第１２５掘：大体俺のせい (Part1)
**Dig 125: Mostly My Fault**
**Side: Yuki**
Calm down. I need to stay calm.
"It is no wonder you are surprised. However, I was the Demon Lord. I have no way to prove it, but..."
No, I can use Appraisal, so I know you’re the Demon Lord.
But why?
Actually, never mind that. Let’s confirm if this is a serious mistake or not.
"Deryu. Call Leia and Zargis. Immediately."
"I see. Understood."
Deryu must have been surprised too, but the fact that she followed my instructions so smoothly suggests she’s calmer than the rest of us.
"Leia!? Zargis!? Are the two of them here!?"
She raised her voice in shock, clearly not having expected them to be alive.
"Yes, Lady Liliana Reston. They are here, being... restrained?"
"How should I put it? Are they receiving agricultural guidance and technical development?"
"Wait, what? No torture?"
"Not particularly. I didn't want to pick a fight with the demon race, and I didn't want them to know about Weed either."
"What do you mean by that?"
Yeah, I don’t really know how to explain this. For now, I’ll just tell her the sequence of events that led to them being brought here:
* Zargis destroyed the Fairy village.
* We were requested to intervene, so we captured them.
* Leia arrived and tried to kill Zargis along with us.
* We captured them all together.
* Since letting them go or killing them didn't seem right, I put them to work rather than letting them eat for free.
Done. A wonderfully concise explanation. Actually, it’s been so long that it took me a while to remember it myself. Why is the Demon Lord herself here now, of all times?
...Ah, could she have been ousted by the hardliners? But why at this timing?
Just as I was thinking of asking, the door opened.
"Lady Liliana!!"
"We heard the Demon Lord had arrived."
The two of them walked in.
"Leia, Zargis!! You’re safe!!"
Liliana checked them for injuries with an overwhelmed expression. The two of them looked apologetic, seemingly aware that they had caused her worry.
"It seems there is no mistake. She is indeed the Demon Lord."
"Yeah, no doubt about it. It’s Lady Liliana. The Demon Lord of this generation!!"
"Yes, there is no error here."
"I apologize to you both, but I am already the former Demon Lord."
"What does that mean!?"
Leia asked, clearly shocked.
"Calm down, Leia. It’s simple. The hardliners have risen to power, haven't they?"
"Yes, just as Zargis says. I had managed to keep them in check until now, but after you two went missing, I was pressured by the fact that the Demon Lord had supposedly assassinated the Princess of Roschur in a human country."
Ah, wait a second. I have a bad feeling about this.
"Why? Lady Liliana would never do such a thing!! She desires peace more than anyone else!!"
"I see, Demon Lord. They took advantage of our disappearance, didn't they?"
"Yes. They claimed I ordered the assassination of the Princess and then had the two of you assassinated to cover my tracks."
"So that’s it. They claimed that the peace-loving Demon Lord used the Four Heavenly Kings to force through a hardline peace, and the hardliners used that as a pretext to pick a fight."
"Yes. Even though they were the ones who set the trap, no evidence could be found, and with two of the Four Heavenly Kings missing, the momentum shifted entirely to the hardliners."
This is bad. Isn't this mostly my fault?
I hadn't told Leia or Zargis anything about the situation regarding Elju. There was no reason to share classified international intelligence with people who weren't involved.
Let’s summarize. Demon Lord Liliana was ousted from her position. She likely fled to Weed because she became a political obstacle. I can ask for the details later. The problem is why the hardliners rose to power. They ousted her, claiming her actions were unfit for a peace-seeker.
The main reasons:
1. The assassination of the Roschur Princess (Elju). This was definitely the cause, but the root was Litea. The Demon Lord says the hardliners manipulated things, but there was no evidence to be found—they just exploited the result.
2. The disappearance of two of the Four Heavenly Kings. This was caused by us capturing them. Well, it was Zargis's fault for attacking the Fairy village with his modified pillbugs, but this was convenient for the hardliners.
3. The alliance against the demon race. This was something I proposed to prevent the three nations from depleting their strength and to help Weed develop. It was easy to unite them by blaming the Demon Lord. This was likely the biggest factor.
Conclusion: It’s almost entirely my fault. If you go back further, it’s Litea’s fault. This is bad—in so many ways, this is really bad.
"After I was stripped of my position as Demon Lord because I had become a nuisance, an attempt was made on my life. I barely escaped with my life and came to Weed, which is rumored to have ties with the demon race."
I see. In a way, that idiot Princess of Ranks was useful. If it weren't for her declaration, Liliana might not have known where to flee and could have been killed.
As I was thinking this, Demon Lord Liliana straightened her posture...
"I hear that Weed is governed by Lady Seraria, the former Princess of Roschur. It is not a matter that can be settled by an apology, but I offer my deepest apologies for the loss of your sister, Lady Elju, the treasure of your country. I am truly sorry."
She bowed her head deeply. ...Man, I’m filled with guilt. Eris and Deryu’s faces were twitching, and they looked just as troubled as I felt.
"However, I ask that you do not take my head just yet. I still have something I must convey."
*Gulp.* She’s talking as if she’s already prepared to be executed.
"The reason I came here is that the three-nation alliance has been formed, and the hardliners who ousted me—the peace faction—marched on the Rumel Kingdom just a month ago to reduce the enemy's strength as much as possible. I beg you, please send reinforcements to Rumel and notify the other nations!!"
"What did you say!?"
This is bad. So that’s what it is!! We couldn't contact Rumel because the messengers were being assassinated. I thought it was strange that they hadn't reacted to the value of Weed, but this is the reason.