“This one is Neia Baraja, a squire of the paladin order of the Holy Kingdom. I understand this is exceedingly rude, but please permit me to request your early dispatch of Momon-dono.”

「鄙人是圣王国的圣骑士侍从、涅娅・巴拉哈。明知无礼但请允许我发言、能否请您尽早派遣飞飞阁下呢？」

The Sorcerer King appeared to be deep in thought.

魔导王表现出深思的样子。

“Neia! How dare a mere squire like you beg a favor of the Sorcerer King!”

「涅娅！区区侍从怎敢向魔导王请愿！」

There was only one thing which came to mind when Neia heard Remedios’ rebuke.

对于蕾梅蒂欧丝的斥责涅娅所想的只有一件事。

If you must slay your squire for her disrespectful conduct, please wait a little bit longer.

（要斩杀做出无礼举动的侍从的话请再等一下）

“Ahh, it’s fine. Neia, is it? In that case, how much earlier would you like me to send out Momon?”

「啊啊、不要紧。妳叫涅娅吧。那么你希望在多久之后派遣飞飞？」

“I feel that he should be sent as soon as possible, even if it only hastens his arrival by just one day.”

「我认为哪怕提前一天也好、应该尽早才是」

“And you insist on your request, even though knowing that sending out Momon will damage the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

「这是你在知道了派遣飞飞之事与魔导国的损害有关的情况下，仍坚持做出的派遣请愿吧」

“Yes!”

「是的！」

Neia bowed her head.

涅娅将头低下。

She had long since prepared herself to request that her Captain take her head if her words displeased the Sorcerer King, in order to pay for her sins with her life.

早已做好觉悟，如果这件事让魔导王表示不快的话就请团长处刑自己、以命相抵。

She closed her eyes, because she knew she might be cut down at any moment.

为了不论何时都能让此身被剑所撕裂、而将眼睛闭上。

“Your Majesty! I sincerely apologize for my squire’s disrespect! We have never once harbored any intention of harming the Sorcerous Kingdom.”

「魔导王陛下！侍从做出无礼的举动真是非常抱歉！我们从未想过任何会让魔导国遭受到损害之事！」

“No, pay it no mind. As a resident of the Holy Kingdom, it is only natural to want to save one’s homeland even at the expense of others… Umu. Albedo, can we cut it down to less than two years?”

「不、没有必要在意。身为在那个国家生存的人，就算不惜对他国造成损害也要拯救自己国家的想法是理所当然。……哼嗯。雅儿贝德，有什么办法能缩短到两年以内吗？」

“I believe it would be very difficult.”

「我想非常的困难」

“Really now. Still -- do it.”

「是吗。但是——去做」

Neia reflexively looked up at the Sorcerer KIng.

涅娅不自觉的仅用眼珠看向魔导王。

“Yes! At once, Your Majesty!”

「是！遵命、陛下！」

Perhaps Albedo’s wings were trembling because she was uneasy about this reckless endeavour, especially when the powerful voice of that absolute ruler was directed at her.

刚强、与绝对者相符的声音的命令灌注在那身上，雅儿贝德的肩膀微微震动是因为对于无谋般挑战的不安吧。

“Neia… Baraja. How about two years? Perhaps it might still be too long for you, but you ought to be able to hold out so long as the southern armies remain, no?”

「涅娅……巴拉哈。那么两年如何呢？对妳来说或许还是太长了也说不定，但是在南方军队仍在的情况下应该能撑得住不是吗？」

Indeed, two years was too long. However, she could not prevail on the Sorcerer King’s generosity any further.

就是两年也太久了。但是、不能再这样仰赖魔导王的厚意。

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty!”

「非常感谢！魔导王陛下！」

The gratitude in her voice was genuine, because she felt that the chances of her nation’s salvation had risen from just now.

认为与方才比较起来得救的可能性更高，而发出的言语无比的真诚。

After that, Remedios bowed her head.

接着蕾梅蒂欧丝将头低下。

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty! We are deeply grateful that you have acceded to our squire’s request.”

「非常感谢！魔导王陛下！能够接受我们侍从的请求、我们对您献上深深的感谢！」

“It is fine. --Captain Custodio, you have a good woman under you. If she did not love her country so deeply, how would a mere squire dare make such a plea of the ruler of another country? ...I am not finding fault with her, of course.”

「无妨。——卡斯特迪奥团长。有个好部下呢。若不是深爱自己国家的，区区侍从又怎敢对他国的王做出这样的恳请。……这可不是在挖苦喔？」

“No, I am certain she must be overjoyed by Your Majesty’s words.”

「不、承陛下所言，想必她也非常高兴吧」

“Is that so. Then that will be all. This has been a beneficial dialogue.”

「是吗。那么就到此结束吧，是个有益的会谈」

“--Announcing the departure of His Majesty, the Sorcerer King.”

「——魔导王陛下、退场」

Neia bowed her head in response to Albedo’s words.

对雅儿贝德的声音起反应、涅娅将头低下。

Once again, the staff rapped along the ground in time with his footsteps, the same way it had when he had entered. Those sounds drew further away, and soon they heard the sound of the door closing. The Sorcerer King had probably left the room.

与入场时相同的脚步声和杖子敲击地板声、那些声音渐渐远离，不久门扉发出了关闭的声音，魔导王从房间离开了吧。

“He has departed.”

When Neia raised her head, she saw a slightly red-cheeked Albedo smiling and saying, “Then, please allow me to escort you outside.”

「已退场」涅娅将头抬起时，脸颊略微发红的雅儿贝德微笑着说道「那么让我送各位到外面吧」

♦ ♦ ♦

Neia had prepared herself to be scolded by Remedios, and sure enough, after they returned to the inn, it came,

回到旅店的涅娅，虽已有觉悟但蕾梅蒂欧丝的斥责还是开始了。

“You! Do you know what you’ve done!”

「你这傢伙！你可知道自己干了什麽好事！」

Remedios’ face was red as she closed in on Neia. VIce-Captain Gustav hurriedly held out his arms and stepped between Neia and the Captain.

蕾梅蒂欧丝涨红了脸，朝着涅娅逼近，副团长古斯塔博连忙张开双手，站在涅娅和团长两人之间。

“Captain Custodio! A moment please! There is no denying the Squire Baraja’s actions were those of a rogue, but ultimately, she saved us a year of waiting. Is that not something worthy of praise?”

「卡斯特迪欧团长！请稍等一下！确实巴拉哈侍从的专断独行是不争的事实，但从结果而言，她为

我们缩短了一年的时间啊。这应该是值得夸奖的事情不是吗？」

“What nonsense are you talking about!? The whole thing might go up in smoke because of her! Also, you want me to praise her for acting on her own? Are you kidding me!?”

「你在胡说什麽！说不定整件事情都会因为她而付诸流水的啊！再说，还要夸奖她的专断独行？岂

有此理！」

“The blame rests on your servant.”

「是属下的错」

Neia apologized from the bottom of her heart as she bowed her head.

涅娅打从心裡道歉，低下头来。

“--Do you really think you’re at fault? Maybe you were lucky this time, but can you take responsibility if things end up turning bad for us?”

「——你真的有觉得自己做错了吗！这次或许运气好让你捡到了一次，要是事情发展不利我们的话，

你这傢伙有办法负起责任吗！？」

“...The blame rests on your servant.”

「……是属下的错」

“I know that already! Answer me! Can you face all the suffering people of the Holy Kingdom and tell them that help won’t be coming because of you!?”

「我已经听见了啦！给我回答！面对圣王国境内身陷苦海的人民，你有办法说出是因为你的关係，所

以援军不会来了吗！」

“No, your servant cannot bear that responsibility.”

「不，属下没有办法负起责任」

“In that case, then why did you just jump in and do that? What on earth were you thinking!?”

「既然如此，你这傢伙为什麽要擅自干出那种事情来！你到底在想什麽东西！」

Neia raised her head and looked straight at the Captain.

涅亚将脸抬起，直视团长。

“Your servant submits that if the situation develops poorly, your servant should be executed by her commanding officer as an apology to the Sorcerer King for your servant’s misdeeds.”

「属下以为、万一事情发展不如预期，长官应该会将属下杀死，以属下的性命向魔导王赔罪才是」

Remedios’ eyes went wide as she heard that. However, they quickly narrowed in displeasure once more. Beside her, VIce-Captain Gustav nodded vigorously in respect.

蕾梅蒂欧丝听了，不禁睁大双眼。然而很快地那双眼睛又不快地眯了起来。旁边的古斯塔博副团长则

似乎是佩服地频频点头。

“Do you think that’s enough for forgiveness? Do you think a life like yours will be enough of an apology?”

「你以为这样就会获得原谅了吗！以为用你这傢伙的一条命就可以当成赔罪不成！」

“Your servant does not know, but I am certain you will be able to think of something, Captain-sama.”

「属下不知道可不可以，但是团长大人们的话，应该会想些什麽办法的才是」

“And what will you do if we can’t think of anything!?”

「要是我们想不出办法的话，你打算怎麽办啊！」

Indeed, just like the Captain said, it was very likely that even executing Neia would not be enough to earn the Sorcerer King’s forgiveness. However, Neia had still said what she had in the audience chamber because three years was far too long.

确实如团长所说，就算手刃了涅娅，仍大有可能无法获得魔导王的原谅。但是，明知如此的涅娅依旧

在谒见厅上将那番话说了出来，这是因为三年实在是太久了。

Could it be the Captain was willing to accept waiting for three years? Why am I being scolded by someone who didn’t do anything? I knew that the lives of the Holy Kingdom’s people hung in the balance, so I should not act of my own accord. Even so, someone should have done something back then…

（难道团长觉得三年是可以接受的吗？为什麽我必须要被一个没有采取任何行动的人责骂呢？我明白

因为已经赌下去了，天平的一边是圣王国众多人民的性命，因此不可擅自行动。尽管如此，那时候还

是应该採取行动的才对……）

Was it not fine as long as there was a good outcome, or was the process more important? She probably could not give an answer like that.

只要结果是好的就好，还是说过程比较重要呢？这个答案大概谁也给不出来。

Even so, it was hard for someone who had stepped forward to do something to endure a lecture from someone who had done nothing.

但是不论如何，付诸行动的人却被一个什麽都没做的人责骂，这实在是难以接受。

Of course, Neia had a pretty good idea of what would happen if she actually said that. Therefore, she remained quiet and simply lowered her head.

然而要是真的把上面这些话讲了出去，情况会演变成怎麽样，涅娅倒是能够预测。因此她什麽也没有说，只是把头低了下去。

“Captain, that should be enough. Thanks to her, we’ve saved a year of waiting. Rewards and punishment need to be used in balance. Perhaps you ought to be praising her to a similar extent, Captain.”

「团长，这样就够了吧。多亏了她，我们可是缩短了一年的等待啊。赏罚应该是用来取得平衡的工具才对。否则团长也应该对涅娅加以同程度的夸奖才是」

“...Cheh.”

「…………呿」

The Captain looked like she had not had her fill of berating Neia as she turned and left.

看起来好像还骂不够的团长转过身，走了出去。

Gustav sighed, and then turned to face Neia.

古斯塔博呼了口气，然后转过来面对涅娅。

“Your resolve is truly admirable. The Captain might look that way, but the truth is, she respects your contributions.”

「你的觉悟实在是令人赞赏。团长虽然那样子说，但是心裡还是承认你的贡献的」

That was most definitely a lie. That was a lie which nobody could cover up.

绝对是骗人的。这是一个不论什麽人都没办法蒙溷过去的大谎话。

Perhaps Gustav had sensed her thoughts from her expression, but he looked her in the eye and then smiled bitterly.

可能是自己的想法从脸上露了出来，古斯塔博见状面露苦笑。

“In any case, I’ll go talk to the Captain about this. However, if you run into her now, things might get a bit prickly. Could I trouble you to take a walk outside for a bit?”

「总而言之，待会我会和团长讲点什麽的。但现在你要是和她对上面的话，事情怕会变得难以处理，

能麻烦你稍微到外面去走走吗？」

“Your servant understands. Thank you, Vice-Captain.”

「属下明白，麻烦副团长了」

Once outside the inn, Neia found herself unable to move in the chill winds of winter.

走出旅馆，在冬季寒风之中，涅娅无力地踏出脚步。

“I just feel… hahhh…”

「总觉得……唉……」

While she had been told to take a walk outside, where should she go in this country?

虽说去外面走走，是要去这个国家的哪裡走走呢？

Neia felt around in her pockets and produced a small leather pouch. There was a bit of money inside, a few copper and silver coins from the Holy Kingdom. If those could not be used, Neia still had a trading gold coin. It would be more than enough to get a meal. However, this gold coin was the very last piece of pocket money Neia’s parents had given her. Where should she spend this valuable piece of pocket money?

涅娅把手探进怀裡找了找，握住一个小小的皮囊。皮囊裡只有一点点钱，虽然没多少，但裡头还有一

点圣王国的铜币和银币。要是不能用的话，涅娅还有一枚通用交易金币。吃东西的话是十分足够的。

只是，这枚金币可是涅娅的双亲给她的最后的、重要的零用钱，用在这种地方真的好吗？

Neia looked at the foreign land before her.

涅娅望着眼前的异国之地。

“What a pain… hahh…”

「真是麻烦啊……唉……」

“Well, you sound depressed.”

「你叹的这口气还真沉啊」

The sudden voice from close by made Neia’s shoulders shudder

突然，从近处发出的声音，让涅亚的肩膀颤了起来。

“Walk down that road over there, this place is too obvious,”

「赶快进去那边那条路，这裡太显眼了」

The owner of this voice was not someone she would forget in a hurry, and Neia restrained herself just as she was about to cry out. After walking as directed, she heard something moving from behind her. It would seem that it was not just a voice she was hearing, but there was someone actually behind Neia, only that said person had made themselves invisible so Neia could not see them.

这个声音的主人是很难在一时三刻内忘记的人物，差点就要叫出声来的涅娅连忙忍下。按照指示踏出

脚步之后，涅娅的背后也传来有什麽东西在走动的声音。看来并非只是仅仅传递声音，而是本人实际

就在涅亚的背后，只是用了某种手段让涅亚看不见而已。

After turning down the road as directed, she heard the voice say, “Take the alley on the left”. Neia obeyed silently.

走进旁边的道路后，马上又传来「进去左手边那条小巷子裡」的声音。涅娅安静地依照指示行动。

The alley was surprisingly clean, with no passers-by .

巷子裡意外的颇乾淨，而且没有路人通过。

After walking several steps, Neia turned and spoke the name of the voice’s owner.

往前走了几步，涅娅转过身来，喊出声音主人的名号。

“Your Majesty, dare I ask why you have come here? Am I unable to see you because of magic?”

「魔导王陛下，敢问陛下来到这种地方有何要事？看不见您的姿态是因为魔法的关係吗？」

“I see, so that’s why you were such a good girl. So you knew who I was.”

「原来如此，才奇怪怎麽这麽听话，原来是因为知道我是谁的缘故啊」

Saying so, the Sorcerer King revealed himself.

说完，魔导王显露出了自己的模样。

He had changed into an unassuming black robe, but even that robe of his gleamed like velvet. One could imagine that it was a very high-end piece of clothing.

身上的服装变成了较不引人注目的深黑色长袍，但是这袭长袍也显露出有如天鹅绒的光泽，推估也是

相当高级的服装。

Neia immediately genuflected before him.

涅娅立刻屈膝行礼。

“Yes, it is as Your Majesty says. Also… may I ask where Your Majesty’s followers are?”

「是的，正如陛下所言。另外……请问陛下的随从们……又是身在何处呢？」

“No, I did not bring followers with me. After all, having them around would make things troublesome.”

「不，我没带随从。毕竟要是带他们来可就麻烦了啊」

“W-why is that?”

「这、这又是为何缘故？」

“Mm, I want to speak with your Captain in private, so please go and get her… no, it would be better to do so in a room… Can you help me open the room of the window? I will enter through there.”

「嗯，我想和你们团长私下聊几句，麻烦你把她叫出……不，还是在房间裡好……你可以帮我把房间的窗户打开吗？我从那裡进去」

That was a bizarre request. Normally, she would not open the window just like that. However, she was dealing with the king of this country, and a king who had agreed to aid the Holy Kingdom. Faced with the Sorcerer King’s request, there was no way Neia could do anything to ruin his mood.

这个要求颇是奇特。一般来说是不会就这样把窗户打开的，但是对方可是这个国家的国王，还是答应要支援圣王国的王者。面对魔导王的要求，涅娅可不能做出有损对方心情的愚蠢举动。

The word “assassination” flashed through Neia’s mind, but if the Sorcerer King had wanted to do that, he could have done so in the audience chamber.

暗杀两字忽地掠过涅娅心头，但魔导王真要动手的话，大可在谒见厅就动手了。

Of course, this might be someone masquerading as the Sorcerer King. However, the person before her had the form of an imposing ruler, so he was unmistakably the Sorcerer King from back then. Every move he made was something that was only possible by someone who was a born ruler.

当然，也有可能是别人在假冒魔导王的模样。但眼前人物那有如压倒性支配者的姿态，确实就是当时的魔导王没错。一举手一投足，都是只有天生的王者才能展露出来的动作。

Should she trust him? Or not?

究竟是该信呢？还是不该信呢？

Neia pondered this, and chose the former.

涅娅考虑之后，选择了前者。

“Understood. Then, I shall go and do so immediately.”

「遵命、那麽事不宜迟我马上去办」

“Mm… come to think of it, were you sent out on a mission? If that was the case, I ought to apologize to your Captain.”

「嗯……话说回来，你是被派到哪裡去出任务吗？若是这样的话，就由我来向你的团长道歉吧」

“Eh?”

「诶？」

“...Eh?”

「……诶？」

Neia could not help exchanging glances with the Sorcerer King.

涅娅不由得和魔导王对望了一眼。

“...If it was not a mission, then this must be your own free time, no? In that case, it is very valuable -- mm, I should apologize to you for taking up your precious rest time by making you do things.”

「……并非任务的话，那就是你的自由时间之类的囉？要是这样的话，那可是宝贵的——嗯，在你非常宝贵的休息时间中，却要求你做事，我该为此道歉才对呢」

“No, no, Your Majesty shows me too much concern; there is no need… in any case, I will go and open the window to the Captain’s room now.”

「不、不、陛下言重了，没有这样的事……总而言之，我这就去把团长房间的窗户打开」

Neia immediately ran from the Sorcerer King’s side.

涅娅立刻从魔导王身旁奔了出去。

Those kind words from someone else were like someone carefully applying a soothing liniment to a palm covered in scrapes and bruises.

来着他人温柔的言语，就像是在表皮皲裂满是伤口的手掌上，小心涂上了含有油份的湿润药膏一样，

They seeped into Neia’s heart, and it surprised her.

渗透进了涅娅心裡，令她不由得为之惊讶。

Neia ran with all her might, and immediately returned to the inn.

涅娅全力奔跑，立刻回到了旅馆裡。

Naturally, one could not run around inside a high-end inn, but Neia could not lag behind for that reason. In the end, she moved as quickly as possible without causing a breach of etiquette, and although the employees’ gazes felt a little icy, she finally reached the door to the Captain’s room.

在高级旅馆裡头当然是不能乱跑的，但是涅娅也不能因为如此就慢吞吞的走路。她只好在勉强不至于失礼的前提下、以尽可能更快的速度前进，虽然感觉旅馆的员工的视线有点冰冷，但涅娅终究来到了团长房间门口。

Neia immediately knocked on the door, then found that it was locked when she thought to try the handle. A chill ran through Neia’s heart as she realized that she was the only one who had been cast out, but now was not the time to worry about that sort of thing.

涅娅立刻敲门，然后在打算开门的时候才发现门被上了锁。只有自己被排除在外的现状让涅娅心裡一凉，但现在不是在乎那种事情的时候。

“I am Squire Neia Baraja, please open up.”

「我是侍从涅娅巴拉哈，请开门」

The door clicked open, and a paladin showed his face from behind it.

门喀嚓一声，一名圣骑士从门后露出脸来。

“Forgive me,” she said; now was not the time to observe each and every point of etiquette. Neia then turned to Remedios, who was within the room, and said, “The Sorcerer King wishes to speak to you in private, Captain.”

「恕我失礼」没有时间去一一遵守礼节，涅娅对着房裡的蕾梅蒂欧丝说道「魔导王陛下想要私下和

团长谈谈」

Neia could sense everyone’s eyes looking behind her back.

可以感觉到房内众人惊讶的视线往涅娅背后望去。

“No, that’s not it. He’s not there.”

「不，不是的。不是在那儿」

Saying so, Neia strode over to the window and opened the door.

涅娅说完，便立刻快步走到窗边，将窗户打开。

As expected of a high-class establishment, the windows slid smoothly open, without any trace of jamming.

不愧是高级的旅馆，窗户滑顺地打了开来，一点也没卡住。

“What are you doing!?”

「干什麽！」

From a third party’s perspective, this was a sudden, rash outburst. It was only natural that a paladin would bellow at her. It was even less tolerable for a paladin who had once been placed in charge of the Holy Queen’s security.

从第三者的眼光看来，这根本是宛如突发暴行的举动。一名圣骑士喝出声来也是理所当然。从曾担任过圣王女警备任务的圣骑士的观点而言更是无法接受。

However, Neia ignored them as she leaned her upper body out of the window and waved to the Sorcerer King, who ought to be outside.

但是涅娅并不理会，她将上半身探出窗外，对着应该在外头某处的魔导王挥手。

After that, Neia was dragged back in by her collar.

接着涅娅就被人拎着后领扯了回去。

“What are you on about, Squire Baraja? Don’t just fling the window open like that. More to the point, there’s no trace of the Sorcerer King!”

「你在干什麽，侍从巴拉哈。别随便把窗户打开，更何况、哪里有魔导王的影子！」

Looking back, she saw a red-faced paladin. His anger was only to be expected. However--

回头一看，是一名满脸通红的圣骑士，他的愤怒是理所应当的。只是——

“That will do, I think. She broke your rules at my behest. If blame must be assigned, then let it fall upon me.”

「差不多就这样吧。她是听从了我的请求、才破坏了你们的规矩。真的要责怪的话，就来责怪我吧」

A quiet voice echoed through the room.

沉静的嗓音在室内响起。

The Sorcerer King slowly revealed himself from where he stood upon the window frame.

站在窗框上，魔导王缓缓显露出其姿态。

Neia saw a paladin reaching for the longsword at his waist, and frantically made to stop him.

见到圣骑士将手往腰际长剑伸去，涅娅连忙阻止。

“Mm… it seems I have alarmed you. That was a lack of forethought on my part. I chose to come by myself because I wished to speak with you in private. While it might be somewhat rude to enter via a window, it cannot be helped for the sake of going incognito. I hope you can understand that… And I must apologize to her as well.”

「嗯……看来让你们吃惊了啊，是我考虑不周。因为想要跟你们私下谈谈，我才会像这样单身赴会。虽然从窗户进来确实是有失礼数，但为了掩人耳目也只能这样了。希望你们可以理解。……对她也着实抱歉」

After descending from the window, the Sorcerer King surveyed the room around him.

从窗户下到房间地上，魔导王以王者之姿，环顾了室内一圈。

“...I am the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown.”

「……我乃安兹・乌尔・恭魔导王」

Upon the mention of his name, Neia fell to one knee before anybody else. A moment later, she heard the paladins behind her simultaneously genuflecting.

名号一出，涅娅比谁都率先屈膝行礼。慢了几拍，才听见她身后的圣骑士们一齐屈膝行礼的声音。

“Very well… You may rise, Since there is no time, is it convenient to have a word with you, Captain Custodio?”

「好的。……可以起来了。由于没什麽时间，卡斯特迪奥团长阁下，方便与你说几句话吗？」

“We have no objections, Your Majesty. Then, please come this way.”

「我们没有异议，陛下。那麽麻烦请来这边」

As Neia rose, she let her breath out -- just in time to meet the eyes of the Sorcerer King, who had turned around. Of course, there were no eyeballs in the Sorcerer King’s eye sockets, so saying she gazed into his eyes was entirely Neia’s imagination.

站起身的涅娅呼地舒了口气——恰好和转身过来的魔导王视线对上。当然，魔导王眼眶裡并没有眼珠子，所以视线对上也可能只是涅娅单方面的想像罢了。

“Will that squire not be taking part?”

「那边那位侍从不参加吗？」

“She is just a squire, Your Majesty?”

「她只是个侍从罢了，陛下」

“Yet was she not at the audience chamber just now?”

「刚才不是就有在谒见厅吗？」

The Sorcerer King’s natural tone made him sound like he genuinely did not know. However, his words contained a powerful sense of sarcasm.

魔导王自然的口吻，听起来就像是真的感到不明白一样，但那其中包含的讽刺之意极为强烈。

“Squire Baraja, come join us.”

「侍从巴拉哈，你也过来参加」

“Yes!”

「是！」

Although Neia was not very keen on taking part, for some reason she wanted to know why the Sorcerer King had come to visit them.

虽然涅娅并不是很想参加，但不知为何，心裡却很想知道魔导王究竟为何要在此时来访。

Remedios and Gustav faced the Sorcerer King over a table, while Neia and the others stood by the walls. This was the same way in which they had received Blue Rose.

蕾梅蒂欧丝以及古斯塔博，还有魔导王分别在桌子两边坐下，涅娅等人则靠牆边站着。是和接待苍之蔷薇时相同的构图。

“Now then, Your Majesty, please permit me to ask a direct question. May I inquire as to why you have graced our humble lodgings?”

「那麽、魔导王陛下，请恕我单刀直入的发问。敢问陛下突如其然地来访我等下榻的旅馆，究竟是出于何种原因？」

Remedios nodded at Gustav’s question.

随着古斯塔博的发问，蕾梅蒂欧丝也点了点头。

“But of course. Like I said before, I dislike beating around the bush. After all, doing so makes it easy for one’s words to have their meanings twisted or otherwise misinterpreted.”

「那当然。之前也说过了，我不太喜欢拐弯抹角的说话。毕竟那样一来，讲的话容易被人曲解其义、或者形成错误的理解关係」

The Sorcerer King’s words had a sense of personal concern to them which was hard to explain.

魔导王的话语中带有一种难以描述的切身之感。

“While I have already decided to send out Momon in two years’ time, if you can agree to a request of mine, it is not impossible for my Sorcerous Kingdom to immediately deploy an entity on par with Momon.”

「虽然已经决定派遣飞飞的时间点是在两年之后，但要是你们愿意答应我一个要求的话，要我魔导国立刻派遣一名可与飞飞匹敌的人物也不是不行」

“On par with Momon?” Remedios could not help but exclaim.

「可与飞飞匹敌？」

蕾梅蒂欧丝不禁高声道。

“...May I know the nature of the request which Your Majesty wishes to make? Depending on the nature of the request, I pray you will forgive us if we cannot immediately give Your Majesty an answer.”

「……陛下所说的要求，究竟是什麽样的要求呢？依据要求的内容，恕我等恐怕无法当场回复陛下」

The Sorcerer King chuckled in response to Gustav’s words, and then he spoke.

对接着发言的古斯塔博，魔导王笑了出来、说道。

“But of course. Given your present state, I can roughly imagine… now, calling you a resistance movement would be a pretty spin on things, but the fact is that you are most likely a band of guerillas hiding in caves, am I wrong?”

「那当然是如此。诸君的现状，我大概想像的出来……抵抗势力说来好听，但实际上、恐怕只是躲藏在洞窟裡的一小撮武装集团对吧？」

Everyone in the room held their breaths. Neia was no exception.

在场所有人的呼吸声一瞬间都停止了。涅娅也不例外。

Why could the Sorcerer King speak about the true nature of their circumstances? How had he divined this? Highlighting the cave issue was particularly impressive.

魔导王为何能够讲出实际的现状呢？他是怎麽看透的？尤其是能够将洞窟这点特定出来，实在厉害。

The Captain and Gustav’s faces did not move, but their eyes looked over to Neia. It would seem they believed she had leaked the truth about them to the Sorcerer King. Thus, Neia shook her head to indicate, “it wasn’t me”.

团长和古斯塔博脸不动，只用视线看向涅娅，看来是认为一定是她把实际现状洩漏给魔导王。因此涅亚稍微摇了摇头，表示「不是我」之意。

The Sorcerer King ignored Neia and the others’ shock and continued speaking.

魔导王无视涅娅等人的惊愕，继续说道。

“The strength of the south is untouched, but yet you did not seek to cooperate with them and conduct joint operations. That is because a rift exists between yourselves and the southern nobles. That being the case, once you -- who failed to protect the Holy Queen -- fall under the command of the new Holy King, it will probably be very difficult for you to hold on to your previous positions. Therefore, you cannot offer me land, titles, trade concessions, and other such privileges. If you actually kept your words on this matter, the possibility of war with my Sorcerous Kingdom exists, depending on what conclusions the next Holy King reaches.”

「明明南部地方的势力并没受到影响，你们却没有採取和他们合作之后共同行动的手段，这是因为和南方的贵族之间存有嫌隙。如此一来，没有完成保护圣王女任务的你们在新圣王的麾下，恐怕是很难保持和之前一样的地位了。因此，诸如与领土、爵位、交易事宜有关的特权等等，你们也无法向我提供。要是你们真的承诺了这样的事情，依据下一任圣王的判断结果，也有可能会与我魔导国爆发战争」

The Sorcerer King clearly highlighted the key points of the war with the demihumans, as well as the decisions they had made about their future.

彷彿是在背诵什麽似的，魔导王明确地针对涅亚等人的现状，以及他们的未来做出了评论。

“Similarly, you cannot use your nation’s treasures as bargaining capital. For instance, the holy sword which you bear, Captain Remedios. If you actually did try to trade them, the most you could do was treat the country’s treasures as having been plundered by Jaldabaoth and then turn them over to me. However, doing so is very dangerous. Should someone inform the next Holy King that said wealth was actually obtained from you, trust in you paladins will most likely sink like a stone. Worthless, in other words. Therefore, all you ladies and gentlemen can do is what you did at the audience chamber, informing me of your plight -- mm, I imagine that I have hit the nail on its head, given the expressions on your faces.”

「同样的，国宝也不可能拿来当成筹码。比如说像是卡斯特迪奥团长身上的圣剑。如果真要拿来交易的话，大概就只能把国家的财宝当成被卡达巴沃抢走之后，再把东西交给我吧。但这样的做法很是危险，要是有人将我其实是从你们这边获得财宝这件事告诉了下一任圣王，各位圣骑士的信用恐怕就会跌至谷底、变得一文不值了吧。因此诸君只能在像谒见厅时那样，诉诸于我的怜悯之情——嗯，瞧各位脸上的表情，看来我的推测似乎正中了靶心啊」

After saying all this, the Sorcerer King leaned back against the backrest of his seat.

说完这一番话，魔导王身体往后，靠在椅子的背靠上。

Silence filled the room.

寂静支配了房间内部。

Perfect. He was just too perfect.

完美、实在是太过完美了。

Neia felt an incomparable respect for the Sorcerer King’s profound understanding. Was this the man they called the Sorcerer King, Neia wondered.

涅娅对魔导王的准确解读感到无比敬佩。这就是被称为魔导王的人物吗，涅娅心想。

Neia had met the Holy Queen once, in the past, but the Holy Queen had simply greeted her, and to Neia it had hardly been a chance to meet a true monarch. Thus, to Neia, this was the first time she had made contact with an absolute ruler, one who was possessed of insight and dignity that surpassed all others, and on top of that, incredible power -- in other words, a perfect being.

涅娅过去曾有在近距离见过圣王女的经验，但圣王女只有简单地和她打了招呼，涅娅可说并没有机会和所谓的「王者」真正接触。对涅娅而言，现在才是她和绝对的支配者——具备了足以立于万人之上的眼光与威严、加上远为强大的力量的完美人物——的第一次接触。

This powerful impact left an indelible impression on Neia’s heart.

强大的冲击在涅娅心中留下了难以抹灭的印象。

“That said, anybody could have thought of that. I’m actually embarrassed that I came here and smugly spouted all that… I trust you did not think I had not even considered that much?”

「虽说如此，这种程度是谁都能想像得到的。得意洋洋说出口的我自己都感到有点丢脸了啊……你们应该也不会认为我连这种程度都想不到吧？」

“O-of course, your Majesty!” Gustav replied with a stiff smile on his face.

「当、当然啦，陛下！」

古斯塔博脸上带着僵硬的笑容，回答道。

“Wonderful. If I were taken for an idiot who could not even ascertain that much, I would be unable to face the subordinates who work hard for my sake… now then, building on that, I shall state what I desire -- maids, in other words. I want maids.”

「那就太好了。如果我被认为是连那种程度都看不透的笨蛋的话，可就没脸去见为了我而努力的部下们了啊……那么在此基础之上，就让我说明一下我想要的东西吧——是女仆。我想要的是女仆」

Everyone -- Neia included -- could only stare dumbfounded at the utterly ridiculous words which had just left the Sorcerer King’s mouth.

全员都对魔导王脱口而出的那实在太过那什么的话语——包括涅娅在内——而呆住了。

“...Ah, my apologies. I was being unclear. Hm, how shall I put this. I believe the topic of Jaldabaoth possessing powerful maids came up during our previous meeting. I want them. How much magical knowledge do you possess?”

「……啊啊、抱歉。是我没说清楚。嗯、怎么说呢。在谒见之间说过亚达巴沃有很强的女仆随侍对吧。我是想要那个。你们拥有何等程度的魔法知识呢？」

“None at all.”

「完全没有」

After Remedios said so, the Sorcerer King looked around, as though seeking help.

蕾梅蒂欧丝脱口而出之后，魔导王像是寻求帮助似的转移了视线。

“Is, is that so… well, in that case, I wonder where I should start explaining from… ah, well, that too… Ah -- you can imagine that Jaldabaoth has bound the maids to him by some mechanism. Therefore, my plan is to defeat Jaldabaoth, take that formula for my own, and then place the maids under my control. In this way, my country will gain powerful minions.”

「这、这样啊……这样的话从哪里开始说明比较好呢……那个、也是啊……啊—、可以预想亚达巴沃是以某种契约之类的束缚女仆们的。所以要打倒亚达巴沃、将那术式为我所用、将女仆们纳入支配之下。这样一来我国就能获得强力的下属了这样的计划」

“B-But, we did not encounter Jaldabaoth’s maids in our country…”

「但、但是，我国并没有发现所谓的亚达巴沃的女仆……」

The Sorcerer King laughed at Gustav’s answer.

对于古斯塔博的回答魔导王笑了起来。

“They were sighted in the Kingdom, after all. I find it hard to imagine they were not there. Or perhaps they will not appear until Jaldabaoth is forced into dire straits?”

「毕竟在王国有被目击到过。能难想象没有。若是将亚达巴沃逼至穷境说不定就会出现的哦？」

“Let me reiterate… we are still not sure if the maids really exist. If it should happen that the maids do not exist, what will you do, Your Majesty?”

「我再重复一次……还不清楚是不是真的有女仆存在。若是、没有女仆存在的场合您要怎么办？」

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I am not asking you to produce something that could substitute for it, in any case. At the very most, I will just write it off as a wasted effort. However, there is the possibility that they might have appeared outside of a maid’s guise, so my request will probably include Jaldabaoth’s subordinates as well. Ahh, that’s right. He might have used some kind of special item to dominate them, so I intend to add a condition that any of Jaldabaoth’s magic items which cannot be determined to be the property of the Holy Kingdom will be mine. It may turn out that the maids which ravaged your Holy Kingdom might end up becoming part of my Sorcerous Kingdom, and in that event I hope I can count on your forgetting your grudges against them since they will then fall under my rule.”

「那就到时候再说吧、我也不是要求你们拿出能够代替的东西来。最多是白忙活一场罢了。但是、也有可能并非以女仆的装扮出现的，所以要求也就包括亚达巴沃的部下哦。啊啊、对了。也许是以什么特定的道具进行支配的，在亚达巴沃所持有的道具之中，若是无法断定是属于圣王国的物品便归我所有，要加上这个条件。搞不好会变成在圣王国中大肆破坏的女仆由魔导国所接受、那时候希望你们能够忘掉对于已纳入我支配之下的她们的怨恨」

“You mean you want us to forgive people who might devastate our country?”

「您要说我们原谅也许在我国大肆破坏过的人物？」

After Remedios retorted unhappily, the Sorcerer King shrugged.

蕾梅蒂欧丝带着若干不愉快的口气说出口之后、魔导王耸了耸肩。

“That is because I stand to gain nothing else from the Holy Kingdom. Or do you mean to say you have something else to offer me?”

「那是因为除此之外没有能够从圣王国得到的东西了啊。还是说你们有什么东西能够提供给我的吗？」

Remedios bit her lip, unable to answer.

无法回答、蕾梅蒂欧丝咬紧了嘴唇。

“Your Majesty, the Captain means to say that as outsiders, it will be very difficult for us to convince the victims to forget their grudges.”

「陛下、并非当事者的我们要被害的人们遗忘那份怨恨是很困难的，团长似乎是想这么说」

“Then you will simply have to work hard to convince them,” the Sorcerer King said in a cold voice. “...No, then, just say that the maids were dominated by the Sorcerer King’s magic and taken away. That ought to quell their hatred somewhat, no?”

「那种程度就努力的、去说服」魔导王发出了冷酷的声音「……不。那么、就发出声明说女仆们受到魔导王的魔法所支配、被带走了就好了。这样多少可以减轻一点怨恨吧？」

What would they do, Neia thought as she heard the Sorcerer King speak. If they still refused to accept the Sorcerer King’s terms after he had made this many concessions to them, it was very likely that they would end up with nothing to show for it. It was plain that these were extraordinarily favorable terms for the Holy Kingdom. If they did not seize this opportunity, then the only way to describe them would be “Remedios”.

究竟如何呢。听到魔导王的话后涅娅这么想到。要是对让步到如此地步的魔导王，还说出「不行」的话所有成果会打水漂的可能性非常高。可以清楚的说，这对于圣王国而言已经是非常破格的条件了。要是不抓住这个机会的话，也只能用愚蠢来形容了。

“That would be quite vexing. Allowing those who ravage--”

「那就很让人困扰。在圣王国大肆破坏的——」

“--Your Majesty!” Gustav shouted over Remedios’ words. “Please allow us to discuss this for a moment! Please give us some time!”

「——魔导王陛下！」古斯塔博盖过了蕾梅蒂欧丝的发言「能否让我们稍微商量一下呢！请给我们一些时间！」

Do you still need to discuss matters after he’s compromised this much? Even Neia felt that it would not be strange for the Sorcerer King to rebuke them. But--

都妥协到这种地步了还需要商量吗、就连涅娅都觉得即使被魔导王责备也不奇怪了。但是——

“Very well. However, taking too long will cause me problems, and I can’t be bothered to move. You don’t mind if I wait here, do you?”

「好吧。要是花太多时间我也会困扰、也懒得移动。就让我在这里等着吧，没关系吧？」

Neia could not help but be surprised by the Sorcerer King’s largesse.

涅娅不禁为魔导王的宽大而感到惊讶。

“Thank you very much. Then, we shall quickly discuss things. I pray you will be patient, despite the disservice we do you.”

「非常感谢。那么我等二人稍微商量一下。虽然失礼了不过还请陛下在此稍候」

“That’s fine. Go talk it out.”

「没有关系。你们好好的商量吧」

The two of them rose to leave, and then they returned with surprising swiftness. No, they had already reached the conclusion from the beginning.

两人站起身走出房间、然后令人意外的很快就回来了。不、只是结论从一开始就得出来了吧。

“Forgive the delay, Your Majesty.”

「让您久等了、魔导王陛下」

“Oh no, go ahead and discuss more, it’s fine. Well then, how goes it?”

「不、你们再多商量一下也没关系呢。那么怎么样了？」

“Yes, our conclusion is that we will abide by all of Your Majesty’s terms.”

「是的、我等所得出的结论是，全面遵从魔导王陛下所言」

“I am not asking you to obey me. I am simply making a trade. Well, that doesn’t matter. Now then, while we should put it in writing, I lack the necessary equipment and stamps. Let us discuss this later… You don’t mind if I use the Kingdom’s writing, no?”

「我并不是要你们服从我，只是与你们做交易而已。嘛、也没关系。那么、虽然应该写成文书、但现在没有为此准备的道具和印鉴。就日后再说吧……用王国的文字来写没关系吧？」

“There are people here who can read it, so it is fine. Then, may I trouble you to introduce us to the person who is on par with Momon?”

「有能够阅读的人在，所以没有问题。那么陛下。能否请您介绍一下、能与飞飞阁下所匹敌的那位人物呢？」

“Ahh, he is standing before you right now -- in other words. myself.”

「啊啊、就在你们的面前——也就是我」

Silence filled the room once more, and Neia and the others were unable to speak as they stared.

静寂瞬间支配了现场、涅娅等人瞠目结舌。

After blinking several times, their brains finally regained the ability to function.

眨了好几次眼睛后、大脑才终于开始了运转。

“Your Majesty is as strong as Momon?”

「魔导王陛下与飞飞差不多强吗？」

Remedios’ words made Neia freeze in place, but there was a man who had made a move because of these words.

蕾梅蒂欧丝的发言虽然让涅娅冻结在原地，但也有一个男人为这发言而做出了行动。

“Please, please wait a moment, Captain. There’s something else we need to ask His Majesty before this.”

「请、请稍等一下。团长。比起这个还有必须要向魔导王陛下请教的问题」

Gustav turned to the Sorcerer King. “Ah, will it really be alright if Your Majesty leaves your nation and goes to the Holy Kingdom? I do not know how much time that will take.”

古斯塔博转而面向魔导王。「那、那个陛下要离开国家，来圣王国这件事没有问题吗？不清楚会为这件事需要花费多少时间啊」

“That will not be a problem. Unlike Momon, I can use teleportation magic, So long as I can find your base, I can return to the Sorcerous Kingdom at any time.”

「那没有问题。与飞飞不同我可以使用转移魔法。只要将其定位于各位的据点的话，就能够随时往返于魔导国之间」

“B-but, even so, surely having the ruler of a nation come in person is just too--!”

「不、不过，即使这样要让身为一国之主的大人亲自过来也太！」

“After listening to me, did you not think that I will be coming in person? I did say I intended to defeat Jaldabaoth and bring the maids under my control, you know? It would be too much of a stretch to do all that from the Sorcerous Kingdom. In addition, with regards to Captain Custodio’s question, I am stronger than Momon.”

「听了我说的话，还没有想到是我亲自过来吗？我可是说了要打倒亚达巴沃，将女仆们纳入支配下哦？不管怎么说要从魔导国来弄的话也稍微太远了些。另外就是卡斯特迪奥团长大人的问题，我可是是比飞飞还要强哦」

“Then, there should be no problems with that, Gustav.”

「那么、就没问题了，古斯塔博」

“Of course there’s problems with that! Your Majesty! This jest of yours is really quite vexing for us!”

「太有问题了啊！魔导王陛下！您开这种玩笑很让人困扰的！」

The Vice-Captain clutched his gut as he shouted that.

按着胃的周围的副团长在吼叫。

“This is no jest. Nobody other than me can defeat Jaldabaoth. In addition, I will be going by myself. I will not bring an army with me. Therefore, I will be coming alone, as I have now, in order to conduct secret talks.”

「这可不是开玩笑。除我之外可没有人能战胜亚达巴沃。还有就是我会单独前往。没有带军队去的打算。所以为了能够秘密的进行商谈我才会像这样独自一人前来」

“But if Your Majesty sustains an irrecoverable injury from Jaldabaoth, it might lead to unrest between our country and the Sorcerous Kingdom!”

「倘若陛下因亚达巴沃而受到无法恢复的重伤的话，会成为我国与魔导国之间不和的导火线的！」

“It, it is as Gustav says. Your Majesty, are there truly no problems in that respect?”

「这样、我家的古斯塔博如是说。魔导王陛下、关于这点没问题吗？」

“None at all.”

「没有问题」

“But--”

「但——」

“--Gustav! I’m still talking. Don’t interrupt me!” After holding out her hand to stop Gustav, Remedios bowed deeply.

“Then, we will be in Your Majesty’s care.”

「——古斯塔博！我还在说话。不要打扰我！」将对着古斯塔博伸出的手回复原位、蕾梅蒂欧丝深深的低下头「那么陛下、就请您多关照了」

♦ ♦ ♦

The air in the room calmed, as if a storm had just passed -- and indeed, it had -- but Gustav’s shout echoed off the walls.

就像风暴过后——实际上也确实是风暴——漂浮着弛缓的空气的房间里，回响着古斯塔博的吼声。

“What are you thinking!? Recruiting a king! The king of a country! To fight Jaldabaoth and whatnot!”

「您在想什么啊！将一国之王！招募来！与亚达巴沃进行战斗什么的！」

Neia agreed with him.

涅娅也同意这个意见。

He might not operate by common sensibilities, but this was simply senseless.

就算不按常理也该有个限度。

Amidst all this, Remedios spoke quietly.

在那之中、蕾梅蒂欧丝轻轻的开口道。

“Say, don’t you think that it doesn’t matter what happens to the undead?”

「呐、你们不觉得、无论不死者变成怎样都不是什么大问题吗？」

The room fell silent once more.

周围再次沉静下来。

“...You have a demon, and you have an undead being. We won’t be harmed regardless of who gets wiped out. Don’t you think?”

「……恶魔和不死者。无论哪一方被消灭都对我们不会造成损害。不是吗？」

Gustav’s eyes went wide. This was not acceptance of his Captain’s opinion, but shock at what his Captain had just said.

古斯塔博睁圆了眼睛。那不是接受了团长的意见、而是对团长的发言表示惊愕的表情。

“Both of them are enemies of mankind. Then ideally, it would be best if both sides destroyed each other… that said, we won’t just sit back and reap the profits. Even if the Sorcerer King is wounded unto death by Jaldabaoth, we will not take advantage of his plight. However, that is all.”

「不管哪一方、都是人类的敌人。那么双方共同毁灭的话是最好的了……虽然这么说但我们不会坐取渔利。即使魔导王因亚达巴沃而受到濒死的重伤、我等也不会乘人之危。但是、也仅是如此」

Remedios’ voice grew louder.

蕾梅蒂欧丝的话音大了起来。

“...Captain. If the Sorcerer King, who controls so many undead, is destroyed, then when these undead are freed, will it not cause all manner of havoc?”

「……团长。支配着如此庞大数量的不死者的魔导王被消灭的话，那些不死者获得自由、不会演变为巨大的骚乱吗？」

“When the time comes, the Kingdom, the Empire and the Theocracy will cushion the blow. Of course, we will send aid as well, but the Holy Kingdom has been too badly ravaged by Jaldabaoth. Until our country recovers its strength, all we can do is cheer them on… From that point of view, our country stands to gain the most from a clash between Jaldabaoth and the Sorcerer King…”

「到那时王国、帝国、教国会首当其冲的成为盾牌吧。当然、我国也会前往支援，但圣王国受到亚达巴沃的损害实在太大了。待到我国的国力恢复之前，只能请他们加油了呢。……这样一想的话，使得魔导王与亚达巴沃相冲突的我国将会是最大的受益者……」

“--Captain!” Gustav’s face was stone as he spoke. “How is this justice?”

「——团长！」古斯塔博脸色严峻的说到。「这哪有正义可言！」

“It is. It’s all for the sake of our nation. It is to save the people who suffer the most. It isn’t like I hope that the seeds of suffering will spread to other countries . I also wish for the victory of the Sorcerous Kingdom as it assists the Holy Kingdom.”

「有。都是为了我国。为了拯救最为苦难的人们。并不是说我希望将苦难的种子撒向别国。我也希望是支援圣王国的魔导王获得胜利啊」

Who is this, Neia thought as she looked at Remedios, who was saying all this in a calm, even tone.

看着以平静的口吻说着话的蕾梅蒂欧丝，这是谁啊、涅娅不禁这么想到。

Was this really the Captain of the paladins of the Holy Kingdom, Remedios Custodio?

这真的是圣王国圣骑士团团长、蕾梅蒂欧丝·卡斯特迪奥吗。

Neia was not too clear about her situation. After all, she had always been looking at her from afar. However, she felt that she was a completely different person from the Captain she had heard of.

涅娅并不太清楚她的事情。毕竟一直以来几乎都是从远处观望的而已。只是，总感觉与传闻中的团长简直判若两人。

“Gustav, you don’t object, right? If you can accept this, then we ought to consider our next move.”

「古斯塔博。没有异议了吧？要是能接受的话，就必须要考虑下一步了」

“Our next move, you say?”

「下一步、是吗？」

“...We have to think about how to properly make use of the Sorcerer King.”

「……不考虑一下好好利用魔导王的方法可不行」

A chill ran down her back.

后背窜上了一股恶寒。

Why am I hearing a conversation like this, Neia thought. No, she was not alone. Peering around, she saw that the paladins standing near her all had the same expression on their faces. Neia must have looked the same way too.

为什么、我会听到这样的对话呢，涅娅想到。不，不仅只是她吧。只要窥探一下周围的样子，就能看到站着的圣骑士们全都浮现着相同的表情。涅娅也一定是相同的表情吧。

“Gustav, do you have any ideas?”

「古斯塔博、有什么好主意吗？」

“No, no, not at all. Shouldn’t we think about what we should do after bringing the Sorcerer King back with us?”

「不、不，完全没有。在那之前不是更该考虑，将魔导王陛下带回去的我等要采取的行动才是呢？」

“Well, if the Sorcerer King isn’t all talk, and he really can fight Jaldabaoth, how about retaking the capital? And then we can ask him to defeat Jaldabaoth right after that.”

「如果魔导王真的不只是满口大话，而是拥有能够匹敌亚达巴沃的力量的话、夺还首都如何？然后请他一口气将亚达巴沃打倒」

“...That would be bad. His Majesty has said that he intends to defeat Jaldabaoth, mape the raids, and then return to his country. Therefore, we ought to leave defeating Jaldabaoth for last in order to reap the greatest benefits… If we follow your suggestion, Captain, we won’t have the strength to defeat the leftover demihumans.”

「……这样最糟糕的。魔导王陛下说过将亚达巴沃打倒，得到女仆们之后就返回自己的国家。所以呢，将亚达巴沃的讨伐安排在最后的最后才能得到最大的利益……若是按照团长的提案，我方并没有打倒残余的亚人军势的解决方案」

“Then what do you propose?”

「那么要采取怎样的战略才好？」

Gustav paused to think, and then he made a suggestion.

古斯塔博稍微思考了一下，然后将一个方案说出口。

“Let’s increase our numbers first. In other words, we need to rescue our captured comrades from the camps.”

「首先设法增加我方的同伴吧。就是救出被囚禁在俘虏收容所中的人们」

“I see! An excellent idea. After all, there are important people we need to rescue.”

「原来如此！好主意啊。毕竟、也有想要救出的大人物在啊」

“You mean the members of the royal family, right?”

「说的是王族的各位吧」

Remedios agreed with an “Ah.”

蕾梅蒂欧丝也「啊啊」的同意到。

Although the Holy Queen had already perished, they had not received news that the entire royal family was dead. If one of them was still alive, perhaps they could use them as a figurehead, and perhaps gain the full cooperation of the southern nobles.

虽然圣王女已经身故，但并没有收到王族全体死绝的情报。若是还能有一人在生的话就可以将那位作为旗帜，说不定就能以此得到南部贵族的全面协助。

“Also, the nobles we can rescue will surely appreciate their liberators.”

「并且能救的贵族们也希望能够救出来」

Most nobles had not expressed their approval of the Holy Queen, and by the Captain’s reckoning, there was nobody there who she was in love with. However, there ought to be some northern nobles with blood ties to the southern nobles. If they did them a favor, they ought to be able to better make a formal request to the southern nobles.

对于圣王女大部分的贵族都没有表示出多大的好意，在团长看来应该是不会有喜欢的对象。可北部贵族之中应该也有与南部贵族血脉相连的人存在吧。卖个人情给他们的话、应该就能更加堂堂正正的要求南部贵族们给予积极支援了。

Remedios looked at Neia.

蕾梅蒂欧丝看了涅娅一眼。

“Squire Neia. Go accompany the Sorcerer King. Make sure you sway him to our side for our sakes.”

「侍从涅娅·巴拉哈。你去跟着魔导王。为了我等要好好的诱导他」

“Hah? Haaaahh!?? Please, please wait! I can’t possible serve a king or something as a squire!”

「哈？哈！？？请、请稍等一下！身为侍从的我要去服侍国王什么的根本不可能啊！」

“All you need to do is work hard on it, no?”

「这点事你努力去做不就好了」

“This isn’t a matter of working hard or not!”

「这不是努力不努力就能解决的事情！」

Usually, she would have agreed immediately, but now she was desperately trying to refuse. This was not something she could casually accept. There must be something wrong with Remedios’ head.

若是平时肯定会答应下来，但现在则是拼命的拒绝。这不是随随便便就能够接受的事情。蕾梅蒂欧丝的脑袋是不是出了什么问题。

“Th-that’s right! Captain,” Gustav chipped in. “If we don’t have someone of appropriate status to serve as his handmaiden, it’ll be taken as an insult to His Majesty.”

「就、就是啊！团长」古斯塔博也参加进来「不让有相应身份的人来做侍女的话，会被认为是对陛下的侮辱的」

“...How many other women are there in the liberation army?”

「……在现在的解放军之中，还有别的女人在吗？」

Those women who could not fight had long since fled to the south. However, that was not to say that they did not exist. The liberation army still had a few women among them. Gustav was about to name some of them when the Captain cut him off.

没有战斗能力的女人几乎都逃往南方了。但是、也不能说是没有。解放军之中还是有少数的。从那里面举出谁的名字好呢，正当古斯塔博要开口之前团长抢先开口道。

“We need a woman from the paladin order. If I gave orders to a woman from the priesthood, what do you think the temples would do? My sister’s no longer around, you know? Also, the person for this duty should be chosen from people who are present and who have heard my thoughts. Can we force this onto someone else?”

「必须是所属于圣骑士团的女人。要是我擅自命令所属神殿势力的女人的话，神殿势力会怎么想？我妹妹不在了哦？并且这个任务应该从在场的，听到我想法的成员中选出才对吧。能把工作强行推给第三者吗？」

That just means you’re pushing it onto me, right, Neia thought, but did not say.

你这不是正往我身上推吗，涅娅虽然这么想但并没有说出口。

“In that case…”

「要这么说的话……」

Gustav looked at the Captain.

古斯塔博看向团长。

“I need to be fighting on the frontlines, you know? Also, do you want me to go accompany the Sorcerer King? Or should we yield all authority to the Sorcerer King?”

「我可是要站在最前线战斗的哦？在此之上，还打算让我去陪魔导王吗？还是说全权交给魔导王？」

“Even if we’re using them, we can’t just go out and do that, right? There’ll be problems with trust, and if the Sorcerer King sees that we have no fighting power and decides to conquer the Holy Kingdom while he’s at it…”

「即使是利用对方，那样直截了当的做法也是不行的吧。不但有信用的问题，若是魔导王看到我方没有战斗力而趁机采取征服圣王国的行动的话……」

After seeing the tongue-tied Gustav, Neia realised the fact that their allies might end up turning on them.

看着语塞的古斯塔博，涅娅察觉到援军坏灭了的事实。

“--Understood. While I might not be sufficient for the task, I will work hard and do my best.”

「——遵命。虽然属下能力不足，但会尽自己所能努力的」

“Ahh. I’ll tell you this first. Your mission is make the Sorcerer King more easily usable. Please him and keep him in a good mood..”

「啊啊。我先说好。你的任务是为了让魔导王变得更方便被利用。适当的拍拍马屁让他保持一个好心情」

This was no longer just an impossible request. It was just plain ridiculous. She had no confidence that she could do such a thing at all. However, no matter what she said, Remedios would not change her mind. Neia hung her head in resignation.

越过了无理的要求，变成岂有此理了。完全没有能够做到那样事的自信。但是无论说什么这个人都不会改变自己的想法的吧，涅娅放弃的低下了头。

“Understood! I will do my best to achieve that aim, and I hope I can count on the aid of everyone here.”

「遵命！我会努力去做的，还请在场的各位也能够多多帮帮我」

“Good. If there’s anything, just ask me and him (Gustav).”

「啊啊。有什么想要的时候就和古斯塔博[这家伙]说吧」

Even as despair filled her heart, Neia was surprised that she was actually feeling a little elated.

涅娅对于怀抱着相当沉重的绝望感的同时、也有些许情绪高涨的自己，不禁感到吃惊。

His Majesty, the Sorcerer King, huh...

（魔导王陛下、吗……）