第６９１堀：物語の終わりの続き (Part2)
"Indeed. That is correct. Ah, I should correct a misunderstanding for you, Rurua-dono: Touya Yashiro was my husband. Well, from the perspective of human lifespans, that was a long, long time ago. Being a High Elf is quite a troublesome affair, you see."
"Does that mean High Elves exist as a distinct race?"
"Yes. But that, too, ends with my generation. The conditions to become a High Elf are quite severe. It is not a world where one can simply go about slaying their own kin. Unless, of course, one has the opportunity to face those of our kind who became demons during that war against the Demon King."
I see. My appraisal skill did indeed list her race as High Elf, but the condition is slaying one's own kin? Well, that explains why there aren't many of them. It wouldn't be a trivial number, after all.
"Well, enough of old stories. What matters is that here, in this place, there is someone who hails from the same land as my husband. That young lady there. With that beautiful black hair... though, looking at her features, I suppose she is a descendant?"
"Y-yes. My name is Kagura Kamishiro. I am honored to be granted this audience. As Her Majesty the Queen says, my ancestor fifteen generations ago was Japanese."
"Hmm. Fifteen generations, is it? That means the Japanese ancestor of Kagura's line successfully put down roots in this world."
"Yes. In my homeland of Haiden, they are still spoken of today as one of the Three Heroes. The Kamishiro family, having inherited that honor and pride, has been trusted by the royal family and has held the rank of Duke to this day."
At Kagura’s words, Queen Miyabi smiles happily, though a shadow of sadness crosses her face.
"I see. In every country, the Japanese people always seem to play an active role. But they are too kind. There are times when they are used up and discarded because they refuse to embrace conflict. This country of High Elves exists to shelter such Japanese people. That was the wish of my husband—the man who let the Demon King escape and had his title tossed about from Hero to traitor."
"So, that means the elf villages in each country are..."
"Indeed. It was my husband’s—no, our—wish. The hidden purpose is to protect any Japanese person who has managed to escape. We told them to send anyone they found suspicious to us. Of course, we also wish for the prosperity of the elves. Because of the incident with my husband, the traitorous Hero Touya, our country cannot engage in open diplomacy."
That makes sense. If it were discovered that the man who let the Demon King go was involved, they would surely be attacked by numerous nations. So that is why they are so heavily guarded.
"I am glad this meeting was a normal one. It seems you are being well cared for, so I likely won't need to intervene. However, if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask, Kagura-dono."
"Y-yes. I shall rely on you should the need arise."
"But, I must admit, I have no memory of a country called Haiden. Is it some sort of emerging nation?"
Ah, right. I didn't come here to hear about the Japanese protection plan. I came to explain the intercontinental exchange.
"Queen Miyabi, it is only natural that you do not know it. The country of Haiden, to which Kagura belongs, does not exist on this continent."
"Oh?"
From there, I moved into the explanation. I kept the fact that I am Japanese a secret for now and focused on the details of the intercontinental exchange.
"I had heard rumors, but to think you are truly guests from across the sea. It was just as Touya said. That someday, people would come to understand one another. Before I knew it, there was reconciliation with the Demon King, and on top of that, the If Continent, and a New Continent? Was it a long time? Or was it short? I cannot tell now, but the world Touya aimed for has already arrived..."
"And, what of Touya-sama?"
"He lived a normal life, and he died a normal death. It was sad, but I have no regrets. Because living with Touya was never a mistake. Well, he did say he felt sorry for forcing me and the demons we sheltered to hide away in this place. Even though I am the one who should be grateful."
"D-demons are in this country!?"
"Indeed. Well, their blood has thinned quite a bit, but yes. In that sense, we could not easily welcome people from other countries."
I suppose that makes sense. Coexisting with demons—the so-called enemies of humanity—might be fine now, but in the past, it would have been a declaration of war that would have led to their destruction.
"Heh heh... It truly has become a better era. The one who rejected my husband Touya’s peace proposal and treated him as a traitor was the saintess of a great power at the time. The current saintess of Litea is merely surprised; she holds no hostility whatsoever."
"That is only natural. We are on good terms with the current Queen of the demons, Liliana-sama."
"I see. You don't even call her the Demon King anymore. Speaking of the Demon King, I heard there is a Japanese Hero in Ranks... Do you happen to know anything about that, Yuki-dono? If it is true, I would like to meet and speak with them once..."
"Ah, they should be arriving soon."
"Pardon?"
I called them. To shift the focus, of course.
*“Hello? Yuki-san, I’ve arrived...”*
"Oh. I'll send someone to fetch you. Wait just a moment. It seems they’ve arrived."
"Yes?"
And so, another Hero has been added! Added to the roster!
Still, I wonder if I should have asked more about Touya Yashiro? No, I have work to do.
The legendary Hero of old, finally making an appearance here. Though, they are already deceased.