see. All of the Holy Kingdom’s people are combat-trained. In that case, just freeing a single village will grant us a certain amount of fighting strength… assuming they’re willing to help, of course. However, in that case, wouldn’t that make the food problem worse?”

「原来如此。圣王国全体国民都是接受过战斗训练的。如此一来，只要解放了一个村落便能得到一定程度的军事力量了……当然也得是他们愿意战斗才行。不过，要是这样的话，食物方面的问题不就更加深刻了吗？」

“That’s why I’m saying we should attack the camps. There ought to be food there.”

「所以说就要袭击收容所啊，那里应该是有食物才对的」

“I see! That’s Captain Remedios for you!”

「原来如此！不愧是卡斯特迪奧团长」

Remedios smiled as she heard one of the paladins say so.

听完圣骑士中的一人如此一说，蕾梅蒂欧丝微微地笑了起来。

However, Neia’s eyes were cold as she looked at the smug Remedios. After all, she knew who that suggestion had come from.

然而涅娅却以冷冰冰的目光注视着满脸得意的蕾梅蒂欧丝。毕竟她知道这是来自谁的提案。

“Also, with the help of the people, we’ll continue attacking and liberating the camps in various locations. That way, we’ll be able to find nobles with ties to the south. We’ll gather their troops before Jaldabaoth can destroy us and strike him a crushing blow. That ought to keep them from doing anything too.

「而且，在与民众的联手之下，不断地袭击并解放各处的收容所。那样的话，想必也会找到与南边有联系的贵族的吧。在亚达巴沃动员其军队将我们消灭之前就将我们的军队集结起来，给予有力的一击。那家伙的行动也会因此而停下来吧」

“I see!”

「原来如此！」

This time, there were more voices of agreement.

这一次赞同的声音更多了。

“We’ll go with that. In that case, Squire Baraja, go relay this to the Sorcerer King--”

「以此作为方针吧。那么侍从巴拉哈·向魔导王那边传达——」

“--Please wait, Captain. I feel it would be better if I told him myself. It would be the basic courtesy to show a nation’s king when informing a king about our operations.”

「——团长，请稍等一下。我认为应该由我来代为传达会比较妥当。这才算是尽了对一国之王进行作战内容说明所该有的礼节」

Gustav was correct, but for some reason something seemed missing.

古斯塔博所说的确实如此，但是，总觉得还缺了点什么。

However, Neia could not object to this without knowing what was lacking.

然而，还不清楚缺了什么的涅娅无法反对此事。

“Very well. Do so, then. I’ll leave it to you.”

「也对，那么就这样吧，拜托你了」

Understood.”

「遵命！」

Neia and Gustav returned to the Sorcerer King’s room together. Though there was only a piece of cloth to serve as its door, a paladin still stood in front of it. Was he there to look out for people who might harm the guest within, or watch over the guest himself?

涅娅与古斯塔博一同回到魔导王的房间。在仅用一张布作门帘挂着的门口前面，一名圣骑士正站在那里。这是在警戒着对里面的贵宾有危害的人呢，还是警戒着里面的贵宾本身呢。

After being ordered to stand down by Gustav, the paladin left.

收到古斯塔博的离席命令，圣骑士就此离开了。

Neia mentally wrinkled her brows.

涅娅在心中皱起了眉头。

Since he had sent away the guard, coming here definitely meant he had something else in mind besides telling him about the plan. It was hard to imagine that they would want to assassinate him. However, should that really come to pass, then she would need to wield her weapon as the Sorcerer King’s shield.

既然支开了护卫，那么他来这里绝对是有着告知计划以外的理由。所说要企图暗杀什么的实在难以想。不过要是万一真是如此，那么自己就有作为魔导王的盾而挥舞着武器的必要了吧。

“Your Majesty, this one is Gustav Montanis; I and Squire Neia Baraja seek your permission to enter.

「魔导王陛下，在下古斯塔博·蒙塔涅斯、以及侍从涅娅·巴拉哈在此恳请入室」

After it was granted, Gustav took a step into the room.

获得许可后，古斯塔博先行一步走进屋内。

When one recalled the inns they had seen in the Kingdom and the Sorcerous Kingdom, this place seemed terribly austere. This was no place for a nation’s king to rest.

回想起在王国以及魔导国内所见的旅店，与其相比这里是何等的寒酸啊。不如说这根本就不是一个可供一国之王休息的地方。

There was nothing to be done about the fact that the cave walls were bare rock, but even the furniture was in shambles.

洞窟的岩体就是墙壁这点也是没办法的了，可连家具也是鄙陋不堪。

While paladins learned to sew during their squire days, It was not enough for them to make furniture.

虽说圣骑士在侍从的时候有学过裁缝，但是实在是不可能学到去制作家具的那种地步。

However, the bed where the Sorcerer King sat was extremely beautiful. It gleamed with obsidian radiance, like it were made of onyx. In addition, there was a pure white blanket above it.

但是魔导王所坐着的床铺却是非常漂亮。散发着只能想到是由黑曜石制作而成一般的黑色光辉。而上面则铺着一床纯白的被子。

Anyone else would have been scared senseless by the sight of this beautiful bedspread which had been produced from who knows where. However, to Neia, she had long since come to think that such matters were nothing to to be hung up about when it came to the Sorcerer King. Besides, it was possible that he had simply teleported home and came back with a bed.

要是其他人的话，看到如此漂亮却不知道从哪里取出的床铺，想必会吓坏的吧。但已经认为对于魔导王来说，这种程度的事根本无足挂齿，的涅娅对此并没有太多的惊讶。再说就算是传送回国，然后再拿着床铺回来也是有可能的。

However, it was a different matter flor Gustav, who did not know the Sorcerer King like Neia did.

但是，没有涅娅对魔导王那样认知程度的古斯塔博就完全不同了。

“Your, Your Majesty. What, what is that?”

「陛、陛下。那、那是？」

“Oh, this?”

「这个吗？」

The Sorcerer King indicated his bed.

魔导王指了指自己床。

“I made it with magic. As for this blanket, well, I also made it with magic. That said, I have no idea where this 100% wool came from, but it feels good to lie down on. I’m sure you could have a comfortable rest on it.”

「这是我用魔法做出来的东西，然后这张被子嘛，同样也是制作出来的。虽说，这是不知道是哪来的百分百纯棉，不过躺下来感觉还挺不错的。睡在上面的话想必会很舒适吧」

Even after receiving that answer, all Gustav could do was stiffly reply, “ah, ahh”. However, Neia did not have the right to judge him. After all, she too was looking into the distance and thinking, magic really can do anything~

就算提问得到了解答，古斯塔博也只能作出「哈，哈啊」那样生硬的回答。不过涅娅并不没有资格责怪他。毕竟她也正以看着远方的目光想着、魔法还真是什么都能办得到啊—

“Now then, I understand why Baraja-san has returned. But why have you come as well, Vice-Captain-dono?”

「那么，巴拉哈小姐会回来我是能够理解的。可副团长阁下又是为何事而来的呢？」

“Ah, ah, yes! While I have no intention of slighting Squire Baraja, I felt that it would be more appropriate, as the Vice-Captain, to conduct the upcoming briefing myself; hence my presence here.”

「啊、啊、是！虽然这没有看不起侍从巴拉哈的意思，但我觉得由身为副团长的我、来进行接下来的说明会更妥当一些，因此特地前来」

“Umu… if you have made such considerations, then I as an outsider have no room to disapprove. However, I would like to say something.”

「唔嗯……如果你们要是这样考量的话，那作为局外人的我也就没什么好说的了。不过有一点就让我提一下好了」

Just then, the crimson points of light which served as the Sorcerer King’s eyes were infused with some kind of black substance.

这时，魔导王那双寄宿着赤红光芒的双眸混入了些许黑色的物质。

“I gave her those orders because I felt she could carry them out. However, interfering in the matter by weight of your position as a superior is comparable to slighting my judgement. That displeases me to an extent.”

「我可是觉得她能够胜任才命她那么做的。然而仗着是上司而从旁介入，感觉就像是在质疑我看人的眼光啊。这点多少让我有些不悦噢」

Until now, no matter how he had looked at her, no matter how he had treated her, the Sorcerer King had never once shown Neia his unhappiness. However, for the first time, he was showing his anger before Neia. This anger was born from his trust in Neia, and it caused a current of heat to course through her chest. He was the only one who held that opinion of her.

至今无论被怎样的眼光看待、无论被怎样的态度对待、也丝毫不会显露出不快情感的魔导王，却第一次在涅娅的面前露出了略微的愤怒。那是因为对涅娅的信赖、而展现出来的不悦，这让她的胸中不由得涌出了一股热流。能对自己有如此评价的也只有他而已了。

“I sincerely apologize!”

「这真是万分的抱歉！」

“That apology should be directed at her. Still, well, nevermind. Go ahead and brief me.”

「要谢罪的话，并不是向我，而应该向她才对。不过，嘛、也罢。那就接下来就让我听听说明的内容吧？」

Gustav briefly summarized the details of what had been said, but he received a vague “Umu” by way of answer.

古斯塔博将内容大致地概述了一遍后，却得到了魔导王「呼—嗯」这样微妙的回应。

“I see. Then -- what do you expect me to do? Or are you saying you have truly come just to inform me of this?”

「原来如此，那么——这是希望我做些什么呢？还是说真的只是来告知我而已呢？」

“Of course not; I wish to ask if Your Majesty has any opinions about this operation..”

「当然不是的，我想请问魔导王陛下对此次作战有何高见？」

So that was it.

也就是说是这么一回事。

He wanted to borrow the intellect of the Sorcerer-King. That was what worried Neia about him insisting on coming along. Ordering that paladin away was also for that reason. If he overheard what Gustav said, if he learned that the Vice-Captain had bowed his head to the king of another country, and an undead being to boot, things would go very badly indeed.

原来是想借取魔导王的智慧，让涅娅担心他为何牵强附会而来的原因正是这个。支开那位圣骑士也是为此。要是让他听到与魔导王交流此事，知道了副团长向他国的王、而且是不死者完全地低下了头可是非常不妙的吧。

At this point, what’s the use of covering things up...

（事到如今还遮遮掩掩又有什么用……）

It was plain to see that they were helpless without the might of the Sorcerer King. That being the case, however sooner or later it might be, the news of this would eventually start spreading throughout the people.

不借助魔导王的力量就束手无策这点已经是毋庸置疑的了。那么虽说会或早或迟，但毫无疑问这件事肯定会在日后的民众之间传开的。

What the people of the Holy Kingdom should have done was to spread the word of the Sorcerer King’s mercy and compassion throughout the land, and then treat him with gratitude.

圣王国这边最正确的做法，不就应该是将魔导王的大慈大悲广而告之，然后一直对其抱有感恩的态度么。

While I understand they’re wary of him because he’s one of the undead, I don’t think the Sorcerer King’s that kind of man...

（虽说能理解因为是不死者所以不可相信而且还要警戒着的想法，但不认为魔导王是那种人……）

Still, even if Neia told everyone, it was likely that no-one would believe her. They might even think she had been charmed or fallen under the influence of similar magic.

不过就算涅娅向大家这么说也不会有人相信吧，甚至还会以为她是被施展了魅惑之类的魔法也说不定。

What can I do to make everyone trust the Sorcerer King? It seems I’ll need to do something to change the first impression of him. However, I can’t possibly say something rude like, “please let more people accompany you…”

（到底要怎么做才能让大家信赖魔导王陛下呢。从结果来看，要是不想些办法从先入为主的观念上着手的话是不行的。可是请让更多的人随您同行吧，这种失礼的话又不可能说出来……）

Just as Neia was pondering the matter, the Sorcerer King was still speaking to Gustav.

就在涅娅思考着的同时，两人的谈话也在行进着。

“...No, I’ve already said this. I will not interfere with your strategic planning.”

「……不，我应该已经说过、不会在你们的作战计划上插嘴的吧」

“I pray you will furnish us with a solution on this point, because we have nowhere left to go. We would like to avoid the possibility of failure, however slight.”

「关于这点还请您再想想办法，我们已经没有任何退路了。哪怕只有少许失败的可能性，我们也想尽可能的规避」

“And that is the reason why. If you heed my suggestions and the operation ends in a failure, what shall be done? I do not intend to shoulder that responsibility.”

「正因如此、啊。若是因为听取了我的意见，而导致行动最终以失败告终、那该如何是好？我可不打算担负起责任噢」

“Yes. Therefore, I feel that what we discuss here should remain with my heart, that of your Majesty, and Squire Baraja’s.”

「是的。所以我认为在这里的谈话，就留在我和魔导王陛下、以及侍从巴拉哈的心中就好」

“Baraja-san too? Would it not be better not to let her hear this?”

「巴拉哈小姐也、是吗？不让她听岂不更好吗？」

“No, for various reasons, it would be better if there was a third party present. Also, with someone of her talents around, we might be able to come up with something good.”

「不，有除了我们之外的第三者在的话，在各方面上也会比较好办。而且像她这样拥有特殊技能的人在的话，说不定会想到什么好主意」

“...Hm, then we may discuss the matter. Baraja-san, I trust you are fine with this?”

「……呼，那样的话就稍微谈谈吧。巴哈拉小姐也没问题吧？」

“Ah! Yes, I’m alright.”

「啊！是的，我没有关系」

“In that case… there were several points in the operation you suggested just now which bothered me. The first is the question of rations. I agree that there might be food stocks in the prison camps, but I do not feel there will be much there. When you think about it, do you think they would feed their captives properly? Just so. If it were up to me, I would decrease their daily food intake and weaken them so they would have no chance to revolt. Also, there is the matter of pressing them into service as soldiers after rescuing them. What about their weapons? Have you transported them to this cave?”

「那样的话，首先就我刚刚所听到的作战中，有几个令人在意的地方。第一是粮食。我同意俘虏收容所里多少会有些粮食，但我不觉得会有很多。说到底它们会让俘虏好好吃饭吗？就是这么回事。是我的话，会把平日的饭量减少，将他们的体力削减到无法叛乱喔。还有就是救了他们的话，就能将他们作为士兵利用的事。他们的武器要怎么办？有运到这个洞窟里吗？」

“No, we have not. I would like to think we could obtain those from the camps.”

「不，并没有。是想说能不能也在俘虏收容所里拿到呢」

“Your plan of wagering everything on these camps is very dangerous. You do understand this, right?”

「这个将一切期待于俘虏收容所的作战很危险。你明白的吧？」

“Yes. However, saving the people suffering in there is very important.”

「是的，但是拯救在那里受苦的人也是非常重要的」

“On that point I concur. The more time passes, the less they will feel for this country. However, it would be best to do something about the food situation. In truth, I feel that seeking the aid of the south is the best choice in many ways. What can be done to accomplish that more easily?”

「这点我也同意。时间过得越久，对这个国家的感情就越有可能流失。只是就关于粮食方面还是做点什么比较好。老实说，我认为在各方面上请求南方的协助是最好的，要怎么做才会比较容易办到？」

“The royal family will help. While Her Majesty has already passed away, I do not think all the royals have been wiped out. We could aid the members of the royal family supported by the southern nobles, and then have them ask the southern nobles to cooperate with us. If we did that, we would also have a safe refuge… speaking of which, Your Majesty. The Holy Queen is dead, but perhaps Your Majesty could do something about it?”

「就是王族。虽说圣王女大人已经辞世，但应该不是所有的王族都灭绝了。帮助南方的贵族所拥立的王族，然后通过那位来请求南方贵族的协助的话就行得通了吧。这样的话也能有避难的地方……话说回来陛下，虽然圣王女大人过世了，但靠陛下的力量的话能做点什么吗？」

“What do you want me to do about it?”

「做点什么是指？」

“Resurrection.”

「就是复活」

“I see. That is not impossible.”

「原来如此。不是不可能」

He said so in such a casual tone that Neia doubted her ears for a moment. Resurrection magic could be considered the ultimate secret of divine magic. Very few humans could use it. How many people in this world could speak those words so easily?

因为说得太过轻松，涅亚一瞬间怀疑起了自己的耳朵。复活魔法可以说是信仰系魔法的奥义。能使用的人类自然是少之又少。能这么轻易说出口的人，在这世界上又有几个呢。

“Naturally, I will expect some form of compensation for this. Then where is the body? In what state is it?”

「当然我会收取报酬。那么尸体在哪里呢？是怎样的状态呢？」

“The body’s location is currently unknown, as is its status. On the subject of compensation, we will gladly pay as much money as Your Majesty desires.”

「尸体的所在目前尚且不明，所处状态也一样。可有关报酬的话，我们愿意支付陛下所希望的金额」

The Sorcerer King waved his hand before his face.

魔导王在脸前挥挥手。

“The lack of a body will make things very difficult. Even with one, the condition of the body might complicate matters. Without an intact corpse, there is a chance that if I used resurrection magic, it might become one of the undead.”

「没有尸体的话很麻烦了。就算有、根据损伤的程度也会有变化。要是在没有较为完整尸体的情况下，由我来用魔法复活的话，有可能会化作不死者」

“That, that would be very problematic for us.”

「那、那就很困扰了啊」

If the Holy Queen became undead, not only would that cause problems, it would plunge the entire Holy Kingdom into war.

要是圣王女成了不死者的话，何止是困扰、恐怕整个圣王国都会陷入战争之中。

“Are there no magic casters in the Holy Kingdom which can use resurrection magic of the fifth tier?”

「圣王国里没有魔法吟唱者能行使第五位阶的复活魔法吗？」

“I apologize, but I have not heard of any.”

「孤陋寡闻从未听说过，非常抱歉」

“Hoh… and what about the remaining members of the royal family?”

「嚯喔……那么残存下来的王族在哪里呢？」

“They are probably in one of the internment camps. After so long, I doubt any of them are hidden within the cities.”

「我想恐怕在哪个俘虏收容所里吧。都过了这么长的时间，大概是没有潜伏在城市内部的可能性」

“Hoh, prisoners, then? ...Do you have any information on where they might be?”

「嚯、俘虏？……没有在何处的情报吗？」

“None at all,” Gustav replied with a shake of his head. The Sorcerer King looked at the ceiling.

什么都没有，古斯塔博摇摇头。魔导王望向天花板。

“Umu. You really are making this up as you go along, aren’t you?”

「唔嗯，这还真是相当走一步算一步啊」

“Indeed, it is so. Nobody in the paladin order is skilled at collecting information…”

「就是如此。圣骑士团中没有人擅长收集情报的……」

“Is that so…” The Sorcerer King hmmed to himself. “As I thought, a solid organization to allow every subordinate to deal with all kinds of situations is essential. In addition, one needs multiple intelligence-gathering apparatuses.”

「这样啊……」魔导王嗯嗯地点着头「果然让每一个部下能都对应所有状况的厚实组织结构是不可或缺的。还有复数的谍报机构」

“There-therefore, we were hoping to draw on Your Majesty’s might. May I know if you could help us with your magic?”

「所、所以希望能够借用魔导王陛下您的力量。请问能用魔法做点什么吗？」

“Well, magic is not that omnipotent… for starters, we need detailed information on the prison camps. I trust you have a detailed map for me to peruse?”

「可毕竟魔法也不是那么万能的啊……首先需要的是有关俘虏收容所的详细情报。能让我看看详细绘制的地图」

“My sincerest apologies--”

「非常抱歉——」

“I do not think there is one here; shall I fetch one?” Neia interrupted halfway.

「我想这里没有，需要我去取来吗？」

涅亚在说到一半时插了口。

Maps were the treasure of a kingdom. The more accurate they were, the more useful they were in battle. Allowing a possible enemy nation to know so much about one’s geography did far more harm than good. Therefore, Gustav must have been planning to refuse him.

地图是一国之宝。越是详尽对攻防越是有利。让将来可能为敌的邻国知道自国的详细地理情况是有百害而无一利。所以古斯塔博应该是打算拒绝的吧。

However.

然而。

Neia could not concede on this point.

涅亚无法在这里做出让步。

She could not tolerate their one-sided usage of the Sorcerer King.

无法容忍仅仅是利用魔导王而已。

If they wanted to draw on his wisdom, they would have to pay that price.

如果想借用那份智慧的话，就应该支付那笔代价。

Although Gustav stared daggers at her, Neia pretended that she had not noticed it.

尽管古斯塔博用着锐利的眼神看着这边，但涅亚却摆出一副与我无关的姿态。

“Ah, in that case, let me take a look at it afterwards. Also, I apologize, but do tell me everything you know about the terrain, Baraja-san.”

「啊、那样的话，之后再给我看吧。那么不好意思，巴拉哈小姐，关于这一带的地理环境，把妳知道的都告诉我」

“Understood!”

「遵命！」

After the two of them replied, Gustav pulled aside the curtain and left. After the sounds of his footsteps faded away, the Sorcerer King muttered:

两人回复之后，古斯塔博翻开布帘离开。在听不到他的脚步声的时候，魔导王慢慢喃道。

“You don’t have to worry about it. I came here for my own gain, That’s how valuable Jaldabaoth’s demon maids are.”

「不用在意也没关系喔。我是为了利益才来此地的。亚达巴沃的那些恶魔女仆们就是有这样的价值」

“Yes.”

「是」

He must have been talking about the maps.

是在说地图的事吧。

Neia’s chest was hot. Truly, it was a joyful thing to have everything you did validated by others.

涅亚的胸口发热。自己所做的事被好好地肯定，这是一件多么令人开心的事啊。

“Still, this really is pushing it. I’m surprised an organization that splinters so easily has held out for so long.

「不过啊，这还真是被逼得很紧呢。这么轻易就分裂的组织，真亏能撑到现在」

“--My deepest apologies.”

「——非常抱歉」

“No, there’s no need to apologize to me… however, it’s quite troublesome when an organization isn’t united. Do you not use majority vote when a difference of opinion occurs? And of course, a rule to not hold grudges whatever the outcome.”

「不，没有特别向我道歉的必要……不过，组织不是团结一心还真是麻烦。在意见对立的时候没有采用多数决吗？当然，还得加上事后不能埋怨这样的规矩」

“How wonderful it would be if we could unite the group in that way. It sounds like a dream team.”

「要是有能用这样的方法团结在一起的组织的话，那该有多美好啊。简直是梦幻般的组织呢」

“Mm… wonderful, you say?”

The Sorcerer King suddenly looked at the ceiling, but his eyes seemed to be gazing at something further away.

“Yes, that truly was a dream team.”

「嗯……美好吗？」魔导王突然看向天花板，但是那双眼似乎在看着更加遥远的地方「没错，那是梦幻般的组织呢」

“Could it be that Your Majesty’s nation is organized along those lines?”

「莫非魔导王陛下的国家就是像这样的组织吗？」

“Ah, ahhh. No, not like that. Unfortunately, my country is not such a group. Still… kuku.”

The Sorcerer King went quiet, and then he laughed warmly,

“It would be interesting if it was.”

「啊，啊啊，不是。不是那样子的。很遗憾，我国并不是那样的组织。但是呢……呵呵」魔导王安静下来，然后温和地笑了「要是那样的话就有趣了呢」

“Interesting, you say?”

「很有趣吗？」

“--Now then, can you tell me about the surrounding area?”

「——那么，可以让我听听周边的事了吗？」

Part 2

A group of people forged through the night towards a prison camp.

一行人趁着夜色，向俘虏收容所前进。

They had decided to adopt the Sorcerer King’s suggestion of attacking the prison camp by the shore which was as far from their base as possible. It would be easier to hide their tracks by the sea, and given the distance, they would be able to buy some time before the enemy verified the location of the Liberation Army after the attack.

听从了魔导王的提案，决定去袭击离据点尽可能远的海边的俘虏收容所。海边的话容易隐藏足迹，还有距离遥远的话，也能争取到在对方确认解放军的袭击之前的时间。

However, there was a problem.

但是有个问题。

If it was too far, the chances of being spotted by enemy scouts was very high.

要是太远的话，移动中被敌人的侦查队发现的机率很高。

Therefore, they decided to attack the furthest prison camp within their travel range.

结果就决定袭击可行范围内最远的俘虏收容所了。

Neia asked a question of the Sorcerer King, who was riding a horse beside her.

涅亚开口询问在旁边骑着马的魔导王。

“Your Majesty, we will be making our approach on horseback until we reach the village. Are all the preparations complete?

「陛下，到村子之前要乘马一口气接近。准备方面没有问题吗？」

“Ah, but of course. However… I did not hear much about the operation details. What sort of tactics will they use? I do look forward to it.”

「啊啊，那是当然。但是……没有连作战内容的部分都有听说呢。到底拟订了什么样的战略呢？有点令人期待呢」

“You look forward to it?”

「期待是吗？」

“Kuku, I’ll be able to see some of the Holy Kingdom’s tactics at work. What abilities will they use to break down gates? Or will they fly over the walls and infiltrate through the air? I doubt they will be so unwilling to let me see that… The thought that they might have an ability I have not encountered excites me.”

「呵呵，可以看到圣王国战略的一部分喔。是会用怎样的能力打破门呢？还是说飞越过城墙上空侵入进去呢。再怎么说也不会连这些舍不得让我看到吧……一想到之中要是有人有着我所不知道的技能的话，就让人十分开心」

The Sorcerer King will surely be disappointed, Neia thought uneasily.

魔导王肯定会失望的吧，涅亚于心不安的想。

The Holy Kingdom’s basic siege tactic was to launch a two-pronged attack with angels from the air and infantry from the ground. They would probably do the same thing this time round. Or rather, they did not have the manpower to do anything else.

圣王国基本的攻城战术是，天使们从上空进攻的同时，士兵们毅然进行突击。恐怕这次也是如此。不如说也没有能采取其他手段的战力。

Neia looked at Remedios.

涅亚向蕾梅蒂欧丝看去。

Practically all the Liberation Army’s fighting power was now advancing.

几乎是解放军的全部战力正在前进。

The Captain raised her lance, from which the Holy Kingdom’s flag fluttered in the wind.

团长举起枪，系在上面的圣王国旗帜随风飘扬。

“Let’s go!”

「要上了！」

“Ohhh!”

「喔！」

The Captain spurred her horse, which began to move, and the paladins followed behind her. They were still some distance from the village, so they could not go at a full gallop, but a trot.

团长踢了马，开始跑起来，圣骑士们追随其后。离村子还有些距离，所以还不是全力而是慢跑。

“The paladins are carrying freshly-cut logs; are they battering rams?”

「圣骑士们在运送着刚刚砍倒的圆木，难道说那是破城槌吗？」

“Yes. Our Liberation Army only has paladins and priests. Nobody is skilled at opening doors or other infiltration skills. Therefore, all we can do is mount a frontal assault. Our Captain is a skilled swordswoman, but for breaking down gates, tools like that would be faster.”

「是，我们解放军里只有圣骑士和神官而已，没有人擅长开门或潜入这样的能力。所以只能从正面突破门而已。团长虽然剑术了得，但要破坏门的话，用那样的道具要快一些」

“So they’re not using magic, but seek to physically break it down with a battering ram? Aren’t they going to use ladders or the like? Can the magic of paladins carry them over walls?”

「不是利用魔法，而是物理上用破城槌突破吗……？不用梯子之类的吗？圣骑士的魔法之中有能越过墙去的东西吗？」

There were several broad types of spells: arcane, divine, spiritual and others, and the magic that the paladins used fell into the “other” category, and they typically cast spells in the form of blessings. Dark knights, who were fallen paladins, also used blessing spells.

魔法有分成魔力系、信仰系、精神系几个系统，圣骑士们使用的魔法则属于其他系统，凭借加护这种能力来使用魔法。身为堕落圣骑士的暗黑骑士，也是一样能使用加护魔法。

From what Neia had seen and heard, there were no spells which let them make ladders.

在涅亚所见闻过的知识中，并没有能够做出梯子的魔法。

“I apologize, but I have never heard of such magic before.”

「十分抱歉，孤陋寡闻未曾听说过」

“Neither have I. Although, there are some paladin spells which allow them to fly, although those are of quite a high tier.”

「我也不知道。虽然圣骑士的魔法中姑且也有存在着飞行魔法，但那个是相当高位阶的魔法」

“Is that so. You even know about paladin spells…”

「是这样的吗。连圣骑士的魔法都清楚……」

Truly, he was the Sorcerer King. He was knowledgeable even about spells he could not cast.

不愧是魔导王。连自己使用的魔法之外的知识都非常渊博。

“That’s because the enemy might use them. It took a lot of effort to memorize every spell there was. Since I was not talented, I had to make up for it with hard work. The more you know, the closer you are to victory, although that was what a friend told me, hm.”

「因为敌人会用也说不定。为了尽可能地记住所有的魔法而下了一番工夫。因为我没有才能，只能努力来弥补差距。情报知道的越多离胜利也越近，不过这是朋友说的、嗯」

She could not believe what he said about having no talent. However, she had a higher priority than that.

说没有才能真是无法置信，不过比起这件事，还有更优先的事要做。

“Your Majesty, if you have any strategies to recommend, I will relay them to our Captain.”

「陛下，若是有什么策略的话，我就向团长传达」

It was quite likely that someone as capable as the Sorcerer King had already come up with a more effective plan than what the Liberation Army had. That was why he was acting this way.

像魔导王这样的有才之人，很可能已经注意到解放军这个手牌还要有效的策略。所以才会是这样的态度吧。

“Eh? No, no, I shouldn’t. Ah, well-- about that. Liberating this prison camp is not my job, but yours. Attacking these prison camps is the first step in finding a better way to do things. They need to realize that themselves., which is why it must be done this way.”

「欸？不、不了，还是不要。欸—嘛—，那个啊。解放这个收容所并非是我的工作，而是你们的工作。负责几个俘虏收容所的袭击，是摸索更有效的手段的第一步。必须由自己来察觉到才行，就是要这么做」

The Sorcerer King was right. Or rather, everything he said was right.

魔导王的话很正确。不如说这位大人所说的，一直都是正确的。

However, just for today, Neia wanted to borrow the Sorcerer King’s strength. That was because their war was fought to save the suffering masses, and she wanted to choose a path which was faster and which could save more people.

但是只有今天，涅亚希望能借用魔导王的力量。这是因为这场战斗是为了救助受苦中的无辜百姓，想要选择一条能更快一点、能救更多一点的道路

“I fully agree that what Your Majesty said is correct. However, I pray you will still lend us a hand.”

「我理解陛下所说的话完全正确。但是，还务必请您出手相助」

She immediately knew she was being very rude. However, Neia still bowed her head and pleaded the Sorcerer King anyway,

明知在马上这么做很无礼。但涅亚还是低下头向魔导王乞求道。

The Sorcerer King looked forward for a while before speaking again.

魔导王朝着前进方向眺望了一阵子才开口。

“Umu… Neia Baraja. Don’t make me repeat myself so many times. Failure is the mother of success. The consequences of not relying on me and instead thinking for yourself, even if they should end up being failure, should not be feared, but embraced. This is because they are the failures necessary for success.”

「唔嗯……涅亚．巴拉哈啊。不要让我说那么多遍。失败造就成功。没有依靠我而是自己思考后的结果，就算是失败也不要害怕而是去接受它。那是为了成功所必须的失败」

The Sorcerer King’s words stabbed at Neia’s heart. She could not keep asking the Sorcerer King to help. The Sorcerer King was saying that the consequences of planning the recovery of their nation were a necessary sacrifice.

魔导王的话，就像刺在涅亚胸口上一样令人疼痛。不可能一直让魔导王帮忙。魔导王所说的是，如果是我们自己为了独自复兴国家而思考得来的结果的话，那也是必要的牺牲。

Indeed, it was as His Majesty said.

的确正如陛下所言。

But with the power of the Sorcerer King, they might be able to save more lives.

但是如果有魔导王的力量，现在可以救助更多的性命也说不定。

Would sacrificing them for the sake of independence be justice?

我们为了自立而接受牺牲，那算是正义吗？

What was justice, anyway?

正义到底是什么？

Was saving more lives justice? Or--

救得了更多的性命就是正义吗？还是说——

Her thoughts fell into a vicious cycle, and she could not find an answer.

思考陷入了死循环，完全得不出答案。

“Now then, let us look forward to their skills.”

「那么，让我来期待她们的本事吧」

Right now, Neia was simply praying that the many sacrifices they would make would not be wasted.

现在涅亚只是单单祈求大量牺牲的结果，不会是徒流悲伤的血吧。

The group advanced towards the prison camp in a straight line.

一行人一直线地朝俘虏收容所前进。

The ground before the village was sloped, but there were watchtowers. If they approached from the front, they would definitely be spotted. However, it was also a fact that this was the only way they could attack.

到村子前虽然地形有些许起伏，但是有着像是瞭望台的东西。如果从正面前去的话肯定会被发现。但是，只能用这种方法进攻也是事实。

Soon, they spotted the village.

不久后可以看见村子。

There seemed to be sentries on the watchtower above the gate. They banged on the alarm bells, and a commotion arose from within the village.

大门上的瞭望台上果然有人在好好守夜，马上就敲响警钟，村子内部骚动了起来。

Neia narrowed her eyes, and stared at the watchtower.

涅亚瞇起眼，盯着瞭望台。

The demihumans there looked like bipedal goats, wearing chain shirts and carrying large spears.

在那里的亚人，样子像是站着的长毛山羊，穿着锁子甲 (Chain Shirt)，装备着大型的枪。

If Neia recalled them correctly, those demihumans were known as Bafolk.

如果涅亚的记忆正确的话，亚人的种族名是山羊人[Bafolk]。

They were a demihuman species who lived in mountainous regions, and their legs were every bit as capable as a mountain goat, making them fearsome warriors who could scale even the slightest bump or depression. In addition, their fur tangled on slashing swords and steadily blunted their edges, so after killing one, it was important to clear the fur off the blade, or so her father had taught her.

那是住在山岳地带的亚人种族，那双健足有着如同山羊一样的性能，只要有一点凹凸就能搭着爬上城墙的恐怖战士。而且长毛会缠上斩下去的剑，让锋刃逐渐变钝，所以打倒一头后就必须把缠着的毛去除才行，曾记得父亲这么教导过。

The Bafolk’s spears were long enough that they could stab people passing underneath from above.

山羊人所持的枪，长到即使从门上方也能攻击到下方通过的人。

She mused that thing would be troublesome if they immediately strengthened their defense. However, they did not seem that well drilled, running around wildly, which gave their side quite a lot of time.

虽然想着要是对方马上就加强防备的话就麻烦了。不过它们似乎并不是那么熟练，到处东奔西窜的，替我方的准备争取到不少时间。

The priests dismounted, and immediately summoned angels.

神官们下马后，立刻召唤出了天使。

The paladins also dismounted, and raised their shields. This was probably to protect the people carrying the battering rams from attacks.

圣骑士们也下了马，拿起盾牌。这是为了要保护拿着破城槌的人受到来自上方的攻击吧。

However, not all the paladins were like that. About ten or so people remained mounted and began circling around the village.

不过并不是全部的圣骑士都是这样。有大概十个人继续策马向村子侧面开始移动。

“Baraja-san, I trust dispersing some troops around the area is meant to prevent any demihumans from escaping with intelligence about this battle? If anyone gets away, then even if you win the battle, it will be a loss in the long run.”

「巴拉哈小姐。那是让少数的士兵在周围散开，阻止收容所的亚人带着这里的情报逃走的任务吗？如果让人逃了，即使在这里胜利，从大局上来看也是失败的」

“That, that’s it! It’s just as you say!”

「就、就是这样！如您所说的一样！」

He had seen through the paladins’ tactics with such ease. The only thing Neia could say about him was that he was amazing.