“What’s the matter? Is something bothering you?”

「怎么了？有什么令妳在意的事吗？」

“Ah, no! It’s been only three days since the search started, so I think it might be a bit hasty to conclude that he fell there…”

「啊，不是！从搜索开始还只有三天，我觉得断定没有落在这边是不是有点匆忙了……」

“I see. That does make sense. However, would it not be better to be prepared for anything?”

「原来如此。确实说的也有道理。不过，先做好万全的准备更好吧？」

“That is true.”

「您说的是」

“Alright. In that case, maid demon-kun. This is the third time I have spoken to you. The day we found you, yesterday, and now.”

「好。那么女仆恶魔君。这是第三次和你说话了。发现妳的那天，昨天，然后是今天吧」

The maid demon said nothing and looked at Caspond.

女仆恶魔什么也没说盯着卡斯邦登。

“If I asked you to go to a certain large city to rescue someone imprisoned there, would you help us?”

「如果说想要妳前往某个大都市，救出囚禁在那里的人，妳会协助我们吗？」

“...It is like I said yesterday. I will.”

「…………和昨天说的一样。会的」

“Ahh, good, I understand. Then, I apologize for this, but would you mind returning to your room? Vice-Captain Montagnes, if you would.”

「啊啊，好的明白了。那么不好意思妳能回刚才的房间吗？蒙塔涅斯副团长，拜托你了。」

He led the maid demon away, and they began speaking again once Gustav returned.

带走了女仆恶魔，等古斯塔沃回来之后，谈话再次开始。

“Miss Baraja. While I do not know if I need to tell you all this, possessing this information might mean the difference between success and failure when you infiltrate Kalinsha. Therefore, I will speak to you about a few things. The first concerns Jaldabaoth.”

「巴拉哈小姐。虽然不知道是否有必要和妳说这么多，不过如果要妳潜入卡林夏的话，有没有知晓这些情报也有可能会关系到作战是否能成功。所以，要告诉妳点事情。首先是关于亚达巴沃的」

Caspond told her what they had learned from the maid demon.

卡斯邦登讲述了从女仆恶魔那里获得的情报。

It would seem she knew little about Jaldabaoth, practically nothing, in fact. She did not even know what abilities or attacks or weaknesses he possessed. In addition, she did not know what Jaldabaoth was doing now or what his objective was.

她对于亚达巴沃的情报似乎知之甚少。不如说几乎是没有知道的。拥有什么样的能力、什么样的攻击是他的弱点，连这些都不知道。而且现在亚达巴沃在做着什么，目的是什么也不知道。

However, she had said that he would need a very long time to recover if he was severely injured. It was like how it would take longer to refill a larger vessel when the water level inside it decreased.

只有被告知了受了重伤的时候，到回复为止会需要非常多时间这种程度的事而已。似乎就像是容器越大，当里面的水少掉了的时候，要存满它就越花时间一样。

And so, after learning about Jaldabaoth, the demihumans and the other demons, Neia asked Caspond the question whose answer she wanted to know most of all.

就这样，得知了亚达巴沃、亚人，还有其他恶魔等等情报的宁亚，向卡斯邦登提出了最先想知道的问题。

“How far can we trust her?”

「请问能信任她到什么程度呢？」

“We can’t. We should kill her to be safe.”

「完全不能信任。杀掉才比较安全」

That answer had been supplied by Remedios.

说这话的是蕾梅迪奥丝。

Neia resisted the urge to ask if she could beat a difficulty 150 maid demon, and listened to Caspond’s judgement.

宁亚忍住想问她能不能战胜难度一百五十的女仆恶魔的心情，听着卡斯邦登的判断。

“I find it hard to trust her. This might be one of Jaldabaoth’s schemes. She might be a spy sent out in case someone like Momon appears, someone who can fight back against Jaldabaoth.”

「很难信任她吧。说不定这是亚达巴沃的计谋之一。是为了像飞飞或是其他说不定能和亚达巴沃对抗的人出现时所派的密探。」

That was why they had asked the Zern envoy to leave before bringing the maid demon in, and spoken obliquely in front of her.

所以在把女仆恶魔带来之前先让蓝蛆的使者退了场，并在话里增加了指示代词吧。

“I told you, right? It would be better to kill her. That way there’ll be one less thing to worry about.”

「我说了吧。把那个杀掉比较好。那样一来也能减少个不安因素」

“I see, Captain Custodio. That is an option. However, it is very likely that the maid demon is indeed under the Sorcerer King’s control. That is because she has not been spouting false information about Jaldabaoth nonstop, but replying that she does not know. However, why is she not asking about the Sorcerer King at all… Umu. Still, you agreed to hand the rights to the maid demons over to him, did you not? Since you did that, once they find out we killed her, they will regard our country as incapable of keeping its promises, you know? Once that happens, it is possible that nobody else will want to help us no matter what happens to our country.”

「原来如此，卡斯托迪奥团长。这也是一个办法。但是，现在女仆恶魔的支配权是真的在魔导王手里的可能性也很大。因为她也没有滔滔不绝地散播关于亚达巴沃本人的假情报，而是回答了不知道。但这样的话，一点都不追问魔导王的事又是为何……。唔嗯。但是，妳之前有和魔导王约定把女仆恶魔的支配权交给他的吧？这么做的话，一旦被发现是我们杀的，我们国家可是会被认为是无法遵守约定的国家的哦？今后无论发生了什么，说不定都不会再有国家来帮助我们了」

“He’s already been killed by Jaldabaoth, hasn’t he?”

「那家伙已经被亚达巴沃杀了吧」

Remedios’ words made Neia look down as she struggled to bite back her anger. Thanks to Remedios, she felt like she had gained the ability to better manage her emotions.

蕾梅迪奥丝的话令宁亚垂下了目光，强忍着激烈的怒气。托蕾梅迪奥丝的福，甚至有种自己能更好地控制情感了的感觉。

“We cannot be sure about that. That is why I feel we need to test and use her during the rescue of the prince. If she betrays us and leaks the information, then only the Zern will be eliminated, which will reduce the number of demihumans. We will also be able to root out the rat among us. These are the two merits of this option. And of course, if we succeed, we can simply rejoice.”

「我们无法确认这件事。正因为如此，我觉得才要在救助王子的过程中使用她，测试她。如果她背叛了我们把情报流出去的话，被肃清也只会是蓝蛆而已，减少的是亚人的数量。而我们也能把想要潜入的老鼠赶出来。这样就有两个好处。成功了的话就只要高兴就好了」

Please don’t forget about the life of the person who will be carrying out the infiltration, Neia grumbled in her heart.

真希望也别忘记执行潜入行动的人的性命呢，宁亚在心里犯着嘀咕。

“Did you ask the maid demon about her own weaknesses? If she betrays us en route, would it not be better to have some way to deal with her?”

「请问没有问过那个女仆恶魔自身的弱点之类的吗？就算是要一起行动，在被背叛的时候，如果有什么能应对的方法的话就好了？」

“We didn’t ask about anything like that.”

「再怎么说那样的事情没有问呢」

Caspond smiled bitterly. Neia followed suit.

卡斯邦登露出了苦笑。宁亚也一样苦笑了起来。

Even if she told them, there would be no way to determine if she were telling the truth. They could not tell by looking, and obviously they could not test it out.

就算回答了也无法确定真假。光靠外表可能看不出来不说，也不可能真的去实行。

“Well, we’re not the ones who control her. Ultimately, she’s only helping us because the Sorcerer King ordered her to do so.”

「嘛，拥有她支配权的也不是我们。说到底也只是因为魔导王的命令才来协助我们的立场」

Gustav was still going on about that, but in truth both Caspond and Neia had realised it already. There was probably only one person present who did not understand the situation.

虽然卡斯邦登现在还在说这样的话，其实宁亚也好卡斯邦登也好都早就明白了。在场搞不清楚状况的大概也就只有一个人。

“So the infiltrators will be myself and the maid demon. Has anyone else been selected?”

「然后潜入部队的话有我和女仆恶魔。请问在这以外还有谁被选上了呢？」

“On that point, if you have nobody else to recommend, then the two of you will go by yourselves.”

「关于那个嘛，如果妳那边没有推荐的人物的话希望就只由妳们两个去执行」

For a moment, Neia looked at Caspond because she thought he was kidding, but his face was serious.

一瞬，宁亚想着是不是在开玩笑地看着卡斯邦登，然而那个表情是认真的。

“Allow me to add on to the Prince-denka’s words, but surely an infiltration is best handled by a very small number of people, am I wrong? People getting in the way would be bad news, which is why we have nobody to put forward.”

「要为王兄殿下作补充说明的话，所谓潜入行动应该是由极少数人负责的吧？要是碍手碍脚的就糟糕了，所以我们这边没有推荐的人选」

While Gustav’s explanation was convincing enough, Neia knew that was not the only reason.

虽然古斯塔沃提出了令人信服的说明，但宁亚知道理由并不是只有那个。

It was because of Neia Baraja’s situation.

是因为宁亚·巴拉哈所在的立场。

It would be all well and good if this rescue operation went well. If it failed, all they would lose was an interfering squire who had grown close to the Sorcerer King and one of the Sorcerer King’s minions. In addition, they would lose little even if the maid demon betrayed them. It was perfect.

这次的救出作战成功的话就万万岁。即使失败了，死掉的也只是和魔导王走得很近的碍事的侍从，还有魔导王的部下而已。而且就算女仆恶魔反叛了牺牲也很小。要说完美的话相当完美。

In that case -- was it a lie when they said they had asked Remedios to go before? It was also possible that it was not, and they were just trying to minimize their losses.

那么——曾一度想要让蕾梅迪奥丝去是在说谎吗。然而不是那样，纯粹只是想降低损害的可能性也是有的。

Neia exhaled. There could be no other answer. This was a good chance to show her loyalty to the Sorcerer King.

宁亚呼地吐了口气。无论如何，回答都只有一个。这是展示对魔导王的忠义的好机会。

“I understand. I and her--” she mused that she was probably a female “--The Maid demon will go together.”

「属下明白了。就由我和她——」一边想着那个是女的吧，说道「女仆恶魔两个人去吧」

“Oh, I see. Then we’ll be counting on you.”

「哦哦，是嘛。那么就拜托了哦」

“Yes!”

「是！」

“Then Vice-Captain Montagnes will draw you a rough sketch of the city. Prepare yourself before you leave. Also, avoid combat if any demons close to Jaldabaoth are present.”

「那么城市的示意图——由蒙塔涅斯副团长来画。预定在你们出发前能准备好。还有如果亚达巴沃亲信的恶魔在的话要避免战斗」

According to the maid demon and the Zern’s information, Jaldabaoth was served by three great demons. These three demons were--

根据女仆恶魔和蓝蛆的情报，亚达巴沃有三只大恶魔作为亲信服侍在左右。这三只大恶魔分别是——

The ruler of the Abelion Hills, where the demihumans lived.

亚人们居住的亚伯利恩丘陵的支配者。

The marshal of the invasion of the Southern Holy Kingdom.

负责向圣王国南方前进的侵略军统帅。

The one in charge of three major cities, who teleported between Kalinsha, Rimun and Prart.

为了管理三座大都市，在卡林夏、利蒙、普拉托间依次转移的负责人。

That seemed to be it.

似乎是这样。

Therefore, if she was unlucky, the great demon in charge of the cities would be present.

所以，运气不好的话说不定负责管理都市的大恶魔会在那里。

The great demon in charge of the cities apparently had no head, and its body was like a withered tree. It was two meters tall and had no wings or a tail. It had clawed hands, and its slender body possessed an unimaginable strength. Also, it lacked a head, but it was still able to sense its surroundings, and similarly it could even read.

那个负责管理都市的大恶魔好像是没有头部，有着如枯木一样的身体。身长两米，没有翅膀和尾巴。手上生有钩爪，那纤细的身体里有着想象不到的力气。然后明明没有头部，又是如何掌握周围情况的呢，同樣的似乎连文字都能理解。

As a demon, it had a truly fiendish physiology.

要说像恶魔的话还真是恶魔般的姿态。

Incidentally, the capital of Hoburns was apparently under Jaldabaoth’s direct command, and not that of his aides.

顺便首都荷班斯好像是亚达巴沃的直辖地，并不是由亲信的恶魔管理的。

“May I know who is stronger between it and the maid demon?”

「请问和那个女仆恶魔比的话哪个比较强呢？」

“In the maid demon’s own words, she does not know.”

「用女仆恶魔自己的话来说似乎是不知道到底哪边更强」

She wanted to see the maid demon’s fighting ability just once. In particular, she wanted to know what weapons she favored and what special abilities she had. If she did not know that, they might suffer an unexpected defeat.

希望至少要见识一次那个女仆恶魔的战斗能力呢。特别是擅长的武器啦、有着什么特殊能力之类的，要是不清楚的话，有可能會发生想象不到的失败。

The three great demons are both generals and lords. He probably feels that demihumans are not suited for brainwork, so he seems to have set up a dictatorial power structure. Therefore, the great demons handle much of the administration and they have not appointed any successors or substitutes. If you can defeat them, you’ll be able to deal the Demihuman Alliance a devastating blow. “

「三个大恶魔既是将军也是领主。大概是觉得亚人们不适合做脑力劳动吧，似乎建立起了独裁的统治机构。所以大部分的管理都是由大恶魔们亲自负责的，没有设立继任者和代理人。如果能打倒他们的话，就能对亚人联合军的合作与补给造成毁灭性的打击了吧」

“That would satisfy the victory conditions you have laid out, Prince-denka.”

「那样就达成了王兄殿下考虑的胜利条件了呢」

“Ahh. Although Jaldabaoth might lead in person once his wounds have recovered… Right now, I don’t think he’ll force himself to take the field. However, if you can take the limbs, then victory will be close at hand even if you do not crush the head. That said, your main priority now is the rescue, so avoid combat if you can.”

「啊啊，虽然如果亚达巴沃的伤好了的话，那他说不定就会自己指挥了……。现在这个时间点，我不认为他会勉强自己跑出来。但要能把手脚都扯断的话，即使没有击溃头部也离胜利不远了。虽然话是这么说，这次还是要把救人作为主要目标。给我避免战斗」

“I understand.”

「属下明白了」

“In that case… when will you begin the rescue mission?”

「那么……什么时候开始救援任务？」

“I was planning to set out as soon as possible. However, I would like to speak to the maid demon before that.”

「在下打算准备好了就及早出发。但是，在那之前请让我与女仆恶魔稍微谈一下」

“I see. Then how about in two days’ time?”

「这样啊。那么两天后如何？」

Neia replied in the affirmative and received permission to meet the maid demon. After that, she left the room.

宁亚给出了解的回答后，得到了与女仆恶魔会面的许可并退出房间。

While she had a heavy burden to bear, her stride was energetic and her face was filled with determination. The flames of madness that came from losing her purpose recently received new direction, and they became a blinding light that illuminated her path.

虽然肩上背负的任务相当重，但步伐却很高昂，脸上充满着决心。就像是近来因为失去了去处而发狂暴动的火焰得到了方向性，成为了照亮道路的耀眼光芒。

There was still something she could do, and her path led to His Majesty. When she thought of it that way, even travelling with a dangerous demon was nothing.

自己还有可以办到的事，前进的目的地有那位大人在。这样一想，与危险的恶魔同行这点事又算得了什么呢。

***

The maid demon lived in an average-sized house with a garden. It should have once belonged to a wealthy resident of the city. During the savage takeover of this city, part of the beautiful decorations had been destroyed, and statues which should have been there had been smashed. Still, the house itself was intact, and it did not seem like the cold air outside would leak in.

女仆恶魔在有庭园的住宅——虽然没有说得那么大，但也不小——待着。原本应该是都市里哪个有钱人的住处。在支配这个都市的亚人的暴虐之前，一部份的华丽的装饰遭到破坏，原来应该存在的雕刻被粉碎。但是房屋本身勉强没事，冬天户外的空气似乎不会跑进来的样子。

Still, even a cheap and crude house could boast that. Every opening that could be considered a window had been boarded up tight, as though whoever did it were determined not to let air flow in -- or out. It smacked of paranoia.

不过，就算是很糟糕的便宜房屋也一样吧。全部能够被称做窗子的地方都钉上板子封得死死的，一点都不打算让空气都从外面——里面也是——透进来那样，让人感到偏执感。

On the whole, this was a cage, or some kind of sealed-off space. It was a place for someone who was nominally a minion of an undead being or a demon, but also a place for the subordinate of a hero who had come to save the Holy Kingdom. It was a place which blended many purposes, as well as a sense of impending crisis and aversion.

综合来评价的话，应该说这是牢笼，是被隔离的空间吗。可以说是为了让她这个名义上是不死者或是恶魔某一方的怪物手下，同时也是从他国前来拯救圣王国的英雄的属下停留，混杂了多方的想法、危机感和逃避感的地方吧。

While she wanted to ask what she could do with several loops of chain around her, the Sorcerer King had not officially introduced her, so they could not treat this maid demon politely.

虽然想说事到如今就算用锁鍊缠了几圈又能怎樣，但因为没有魔导王的正式介绍，所以大概也无法隆重招待这个女仆恶魔吧。

The wall around the house had been hastily repaired, but it did not have a gate with a lock. Had they taken it away because there was not enough steel to go around? In its place was a hastily-built guard post that looked like a temporary hut.

围绕房屋的围墙因为突击工程进行了修缮，但却没有关键的格栅门。是因为铁不够而被接收了吧。取而代之的是，在门旁有个急忙建起来像是临时小屋的值班室。

The man standing there was a fully armored and powerful-looking man, the paladin who had been appointed commander of this place. Neia handed the scroll Caspond had prepared to him.

在那里的是一个武装齐全的强壮男人，而且还是被任命为指挥官的圣骑士。宁亚把卡斯邦登准备好的羊皮纸交给他。

The paladin quickly scanned it, then returned the scroll to her while handing over a lit candlestick.

圣骑士快速浏览了一遍，将羊皮纸交还时也一起將点了火的烛台给了她。

It was daytime, but the boarded-up windows meant that light could not penetrate inside. Since the maid demon did not need light either, the interior was pitch dark.

虽然现在是白天，但因为钉上的木板所以外面透不进光，女仆恶魔也不需要照明的缘故，屋内是一片黑暗。

Neia went through the door and looked around the desolate garden before heading toward the house. As she walked over a shattered brick road to the main door, Neia took a deep breath.

宁亚穿过门，侧眼看了荒废的庭园，朝着宅邸前进。当踏过四处碎裂的石砖路到达玄关时，宁亚做了一次深呼吸。

She used the knocker on the door, but there was no response. Neia hesitated, and then tried the doorknob. It was unlocked. She cracked the door open, and peered into the darkened interior. There was no sound from the inside, and it was as silent as a mausoleum.

敲响门上的门环，没有回应。宁亚犹豫了一下后扭动门把。门没有上锁。她从打开的隙缝中窥看黑暗的屋里。一点声响都听不到，安静得如同灵庙一样。

She made up her mind and then entered. There was no light inside, and no servants. There was nothing in this house but Neia and a difficulty rating 150 demon.

下定决心后进到里面去，没有照明也没有佣人。这个宅邸现在只有宁亚和难度一百五十的恶魔在而已。

Sweat beaded on her back. The candle she held shook unsteadily. Everything outside the candle’s small circle of illumination seemed to have been sucked into the darkness.

背部流下冷汗。手边蜡烛的火不可靠的摇曳着。在蜡烛的小小光辉之外，仍是一片如同将一切都吸进去的黑暗。

“I’m Neia Baraja! I’m here to see you! Where are you!”

「我是宁亚·巴拉哈！是来见妳的！妳在哪里！」

Neia shouted into the darkness, but the darkness did not respond.

宁亚向黑暗呼喊，却哪里都没有回应。

Was she sleeping?

是在睡觉吗？

She shouted again, louder than just now, but there was no response.

虽然用比刚刚大的声音再叫了一次，但果然没有回应。

Neia screwed up her determination, and stepped forward.

宁亚做好觉悟，迈出步伐。

This was a two-storey building. It had many rooms, and checking them all would take quite a lot of time. Still, even without doing that, Neia might be able to pick up something with her acute hearing.

这个建筑物有两层楼，房间数也不少，要全部调查的话会花不少时间。但就算不做到那种程度，靠着宁亚敏锐的听觉说不定能听到什么声音。

She began with the first floor.

首先从一楼开始。

As Neia gathered up her courage and took a step forward--

宁亚做好了觉悟，踏出的那一瞬间——

“--Uwah.”

「——哇」

Someone called out to her from the side and a face appeared in the light.

突然从旁边被搭话，有人脸浮现光亮之中。

“Aiieeeee!”

「咿！！」

Her shoulders twitched, and she unconsciously backed away from the face that appeared.

肩膀跳了起来，身体无意识地和出现的脸拉开距离。

She hit a wall with a thud.

咚地一声撞上墙壁。

She could not have missed that face. It had appeared beside her as though it had passed through the walls.

不可能有看漏的可能。简直就像穿过墙壁一样突然出现在旁边。

“...Feels surprisingly good.”

「…………吓到的感觉不错」

She saw the maid demon through her tear-limned eyes. She watched the panicking Neia with a blank expression on her face.

含着泪所看到的是那个女仆恶魔。她毫无表情的看着慌慌张张的宁亚。

“Damn demon…”

「可恶的恶魔……」

Neia grumbled.

宁亚忍不住发出怨声。

Was even the Circlet of Iron Will helpless to prevent the feeling of surprise? Her heart was pounding like a drum, and it felt fit to burst. If that was the demon’s aim--

就算精神防壁头冠也无法防止惊讶的情感吗，心脏像打鼓似般直跳，现在也好像要破掉一样。

如果这就是那个恶魔的目的——

Nah, it couldn’t be...

（再怎么样也不可能啦……）

“...Why did you come here?”

「…………那么是来做什么的？」

“I came here to ask you something. In two day’s time, I want the two of us…”

It would probably be too dangerous to explain the operation in detail since she did not know how far she could trust her.

“...To go on a certain mission.”

「我有东西想要问妳才来的。两天后，想要妳和我一起……」还不知道能相信到什么地步，讲出详细的作战就太危险了吧：「……进行某个任务」

“...Got it.”

「……我知道了」

“So I think it would be good if we could share what we know and discuss what we can do…”

「所以我觉得彼此事先交换情报，商量能做到什么事比较好……」

“...Sharing information is important. Understood.”

「…………情报共享很重要。了解了。」

Whether or not she would really share information would depend on the upcoming discussion.

是不是真的想要共享，就看之后的商量了。

“...Alright, then come this way.”

「…………那么，来这里。」

The maid demon moved with rapid steps, as though she did not care about the lack of light. It would seem the paladin she had met earlier was telling the truth.

女仆恶魔飞快的迈出步伐，跟有没有照明毫无关系的样子。那么进来之前碰到的圣骑士所说的就是真的了。

As Neia trailed behind her, she studied the back of the maid demon.

跟在后面的宁亚一边走一边观察起女仆恶魔的背影。

She was a beautiful girl whose slender limbs and pretty face all evoked a protective desire in others.

不管是纤细的肢体，还是端正的容貌，都是会刺激他人保护欲的美少女。

Still, it all seemed like a charade to Neia, who knew the truth about her.

但是对于知道其真面目的宁亚来说看上去全部都是拟态。

The chains she had been festooned with in Caspond’s chambers were nowhere to be seen. However, the chains were meaningless to begin with. This demon was simply made in the shape of a human girl. Her true identity was a monster that could surpass Dragons.

在这里没有来到卡斯邦登的房间时所绑上的锁錬。不过说到底锁錬本来就没有意义。这个恶魔不过是仿照了人类少女的样子，真面目其实是超越了龙的怪物。

As she considered that even a slight pat might be the death of her, her stomach began to ache.

一想到就算被轻轻摸也可能死掉，胃部就在作痛。

“I’m very fragile, so please be gentle with me.”

「我很柔弱的所以要小心点对待啊」

As she heard Neia mutter those words reflexively, the maid demon stopped in place, then turned around and said, “Got it.” Even Neia’s eyes could not make out any changes in her expression. Not knowing what she thought made her a little uneasy

听到這忍不住冒出的话语，一下子停下脚步的女仆恶魔只是转了頭说句「我知道了」。就算以宁亚的视力也无法看出她表情的变化。不知道到底抱持着什么想法，这让人有些不安。

In this way, they arrived at the reception room.

就这样来到了接待室。

There was only a single candle for illumination.

照明只有一根蜡烛而已。

“...Sit,” she pointed to the facing chair. Neia sat down. “...Drinks.”

「…………坐吧」 指着的是对面的座位，宁亚坐了下去「…………喝的东西」

She suddenly produced a bottle of brown liquid. It was just like how the Sorcerer King took out objects.

突然就把装着褐色液体的瓶子拿出来。这跟魔导王拿出东西的方式简直是一样的。

As Neia watched in surprise, she opened the cap and inserted a straw. It was made of a bizarre material that looked both soft and hard at the same time.

在宁亚惊讶的同时，她把盖子打开，将吸管插了进去。那是由看起来很柔软又像是坚硬的，十分奇妙的材质所做成的。

She hoped that muddy liquid was not poison. It would be very distressing if she accidentally forgot that it was harmful to humans.

很希望那黏稠的液体不是毒药。如果不小心忘掉那是对人类有害的饮料那也很头疼。

However, if she was really a subordinate of the Sorcerer king, then she would not be able to refuse. Neia emboldened herself and moved her tongue.

但是如果真的成为了魔导王部下的话，这样一想的话就无法拒绝。宁亚下定决心，开始动口。

She took a mouthful of it, and swirled her tongue.

含在嘴中，转动舌头。

It was not as bitter as she expected, and it did not prickle like needles--

既没有难以想象的苦味，也没有针刺般的刺激——

It’s sweet!? What is this!

（好甜！？这是什么！）

Neia took one mouthful after another. While it was sticky and needed some effort to suck up, it was cool, refreshing and delicious.

宁亚一口接着一口送进嘴里。虽然这黏液吸起来需要一点力道，但是冰冰凉凉的很好喝。：

“...Chocolate-flavored. Calories are a little high… around 2000. But don’t worry. Eating good food and getting fat is a long-cherished ambition for women, according to a certain great person.”

「…………巧克力味。卡路里[热量]有点高……两千左右。但是别在意。吃好吃的东西变胖是女性的夙愿，伟大至尊中的其中一位曾这么说过。」

The change in tone made Neia peek at her face again, but she was still expressionless.

因为语调有点不同所以偷看了下情况，表情还是一动也不动。

The words “great person” made her think of the Sorcerer King, but Neia had the feeling she was referring to someone else.

伟大的人物这句话令人想到魔导王，但感觉应该是在说别人。

“...Want another?”

「…………再喝一瓶？」

“May I?”

「可以吗？」

The maid demon probably knew that it would be a shame to finish it up in one go, and she took out another bottle.

大概女仆恶魔也知道一口气喝完觉得有点可惜吧，又拿出了一瓶。

Neia was also a girl -- although the Orcs had wondered if she was a female -- and it was hard for her to reach out for something that would make her fat. However, this drink was in a small container, which meant there was not much of it. Eating too much of anything would make one fat, so all she had to do was eat less at dinner to cancel it out.

宁亚怎样也是女性——虽然被半兽人怀疑是不是母的——说会胖的话就很难伸出手，不过这个饮料的容器并不大，当然容量也不多。不管什么东西吃太多的话当然会胖，那么晚餐少吃一点就能抵消了吧。

I have no idea what these calories are or how much two thousand of them make, but she said it was a little, so it should be fine.

（卡路里[热量]、两千什么的搞不懂，但都说了有点而已，应该没关系吧。）

It was a sweetness that was completely different from that of fruits or honey. This time, she would savor the taste before drinking it.

与水果和加入蜂蜜的东西完全不同的甜味，这次要好好品尝后喝下去。

She took a mouthful--

一口送进——

“Ah! No, that’s not why I came. I came to talk.”

「啊！不对，不是这样。我是为了谈话才来的」

“...Mm.”

「…………嗯。」

The maid demon sucked on the straw and drank in the same way as Neia had, while her eyes signalled Neia to continue.

叼著吸管，以同样的方式啜饮的女仆恶魔用眼神催著往下说。

“Er, well, first, if you have a name, could you tell it to me? I’m Neia Baraja, but you can call me whatever you want.”

「呃，首先如果有名字的话我可以请教下吗？我的名字是宁亚·巴拉哈。要怎么称呼我请随意。」

According to Blue Rose, each individual maid demon was completely different from the others in terms of appearance and equipment. In fact, the maid demons she had seen behind Jaldabaoth at Caspond’s room were completely different from this one. Maybe there were different names for different types of maid demons, much like Goblins and Hobgoblins.

从苍蔷薇那里听说过女仆恶魔的个体从外表到武装全都不同。实际上与在卡斯邦登的房间里所看到的在亚达巴沃身后的女仆恶魔们也是完全不同的型态。说不定就像哥布林和巨型哥布林一样，女仆恶魔这个分类中也会有不同的名字。

While there might not be a need to know its individual and race name, if she really was a subordinate of the Sorcerer King, then as a squire, it would only be polite to treat her with all due courtesy.

虽然可能没必要知道个体名和分类名，但如果真的是魔导王的部下的话，身为从者做出适当的应对是当然的礼仪。

“...Fuhaa. CZ is fine. I’ll call you Neia.”

「…………哈啊。叫希丝就可以。我叫你宁亚」

“CZ, is it?”

「希丝吗？」

Neia had expected to be addressed as “human”, so she was mildly surprised.

还以为会被叫人类的宁亚稍微有点吃惊。

Is the maid demon’s personal name CZ? Or is CZ her race name? Well, both of them work for me…

（女仆恶魔的个体名是希丝？还是说分类名是希丝？嘛，不管是哪个都可以啦……）

“Is that your personal name?”

「是个体名吗？」

“...Personal name? An excellent question. Yes. Personal name.”

「…………个体名？了不起的提问。没错。个体名。」

“Ah, forgive me. I don’t understand demons that well…”

「啊，真是失礼了。我对恶魔不是那么了解……」

“...Mm. Demons… huh. This… mm.”

「…………唔。恶魔……吗。这个……唔」

CZ seemed to be mumbling. Neia could hear all of it, but since she was talking to herself she decided not to take a jab at her.

希丝在嘟嚷些什么。当然宁亚完全能听得到，但因为是在自言自语所以就不吐槽了。

“Alright then, CZ. What can you do? Also, there were several maid demons, so why did the Sorcerer King choose you?”

「那么希丝，你能做到什么呢？然后女仆恶魔有好几人的样子，为什么，魔导王会选择妳呢？」

“...I’m good at ranged attacks. Also because I was MVP (the best).”

「…………我擅长远距离攻击。还有因为我是MVP[最优秀]」

“Best? Ahh, is that it? So at that time you were the most troublesome opponent, is that it?”

「优秀？啊啊，是这样子吗？在那个状况下妳是最棘手的，这个意思吗？」

CZ chuckled. That said, her face did not seem to change. However, Neia had sharp eyes, and she understood after observing her carefully.

希丝哼哼的笑了。虽说如此，表情看起来大概还是一点都没有变化。不过拥有锐利视力的宁亚仔细观察的结果，稍微有点懂了。

There was a very slight change in her expression -- she seemed proud.

非常细微的变化——做出了很得意的表情。

At the same time, Neia relaxed. It would seem she had not been easily controlled because she was the weakest.

与此同时宁亚也放心下来。因为是最弱的所以很轻易就置于支配之下，看来并非如此。

“I can use ranged weapons too, but in turn I’m not good at close combat… We don’t have a frontliner.”

「我也多少会用飞行道具，取而代之的是近身战就不擅长了。……没有前卫呢」

CZ sipped her drink in silence.

希丝一言不发的吸着饮料。

“Got any ideas?”

「有什么好主意吗？」

“...What are we doing?”

「…………我们是去做什么的？」

“Infiltrating a city and rescuing a VIP.”

「潜入都市后救出要人」

She could not mention the word Zern yet.

蓝蛆[Zern]这个单词还不能说出来。

“...Then we need the ability to move stealthily. Better not to have a clanky frontliner.”

「…………那么需要的是隐密行动的能力。不要会发出喀啦喀啦的吵杂声的前卫比较好。」

“Yes, that’s right.

「对，没错。就是这样呢」

“...Can you move quietly, Neia?”

「…………宁亚能够小声行动吗？」

“I had some training, so I’m probably better than before. However, I’m not fully confident in myself.”

「因为受过一定程度的训练，应该是比以前要来的好了。但是，要说有没有绝对的自信就难了。」

“...Can you cast spells like [Invisibility] or magic items like that?”

「…………没有<透明化>[Invisibility]之类的魔法和魔法道具吗？」

Neia shook her head.

宁亚摇摇头。

“...I see. Work hard then.”

「…………这样啊。那么加油吧」

“Yes. I’ll work hard. Then…”

「是。我会加油。那么……」

Could she really trust her -- could she believe that she was under the Sorcerer King’s control?

真的能够信赖她——相信她在魔导王的支配之下真的好吗？

If CZ was still a minion of Jaldabaoth and was pretending to be a subordinate of the Sorcerer King in order to spy on them, then telling her about him would be very bad. However, it was very likely that the Sorcerer King had wrested control of her from Jaldabaoth. In that case, not trusting her enough would be throwing away her best trump card.

要是希丝实际上现在也还是亚达巴沃的部下，为了进行谍报才装作魔导王的部下的话，把那位的状况说出来就不妙了。但是，那位魔导王从亚达巴沃那里夺走支配权的可能性很高。要是那样的话，不够信赖就是舍弃了最好的王牌。

And so, nervously and haltingly, she spoke.

所以才提心吊胆，一边犹豫一边讲。

“In this place, er, I have the duty of being the Sorcerer King’s squire.”

「我在此地，呃，担任着魔导王的侍从」

CZ’s sculpted features did not move.

希丝那像是人造物的美丽容颜毫无动静。

“...I heard. He said she had vicious eyes. And then he lent her a bow, which was runecrafted™. Show me.”

「…………听说了。说是眼神很凶恶的人。然后还借她弓用，而且是卢恩的。让我看看」

Alarms blared in the corner of her mind -- Jaldabaoth had seemed quite interested in it as well. Still, if CZ really was in the Sorcerer King’s employ, she would not be able to refuse.

亚达巴沃也很感兴趣的样子，脑中的一角发出了警告。不过一想到要是希丝真的在魔导王的支配之下的话就无法拒绝。

Neia handed over her bow, and CZ took it. However, she only glanced briefly at it before returning it to Neia.

宁亚把弓一借出，希丝就收下来看。但是，很快的看了下就还给了宁亚。

“This is very good. You should let many people see it.”

「这个非常出色，应该让许多人看到」

She delivered the line calmly, so it felt like she was reading off something. However, she was probably imagining things because CZ was not looking at the bow with interest. After all, she had spoken this way ever since she had first seen her.

因为说得很平静，所以总会觉得是在朗读些什么。不过，这因为看起来不像是认真抱有兴趣看着弓的样子才会有这样的胡思乱想吧。因为从见到她开始就一直是这样的说话方式。

“Thank you. Ah, yes. About what happens after the mission--”

「那真是感谢。……啊，对了。那么是关于在这个任务结束之后的事——」

CZ held out a hand to interrupt Neia.

希丝一下子伸出手，打断宁亚的话。

“You should let many people see it.”

「应该让许多人的人看到」

Why is she so hung up on this? CZ probably noted the bafflement on Neia’s face, and continued:

为什么要纠结这件事，大概是疑问浮现在脸上了吧，希丝说了下去。

“He lent you an excellent runecrafted™ weapon. You should spread the word of Ainz-sama’s greatness.”

「居然借出了用卢恩制作的出色武器，应该把安兹大人的这份伟大宣传出去。」

The word Ainz made Neia twitch. Making this clear to her was her top priority.

安兹这句词让宁亚抽动了一下。这是最优先应该讲清楚的重要事情。

“His Majesty.”

「魔导王陛下」

Neia sensed from CZ’s blank face that she had not been clear enough, and added:

从希丝的面无表情中意识到话没说清楚，宁亚进行补充。

“That’s ‘His Majesty’. Calling him Ainz-sama is too familiar, don’t you think?”

「是魔导王陛下。安兹大人这个称呼太套近乎了吧？」

This time, it was CZ whose face twitched a little. No, at a glance her face was still blank, but Neia was sure that her expression had changed.

这次轮到希丝的表情动了一下。不，乍看下是毫无表情。但是宁亚很确信那个表情有变化。

“It’s not too familiar.”

「才没有套近乎」

“No, it is. Normally, you don’t address him by his name, but by his title. You just came into his service and haven’t been of use to him yet… What’s with that face of yours?”

「不，就是套近乎。普通的话，不是用名字而是以可赞的地位来称呼吧。才刚刚被支配而已又没有派上什么用场。……什么啊，那个表情？」

“Nothing. However, I want to call him Ainz-sama and not His Majesty.”

「没什么。不过，我要称呼安兹大人而不是魔导王陛下。」

Was the expression that could be vaguely glimpsed past that blank mask a look of pity, or was she crowing her victory? Even Neia did not understand, but it made her mad. This thick-skinned newcomer had come out of nowhere, and the fact that she was trying to cozy up to the person she so revered made her very unhappy.

毫无表情的脸上隐约表现出的情感是怜悯吗，还是说是在夸胜呢。就算是宁亚也没办法了解到那种程度，不过感觉很火大。厚着脸皮从一旁冒出来的新人，居然和自己崇拜的大人套近乎这点让人很不愉快。

Neia decided not to pretend any more. While she wanted to act as a squire and deal with her politely as a person of the Holy Kingdom, she decided to give up on it. It did not matter if she was dealing with a monster which knew no equal in past or present, she had to make one thing clear.

宁亚不再假装了。虽然是想要作为一个侍从、一个圣王国的人来谨慎应对的，但还是放弃了。就算对方是古今无双的怪物也没关系，有必要让她搞清楚。

“Someone like you--”

「像妳这样的──」

“I was told to do so by Ainz Ooal Gown-sama -- Call me Ainz-sama, he said.”

「我是安兹·乌尔·恭大人──叫我安兹大人，是这样跟我讲的 」

“Eh?”

「欸？」

“So I’ll call him Ainz-sama. I’ll. Call. Him. That.”

「所以我要用安兹大人来称呼。我、要、这么称呼」

Left unspoken was “but you can’t”. Neia’s body trembled.

言外之意就是妳是不行的，宁亚的身体摇晃起来。

No, she was a demon that the Sorcerer King had bound into his service with magic. Maybe it was natural that she would go that far.

不，毕竟是魔导王用魔法支配的恶魔。说不定这种程度是理所当然的。

“No, that can’t be. You, you must be lying. You’re lying like a demon would. How could he have explained in such detail in a situation like that?”

「不，那不可能。说、说谎。真像恶魔的谎言呢。那种情况下怎么会一一说这样的事的时间。」

CZ shook her head, as though to say, “good grief.”

希丝摇摇头，彷佛在说「呼，真是的」。

“It is a shame, but also true. Well, I know you must be shocked. I understand very well. Still, that is where you stand now. However, if you work for Ainz-sama, someday you will be able to call him Ainz-sama too. Devote yourself to it.”

「很可惜是事实。嘛，受到打击的心情可以理解。非常能理解。但，那就是现在的你的立场。不过为了安兹大人而工作的话，总有一天你也能用安兹大人来称呼。要更精进。」

“--CZ.”

「──希丝。」

“...Neia. It is a predecessor’s duty to teach those who come after them.”

「…………宁亚。领导后进是作为前辈的责任。」

While that was a pretty good line, had CZ not come after herself? Still, the fact that she could call him Ainz-sama made her feel that maybe she was the senior after all. It was a little hard to accept, but for the time being--

虽然说了不错的话，但是希丝不是比自己还要后来吗？不过，她能够称呼安兹大人，以这点来看的话或许的确是前辈。多少，是有些这样无法接受的地方，但姑且先──

“I want to thank you.”

「先说声，谢谢你」

“...Don’t mention it. One must show kindness to those who know of Ainz-sama’s greatness.”

「…………不用在意。对于知道安兹大人是伟大贵人的人应该要给予慈悲」

Neia’s eyes widened in surprise. She had only been bound to him for such a short time, so how had she gained such respect? No, that simply proved how great the Sorcerer King was.

宁亚惊讶的睁开了眼睛。明明置于支配下的时间这么短，是怎么获得如此程度的尊敬呢？不对，这正好证明了魔导王有么厉害。

“Yes, that’s right. I know very well how great His Majesty is.”

「是的，没有错。魔导王陛下是伟大的贵人这件事，我十分清楚。」

After Neia answered, the two of them looked at each other for a while.

宁亚这么回答后，两人互相对望了一阵子。

CZ was the first to move.

最初行动的是希丝。

She dextrously extended her right hand. Neia responded instantly and without hesitation.

她敏捷地伸出右手。宁亚毫不犹豫，瞬间就回应了。

While Neia was mildly bothered by the fact that CZ had not taken off her glove, the two of them shook hands on the table.

虽然宁亚对于希丝没有脱下手套这点多少有些意见，不过两人在桌子上握了手。

Given how much she reveres the Sorcerer King, it would seem she really is under His Majesty’s rule. Otherwise, she would not have called him Ainz-sama, but instead she would have called him His Majesty like me, so she would not sound strange.

（对魔导王心悦诚服到这种地步，看来她真的是处在陛下的支配之下。若不是如此的话，就不会使用安兹大人的称呼，而是为了不让人觉得奇怪，会和我一样用魔导王陛下吧。）

Was she being naive? However, at this point, Neia was very confident in her belief. She understood that CZ’s loyalty was genuine. Just like how the teeth of two cogwheels fitted together, they could understand each other because they were fellow worshippers of the same god.

会太天真了吗？但是，这时的宁亚有着强烈的自信，她能理解希丝的忠诚是真心的。就像齿轮咬合在一起一样，作为崇拜同一个神的同志互相理解。

“...Speaking of which, it’s easy to get along with you. As a human being, you have a bright future, Neia.”

「…………话说回来真聊得来。宁亚以人类来说很有前途。」

“I have very mixed feelings about getting along with a demon. We’re talking like this because you’re speaking the truth about how great His Majesty is.”

「虽然和恶魔聊得来有种十分复杂的感觉。现在能聊得来不过是因为妳说的是正确的而已。关于魔导王陛下有多出色这一点上。」

Hm hm, CZ nodded.

呼呣、呼呣，希丝用这样的态度点头。

“...Although I feel it doesn’t matter what happens to Neia, I will bring you back safely to this country. I promise.”

「…………虽然其实觉得宁亚发生什么都没关系，但会让妳平安回到这个国家来。我答应妳。」

“Thank you.”

「谢谢。」

Neia’s gratitude was honest and straightforward. CZ’s difficulty rating was 150. She was on a level where even Blue Rose would be hard-pressed to win against her. It was only right to be grateful for the protection of such a demon. This was doubly true if she was a subject of the Sorcerer King. Although, there was one thing she had to clarify with her.

宁亚老实的表达感谢。难度一百五十。对那个苍蔷薇来说都难以取胜的水准。被这样的恶魔保护，道谢是应该的。如果是魔导王的部下的话那就更加如此了。只是有一点，必须要向她确认。

“...Can you swear that in the name of the Sorcerer King?”

「…………那是以魔导王的尊名所发的誓吗？」

CZ raised a hand, like she had been called on by a teacher.

希丝举起手，就像被老师叫到的学生一样。

“This I swear in the name of the Supreme One, Ainz Ooal Gown-sama… However, if Neia dies and is resurrected, that still counts as keeping my word, right?”

「以尊贵的大人，安兹·乌尔·恭大人的尊名起誓立约。……不过宁亚死掉后复活了也算有遵守约定吧？」

“Safe…? No, I think that’s slightly different…”

「平安……？不、我觉得有点不一样……」

The two of them looked at each other.

两人互望。

To Neia, there was a big difference between “safe” and “coming back to life after dying”. However, that was just barely within the bounds of what she could compromise with.

对宁亚来说，一度死亡后复活离平安这个词差非常多，不过仍然说出这勉强在能够妥协的范围。

“If you don’t become a demon or one of the undead, but come back to life as a human, that ought to count, right…”

「如果不是变成恶魔或是不死者，而是作为人类复活的话就算是遵守约定了吧……」

“...That should be fine. ...Alright.”

「…………那样就没问题了。…………好」

There was a slight change in CZ’s voice, which had been in a monotone all this while. She sounded like she was motivated now.

从刚才开始一直用平坦语调说话的希丝的声音稍微有些变化。就像是提起干劲来一样。

“...While you’re not cute, this is specially for you.”

「…………虽然不可爱，但特别给你这个」

CZ took something out and went to Neia’s side. Then she pressed something tightly onto Neia’s forehead.

希丝一边拿出什么，一边来到宁亚的旁边。然后把什么紧紧贴在了宁亚的额头上。

“Eh!? What!? What is this!?”

「欸！？这什么！这到底是什么！」

Frightened by that inexplicable action, she tried desperately to peel it off, but she could not. It was stuck on so tight that it would not budge. It was very frightening.

被莫名其妙的行动吓到，虽然急忙地想要剥下来，但却没办法把贴上去的东西弄下。黏得死死的剥不下来。感觉超级可怕。

“What’s this! Eh! Wait! I’m scared!”

「这什么！欸！等下！好可怕！」

“...It’s okay. It won’t hurt and it’s not scary. Look.”

「…………没事的。这东西不会痛也不可怕。看」

CZ showed her something with the number 1 and a strange design -- it might have been a letter -- on it. It was made of some kind of paper that gleamed with a frightening lustre and the one on her head was similarly slippery. She had heard of talismancy, so was that a kind of talisman used as a magical medium for that art? No matter what, she could not have given out a trivial item like this, so it must be some kind of magic item. That was what sent a chill down Neia’s spine. Could it be that she would not be able to remove it for the rest of her life?

希丝给她看的东西画了数字的1还有一个奇怪的花纹——可能是文字——在上面。散发着可怕光泽的纸，额头上的那个也是滑滑的。有听说过符术这种东西，说不定那就是用在那方面上的魔术触媒的符咒？不管是什么，不可能用这种方式给出没什么大不了的东西，大概是魔法道具吧。宁亚就是因为这样毛骨悚然。这个，是不是一辈子都拿不下来啊。

“Why did you have to stick it on my forehead! Aren’t there better places to put it!?”

「为什么要贴在额头啊！！不是还有更好的地方吗！！」

“...Mm, like a little sister.”

「…………唔、好像妹妹」

“Eh!?” Although she had heard something quite shocking, there was a more important matter at hand. “Anyway, take this off. At least stick it on my clothes or somewhere else!”

「欸！？」虽然感觉好像听到了什么惊人的事情，但还有更重要的事「比起那些，把这个拿下来啦。至少贴在衣服或是其他地方上！」

“...It can’t be helped, then.”

「…………那就没办法了」

CZ took out a small bottle and placed a drop of something on Neia’s forehead. After that, the tightly stuck-on object peeled off easily, like it had never been attached at all. She picked it up, looked at it, and saw that it was the same as the one CZ had showed her earlier.

希丝拿出了一个小瓶子，然后滴在了宁亚的额头上。接着刚刚还紧黏着的东西就像假的一样轻易的揭下来了。拿起来确认后，的确是跟刚刚希丝给她看的东西是一样的。

“...Sticker. It needs to be pasted somewhere obvious.”

「…………贴纸。要贴在显眼的地方」

It would seem she would have to paste it on. Making CZ would do no good, so Neia did as she was told.

看来贴是一定要贴的。让希丝生气对宁亚也没有好处，只能依照她的意思了吧。

“Yes…”

「是……」

“...Are we done?”

「…………谈完了？」

“Eh? Ah, no, after this, er, I wanted to talk about finding His Majesty, ah, no, to welcome him back…”

「欸？啊、不，接下来那个，呃，打算要说关于寻找魔导王陛下、啊、不、去迎接的事……」

“...I’ll go too. ...We need a lot of preparation. After all that is over.”

「…………我也去。…………需要许多准备。在那些全都结束之后」

“Really?”

「真的？」

“...I promise. But I hope we can make time to finish the map of the demihumans’ hills.”

「…………约好了。但是希望能挤出时间让亚人的丘陵地图完成」

“That’s true. Eh, demihumans?”

「说的也是。欸、亚人？」

A moment after she agreed, a question suddenly popped up in her heart. Right now, she had not told her anything. Even so, why had she suddenly used the word “demihuman”?

一瞬间表示同意后，突然感到疑问。目前就等于什么都还没有说一样。尽管如此，她为什么会使用亚人这个词呢？

Could it be… she heard about him landing in the Hills from Caspond-denka?

（说不定……是从卡斯邦登殿下那边听到落在丘陵地带的事吗？）

“...What’s wrong?”

「…………怎么了吗？」

“Er, um… I got it. I’ll talk to the people on top.”

「唔、嗯……。我知道了。我会和上面的人打个招呼。」

“...Pleased to meet you, Neia.”

「…………请多关照，宁亚。」

“The pleasure was all mine, CZ.”

「我这里才是，希丝。」

Although she was still mildly bothered by the sticker from just now, Neia stuck out her hand, and CZ responded. They both shook hands again.

虽然对刚刚的贴纸不是没有些想法，但宁亚伸出手，希丝也给出回应。两人再度握了手。

“You don’t think His Majesty is dead after all, do you, CZ?”

「果然希丝也觉得魔导王陛下没有死吧？」

CZ’s eyes went wide.

希丝瞪大了眼睛。

“...What did you just say?”

「…………妳在说什么？」

“Actually, His Majesty fell to the east, and then he didn’t contact us again… Since His Majesty can cast teleportation spells, the fact that he still hasn’t come back makes me think something happened to him… So… what if… His Majesty…”

「其实魔导王陛下落在了东边的地方，然后就再也没有联络……想到能够使用传送魔法的陛下还没有回来这件事，觉得是不是发生了不测……。所以……莫非……魔导王陛下他……」

It hurt too much to speak any further. She hesitated, because if she said it, it might come true.

要说下去实在太痛苦。要是把话说出口的话说不定就会成真，所以犹豫了。

To this CZ responded with what was probably surprise.

对此，希丝她——大概是——愕然的开口。

“...He’s fine. He’s not dead. My binding is the proof. Hm? ...Why are you crying?”

「…………平安。没有死。我被支配就是证据。嗯？…………为什么，要哭？」

Her tears were flowing on their own.

泪水擅自流了出来。

The Sorcerer King was really alive.

魔导王真的活着。

She truly believed that he was not dead. But sometimes, the uneasiness that suddenly reared up in her mind left her unable to sleep. Many people had told Neia that the Sorcerer King was fine, but all of them sounded like they were just trying to comfort her, to try and keep their own worries at bay, and not because they truly believed it.

是真心相信没有死。但是有时突如而来的不安会在脑海起伏而无法入睡。有许多人对宁亚说魔导王没事的话。但是不管哪个都像在安慰一样，听起来就是为了挥拭自己的不安而说的，并非打从心底确信的话语。

But at this moment, someone had told her that with absolute confidence and certainty. That, and CZ was the proof that the Sorcerer King was alive. That allowed Neia to relax at last.

但是现在这一瞬间，出现了有着绝对的确信且充满自信的话语，还有希丝这个魔导王生存的证据，这让宁亚放松下来。

It was relief, like that of a lost child finding her parents, that made Neia weep.

就像迷路的小孩找到了走散的双亲一样的安心感让宁亚泪流不止。

CZ produced a piece of cloth that was printed with the same design as her scarf -- it was probably a handkerchief -- and covered Neia’s face with it. And then, she rubbed forcefully. She was not so much violent as inexperience, but the place where she rubbed hurt a lot.

希丝拿了和围巾一样花纹的布——大概是手帕，盖在宁亚的脸上。然后使劲擦了起来。与其说是粗暴，不如说是因为没有经验的缘故吧，对被擦的一方来说还蛮痛的。

CZ pulled the handkerchief away, and Neia’s snot stretched out into a bridge.

把手帕拉开，鼻涕拉成了一座桥。

“...There’s snot on it. ...I’m super shocked.”

「…………沾上鼻涕了。…………超打击」

After hearing CZ’s distinctly shocked voice, there was an indescribable look on Neia’s face.

听到希丝那明确受到打击的声音，宁亚做出难以言喻的表情。

Therefore, she took a handkerchief out of her own pocket and broke the bridge of snot.

所以掏着自己的口袋，用手帕破坏了鼻涕桥。

“...I’ll wash it.”

「……我会洗的」

“...Mm.”