“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped. Then please remain as you are and enter, everyone. The truth is, holding onto your swords was intended to ensure your safety. In that case, please promise me that you will not draw your weapons no matter what once you’re inside. If you can’t do that, I’d advise you to leave this city instead.”

「这样吗。要是那样的话就没办法了。其他的各位也就保持这样、请进吧。本来替各位保管剑是想要保护各位的安全。那么请和我约好，在里面绝不能拔出武器来。若是无法做此约定的话，我奉劝各位还是离开这做都市比较好」

“Understood. We shall return the trust you have shown in allowing us to bear our swords, we shall not draw our weapons while we are inside.”

「明白了。为了响应允许带剑的这份信赖，我等绝不会在里面拔出武器来」

Remedios touched her hand to her chest -- to the emblem of the Holy Kingdom there -- as she made that declaration. She swore to do so on her honor as a paladin and that of the Holy Kingdom.

蕾梅蒂欧丝将手抵胸——刻着圣王国纹章的地方，如此宣言。以圣骑士的荣誉和队圣王国的忠诚保证，起了这样的誓言。

“Then I’ll trust you to do that. First, I shall ask the guard for this area to step outside.“

「那就拜托了。那么首先先请这个地方的守卫出来」

WIthin the Holy Kingdom, this was an absolute oath that might even draw gasps of surprise from those who saw it, but it was much more mildly received in other countries. After that bland response, the guard knocked on the door.

在圣王国的话，这是甚至能让人发出感叹声的绝对誓言，但在其他国家的话只会受到这种程度的对待。淡然地应对过去后，士兵敲了敲门。

After that, the door slowly opened, and what suddenly appeared before their eyes was--

接着门慢慢的打开，而突然出现在眼前的则是——

Neia went “Aiiiieeee” in a tone that was somewhere between a gasp and a wail.

涅娅不由得发出「咿」的既像悲鸣又像喘气的声音。

The being that slowly emerged was excessively large in every dimension.

慢慢现出身影的是不管长宽前后都很粗大的存在。

Its black-colored full plate armor was covered in red tracery that resembled blood vessels, and it was covered in spikes. Demonic horns protruded from its helmet, and its open-faced helmet revealed a rotted human visage. Its empty eye-sockets contained points of red light filled with hatred and bloodlust.

黑色的全身铠(Full Plate)上布有像是血管的红色纹路，到处可见锐利尖剌。头盔冒出恶魔犄角，面部打开的部分露出腐烂不堪的人脸，空洞的眼窝闪烁充满恨意与杀意的红色光芒。

The temperature in the room plunged, as though the darkness had just poured out.

房间的温度一下子降低，彷佛黑暗涌来一样。

“Please do not draw your weapons!”

「请不要拔出武器！」

Everyone’s shoulders shuddered from the guard’s shout.

士兵的怒吼声让全员的肩膀都颤了一下。

“Nothing will happen if you do not draw your swords! But if you do, you will be slain instantly! After that, you will be bound to eternal suffering! Please don’t make me have to witness something like that again!”

「只要不拔剑的话就什么也不会发生！可要是拔剑的话，一击就会被杀！接着就会这样陷入永远的苦痛之中。请不要再让我看到那样的光景了！」

His mournful cry sounded like he had experienced this sort of thing before. Had he personally witnessed such an event in the past?

那是只有经历过的人才有的悲痛声。他曾经目睹了这样的事态发生吧。

The undead being slowly glared at Neia and the others. There was the feeling that it was waiting for them to draw their blades.

那个不死者缓慢地盯着涅娅他们。让人觉得实际上就是在等着他们拔剑一样。

“...And this undead being is…?”

「……这个不死者是？」

Remedios’ voice trembled faintly as she spoke.

蕾梅蒂欧丝的声音也微微发抖。

“They are guards who are stationed throughout this city in large numbers.”

「是大量存在这城市的警备兵」

“...Really?”

「……这样的吗？」

Remedios’ quaking voice was somewhere between surprise, fear and consternation. Neia felt the same way as her. It was unthinkable that a nation would possess so many undead of such extraordinary power.

蕾梅蒂欧丝发出了不知是惊讶还是恐怖亦或是动摇的颤抖声音。涅娅也是那么想的。有这么多看上去就强得异常的不死者存在的国家，只能说无法想象。

“A-ah, excuse me. Is this undead creature under the control of His Majesty -- the Sorcerer King?”

「不、不好意思。这个不死者是在魔导王——陛下的支配之下吗？」

The guard nodded in response to Neia’s reflexive question.

对于涅娅情不自禁的提问，士兵点点头。

“Indeed, that is so. Also, he rules over undead who are more powerful than this one over here.”

「没错，就是这样。而且还有比这具不死者更强的不死者也在支配之下的样子」

“Is it not dangerous?”

「不会有危险吗？」

The soldier responded immediately to Gustav’s question. He sounded like he was dying to pour his heart out to him.

对于古斯塔博的提问，士兵立刻就给予回复。那是一心想要与人倾诉的态度。

“Yes, to date, there have been no incidents in this city where people were killed without provocation.”

「是的，这个都市中没有引起事端却被杀的人目前为止一个也没有」

The undead were beings who hated the living. As someone who could utterly dominate them and keep them from harming living creatures, the Sorcerer King must be a truly incredible person. Neia was deeply impressed by the might of the Sorcerer King.

不死者是憎恨生者的存在。能够将其完全支配，让它们不加害生者的话，魔导王肯定是相当厉害的存在。涅娅深刻感受到魔导王到底拥有多么强大的力量。

“...I see. Ah. Then, can you take us inside the room?”

「……这样、啊。那么能带我们到房间里去吗？」

“Please follow me.”

「那么请跟在我后面」

The black undead creature slowly stepped away from the door, and the soldier boldly walked past him. In contrast, Neia and the others seemed to be looking at each other to see who would make the first move.

黑色不死者从门前慢慢让开后，士兵就大方的穿过去。而涅娅他们则是互相看着谁会最先行动。

While he said that this undead creature was ruled by the Sorcerer King, those bonds were not visible to the naked eye. This made walking in front of it several times more frightening to them than going before, say, a carnivore who was unbound, but would not attack because it was sated.

虽说似乎是受到魔导王支配，但却并不是看得见的束缚。这个比、在说是肚子饱了所以不会攻击，但是却没有被绑起来的肉食动物面前通过还要恐怖几倍。

Remedios planned to go forward first, but Gustav stopped her. After that, he looked to Neia.

蕾梅蒂欧丝打算上前，但古斯塔博却阻止了她。接着将视线转向了涅娅。

I’m the canary, huh.

（金丝雀是我、吗）

There was nothing wrong with that logic when one considered whose life would matter least if it was lost. Even so, despite their determination to protect the weak, their own squire was a different matter.

如果考虑到谁的命失去了也不可惜的话，这也没有什么不对。可尽管如此，虽然是想要要保护弱者，

但对自己人的侍从就是另一回事了吗。

Neia steeled herself for what lay ahead, squeezed her eyes shut, and then strode forward.

涅娅做好觉悟，用力闭上眼、开始迈步。

After taking several steps forward, she slowly opened her eyes. She had not been cut down. She quickened her pace, and hastily moved past the undead being.

笔直走了几步后，慢慢得睁开眼睛。自己还没有被砍。加快脚步，急忙地从不死者之间通过。

After seeing Neia had crossed safely, the other paladins followed behind her. In the end, nobody was attacked, and they reached their destination.

看到涅娅平安通过，其他的圣骑士也随后跟着进去。最终谁也没被攻击，一行人到达了目标的房间。

The soldier opened the door, revealing several tables and many plain chairs.

士兵打开门，房间里放着几张长桌还有相当多的朴素椅子。

“Please wait in this room for a while.”

「那么请在这个房间里坐着稍微等候一下」

“Understood. Thank you for leading us here.”

「明白了。谢谢你带我们来这里」

Remedios jerked her chin, and Gustav produced a small pouch from safekeeping and handed it to the soldier who had brought them here. It was a tip.

蕾梅蒂欧丝扬扬下巴，古斯塔博从怀里掏出小小的皮袋，将它交给带路的士兵。是小费。

“Please don’t!”

「请饶了我吧！」

His rejection was so fierce that it was almost like a cry of despair.

他发出了强烈拒绝的声音，几近于悲鸣。

The soldier put his hands on his head, utterly unwilling to touch that pouch.

士兵两首高举至头上，打算完全不碰那个皮袋。

Everyone was shocked by his reaction, as was Neia. She could not think of why the soldier would react so dramatically.

这个反应任谁都吃了一惊。涅娅也是如此。想不出来士兵会表现出这么强烈反应的理由。

“We are all paid by His Majesty, so please allow me to refuse your show of consideration.”

「我们都有从魔导王陛下那里领受薪金，所以这样的关心请容我推辞」

“But, but since you did us a service… And it’s not a very big sum, no?”

「但、但是，毕竟受到了照顾……。而且也不是很大的金额喔？」

“No, there’s no need for that. I’ll wait outside until the seminar is over.”

「真的不用了，那么我在外面等待讲习结束」

The soldier swiftly retreated from the room. The remaining people looked at each other, mystified by the soldier’s overwrought reaction.

士兵迅速的退出了房间。留下的人因为士兵过度的反应而面面相觑。

“Is that really alright?”

「这样好吗？」

“He said no, so there’s nothing we can do about it.”

「对方都说不要了，那也没办法吧」

Tipping was a natural thing. While not tipping was not a problem, most people of stature would practice tipping. Of course, some people did so to minimize the time needed for luggage inspections and ask people to take care of various small matters, they had not made any such requests. Frankly speaking, they were simply doing what would be expected of people in their station.

给小费是理所当然的事。虽然不给也没问题，但是许多具有一定地位的人都会给。当然有着为了缩短行李检查之类的时间，请人从简处理这样的用心也是事实，但是也没有做出那样的要求。真要说的话，还是跟接近于符合身份地位的施予。

If that was an instruction from the Sorcerer King, then what was his aim in doing so?

若这是魔导王的指示的话，那么目的又是什么呢？

“We weren’t told where to sit. So it’s free seating, then.”

「没有特别说要坐哪里的样子。那么就各自坐在想坐的地方吧」

After everyone sat as the Captain had directed, a short time passed before the door opened once more.

全员按照团长的指示坐好后，过了一会儿，门才再度打开。

Neia turned back, and then her eyes went wide.

隔着肩膀回头看去涅娅瞪大了眼睛。

The entity who had entered was not human.

进来的并非人类。

It was a creature whose species had a human’s upper body and a snake’s lower body, a Naga.

胸部以上是人，下身则是蛇的种族、那伽[Naga]。

There were several offshoots of the Naga race -- for instance, the Sea Nagas which occasionally appeared on the Holy Kingdom’s coasts -- but which subspecies this one belonged to was unclear. However, all of them were demihumans who held no goodwill for humanity, yet Neia did not feel terribly afraid.

那伽这个种族有几个亚种——比方说住在海里的海洋那伽[Sea·Naga]有在圣王国的海岸出没过——存在，至于是哪一种则不清楚。只是，不管哪种都不是对人类友好的亚人，不过涅娅却并没有感到很恐怖或很惊讶。

All this was thanks to that black undead. Compared to that, she could at least muster up a rational response to this.

那是托了那个黑色不死者的福。比起那个的话，这个还算能够理性的对应。

Ah! Was that what it was all about? That frightening undead creature was not just intended to frighten people, but to numb people to the shock of seeing demihumans? They really did put a lot of thought into letting demihumans coexist with humans...

（啊！是这么回事吗？那个可怕的不死者不只是为了威摄，还有着缓和亚人的存在所带来的震惊感的目的吗？这个国家真的有为了让人类能与亚人共存，而好好的考虑过……）

It would seem the Sorcerer King was not just a powerful undead being.

看来魔导王不只是个拥有强大力量的不死者而已。

The Naga slithered through the silent room, paying no heed to the group’s response as he moved in front of them, whereupon he bowed slightly.

那伽在一片寂静的房间中，对于众人的反应毫不在意似的走到前面，然后稍微行了礼。

“Thank you for waiting, dear humans who wish to enter the city. This one is an immigration official for the Sorcerous Kingdom, Ryurarius Spenia Ai Indarun. Well, it is hardly a vocation which will bring this one into contact with you, so you may forget it if you wish. Then, without further ado, let us begin. This one will briefly explain the differences between living in this city and the surrounding cities, as well as things one should be aware of… firstly, drawing weapons within the city is strictly forbidden.”

「久等了，各位希望进入城市的人类啊。老朽是在这魔导国里担任着入国管理官之一的、鲁拉鲁斯·斯培尼亚·艾·因德伦。种族是那伽。嘛，因为也不是什么会与各位频繁见面的职业，所以忘了也没关系。那么就不多说，开始吧。就由老朽来简单说明下，关于在这个城市的生活与周边都市的不同以及注意事项……首先，在城内禁止拔出武器」

That was a very reasonable admonition, and Neia let the tension flow out of her shoulders.

非常理所当然的提醒，这让涅娅稍微放松了下肩膀。

“Mm, many would think of it as an ordinary reminder,” Ryurarius pointed to his face with a slender finger. “It’s written all over your face. However, I’d like you to remember that many races walk the streets of the Sorcerous Kingdom. You have already seen the undead holding their heads up high and walking proudly. Even if they strike you as dangerous beings, drawing your weapon on them without provocation would be a serious crime, no?”

「嗯，很多人想着这是普通的提醒吧」鲁拉鲁斯用细细的手指指着自己的脸「都写在脸上了喔。但希望你们记得，在这魔导国里有许多种族在街上走着。不死者也昂首阔步的样子已经看到了吧。即使那是汝等记忆中危险的存在，要是先拔剑的话可是重罪喔？」

“A moment please. Does that mean we must flee if a dangerous being appears?”

「请等一下，要是有危险的存在的话，是要我们逃吗？」

“That is not the case. Even if there are dangerous entities in the city, none of them will harm you. Even so, there are cases where people feel afraid, they feel they might be attacked, and thus they draw their weapons anyway. That is what this one was talking about.”

「并不是这样。这个都市里就算有危险的存在，也应该不会谁加害汝等才是。即使这样还是感到害怕、觉得会被袭击，而贸然拔武器的事。老朽想说的就是这么一回事」

“Can you be sure we won’t be attacked?”

「能够断言不会被袭击吗？」

“Oh yes… Of the many dangerous creatures who walk through this place, those who will most alarm you are probably His Majesty’s subordinates.”

Ryurarius smiled tiredly.

“Once you stay here for more than a day, your wariness will wane and you will no longer mind them. Well, the first day is the biggest problem. Ah, of course, drawing your weapons in self-defense is perfectly fine.”

「能喔。……在这里昂首阔步的危险存在，会让汝等警戒的大致上都是魔导王陛下的部下」鲁拉鲁斯像是有些累的笑了笑「只要在这都市住上一天的话，危机感就会**下来变得不去在意了。嘛、不过最初的一日才是问题所在。啊、当然如果为了防卫而拔剑的话是没有问题的」

“I see. So it’s alright as long as it’s done in self-defense.”

「原来如此。为了防卫的话就可以是吧」

“Mm, yes. Also, mind control magic will be used in the course of investigating crimes in this city. Please keep that in mind.”

「嗯，对了。还有关于在这个城市里发生的犯罪，为了搜查会使用精神操作的魔法。还请接受这点」

Neia’s eyes went wide. Nor was she the only one to do so. A commotion erupted from the paladins. As their representative, Remedios stated her opinion.

涅娅瞪大了眼。不止涅娅一个人是这样。圣骑士们也嘈杂起来，作为代表的蕾梅蒂欧丝开口提出看法。

“A moment please. Is the Sorcerous Kingdom such a base nation? Are magical means permitted? Are the courts also that way?”

「请等一下。魔导国是这样低劣的国家吗？使用魔法的手段是被允许的吗？那么法庭也是那样的吗？」

In general, mind control magic was not used when questioning people about crimes.

基本上，精神操作系魔法在这种犯罪的询问上是不会使用的。

For instance, by using「Dominate」, one could make anyone a criminal for a brief period of time. By using 「Charm」, one could find a patsy for any crime. The fact that mind control magic could be used to manufacture offenders caused it to be viewed as a savage, tyrannical act.

比如说使用<支配> (Dominate)的话，不管怎么样的对象都能暂时让其成为犯罪者。用<魅惑> (Charm)的话想要找个替罪者也办得到。因为这样可以随便造出犯罪者，所以这才被视为和暴君的行为是同等的野蛮行为。

“The courts also use similar means. Oh, this one can be certain that His Majesty will not compel you to speak untruths. On that point you need not worry.”

「法庭上也会用的样子。喔唷，老朽可以断言魔导王陛下绝不会让其说出不实之言。这点无需担心」

How could anyone believe that? The use of mind control magic meant that once a nation decided that someone was a dangerous individual, they could paint them as a criminal and then deal with them. No human being would trust an undead being they had never met before.

哪里有这么说就会相信的人啊。会使用精神操作系魔法也就是说，国家一旦做出那个人是危险人物的判断，就可以将其扮成犯罪者后处刑的意思。不可能会有人类去相信一个素未谋面的不死者。

Nobody said that, but they probably all felt the same way.

虽然谁也没有说出口，但大家的心情应该都是一样的。

“Also, I wish to ask… if you will not enter, will you be returning right away?”

「在继续讲下去前姑且先问下吧……是要不进城就直接回去吗？」

“...No, we can’t do that. Please allow us entry.”

「……不，那办不到。请让我们入城」

“Oh, that is the quickest answer yet. Traders would ask for time and then discuss among themselves. Then, let us continue.”

「喔，是至今为止回答得最快的呢。商人的话会说希望给点时间，然后互相讨论呢。那么就继续讲下去了喔」

After that, Ryurarius touched on how “undead horses drew carriages along the roads” and other weird things that seemed to mess with her mind. However, when he said, “Sometimes Dragons will fly overhead, so do not be alarmed or let your horses run amok”, her face contorted.

之后鲁拉鲁斯讲的话中，大都是些「不死者的马车在行走」之类让人脑子都要变得奇怪的话。不过尤其是说到「有时会有龙飞过城市上空，可别吃惊喔。注意不要让马失控」的部分时，脸都扭曲了。

Having Dragons fly above a city was not just a “big incident”.

有龙在城市上空飞行的话，可不是一件大事就能说得过去的。

Dragons were creatures against whom even fully armed and prepared heroes might fall in combat. That was why all warriors dreamed of slaying a Dragon. Slaying an overwhelmingly superior creature with the strength they had honed, their comrades and their weapons was a glorious deed, and a deed that only the most superlative of warriors could perform.

即使是准备齐全的英雄发起挑战，也会落败而死的对手，那就是龙。正因如此，战士们才会憧憬着屠龙。凭借自己锻炼而来的力量，还有伙伴以及武器来摧毁与自己具有压倒性力量差的种族是一种荣誉、也是只有一部份必须用超来形容的战士才能获得的功勋。

Surely it would cause a great disturbance if such a Dragon were to appear in a dwelling place for humans.

而那样的龙要是出现在人类的栖息范围，会引起多大的骚动啊。

The undead are fine, because we’ve already seen them as guards, but Dragons… no, still, having one fly overhead as a sentry ought to be fine, right? Also, they have many age categories, and their strength varies greatly depending on their age...

（不死者的话，因为看过门卫了所以还好。龙的话……就。不、不过，只有一只在上空作为警备飞行的话，还是可以接受的吧？还有根据成长的阶段，强度也会相差很多的样子）

Freshly-hatched Dragons were still Dragons. However, such a tiny Dragon was more easily controlled than the undead creature from just now.

刚出生的雏龙要说是龙的话也没错。要是是那么小的龙的话，支配起来应该要比那个不死者要简单的多吧。

“Then, that is about it. Thank you for listening. Now, can you follow the soldier back to the gate after you leave this room?”

「那么话就差不多说到这里。感谢垂听。那么可以从房间里出去后，跟着士兵去到门那里了吗？」

“Forgive me, but may I ask a question?”

「失礼，可以稍微问你些事吗？」

Remedios raised a hand.

蕾梅蒂欧丝举起手。

“Hm? And what might that be?”

「唔嗯？是什么呢？」

“You don’t intend to kill or eat us, do you?”

「没有想要杀了我们或是吃了我们这样的想法吗？」

“Perhaps this one might have thought of doing so in the past. However, that is strictly forbidden now. In addition, after seeing His Majesty, I feel that there is no point in feuding with inferior lifeforms.”

「如果是过去的老朽的话，或许是会有这样的想法吧。不过现在那样的事是被禁止的，不仅如此、在看过那位魔导王陛下之后，只会觉得下等生物之间争来争去到底又能怎样呢」

“Is His Majesty really that powerful?”

「魔导王陛下的力量强大到如此地步吗？」

Ryurarius smiled tiredly.

鲁拉鲁斯露出了精疲力尽的笑容。

“He is ten times more powerful than you can imagine. Him aside, even his subordinates are extraordinarily potent… frankly speaking, there is no safer city than one which His Majesty defends.”

「比汝所想象的还要再强上数十倍喔。那位大人自不用说，就连其部下们也都具有超常的力量……坦白讲，没有比陛下守护的这座城市还要安全的地方了」

Perhaps she was thinking of something, but Remedios fell silent.

像是在想什么的样子，蕾梅蒂欧丝沉默了下来。

“This one does not know why you have come here. However, let me give you some sage advice, that an old friend -- a certain late contemporary of mine -- learned with his own body. Declaring your opposition to His Majesty would be foolish in the extreme. You would be best served by promptly genuflecting before him and begging for his mercy.”

「老朽不知汝等是为何而来。只是，就告诉接受了老朽讲习的汝等一些好事吧。虽然这是从老夫的茶友——某位未亡人阁下那里现学现卖来的，会与那位大人敌对的是究极的愚者，立刻扑倒在脚边乞求慈悲的才反而是贤者」

There was a palpable sense of reality to those words. While he said he had heard it from a friend, it was more like that the Naga called Ryurarius was speaking from personal experience.

她的声音有一股惊人的真实感。虽说是从朋友那里听来的，但其实是这个名叫鲁拉鲁斯的那伽自己的故事也不一定。

“Thank you for your advice.”

「感谢你的忠告」

Remedios stood, followed closely by everyone else.

蕾梅蒂欧丝站了起来，紧接着一行人也全都站了起来。

Neia bowed to Ryurarius from where she stood at the rear of the group before leaving the room.

在队尾的涅娅向鲁拉鲁斯鞠躬后也走出了房间。

Part 4

They walked along the streets of E-Rantel. The group’s destination was the inn which the gate guards had told them was the highest-class establishment in this city, the Shining Gold Pavillion.

走在耶·兰提尔的大街上。一行人所前往的，是从门卫那里听说的、作为这座都市最为高级的旅店而闻名的金光闪耀亭。

Neia looked at the assorted people along the streets.

涅娅眺望着街道上形形色色的人们。

Ryurarius’ words had given her the impression that this nation was filled with demihumans and the undead. However, the reality was different -- most of the pedestrians were human.

虽然在听魯拉魯斯的话时，擅自对这个国家抱有了一种尽是亚人和不死者的印象。然而事实则不然，走在街上的大多都是人类。

The only undead she saw were groups of the same undead being they had seen near the city gates, as well as horse-shaped undead with bodies of bones and fog who pulled carriages. There were no other kinds besides them.

能看见的不死者，就只有以数具一组进行着巡逻的、在大门处见过的同种不死者，以及拉着马车的、由骨头与雾气所组成的马型不死者而已。除此之外就再也没有其他的了。

On the other hand, there were all kinds of demihumans.

另一方面，亚人就尽是些奇怪的种族了。

A group of Goblins marched down the streets in near formation, each of them radiating the aura of a seasoned veteran. That immediately shattered the impression Neia had of Goblins. No, it was not just Neia who was that way. Gasps of surprise came from the paladin contingent.

以列队的形式整齐地走在大街上的，是散发着身经百战气息的哥布林。这一下子就将涅娅心中对哥布林的印象给打了个粉碎。不，恐怕不只是涅娅吧。从圣骑士那里也传来了惊愕的声音。

There were also demihumans with rabbits’ faces in maid uniforms as well as bipedal, frog-like demihumans, but she had only seen one example of each in the city.

虽然其他也有长着像兔子似的脸孔、身着女仆服的亚人，和像是直立着青蛙一样的亚人，但在城内都只各看到过一次。

It seems more normal than I imagined… well, not that normal, but still, it’s quite similar to a human nation. You can hardly tell that it’s under the thumb of a terrifying undead king.

（比想象的更要普通……倒也不是那么回事，但更与人类的国家接近呢。不让人觉得是由可怕的不死者之王所统治的国家）

There were no looks of fear on the faces of the citizens walking along the streets. Neia was not sure this was because they had resigned themselves, they had grown used to it, or they had decided that there was no need to worry about living with the undead. However, there were no signs of chaos on the streets. At times, she even heard the sound of children laughing.

从街上居民的表情中看不到恐惧的神色。涅娅并不清楚这是由于已经放弃、习惯了呢，还是说判断与不死者共存已经不需要担心了呢。只是，从街上的状况来看好像并无混乱的样子。有时甚至能够听得见孩子的笑声。

This is much better compared to Jaldabaoth, I guess.

（和亚达巴沃比起来要好得多，差不多就是这样吧）

Just then, Remedios suddenly halted her horse. Since their leader, who was travelling at the group’s head, had stopped, the rest of them had no choice but to follow suit.

这时蕾梅蒂欧丝突然停下了马。既然走在最前头的团长停下了，那一行人必然也只能跟着停下来。

“Excuse me, Dwarf-san. May I ask you a few questions?”

「不好意思、那边的矮人[Dwarf]。能简单地问你几个问题吗？」

Remedios was addressing three Dwarves who were working by the side of the road. There were also three Skeletons performing earthworks under the Dwarves’ orders.

蕾梅蒂欧丝叫住的是三名在路旁施工的矮人。以及遵从矮人的命令进行着土木建设的三具骷髅[skeleton]。

The culture shock she had received after entering the city had been so great that she now thought little of seeing Skeletons. There was even a hint of relief in her mind which came from seeing an opponent which even she could win against.

由于来到这座都市后的所受冲击过于巨大，现在即使是看到骷髅也没有什么特别的想法了。甚至还会有一种，这里好歹也有自己能赢得对手而产生的安心感。

“What? Who are you guys? Which country do you hail from.”

「什么？谁啊、汝们？是从哪个国家来的？」

“I apologize for speaking from horseback. However, we are from the Holy Kingdom, and we are looking for the Shining Gold Pavilion. May we ask how to get there?”

「虽说在马上有失礼数。但我等是从圣王国来的人，现在正在前往名为金光闪耀亭的旅店。敢问能告诉我们该怎么走吗？」

“Shining… Shining Gold Pavilion? Ahhh, that’s a classy place.”

「金光……金光闪耀亭？啊啊、是那个高级旅店啊」

The Dwarves gave them a rough explanation. However, it differed slightly from what the gate guards had told them, and it felt like they were being sent slightly off-course. However, the real objective was not asking directions.

从矮人哪里得知了大致的说明。虽然和从门卫那里听来的有着微妙的不同，感觉与目的地多少有点偏离。可真正的目的本来就不在于问路。

“I see. Thank you very much. Gustav, give them a token of appreciation.”

「原来如此。很是感谢。古斯塔博、给他们谢礼」

Gustav dismounted from his horse and produced a small pouch of coins.

从马上下来的古斯塔博掏出了谢礼。

“Surely there’s no need for this just for giving directions?”

「只是问个路的话，没有这个必要哦？」

“It’s fine. After all, we’ve interrupted your work.”

「没有关系。毕竟打扰了你们的工作嘛」

“Really? Then thank you kindly.”

「是吗？那就不好意思了啊」

The Dwarves accepted Gustav’s gift, and smiled.

矮人收下了古斯塔博递来的谢礼，稍微咧嘴笑了笑。

“Well, when we get some grub, we’ll thank the men and women of the Holy Kingdom for it.”

「当老夫用这些钱买好东西吃的时候，会记得向来自圣王国的汝们送上感谢的」

“No, there’s no need… speaking of which, what are you doing here?”

「不，不用在意……话说回来，你们这是在做什么呢？」

“Hm? You can’t tell? We’re laying roads. His Majesty himself requested it of us. While it’s mainly the residents who are doing the work, we’re here to serve as technical advisors.”

「嗯？看了还不明白么吗？是道路的整备哟。是来自魔导王陛下的请求。虽然主要还是住在这座都市的人在做，但老夫我们是作为技术指导而被招待来的啊」

Gahahahaha, the Dwarves laughed heartily.

卡哈哈哈哈，矮人豪爽的笑道。

“I see. And the undead over there are…?”

「原来如此。那么那边的不死者是？」

“They’re Skeletons His Majesty lent us, no? Ahhh, honestly, you can’t beat the undead when it comes to pure manual labor. It’s certainly changed my view of them.”

「是从魔导王陛下那里借来的骷髅啊？咿呀、说真的把不死者作为纯粹的劳动力来看，还真是妙的没话说啊。搞得老夫都对其有点改观了啊」

“Controlling the undead, huh…”

「在使役不死者吗……」

“It’s not like there’s anything surp… Well, I guess it can’t be helped because you’re travellers. Still, it’s only to be expected in the Sorcerous Kingdom, no? I’ve heard that the undead are showing their stuff in the nearby villages. After all, they can complete tedious chores like planting and so on with just an order. Look here, the undead don’t tire, they don’t sleep, and they don’t eat. In addition, they also understand what we want to say, so they do fantastically when given a task within their means. Things being what they are, you don’t even need to work like a dog any more. Even our country’s starting to make use of them too.”

「这有什么好惊……嘛，对旅行者来说也没办法吗。但在这个魔导国这可是理所当然的哦？老夫听说村子那边不死者可正在大展拳脚呢。毕竟像是耕地这样麻烦的活，只要下个命令就完事了啊。汝看、不死者不仅不会疲劳，还不需要睡眠、也不必进食。而且还能理解老夫我们的意思，能办得到想让它们做的事真是太棒了。事到如今已经回不去用牛马的生活了。就连老夫我们的国家也在开始一点点的导入了啊」

“By your country, you mean a nation of Dwarves separate from the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

「国家指的是除了魔导国之外的矮人的国家吗？」

“Oh yes. That’s where we come from, but now we stay in the Sorcerous Kingdom’s demihuman district.”

「是哦。老夫我们就是从那里来的，现在则在魔导国的亚人地区落脚」

“Demihuman region?”

「亚人地区？」

“Yup. It’s where all the races who aren’t human live. They say it used to be the pauper’s district of this city, but it was torn down. Then, it was rebuilt in order to let races of all kinds live comfortable lives. Well, it might be a while before it’s complete, but work on the dwellings for races smaller than you humans -- like we dwarves, for instance -- has already begun.”

「没错。指的就是除人类以外的各种种族居住的区域。据说那里原本是这座都市的贫民窟的样子，后来就直接捣毁了。为了让各式各样的种族能够过上舒适的生活，现在正在进行着建设。嘛、虽然距离完成还早，但能让像老夫我们这样的、比汝们人类要小的种族能够舒适生活的住处已经竣工了」

“We’re here to take charge of that building work!”

「老夫我们本来是为了担当那里的工作才被叫来的啊！」

The Dwarf’s colleague jumped into the conversation.

矮人的同僚也加入到了对话中。

“I see. But if the pauper’s district was torn down, where did the original residents go?”

「原来如此。可把贫民窟捣毁了的话，原本住在那里的人又去了哪儿呢？」

Remedios’ eyes went to the undead.

团长的视线看向了不死者。

“We’re not too sure, but I think they were sent to villages or something. There’s a lot of ruined, abandoned villages around here, and I heard they were sent there to rebuild and work the fields there. That’s where being able to command the undead comes in handy. If I’m not wrong, they’ve begun large-scale farming with the undead, or something. That’s why food prices in this country are pretty cheap.”

「虽然不清楚详细的情况，但好像是被派遣到村子里去了哦？这座都市周边有着好多被废弃了的、没人住的村子，老夫听说他们就是被派去那里进行修复，还能分到田地的样子。在使役不死者方面那里可厉害了。听说还使用不死者开始了大规模农耕的样子哦？所以这个国家的粮价还挺便宜的呢」

“It doesn’t matter that it’s cheap! The important thing is that it’s good! And the wine! Ohhh, I fattened right up after moving to this city!”

「重要的可不是什么便宜。关键是这里的东西好吃！还有就是酒！老夫搬到这座都市来后可是一口气胖了啊！」

“If I go back all plump like this, my wife’s going to yell “Where’s my share” at me. I’d better slim down before returning home!”

「胖了以后回去可不得被孩儿他妈“我的份呢”这样吼的呢，可得瘦下来再回去呢！」

“Ahhhh, we really lucked out when we drew lots.”

「咿呀、抽签的时候手气真是太好了啊！」

Guhahahaha, the dwarves laughed again.

噶哈哈哈，矮人们发出了这样豪爽的笑声。

“Finally, there’s those horse-shaped undead. Do you know their names?”

「最后是关于那个马型的不死者，你们知道它的名字吗？」

“Beats me. Still, doesn’t matter if we don’t know, right? They’re not harming anyone. They’re a bag of bones, yet they’re so damn strong, makes them perfect for moving goods, right?”

「不知道。不过就算不清楚，也无所谓吧。也没有对谁造成危害。明明就一堆骨头力量却很强，就搬运货物来说可是最适合的哦？」

“Same here. Best of luck to all of you!”

「这边也是啊。祝汝等也有好运降临，那就这样！」

After bidding the Dwarves farewell, the group continued toward the inn once more.

与矮人告别后，一行人再次向着旅店开始了前进。

“Captain, why did you ask the name of that horse-shaped undead creature?”

「团长、为何要询问那个马型不死者的名字呢？」

Neia was mystified. She had thought that was what displeased the Captain most.

涅娅也对这件事感到了疑问。她本以为那是团长最不会感兴趣的部分。

“...Gustav. That was because you were acting strangely when you saw that thing.”

「……古斯塔博。因为见到那个不死者的时候，你的举动有些奇怪我才问的」

“Really…?”

「是这样吗……」

“Say, do you know the name of that undead being?”

「吶、你知道那个不死者的名字吗？」

“...Well, a name does come to mind… but I think I must have made a mistake. It can’t be, I was probably mistaken. I can’t imagine an undead creature like that could ever be controlled.”

「……莫非是的想法，在我心里倒确实有一个……但大概是弄错了吧，不可能是那样，是我误会了吧。实在不认为我所知道的那个不死者会被支配」

“H--mm~ Well, if you say so, then so be it.”

「哼—嗯。你这么想的话就是那样的吧」

And that was the end of that.

话题就此终结。

Before long, the instructions they had followed brought them before a luxurious inn, probably the Shining Gold Pavilion which the gate guards had recommended to them. While its name was written on the signboard, the Kingdom’s script was different from that of the Holy Kingdom, so they could only make a rough guess. The Kingdom and the Empire had once been the same country, so there were many similarities between them, but the Holy Kingdom had never been tied to either of those countries, so there was a great difference between them.

不久照着门卫所说前进的一行人的面前，看见了推测是金光闪耀亭的豪华旅店。虽然在招牌上写着文字，但因为王国使用的文字与圣王国的不同，因此只能推测。王国和帝国曾经是同一个国家所以各方面都有相似的地方，但圣王国和两个国家从来没有在一起过，所以差异很大。

“Gustav, go book our rooms.”

「古斯塔博，先过去订房间」

“Understood. Oi, two of you, with me.”

「遵命。喂，来两个人跟我走」

Gustav brought two paladins with him to the inn. Several minutes later, one of them returned.

古斯塔博带走两名圣骑士朝向旅店。然后数分钟后其中一名圣骑士回来。

“Captain, we’ve successfully booked the rooms. The stables are behind the inn, so they’d like us to bring the horses there.”

「团长，已经成功订好房间了。因为马棚在旅店后侧，所以他们希望把马带到那里去」

“Alright, I understand. Squire Baraja, bring the horses over.”

「是吗，我知道了。侍从巴拉哈，把马匹带过去」

“Understood!”

「遵命！」

She tied the horses to a tree in front of the inn, and then she led them to the stables one at a time. Taking care of horses was a squire’s job, but the inn was also obliged to help out as well, and so Neia accepted their goodwill and entered the inn.

将马的缰绳系在旅店前面的树上，在那之后，将马一匹一匹的移到马棚。本来的话照顾马匹也是侍从的工作，但旅店那边会帮忙照顾，因此涅娅接受了他们好意而进入旅店。

Perhaps it was to ward off the odor of the stables from entering the inn, but there was a fragrance in the air which made her think just that.

也许是为了避免客人将飘散在马棚内的臭味带到旅店也说不定，在旅店中有着会令人这么想的香味。

Was it from some kind of fragrant wood or perfume?

是某种香木或香水吗。

From the outside, it seemed to be of the same grade as the inn from the Kingdom, but after seeing the interior, it might have well been a cut above the latter. She even felt a little uneasy walking around inside it with her body that was dirty -- bathing for them was essentially just rinsing with water until they thought they did not stink -- from long travel.

从外观来看和王都的旅店是属于同一个等级的，但在见到内部之后感觉弄不好比那还要再高一等也说不定。用在长途旅行中弄脏的身体——姑且、用水擦拭过觉得没有臭味——走在里面甚至让人觉得有点不好意思。

Neia stepped forward to the room which the inn staff had told her about, and knocked on the door.

涅娅前往旅店人员告知的房间、敲了敲门。

“Who is it?”

「是哪位？」

“Squire Neia Baraja.”

「侍从、涅娅・巴拉哈」

In front of the door stood a paladin in armor. Due to the great discrepancy between the E-Rantel in her imagination and reality, she felt that even the time needed to relieve the fatigue of travel was a shame, and she wanted to make a move as soon as possible.

在门前方是一名圣骑士，还穿着铠甲，因为在旅途过程中所想象的耶・兰提尔和现实差异过大，以至于连解除旅途中疲惫的时间都觉得可惜，而想要尽快采取行动吧。

“You’ve come just in time. We’re about to start the meeting.”

「时机很不错吗，接下来正准备开始会议呢」

While she wondered if she needed to take part, it did no good to ask too much. The people on top had spoken, and obeying them was the proper course of action.

虽然觉得自己是否有参加的必要，但多嘴也没好事。上面的人都这么说的话，照着那样做才是处世之道。

“Then let’s go seek an audience with the Sorcerer King as we planned. Gustav, I’m counting on you.”

「那么和当初预定的一样去申请与魔导王会面。古斯塔博，拜托你了」

“Of course, Captain. But what else should we do apart from that? The original plan was to meet people in power and ask for their aid…”

「这是当然的，团长。可除此之外该怎么办呢？原来计划是与权力者会面，请求他们协助……」

Since Momon was an adventurer, they had originally planned to head to the Adventurer’s Guild. However, according to Ryurarius, the Adventurer’s Guild now was essentially closed down, and requests were handled by the Sorcerer King.”

因为飞飞身为一名冒险者，所以本来的打算是前往冒险者公会。但根据鲁拉鲁斯所说目前冒险者工会正处于接近休业的状态，委托则是由魔导王的部下进行代理的样子。

“Let’s drop by the Guild anyway. Let’s see if we can’t entice some idle adventurers and notable individuals to come to the Holy Kingdom.”

「姑且还是去趟工会吧。那里如果有闲暇的冒险者，而且有着能来圣王国的人物的话就进行拉拢」

“I understand, then--”

「我明白了，那么——」

Gustav gave orders to two paladins, and they immediately sprang into motion.

古斯塔博对两名圣骑士下达命令后，他们立刻开始行动。

Neia wondered what kind of tasks she would be given.

涅娅会被安排什么样的任务呢。

Usually, it was a squire’s job to polish the paladins’ armor and swords, do their laundry, among other sundry tasks. Ironing and arranging their rumpled clothes was also part of that. Most paladins now had gone through such experiences.

本来打磨圣骑士们的铠甲或剑、洗衣之类的才是侍从的本职工作。将散乱的衣物整平也是工作之一。现在位居圣骑士的人中有一大半都有这样的经验吧。

Of course, our incredibly talented captain, who became a paladin in one go, might not have encountered such things...

（虽然拥有无与伦比才能，而一口气登上圣骑士之位的团长可能没有吧……）

“Then how about the others? Will they wait within the inn?”

「那么其他的人要做什么呢？暂时在旅店内待机吗？」

“Ahh, when I was gathering rumors in the Kingdom, I was led to believe that this would be a grim and dark city. However, it’s far more ordinary than I expected… I trust letting a few people outside would not pose a problem?”

「啊啊、虽然在王国收集传闻的时候，还以为是印象更加黑暗的都市。可却是比想象中还要普通的都市啊……我觉得让少人数外出也没问题吧？」

“While it’s hard to tell at this stage, I believe there should be no sudden danger in that.”

「虽然现阶段还很难判断，但我想应该不会有什么突如其来的危险吧」

“Is that so? Then have several people go to the temples and see if they can help introduce us to Momon.”

「是吗。那让几个人前往神殿，问问看是否能帮忙介绍飞飞怎样」

“The ruler of this city is the Sorcerer King, an undead being. It won’t be too good to have ties to the temples, no?”

「身为这座都市支配者的魔导王是不死者。和神殿势力有关系不太好吧？」

“Still, we’re paladins. Where should we go if not to the temples?”

「但是、我们是圣骑士。不前往神殿才比较奇怪吧？」

Gustav had a complex look on his face. Remedios had a point.

古斯塔博面露难色，蕾梅蒂欧丝所说的并没有错。

“That’s… also true.”

「说……的也是呢」

“And in addition to the scenery the Sorcerer King has allowed us to see, it would also be good to see and hear about life in the city from its people. right?”

「除了魔导王让我们看见的街道光景之外，听听其他生活在这个都市的人的看法不也很重要吗？」

“You have a point there…”

「话是这么说没错……」

But what should they do if they saw something which they, as paladins, could not tolerate?

那么如果遇见了作为圣骑士无法容许的光景的话，我们应该采取的行动又是什么呢。

Gustav was having trouble responding because he was thinking about that question.

正因为古斯塔博思考到了那里，所以才难以回答吧。

Neia answered her own question.

涅娅自问自答。

Paladins were beings who embodied justice, so perhaps the right thing for a paladin to do would be to censure the Sorcerer King. However, if the result of doing so meant that the Sorcerer King would not help the Holy Kingdom, meaning that they could not save the masses from their suffering, would that still be the right thing to do?

所谓的圣骑士是体现了正义的存在，那么作为圣骑士正确的行为说不定是与谴责魔导王有关的。可如果那个行为的结果，导致了魔导王不援助圣王国、而没有办法拯救多数人于痛苦之中的话，那个行为有真的能算是正确的吗。

She remembered that her father had once said he did not understand the justice of a paladin. She had not given much thought to it during her days of training with the goal of becoming a paladin in mind. But now that the Holy Kingdom was in this state, perhaps her heart had become soft and weak, but she had been thinking about this all this time.

回想起父亲说过他自己不太明白圣骑士的正义。在以圣骑士为目标，而持续锻炼的那段日子里虽然什么也没在思考。可当圣王国陷入这种状况后，也许内心变得软弱了、这阵子一直在想着这样的事。

Perhaps her doubts might be cleared up if she could ask her mother, but her mother was no longer among the living.

问问母亲的话自己的迷惘或许会消失也说不定，但那位母亲也已经不在人世了吧。

In the end, she could only rely on herself to find the answer.

结果只能靠自己得出属于自己的答案。

As Neia continued pondering these things, the dialogue continued. A pair of paladins would go to the temples of the Four Gods, while two more groups of two would collect information in town. Remedios and the others would stay behind to take care of anything that might happen.

涅娅在思考这些东西时对话仍在继续，以二人组前往四大神的神殿、再编制两组左右的二人组去街上取得直接的情报，为了处理可能发生的情况蕾梅蒂欧丝和剩下的人留下，做了如此分配。

As expected, Neia was ordered to polish their armor.

涅娅如预料一般被命令打磨铠甲。

After the meeting ended, Neia cared for everyone’s armor.

会议结束之后，涅娅对每一个人的铠甲做起了保养。

She wiped them clean of grime with a damp cloth.

用冷水沾湿布、再用那将泥土弄掉。

As one might expect of magic armor, it was undamaged and undented. If there were any dents, one would have to hammer them out from the inside, but if one’s fingers were clumsy, that would make the surface uneven and ugly. Since Neia was not confident of her skills in that respect, the magic armor which paladins wore was the best of all.

不愧是魔法铠甲，没有伤痕和凹陷。如果有的话就有必要从内侧使用锤子敲打，但手指不灵活的话会变得凹凸不平而更加难看，对于从事那种作业没什么自信的涅娅来说，圣骑士带有魔法的铠甲是最棒的。

She was very happy to bury her heart and mind in work, so she did not need to think of unnecessary things.

能够一心一意埋头的工作是非常值得高兴的，不需要思考多余的事。

And so, her forehead beaded with sweat, Neia cleaned everyone’s armor.

就这样满头冒汗的涅娅将全员份的铠甲清理了干净。

♦ ♦ ♦

Their audience with the Sorcerer King came earlier than expected. Neia could not help but be surprised. That was because it was set to take place the day after Gustav had gone to plead his case.

与魔导王会面的约定出人意料的早，这让涅娅不禁为此感到惊讶。会这么说是因为古斯塔博在去请求后的隔天就安排好了会面。

The paladins of the Holy Kingdom -- trailed by Neia -- found that the residence of the Sorcerer King which they arrived at was quite austere. Perhaps it might have been quite ostentatious for someone ruling a city of this grade, but it was entirely unfitting of someone who called himself a king. There was no silent, reverent sense of history, no aura of stateliness, and it did not show the whims of one who held power. It seemed like a building constructed for practical purposes.

圣骑士团一行人——最后一名是涅娅——所到达的魔导王的居城真的是非常寒碜。确实对于支配这个级别都市的支配者住处来说、还算是气派也说不定，可点对于以王自称的人物来说并不相符。没有历史所构成的静谧感、庄严感、也没有权力者的玩心，就像是只追求实用性而造的建筑。

It was far too sad compared to the royal palaces of the Kingdom or the Holy Kingdom. Yet, this was the domicile of the Sorcerer King. Since this had once been a regional city of the Kingdom, he had probably decided to make use of its facilities after taking control of it.

与圣王国或是王国的王城相比的话，实在是太过于可怜了。而那便是魔导王的居城。因为原来是王国的地方都市，所以在占领之后就照着原样使用了吧。

As the paladins removed their helmets and surveyed this, there were faint traces of disdain which only Neia could pick up. Perhaps they were comparing their surroundings with the royal palace of their homes.

摘下头盔目睹了这些的圣骑士们的侧脸、浮现出了只有涅娅才能察觉得到的轻微蔑视表情，大概是与自己国家的王城做了比较吧。

Who could blame them for that?

谁能够因此责备他们呢。

And then, Neia saw the Ghost Ship that they had previously encountered. As well as the undead walking along the streets.

然而，涅娅在眼前浮现出曾经见到的幽灵船和街道上的不死者们。

Why would a king who held dominion over undead of that level choose to stay in such a shabby old palace?

支配着众多如此程度不死者的不死者之王，特意住在这么破旧的城里究竟是为了什么呢。

I have the feeling that there’s some reason for it… if he wanted a luxurious palace, all he’d have to do is order the Dwarves to direct the untiring undead to build one…

（感觉有着什么理由……如果想要豪华的居城，明明只要让那些矮人工匠一样、使用不会疲劳的不死者作为人手就好了……）

As they passed through the gates of the palace, there were two facing rows of undead creatures, similar to the one they had first encountered upon coming to the city. Unlike the undead they had seen at the gate, they were slimmer and crossed their lances high in the air between them.

在穿过门后出现在眼前的是，排成两列相对而望的、来到这里后第一次看到的那种不死者。与在门那里见到的不死者不同，形体更加纤细的它们高举着枪并交叉。

Flags hung from the tips of the crossed lances. On the right were the flags of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and on the left were the flags of the Holy Kingdom.

在长枪的前端所系着的，在右侧是魔导国的旗帜而左侧是圣王国的旗帜。

Below the flags was a passage that they could move through.

在旗帜之下形成一个能在其中前进的通道。

After that, music played. While it was a tune she had not heard before, it was probably best to accept this as part of the ceremony of the whole thing.

然后响起了音乐，虽然是没有听过的曲子，但作为仪式的一环还是老实接受比较好吧。

Neia recalled a lecture she had received once.

涅娅的脑海深处浮现以前接受过的讲义。

The most important factor of resisting spells is to have a clear mind.

要抵抗魔法最重要的的保持心智。

No, there was no way this could be a magical attack. If this was a trap, there would be no need to raise the Holy Kingdom’s flag.

不，不管怎么说这个音乐也不可能是魔法攻击。如果这是陷阱的话，根本就没有必要举起圣王国的旗帜才对。

Neia walked in what seemed like a striking way, while simultaneously scanning her surroundings.

涅娅一边以看起来雄壮的方式走着、一边只用视线左右移动。

There was an honor guard and the flags of the Holy Kingdom. This was a clear sign that the Sorcerer King was treating their delegation as honored guests; in other words, he acknowledged Neia and the others as official ambassadors of the Sorcerous Kingdom, which meant Neia also had to uphold the reputation of the Holy Kingdom.

仪仗兵和圣王国的国旗。毫无疑问这表示魔导国将使节团作为国宾而欢迎，也就是说涅娅们是被承认为圣王国的正式使者、涅娅身上也背负上了代表圣王国的招牌。

It delighted her, but at the same time it filled her with gut-cramping stress.

高兴的另一面是感到胃痛般的沉重压力。

She walked along the path below the hanging flags, and at the end of the passage was -- Neia sucked in a surprised breath.

不断在旗帜垂下的信道前进，而在信道的彼端出现的是——涅娅惊讶的倒吸一口气。

She was a world-class beauty.

那是绝世的美女。

She’s beautiful… she’s incredibly beautiful...

（好美……是多么的美丽……）

She had an immaculate beauty to her. Her incalculably expensive white dress lacked so much as a blemish or a stain.

清澈般的美貌。无法估计到底有多少价值的白色礼服上没有一点暗淡或脏污。

Her compassionate smile was enough to make her, a woman who might have been mistaken for an angel. However, the reality was not so, given the pair of raven-black wings sprouting from her waist.

那充满了慈悲的微笑，是足以被错认为天使的女性。然而事实却并非如此，从其腰间长出的漆黑羽翼就证明了这一点。

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the Sorcerous Kingdom. Please permit me to introduce myself; I am the Guardian Overseer of the various Floor Guardians and Area Guardians throughout the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown. To use a term that is more familiar to you, I hold the position of Prime Minister.”

「欢迎、圣王国的诸位。恕我僭越、本人是在安兹・乌尔・恭魔导国中担任统领各阶层守护者以及领域守护者、总管地位一职的雅儿贝德。以各位更熟悉的方式来称呼的话、就是宰相职位」

“I, I am grateful for your warm welcome. I am the leader of the Holy Kingdom’s diplomatic party, Remedios Custodio, and I am very grateful that you have arranged to make arrangements to meet with us.”

「这、这还真是感谢您的周到。本人是圣王国使节团团长蕾梅蒂欧丝・卡斯特迪奥，今天特意为了我们安排出时间，实在是非常感谢」

“There is no need for thanks. His Majesty the Sorcerer King is deeply concerned over the developments within the Holy Kingdom, and His Majesty has said that making time for you was only to be expected.”

「无需感谢之词，伟大的魔导王陛下对于在圣王国发生的事态感到十分忧虑，陛下说为了各位安排时间是理所应当」

“We, we are very thankful for that.”

「那、那还真是非常感谢……」

Albedo was all smiles, and her presence crushed Remedios’ words underfoot. Her preternatural beauty was such that even a member of the same sex -- no, it was precisely because they were of the same sex -- would be devoured by it. Albedo’s line of sight swiftly flickered over everyone, Neia included.

蕾梅蒂欧丝的说话被满面笑容的雅儿贝德的气势压过，不寻常的美貌就算是同性——不、正因为是同性——也会被吞没。雅儿贝德的视线迅速的穿越过了大家的——包括涅娅的上方。

“Now then, His Majesty is waiting for you, so I shall guide you to the audience hall. Can I trouble you to follow behind me?”

「那么陛下正在等候，就由我来带领各位至谒见大厅。能请跟在我的身后吗？」

“Y-yes, of course. T-then, how about our swords?”

「是、是的。那、那个剑呢？」

“Ah, yes, there is the matter of those.”

「啊啊、说的是呢」

Albedo smiled in amusement.

雅儿贝德感到有趣般地笑了。

Why would she smile like that, Neia wondered. They could not possibly carry weapons into the presence of a king, so normally they would be asked to surrender their weapons. This was also a show of trust in the other party.

为何、会浮现出那样的笑容呢，涅娅有着疑问。不可能手持武器觐见王，所以一般的话会将武器交出，这个行为同时表示对另一方存在着信赖的意思。

“Normally, we would hold onto them for safekeeping, but there is no need for that. You may bear your arms.”

「一般的话会暂时保管，但没有那个必要。武器就请这样带着」

Albedo said something which Neia could not comprehend.

对方说了什么涅娅一下子没理解过来。

Remedios was also going “why?” Surely someone who had spent all her time by the Holy Queen’s side would have even more reason to question this.

对蕾梅蒂欧丝来说同样也是以「为什么呢？」追问道。特别是对一直以来随侍在圣王女身边的人来说，更是会感到疑问吧。

Faced with their justified doubts, Albedo smiled once more.

对于那个理所当然的质疑，雅儿贝德再度微笑道。

“Naturally, this is because we trust our honored guests from the Holy Kingdom, and also because we, as a nation that contains many undead, must seem like quite a bizarre country to you. Therefore, I feel that permitting you to keep your blades will place you at ease. Of course, we have no intention of harming you all. But if you wish to leave them with us, we can certainly accommodate that request.”

「这当然是因为信赖从圣王国而来的各位啊，而且对于诸位而言不死者众多的我国是异端国家。因此，我认为让诸位保持佩戴武器的方式才会比较安心吧。当然，并没有打算加害诸位。如果想要保管的话，当然也没有关系喔？」

“Then, our country shall graciously accept His Majesty’s goodwill… may I ask you to hold onto the swords of everyone apart from myself. I apologize, but I carry a national treasure of my country, so I hope you understand when I say I cannot leave it in your hands.”

「那么对魔导王陛下的好意，我国在此恭敬的接受……能保管除了我之外的剑吗？非常抱歉，我所佩戴的剑是我国的国宝，不能将它保管，还请谅解」

“I understand.”

「我明白了」

Albedo glanced to the side, and the undead creature that appeared took their swords for safekeeping.

雅儿贝德使个眼色后，出现的不死者将剑收下保管。

Perhaps there were paladins who were unhappy about giving their swords to the undead, but since their Captain had ordered it, there was no way they could refuse.

或许也会有身为圣骑士却将剑交给不死者而感到不愉快的人吧，但如果是团长的命令就无法拒绝了。

Neia looked at Albedo as she handed over her weapon.

涅娅一面交出武器一面观察起了雅儿贝德的样子。

There was no telling what she was thinking as she continued smiling that beautiful smile of hers. Rather, one could say that she had looked upon them with pure goodwill, as though she were lavishing heartfelt kindness on Neia and the others. However, was Neia’s assessment correct? For instance, if there was a deeper wrinkle to it--

一直露出美丽笑容，在想些什么完全猜不透，不如说对我方展露出只有好意的表情，仿佛从心底深处对涅娅们很亲切的样子。但是，涅娅的那种预测到底是对的吗。如果、有出入的话——

--She permitted armed people to stand before her master. Was it due to the Sorcerer King’s order? Or… was it because she knew there was no way we could harm him?

（——允许带着剑前往自己主人的身边。是因为王的命令？还是说……知道绝对没有办法对王造成伤害？）

The Sorcerer King was an incredibly powerful magic caster. Was this due to his arrogance that no amount of paladins from the Holy Kingdom could defeat him?

魔导王是拥有强大力量的魔法咏唱者。是因为有着无论聚集多少圣王国的骑士也能赢的自负吗。

Or perhaps he has battle-ready undead guards nearby. Albedo-sama doesn’t look like she has any fighting ability...

（还是说王的附近备齐了不死者的护卫兵们也不一定。雅儿贝德大人看上去又似乎没什么战斗能力）

The Prime Minister whose beauty was as far removed from violence as possible smiled gently.

拥有在这个世界与暴力最为无缘美貌的宰相温柔地微笑着。

“Now then, everyone. The Sorcerer King awaits. Please go forth and meet him.”

「那么、各位。魔导王正在等候，前去参见吧」

♦ ♦ ♦

The throne room was also not as lavish as she had imagined. It would seem it had been pressed into service directly after being taken, without any renovation.

王座大厅也是如同想象中一般不是那么的豪华，果然这里也是在占领后，就没有进行维护而是直接使用的样子。

However, the throne itself glittered brightly; one could say it shone with a golden radiance. Surely it was not forged of solid gold; it must have been gilded with gold foil. But even so, one could see how much effort and expense it must have taken to do so, given the size of the throne.

然而用来坐的王座却金碧辉煌，不如说是闪耀着金色一般的华丽。总不会、是全部都用金子打造，所以应该是贴了金箔吧，可即使如此从大小来看应该也花了不少的费用。

Then, the flag behind the throne was just as impressive. It was made of some kind of fabric and jet-black in color, with an immeasurable depth to it. A slight alteration to the light levels might make one think that it was a deep purple.

然后在王座的后面的国旗也非常令人惊叹，虽然不知道使用什么丝线制成的，有着只是黑色无法表现的深度，在些微的光线增减下能够让人觉得发紫的旗帜。

“Please enter, Your Majesty.”

「那么有请陛下入场」

“Everyone, bow,” Remedios commanded.

「各位、低下头」

蕾梅蒂欧丝发出指示。

Paladins are bowing to the undead; even if Neia was surprised by how Remedios could make a decision like that, she offered no resistance as she fell to one knee and lowered her head. It was because she was a squire that she had learned this ceremonial practice. That said, her experience with meeting kings was limited to when she had glimpsed the Holy King once, as a squire. She lowered her head as she moved her eyes, frantically stealing glances at the paladins around her.

圣骑士向不死者低头，尽管对于做出如此决定的蕾梅蒂欧丝抱有些许惊讶，但涅娅也没有异议单膝下跪并低下了头。正因为是侍从所以确实地学习过这样的礼仪做法。当然话是那样说，参见国王的经验也只有过去成为侍从时、觐见圣王时有过那么一次。一边低下头、一边只活动眼睛，拼命地偷窥周围的圣骑士的姿势。

It seems… everything’s fine.

（看来……好像没问题的样子）

Of course, that was a decision made based on looking at their backs. Perhaps if she looked at them head-on, they might differ slightly from herself.

当然，那是只依据背影的判断。如果从正面看来的话，也有可能会与自己有少许的不同。

It’ll be fine! I wasn’t scolded by anyone even in front of the Holy King-sama. Dad said I did well too, and he even praised me.

（没事的！在圣王大人的时候也没有被其他人指责过。父亲也说非常出色，还夸奖了我）

“Announcing the arrival of His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown.”

「安兹・乌尔・恭陛下的入室」

As Albedo spoke from where she stood ahead of and to the side of their group, Neia heard a very faint sound that only she could pick up, like that of tearing paper, followed by the sound of footsteps and a pon, pon sound of something hard striking the ground. Soon, she sensed someone sitting upon the throne.

在王座略偏斜前方站着的雅儿贝德的声音响起的同时，涅娅听见只有她才能听到的像是撕破纸张非常细小的声音，然后与脚步声同时，碰、碰的坚硬物体敲打地板的声音持续着，不久感觉有人坐上了王座。

“Permission has been granted, do raise your heads.”

「已下达许可，抬起头来」

It was very difficult to breathe during this time. Looking up too early or too late would be a breach of etiquette. After a delay of a few seconds, she silently raised her head.

这段时间的呼吸很困难，过早或是过晚都会造成失礼，缓慢的数了数秒，在那之后，将头静静地抬起。

And then, the being in front of Neia captured her attention.

然后涅娅不禁被其正前方的存在，夺去了视线。

He, he’s the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown...

（那、那个就是魔导王、安兹・乌尔・恭）

Points of red light blazed within the eye-sockets of his bare skull, a fittingly undead appearance. However, Neia knew he was something else entirely.

暴露出头盖骨的脸孔，红色的光芒在两边的眼窝燃起，那正是与不死者相符的外表。但是，与涅娅所知道的却完全不同。

The first thing which surprised her were his clothes.

首先令人惊讶的是那身衣服。

He was dressed more richly than a noble would be at the feast to celebrate the inheritance of his title.

穿着比起侍从任命仪式之后的宴会中，所见到的贵族们还要昂贵的衣服。

The length and spreading of his robes seemed very comfortable, and the sleeves were surprisingly loose. The hem and sleeves were decorated faintly with gold and purple. It was bound up at the waist with a sash, but it was both strange and not strange at the same time. Bizarre as it might be, it exuded an exotic flavor, and “beautiful” was the only word she could use to describe it.

衣服的长度及扩展出去的下摆让人感到舒适，衣袖部分惊人的宽松。使用了无任何污点纯白的布匹，下摆和袖子的部分以金色和紫色施加了细微的装饰。腰的部分似乎用带子束紧，但说那个奇怪倒也不奇怪，虽然很奇妙，但洋溢着异国风情，只能用漂亮二字来形容。

After that, he wore a glove colored the same as his garments, fitted with metal plates that sparkled in all the colors of the rainbow, and that hand held a mystic staff which looked like seven serpents coiling around each other. That must have been the source of the hard sound from earlier.

然后，与衣服同一颜色的手套上镶嵌了仿佛闪耀着七彩的金属板，以那样的手持有的是七条蛇相互交缠般的法杖，那个就是碰、碰坚硬物体声音的来源吧。

However, it was the halo of obsidian radiance from behind him that was truly surprising.

但是比起那些更令人惊讶的是那身体背后所寄宿的黑色光辉。

...Is he really one of the undead? No way...

（……这个是不死者？骗人……）

In Neia’s mind, the undead were creatures like Zombies, Skeletons, Ghasts, and other such creatures.

涅娅印象中的不死者，是僵尸[zombie]、骷髅、饿鬼[ガスト]之类的。

In that case, the Sorcerer King could not possibly be described as one of the undead in Neia’s eyes. Mysteriously enough his skeletal face did not frighten her. In fact, one could even say he had an air of purity and sacredness about him.

那么，说到魔导王在涅娅的眼中是什么样子，那个存在并没有办法用不死者这个单词进行概括。骷髅的脸孔不可思议的不让人觉得害怕，甚至可说散发着一种纯洁而神圣的气息。

He was a powerful being, an awesome being, a being whose power exceeded the capacity of her mind to grasp -- in other words, he was a Supreme Being.

更加强大——惊人、不在人所能够想象到力量范畴中的存在——也就是超越者。

Neia forgot Albedo, who stood beside the throne, and tenderly gazed upon the Sorcerer King.

忘记了在王座旁站着的雅儿贝德，涅娅屡屡端望着王座上魔导王

What brought her back to her senses was the “Well then,” which the Sorcerer King said.

让那样的她回过神来的是，从魔导王处发出的「那么」的一句声音。

“You have come a long way from the Holy Kingdom, Remedios-dono, and you ladies and gentlemen of the paladin order.”

「从圣王国远道而来有劳你们了，卡斯特迪奥阁下。然后是圣骑士团的诸位」

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.”

「非常感谢，魔导王陛下」

“While we could have organized a banquet of welcome for you, I trust none of you are in the mood for such a thing. Therefore, I have taken the time out of my busy schedule to arrange an audience with you. That being the case, rather than wasting time on useless word games -- beating around the bush and insincere flattery -- let us get right to the heart of the matter. I trust there are no objections to a full disclosure?

「虽然也可以举全国之力举办欢迎宴会，但我想各位们在时间上应该没有那么余裕吧。为此我刻意在忙碌之中挤出时间安排了会面，如此一来与其将时间浪费在无用的——拐弯抹角的说话方式以及根本不是发自内心的奉承话上，还不如直接将话题进行下去吧。开诚布公，没有异议吧？」

“Not at all, Your Majesty.”

「完全没有。魔导王陛下」

“Very well. Then, tell me the present state of the Holy Kingdom. Speaking without deception or omission will allow we in the Sorcerous Kingdom to better aid you.”

「很好，那就让我听听圣王国的现状吧。没有虚伪、没有隐瞒地说出来的话，对于我们魔导国来说，也能为贵国提供一些更为有益的帮助」

After Remedios indicated her understanding, she poured her heart out regarding the state of the Holy Kingdom.

蕾梅蒂欧丝表示了解之后滔滔不绝的说出圣王国的现状。

Neia did not understand what was the reasoning which had led her to be so forthcoming with her information. Although, it was very likely that Remedios felt thinking itself was troublesome.

涅娅并不清楚究竟是因为何种考量，才变得愿意如实提供情报。虽然感觉思考本身很麻烦，是其中最有可能的一种。

The contents of her spiel were just like what Gustav had told Blue Rose, and she ended by saying that the situation on the frontlines was in a tense state. She probably did not want to say something like the Holy Kingdom was on the eve of destruction to another country, much less to an undead king.

所说的内容就像是古斯塔博对苍蔷薇说过的那样，最后结束在战局还维持在紧绷的状态。大概是圣王国正面临崩坏这样的事，不想对他国、而且是不死者之王说出来吧。

“I see, I see. Therefore, what is your aim in coming to my country?”

「原来如此、原来如此。所以贵国目前是如何打算的呢？」

“We wish to submit a request to Your Majesty; they say the adventurer called Momon has sworn himself to you, and if we could borrow that warrior who could fight on par with Jaldabaoth, there would be nothing for our country to fear. I beg you to send the warrior Momon to our country.”

「是的。因此想向魔导王陛下请愿，听说贵国的那位名为飞飞的冒险者侍奉于您，如果能够借得那位与亚达巴沃分庭抗礼的战士，我国就没有什么好怕的了。恳请您，希望能将战士飞飞派遣至我国」

The crimson glow in the Sorcerer King’s eyes suddenly vanished, and then it reignited a moment later.

魔导王眼中寄宿的红色光芒突然消失，然后过了一拍再度燃起。

“As I thought. I have also prepared an answer for this eventuality -- which would be no.”

「与料想的一样呢。正因为如此我也将准备好的答复告诉你吧。——办不到」

“May I ask for the reasons which led to that answer?”

「请问那个答复是出于怎样的理由呢？」

“Well, this is something of a black mark on my nation. However, Momon is, for the time being, an irreplaceable part of my country. It is precisely because he is around that the people can live with their hearts at ease.”

「虽然这个也算是我国的羞耻。但目前的飞飞对于我国的和平来说，是不可或缺的存在。正是因为有他在，人民才能够过上安心的生活」

“But do you not command legions of the undead, Your Majesty?”

「不是有着魔导王陛下的不死者军队吗」

“Huhuhu,” the Sorcerer King laughed quietly. “It would seem you ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Kingdom have seen my undead forces and deemed them quite satisfactory. Then, will you not accept a loan of these undead troops in place of Momon, I trust you have all seen that all the undead I command are quite potent. They ought to be able to eliminate a mere demihuman uprising.”

「呼呼呼」魔导王静静地笑了笑「看来圣王国的诸位，在看到不死者的军队后认为足以信赖呢。那么作为飞飞的替代品、将那些不死者的军队借去如何？我所支配的不死者想必诸位也看到了，不论哪具都是身强力壮。区区亚人之流应该能够轻易消灭的吧」

Remedios was left speechless.

蕾梅蒂欧丝无言以对。

She was probably imagining the sight of herself leading an undead army back to the Holy Kingdom. No, it was unimaginable. Commanding the undead was utterly antithetical to being a paladin.

是想象出自己指挥不死者的军队，返回圣王国时的情景吧。不，不可能想象的出那种景象。指挥不死者是与圣骑士最为相悖的行为。

It was true that the undead boasted many advantages as troops. They did not need to eat, they could lie in wait in the middle of primeval forest, and one could call them an ideal army.

确实不死者作为军队是有着非常大的好处。不需要食物、还能够让它们在原始树林的正中央待机，真可谓理想的军队。

However, enlisting the undead -- called the enemies of all living creatures due to their hatred of life -- into their forces was more frightening than anything else. For starters, bringing another nation’s troops into one’s own country was a source of unease. After solving their problems, they might then proceed to conquer the Holy Kingdom.

但是，将憎恨生命而被称为一切生物的敌人的不死者军队纳入这件事，比起任何事都要更恐怖。首先，把别国的军队召集到自己国内本身，就是一种不安的隐患。解决了一连串的问题之后，就这样开始占领工作也说不定不是吗。

“In, in that case…”

「那、那样……」

The Sorcerer King chuckled at Remedios’ perturbation.

对于蕾梅蒂欧丝的动摇魔导王笑着说道。

“Indeed, Remedios-dono. There are those in my country who think the same way as you. Using the undead for agriculture, tilling fields and security are all applications which the people are growing to accept. But unfortunately, those among my citizens who have little contact with these activities have not come to fully accept them yet. Of course, the situation is much better than when I was just establishing my rule, but more time will be needed for that. Momon can listen to their concerns and allay them in many ways. If I send him out now, there is no telling how the discontent of the people might erupt.”

「没有错，卡斯特迪奥阁下。我们国家也有与您有相同想法的人。使用不死者从事农作物的生产、开垦、警备之类的工作的人们虽然在逐渐接受。但遗憾的是与这些并没有太多紧密接触的居民们、仍没有办法完全接受。当然，和刚进入我的支配下时比起来已经好多了，但还需要花上一些时间吧。飞飞能听取那些人的不安、做各式各样的关照。如果、现在将他送出去，人民的不满会以怎样的形式爆发可无法预测」

“In that case, surely we paladins can stay behind and complete the work of building trust in the undead, could we not? Many people know that paladins are the foes of the undead. Therefore, would it not be very effective to have us stay behind and declare that Your Majesty’s undead are trustworthy?”

「那样的话由我们圣骑士团留下，代替飞飞阁下完成让不死者得到信赖而工作如何？多数人知道圣骑士是不死者的敌人，那样的我们如果留下来宣传魔导王陛下的不死者是值得信任的话，不也会有相当大的效果吗？」

“Umu… that is a proposal which is worthy of consideration.”

「唔嗯……是一个值得考虑的提案啊」

After a brief period of cogitation, the Sorcerer King turned his face to the hand which did not carry his staff.

短暂的深思之后，魔导王的面孔微微的、朝向了没有拿杖的那只手。

“...Hm. It would seem having foreigners handle that is not quite suitable, no. One can trust someone who has gone through the same hardship as they have; surely there is no way for them to believe someone who appeared out of nowhere and said the undead were their friends, is there? As I thought, you will not be able to take the place of an adamantite-ranked adventurer, who is already renowned throughout this city.”

「……哼嗯。果然他国的人这点不太合适、呢。正因为是一起同甘共苦的人才会有的信赖感，突然出现的人就算说不死者是伙伴也没法信任吧？果然还是没有办法胜任、在这个都市已经名声响亮的精钢级冒险者的替代品呢」

His logic was faultless.

确实是正确的言论。

Therefore, she could not refute him with logic. In addition, Remedios felt that using any form of emotional appeal would be even less effective.

因此无法用道理将之驳倒。特别是对于蕾梅蒂欧丝这样以感情行事的类型来说就更不可能了。

The Sorcerer King then asked the speechless Remedios:

对什么话也说不出来的蕾梅蒂欧丝，魔导王问道。

“--Very well. Then let us shift the topic. I wish to ask about some people you did not mention, Remedios-dono. In the past, Momon told me that Jaldabaoth commanded maids of considerable power. May I ask if you ladies and gentlemen have encountered people dressed like that in the Holy Kingdom?”

「——好。那么稍微改变下话题吧。我想要问问关于在卡斯特迪奥阁下的话题中没有出现的人，过去我曾从飞飞那里听说、亚达巴沃那似乎有着相当程度力量的女仆们。敢问诸位是否有在圣王国见过那些装扮的人呢？」

“We have not found anyone so dressed in the Holy Kingdom. In fact, we only learned about them for the first time when we engaged Blue Rose of the Kingdom in conversation.”

「在圣王国并没有发现那样装扮的人。我们也是在王国向苍蔷薇的诸位打听时，才首次对此有所认识的」

“I see… which would mean the maids might be Jaldabaoth’s trump card, then? Or does that mean they are active in other locations?”

「原来如此……这么说、女仆们也有可能是亚达巴沃的王牌吗？还是说在其他的场所蠢蠢欲动？」

“We cannot be sure.”

「难以判断」

“...I believe you mentioned that the Southern Holy Kingdom was still holding out. Are you maintaining secret communications with them?”

「……在话题中说南方还很牢固，与南方有着秘密联络吗？」

“To a certain extent, yes.”

「保持着某种程度的联络」

“...So they have not yet infiltrated the south, then? Perhaps I was overthinking things. Umu…”

「……南方还没有被其手下潜入吗？是我过于担心了吗。哼嗯……」

The Sorcerer King suddenly looked up to the ceiling.

魔导王的脸孔忽然朝天花板移动。

“Does Your Majesty feel that Jaldabaoth’s henchmen have infiltrated the south?”

「魔导王陛下认为南方已经有亚达巴沃的手下潜入了？」

“I did not say that. But I was thinking that if he possessed such powerful pawns, why has he not used them yet… and I believe I asked for full disclosure at the beginning, did I not? Therefore, let me get right to the point -- what kind of remuneration can the Holy Kingdom offer me in exchange for the provision of my nation’s aid?”

「我并没有这么说，但我在想手中有着那么强力的棋子，为何没有使用呢……还记得我一开始就说过要开诚布公吗？正因如此，我就单刀直入的问吧，圣王国对于我国的支持，能拿出何种程度的报酬？」

This was a perfectly normal question and entirely to be expected. However, answering it was very difficult.

这是正常的质疑，是理所当然的。但是，回答却非常困难。

“We can offer my country’s friendship, trust and respect.”

「我国的友情、信赖，还有敬意」

The Sorcerer King snorted at Remedios’ answer.

对于蕾梅蒂欧丝的回答，魔导王发出嗤笑。

However, one could not conclude that Remedios’ answer had been wrong. There were times when that was all a paladin would need to rush into a life or death battle. One who championed a poor village that could not afford to pay proper recompense and challenged a demihuman horde would be held up as an exemplar of paladinhood.

但是，要说是蕾梅蒂欧丝不对吗也无法如此断定。有些时候圣骑士只需要那些，就愿意赴往以命相搏的战斗之中。就比如接受无法支付报酬的贫困村落的请愿，向成群的亚人们挑战的人会被当做圣骑士的楷模。

“That is very much what a paladin would say. Perhaps one of my past friends might well have been willing to take action based on that alone. But unfortunately, such words cannot move me. I have said before to dispense with meaningless flattery. Can you offer me any tangible benefits?”

「很像是圣骑士会说的话呢。若是我过去的友人的话，仅凭这些可能就会开始行动的吧。但很遗憾的那些言语没有办法打动我。我说过了无需装饰辞藻，能够出示些实际利益吗？」

Is he saying that Momon-dono is a friend of the Sorcerer King? Is he addressing him so familiarly because he is not just a subordinate?

（是说飞飞阁下是魔导王的友人？直呼其名并非因为是其部下？）

As Neia pondered that question, Remedios remained silent.

涅娅在思考那样的事情的时候，蕾梅蒂欧丝也还是说不出话。

No.

不。

The truth which could not be spoken was that Remedios Custodio was in no position to make any promises of that sort.

是不可能说的出来，根本不可能让蕾梅蒂欧丝・卡斯特迪奥做出任何约定。

What would happen after they beat off Jaldabaoth?

假设成功击退了亚达巴沃之后会如何呢。

Of course, they would need to name the next Holy King. However, the likelihood of such a person heeding the words of a paladin would be very low. If he was chosen from the southern nobles, who had never gotten along with her, Remedios and the others would probably be placed under house arrest for their inability to protect the Holy Queen.

当然、会需要选定下一位圣王，但那个人物会器重圣骑士的可能性很低。如果是从不和睦的南方贵族中选出的话，蕾梅蒂欧丝她们会作为没有办法守护圣王女之人而被幽禁吧。

In that case, even if they forged a pact with the Sorcerer King, there was no guarantee that said pact would actually be honored. No, before that, it was very dubious that this group even had the right to represent their nation. Ultimately, the true purpose of this ambassadorial delegation had been to build sympathy among the commoners who did not understand the situation.

变成那样的话即使与魔导王做了约定，也不觉得那个约定会被遵守。不、在那之前，从根本来说这个团体到底是否具有代表国家的资格都是个疑问。追根究底，这个使节团真意是为了、立场不明确的一般民众们请求温情而来的。

For that reason, they had no ability to make any promises. No one person could represent an entire country by themselves; the only one who could do that was its king.

正因如此才没有办法进行保证，一个人背负国家是不可能的，能做得到的就只有王而已。

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I am Vice-Captain Gustav Montanis, serving under Captain Custodio. Please permit me to speak on her behalf.”

「失礼了，魔导王陛下。我是在卡斯特迪奥团长下担任副官的古斯塔博·蒙坦尼斯，请允许我替代团长发言」

The Sorcerer King lightly raised his chin, to indicate that the man should continue.

魔导王轻轻地伸出下巴催促把话继续说下去。

“Thank you very much. What Your Majesty asks for is something that we cannot guarantee. Even if we reclaim the Holy Kingdom’s territory, restoring the land that has been ravaged by Jaldabaoth will take a very long time. I do not believe we can offer you anything we promise here with any degree of haste. However, there is one thing I wish to tell Your Majesty, which is the danger of Jaldabaoth.”

「非常感谢。魔导王陛下所想要的保证我们无法做到保证，就算夺回了圣王国的领土，要回复被亚达巴沃搞乱的国土也非常花时间。我不认为在这里出示的物品能够很快交付给您。然而在这里有一件事想要对魔导王诉说，那就是亚达巴沃的危险性」

“Umu… do go on.”

「哼嗯……继续说」

“Yes. The disorganized demihumans who threatened the Kingdom in the past are now under the thumb of Jaldabaoth. If Jaldabaoth is not stopped now, and he is allowed to hide himself, there is no telling what sorts of preparations he can make and where he will show himself again.”

「是。过去对王国造成危害之际并没有率领的亚人军队，可现在那家伙已经将其纳入手中并且现身了。如果现在不将亚达巴沃击毙的话，让他再度隐藏行踪之后，下一次天知道他会做出什么样的准备再度现身」

“In other words, you are saying that now is the best time to kill him, given that he has shown his face. Therefore, one should eradicate the seeds of any potential discord as soon as possible. Is that what you are saying?”

「也就是你想说的是，乘他现身的这个瞬间正是杀掉那家伙的机会，所以应该将骚动在萌芽之际尽早摘除、是这么一回事吗？」

“It is as you say. I expected nothing less of Your Majesty. Therefore, may we plead with you to dispatch Momon-dono?”

「您所言甚是、不愧是陛下。因此恳求您、是否能准许派遣飞飞阁下？」

“I see. It is a perfectly understandable reason. Indeed, it is high time this Jaldabaoth was exterminated.”

「原来如此。是能够理解的理由呢。确实亚达巴沃应该被讨伐」

“In that case--”

「这么说的话——」

Just as Gustav’s face was lighting up with joy, the Sorcerer King extended a hand to stop him before rapping his staff on the ground.

对着即将浮现出喜色的古斯塔博、魔导王握着的手伸出将他阻止之后用杖敲击发出碰的一声。

“However, dispatching Momon is still very difficult. Even if he dispatches Jaldabaoth, Momon’s absence will lead to uneasiness in our political situation and alarm the people. In that case, what should be done? If I had more time to stabilize my nation’s internal politics, I would then send out Momon -- with his approval, of course. Given what you have just said, you ought to be able to hold on for a little longer, no?”

「然而要派遣飞飞果然还是很困难的，即便击退了亚达巴沃，因飞飞的缺席而使得我国政情不安稳也很让人困扰。那么这样如何？再多争取一些时间让我国的政情稳定吧，那个时候就将飞飞——当然是在他的同意之下、派遣出去。照刚才话题中所提到的，应该还能再坚持一段时间吧？」

“But, but of course… how long will that take?”

「那、那是自然的……那么是多久以后呢？」

“Umu… Albedo, what do you think?”

「哼嗯……雅儿贝德、如何？」

The Prime Minister who had been standing aside all this while reported to her master for the first time.

至今仅仅是一直随侍在旁的宰相第一次回头向主人禀告。

“After considering the gradual induction of demihumans into our nation, it will delay the process more than anticipated. It might take a period of several years. Yes… if we had five years, it would not be a problem.”

「今后、将我国国内的亚人们会逐渐增加的情况纳入计算的话，推测会造成的延迟比设想中还大。如果可能的话是数年。说的是呢……如果有五年的话就不会有任何问题了吧」

“Just so. I trust you have no questions?”

「就是如此，没有问题吧？」

Five years. Gustav tasted the words in his mouth before gently shaking his head.

五年、在口中玩转这句话的古斯塔博轻微的摇了摇头。

“In that case, time…”

「那样的话时间上……」

“I see… indeed. I ought to have considered your country’s situation. After all, it is a request from a friendly nation.”

「原来如此……确实应该考虑到贵国的情况呢。毕竟是来自友好国的请求呢」

The Sorcerer King placed particular emphasis on the words “friendly nation”

魔导王在友好国这个词上做出了特别强调。

“Our country will do our best to shorten this time. Albedo, what is the minimum time needed to carry this out?”

「我国也竭尽全力努力缩短时间吧。那么雅儿贝德，将时间缩减到最低限度的话大概要多久？」

“In that case, how about three years? However, that might lead to unrest in our country.”

「这样的话三年如何呢。但是，我国可能会发生一些混乱也说不定」

“That can’t be helped. We’re saving a friendly country, after all. I suppose there will be some loss of life on our part… well, metaphorically speaking.”

「那没办法了呢，是为了救援友好国。我国也会稍微留点血吧……所谓的流血是一种比喻方式哦」

The Sorcerer King seemed to be making a joke, but nobody was laughing.

虽然魔导王装作开玩笑般的说着，但没有人笑出来。

“..Hm. Now then, how about that? We’ve sped it up by two years.”

「……咳哼。那么、这样如何呢？缩短了两年喔」

He had already made a concession of two years, but even three years was too long. How much damage could occur during that time? And then, there was the question of whether the Holy Kingdom could even survive as a nation during that time -- no, there was no way they could. However, if they came out and said that, perhaps even the promise of sending out Momon after three years might be rendered moot as well.

对方让步了两年之多，但就连三年也太久了。在那期间会出现多少损害呢、然后圣王国到底能不能维持作为国家的形体谁也不知道，绝对接受不了。但是、当面说出来的话，说不定那个三年后派遣飞飞的承诺也会随之化为一空。

However, the possibility of the Holy Kingdom’s salvation lay before their eyes.

可是，圣王国得到拯救的可能性就在眼前。

Perhaps she had come here for this moment. She ought to bet her life on it.

也许自己来到这里就是为了这个时刻吧。应该赌上性命。

After preparing herself for death, Neia took a deep breath, and spoke.

做好赴死的觉悟的涅娅吸了口气，发出声音。

“My sincerest apologies, Your Majesty the Sorcerer King.”

「万分抱歉，魔导王陛下」

“...Who are you?”