Part 2

Neia swallowed the gastric juices rising inside her as she walked towards the Sorcerer King’s room. As she did, an intense sourness spread through her mouth.

一边朝向魔导王的房间走去，宁亚一边将从胃中涌上的酸液给咽回肚里。强烈的酸味因此在嘴里扩散开来。

She took up the pouch tied to her belt and drank the water within,

宁亚拿起系在腰上的皮囊，喝了口装在里面的水。

The water was hardly delicious, flavored as it was by leather, but it helped quell the burning sensation in her throat and the stench in her mouth. However, the anger still remained in Neia’s chest, and her face was still pale.

染上皮革气味的水虽说不上美味，但却能够抑制喉咙里的烧灼感以及嘴里的口臭。然而宁亚胸中怒气依旧残留，苍白的脸色也没有好转。

She recalled the stomach-churning scene that she could not forget, even if she wanted to.

宁亚回想起那她想忘也忘不了的、令人作呕的景象。

The demihuman army had encircled this city for a full three days now.

亚人的大军已经持续包围这座都市整整三天了。

The enemy had not attacked or attempted to parley, simply letting time pass. But today, the demihumans had brought out their captives from the Holy Kingdom to the outer walls of the Loys district, where Neia and the others were. If they had skilled archers or slingers present, they might have been able to attack them. Unfortunately, they had nobody like that on hand.

虽然敌人既不进行攻击也没有交涉的意思，仅仅就是让时间过去而已。但今天亚人们却将圣王国的俘虏带到了宁亚等人现在所在的位置、小都市洛依兹的城市外墙附近。要是有熟练的弓箭手或是投石手在场的话，想来是能够对其进行攻击的吧。可遗憾的是现场并没有这样的人在。

Neia was confident of hitting the demihumans if she used the Sorcerer King’s bow. However, launching a rash strike might have triggered an all-out attack. That would have led to a battle of 10’000 against 40’000, and they would have to open the city gates if they wanted to save those captives.

只要使用向魔导王借来的弓，宁亚也有能够射中亚人的自信。但要是在这里莽撞地发动攻击的话，就会导致战火一发不可收拾。事情演变成那样的话，那可就一万对四万的战争。而且如果要救出那些俘虏，无论如何都必须先打开城门才行。

Once the gates were opened, the demihuman forces would surely pour in like an avalanche. Such a thing could not be allowed to happen, and so all they could do was stand aside and watch.

城门一开，亚人大军势必有如雪崩般涌入，那样的情况当然不能让它发生，因此众人只能眼睁睁地袖手旁观。

There were less than 20 captives. They were made up of males and females, adults and children, but there were no old people among them. All the prisoners were naked and covered in scars and bruises.

俘虏的数量不足二十人。性别有男有女，有大人有小孩，但就是没有老人。俘虏们全员都赤裸着身子，身上满目疮痍。

Just as the gathered people of the Holy Kingdom began to think they had been brought out as collateral for some kind of negotiations, a tragedy had unfolded.

就当聚集在现场的众多圣王国民认为、俘虏们应该是被带来当做某种交涉筹码时，惨剧突然地发生了。

The demihumans began to massacre the captives.

亚人们开始肆意杀害俘虏。

A demihuman who seemed to be about three meters tall had decapitated a prisoner and then held up the severed head in an inverted position. Neia had clearly seen how the earth had drunk the vast quantities of fresh red blood spilled upon it.

看起来有三公尺高的亚人将俘虏的头砍断，再将其上下颠倒地拿着。宁亚清楚地看见大量鲜红的血液被地面所吸收。

After that, the demihumans began to butcher the prisoners’ corpses.

接着，亚人们开始将俘虏解体。

Neia had seen her father process animal carcasses before. However, the sight of such a thing happening to human beings had dealt a mighty blow to Neia’s psyche.

虽然宁亚也看过几次父亲将野兽解体的过程。但同样的事情发生在人类身上，却是截然不同的光景，这让宁亚的心灵受到强大的冲击。

After that, the demihumans ate the captives one after the other, while they were still fresh.

之后，俘虏们便被亚人给趁着新鲜一个一个的吃下肚里。

The most cruel part was watching how some people had been eaten alive.

尤其残酷的是，甚至有人是被活生生吃下去的。

Even now, Neia’s ears still rang with the wailing of a child and the sound of his innards being torn out as a demihuman chewed his belly open.

就连现在，宁亚耳边都还回荡着被亚人咬破肚腹的小孩发出的惨叫声。还有内脏被扯出时的声音。

Fortunately, Gustavo had been wise enough to keep Remedios from showing up, under the pretext of protecting the prince. Surely they would be fighting by now if she had seen something like that.

多亏了古斯塔沃清晰的头脑，以保护王兄为借口，没让蕾梅迪奥斯出现在现场，否则要是她看到了这样的景象，想必战端早已打开了吧。

Neia inhaled deeply, then took another mouthful of water and forced herself to swallow it.

宁亚深深吁了口气，再度将水含进嘴里、硬是咽了下去。

She had heard someone say that it would feel better to throw up if one was nauseous, but given that she was heading to the Sorcerer King’s room, it would be disrespectful to arrive with the stench of vomit clinging to her.

虽然听人说过，难过的时候直接吐出来会比较舒服，但自己接下来要去的可是魔导王的房间，如果身上散发着呕吐物的气味，那可实在是有失礼数。

After sniffing herself several times, Neia stood before the door to the Sorcerer King’s room.

在几次三番的确认气味后，宁亚站在了魔导王的房前。

There was nobody on either side of the door.

房门左右两侧都没有人影。

Now that the city had been encircled by the demihumans, there was nobody to spare on protecting -- in truth, keeping an eye on -- the Sorcerer King.

在都市被亚人包围的情况下，已经没有多余的人手来保护——实则为监视——魔导王了。

Neia knocked on the door to indicate her presence to the person within.

宁亚敲了敲门，向房内确认道。

“Your Majesty, I am Squire Neia Baraja. May I enter?”

「魔导王陛下，我是侍从宁亚・巴拉哈，请问可以入室吗？」

“Come in.”

「进来吧」

After receiving permission to do so through the room door, Neia quietly entered.

隔着房门获得了许可，宁亚安静地进入室中。

The interior was simply furnished since the demihumans had wrecked most of it. Even so, it was still more than what anyone else in the city had.

由于大部分的室内用品都被亚人破坏的缘故，房中摆设显得相当俭朴。可尽管俭朴，所摆设的用品恐怕还是比住在这个城市里的任何人用的都要更好。

The Sorcerer King stood with his back to Neia as he looked outside the window.

魔导王背对着宁亚，像是望着窗外似地矗立。

“It seems quite chaotic outside, given how I’ve seen so many people running around from up here. We’ve been encircled for four days, but this is the noisiest it’s been since the first day. That would mean… is it a sign that the enemy is preparing to attack?”

「外头的样子挺慌乱的啊，我看到很多人从这窗下跑过。被包围后已经过了四天，除了第一天之外，这么吵闹的情况还是第一次呢。这么说来……是有敌人准备进攻的迹象了吗？」

The Sorcerer King had shown no intention of participating in this battle, simply staying in his room without incident. He had not even shown up for the strategic meeting when the demihuman army began fanning out around the city.

对此次战役魔导王表现出不愿参与的态度，只是安静地在房中度过。就连亚人的军队在城市近郊展开时所招开的军务会议也没有出席。

Naturally, the Liberation Army’s leadership had not been happy about this, but they found it very hard to ask anything of the Sorcerer King after he had said, “Would it not be bad in future if the king of another nation stuck his nose into your business?”

解※放※军的高层对此当然没有什么好脸色，但是在魔导王「考虑到之后的事情，要是他国的国王不知分寸地出手，应该是不会有什么好事的吧?」如此发言下，也很难再开口向其要求什么。

Neia had been ordered to attend various meetings in his place. This was the Liberation Army’s plan to share what they knew with the Sorcerer King, and Neia approved of it. However, that had led to Neia witnessing the tragedy which had unfolded earlier.

取而代之的，宁亚则是受命去出席各种会议。这是解※放※军高层想要透过宁亚，与魔导王达成情报共享的企图，宁亚明白也认同这一点。但也因为如此，这才导致了宁亚亲眼目睹刚才所上演的那场惨剧。

“...No, the demihumans haven’t made any big moves like that. But… the demihumans, ah… how shall I put this, maybe they were trying to make a show of force, so their positions have shifted a little.”

「……不，亚人们没有什么大动作。但是……亚人们的、那个……该怎么说呢，或者该说是他们发起了一场示威活动吧，因此亚人们的配置产生了一些调动的样子」

“In that case, this standoff will only continue for a while more, no? The demihumans are trying to shake our troops and weaken their morale… come to think of it, can we win this battle?”

「这样啊，那么看来这种对峙的情况还会持续一阵子啰？亚人他们是想要藉着动摇我方军心，来削弱我军士气吗——话说回来，这场仗打得赢吗?」

No. Neia longed to say as much.

不可能。答案呼之欲出到宁亚可以当场回答的地步。

In the first place, there was a vast difference in the respective strength of their forces.

首先，双方兵力差距过大。

10’000 humans versus 40’000 demihumans.

人类一万对亚人四万。

Even that figure of 10’000 included the elderly and children, and then there were also the wounds -- both physical and mental -- and the fatigue they had incurred at the prison camps, which they had not yet fully recovered from.

虽说是一万，但这可是算上老人与小孩的数目，更别提全员在俘虏收容所所受的伤——包含精神上的——以及疲劳都还没有完全痊愈与恢复。

While the defenders typically had the advantage during a siege, that only applied when both forces were evenly matched

确实一般而言，攻城战中防御方是有利的一方，但那是指双方兵力相等的情况。

When one compared the average demihuman to a human commoner, the latter was so weak that even comparing them seemed like a foolish act.

普通的、一般的亚人与人类的平民。若是比较这两者就会发现，后者就是弱到连比较本身都让人觉得愚蠢的地步。

At the very most, the only people who could stand on equal footing with demihumans were the paladins, the priests, and professional soldiers, but they did not have many of those, and compared to the army of 40’000 strong army they were now facing, it was like trying to put out a dragon’s fiery breath with a bucket of water.

能够和亚人同等对决的，顶多就只有圣骑士、神官、以及职业军人的军士之流而已，但理所当然地，这些人的数量并不多，在亚人四万大军之前简直就像是对火龙的吐息泼水一样杯水车薪。

Still, one could not say this was an entirely unwinnable battle.

可若问是不是绝对不可能打赢这场战争，却也不是这么一回事。

There was one person who could beat back the demihuman hordes by themselves, even without counting the Sorcerer King.

就算不考虑魔导王这张王牌，也可能凭一人之力击退亚人大军。

Assuming physical exhaustion and lucky hits from the enemy were not a factor, the strongest paladin in the Holy Kingdom -- Remedios -- could take on 40’000 average demihumans and kill them all.

若是不考虑肉体疲劳以及敌方幸运命中的攻击，对手若是四万名普通的亚人的话，圣王国最强的女圣骑士，蕾梅迪奥斯应该还是能够将其全数斩杀的。

However, one could not say there were no powerful individuals in the demihuman army who could stand toe-to-toe with Remedios. In fact, it was very likely that they were out there.

然而亚人军中，不见得没有可与蕾梅迪奥斯相提并论的强者。不，有的可能性还比较高。

Neia recalled the demihuman king who had ruled this city previously, the Grand King Buser. While the Sorcerer King had killed him like he was nothing more than a pile of rubbish, that was simply because the Sorcerer King was incredibly powerful -- Buser was overwhelmingly strong in his own right. Neia could not have beaten him, no matter how hard she tried.

宁亚回想起之前在这座城市里的亚人王、豪王巴塞。虽然巴塞被魔导王像是处理垃圾一样的杀死——但那是因为魔导王实在是太强了——实际上那可是个具备压倒性实力的强者。是宁亚不论如何努力也无法取胜的存在。

Demihuman kings like that might be Remedios’ equals, or perhaps even her superiors. They were all very strong in Neia’s estimation, so she could not accurately judge the outcome of a showdown between two such powerful beings.

像是那样的亚人王，或许就能够和蕾梅迪奥斯相提并论，甚至还在她之上也说不定。从宁亚的观点来说，他们都太过厉害，所以完全无法正确判断两者之间的高下。

In addition, from a practical point of view, one had to take physical exhaustion into consideration. No matter how strong they were, nobody could escape the spectre of fatigue. Magic could briefly ease it, but fatigue would continue to accumulate.

加上以现实而言，是不可能不去考虑肉体疲劳的影响的。不论是什么样的强者，都无法逃离疲劳的阴影。虽然可以利用魔法一时地消除疲劳，但疲劳依旧会再度累积。

Even after killing an army of 10’000, Remedios could still be attacked in a moment of exhaustion and weakness and be killed by an average demihuman. Quantity had a quality of its own, after all.

就算斩杀了一万大军，要是在疲劳困顿之际遭到袭击，就算是蕾梅迪奥斯也会被普通的亚人所杀。果然数量本身就是一种暴力。

However, if there was some being who could overturn that logic -- Neia’s eyes went to the great ruler before her, who still stood with his back to her.

但是、如果，有能够将其推翻的存在的话——宁亚的视线投向了依旧背对着自己的伟大王者。

That person would be an absolute force.

那就是绝对的强者。

An entity who surpassed this world (Overlord).

超越这个世界的存在 [OVERLORD]

He was none other than the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown.

魔导王、安兹·乌尔·恭，除此之外再无他人了吧。

As Neia gazed upon his regal back, she suddenly realized that she had not yet answered the Sorcerer King’s question, and she hurriedly spoke.

目光被那符合王者身分的堂堂背影所夺去的宁亚，这时才想起自己还没有回答魔导王的问题，慌慌张张开口。

“I, I’m not sure!” Panic caused her to exclaim louder than usual and she blushed before continuing in a normal tone: “--But I’ll do my best to find out.”

「我、我不清楚！」因为慌张的关系，声音不小心比平常大了点，宁亚一边红着脸，一边用普通的音量继续说道「——但是，我会全力以赴的」

The Sorcerer King seemed entirely unmoved by this, and continued asking another question.

魔导王看起来似乎无动于衷，继续抛出了新的问题。

“I see. Then, have you learned anything new about the enemy? Have you verified Jaldabaoth’s presence?”

「原来如此，那么有获得关于敌军的新情报吗？有确认到亚达巴沃的存在吗？」

“The situation on that front has not changed in the past few days. We have not yet sighted Jaldabaoth among the demihuman forces.”

「关于这点，和几天前的状况一样没有改变，敌军之中并未发现亚达巴沃的身影」

“Hm, that makes things difficult. It may be very hard for me to help you in this defense. I need to replenish the mana I’ve used up. After all, his plan might be to deprive me of mana. I must think on this point before deciding how to act.”

「嗯。那就对不住了，我怕是很难出手协助你们这次的防卫战了。不先把消耗掉的魔力恢复过来可不太好。毕竟那家伙的目的或许正是想让我陷入魔力缺乏的状态也不一定，必需要先考虑这一点再决定如何行动」

“But of course. Everyone is fully aware of Your Majesty’s opinion.”

「那是理所当然的，陛下的想法，大家都已经十分明白了」

During a strategy meeting, someone had once said they had spotted a demon who looked like Jaldabaoth, but when Neia said they had to make sure, that person had immediately said they had probably been mistaken. Given the mood in the air, it was clear that everyone present -- with the exception of Neia -- was planning to involve the Sorcerer King in the fighting by spreading false reports of Jaldabaoth’s presence.

曾经有人在会议中说看见了类似亚达巴沃的恶魔，但宁亚一说要加以确认，那人就当场回答很可能只是自己看错了。从当时现场气氛判断，显然除了宁亚以外的人，都已经达成协议，想要藉着散布亚达巴沃的虚假情报，诱使魔导王参与战斗。

They might despise the undead, but lying to the king of a nation means they have no integrity to to speak of. Even if forced into dire straits, wouldn’t it be right to display their resolve to someone who ought to be respected?

（就算是他们讨厌的不死者，但对于他国国王说出那样谎言的人，根本没有信义可言。就算身陷绝境，让理应受到尊敬的人物瞧瞧自己值得骄傲的一面，不才是正确的态度吗？）

“In that case, what do you make of the demihumans’ movements?”

「那么，你们怎么看亚人之后的行动？」

“Ah, yes, the demihumans had been previously massing at the west gate, but now they’ve split their forces and are sending some of their troops to the other -- eastern -- gate. We believe they’re about to make their move or preparing for a siege.”

「是。到目前为止只在西门展开大军的亚人，现在分散了兵力，在另外一道门也就是东门附近也派出了少数的军力。我们判断亚人军差不多是该有些动作了，或许是攻城战前的准备也不一定」

“That is to say, enough time has passed for them to finish building siege weapons, then? Hm, that’s probably a good thing. After all, the enemy isn’t trying to starve you out.”

「也就是说，已经过了足够它们完成攻城兵器的时间了吗？嗯，这可以说是好事吧。毕竟敌人没有采取兵粮战的打算」

Neia could not tell if it was a good or a bad thing, but they would have no solution if the demihumans did try to starve them out.

到底是好是坏，宁亚没有办法判断，但亚人军要是打兵粮战的话，我方确实没有任何对策。

If the demihumans attacked, then they would be promptly annihilated due to the opposition’s overwhelming advantage in military strength. However, if they were fighting from behind the protection of the city walls, it would not be such a lopsided battle. Of course, it was merely going from “incredibly bad odds” to “not so bad odds”.

要是主动出击的话，就是在平地作战，面对敌军的压倒性兵力，我方会立刻兵败如山倒。但是要是在城市外墙的保护下作战的话，至少战况不至于一边倒。当然，只是从压倒性的不利转变成相当的不利，这种程度上的差异而已。

“Of course, that might also be due to the fact that the demihumans aren’t aware of our supply situation. Then again, it’s more likely that they simply don’t care about a small city like this.”

「虽然这也有可能是因为，亚人军不了解我方到底有多少存粮。但更有可能的是，亚人们根本不把这种程度的小都市放在眼里的缘故吧」

“Well, the demihumans did conquer the fortress line we saw when we entered the Holy Kingdom, so it would be reasonable for them to hold a small city like this in low regard… if you give them a hard time during the defense and make them feel that a siege is to their disadvantage, that’ll draw the battle out. After that, you’ll have a very hard fight ahead of you.”

「亚人们可是攻陷了我们进入圣王国时见到的那座要塞防卫线，那么认为像这样的小城市没什么大不了也在情理之中……若是在防卫战让亚人尝到苦头，让它们觉得攻城战对它们不利的话，应该就会转换成持久战才对。那样的话之后的战斗可就非常麻烦了啊」

It would seem the Sorcerer King believed that they would have to win this unwinnable battle before the true fight began.

看来魔导王是认为，得先打赢这场没有胜算的战斗，真正的战斗才会到来。

“Your Majesty, may I ask your opinion of how you think the situation will develop?”

「陛下，请问您认为之后的情况会如何发展?」

“Future developments, hm. I don’t honestly know either. In truth, one could say that you’ve lost by being forced into a siege like this. Sieges are typically carried out under the pretext that reinforcements will arrive. Either that, or the enemy is operating under some disadvantageous condition, like a time limit. However, we are simply defending a city in enemy territory, so our chances of victory are despairingly small.”

「之后的发展吗？那我也不知道啊。老实说，会落到被迫在这里进行守城战的状态，这种状况本身就已经可以说是输了。所谓的守城战，必须是在会有援军前来支持的前提下进行的。或者是敌方具有某种类似时间限制之类的不利要素才行。然而我们的所在却是敌方支配的地域，只是单纯的守城，胜算可说是令人绝望」

“Still, we managed to send the nobles we released to the south before this, so we can’t say for certain that no help will arrive.”

「不过我们至少还有将之前被囚禁在这里的贵族们送往南边，所以援军来援的可能性也不能说是完全没有」

Neia might have said those words, but she knew in her heart that she should not be counting on reinforcements.

虽然宁雅嘴上这么说，但心里却很明白援军应该是无法期待的。

The southern armies would need to break through the demihuman army blocking their path to reach Neia’s location, and even if they did that, there was still an army of 40’000 demihumans to contend with.

南部军要抵达宁亚目前所在，大前提必须是得先击破亚人联军的对南部军。而且就算南部军真的突破了，在这里还得再对上四万的亚人大军。

Fighting repeated battles would be a huge drain on their combat strength. Abandoning the 10’000 people in this city would be a wiser decision.

连续的战斗对兵力会是相当大的消耗，与其这样，那不如干脆放弃这座城市里的一万人民，还算是比较明智的选择。

“That would be good…”

「若是那样就好了……」

It would seem the Sorcerer King did not believe it for a moment either.

魔导王看来是一丁点也不信。

But that was only to be expected. Given the circumstances, who could turn things around without sacrificing anyone--

那也是当然的，在这种状况下，哪有能够不牺牲任何人就能改变现状的办法——

Neia dispelled the notion rising in her head.

宁亚将脑中浮现的想法打消。

“His Majesty is here to fight Jaldabaoth, so depleting his mana on other matters and thus diminishing his chances for victory cannot be allowed.”

（魔导王陛下是为了和亚达巴沃决战而来到这里的，所以为了其他的事情而消耗宝贵的魔力、削弱陛下胜机的行为是不被允许的）

“...It will take me a while to cast the teleportation spell which I used on the Orcs again, but I can still cast the spell which I occasionally use to return to the Sorcerous Kingdom several more times. Taking a few dozen people with me would not be a problem… but I guess you can’t decide who to send, and you won’t.”

「……我用在那些半兽人[Orc]身上的转移魔法，要再次使用还得花上不少时间，但是我偶尔用来返回魔导国的转移魔法的话，还有不少的次数可用，数十个人的话应该还不成问题……不过你们是决定不了人选、也不会去选的吧」

“I am grateful for your understanding, Your Majesty.”

「感谢您的体谅，魔导王陛下」

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to ask the Sorcerer King to take Prince Caspond and flee, but that move had demerits of its own.

或许该请魔导王至少带着王兄逃走是比较好的选择也不一定，但是这个举动也着实有待商权。

When a king from another nation was willing to commit himself to a fight in order to face a fearsome demon, having a member of one’s own royal family shamelessly beg someone else to take them away from the battlefield was utterly disgraceful.

为了对抗恐怖的恶魔，他国之王都不惜只身投入战火了，而流着我国王者血脉的人却厚颜无耻地要求别人带他逃离战场，丢脸也要有个限度。

Just as Neia was pondering this information, the Sorcerer King turned to face her for the first time since she had entered the room.

就在宁亚思考着这些事情的时候，魔导王自她进入室内后，首次转过身来面对宁亚。

The red points of light in his empty eye-sockets looked straight at Neia. While they had once frightened her, Neia had grown used to them, and she had come to feel that they were quite charming.

那空虚眼窝中的红色光芒正面直视着宁亚。虽然那眼睛曾经让宁亚感到过害怕，但如今习惯后，却反倒觉得有些帅气。

“This is what I think, Miss Baraja. We have ended up in a confrontation with the enemy forces because of the stupidity of the Liberation Army’s leadership. Such a situation cannot be changed by the efforts of a single squire. How about focusing on your personal safety rather than the big picture? You do understand that my nation will accept your allegiance, if you are willing to give it? Given that you have been trained as a paladin, I am certain you will be able to fully exercise your talents in my country.

「我的想法是这样的，巴拉哈小姐。事情会变成得在这里和敌军硬碰硬是因为解※放※军高层的愚蠢所导致的结果。而这样的结果光凭一个侍从的力量是无法扭转的。比起大局，更加重视自身安危如何呢？……只要你愿意的话，我国是可以接受你投靠的喔？受过圣骑士训练的你在我国想必也能够有所发挥才是」

Neia was confused, and did not know how to answer.

宁亚不知道该如何回答，心中迷惘。

While she was grateful that the Sorcerer King was worrying about her, she trembled in fear as she considered what she might lose if she accepted the Sorcerer King’s proposal.

宁亚固然感激为自己担忧操心的魔导王，但一想到接受魔导王的提案之后，自己可能会失去的东西，便不禁恐惧颤栗。

The spirit of devotion which her parents had demonstrated.

父亲和母亲为了这个国家而呈现的奉献精神。

Her love for her hometown.

对自己故乡的爱情。

She might never be able to return to the nation of her birth.

恐怕再也无法回到祖国的未来。

There were memories of several friends she had.

与数个友人的回忆。

Many things circled in front of Neia’s eyes, and they disappeared one after the other with a poof, but among them was something that refused to shatter, that remained to the end -- in other words, the most important thing.

宁亚眼前有许多的东西一边转着圈圈，一边一个一个啪地消失不见，但在那些东西之中，有一个不论如何都不会破裂，一直留到最后的东西——也是最重要的东西。

She was a member of the paladin corps.

自己是圣骑士团的团员。

While she did not yet know what was justice, it was the only thing Neia could say with her chest puffed out and her head held high.

虽然还不明白什么才是正义，但这是宁亚唯一一个可以挺起胸膛说出来的事情。

“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s indulgence, but as a citizen of the Holy Kingdom, I feel I am bound to save as many of the people as I am able. That is because saving the helpless -- saving those in suffering is common sense.”

「承蒙陛下厚爱，但身为圣王国民，觉得自己非得尽最大可能拯救人民才行。因为拯救弱者——拯救痛苦中的人民是理所当然的事情」

The Sorcerer King suddenly stopped moving, as though he had been frozen in place.

魔导王的动作突然停了下来，就像是被冻在原地那般急促停止。

“...Hm.”

「……哼嗯」

The Sorcerer King murmured to himself, and then he stroked his chin.

呢喃了一句，魔导王用手托住了自己的下颚。

It would seem Neia’s words had struck a chord with him, because he studied Neia once more.

宁亚说的话，似乎有什么地方让魔导王相当在意，他仔细地观察着宁亚。

It was just a throwaway remark, and Neia found herself fidgeting uncomfortably.

明明只是句再普通不过的话而已，宁亚不禁感到些许坐立难安。

“Am I correct to say that when the demihumans attack, you will be posted to the walls near the western gate, on the left side of the city? It is a very dangerous place, and counting on me to save you will be a mistake, you know?”

「亚人来犯之际，你被派驻的场所是西门城市外墙，从都市看过去是左边的地方吧？那边是很危险的地方，要是期待我出手相助的话可就大错特错了喔？」

I know that very well.”

「我很清楚」

Neia was skilled in archery, and given that she had been assigned to the thick of the action, there was no doubt that she would be killed in action. However, she had steeled herself for death, since she would be going onto the battlefield.

擅长弓术的宁亚被派驻的是会成为最前线的地方，那么可以说毫无疑问地，宁亚将会战死吧。但既然是要上战场，理所当然已有此觉悟。

She drew her lips thin, and Neia looked the Sorcerer King in the eye.

嘴唇一抿，宁亚眼神直视魔导王。

“Ahh, those are his eyes. I liked the look in his eyes.”

「啊啊，是他的眼神。是我喜欢的眼神」

The Sorcerer King’s self-directed mutterings made Neia blush. While the Sorcerer King did not mean anything else by his words, it made quite the impact to hear someone she respected say that he liked her.

魔导王自言自语般的呢喃，让宁亚不禁脸红起来。虽然魔导王说的喜欢并不是那个意思，但从自己尊敬的人口中听见喜欢这个字眼还是相当具有破坏力的。

“In that case, I’ll lend you several things, Miss Baraja. Please make good use of them.”

「那么，我就借几样东西给巴拉哈小姐吧，好好运用它们」

There was a don, and something huge suddenly appeared out of thin air. She had thought the same thing when the Sorcerer King had produced the bow in the carriage, but magic truly was a surprising thing.

腾地一声，一件大得惊人的东西凭空出现。之前在马车里，魔导王取出那把弓的时候也是也曾这么想过，但魔法这种东西真的很是惊人。

Neia had seen the magic item -- the suit of armor -- which had sprung forth from nothing. It was a suit of armor which looked like a green shell-- it was the armor which the late Grand King Buser had worn.

凭空出现的魔法道具——那件铠甲宁亚曾经见过。那绿色的甲壳一样的铠甲，是之前豪王巴塞穿在身上的东西。

“This, this is--”

「这、这是!」

“This armor ought to be useful, by which I mean it will ensure your safety.”

「这件铠甲一定会派上用场的，我指的是能保护你安全的意思」

The armor was too large for Neia -- and its dimensions would be quite sizable for just about any human being. However, given what Neia knew about enchanted armor, it would not be an issue if she tried it on.

对宁亚来说这件铠甲太大了——或者该说对人类而言这个铠甲的尺寸是相当大的。但宁亚依据自己所知有关魔法铠甲的知识，预测穿上去应该是没有问题才对。

Ordinary armor would need to be altered by a blacksmith in order to suit its wearer’s frame. However, there was a limit to how far such alterations could go. Such a large suit of armor simply could not be resized enough to fit.

若是普通的铠甲，想要合身穿着必须要透过锻造工法等手段才行。但就算如此能改变的幅度也是有限的，像这么大的铠甲，可以明白的说根本就是无法处理的。

However, it was different for magical armor. Anyone could wear it regardless of gender or race, provided there were no special restrictions on its use. While the changes would not be too drastic, the armor would automatically adjust its shape to fit its wearer.

但是魔法铠甲就不一样了，只要没有特殊的装备条件的限制，不论性别还是种族，都可以顺利装备。虽然不会有什么太大的变化，但铠甲会自动配合装备者的体型改变形状。

One could even have a giant wear a suit of armor no bigger than a thumbnail, but the durability of magic armor varied with the materials it was made with and their quality. A ring-sized suit of armor would be easily damaged if it was subjected to spells, acid or equipment-sundering attacks, and that would greatly reduce the potency of the enchantments upon it.

要是想做的话，甚至可以让巨人穿上只有拇指大小的魔法铠甲，但是由于魔法铠甲的耐久力会因为使用素材的品质和质量而有所不同，若是遭到魔法、酸性、或是防具破坏技的攻击的话，原本只有戒指大小的铠甲会被轻易的破坏，所赋予的魔力的一半以上也会因此而白白浪费掉了。

There was no such thing as a free lunch, and the easy road rarely was. Even so, Buser’s armor was probably quite tough, given that it was this size even without anyone wearing it.

毕竟天下没有白吃的午餐，所谓的捷径大部分也都是行不通的。但不论如何，既然巴赛的铠甲在没有人穿上的基本状态就是这样的大小，显然具备相当足够耐久力这点是不会错的。

“In addition, I will lend you three more things.” The Sorcerer King personally handed those items to Neia. “A crown, gauntlets, and a necklace. Are any of them redundant with your personal gear?”

「除此之外，再借给你三样东西吧」魔导王亲手将物品交给宁亚「头冠、护手、以及项链。有没有和你身上的道具是重复的？」

“No, not at all. I did not have any magic items to begin with.”

「没、没有。我身上本来就没有装备魔法道具」

“That is good to hear. Now, I will briefly explain the usage of these items.”

「那真是再好不过。那么我就简单说明一下这些道具的用途吧。」

As the name implied, the Crown of Iron Will defended the mind against charm, fear and other such mental attacks. Still, while the crown rendered one immune to magical attacks, it could only strengthen the wearer’s resistance against attacks derived from special abilities. Another thing she had to note was that the crown would also negate positive magical effects.

精神防壁之头冠如字面所示，是守护精神免于诸如魅惑、恐怖之类的精神攻击的道具。但头冠虽然可以完全防御魔法的攻击，但面对源自特殊能力的攻击，似乎就顶多只有强化装备者的抗性程度的能力而已。另外要注意的是头冠会连正向的魔法效果也会一并抵销的样子。

The gauntlets were Gauntlets of Archery. Out of all the spells in the world, there were some which could only be used if their caster possessed shooting skills, which was why the Sorcerer King had made that item. However, the Sorcerer King had abandoned those spells after making that item, and so the gauntlets were useless to him. They had languished in storage until now.

护手是射手的护手。在众多魔法之中，也有某些必须要具备射击技术才能使用的魔法，魔导王因此才制作了这样的道具。但尽管做了这样的道具，魔导王自己却将相关的魔法全都舍弃，因此护手便派不上用场的一直被保存到了现在的样子。

Finally, the necklace was an item consumed mana to cast the 3rd tier spell 「Heavy Recover」. While one could use it indefinitely as long as one possessed sufficient mana, it consumed more magical power than casting it directly. Given Neia’s meager reserves of mana, it was best for her to consider it a one-use item. Therefore, she would have to think carefully about when to best use it. This item had not been made by the Sorcerer King or his peers; he had simply been taken with its appearance and had purchased it from somewhere.

至于最后的项链，是消耗魔力来发动第三位阶治愈魔法<重伤治愈>[heavy recover]的道具。虽然只要魔力足够的话，可以不限次数使用，但似乎会比直接使用魔法消耗更多的魔力，以宁亚浅薄的魔力来说，大概还是当成只能用一次的比较好。所以该何时使用这个道具必须谨慎考虑。这个项链并不是魔导王或其关系人制作的道具，而是被其外观所吸引，魔导王在某处购买的样子。

Indeed, a closer look revealed that the necklace was of very fine workmanship. It looked like a goddess holding up an emerald. Indeed, it was a very attractive work of art.

确实，仔细一看，项链上施有非常精细的工艺手法，看起来就像是手持着绿色宝石的女神一般。确实是件能够吸引人的艺术品。

Neia looked at these valuable items, and then shook her head in refusal.

面对眼前这些宝贵的道具，宁亚摇头表示了拒绝。

“I, I’m very sorry, Your Majesty, but I cannot accept these.”

「非、非常抱歉，陛下、我不能借用这些东西」

The magic items that the Sorcerer King offered were most definitely top-notch gear. However, what would happen if Neia died while wearing them? These items would fall into the hands of the demihumans, and they would end up strengthening the demihumans instead. Even if they did not fall into the hands of the demihumans, what would happen if her corpse went missing during the chaos of battle and her equipment vanished with her? More to the point, Neia already had the bow which the Sorcerer King had bestowed upon her, so how could she be discontent with that and borrow more things from him?

魔导王打算借给宁亚的道具，恐怕无论哪件都是超一流的物品吧。可如果宁亚装备着这些道具战死的话，又会发生什么呢？这些装备想必会落到亚人手里，结果反而变相强化了亚人的战力。就算没有落到亚人手里，在战乱之中，宁亚的尸体不知去向，导致装备遗失的话该怎么办呢?更何况宁亚手上已经有魔导王借给她的弓了，岂能甘于魔导王的好意，向他借用更多装备。

Speaking of which, she ought to return that bow to the Sorcerer King before going to battle.

话说回来，在出发前往战场前，就连这把弓也是不还给魔导王不行。

“Why is that? These items will be useful to you in the fighting to come, will it not? After all, you are a warrior-type, and you lack mana, so you might not even be able to use that necklace’s ability. Why don’t you take it and give it a try?”

「这是为什么？我认为在接下来的战斗中，这些装备可是一定会为你派上用场的喔？啊、毕竟你是战士系统出身的关系，比较缺乏魔力，也有可能无法使用那个项链的能力啊。干脆先来一次实验好了」

Neia confessed her uneasiness in response to the Sorcerer King’s question. The Sorcerer King heard her words and simply smiled.

面对魔导王的疑问，宁亚将自己的不安诚实吐露出来，魔导王听了，只是稍微笑了笑。

“How about this. Go onto the battlefield with the determination to bring these items back to me, no matter the cost.”

「那么这样吧，你就带着绝对要将装备还给我的决心，前往战场吧」

Neia had been resolved to do just that all along, but resolve alone could not break through her uneasiness. After hearing her answer, the Sorcerer King waved his hand in a grand fashion.

当然，宁亚本来就有此决心，但是光靠决心是无法打破现状的。听见宁亚如此回答，魔导王大气地挥了挥手。

“Oh, just take it. I have spells that can locate magic items, and I’ve already marked those items. I can find them even if they’re lost.”

「好了拿去吧。我有能调查魔法道具位置的魔法，而且已经标记好了，就算丢失了我也可以用那个魔法去找」

“Is that so?”

「是那样吗？」

“Yes, it is… alright, no need to stand on ceremony. Take them, use them.”

「就是那样……那么、没有客气的必要。拿去用吧」

If the Sorcerer King could make facial expressions, he would probably be smiling -- those thoughts ran through Neia’s mind as she heard his words.

如果可以做出表情的话，应该是在边笑边说吧——听着魔导王那温柔的声音，不由自主得产生这般想象。

Now that he had offered them with such sincerity, rejecting them would be an act of rudeness. The notion of accepting his goodwill warred with the desire to apologize for incurring a loss to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Those thoughts swirled in Neia’s mind--

如果不接受这份亲切而造成的无礼。以及接受这份善意，而给魔导国带来损失时的谢罪。各种念头在脑海中盘旋着——。

“Well? Can you not make me a promise? A promise to return them all to me afterwards?”

「怎么？你无法向我做出承诺吗？之后得将这些道具权属归还给我的承诺」

“!”

「！」

Come back alive. That was the meaning behind those words, and they moistened the corners of her eyes with tears. Only her parents had ever treated her with such kindness before.

活着回来吧。含有这种意愿的话语，使眼眶不由自主地湿润。在宁亚的人生中只从双亲那里得到过到如此温柔的关怀。

The Sorcerous Kingdom is blessed to have such a merciful sovereign. As Neia thought that, she bit her lip and lowered her head.

有如此温柔的王来治理的魔导国是幸福的。如此想着宁亚紧咬嘴唇，低下了头。

“Thank you very much! I swear I will return them!”

「万分感谢！保证送还！」

“...Hm.”

「…………哦」

She lifted her head, and wiped away the tears

抬起头时擦掉眼角的泪水。

She could not wear her armor here after all. However, putting on the gauntlets, necklace and crown should not be an issue. She began by fastening the necklace around her neck.

再怎么说也不能在这里穿戴铠甲。但护手、项链和头冠就没什么问题了。首先将项链挂在了脖子上。

In the moment that she put it on, she immediately understood the abilities of the magic item and how to use them. It was as though the item was a part of her, and making use of it was as natural and effortless as using her own limbs

带上的瞬间，马上就理解了关于这个道具的用法和能力。仿佛道具就是自己身体的一部分，就像使用自己的手脚不会有任何不安那样，感到非常的理所当然。

Next was the crown. However, she did not feel anything special when she put it on. Still, according to the previous explanation, she would probably understand when the time came.

接下来是头冠。但是装备后并没有产生什么特别的感受。不过从说明来考虑的话，应该是在发生什么事态后就会明白的吧。

The last item was the gauntlets.

最后是护手。

They were a different matter. She could clearly and vividly feel the change.

这次可不一样，可以真切地感受到那变化。

Power coursed into her.

力量涌了出来。

It felt very much like the time she had strengthening magic cast upon her. Her muscles felt like they had suddenly multiplied and her movements were both swifter and more precise. In addition, she could make out tiny details, and even her cardiovascular fitness had improved. She felt full of energy.

这感觉很像接受肉体强化魔法时的那份体验。仿佛肌肉瞬间增加一般，可以感到动作变得更快、更精准了。不仅仅如此，还能看清微小的东西，连心肺机能也增强了，精力充沛的感觉。

It felt like every aspect of her physical abilities had improved.

就好像肉体的强度整整提升了一个档次的感觉。

“This is amazing…”

「好厉害……」

Strength gained through training accumulated slowly, so it was hard to perceive. However, she could clearly feel the intense augmentation of her physical capabilities. More surprising was the fact that she did not feel any awkwardness in controlling her body given the differences between her previous and present self.

通过训练得到的实力是慢慢增强的，所以难以察觉。但这种激烈的能力增强可以切切实实的感受到。

更令人感到惊讶的是，并不会因为和之前自己的强烈差异，而感到身体难以控制。

“Magic really is amazing…”

「魔法还真的是厉害啊……」

The Sorcerer King shrugged as he heard Neia react in awe.

听着宁亚的小声感叹，魔导王耸了耸肩。

“That’s true. In fact, I’ve been quite surprised by utility spells myself.”

「不错，其实我也有对生活魔法之类的感到吃惊啊」

“By that, do you mean those?”

「是说、那个吗？」

“Spells which can create sugar and pepper and ice. Then there are spells which can even create ores, though they’re not very mana-efficient. Some cities also depend on utility spells to supplement their water supply… It would seem utility spells are closely linked to the development of this world’s culture.

「可以制造出砂糖和胡椒，还能产生冰块。虽然就消费的魔力量来说似乎并不划算，但就连矿物也能制造。也有都市的水源是依靠生活魔法相关的魔法道具来补给的吧……生活魔法和这个世界的文化发展有着莫大的关系啊」

“Is… that so?”

「是……吗？」

Why would a great magic caster like the Sorcerer King be surprised by such trivial spells? Still, it must make sense, given that the Sorcerer King had said it. And indeed, utility spells had come to be of great use in many places; daily life might not be possible without such magic.

魔导王这般伟大的魔法咏唱者，为何会对那种程度的魔法感到惊讶呢。但是，既然魔导王是那么说的，那应该是很有道理的吧。确实，生活魔法在很多地方都起到了作用，如果没有那些魔法的的话就连日常生活怕是都无法保证了吧。

“Also, there are those drains which use slimes… or rather, coexist with them… ah, I’m straying from the point. Miss Baraja, pay me no heed and return to your work.”

「还有通过使用史莱姆的……或者该说是共存才更合适的下水道设备也……哎呀、有点扯远了啊。巴拉哈小姐也很忙吧，不必在意我回到自己的工作去吧」

In truth, there was no task more important than keeping the Sorcerer King company. However, it was true that they lacked manpower, and Neia had a surprising number of things to do, While said tasks were largely related to standing guard, which anyone could do, they were still very important.

说实在的不存在比陪同魔导王更重要的工作。但现状下人手确实不足，宁亚的工作也意外的多。虽然是以警备为主的、谁都能做得来的工作，但却是重要的职责。

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I will most certainly return alive.”

「非常感谢，魔导王陛下。我一定会活着回来的」

“Ah, if things get really bad, then flee to the east. In all likelihood, that’s the only place where you might have a chance to survive.”

「啊啊、如果真的不妙就往东门逃吧。恐怕、也只有那里才有存活下来的可能性」

Neia put away Buser’s armor and bowed before leaving the room.