第１１３掘：勇者と魔王のお話 (Part1)
**Chapter 113: A Tale of the Hero and the Demon Lord**
**Side: Rurua**
With the multi-nation conference concluded, we moved on to discussing the immediate crises at hand. Naturally, the most pressing of these was the situation regarding the Hero.
"Well, as planned, we need to resolve the Hero issue immediately. If we don't, it’s going to be bad for both Gartz and Weed."
Everyone nodded in unison at those words.
"On top of that, because of this whole mess, it’s no longer just Deryu being a Demon Lord that’s out in the open—the fact that there are 'Four Heavenly Kings' (lol) has been exposed as well. The Demon Lord will definitely make some sort of move now. There’s no way to stop the information from spreading, not after that idiot princess went around barking at the top of her lungs."
That’s right. As she was leaving, that idiot princess from Lanks went around spouting nonsense like, "This Weed is being occupied by the Demon Lord and the Four Heavenly Kings!!"
Naturally, she was pointing at Deryu when she shouted it, but Deryu now holds a solid position and enjoys great popularity in this town. The residents of Weed just frowned at the sight of that idiot princess. However, no matter how trivial a rumor may be, it spreads as a joke. And eventually, it will reach the ears of the Demon Lord.
"Honestly, with a royal shouting like that, I don't think it's possible to completely extinguish the rumors," Shera said, causing Seraria to hold her head in her hands.
"To dispel these rumors, we have no choice but to join in the subjugation of the Demon Lord, don't we?"
"…If we just stick to support, it might leave behind a root of future trouble."
"Yes. It’s all that idiot princess's fault, but if we hesitate to send troops now, the joke will become reality."
"Even if it means Lanks collapses?"
"If we could capture and dispose of every single member of the Lanks royal faction without exception, we might be able to manage, but..."
"That’s impossible. There’s no way to distinguish them."
She really has caused us a lot of trouble.
"Well, there's no use dwelling on what's already done. Putting Deryu aside, the fact that we kept Zargis and Leia alive is the real problem. That’s my responsibility. We can decide on punishments later, but for now, we need to get information on the Demon Lord."
"Why would we ever need to punish you!!"
"Exactly!! I object!!"
Seraria and Shera, followed by the other wives, raised their voices in protest.
"Calm down. I’m just saying, *if* things stay as they are."
"So, what will you do?"
"Well, I already have a general idea of the Hero Taiki’s movements, and I can contact him anytime via Call. We can just put on a show of intercepting him to make it look official."
"No, we’re going to annihilate him."
"…I won't stop you, since it’ll also serve to show off our national power. But the real problem is the rumor about us being connected to the Demon Lord. I’m certain the Demon Lord will make some kind of move based on that."
That is the real issue. The possibility of Weed being dragged into the fires of war has increased significantly.
"Even if the Demon Lord just declares that Weed is working with them, it’ll be a massive blow. Honestly, I can't predict what kind of move they’ll make."
"That’s true. Wait, that’s a terrifying thought. If it’s announced that the Demon Lord is working with Weed, that alone would be a huge hit. Surely, several countries would stop trading with us."
"Indeed. Brother, you always come up with the exact strategy that would be most annoying to deal with."
Everyone looked impressed. I truly believe that my husband’s way of thinking is a step above everyone else’s—or perhaps just aimed in a completely different direction. It’s true; if the Demon Lord were to loudly declare an alliance with Weed, some countries would definitely halt trade, the residents would become anxious, and our national power would decline. For a place like Weed, which exists for the sake of its people, that is a move we’d want to avoid even more than a war.
"That’s why gathering intelligence is the priority. I’ve been too busy to deal with them, but it’s time to make them explain. You can come in now."
My husband turned his gaze toward the door. We followed suit, but no one entered.
"Call, Zargis!! Leia!!"
*"Oh, Yuki-master, is something the matter? About the radio, instead of converting magic into electricity, I think it would be better if I just created a spell circle for it..."*
"Never mind that, get to the government building conference room, now!! You’ve heard about the problem, right!!"
*"Oh, I forgot, my apologies. I’m on my way."*
"And Leia, what about you?"
*"The cow is giving birth!! Pull there!! Heave-ho!!"*
"Ah, I see. Come to the conference room when you're done."
*"Yeah, got it!! Look, just a little more!!"*
My husband cut the Call.
"…We’ll overlook Leia being late."
"Agreed."
"She is doing her job properly, after all."
As Seraria said this, everyone nodded. It’s rare to hear such a tense conversation, after all. By the way, Leia is one of the self-proclaimed Four Heavenly Kings who attacked Narjia’s village—a demon who uses fire. Her chest is larger than mine, but since she’s quite tall, her overall proportions are balanced. Currently, at her own request, she’s in charge of agriculture. I was surprised at first, but it seems demons also plow fields, grow crops, and raise livestock to sustain their daily lives. Leia-san apparently comes from a farming village, and she’s been a huge help with our agriculture here. She’s good friends with Kaya-san, and they’re always discussing what crops to grow next.
"Hahaha, my apologies, representatives. Zargis of the Development Division, reporting for du—*Oof!*"
The one who just collapsed after being struck by Seraria’s thrown cup was Zargis, the self-proclaimed genius who created the modified pillbugs that devastated Narjia’s village. Since coming here, he’s been hooked on the rare items my husband shows him, and he spends his days researching and developing ways to mass-produce them in Weed. The magic lamps Zargis created are among the trade goods we brought to Gartz. My husband has him working on this to ensure Weed doesn't just rely on DP, but can produce its own goods.
"Wh-why such treatment!? Leia hasn't even arrived yet!!"
"Leia is dealing with a cow giving birth—that’s force majeure. You, Zargis, are just negligent. Do you understand?"
"M-my deepest apologies."
Zargis immediately bowed his head. By the way, the power dynamic is Wives >> Uncrossable Wall >> Four Heavenly Kings. We’ve trained so that we can physically win one-on-one, so there are no issues. Zargis especially seems unable to stand up to Seraria, and he is even more humble toward Eris and Ratz, who control the finances.
"Now, you know why you were called here, right?"
"Yeah, as Yuki-master said, it’s about the demons, right?"
"That’s right."
"If I may, the topic of demons and the Demon Lord is quite broad. Unless you specify what information you need, I won't know what to tell you."
Zargis shrugged, raising both hands. He’s right. What exactly should we ask to get useful information?
"In the first place, since you call me a 'self-proclaimed' Heavenly King, is there any credibility to what I say?"
He’s right about that, too. Believing what a demon says—that in itself is what people would call foolish. Demons have been passed down through the ages in every country as evil creatures that seek to destroy humanity and take the world into their own hands.
"Well, personally, I have no complaints. Under Yuki-master, the research budget is plentiful, the treatment is fair, and the food is delicious. I’m happy to provide information."
"Why did you come to feel that way? Aren't we the enemies you’re supposed to destroy?"
Seraria asked suspiciously, taken aback by Zargis’s honest and cooperative attitude.
"Ah, starting from there, are we? Yuki-master’s treatment was so normal that I didn't think much of it, but I suppose I should start there. May I explain?"
"Go ahead."
Zargis took a breath and began to speak.
"First of all, what Seraria-dono is saying is fundamentally wrong. We demons are fighting against you humans—the invaders—for the sake of our own survival."
" " "Hah!?" " "
The representatives from the three countries at the conference were stunned. Naturally; they expected the demon to say something else, but instead, he claimed the conflict was for survival, to protect themselves from invaders.
"…Yuki-master, you don't seem surprised."
"Well, I had predicted as much."
"Predicted, you say? May I hear your reasoning?"