第１９３２堀：始まりはどうだったのか？ (Part2)
"Indeed. Well, fortunately, my husband made it quite clear that he was satisfied simply because I was by his side."
One could call it a stroke of fortune that Miyabi-san’s husband, despite the various flights and hardships that marked his twilight years as a hero, was able to spend his days in peace by founding a nation with her. Had he been consumed by resentment or regret, things surely would not have ended so gracefully. However, that is not the matter at hand.
"Kagura, I know it might be impossible to tell you not to dwell on it, but that isn't the issue right now."
"…I suppose you’re right. If Yuki himself says so, then we shall leave it at that. Though, now that I think back on it, when you were first summoned, you really just thought of it as one more tedious chore, didn't you?"
"Guilty as charged."
To be summoned to another world and then sent off on a business trip to yet another location—that was all it amounted to. Naturally, there was the initial anxiety over whether I could return home, but that was resolved quickly enough.
"Sigh. Well, what I did was undeniably evil. But regarding the summoning circle—my investigation revealed that it was calibrated to focus specifically on that remote village."
"Hmm. So, you mean to say that was the same point used for the summoning a thousand years ago?"
"Yes. It seems, based on the documents I unearthed, that the person summoned a thousand years ago resided there. They must have inquired further and refined the precision of the circle. I found records of the old summoning rituals and the circle’s layout. That is how I confirmed it."
I had already heard the report. The coordinates were locked onto that specific village with pinpoint accuracy, and because an exceptional hero had been summoned from that location once before, they had improved the technique to target it again. Well, it wasn't technically incorrect, but for the people of that village, it was nothing more than a nuisance.
"I hardly know whether to call it efficient or to wonder if they had nothing better to do with their time..."
"One would like to hope they were exploring other avenues as well."
Indeed. I would hate to think they relied solely on summoning. But this was information I already possessed. It was time to dig deeper.
"So, what exactly happened a thousand years ago that necessitated the summoning of a hero?"
The crux of the matter is that something occurred back then to trigger such a ritual. It doesn't necessarily link to the Demon Lord, but the fact remains that a hero was called. I want to believe they were summoned because something truly dire had come to pass.
"Regarding that, it seems a similar situation occurred back when the Oue Kingdom was still in its infancy."
"Similar? You mean a pincer attack by humans and monsters?"
"It doesn't seem to have been a pincer attack, but the ancestors of Oue who migrated to this land summoned a hero not only to deal with the monsters but to drive away the people who were persecuting them."
"Drive away the people who were persecuting them?"
Had the persecutors followed them? Sensing my confusion, Kagura’s expression turned sullen as she opened her mouth.
"It’s simple. They sell for a high price."
"Ah, that kind of business."
"Hmph, a truly unpleasant affair."
"Indeed."
Miyabi-san and the Elder seemed to be in complete agreement. To persecute someone while simultaneously viewing them as a commodity is a contradiction—or perhaps an 'efficient use of resources.' If nothing else, it is a very human trait.
"And the person they summoned—it appears they were an Elf."
"I see. That explains why they were so disappointed when they summoned the likes of Holly, Vilia, and the villagers."
"Precisely. It seems that the fact that Oue is currently ruled by Elves is tied to that very event."
"Yes. It appears the one who performed the summoning was also an Elf, who then became a hero, forged ties, and established a bloodline."
Ah, so that’s how it is. An Elf summoned an Elf, who then saved the people of Oue, leading to the present day.
"I understand. So that is the origin of Oue. But was the persecution limited only to the south? They seem to get along quite well in the north, don't they?"
That is what still strikes me as strange, even now. The treatment of demi-humans differs between the south and the north. Has it been that way since ancient times?
"I have never heard the Oue royalty speak of the north."
"Indeed. They seem oblivious to the north entirely. And yet, as this information gathers, it only becomes more inexplicable."
"The disparity in how demi-humans are treated between the south and the north is stark. I cannot help but think that something significant must have transpired at the center of it all."
"You’re right. Very well, I shall investigate that area next. Thank you, everyone."
Tracing the timeline of the New Continent feels more productive than I had initially anticipated. Looking back, the discrepancy in the treatment of demi-humans between the north and the south is truly bizarre. If they were persecuted in the south from a thousand years ago, what was the situation in the north? Re-examining the past, the suspicious threads are beginning to surface.