LIGHTNOVELONLINE Book 10: Chapter 13: (5)
「……Philia.」
「What is it, Vermudol.」
「You will be taking Kain along, right.」
「Let’s see. Having him in this sort of form is undesirable, but it does seem like it is necessary to have Kain stand in public as the 『Hero』.」
「Just, stop that.」
Hearing Vermudol’s words, Kain made a surprised face, while Philia faintly moved her brow.
「Up until now, he had purposely created 『a self that is not the Hero』. I am sure he desires nothing other than that.」
「……Even if, the fact that Kain is the Hero, would be the method that make that country cooperate in the most peaceful manner?」
「I am sure that you at least understand that relying on the Hero is what made them turn out like that.」
While saying that, Vermudol turned his gaze towards Kain.
In the short term, what Philia was saying was correct.
If it was with the Kain who had his 「Hero」 strength unleashed, it would be possible that the nation’s chaotic situation would settle down all at once.
However, that would also turn into allowing for even more strain afterwards.
That nation, which was like a concentration of many long years of chaos, would definitely go crazy somewhere with this method.
That is why they needed to attack with a different method.
「……Let’s see. You can use Ein.」
「Ha? D, Demon King-sama?」
Receiving Vermudol and Philia’s gazes, Ein displayed a rare sight of discomposure.
Even just being at this place when she was nothing more than a mere intelligence operative was already beyond her position, but it was clear that they were trying to add her to something.
「She gets along fairly well with Kain. By pushing that to the front stage, it should be good enough to make a mediation for the friendship between two nations……no, between different races.」
「……I see. So you intend on publicly closing the fate between mankind and the Mazoku with that.」
「As expected of the woman who continued to refine a foolish plan for many long years, you are quick on the uptake.」
Philia twitched in reaction to Vermudol’s snide comment, but she knew that this was not the time for something like that.
「Very well. Now then, you are fine with going in that direction, right, you two?」
「Eh, no, please wait, Philia-sama! Doesn’t that sound like Ein and I are, um, like lovers……」
「It is fine if you want to do it like that but, I don’t mind if it is a relationship of being friends. Would it be better to be lovers?」
「Kain, don’t drag me into your love circumstances.」
「Ouch!」
Receiving Ein’s kick that was aimed at his shin, Kain raised a scream, and after crouching down, he muttered 「……let’s go with the friend relationship」.
Seeing them like that, although Philia breathed a small sigh, she stood up from her chair and walked over to the two of them.
「It would seem there is no need to make you match with each other. We will be going immediately.」
「Eh, ah, wa-」
Without giving Kain the time to say “wait”, Philia’s group was enveloped in light and transferred……And all that remained were Raidolg with Celis and Reina, and then the Demon God and Vermudol’s group.
「……Now then.」
Raidolg lightly stroked his beard, and sent his gaze towards Celis.
「Next is about you.」
「Eh, me……you say?」
「Umu. In order to overcome the current matter, the Canal Kingdom will promptly need to have a new king. I am sure there will be many hardships from now on, but do you have the resolve?」
In response to Raidolg’s question, Celis surprisingly made the immediate reply of 「Yes」.
Raidolg went 「Hou」, letting out a breath of astonishment, but Vermudol didn’t react to it at all.
「It was for that sake that I resolved myself to fight against my elder sister. While I am unable to pay back any of the numerous debts of gratitude to King Vermudol, I cannot possibly run away from it.」
「I see.」
While saying that, Raidolg turned his gaze towards Vermudol.
That gaze, which seemed to be making sure of something, was by no means a pleasant one……but Vermudol had not a single thing to be ashamed of, and therefore had no reason to avoid his gaze nor get inflamed for being looked at.
What was the most unpleasant thing for him was the gaze of the smirking Demon God that had yet to leave from the top of his lap, but since she wouldn’t listen even if he told her that, it couldn’t be helped.
「Well then, I must tell you. About the origin of the Canal Kingdom……and about the tale that was lost.」
「Lost……By that, does it have something to do with that earlier story about the past……about the far past?」
While asking that, Vermudol remembered something.
Before they transferred to the Dimensional Gap, they had a talk about how the races that were blessed by the Gods had each created their own nations.
However, despite the Canal Kingdom being a country that worshipped Raidolg, the king was not of the race that was blessed by Raidolg, but a Human.
There was an unnaturalness to that, but as he thought, it seemed that the key to unravelling that mystery could be found in the Canal Kingdom’s origins.
「Umu. Vermudol, it would seem you have noticed something, haven’t you?」
「Yeah.」
「In that case, could you reveal a bit of what it is you realized?」
It wasn’t like he didn’t feel like saying “why should I”, but things certainly were on the way to that story.
After lightly clicking his tongue, Vermudol spoke.
「This is just a probability but……first, if my thoughts are correct, among the three princesses, the one with the most qualifications as the successor of the Canal Kingdom should be Celis. Am I wrong?」
「No, you are not mistaken.」
「Heh!?」
This should have been a story of the past, but having the topic of the conversation suddenly turn towards herself, Celis displayed a panicked look……however, after looking at Reina who was standing behind her, she looked relieved and corrected her sitting posture.
「E, excuse me. I was surprised by the sudden development……And so, Vermudol-dono, why me……?」
「……It’s not that big of a deal. It was merely that among the groups that are on this continent, the ones with the most obscure details are the Beastmen. I’m not exactly sure since I haven’t looked at the history books in detail, but I thought that the first king of the Canal Kingdom was probably a Beastman.」
Celis heard that, and remembered the contents of a library book that she read in the past.
The Founding History of the Canal Kingdom.
The contents of the book that were probably quite exaggeratedly dramatized, if she remembered correctly……
「……If I remember correctly, the race of the Founder shouldn’t have been recorded. However, going by the numerous pictures that remained, they should have been Human.」
Human.
If that was the truth, then including the fact that the Cylas Empire’s ship was technology of a different continent, it meant that Vermudol’s conjectures were off the mark.
However, it was there that Raidolg interrupted.
「Nell was a Beastman, you know? Those pictures or whatever, were they not just sketch replacements?」
「Eh, N, Nell!? Isn’t that the name of the queen consort that was said to have devoted herself to the Founder……」
In response to Celis opening her eyes wide, Raidolg shrugged his shoulders.
「It is the opposite. Nell was mannish, but that suited her and was part of her charm. That damned Ganes, even after becoming the prince consort, he was desperate as if he couldn’t give up on it.」
Raidolg spoke as if he was talking about something from yesterday, but Celis was astonished by the contents.
In the history books, the name of the first king of the Canal Kingdom was Ganes, while the name of the queen consort was Nell.
What Raidolg had said was unexpected, but it was because of that that something was realized.
「Then……the history books are incorrect, are they……?」
「Is that not what you had surmised, Vermudol?」
After Vermudol, who had brought up that topic, breathed a small sigh, he reluctantly spoke.
「Yeah. My conjecture is that the Canal Kingdom’s history books were rewritten. I don’t know at which stage it happened but, the Canal Kingdom was originally a Beastman nation……no, that’s wrong. It was probably a nation that focused on the nomadic Beastmen.」
Beastmen. Their greatest defining feature are their animal ears that should be called 「another set of ears」 that grew on their heads.
The Beastmen could instinctually use these ears, which they had more over than the other members of mankind, so the range they could hear was surprisingly larger……that is what was said about them.
They had a nature called wanderlust that made them somewhat unable to stay in a single place for long, and therefore they did not deeply get involved with other races, and not much was known about their ecology.
In one theory, it was said that the Beastmen do not have a specific God that they worship.
This was a story that came out because the Beastmen in the area would frequently commute to the local temple to worship, but since there was a thin basis for it, the theory was heavily criticized.
In addition to that theory, to discern their lifespan and why they go on journeys, it was whispered that they wandered in order to conceal their lifespans that were just as long as the Sylphids, but this had already been mostly denied.
Like this, since the Beastmen were a race with many mysteries to the other members of mankind, various rumors and conjectures about them were made. In addition to that, since the Beastmen kept their silence towards them all, it ended up causing speculations to fly about even more.
Among all of those ,what was decided and regarded as fact among mankind was that since the Beastmen were wanderlust, they had no country, and also wouldn’t create a country.
However, Vermudol’s earlier words straight up raised an objection to this.
That is why Celis had displayed a shaken expression.
「You are correct, Vermudol. To begin with, the Canal Kingdom was a nation that a young Beastman girl call Nell had created seeking a new land.」
Nell, who was the First Princess born in a country known as the Lind Kingdom, had left her country under certain circumstances.
The ones who adored and accompanied Nell at that time would bear the responsibility of being the core of the Canal Kingdom that would later be created in the Shutaia Continent.
「What do you mean by certain circumstances?」
「Well, there were various things like power struggles and diplomatic problems. Since the main problem among those does not matter, why don’t we set that aside.」
Seeing that Raidolg said that while displaying a displeased looking expression, Vermudol predicted that there was probably a no-good occurrence at that time.
He had no intention of dreaming that the other continent would be a utopia, but it seems that there would be similar problems no matter where one went.
「Now then, in any case, Nell’s group had founded the Canal Kingdom as a result of their hardships. Due to having been tired of scandalous disputes, they aimed for a nation of true equality……see.」
That ideal of the Canal Kingdom had gained the sympathy of various people, and the country gradually became bigger.
Carrying the many arms that had been granted to her by Raidolg, Nell was called the Radiant Light King, and the 「Spears of Light Chivalric Order」 that she formed had turned the tables on the mid- and small countries that attacked them for being a rapidly growing outsider country, or for being jealous of the Canal Kingdom, one after another.
The Canal Kingdom continuously absorbed excellent personnel, and became a country that could rival the other large nations.
And then, thanks to the ideals that they touted, it also established its position as a 「neutral country」 that various organizations would set up their headquarters in.
「This is a story from when wars between fellow members of mankind were still prosperous in this continent but……Well, it seemed that the 『equality』 that Nell touted during such a time looked like it was sparkling.」