"Umu. All is quiet today as well. Truly peaceful."
I am currently taking a leisurely stroll on patrol through the dungeon.
Over the past two months, the population hasn't just doubled—it has swelled nearly thirty-fold. Fufu, honestly, that man is a terrifying thing. Even in my own country, we never saw population growth this rapid.
"Ah, Derieu-oneechan! Hello~!"
"Ho, play carefully now. If you get hurt, make sure to wash the wound and go to the hospital, understood?"
"Okay~!!"
I'm currently in the residential area's park of the dungeon... apparently, it's a place for residents to relax.
Yuki really does come up with the strangest things.
There are benches lined beneath trees, vending machines, a water area—and just beyond that, a wide open field. Apparently, by deliberately creating a place like this, the goal is to encourage interaction among residents.
Looking around, it's not just children—elderly people, men, and women are all here, chatting and exercising.
"...It really is peaceful."
I sit down on a nearby bench.
I recall Eris telling me to help with paperwork, but when the weather is this good and the voices I hear are so relaxed, the desire to work vanishes completely.
Peace, huh... To think I would ever lead a life like this.
My country was destroyed; I spent days drowning in emotion, annihilating enemy nations, burning even innocent civilians to ash, wandering, and simply crushing anyone who displeased me... And because of my immortal body and overwhelming strength, I was isolated from others.
Days of being completely alone. I thought I would spend my entire life that way. I intended to walk a path where I never became deeply involved with anyone... and yet.
"Ah, Derieu-oneechan!!"
"Found you!"
"...You look pretty relaxed."
Three small girls come pattering toward me. These three are already part of what I would call my family.
"Oh, Aslin and the others? What is the matter?"
"Eris-oneechan is looking for you!"
"She said you made a promise, desu!!"
"...Do your best."
Aslin and Filia grab my hands and pull me to my feet.
Resistance is futile; I could never bring myself to be rough with these little sisters of mine. I stand up with a sigh and let them lead me away by the hand.
"...What's wrong? Did something happy happen?"
"...? Was I smiling?"
"...You weren't aware? You had the look of someone watching something very nostalgic."
"Nostalgic... eh? Ah, I suppose so. Nostalgic—this feeling of being pulled by the hand."
Overlapping with Aslin and Filia, I remember my own past. My younger brother used to pull me by the hand like this too, didn't he?
『Dear Sister, there is a beautiful flower over here!』
Honestly, for a future king, he was a frail little brother. Well, he was quite young at the time, so I suppose it was natural.
...Father, Mother, and Raie. I am doing well.
There were times I was drowned in hatred, times I swam through solitude... But now, I have found a family that treasures me...
Ahh, but I am hopeless at housework. Anna would surely give me a wry smile, wouldn't she?
Perhaps it is time to lay flowers at their graves... Ah, but no ruins of the castle likely remain. In fact, I don't even remember where the motherland once stood.
If I recall... I believe it was near Gartz...
Yuki happens to be there right now; maybe I'll ask him later.
As I was lost in thought while being led by Aslin and the others, a Call suddenly arrived.
"Hm, from Yuki? My apologies, Aslin, Filia, could you let go of my hands for a moment?"
"Okay!"
"But you mustn't run away!!"
"...Is it from Yuki?"
"Yes, I wonder what it's about? For him to call me directly, perhaps another request for dinner?"
Incidentally, Yuki and the others have their main bodies—their physical forms—kept here, so they return every day to match our meal times.
They mentioned it's tough because they end up having formal meals over there, so it feels like eating twice. And of course, Yuki makes our meals. Umu, a magnificent husband indeed.
Now, let's answer the call.
I press the button.
"What could it—"
『Finally, you picked up!』
"W-What is it!?"
『It's an emergency! There's something I need to ask you immediately!!』
『I will not become your plaything! The only one allowed to touch me is a single person!! And it's not a man!!』
『Ah—Ratz, gag her! It looks like she's going to bite her tongue off! The rest of you, bind her hands!』
It sounds quite hectic over there. However, judging by the desperation and the dialogue of the girl, there seems to be a terrible misunderstanding.
"For now, is there a reason I would have a way to stop that girl from killing herself?"
『Wait, have you never seen her face? This girl introduced herself as Lily Le Cossel.』
"What? No, I don't know any branch families. Even if there were survivors... well, it wouldn't be strange, but Le Cossel is a house name granted only to me, the First Princess. I don't think it's a wise choice to survive by using the name of a fallen kingdom, but..."
I look at the woman on the Call screen... perhaps she's a bit too young to be called a woman. But her spirit is undeniable. Her level must be over 100, isn't it? Quite impressive for one so young.
『That's strange. This girl is over 180 years old, so I thought she might be Derieu's sister...』
"No, wait. I am 235. There's a 50-year gap. Calling her a sister is a bit of a stretch... Umu, girl. I wish to ask something. Is there a 'Raie Li Cossel' in your lineage?"
『How do you know Raie-sama's house name!?』
"Oh? So you are my younger brother's descendant. Though... you don't resemble him much."
To think that girl is a descendant of Raie. I don't know why she's stopped aging, but a certain emotion begins to well up inside me.
So he did escape... Truly, I never did find my brother's body...
『B-Brother? N-No way...!? No, there is something I must ask. If you truly are Raie-sama's sister, there should have been a maid he was close to. Can you say her name?』
"What, so Anna escaped too? Fu... fuhahaha! What a glorious day this is, to be able to speak with a descendant of my own bloodline."
『W-Wait a minute! I am not of the bloodline! I am one of Raie-sama's spouses!!』
"...What?"
Hold on, spouse?
Uh...
"A 'spouse' refers to a wife, does it not?"
"...That's right." Labyris replied to my question.
In other words, what? Uh, she is Raie's partner?
My thoughts aren't coming together.
Everything is getting all mixed up.
『He is alive!! Raie-sama is alive!! Anna-san too!! For 225 years in this dungeon, all this time!!』
Lily shouts those words.
"......I see."
That's all I can manage to say.
Such an inadequate response.
"O-Onee-chan!?"
"W-What's wrong!?"
Ah, Aslin and Filia are startled.
But I didn't have the room to give them an answer.
Even I could feel the tears overflowing, streaming down my cheeks and falling to the ground.
