On the Sea -6

A truth I learned during my long journey. The hero's descendants continued on.

"I am a descendant of that hero."

!? What on earth is going on here...

"To be precise, the hero's descendants were destined to rule the nation of Nihon. Throughout history, many have died—some opposed to this truth, others slain while battling monsters. As a result, Nihon came to have both a public king and a secret king."

In modern times, he said, the ones corresponding to these are Tougen and Tenju.

Their roles are simple: the public king stands in front, guiding people no matter how dangerous the situation.

Meanwhile, the true king, the hidden king, remains behind, ready to die if necessary during the process.

The hidden king holds actual political power and has governed Nihon all along.

The person responsible for this is right in front of you. He says so himself.

The true nature of it remains unknown.

But the high-ranking officials of Nihon I'm hearing about now, and the existence of the Sky Keep.

For now, it's probably safe to believe it.

"The official in charge is decided by various factors like lineage and strength. She's my childhood friend. She always gave her all and worked hard."

Childhood friend... that means she's either a high-ranking official or someone in a position equivalent to one...

"She takes things seriously. That's why she took the recent monster incidents very seriously—so much so that she went around asking everyone, even researching the legend of the Hero to the point of obsession."

At that moment, I appeared.

But my interest was focused on the legendary heroes of the past, and I had little concern for the monsters.

So, I fell into disappointment, solitude, and began facing the threat of the monsters with deep seriousness.

"When I suggested treating the Stone Sickness, I was told, 'If we lose our strength now, who will fight the monsters?' That's a valid point. For her, fighting monsters was her mission, the very reason she lived. That's why I forcibly took her away. I couldn't bear the thought of my beloved being killed by those beasts. Wouldn't it be best if she survived and the monsters were defeated too?"

Tougen continued explaining why he had pushed forward with treating the Stone Sickness.

Apparently, they regard the increase in monstrous creatures as a major crisis.

Previously, they had thought they could only manage with their own strength, but now that the existence of the Demon King has been confirmed and an international alliance-like organization has formed.

They believe that a convergence of numerous coincidences and necessities has led to the conclusion that now is the only opportunity.

"I wish I had taken more time to talk with you when we first met, but there just wasn't enough time..."

Conflicting intentions between the castle and the sword spirit have culminated in this kidnapping incident.

However, it seems Nihon has been aware of the growing number of monsters for quite some time. The number of monsters has increased to the point of becoming a nationwide issue.

It seems we'll need to intensify our investigations even further.

"I'd like to offer you compensation, within the limits of what I can do personally."

"Then, information regarding the monsters..."

The sergeant stands up, interrupting my voice with a loud cough.

Quietly, Kisei also stands up.

"Regarding that information, it concerns national interests, so I cannot hand it over so easily."

Kisei speaks, while the sergeant thumps his fist behind him.

"Wait! We should share it with him. He is a crucial asset. We must move in unison."

"Master, while that may be true, we must also consider the others. Acting recklessly will only bring about our downfall."

"Shh! This is a sickroom."

Rina's voice, neither loud nor soft, brings silence to the room.

"Hmm, ugh..."

Tenshu stirs awake at just the right moment.

"Where am I?"

"Look! You're alright! Thank goodness!"

Tougen, overcome with relief, embraces Tenshu tightly.

"Hey! Tousen... I'm heavy. Move aside... My body feels so heavy... And I can't feel anything at all."

"How are you feeling?"

I glance from Tousen's side toward the observation deck.

"Wind... "

I thought he might use magic, but nothing happened.

"Seems there are no issues with the healing or memory. Now it's just the body. That'll take time. It's crucial to carefully move and rehabilitate the body step by step."

"...Why did you administer the treatment? If we lose our strength now, we'll have no means to resist the demonic beasts."

"There, you don't have to struggle alone. We're all here. We can form alliances between nations. It's better to combine our strength as a group rather than rely on just one person."

"That may be so, but the enemy is formidable. We can't rule out the revival of that dragon. According to legend, the dragon was calmed by the prayers of a heroic princess. I may not be anything extraordinary, but I can at least walk the same path as the dragon."

"Hey, listen, how about we get married?"

Everyone present was stunned.

"W-what on earth are you saying all of a sudden! Didn't you even listen to what was said?"

Tenshu's composed expression instantly turned into a bright red flush.

"Yeah, I heard you. I want to be with you all the time. No matter what hardships come our way, I want to overcome them together, and stay together until we grow old. Do you hate me?"

Tenshu turns away, saying nothing. But after some time, he finally replies.

"If I hated you, I wouldn't risk my life to protect you."

Though he turned away, his expression was unmistakable—his ears were completely red.

"I'm happy. Look. Let's keep fighting together. Let's bring more people from across the world into this. Let's fight as all of humanity. That's why you don't have to die. You'll keep living from now on."

With a joy so childlike it seemed he'd been hiding his true self all along, Dao Gen clung tightly to Tenshu.

"I understand. I understand. I'm not your opponent. So don't cling like that. I won't push myself anymore. In the end, I lost to that demon lord, even after giving it my all. I've accepted it. I'll head back to Japan, keeping an eye on my condition."

Without a word, Dao Gen clung to him once more.

Thus, the group that had come from Japan was cared for by the lower-ranking followers who had caught up, and returned home.

What was that all about, really?