第４４１堀：過去の姫君 (Part1)
### Chapter 441: The Princess of the Past
**Side: Yuki**
"Ah, come to think of it, I hadn't mentioned this yet. The name of the Dungeon Master believed to be with Nogosh is Bitz Ranks. Apparently, she’s a pitiful princess whose kingdom was usurped by a hero summoned from that other world?"
Oh, ho?
Well now, the hidden side of this situation is starting to come into view.
"Ho-oh. So that trash princess has been making moves, has she?"
"That 'trash-idiot' princess from back then? We really should have just finished her off."
"That’s right. I agree."
"...Should have killed her."
Deryu, Ratz, Tori, and Kaya were overflowing with killing intent, simmering in quiet rage as they heard the news.
I agree with them, honestly, but there were a lot of complications at the time.
Besides, that was a problem Taiki-kun needed to clean up himself.
I’m glad Milly and Aslin weren't here for this. Milly would get too worked up, which isn't good for the baby, and Aslin and the others had direct run-ins with that princess where they were insulted to their faces.
"Um, who exactly is this Bitz Ranks that everyone is so angry about?"
"Hmm. If we don't recognize the name, does that mean this happened on this continent?"
Samantha and Cleena tilted their heads, confused. I’ll have to explain it to Jessica, who was there at the time, later as well. For now, I might as well rehash it for Samantha and Cleena’s sake.
"As Cleena said, it happened on the other continent. Let’s see, to put it simply..."
During the Weed Founding Festival, there was a princess from one of the small nations that had gathered from all over—the Kingdom of Ranks, where Taiki-kun currently serves as King.
Her name was Bitz Ranks.
Taiki-kun called her "Bitch Princess." He said it was only one letter off, so it suited her perfectly.
She was your typical small-time villain—or rather, a tyrant who used the title of "Hero" as a shield to do whatever she pleased. Actually, "small-time villain" is fine.
Regardless, she used the "Hero" brand as a justification to invade and destroy other countries under the guise of righteous cause.
"...What kind of trash is that?"
"Unbelievable. Why was such a thing permitted?"
At the time, the Demon King was still a major threat, so refusing to follow the Hero was equated to siding with the Demon King. That was the grand justification used to strike down anyone who opposed her.
Since the Hero was from the same world as me—which is considered an exceptional case—other nations couldn't easily speak out against her. If she claimed it was for the sake of defeating the Demon King, they couldn't say a word.
"She is truly a piece of trash."
"Mm. Trash."
Back then, Taiki-kun didn't know anything and couldn't distinguish friend from foe, so he played along while gathering information and strength.
He realized Ranks was acting tyrannically and struggled with how to handle it.
He couldn't easily stage a rebellion because it would drag everyone around him into it, and if they called upon other nations, he wouldn't stand a chance.
"...Taiki-sama must have had a truly difficult time."
"...Heroes have it rough, too."
While he was agonizing over this, Weed was established. Since they were moving toward defeating the Demon King through an alliance rather than relying on a single "Hero" as a weapon, Ranks—who had been milking the "Hero" title for all it was worth—could no longer receive those benefits.
So, they went to Weed to pick a fight.
But Taiki-kun saw this as a perfect opportunity to contact other nations and prepare for a rebellion, so he brought Bitch Princess—no, Princess Bitz—with him to the Weed Founding Festival.
However, it was there that Taiki-kun realized Weed’s way of doing things was influenced by another Japanese person, so he tried to make contact with me.
His method was, well, a bit rough, but since Aslin and the others forgave him, it wasn't a problem.
"What did he do?"
"Mm. You shouldn't gloss over that part."
...Er, he suddenly attacked Aslin, who was in her Doppelganger form.
He didn't seem to actually intend to cut her, but it successfully drew me out.
"And he did it with his bare hands, too. My heart nearly stopped that time."
"It’s true. Please, never do that again."
"I agree."
"...The incident that made me think Yuki needs a collar."
"...I have come to understand well that Yuki-sama needs a collar."
"Mm. Yuki doesn't understand his own position. He should wear a collar and let us hold the lead. That would be safer."
No, don't all nod in agreement. I’m not a dog.
Anyway, setting that aside, Taiki-kun and I discussed the situation, and I lent a hand in the overthrow of Bitch Princess—or rather, the Kingdom of Ranks.
The result, as you know, is that Taiki-kun became the King, and the new Ranks was born.
"I see. So, because Nonoa-sama mentioned that the former princess of Ranks is causing this current commotion, everyone is filled with killing intent?"
"Mm. I understand why you’re angry. However, that’s impossible. Yuki is supposed to be the last Dungeon Master. Luna said they haven't appointed any new Dungeon Masters locally in recent years. Bitz’s name wasn't on that list, either. There’s a contradiction, so there’s a possibility that someone is just using the name Bitz."
"As Samantha said, the reason for our killing intent is clear, and Cleena’s deduction isn't wrong. That possibility is very high. But I don't see why they would go out of their way to use a fake name in this situation. On the contrary, it makes more sense that they are hostile toward us."
"What do you mean?"
"In other words, if we go by Nonoa’s story, Bitch Princess is a pitiful, tragic heroine. If she spins a tale of grievances to the gods—using the fact that the 'evil' Hero Taiki drove her out, and the fact that I’m from another world, which she likely heard from Nogosh or Nonoa—she could easily deceive them. After all, they’re already frustrated because they’ve been surpassed in achievements. They only need the slightest excuse to become hostile."
"I understand. Bitz is using her past grudges to turn the gods against Weed. However, while that explains the motive of resentment, it doesn't explain how she obtained the position of Dungeon Master."
"That part is just speculation, but is that alright?"
"Mm. I’ll listen to it as a hypothesis."
Following Cleena’s suggestion, I started scribbling on the whiteboard.
*Hypothesis 1: Like me, she has a cooperating Dungeon Master who is lending her their name.*
*Hypothesis 2: Or, she forcibly seized control of a dungeon.*
*Hypothesis 3: There is no actual dungeon; it’s a deception using a Core, or weapon development using a Core.*
"Those are the broad strokes of the hypothesis."
"Hmm. As always, it’s impressive how you can come up with these things in such a short time."
"Indeed. You really do love closing off those loopholes, don't you, Brother?"
Deryu and Ratz praised me with admiration, but this is something that has always been necessary when dealing with the idiots out there.