Side: Yuki
Keep calm.
Calm down.
I have to stay composed.
"It's only natural that you're surprised. However, I truly was the Demon King. Though I have no way to prove it at this moment..."
No, I can use Appraisal, so I know you're telling the truth.
But... why?
Actually, before that, I need to confirm that this isn't some massive mistake.
"Derieu. Call Leia and Zargis. Immediately."
"That would be best. Understood."
Derieu was probably surprised too. But the fact that she readily follows my orders suggests she's calmer than us.
"Leia?! Zargis?! The two of them are here?!"
She raises her voice in surprise, apparently not expecting them to be alive.
"Yes, Liliana Reston-dono. Those two are here, under... what should I say, 'custody'?"
"I'm not sure about that... they're more like... technical staff?"
"Eh? They're not prisoners or forced laborers?"
"Not particularly. We didn't want to pick a fight with the Demon Race, and we didn't want our secrets getting out, either."
"...Um, What does that mean?"
Yeah, I don't really know how to explain this.
For now, I decided to tell her the sequence of events that brought them here.
* Zargis destroyed the Fairy Village.
* We were requested to help and captured him.
* Leia showed up and tried to kill Zargis (and us).
* We captured them both at once.
* Since letting them go or killing them was a waste, we put them to work instead of letting them eat for free.
And that's it.
What a wonderful, concise explanation. Actually, it happened so long ago that it took me a moment to recall all the details myself.
But why is the Demon King herself showing up now?
...Ah, maybe she got ousted by the hardliners?
But why at this specific timing?
Just as I was about to ask...
"Liliana-sama!"
"We heard the Demon King had arrived!"
The two subjects in question burst into the room.
"Leia! Zargis! You're both safe!"
Liliana looked deeply moved as she checked them for injuries. The two of them looked incredibly apologetic, realizing just how much they had made her worry.
"It seems there's no mistake. She really is the Demon King."
"Yes, no doubt about it. It's Liliana-sama. The current Demon King!"
"Indeed, there is no mistaking it."
"My apologies to you both, but... I am technically the former Demon King now."
"What do you mean!?"
Leia reacts sharply, pressing her.
"Calm down, Leia. It's simple. The hardliners have risen to power, right?"
"Yes. Just as Zargis said. I managed to suppress them until now, but after both of you went missing, and then I was accused in the human nations of orchestrating the assassination of the Princess of Roshure..."
...Hold on a second.
I have a bad feeling about this.
"That's absurd!! Why would Liliana-sama do something like that!? She desires peace more than anyone!!"
"I see... they used our disappearance against you, didn't they?"
"Yes. They claimed that I ordered the princess's assassination, and then eliminated the two of you to cover it up."
"I understand now. They twisted it into 'the Demon King used her Four Heavenly Kings to forcibly push peace,' and the hardliners piled on fabricated accusations."
"Yes. They should have been the ones framing me, yet no evidence surfaced. And with both of you missing... the hardliners completely took control."
This is bad.
Is this... mostly my fault?
I never told Leia or Zargis anything about the situation surrounding Elju. There was no reason to spill international secrets with unrelated people.
Let's summarize the situation.
Demon King Liliana was ousted from her throne.
The reason she fled to Weed—and the reason she had to flee—is likely because she became a political liability. I can ask for the specifics on that later.
—The main issue is why the hardliners rose in the first place.
The story is that Demon King Liliana was kicked off the throne because of "actions unbecoming of a peace-seeker".
The main reasons:
1. The assassination of the Princess of Roshure.
2. The disappearance of two of the Four Heavenly Kings.
3. The resulting formation of an alliance against the Demon Race
Let's break these down.
1. The assassination of the Princess of Roshure:
This is definitely about Elju. But the cause was Rithea. The Demon King says the hardliners were behind it, but no evidence will ever show up—because they just took advantage of the result.
2. The disappearance of the two Heavenly Kings:
This happened because we captured them. Well, it's their fault for attacking the Fairy Village with the Modified Pill Bugs. But this was incredibly convenient for the hardliners. It gave them the perfect ammunition to oust the Demon King.
3. The alliance against the Demon Race:
This was my proposal to prevent the three kingdoms from draining their national power and to help Weed grow. It was easier to unite them if the Demon King was the villain. This was more than enough to topple her; in fact, it was probably the biggest cause. Because of this, it appeared publicly that the Demon King was the mastermind behind Elju's assassination and the plot to undermine the three kingdoms. For a Demon King truly pushing for peace, that was a fatal blow.
Conclusion:
It's almost entirely my fault.
Well, technically it started with Rithea.
But still... crap. This is bad on so many levels.
"After I was removed from the position of Demon King for being an obstacle, I was nearly assassinated. I barely escaped with my life and came to Weed, which I had heard had connections with the demonkin."
I see. In a way, the idiot princess of Rankus actually helped. If she hadn't made that declaration, Demon King Liliana might not have known where to flee and could have been killed.
While I was thinking that, Demon King Liliana straightened her posture...
"I have heard that Weed is ruled by Seraria-sama, the former princess of Roshure. I know an apology is not enough, but I deeply regret stealing your country's treasure, your little sister Elju-sama. I am truly sorry."
Liliana bowed her head low in deep apology.
...This is really making me feel incredibly guilty.
Eris and Derieu both look strained too—same "oh no" expression as me.
"However, I beg of you, please do not take my head just yet. I still have things I must convey."
This is bad... she's talking like her execution is already guaranteed!
"The reason I came here is because the hardliners, who ousted the peace faction I led after the three-nation alliance was formed, decided to reduce enemy forces even slightly. Just one month ago, they began advancing on the country of Roumel. Please, somehow send reinforcements to Roumel and notify the other countries!!"
"""WHAT?!"""
Damn... so that explains it!
The reason we couldn't get in touch with Roumel was that their messengers had been assassinated... I thought it was strange that they didn't move after hearing about Weed's value, but this explains it.
"They feared the formation of an alliance between the countries and aimed to defeat them individually. But with this incident, the three countries formed an alliance at once, so they panicked and decided to isolate and crush Roumel now. I tried desperately to stop them, but my authority had already fallen to the ground... The war in Roumel has likely already begun. They also know I escaped. They probably don't think I can negotiate with humans, but they will definitely hurry their advance because of it..."
Of course. If there's even a slight possibility, they can't leave it be. As the Demon Race, if they don't conquer Roumel quickly, they'll be the ones in danger.
"Please—I beg you. Reduce the bloodshed as much as possible. If my life can save many others, I will gladly walk to the execution block. So please!!"
Even here, she doesn't specifically ask to "save the demons."
"Many lives", huh... In a way, she might be what Elju aspired to become.... It's almost ironic... The Saintess' ideal form was the Demon King.
"I understand. Currently, the kings of the various nations are staying in Weed for trade-related matters. I will call for them immediately, devise a plan, and move into action. As for Weed, do not worry. We promise to act."
"T-Thank you so much!!"
"Now, Liliana-sama, please rest. Based on your story, you've had a grueling journey. We still have much to ask you, so please recover whatever strength you can."
"B-Nut..."
"From here on, this will involve negotiations with the kings of other nations. We don't know how it will go. If we present you suddenly, they might demand your execution. We cannot afford to lose you right now. That is why you must rest."
"...Yes. I understand."
My explanation seemed to have suppressed her feeling that she had to do something herself.
If she went now, she might ruin the very thing she's trying to achieve. She realized that the best thing she could do for now was rest and then cooperate with Weed and the other nations when things started moving. Or rather, she knew that, but her body had been refusing to stop.
"Derieu, take Liliana-sama to a guest room in the Government Building. Leia, look after her."
"Understood."
"Leave it to me."
The two of them supported Liliana as they left the room.
"Eris, call an immediate meeting of the representatives. Tell them to leave current tasks to their subordinates and just get here. Also, issue a gag order to the staff regarding this matter."
"Got it."
"We'll share the information among the representatives first."
I have to talk to my wives and Narzia-san first, or it'll be total chaos.
"Zargis, stay for the briefing with the representatives, and then for the explanation to the kings."
"Understood... What a pain."
Wait, am I forgetting something?
The Demon King situation has settled for the moment.
...Wait? Wasn't there something else related to the Demon King?
"...Ah, Ria."
The Hero was still here.
This is bad.
A Demon King just appeared right in front of her; her reason might have flown out the window. From her perspective, the Demon King is the reason her home was destroyed.
I rushed into the observation room next door.
"Ria, are you okay!?"
I looked at Ria. She was staring blankly at the other room through the one-way mirror.
"What happened to her? Any issues?"
"No, nothing like a breakdown. She simply listened to Demon King Liliana-sama's story in silence."
The subordinate I left her with gave a strange answer.
What does that mean?
"Is she... really the Demon King?"
Ria finally turned around to face me.
"I felt... the same warmth from her that I feel from you."
Huh?
"Ah, I see. That kindness and earnestness... she does resemble Advisor Yuki in some ways."
Hey, I'm biologically male.
"It's not about gender, sir."
"I didn't say anything."
"It shows on your face."
Yeah, whatever.
Anyway, that's not important—The problem is whether I should keep Ria involved or send her back to the inn to stay quiet. Honestly, this problem has grown too big.
Regardless of what Ria chooses, the time I can spend on her is going to decrease. I'd personally recommend she hunker down at the inn for her own mental stability, but...
"What do you want to do, Ria? Do you want to—"
"—I will stay with you. I am your guard and attendant, after all."
Before I could finish, Ria cut me off.
"Hahaha! Advisor, you've made her say that much. You have to keep her with you until the end. She's a good attendant."
The subordinate laughed.
...Yeah, I guess arguing would just be a waste of time at this point.
"Alright. Come with me. But don't push yourself, okay?"
"Yes. I'll stay with you until the end."
...She means just for this specific problem, right?
With that thought in mind, I fretted over how to explain everything to everyone as I made my way to the next meeting room.
