Wandering Knight Lember

　Most of the land of Bandor is a wide plain.
　Since it is an open land, there are few goblins who don't like brightly lit areas.
　However, just because there are not many goblins, it is not a good place for people to live.
　There are marshlands where skalmen (lizardmen) and frogmen (toadmen) live in the areas facing Azimid Bay, and where they do not, many fang-blooded races such as centaurs and werewolves (wolfmen) live in the areas where they do not.
　These species can also attack humans. Therefore, the people who live in Bandor cannot live in peace.
　Nimu and I are walking through the land of Bandor together.
　We should be arriving at our destination soon.
　There are many people coming and going in front of us.
　People of all kinds are walking there.
　They are all walking in one direction.
　I look ahead from the top of the hill.
　I'm going to be able to see the country of Eldo, which was created by the brave Lord Rage.

I'm not sure if this is the country that the brave men and women created, Eldo?　It's not a nice place.

　I can't help but get some feedback. It is not a very good location.
　The best place to build a country is a hill suitable for defense.
　If the hills are wide enough, you can build a country there.
　And by building walls along the edges of the hills, we can make them even easier to defend.
　My hometown, the Kingdom of Rox, was such a country.
　Now the population has grown and dwellings have been built underneath the hills, but originally people only lived on the hills.
　Eldo, however, is built in the lowlands.
　The only place that looks like a hill is the part where the palace where the heroes live.
　And it's small. It would not be possible to accommodate this many people in an emergency.
　In other words, it's not suitable for defense.
　And it looks like the walls of the city have not yet been built properly.
　If a pack of goblins were to get close to this, they would be attacked in a heartbeat.
　It is quite dangerous.
　Or, since it's the heroes, are they taking some countermeasures?
　That's enough to make me think.
　Their power is tremendous. Even without the castle walls, they might be able to live in peace.
　If you think about it that way, it's understandable why so many people want to come to Eldo.

It's a shabby place, though it seems to have a lot of people. Is this the country built by the brave man who was loved by that Reena-sama?　Rembar?

　Nimu next to me frowns.
　Nimu is a water (water) elf naiad.
　It just so happens that he met and accompanied her on her journey.
　He must be lucky to have been able to travel, albeit for a time, with a beautiful woman.
　And all the more so if it is an elf of eternal beauty.

I guess the country is not quite ready yet.

　I answer that.
　From a distance, the houses where people live seem to be miscellaneous and unmaintained.
　The roads seem to be poorly maintained.
　If my information is correct, Eldo must have only been founded a short time ago, which makes sense when you think about it.

Well, that's good. Well, let's go then. I have to report to the princess.

　Nimu pulls me along.
　Her long, light blue hair sways fluffily in the wind.
　She was originally a resident of the elven country at the foot of the holy Elyos Mountain, in its treeline.
　The reason why she left the forest is to investigate the country of the heroes.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
　I've heard that she was sent by her entourage to see how he was doing.
　I've been told that they are only going to check on people and have no plans to make contact with the heroes.
　Well, that's why I accompanied her.
　To be honest, I don't want to meet them face to face.

''Wait!　Nimu!

　I stop.
　Then Nimu turns around and gives me a strange look.

'What's wrong?　Rembar?
You need to cover your face. It's probably pretty unsafe.

　I used to be in charge of the security of the country, and I know what I'm talking about.
　Just looking at it from a distance gives it that kind of vibe.

'It's all right then. 'Lember. I'm strong. I'm not as strong as a human.

　Saying that, Nimu touches the sword at his waist.
　Nimu is indeed strong. He can use water magic and his sword skills are better than mine.
　But I think we should avoid conflict.
　But Nimu looks down on people with a short life span.
　He professes to be a pathetic creature who withers away quickly, especially to human women.
　That's what causes the conflict.
　In the short time we've been together, it has caused conflict on several occasions.
　I don't know why such a Nimu would want to stay with me.
　It seems that I am not the only one who doesn't look down on him in the first place.
　Therefore, I am puzzled.
　Nimu clings to my left arm and forces me to walk.
　I could only let out a sigh.



◆Chiyuki, the black-haired wise man.

　More than thirty days had already passed since Mr. Cyrone woke up.
　When she woke up, she wanted to go to him, but we stopped her in the meantime.
　It's because the silvery white witch at his side seems to be hostile towards us.
　Besides, there is a disagreement between us about him.
　With the exception of Rage, the one who hates him the most is Kaya.
　The reason seems to be because Kyoka likes him.
　That is not amusing to Kaya.
　I can understand why it's not fun.
　Kaya wants to be on Kyouka's side first.
　That's why she wants to exclude the others.
　Kaya tells Kyouka that she should learn to associate with men, but when she gets a man she's interested in, she objects to it.
　It's a very complicated feeling.
　That Kaya was against welcoming him in, and also Sahoko, who didn't like him for causing Reige to be so close to death, was also reluctantly against it.
　I had to be reluctant to welcome him for other reasons as well.
　Therefore, I had to put him on the back burner.
　How was I supposed to deal with Burun in the first place?
　Plus, the population is growing and nation-building is getting busy. That's what I'm occupied with at the moment.
　I'm also concerned about Zarxys, who I met at Gypsiel, but after that, Raina doesn't seem to have a clue about what's going on, so there's nothing we can do about it.
　As a result, we spend our days in Eldo with nowhere to go.
　One day, I meet a guest in the reception room.

It's been a long time since I've seen you. It's been a long time since I've seen you in a long time, Chiyuki-dono, the wise man with black hair.

　The old man in front of me calls my name.
　The old man is dressed like a magician.
　He is wearing a black robe and a wide brimmed hat. He also had a long beard.
　Anyone could see that he was a magician.
　Well, that's just as well. The person in front of me is a sorcerer among sorcerers.

'Yes. It's been a long time. Master Magus the Great Sage. Welcome to Eld. You are very welcome.

　I bow my head in a sitting position.
　The Great Sage Magus.
　That's the name of this old man.
　He is the honorary president of the Association of Magicians and the chairman of the Council of Wise Men, which is the highest decision-making body of the Association of Magicians.
　The representative of the Mage Association is the president, who is appointed by the Council of Wise Men.
　But this old man's word is respected more than the president's in the association.
　In other words, he is the de facto representative of the Mages' Association.
　This is the second time I've met the great sage.
　He came to visit me to see the country we had created.
　The reason is that he wants to know what kind of country the brave man made.
　I'm his personal guest, so I'm the only one to meet him.

This is the second time we have met, Chiyuki-dono. "We haven't seen each other since I gave you the title of wise man?

　The Magus in front of me says, touching his long beard.

'Yes, sir. Thank you for promoting me to wise man.'

　Thank you.
　Apart from the title of Sage, which is a noble title given to those who are knowledgeable, the title of Sage is also the highest title given to a sorcerer by the Society of Magicians.
　However, a sorcerer who is given the title of sage has the right and duty to attend the Council of Wise Men and contribute to the development of the association.
　I joined the branch of the Society of Magicians of the Republic of St. Renaria for my activities in this world, and after some time I was given the title of Sage.
　I didn't understand the reason at first, but this great sage said that he recommended it.
　I asked him why, but he said it was because it would be a shame to leave someone with magical powers that transcend humanity as a mere magician.
　I don't know if that's the real reason or not.
　However, I've decided that there is no harm in it.

I'm not going to be able to say thank you. I'm not going to be able to say thank you, Chiyuki-dono. But this Eldo is an interesting country, isn't it? We dare to build a country in a place that is difficult to defend. How far do you intend to go to make this country grow?

　Magus looks at me.
　Apparently, the old man has sensed my intentions.

''That's right. The reason I dared to build on the flatlands was to create a large country.''

　There are many things to consider when building a country, or a city, in this world.
　One of them is defense.
　In this world where there are many monsters, the best place for defense is on top of a hill.
　Of course, it's impossible to find a hill that can only accommodate a certain number of people conveniently.
　Therefore, people choose the land that is easy to defend as much as possible and build a country.
　What they lack in numbers they make up for by building thicker walls.
　However, a country that is suitable for defense tends to be difficult to pass through, and the number of people who can live there is limited.
　This makes it difficult for the country to develop.
　But we are strong. Even in the land that is not suitable for defense, we can resist the demons.
　That's why we built our country in a land with good transportation access.

''That's pretty tough. What it lacks in strength it makes up for with the help of the heroic lord. I'm sure they're just as well known as the ones who bring about the golden dawn. It's the kind of thing only the brave men can do. I'm glad I came to see it. I'm glad to see you here.

　The Magus laughs.
　The Golden Dawn Bringer is one of Rage's noble titles.
　In mythology, the world belongs to humans until the Demon King releases demons into the world, and that era is called the Golden Age.
　Rage is seen as the savior of mankind, creating another golden age.
　But I could not laugh with him.

'No, that is not the case. As a matter of fact, we recently tried to reclaim part of the marshland for farmland, but that seems to have incurred the wrath of the Skalith Man (Lizardmen).

　Eldo was the land that was obtained by killing the demonic beast Peruda, who ruled this land.
　And the land that Peruda ruled over contained a wetland near it.
　We decided to reclaim the wetlands and make them available for agriculture.
　However, that drew the ire of the skale-people (lizardmen) who lived in Bandol.
　To the blue-scaled lizard man living in this area, the wetland was a sacred land.
　He thought it was okay because it was only a small part of it, but he underestimated the lizard man's (Lizardman) desire for the wetlands.

'I see. I see," he said, "that we've run into a common problem.
Yes, I'm ashamed to say.

　Humans are not the only intelligent beings living in this world.
　And most of the intelligent creatures have a different ecology from humans.
　Whenever we try to change the environment to make it more comfortable for humans to live in, we are almost always interrupted.
　For example, if we try to open up a forest for cultivation, the people living in the forest will become our enemies.
　If you try to reclaim a swamp, the people living in the swamp will become your enemies.
　Humans call them all "demons".
　We used to call them demons, but we decided to change our minds.

However, there's nothing we can do about that. The lizardmen in this area must worship Azimid, the blue dragon. If you're not careful, Azimid and his dragon men (Dragon Newt) may also come out of the woodwork. If they spread the conflict, a lot of people may die. ......

　Magus frowns.
　A lizard man (lizardman) of this land might offer a sacrifice and ask for the aid of Azimid, the blue dragon.
　Azimid is an ancient dragon that has lived a long time and is close to the azure-scaled Sea Dragon King.
　We should be able to beat Azimid. However, if a dragon lord who is on par with the god race comes out, we might have a hard time.
　Besides, the Dragon Man (Dragon Newt), an upper lizard man (High Lizardman), is stronger than humans.
　If Azimid or the Dragon Lords (Dragon Newt) come out, there could be a lot of damage.

''Yes, there is indeed a possibility of that happening. At this rate, we don't know what time the Golden Dawn will be.
Yeah, it's a big deal.

　Then Magus nodded yes and touched his beard.

'Sometimes, Master Magus, I have one question for you. May I ask you a question?

　I change the subject slightly.

'Ho, what is it? I will answer you if I can.
Thank you, Master Magus. Now let me ask you a question. Was there really a golden age as described in the myths?

　As I say this, Magus' eyes open wide and he looks at me.

'Why do you think that is?　Chiyuki?　If Lady Odis' priest is listening, you could be in big trouble.

　Magus says with concern.
　That's right. If the priest of Odis, who believes in myths, would listen, he might send a witch-hunter to us.
　But I really wanted to hear it.

'It's only recently that I've wondered. There are too many funny places to say that the earth belonged to humans before the Demon King unleashed his demons. It doesn't seem like humans had a golden age in the past.

　To begin with, there's something funny about saying that the Demon King released a demon.
　For example, the lizard man (lizardman) is like that.
　The priest of Odis says that the demons include skale-men (lizardman).
　However, lizardmen don't worship the demon king.
　Skalazoidoid (Lizardman) worships dragons.
　This is funny for a demon king to release a demon.
　Also, if you check the literature, it seems that the lizard man (lizardman) has been living in this land since before humans came.
　However, that would make the golden age of mankind funny.
　Shouldn't humans have ruled the earth?
　In the first place, there is no trace of humans ruling the world anywhere.
　Nor do the ruins of the time humans ruled the world seem to have been destroyed.
　It was a funny thing.
　That was made even stronger by the fact that he had gone to Gypseal.
　It seems that the beastmen (beastmen) of that place also lived there before humans.
　I explain this to Magus.

I explain this to Magus. That's certainly true.

　Magus nods his head yes.
　I nod my head.
　Even if I were to call him the Great Sage. Didn't he notice that I was wondering?

'Didn't Master Magus wonder?

　When I say this, Magus shakes his head.

I, too, wonder if there was ever a golden age. It's only in the last four hundred years that the myth has come into being. There was no myth of a golden age before that. Chiyuki-dono.
What?

　I make a strange sound of surprise.
　Magus continues regardless of me.

'I don't know who was the first to say this. I don't know who said it in the first place, but it wasn't Odys-sama's cult or Raina's cult, that's for sure. But it's a very convenient story. It's no laughing matter for a high priest to give official recognition to the myth. As a result, everyone believes in the myth.

　It's amazing.
　I've heard that the Great Sage Magus has lived for over 800 years. And he's the founder of the Society of Magicians.
　It's not surprising that he knew about it 400 years ago.
　But I didn't know that there wasn't a myth of the Golden Age 400 years ago.
　And if it wasn't shed by the various Faiths, it probably wasn't shed by the gods, including Raina.
　In the first place, the story of the Golden Age hadn't come from Raina's mouth.

'I see that's true ....... Doesn't Master Magus tell the truth?
What's the point of telling them?　Chiyuki? No one is going to be happy about that.

　Magus looks straight at me, touching his beard.
　It certainly won't please anyone.
　There was no golden age to begin with, and humans came later. That being said, so what would be the point?
　Even if you are told to live without regard to the demons because you came later, there is no way you can do that.

It's .......

　I'm at a loss for words.

'I won't say a bad thing. You are fighting to restore the Golden Age. That's all well and good. That's what the people of this land are saying in praise of Lord Brave.

　Magus's words pierced through.
　In the first place, this place was also founded after defeating the Demon Beast Peruda.
　That's why many humans are rejoicing in the founding of Eldo. They said we have regained our land.
　We weren't so happy when people praised us.
　But now I don't like it.
　It was that time.
　There is a knock at the door of the reception room.

Chiyuki-sama! Oh, my God!　It's a dragon!　The blue dragon is coming here!　Master Raige wants you to come over ASAP!

　This voice is Kaya's man's maid.
　And it looks like we're in big trouble.
　If it's a blue dragon, then maybe Azimid has come.

''I understand!　I'm coming!　Master Magus. It appears that I have an urgent matter to attend to. I'm sorry, but may I be excused from my seat?
It's all right, Chiyuki-dono. It looks like Azimid has attacked us. I think it would be better for me not to kill him. But is this up to you, my hero?

　I know what Magus is trying to say.
　If this is not done well, we will end up fighting the Dragon King. I don't want to do that.

'I understand, sir. Master Magus. I'll stop at getting rid of him somehow.

　With that, I leave the parlor.
　There are many things I want to think about.
　But I didn't seem to have time to think about it.