第６１７堀：ハイデン建国記簡易版 偽りの神の章 (Part1)
**Chapter 617: The Founding of Haiden, Simplified Version – The Chapter of the False God**
**Side: Yuki**
…The general outline of what happened 500 years ago is starting to come into focus.
A Demon Lord and their army arrived from the east. Sota-san and his companions stood against them.
And then, victory.
That much is a story I’ve heard often, but the subsequent developments were different.
A monster army suddenly surged forth. This happened in a country in the western regions, which wasn't even facing the unexplored lands.
To top it off, the king in the midst of that chaos recovered the Dungeon Core and…
*"I, who have defeated the power of the Goddess, am the one who holds the right to rule this world."*
That is what he reportedly declared.
In other words, there was no Demon Lord; it was monsters generated by a Dungeon Core. Knowing this, while Sota-san and his group were busy fighting the "fake" Demon Lord, the king—though I don't know how he managed it—seized the Dungeon Core. The fake Demon Lord likely ceased functioning once the core was removed.
You could say that part helped Sota-san’s group, but there is only one thing to predict from the declaration that followed.
I look at Luna.
Luna seems to understand what I’m getting at, and she asks Sota-san a question.
"Uh, do you happen to know the name of the king who made that idiotic statement?"
*"Yes, I do. The king was named Aquenos. As for the country, it wasn't exactly a major power; it was more of a small nation, and I’ve heard it’s hard to say they were practicing good governance."*
Hearing the name Aquenos, Luna goes "Ah, geez," and covers her face with one hand.
So, was my prediction correct?
*"Er, what’s wrong? Do you recognize the name of that king?"*
"Oh, I sure do. That 'Aquenoki' guy was part of the Intermediate God faction."
*"Intermediate God faction? What does that mean…"*
"Ah, let’s start there. You know what? Let’s just spill everything. I don’t think you’ll become enemies anyway. That’s fine, right?"
Luna says this while checking with me.
"Well, yeah. But what about Kagura over there? She’s technically on Haiden’s side, you know?"
"Eh? What about me?"
"It’s probably fine. It’s not like anyone would listen to her properly even if she told them."
"That’s true. There aren't any idiots who would believe someone like Luna is a Goddess."
"What was that!?"
Don't get mad at your own words.
She really is a troublesome person through and through.
"Eh!? No, I do believe that Lady Luna is a Goddess!!"
"It’s not just about Kagura. Do you think if you told the princess of Carry about this Luna, she’d believe you?"
"Ah, that’s…"
Exactly, so worrying is a waste of time.
Anything Luna says will only be taken as a delusion.
In that sense, it’s a relief.
Besides, Luna isn't the type to go around talking about it proactively, and if Kagura tried to spread this story, she’d just be seen as a weirdo.
"…It’s annoying when you say it, but fine. For now, please keep what I’m about to say to yourselves."
And so, Luna begins to speak.
She explains that the Intermediate Gods were defeated by human hands long ago, and Luna was placed in charge of the world as a replacement administrator. She talks about how the workload has increased and it’s tough, and how, in that process, the gods split into the "Intermediate God faction" (those who worship the old gods) and the "Upper God faction" (the Luna faction, those who submitted to her).
Luna stripped the gods who wouldn't follow her of their divinity and authority, banishing them. She then gave instructions to the gods who became her subordinates to solve the magic-depletion phenomenon in Aulito, but… it didn't go well. She believes the reason for the chaos 500 years ago was the attempt to perform life-prolonging treatment by installing a circulatory system known as a "dungeon."
*"…I see. So the war 500 years ago was a proxy war between the Intermediate Gods and the agent of Amaterasu Omikami."*
"Well, you could put it that way."
*"However, was it not possible to persuade them?"*
"As Sota probably knows, the gods of Aulito are basically 'living gods.' Many of them were promoted from humans. In other words, they are swayed by the personality and talent of the person they were originally. Unlike Japanese people from an economically advanced country who have received higher education…"
*"So, the gods of this land, who lacked knowledge from the start, didn't have the power to rule."*
"Yeah, looking at the current situation, that’s obvious, isn't it? It seems you guys also took care of the small-fry 'Enoki' from the Intermediate God faction that were left over."
*"…That is correct. Also, the name has turned into a mushroom."*
"Huh? Then that’s rude to mushrooms. Aquenoki, was it? That guy must have defeated the local Dungeon Master I appointed, won, and started doing whatever he pleased. The result being that he met the same end as the Dungeon Master he defeated—how hilarious."
You could say it’s just a story of an idiot who got carried away and got taken out.
But for Kagura, it wasn't that simple.
"W-wait a moment, please. The, the First Generation and the others defeated the Dungeon Master selected by Amaterasu Omikami, didn't they!? T-that, as the First Generation explained, there were circumstances, and in the first place, the invasion using Amaterasu Omikami’s power was the cause…"
She started making excuses desperately.
Ah, I see. Depending on how you look at it, it’s not wrong to say they threw a wrench in Luna’s plans.
Luna was taken aback by Kagura’s desperation, but perhaps reaching the same conclusion as me, she answers with a laugh.
"Oh, I don't care that they defeated the Dungeon Master I appointed. I left the means of solving the magic-depletion phenomenon to those I appointed, and it’s the fault of the idiot who chose a method that led to them being defeated. They should have handled it like Yuki did. So, that means the locally recruited Dungeon Master was a failure too…"
*"So that is why Yuki-kun was summoned from the knowledge-rich Japan of Earth?"*
"That’s it. Besides, Yuki doesn't have a shred of ambition for world conquest or anything like that."
*"I see. That is why he is a 'regular person,' then."*
No, I wasn't "summoned."
It was basically a kidnapping.
"Still, for me, it was a miscalculation. I’m using the ones the Intermediate Gods hired, but while they all have loyalty, their ability is mediocre."
Don't say that in front of them. Lilishe, Hifie, and Nonoa will collapse.
Actually, you’re working those three to the bone as housekeepers, aren't you?
"Well, that’s just a problem with the Intermediate Gods’ idiotic selection method; I have no responsibility for it. So, the result was that the idiot small-fry of the Intermediate God faction ended up in a match against the small-fry Dungeon Master I picked at random?"
*"Judging by what I’ve heard, that seems to be the case."*
"I see, I see. Are you satisfied with the behind-the-scenes story of 500 years ago?"
*"Yes."*
"Then we want to ask our questions too. Why can't magical creatures live long in this land? Why are monsters not generated? And why is there direct jamming on me?"
That’s right. Sota-san’s questions might have been answered, but our questions remain.
I still think Sota-san and his group are the ones who know the answer to that.
*"…I don't know the details. However, when Hairen defeated that king and realized that it was a conflict between Dungeon Masters and gods…"*
**Side: Sota Kamishiro, Demon Lord Army Mercenary Corps, Strategist**
"Is this jewel the cause…"
Before my eyes is the Dungeon Core that gives birth to monsters.
Upon obtaining this, Aquenos called himself a god and began a war of aggression, attacking everything in sight.
Most of the western countries collapsed, and we somehow managed to defeat this mad god after a desperate struggle, centered around the eastern countries that Rozanta and Findall were in the middle of rebuilding.
"…I truly hope this is the cause."
"Don't say scary things, Enol."
"But you cannot deny it. Monsters appear on their own in the first place. Who can prove that this Mad God War is directly connected to the previous Demon Lord War?"
"…"
We couldn't deny Enol’s accurate words.
Certainly, there was a connection, but it wasn't absolute.
If there is a next time, we surely won't be able to hold out.
The countries of the east and west have been exhausted to that extent.
Rozanta, in particular, is in a situation where recovery from this Mad God War is almost impossible, and it would be faster to abandon it and rebuild using a castle in a different land.
"…I will do something about it."
" " "Huh?" " "
At Hairen’s words, we all tilted our heads in confusion.