No—it would be more accurate to say that we are all reeling from the revelations regarding the demons. My husband alone sat there composed, listening to Zargis, while almost everyone else was lost in thought.
But that was only natural.
Ever since I was born — no, since long before that — the demonkin and the Demon King had always been portrayed as the enemies of all living beings. And yet, when we opened the lid, we discovered that the reason the Demon King had appeared and established a nation wasn't because they were invaders.
The root cause actually lay with us...
I don't believe everything Zargis said was completely true, but judging from the various pieces of information we have, I can tell that at least a large part of it is factual.
The kings of the other three countries probably reached the same conclusion as me. In fact, any king who had studied history to a certain extent must have already noticed parts of this truth.
However, even if it is the truth, we cannot openly affirm it.
But here in Weed — this very special place — we have finally gathered the conditions necessary to accept it, or rather, to truly face the truth.
If just one country, or one person, were to realize this truth, they would simply be dismissed as insane... It really is only possible because it's Weed.
"Haah... Let's take a short break, shall we? Killue, Anna — could I ask you two?"
""Yes, certainly.""
In times like these, having dedicated maids is a blessing. They are educated, so they must be following this conversation. Yet, they fulfill their duties as maids perfectly.
"Well, I'll go grab some snacks too..."
My husband started to stand up.
"Wait. You are staying right here with me."
He is the most "normal" person here—or rather, looking at the big picture, my husband is likely the strange one—but to me, he is a dependable man.
For now, I have things I want to ask, so I cannot let him play the role of snack-bearer.
"Eehhh."
"Don't 'ehh' me. I have a few things I want to ask, is that alright?"
"Sigh, what is it? If it's something you want everyone to hear, wouldn't it be better to wait until after the break?"
"No, there are things I don't quite understand, and I'm a bit confused. Tori, Riel, you feel the same, don't you?"
When I turned my gaze toward Tori and the others, they nodded.
"Hey, Yuki-san, earlier you were talking about peace and stuff, but then you said something about the Demon King attacking Weed despite wanting peace? I don't really get it. Isn't peace about not fighting?"
Riel tilted her head, while Milly, Kaya, and Derieu nodded in agreement.
"Ah, that part."
Yuki clapped his hands together.
I had a vague idea of what he was thinking, but it would be better if he explained it himself.
"'Peace' is exactly what Riel thinks it is — a way to stop shedding blood and avoid further fighting. But that's only the end result."
"The end result?"
"More precisely, it's what comes after everything is over."
"What do you mean?"
"Let's see. Suppose there's a path called 'Peace.' But that path isn't the only one."
"For example, Riel — if I promised that if you beat me in a match, I'd cook your favorite meal for a whole week, how would you try to win?"
"Ehh~? There's no way I can win!? Yuki-san is way too strong!! In that case, it'd be better to seduce you instead!"
"Exactly."
"Huh?"
"If you think you can't win the match, if you think it's impossible, then you look for another way. The end result is the same."
"Ohhh."
Riel clapped her hands together in understanding.
"So even when we say 'peace,' there are many different paths to reach it?"
"That's right. Especially for the current Demon King. Even if she wants to choose the path of negotiation, no human nation is willing to talk to her."
"Ah..."
That's right.
Even if she wants to promote peace, the Demon King has almost no cards to play.
Meaningful conversation is nearly impossible.
They can't join hands or clear up misunderstandings.
"So, if I were the Demon King, I'd declare that I'm connected to Weed. Even if a little blood is shed, I'd create someone I could actually talk to. Doing it the current way won't get her anywhere."
"So Yuki-san thinks that even if some blood is shed, this is the fastest way to reach peace...?"
"Zargis and Leia say that the Demon King would never do something like that and would stick to trying to negotiate."
"So you think that—even if there's some bloodshed—that's the fastest way to reach peace?"
"Well, Zargis and Leia say the Demon King would stick to negotiations instead."
Yuki explained it to Riel and the others that way. He's simplified it quite a bit.
...The path to peace isn't just one, huh...
And even "peace" itself can take many different forms.
The peace Yuki pointed out is a sure-fire hand that could actually be played in this era. Even if it doesn't result in immediate peace, it would certainly be a solid foothold.
However, the peace the current Demon King speaks of is a peace where she tries to ensure neither side suffers any damage. It's naive, but seeing how happily Leia talks about her, she must be a Demon King with strong support.
The road is infinitely long; while her ideals are worth supporting, the lives lost in the process would surely be more numerous than in Yuki's plan. This, too, is one path of peace.
There is also the possibility of peace following a war where humanity submits to the demons—peace through defeat. That is a result humanity could never accept.
The reverse is also true. Peace following the defeat of the demons would likely... end in their extinction. There is no way humanity would accept peace from a defeated demon race.
"According to Leia, they'd at least spare some people for a rescue mission. If we catch those guys, it would be possible for the Demon King and Weed to have a discussion. If everyone gives me permission, that is."
"I have no objection~!"
"I have no complaints about Onii-san's opinion either."
Riel and Ratz agreed.
A moment later, everyone else raised their voices in support.
"Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."
Killue and Anna had finished their preparations and began serving light snacks and drinks to everyone.
Everyone took a sip of their drinks and let out a small sigh of relief.
When I glanced at my husband, he was leisurely sipping hot green tea.
"Ahh, tea is best when it's hot. Not that cold is bad, though."
"You're right. I think green tea is best served hot."
I was drinking Darjeeling. But I understood the sentiment behind the green tea he was drinking. Of course, the cola floats Riel and Narjia were drinking were sweet, but they were delicious in their own way. Tori had water. Eris and Milly had coffee. Ratz had milk tea. Derieu had rose tea. Rurua had medicinal tea. Sheila had cocoa.
Everyone had their own preferences... And yet, we were all here together.
I'm sure that if it were you... you would even be able to sit down and drink tea together with the demonkin and the Demon King, wouldn't you?
