第５１３堀：勇者呆れる (Part1)
### Chapter 513: The Hero is Dumbfounded
**Side: Taiki**
"Are you the 'Hero' that Yuki was talking about?"
"No, my name is Taiki."
"You're not a Hero?"
"No. I'm not."
"Eh? What do you mean by that?"
Right after we met, I had that exact exchange with Kagura-san.
It seems the concept of a "Hero" doesn't exist on her continent. She had been referring to Yuki-san and his group as "heroes" (champions), so perhaps the Japanese people brought over to her side either had no connection to games, or they came from an era before such cultural tropes existed—much like Taizo-san.
"Listen, Kagura. 'Hero' means someone with courage. In its original sense, it refers to brave soldiers and the like. However, on our continent, a 'Hero' is a hero who transcends all other heroes."
"Transcends heroes?"
"Yeah. I told you about the existence of the Demon Lord, right?"
"Yes. But you said that's more like a 'King of a Race'—not necessarily an enemy of all humanity, right? That's what you told me."
"That’s how it is now. But in the past, there were Demon Lords who tried to conquer our continent. The ones who defeated them were those who took the title of 'Hero.' When every country was about to give up, they stood up as a banner, rallied everyone, and defeated the Demon Lord. The term 'Hero' refers to someone who transcends a mere hero by achieving feats that aren't limited to a single nation."
"Haa... So such people exist, huh? Wait, hold on a second!? Then, this Taiki person—isn't he incredibly important!?"
"Well, he is the King of a nation, after all."
"Y-you should have said that sooner!? I-I am terribly sorry!! Please, I beg your forgiveness for my rudeness!!"
Kagura-san bowed her head deeply. However, looking at the interaction just now, there was something strange.
"Well, I’m not going to get angry over something like this. But more importantly, why are you speaking so casually to Yuki-san, who is in a higher position than me? Wouldn't that cause more problems?"
"E-er, well, that’s true, but..."
"She’s doing that on purpose. I asked her to. My wives and the members of the Weed faction are all in agreement."
"Why would you do that? Don't you think people will see Kagura-san as lacking manners?"
"It’s a matter of standing. Kagura has to run around to save Haiden from here on out, and it would be bad if she were seen as just our puppet. If she saves Haiden but is labeled a puppet ruler, the country will just become unstable again once we've stabilized it. Also, it’s for Kagura’s own safety. If we make it seem like she’s the only one who can negotiate with Weed, they won’t dare try to eliminate her, right? 'Oh, we're on friendly terms, we talk casually.' In the end, even if she saves Haiden, the Queen is just a figurehead—a convenient face for the country—but the one who truly saved Haiden is undeniably Kagura. Since nothing would have happened if Kagura hadn't moved, it’s standard for future regimes to treat people like her as a nuisance, isn't it?"
"Ah... I see. A hero who achieves too much becomes a nuisance. But if Kagura-san were bowing and scraping like a subordinate of Yuki-san, people would think Haiden had become a vassal state, and that would invite backlash."
"Exactly."
In other words, they intend to stabilize her position in Haiden as a one-of-a-kind existence who doesn't back down against major powers and can negotiate on equal footing.
"Honestly, I do feel that I should pay my respects to Yuki—to Yuki-sama. But since I hear there is logic to this, I will continue to use this tone of voice until the Haiden problem is resolved."
As expected of a Duke’s daughter, she clearly knows how to speak with proper etiquette when she needs to.
"If we go around saying 'a new country is doing this' to the current Haiden, they’ll just call us crazy. And do you think we’d get support by saying we’re being backed by that country? While bowing and scraping?"
"Well, we’d have to show Weed’s strength, but if we do that, we’d be seen as a vassal state, and there would be people who would rebel, so it’s better to keep it hidden, right?"
"We’ll reveal our existence only after it’s all over. For now, it’s preferable that it looks like Kagura struggled and rebuilt Haiden on her own."
"Hmm. That seems best. Other countries would be wary, and if we’re not careful, it could be the spark for a new conflict."
As we were talking, Catherine-san entered. She is the female lord of Baide, currently in the eye of this incredibly troublesome storm. I can only imagine how much her stomach must have been hurting. I had already greeted her, and since she has a brother-in-arms-like relationship with Yuki-san, she was completely intimidated when she heard he was a King of another country.
Well, it is strange enough that someone like that is acting as a bodyguard.
"Yuki-sama, Taiki-sama, Kagura-dono, the preparations for departure are complete."
"Good. Then let’s hurry and chase away those reinforcements. Oh, and the Princess?"
"The Princess has already finished her preparations and is waiting. ...She seems motivated, at least."
"Can she follow the instruction to stay silent unless it’s absolutely necessary?"
"..." "..."
Both of them fell silent. What kind of princess is she? If they say she’s "air-headed," is she on the same level as our Bitz?
"Since it comes from good intentions, she’s even more troublesome than Bitz. She’s not trying to belittle others or force her selfishness on them, which makes her even worse."
"Ugh..."
"Well, you’ll understand well enough once you meet her. To the point where you’ll be sick of it."
With that unsettling talk, we gathered in front of the Lord’s mansion. The members of Yuki-san’s wives who are part of the Haiden conquest and Kagura-san’s escort team were all assembled. Aside from Ria, who has been with us for a while, there were the surprising additions of Vilia and Dressa. Also, though not present here, Deryu-san and Kirue-san will be joining us.
Five people in total. By the way, I’ve brought along my own Captain of the Royal Guard, Ruth, as an escort. Well, since they’re all Doppelgangers, it’s safe.
Looking at the members, you can see they are all human. Young girls like Aslin-chan and Firia-chan are not participating this time. Even if they have the ability, their appearance would be problematic and lead to them being underestimated. Jessica-san, Samantha, and Cleena—our usual escorts—have important roles in the intercontinental exchange and cannot participate in this operation full-time.
Haiden’s sexism is quite intense, so trouble is expected even with this lineup. Therefore, it was decided that adding more problems would be unwise. Furthermore, Beastmen and Elves, who are called "Shrine Maidens of the Spirits" here, are also sources of commotion, so Eris-san and Ratz-san cannot participate. Actually, they are already busy with intercontinental exchange work alongside Seraria-san, Rurua-san, and Shera-chan, so it would be difficult for them to join the fray.
Vilia and Dressa were chosen to participate because of the manpower shortage in this situation. We can barely pass them off as knight apprentices. Their combat strength is impeccable, so as long as our forces aren't scattered, we should be able to manage. Baide’s defense can be handled by the remaining members, and Steve and his group can join the battle soon anyway.
As I was thinking about this, a princess wearing a dress that looked completely out of place in this gathering stepped forward.
"My, is Yuki-sama coming as well!?"