After returning to her room, Neia collapsed into her chair.

回到自己房间的宁亚，瘫坐在椅子上。

“Thank you for your hard work, Baraja-sama.”

「辛苦您了，巴拉哈大人」

The person who addressed her was a woman who seemed kindly enough, if a little gloomy.

出声慰劳的是看似温顺——有点阴沈的女人。

She seemed to be in her twenties, and her distinguishing features were a pair of ample breasteses that drew men’s eyes and a head of short hair. Apparently, it had once been long, but it had been cut short in a prison camp.

约略二十岁、特症是男人会目不转睛的丰满胸部以及短发，据说本来是长发但在俘虏收容所里面被剪了的样子。

She was part of the support team which Neia had established. Neia’s supporters wanted to name themselves, and so they called themselves the Sorcerer King Rescue Unit.

她所属于宁亚设立的支援团体，这个支援团体因为协助者们希望取一个名称而被命名为了魔导王救出部队。

Their job was to help manage increasingly busy daily life.

工作内容是照顾急剧变得忙碌的宁亚的日常生活。

While it had only been half a month since they had first met, this woman had become irreplaceable to Neia. That was because she had completed her assigned tasks -- cleaning, laundry, cooking and various other tasks -- with consummate perfection.

虽然距离初次见面只经过了半个月，但在这期间她已经成为了对宁亚来说不可或缺的存在。因为她的工作——扫除、洗衣、料理等等都已经达到完美的领域。

“Ahh, thank you.”

「啊啊、谢谢妳」

Neia wiped her face with the cloth the woman had offered her, and the cool sensation felt very comfortable on her burning face.

用从女性递来的湿布轻轻擦拭了脸，冰冰凉凉的让发热的脸感到非常舒服。

Neia went “whew” in a way that seemed very reminiscent of a middle-aged man before laying the towel on the table and turning to the woman who immediately reclaimed it.

「呼」宁亚发出很大叔感的声音后将毛巾放在桌上，视线移往将那立刻回收的女性身上。

“Ah, while I’ve been saying it all this time, please don’t call me -sama. After all, I’m not that special.”

「那个、虽然一直这么说，但希望妳不要用大人来称呼，因为我并不是这么了不起的人物」

“What are you saying? You speak for His Majesty in this country and act on his behalf. Not addressing you as -sama would be rude.”

「您在说什么呢，身为这个国家中魔导王陛下的代言者而为了陛下率先行动的人，不称呼为大人

反而失礼」

The fact that a woman older than herself was saying this bothered Neia.

被比自己年纪大的女性这么说、感到有点困扰。

This was a problem only experienced by those who were not used to a superior position.

这像是不习惯立于上位之人才有的烦恼。

Speaking of which, Neia was not an orator or anything. Rather, she was wondering how she had ended up in that position.

说起来，宁亚也不是什么代言者，不如说为何、会处于代言者的立场呢。

Neia felt that CZ -- who was staring blankly while lying down casually on a sofa -- fit the description better.

宁亚认为在长椅子上随意躺下往这呆呆地看着的希丝还比较相符。

Originally, -- the Sorcerer King’s greatness should have been obvious to everyone from an objective point of view -- she was simply stating the obvious, not arguing on his behalf, and she had not intended to begin preaching any form of organized belief or opinion.

本来、魔导王的伟大从客观来看的话不论是谁都能了解，不过是说出理所当然的事而谈不上是什么代言者，也没有打算诉说有组织性的信念或见解。

While Neia had started doing that of her own accord, she had never expected things to turn out like this.

一开始虽然是自己开始行动的，但没有想过会变成这样。

“I’ll take my leave, then. Also, Beldran Moro-shi wishes to meet you.”

「那么我就在这里告辞了，然后贝伦托兰．莫洛想与您见面」

“I understand. Can you help me call him in? Thank you for your hard work today.”

「我明白了。能帮我叫他吗？那么今天辛苦妳了」

The woman who managed Neia’s daily life bowed to her, and then left the room. A man entered, as though to swap places with her. The woman was averse to men and feared them, and she felt uncomfortable when she was in the same location as men. Therefore, she had chosen to excuse herself .

负责生活起居的女性行了一礼后走出房门、如交换一般男子进入了房间。负责照顾的女性对于男性有着逃避感及恐惧感，在同个场合的话会感到不舒服，因此采用了交换般的方式。

“Baraja-sama, I apologize for disturbing you while you are resting. May I ask for some of your time?”

「巴拉哈大人，很抱歉在您疲累时打扰，请问有时间吗？」

Beldran Moro.

贝伦托兰．莫洛。

He had the stout body of a man in his forties, but the part about him that stood out most was his thinning hair

是个以有些显眼的稀薄头顶部为特征、拥有结实体格的四十多岁的男子。

The Moro family had a tradition of buttling for notable noble houses, and in the past he too had worked as a butler. That was why he served as a secretary in the support team, in order to make full use of his skills.

莫洛家的世世代代原本是以有相当程度贵族世家的管家为职，他自己在过去也是作为一名管家工作，因此为了活用他的能力在这个支援团体之中担任秘书的职务。

Neia had been very lucky to meet someone like him when she had first founded the group. If she had not met him, her hair would have gone white at an early age.

在组织建立之初能够遇见像他这样的人物是很幸运的，若是没有遇见的话，恐怕年纪轻轻就得生白发吧。

“No, it’s fine. What is it?”

「不、没有问题。有什么事吗？」

“Thank you for granting your servant a few minutes of your time allowing me to submit a report. I wish to say that the membership of our organization is now in excess of 30’000.”

「是。感谢您拨冗时间让在下禀报，现在所属于支援团体的人数已经超过三万人」

“Ah, that’s wonderful! To think we’d gain so many people who understand His Majesty’s greatness! No, that’s only to be expected. His Majesty truly is an amazing person, after all!”

「啊、那真是太好了呢！增加了那么多能理解魔导王陛下的了不起之处的人！不、这也是当然的吧！魔导王陛下确实是一位出色的大人呢！」

CZ nodded and went “Mhm.”

希丝也嗯嗯的点头。

The organization now had more members than the population of a small city. Of the 3’500’000-odd residents of the Northern Holy KIngdom, around 1% of them now belonged to the group.

这么一来，所属的人数比起一个小都市的人口还来得多，圣王国北部的居民有三百五十万人左右，所以大约有百分之一的人隶属于这个团体。

“Our supporters have expressed a desire for a symbol of some sort to show their membership in the group.”

「从那些支援者们传来了希望能有像是标志一般的东西，表示隶属于这个团体。」

“I see… indeed… That… makes sense.”

「原来……如此……。说的……也是呢」

“Indeed. Some wearable item to indicate their membership is essential in order to foster a sense of reassurance and belonging.

「是，将显示所属团体的物品戴在身上能够产生安心感和连带感，果然还是有必要的」

Mhm, Neia nodded. They would be very happy to have some symbol of solidarity-- something related to the Sorcerer King. Neia wanted one too.

嗯嗯、宁亚点头。所属——带着与魔导王关联的某种东西绝对会很高兴，宁亚也很想要。

“Please use the best possible means at your disposal. However, I do not wish us to give preferential treatment based on cash donations and the like.”

「可能的话、请用最好的方式。但是，请不要依支援金额之类的而形成差别待遇」

“...unoff... fan...oup…”

「……非官……方粉……丝……团」

Neia picked up on something that even her acute hearing could not fully parse.

听见了以宁亚的敏锐听力都没能听完整的细微声音。

“CZ-sempai, what did you say?” Neia asked.

「希丝前辈、说了什么吗？」

宁亚向希丝投问。

“..Nothing.”

「…………没什么」

“...Really? Still, if I make a mistake when speaking about His Majesty, you must tell me.”

「………是吗？但是、如果关于魔导王陛下的事说错了请告诉我呢」

Neia turned her gaze back to Beldran. Recently, there were more and more people who remained unshaken even when she looked at them, and it made Neia very happy.

宁亚再次将视线移往贝伦托兰，最近就算沐浴在她的眼神之下也不动摇的人数增加了，宁亚感到很高兴。

“We’ll push it towards the production stage. Now then… can you tell me about the rest of my schedule?”

「那么关于这件事就朝着制作的方向进行，那么......能够告诉我关于之后的行程吗？」

“Yes, Baraja-sama. About two hours later, the supporters will be organizing a “Sorcerer King Thanksgiving” activity, and you are scheduled to take part and speak of His Majesty’s great deeds.”

「是，巴拉哈大人。大约两小时后会有支援者聚会进行“对魔导王心怀感谢”的活动，您将参加那个活动并叙述陛下的伟业。」

“I see.”

「我明白了」

Neia felt quite excited. Having discovered that the Sorcerer King was justice, she felt a sense of camaraderie and closeness to the supporters who could understand how she felt, and she very much enjoyed talking to people who shared her views.

宁亚感到有点雀跃不已，自己所发现的魔导王即是正义，她对于能够理解这样想法的支援者们感到同伴意识及亲切感、非常喜欢与抱持着相同想法的人们交谈。

“Also, there are people who would like you to witness the fruits of their training. Given that you are very busy, should I reject them?”

「然后也有的人希望您能够看看他们的训练成果，您现在非常忙碌、是否该拒绝呢？」

Neia had recently founded an honor guard unit and was currently putting them through intense training. Both Neia and CZ had taken part in that training.

正在对刚创建的支援者亲卫队进行严格的训练，宁亚时常参加那个训练、希丝也会参加。

To Neia, who felt that weakness would only be a burden to the Sorcerer King, working hard to become strong was second nature. If Neia’s participation could liven up the mood and motivate them, then she had to join them.

对于因弱小而拖了魔导王的后腿的宁亚来说，为了变强而努力是理所当然的事。如果宁亚的参加能激起气势而增加干劲的话，当然是必须参加吧。

“No, I’d like to be there with them.”

「不、请让我也参加」

“I am certain they will be delighted… and while that summary of events was quite basic, that is all I have to report to you. As for how long it will take to gather the supporters… preparation time will take about an hour, so please rest at ease until then.”

「大家一定会很高兴吧！......虽然很简单姑且想对您报告的事就是这些。到支援者召集完毕——考虑到准备时间，请安心地休息一小时左右」

Beldran bowed his head and left the room, and after watching him leave, Neia got up from her chair and walked over to the sofa where CZ was. Then she lay down beside CZ and tightly embraced her, like she was trying to squish her with her body.

贝伦托兰将头低下后出了房间，目送他的宁亚从椅子上站起，走到横躺在长椅子上的希丝身边，然后自己也躺下、用身体像是压扁一般紧紧抱住希丝。

“...Good girl, good girl.”

「…………好乖好乖」

CZ was shorter than herself, but she patted Neia’s back in a soothing manner, like a mother would for her child.

身高比自己还低的希丝，如母亲对孩子做的那般轻轻地摩擦自己的背后。

“When will we be able to go look for His Majesty… it’s been a month since then…”

「到哪一天我们才能去寻找魔导王陛下呢，从那之后已经过了一个月了啊……」

The people searching the eastern region of the Holy Kingdom had not found the Sorcerer King, and while there was a non-zero possibility that they might have missed him, it was almost a foregone conclusion that he had fallen into the land of the demihumans, the Abelion Hills. Therefore they had to make ample preparations, but doing so was simply taking too long.

在圣王国东部进行搜索的人们并没有发现魔导王，虽然看漏的可能性也绝对不是零，但是基本能肯定魔导王所坠落的地方是亚人之地、亚伯利恩丘陵吧，所以虽然需要准备，但花费的时间实在太多了。

Of the 3’000 Zern who had betrayed Jaldabaoth, 2’800 of them had gone with their prince to the Sorcerous Kingdom, while the remaining 200 or so had gone to the hills to collect information, but they had not found anything so far.

背叛了亞達巴沃的三千隻藍蛆（ゼルン、Zern）之中有兩千八百隻與王子一起前往魔導國、剩下的兩百隻左右前去丘陵收集情報，現在還沒有結果。

“...You must not fail.”

「…………不允许失败」

“I know! But, but…”

「我明白！但是、但是……」

Neia hugged CZ tighter. She took a deep breath of the scent -- like that of black tea -- which came from her.

宁亚加强力道如贴身般抱住希丝，鼻子深深吸进从希丝传来的如红茶般的气味。

CZ’s mere presence was enough to wipe away Neia’s uneasiness.

希丝光是存在就缓和了宁亚的不安。

That was because her existence was the proof that the Sorcerer King was alive.

因为她存在的这件事就代表魔导王活着的证明。

“..It’ll be fine. Ainz-sama is generous.”

「…………没问题。安兹大人是很宽容大量的。」

“Ah, that’s right, CZ-sempai.”

「啊啊、没错呢，希丝前辈」

“...Therefore, you should get more supporters and work out a search plan that cannot fail.”

「…………所以增加更多的支援者，拟定出绝对不会失败的搜索计划」

“Ah, that’s right, CZ-sempai.”

「啊啊、没错呢，希丝前辈」

“...That way, Ainz-sama will be happy.”

「.........这么一来安兹大人就会高兴」

“Ah, that’s right, CZ-sempai.”

「啊啊、没错呢，希丝前辈」

“...Neia. I like you. Now that I’ve gotten used to it, your face is quite cute.”

「…………宁亚。相当中意，一旦习惯之后是很别具风味的容貌」

“...Quite cute… Speaking of which, you must be really bored because you can’t go outside, CZ-sempai. Shall the two of us go somewhere together next time?”

「……风味……。……说起来，希丝前辈没有办法出门很无聊吧，下次我们两个人一起去哪里吗？」

CZ’s extraordinary beauty -- it was practically sculpted -- attracted a lot of attention, but if people knew her true identity as a maid demon, the looks directed at her would become ones of fear and caution. Many of them would have exaggerated delusions like “She’s going to steal my soul!”, which stemmed from the stories where demons transformed into beautiful women to claim souls as part of a deal. However, Neia felt that demons had a right to choose their partners. For starters, being that she was a subordinate of the most merciful Sorcerer King, this difficulty 150 maid demon would not possibly desire the souls of the people around her, let alone want to charm theirs away..

希丝因为那出类拔萃、简直是创造出来一般的美貌吸引了许多人的注意，但是如果知道了她的真实身份是女仆恶魔的话，就会转变为恐怖和警戒的视线、大多是「是要我的灵魂吗！」被这类夸张妄想所影响，因为有着恶魔化身为美女、夺取灵魂以交换契约这样的传承，但宁亚觉得恶魔也是有选择对象的权利。首先，身为那样宽大且慈悲为怀的魔导王的部下、难度一百五十的女仆恶魔，不可能会想要这附近的人民的灵魂甚至不惜魅惑。

Even so, there had been troublesome things which they could not avoid, and Neia -- as a squire of the Sorcerer King -- would not be able to face him if she ended up causing trouble for CZ, his subordinate. Of course, Neia also understood that CZ was so powerful that she would not be harmed.

即使如此也避免不了麻烦事，如果加害了魔导王部下的希丝，身为从者而侍奉着魔导王的宁亚可是没有脸来面对。当然，宁亚内心也明白，那么强大的希丝是不会受到伤害的。

For that reason she spent much of her time in here, but now that there were more people in their organization, it ought to be alright to bring her where the supporters gathered.

因为这样她大多数时间都窝在这，不过现在组织的人数也增加了，支持者们聚集的地方的话应该没问题吧。

“...Alright, we’ll go together as a kind of practice.”

「…………不错，作为练习一起去吧。」

“Alright, let’s get ready, then. Although, those maid clothes are a little eye-catching… could you change into something more ordinary?”

「那么、开始准备吧。不过那个女仆服有些显眼......能够换普通的服装吗？」

“...The doctor… ahem. No problem. Lend me clothes. I’ll leave the coordination to you.”

「…………博士…………咳咳。没问题，借我衣服，搭配交给妳」

“...I’m sorry, but I didn’t have anyone I could go out with and I had no interest in clothes at all, so I’m not confident of being able to pick out clothes for you.”

「……很抱歉，我没有能一起出门的人，对服装没有兴趣所以完全没有自信能够做服装搭配......」

CZ gently patted Neia’s shoulders. While she looked emotionless at a glance, Neia could understand her maternal warmth. After that, CZ pointed her thumb at herself.

希丝咚咚地温柔的拍了拍肩膀，虽然乍看之下面无表情，但宁亚能明白那有着慈母的温柔，然后希丝举起了大拇指指向自己。

“...Leave it to me.”

「…………交给我」

“Really?”

「真的吗？」

The discovery that CZ’s tastes were unexpectedly good would be a matter for later.

知道希丝的品味令人意外的不错则是之后的事了。

***

Caspond’s workload had increased dramatically after the recapture of Kalinsha. The people who were rescued needed to be incorporated into the organization, the amount of information which needed to be processed had increased greatly, and both verification and assignment work was very time consuming.

夺回卡林夏后卡斯邦登的工作急剧增加了，因为加上了救出的人们后不得不着手进行关于细微的组织建构，再加上情报的数量增加了一个档次，考虑到确认以及分配的话非常花时间。

During this busy period, only one paladin was stationed by Caspond’s side for his safety.

在这么忙碌的时候卡斯邦登身旁负责警卫的圣骑士只有一名。

While this might have been skimping on security, one could not use a skilled paladin -- they could read, write, do accounts, conduct religious rites, and keep the peace -- as a mere bodyguard. In that respect, it would have been most efficient to assign the otherwise retarded Remedios to him, but after considering her mental faculties, he decided to have her train with other paladins.

虽然有点疏于防备，但能够读书写字和计算、负责祭祀工作或是维持治安，有着优秀能力的圣骑士可不能只作为护卫使用，在那个意义上将蕾梅迪奥斯安排在身边是最有效率的，但考虑到精神状态、让她与复数的圣骑士进行训练。

When Neia and CZ had recovered Kelart Custodio’s head, her autistic screeching caused such a disturbance that it was a wonder nobody had died as a result. While she had calmed down eventually, they still had to handle her with care.

當葵拉特・卡斯托迪奧的頭部被兩人所帶回時，她的狂亂所造成的騷動讓人覺得出現死者也不奇怪。现在虽然镇静下来，但被小心翼翼的对待。

In truth, nobody could do anything by themselves. He had to be grateful to his maker. As he further devoted himself to said maker, Caspond threw himself into his work, his pen flashing over the pages.

说真的，如果只有自己一个人的话绝对没办法，要感谢赐予智慧的大人呢，一面对此抱持更深的敬意，卡斯邦登一面振笔疾书、进入工作。

While it was practice for the future, this work was still very annoying. His paladin aide either could not read the mood or he was indeed very bothered, but he spoke to Caspond, who was trying to bury his aggravation in the depths of his heart.

虽然是为了将来的练习而该做的事，但这工作真麻烦。对于将抱怨隐藏在心中的卡斯邦登，可能是不会看气氛或是实在很烦躁了，随侍的圣骑士向他搭话。

“--Prince Caspond-denka, is it really alright to let the Neia Baraja situation continue as it is?”

「——卡斯邦登王兄殿下，宁亚．巴哈拉的事，维持那样可以吗？」

Caspond understood the meaning of that question, and he smiled tiredly without taking his eyes off his documents.

理解那个疑问所含有的意义的卡斯邦登、眼睛没有从文书上移开的他以疲倦的表情笑了。

“It can’t be helped, so don’t bother. Also, Prince will do.”

「没有办法吧，就那样不用管。然后叫殿下就行了」

“Thank you very much, however, what do you mean, it can’t be helped?”

「非常感谢，但是，所谓的没有办法、究竟是？」

The paladin did not seem to understand, so Caspond lifted his head from his books and looked him in the eye.

圣骑士表现出无法领会的氛围，卡斯邦登从文书中将脸抬起与他四目相会。

“What do you think would happen if we did anything to her, like say, pressuring her to stop?”

「我们对于她的行动，如果施加压力阻止她的话、你觉得会变得怎样？」

“I don’t think anything would happen, my Prince. All she is doing is causing unrest in the nation.”

「我认为并不会发生什么事、陛下。她所作的事不过是在国内带来不和。」

“I see, so you -- while I’m not sure if this is appropriate -- haven’t heard her speak, then? ...I guess, but I think I’ve seen another version of what she’s talking about elsewhere. Now, my first question… has she lied?”

「原来如此，那么你对她的说法——虽然不晓得这么说是否合适，你有听过吗？……看来没有的样子，但如果是她所说的内容加以整合的版本就好像看过呢。那么是第一个问题。……其中有谎言吗？」

Caspond watched the paladin search his memory before answering:

对于看样子正在探索记忆的圣骑士卡斯邦登说出答案。

“She is not… well, it would be better if she was lying. Next, anyone with a modicum of intellect can check what she has said and find that almost all of it is justified. The Sorcerer King did free them, as a hero who single handedly took back a city, too.”

「并没有说谎。……如果说了谎就好了呢。接下来，如果多少有些聪明的人去确认她所说的话，几乎所有的事情都会得到肯定。魔导王是解放他们、孤身一人将都市夺回的英雄、呢」

He took a drink of water from the glass on the table to wet his throat before continuing.

从放在桌上的杯子喝了一口水，湿润下喉咙的卡斯邦登继续说。

“And then, Neia Baraja is a hero who helped liberate Kalinsha. We lauded her for that. As for the maid demon -- we introduced her as a minion of the Sorcerer King. That led to a sky-high opinion of the Sorcerer King, and so we had to go a little overboard in praising her. Also, her equipment befits a hero.”

「再加上宁亚．巴拉哈是在解放卡林夏时有贡献的英雄，我们如此大肆表扬了。女仆恶魔——我们将之介绍为魔导王的部下，因此让魔导王的评价高到不能再高了，所以有点夸张地赞赏她了。另外她的装备也确实如英雄一般」

The sight of Neia carrying the marvellous bow which the Sorcerer King had loaned her and wearing the Grand King Buser’s armor was nothing less than heroic.

持有从魔导王那里借来的出色的弓、身穿那位豪王巴塞的铠甲的她的身姿，除了英雄以外别无它想。

“Now, let’s go back to your suggestion just now. If we try to silence her, how will the world view us? Do you not think they would see us as trying to shut a hero up because what she’s saying isn’t good for the royal family? That sort of thing.”

「在这回到刚才的提问，对那样的她进行施压的话，我们会被世间如何看待？难道不会被这么认为吗？因为对圣王家情况不利所以想要掩蔽英雄的话语、这样的」

“But that…”

「那样的事……」

The paladin tried to stammer out a denial, but his face already said that he understood better than his words could. He knew what would happen.

圣骑士虽然结结巴巴的予以否定，但是他的表情已经代替言语诉说了事实，他也明白事情会变成那样。

“On one hand, you have a hero whose star is rising, and on the other you have the royal family which is on the decline. Who do you think the people will believe?”

「正在往上爬的英雄以及正在走下坡的圣王家，人们会信赖的是——」

“--My Prince! Please don’t say that!”

「——殿下！请不要说那样的话」

“I apologize… but more to the point, what do you think the Sorcerer King’s maid demon will do if we try to interfere with Neia Baraja?”

「抱歉呢......。不只是那样，如果对她的说法进行阻扰的话，魔导王的女仆恶魔会如何行动呢」

“Oh.”

「唔」

The paladin’s face went stiff, and a ghastly look came to Caspond’s face.

圣骑士表情僵硬、卡斯邦登摆出一副难看的表情。

“Hehe. The fact that she’s protected by that maid demon means she’s the strongest in this city, you know? Trying to directly silence her is extremely dangerous, so we’ll have to leave things as they are. I understand your concerns, but every move available to us is a bad one.”

「哼哼。被那个女仆恶魔所守护这件事就代表在这个都市里面拥有最强大哦？要以正面压制她的话是极为危险的，所以就那样、吧。我明白你的不安，但是，不论怎么做都是坏棋」

There was a knocking on the door, and one of the soldiers from the outside entered.

叩叩叩的发出敲门声，在外面的军士其中一名进入室内。

“Prince-denka, the Vice Captain-sama wishes to speak with you.”

「王兄陛下，副团长大人想要与您会面」

“He may enter.”

「请让他进来」

Perhaps he had heard Caspond’s voice, but Gustav rushed in from where he had been waiting outside. The slight panting in his breath showed that he had come here in a hurry.

可能是听到那个声音了吧，在外面待机的古斯塔沃立刻进来，带有些微凌乱的呼吸声，证明他是急忙来到这里的。

“Forgive me, Your Highness Prince Caspond!”

「失礼了，卡斯邦登王兄殿下！」

Gustav’s work took him further afield than Caspond, and it was also more challenging, so he very rarely came here. That was why Caspond knew that this was a sticky situation. If he had come here in person, he had brought with him a difficult situation that he could not deal with alone.

古斯塔沃的工作比起卡斯邦登更加广泛、忙碌，因此他本人很少来到这里。所以才知道麻烦事，这说明他带来的是他个人无法应对、难以应付的事。

“I tell you every time, don’t worry about it. Also, you don’t need to bow if we’re the only one’s around. Since you’re in such a rush, it must be quite urgent, right?”

「每次都说了，不要介意。而且如果只有我们在的话也不必低头。那么看你这么急，是很紧急的事吧？」

“Yes! Our scouts report a 50’000-strong army flying the flag of the Southern Nobles heading for this city!”

「是！斥候而来的消息，飘着南部贵族家纹章旗的五万大军，朝向这座都市前进的样子！」

“I see… don’t tell me the South has already overcome Jaldabaoth’s forces? In any event, prepare for battle, because we do not know if the Southern armies are being controlled by Jaldabaoth. Be careful. I’ll leave it to you.”

「原来如此。......该不会是南部的军力已经击溃了亚达巴沃的亚人军？总之先做战斗准备，理由是南部军不是没有被亚达巴沃操纵的可能性，所以要小心谨慎，那么拜托你了」

“Yes!”

「是！」

“Do not attack before the enemy makes a move under any circumstances. If they want to talk, bring them here. After that--” Caspond turned to the paladin. “You will be in charge of welcoming them. If they’re what I think they are, there ought to be several high-ranking nobles present. Prepare refreshments and wine to make them happy.”

「在对方还没有动作之前绝对不要进行攻击，如果想要进行会谈的话就带到这里。然后——」卡斯邦登转向圣骑士。「你就作为迎接来宾的负责人而采取行动，如果和预想一样的话对象应该是复数的高等贵族吧，准备他们会高兴的餐点和酒类吧」

Both men replied, “Yes sir!” and then left the room. As Caspond watched them leave, he muttered to himself.

两人发出「是！」的回复后出了房门。一边目送他们的背影，卡斯邦登一边低语。

“Alright… is it time?”

「好了……是時候了吧？」

***

“Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes, Marquis Bodipo, Count Cohen, Count Domingues, Count, Granero, Count Randalse and Viscount Santz.”

「没想到你们还真的来了啊。博蒂泊侯爵、克恩伯爵、多明戈斯伯爵、格拉涅罗伯爵、兰达尔瑟伯爵、桑茨子爵」

“Oh, think nothing of it, I’m glad to see you’re well, my Prince.”

「哪里哪里，王兄殿下没事真是好了！」

“Indeed! Indeed! We were so worried about you, your Highness!”

「真的是！真的是！真的是很担心你啊！殿下！」

After a toast, Caspond and the Southern nobles drank to their respective safety and exchanged greetings over and over again.

干杯之后，卡斯邦登和用红酒润过喉咙的南部贵族一起，满面笑容地庆祝着各自的平安，互相重复地打着招呼。

The nobles described the situation and spoke of their travails. Caspond listened attentively, because doing so showed how hard they had worked -- how much they had given up for the sake of the Holy Kingdom.

贵族们讲述着近况，诉说着劳苦。卡斯邦登成了专职的倾听者。因为这是在说他们有多么辛劳——展现着有多么地在为圣王国尽忠。

Count Cohen, who had been speaking for a very long time, suddenly seemed to have noticed something and asked a question.

说话说了很久的克恩伯爵忽然像是注意到什么似地提出了疑问。

“--Oya, Prince-denka. Is it me, or do you seem slightly different now?”

「——哦呀，王兄殿下？您给人的感觉是不是稍微有点变了呢？」

“Ahh, but of course. I trust you know how Jaldabaoth invaded the North? My domains changed greatly as a result. In addition, I feel the parts you have not seen have changed even more… do you not think I have become thinner?”

「啊啊，那是当然的。您已经知道了北方被亚达巴沃侵略过了吧？因此我的内在也发生了很大的变化哦。不仅如此，我觉得诸位没有看到的部分变得更多哦。……这里诸位不觉得瘦了点吗？」

Caspond indicated his belly. “Well, that does seem to be the case”, everyone cheerfully replied. At the same time, there was a keen glint in the nobles’ eyes.”

卡斯邦登指了下肚子的部分，「确实好像是有点呐」众人开朗地笑着接着话。同时在贵族们的眼中闪烁着些微锐利的光芒。

Caspond did not miss that. He instantly realised that they were comparing Caspond’s previous value to his present worth.

卡斯邦登没有看漏那个，瞬间察觉到他们是在比较从前和现在的卡斯邦登的价值。

While they had concealed that quickly enough, he understood that the evaluation was still in progress.

他们虽然很快便巧妙地把态度隐藏了起来，但还是能明白估价还在继续着。

Now he hoped that they would think that nothing had changed, in the hopes that they would not interfere with the royal family after the war.

现在希望他们觉得什么都没变，要尽可能地避免战后他们对圣王家的干涉。

“...Still, I, Caspond, am deeply grateful that you gentlemen have set out to save the Holy Kingdom.”

「……不过，让作为各家当家的诸位出战，为救圣王国而行动。我卡斯邦登，真是感激不尽。」

“What are you saying? Your Highness, as noblemen, it is only natural that we should marshal our forces and set out for the sake of the royal family. Or no, anyone who is physically able and does not join a battle concerning the survival of the Holy Kingdom cannot even be considered a nobleman!”

「您在说什么啊！殿下。身为当家的我们，作为侍奉圣王家的人出战是当然的。不，明明没有身体抱恙却不参加关系到圣王国存亡的战斗的人，根本没有资格称为贵族！」

The nobles each nodded and made noises of acknowledgement. In other words, the noblemen who had not come here were the political enemies of the ones who were present.

各贵族当家们嗯嗯地点着头。换句话说就是有没来的当家，那些人对他们来说就是政敌了吧。

Unfortunately, Caspond did not know which noble houses were not getting on with each other. That probably meant he was not sufficiently learned.

遗憾的是卡斯邦登并不知道哪几个贵族家关系不好。这算是学习没到家吧。

While he wanted to avoid being labelled as biased here, he would need to give them preferential treatment or face rather dire consequences. Everyone hated a bat who flitted around trying to get in everyone’s good graces.

虽然想避免在这里留下拙劣的话柄，但不给他们被优待的态度的话相当不妙。两头都想讨好的蝙蝠会被非常厌恶。

“Gentlemen, your loyalty to the royal family needs to be trumpeted far and wide. I feel it needs to be a matter of historical record.

「诸位对圣王家的忠诚，有必要广而告之。我觉得甚至有写入历史的必要。」

While it was only for a moment, the one who seemed the happiest about that was Marquis Bodipo, the oldest person present, whose blonde hair was flecked with white.

虽然只有一瞬，但看起来表现得最开心的，是在在场众人中最年长的，白发与金发混杂在一起的博蒂泊侯爵。

Now that he had power and position, he probably wanted prestige on top of that. The others would probably prefer to be rewarded instead. Of course, it was only natural for them to expect a certain reward now that they had mobilized their forces.

正因为拥有着地位与权势，之后还想要的就是名誉了。其他人则是更希望得到奖赏吧。当然，都已经动用了军队了，想要有一定的回报也是理所当然的。

The Marquis muttered some polite words of refusal -- more of a courtesy than anything -- even as he tried to ingratiate himself with the prince. During this time, Viscount Santz -- who looked quite ill at ease -- seized on the right moment to interrupt the conversation and hesitantly asked a question.

对只是在言语上客套拒绝的侯爵还以口头上的奉承时，神色不太好的桑茨子爵瞄准了会话中断的瞬间，像是难以启齿地提出了问题。

“My prince, I have a question I would like to ask you. What is the present condition of Her Majesty? I hear she has passed away…”

「王兄殿下。有件事想请教一下，圣王女陛下现在状态究竟如何？虽然有听说已经去世……」

“That is a fact.”

「那是事实」

Startled by Caspond’s frank and direct answer, Viscount Santz asked another question.

对于十分干脆地回答的卡斯邦登，惊讶不已的桑茨子爵再次发出提问。

“Then, then where does Her Majesty’s body lie?”

「那、那么陛下的圣体在何处呢？」

“...It was in a hideous state, so we had to cremate it. Originally, we were planning to use a [Preservation] spell on it and give her a state funeral after driving off Jaldabaoth…”

Caspond shook his head with a pained look on his face, as though he could not bear to continue.

“Also, we confirmed the death of the high priestess, Kelart Custodio.”

「……因为状态实在是过于凄惨，我们将其火葬了。本来的话是想要先用

<保存>[Preservation]魔法，在赶走亚达巴沃之后进行国葬的……」卡斯邦登像是说不下去了似地

表情沉痛地摇着头。「與此同時也確認了葵拉特・卡斯托迪奧最高司祭的死亡」

“I see…”

「是这样啊……」

During this silence, Caspond used the time to take a drink.

在他们沉默的时候，得到了点时间的卡斯邦登用红酒湿润了下嘴巴。

Calca’s substitute was right before their eyes. However, there was no simple way to find someone to replace the high priestess Kelart Custodio, who stood at the apex of all divine magic casters. Therefore, they were carefully considering how best to use Kelart’s death.

要找作为圣王的卡儿可的替代者的话就在眼前。但是無法簡單地找到，作爲最高司祭站在信仰系魔法詠唱者頂點的葵拉特・卡斯托迪奧的替代者。所以他们都在专心地考虑着要如何利用葵拉特的死吧。

After seeing they had not reacted even after he had taken two drinks of wine, Caspond gave them another tidbit of information.

卡斯邦登又给了自己喝了两口红酒都还没有反应的他们，一个新的情报。

“Her remains were also in terrible condition, so they were cremated as well.”

「她的遗体也已经火化了。因为状态真的是太惨了」

The nobles frowned. Had they felt something from the deaths of two of the Holy Kingdom’s top individuals? Perhaps they had finally realised that this was a battle where their lives were on the line and losing meant death. They were probably frightened by the realisation that they would not be ransomed even if they were taken prisoner.

贵族们皱起了脸。站在圣王国顶点的两人的惨死让他们感受到了什么吧。说不定是终于理解了这是以命相搏，输了就会死的战斗。即使被俘虏也不是交了赎金就会放人，他们感到恐惧了吧。

“How about the captain of the paladins, Custodio-dono?”

「那么圣骑士团团长卡斯托迪奥阁下如何了？」

“Do you want to speak to her? Can it wait?”

「找她有事吗？那能稍微等下吗？」

“Oya, so she’s still alive? Meanwhile, Her Majesty and the high priestess-sama are both dead...”

「哦呀，她还活着吗？明明圣王女大人和最高司祭大人都牺牲了」

Count Randalse had a neatly groomed goatee. When he delivered those words in a sarcastic tone of voice, the others smiled mockingly, as if to follow suit. Caspond opened the door and ordered the paladin outside to summon Remedios.

有着漂亮的下颚胡须的兰达尔瑟伯爵用着讽刺的语调这么一说，就像是追随着他一样，其他众人也露出了嘲笑。卡斯邦登打开门，对在门外候命的圣骑士下了让蕾梅迪奥丝过来的命令。

Just as the wine in the bottle was about to run dry, Remedios reached their room.

在瓶子中的红酒快要空了时，蕾梅迪奥丝来到了房间里。

Just as Count Randalse was about to speak, he took a look at Remedios and his eyes went wide.

兰达尔瑟伯爵正要开口之际，看到了蕾梅迪奥丝的样子不禁睁大了眼睛。

“What!? Is she Captain Remedios, leader of the paladin corps!?”

「什！她是蕾梅迪奥丝·卡斯托迪奥圣骑士团团长！？」

The mockery in his tone had been replaced by shock. Every noble in the Holy Kingdom knew what Remedios looked like. Count Randalse was no exception either, hence his surprise. She looked tremendously different from how he remembered her.

取代讽刺发出的是惊讶的声音。圣王国里没有贵族会不知道蕾梅迪奥丝的样子吧。兰达尔瑟伯爵也是一样，所以才会这么惊讶。自己记忆中的她和现在的她有着巨大的差距。

Right now, Remedios Custodio looked like a walking corpse.

现在的蕾梅迪奥丝·卡斯托迪奥简直就像是个鬼魂。

Her eyes were deeply sunken and her cheeks were haggard. However, a brilliant light shone in her pupils.

深陷的眼窝，消瘦的脸颊。但是，与之相反眼瞳中闪烁着灿烂的光辉。

“You called me here right? Who else would I be?”

「是把我叫来的吧？难道还会有别人来么？」

“What! The… the nerve…”

「什！无……礼之徒……」

Count Randalse’s voice trailed off, and he stared intently at Remedios.

兰达尔瑟伯爵的声音萎了下去，只是紧盯着蕾梅迪奥丝。

Right now, Remedios looked very frightening. The fact that nobody knew what she wanted or what she would do made others uneasy. That was why Caspond did not keep Remedios by his side. It was also why he took care not to let Remedios know anything about Neia.

现在蕾梅迪奥丝看起来很可怕。不知道她在想什么、会做什么令人不安。所以卡斯邦登没有把蕾梅迪奥丝放在身边。并且有注意着不要让蕾梅迪奥丝得知一切和宁亚的行动有关的情报。

“What is it?”

「有什么事？」

Everyone in this country knew that Remedios Custodio was the strongest paladin of this nation. In terms of sheer brute force, she was the foremost being in this nation.

这个国家众人皆知，蕾梅迪奥丝·卡斯托迪奥是这个国家最强的圣骑士。从暴力的意义上来说，她是站在顶点的存在。

What use was authority against violence that was on the verge of running wild? The most solid armor of the aristocracy was like paper to her. In the past, there were people beside her who held her reins, so she was in a state of mind where she could endure being badmouthed. However, it was a different matter now.

面对好像就要失控的暴力，权力什么的毫无用处。对贵族来说最硬的盔甲，在她的面前就像纸一样薄。从前的她身边还有抓着她缰绳的人，就算被说了坏话也有能忍住的精神状态。但是，现在的她不同。

The nobles all understood this, so they said nothing. Remedios snorted as she saw them, and then shrugged.

正因为明白了这点，贵族们谁都没有说话。蕾梅迪奥丝对着那样的他们用鼻子发出嗤笑，耸了耸肩。

“...May I leave now, Your Highness? It seems there was no reason to call for me.”

「……殿下。我可以退下了吗？好像也没有事找我」

“Ahh. Thank you for coming.”

「啊啊，谢谢妳过来」

After Remedios left, the nobles finally allowed themselves to look unhappy.

在蕾梅迪奥丝的身影消失之后，贵族们终于又将不快的表情放到了脸上。

“Can you permit her to show such disrespect to His Highness?”

「对殿下那种失礼的态度。您能容许吗？」

“Even if she is the captain of the paladin corps, that attitude is intolerable. Can we allow someone without any loyalty to the royal family to remain as captain?”

「就算她是圣骑士团的团长，那态度也太让人看不下去了。可以让对圣王家没有忠义之心的人继续担任团长吗？」

Caspond raised a hand to quell the venting of their spleens.

卡斯邦登用手制止了喷涌而出的不满。

“We are at war now. Her talents are still useful. Let us leave her disposition to the future Holy King.”

「现在是战争期间。她的本领还是有用的。她的去留就让未来的圣王来决定就好」

Quite a few people had been upset by Remedios’ attitude. Some of them were hiding their fear of her with anger, but others had ulterior motives. Caspond knew this, and he smiled coldly in his heart.

对蕾梅迪奥丝的态度感到不快的人实际上到底有几个呢。确实也有人是用愤怒隐藏了对她的恐惧，但是比起这个其实还有别的目的吧。明白这一切的卡斯邦登在心中冷笑着。

Remedios had once been the mailed fist of the previous Holy King and a powerful weapon. Surely someone out there would not want to leave that weapon to the next Holy King. Or rather, all of them might be thinking that for all he knew.

蕾梅迪奥丝曾是前任圣王的武力，而且是强大的武器。绝对有人不想把这把武器交给下任圣王。不，说不定他们全员都是这么想的。

“Ohhh! Your Highness is correct! This is wartime! However, we won’t keep fighting the demihumans forever!”

「哦哦！殿下说的对！现在是战时！但是，不可能和亚人这么一直打下去！」

“The Count is right! I believe our envoy already mentioned that we managed to come here because we defeated the demihuman forces. Your Highness! We ought to sustain the momentum and mount a pursuit!”

「伯爵说得有道理！概况我想使者已经说明过了，因为逼退了亚人的军队，所以我们才能来到这里！王兄殿下！现在我们应该乘胜追击！」

“Exactly! We ought to destroy the demihumans in one fell swoop, so Your Highness’ achievements may reach more ears.”

「正是如此！应该就这样一口气将亚人击退，将王兄殿下的功勋告诉给更多的人！」

“I see, I see. Then -- how’s Old Purple?”

「原来如此，原来如此。那么——紫色的老者怎么了？」

The nobles looked at each other, and then Marquis Bodipo spoke on their behalf.

贵族们彼此看了看，作为代表博蒂泊侯爵回答道。

“He seems unwell, so he did not come here with us.”

「那位老者身体似乎不太好，所以没有前来」

The Marquis was the oldest person here, and so the person that he called “old” was an 80 year old individual who had been appointed one of the Nine Colors. As a great noble of the South with the rank of Marquis, he had been granted that color in recognition of his loyalty to the royal family and his achievements.

这位最年长的侯爵人称老者，正如称呼一样是现年八十岁的人物，领受了九色中的一色。作为南方的大贵族拥有侯爵爵位的他，因对圣王家的忠诚与勤勉被赐予了那个颜色。

Not all the Nine Colors had earned their position because of their fighting strength. Much like Purple, some of them had gained their title because of some great contribution. For instance, there was a Duchess who had been appointed Blue due to her fame as a composite artist.

就和他一样，九色并不都是根据武力赐予的，其中也有因为做出了非常大的贡献被赐予的情况。领受了蓝色，作为综合艺术家闻名遐迩的公爵夫人也是其中之一。

As he pondered Marquis Bodipo’s reply, he sensed for a moment that the other man was not hiding anything, and Caspond smiled coldly in his heart again. While he already knew this, he was simply confirming that reaction with his own eyes.

读取了博蒂泊侯爵在回答时，仅仅一瞬没有隐藏住的感情，卡斯邦登在心中再次冷笑。虽说已经知道了，但在实际亲眼确认的时候原来会产生这样的感情。

“...I see. It would seem that your opinions coincide with mine.” Caspond outlined his plan to ruin Jaldabaoth’s scheme by slaughtering the demihumans. “However, what will we do if Jaldabaoth shows up?”

「……原来如此。诸位的意见和我所想的不谋而合」卡斯邦登将自己通过歼灭亚人破坏亚达巴沃计划的提案讲述给了众人听。「……但是，如果亚达巴沃出现了怎么办？」

“Is Jaldabaoth such a mighty demon? I hear even the Captain-dono could not protect Her Majesty.”

「亚达巴沃是那么强大的恶魔吗？虽然有听说那位团长阁下没能保护住陛下？」

Count Granero had never faced Jaldabaoth before, which was why he was asking such a naive question. Caspond responded in a somber tone.

对着正因为没有实际对峙过，才能问出天真问题的格拉涅罗伯爵，卡斯邦登语气沉重地回答道。

“He is extremely powerful. We asked the Sorcerer King to face him, and his battle with Jaldabaoth was truly intense.”

「非常非常的强大。我们请来了魔导王，他和亚达巴沃的那场战斗真的是太激烈了。」

“The Sorcerer King? Do you mean that undead kin?”

「魔导王？莫非是那个不死者的王！？」

It was only to be expected that they would exclaim in surprise.

会发出惊讶的声音也是当然的吧。

“Oya? Did you not hear about that? I see…”

「哦呀？关于那方面的事没有听说过吗？原来是这样吗……」

“So you called upon the help of another country’s army, my Prince? That is very bad!”

「借助了他国军队的力量吗，王兄殿下！那可是非常不妙的啊！」

“Not an army. Just the Sorcerer King.”

「不是军队。只有魔导王一个人」

The nobles froze with an”Eh?” on their lips. It took some time before they stirred again.

「哎？」地一声，贵族们冻住了，然后稍微花了点时间才解冻。

“The Sorcerer King? By himself? The one and only king, the one who stands at the pinnacle of his nation came over by himself?”

「魔导王一个人？仅有一人的王，站在国家顶点的王单独一个人过来了吗？」

Caspond nodded in response to Count Randalse’s question.”

对着兰达尔瑟伯爵的问题，卡斯邦登就是如此地点了点头。

“How could that be, that’s impossible, right? There’s no way such a king would exist! Did he not bring his armies with him?”

「怎么可能，那是不可能的吧？不可能有那样的王的！没有把军队叫到身边来吗？」

It makes no sense at all, the gathered people muttered. Some wondered if this was some kind of scheme. However, Caspond shattered their speculations with his unyielding reply.

从常识来看不可能的，众人都这么犯着嘀咕。又说着这件事本身是不是某种谋略呢。然而卡斯邦登却将那些化毅然地否定掉了。

“Though you might say so, it is the truth. All we can do is accept it. In addition, if the Sorcerer King had brought his armies with him, then he would have used them the moment he lost his duel against Jaldabaoth.”

「话虽如此，但那就是事实，只能接受。而且如果魔导王有把军队叫到身边的话，那在和亚达巴沃单挑失败的时候立即就会动用他们了吧」

“He lost?... I don’t get it. They say he’s one of the undead, so could it be that even his brains rotted away? However… is this not very bad?”

「输了吗？……还真是无法理解呐。听说是不死者，是连脑子都腐坏掉了吗？不过……这不会非常不妙吗？」

“It is. However, one of the envoys who requested the Sorcerer King to come was Remedios. I believe handing her over to gain the forgiveness of the other party will be a necessity, as are other diplomatic measures.

「很糟。但是请魔导王来的使者之一是蕾梅迪奥丝。把她交出去，取得对方原谅等等的外交手段是必要的吧」

“Will that settle matters? …Now that you mention it, the Sorcerous Kingdom is a nation within the borders of the Kingdom. In that case, they will not be able to cross the Kingdom’s borders to reach us… does that mean we must be on alert once the Kingdom is destroyed?”

「那样就能解决了吗？……说起来，魔导国是在王国的领地里建的国。那样的话，是无法通过敌对国家来到我国的吧。……就是说在王国被灭亡之后有必要警戒吗？」

They could not understand what was going on, and the nobles all clutched their heads. It was as though they were thinking about what to do if the sun rose in the west. Therefore, they decided to leave that aside for the time being.

完全想不明白，贵族们抱头烦恼着。就好像在沉思太阳打西边升起了怎么办一样。所以他们似乎决定把这问题先束之高阁的样子。

“Well, let’s put that aside for now. What are your future plans, Your Highness?”

「那件事先放在一边，殿下之后准备如何行动呢？」

“I -- I would like to retake the capital. And i would like to do this as soon as possible.”

「我——想要夺还王都。而且是尽早」

“In that case, we will surely aid you!”

「您是这么想的话我们也会协助您的！」

“Your Highness will become the hero who saved this nation from Jaldabaoth!”

「殿下会成为从亚达巴沃的手中拯救国家的英雄的！」

“The demihuman army which invaded our nation was 100’000 strong. They’ve been culled down to around 30’000 strong now, If we rally the people of this city and the soldiers we brought, we’ll be able to beat them easily!”

「入侵我国的亚人军队有十万。现在消灭了到三万多左右吧。那么结合了这座都市的民兵和我们带来的士兵的话，绝对能轻松打赢他们！」

“Your Highness! The day will soon come when they call you Your Majesty!”

「殿下！就快要到喊陛下的时候了呐！」

Caspond faced the flattering nobles and deliberately put an understanding look on his face.

对着说着奉承话的贵族们，卡斯邦登故意露出了深得我意的表情。

“Umu. I will not forget to be grateful for the help all of you have given me.”

「唔嗯。诸位对我的帮助。我是绝不会忘记感谢诸位的吧」

“What are you saying? We are only doing our duty to the Holy Kingdom and the royal family!”

「您在说什么哪！我们只是在尽自己对圣王国、对圣王家的忠义啊！」

In his heart, Caspond smiled in a completely different way.

卡斯邦登的心中浮现出与那不同种类的笑容。

“Very well. Then, gentlemen, let us make ready to take back the capital!”