I would like to talk to you about that Mr. Raisel.

　Sophie slowly looked at King Olbers, not showing any emotion.
　However, she was so overcome with emotion that her expression should have been erased, but tears started to fall down her cheeks.

　Sophie transferred from the school in Rosenheim to the school in the Kingdom of Latash in the second year.
　Unlike Folmar, Sophie, who is now 50 years old, attended the school.
　Rosenheim had one school, where she spent a year with her talented classmates, studying and completing assignments given by her teacher.

　Then, the following year after you move in, the demon king's army, numbering in the millions, invades.
　With more than five times the number of magical beasts in the entire year, Rosenheim took the same response as the Ghiamut and Baukis empires.

　Rosenheim's superiors were forced to respond to the national crisis in order to save their people.
　It was the same response issued to Merle, who was only a sophomore from the Baucis Empire.

　It ordered second and third year students who attended the school and had not yet graduated to the battlefield.
　Of course, in Rosenheim, this order only applies to royalty and nobility, but there were many who had spent a year at the school with Sophie.

　Most of those inexperienced students' bodies have not been found even after a year.
　Perhaps they were eaten by the monster beasts.
　There are still many bereaved families crying out to the Elf Queen and the Elder Council to find them.

　I can picture the faces of the friends of the academy who were pronounced dead and never found their bodies.
　Many of them were friends before they attended the academy.
　Sophie, the princess of Rosenheim, bites down on her anger and tries to regain her composure.

Why?　Moo?　Come to think of it, they reported hearing about it last year, too.

　Underneath the blank expression, King Olbers noticed Sophie's anger and disappointment.
　Then, remembering something, he looked at the diplomatic elder Giamnir.
　The elven nation of Rosenheim and the dark elf homeland of Fabraze have a minimum of diplomatic relations, although they are at odds with each other.

　King Olbers recalls that last year a letter of inquiry had arrived with a friendly letter from the Queen of Rosenheim.

　King Olbers had sent the letter after hearing that the war had taken a heavy toll on him, and a questionnaire was enclosed with the letter of thanks.

　There was only one question on the questionnaire.

"Is there a person named Laisel in Fabrese?

　They don't usually get questionnaires, and if anything happens, they check with the elders of the diplomatic corps.
　The elders of the diplomatic corps have the authority to answer, so Rosenheim knows that there is no point in writing a questionnaire if the elders do not answer it.

　After reviewing the questionnaire, Fabbrase decides that it is a dark elf he is looking for for a reason, and replies, "The same name as the current king's father.
　I hadn't heard anything since I answered the questionnaire with a written answer.

　I had forgotten, but now I wonder why, says King Olbers.
　I can't help but look at Sophie as if to ask her why, as she stares intently at me.

"So that's what you said last year. As princess of Rosenheim, I have something to tell King Olbers about what I'm about to tell you. That is why I am here, sir.

It's ostentatious. How dare the princess have to meet and talk to you?

　After King Olbers sends the answer, he understands why he hasn't heard back.
　I wonder if the royal family came all the way over to tell him the true meaning of the questionnaire.

Yes, sir. Master Laisel is the name of the general of the enemy that invaded Rosenheim last year.

""What?"

　It was not immediately clear to the dark elves what Sophie had said.
　I have heard that the city was invaded by the demon king's army and that it suffered heavy casualties.
　I know that even Fortenia, the capital city and home of the World Tree, had fallen, and that it was a threat to the survival of the nation.

　So we thought that even the elven lands, which we recognize as enemy nations, had shown their condolences and responded accordingly.

　I wondered if our words of thanks were that.
　The words of the princess who is to be called the next queen.
　All at once, the dark elves' brown complexion turned red with blood.

　The hall was in an uproar.

"Liar!
"Don't be silly!
"Abolish the truce!

　He is so furious that he forgets that Sophie is even holding the spirit god.
　There is also a dark elf who has been sitting on his haunches, but is about to get up on his knees and jump on you.
　Merle's face, which is not as ready as Sophie or Formal, is growing uneasy.

　In the midst of the fury, an old soldier, sitting closest to King Olbers among the armored generals, stands up.

After all, the truce King Olbers signed 500 years ago was wrong. Let's break the truce now and we dark elves will attack Rosenheim as one.

　Perhaps he is in the same position as Marshal Sigur in Rosenheim.
　Yes, yes, and the generals agree.

...... be quiet for a moment.

" "!

　Then King Olbers tells the generals and elders to shut up.
　What a foolish thing to say, the generals gasp.

　More than any other dark elf, it was King Olbers who was angry.

Is it true?　Choose your next words well. I am taught to be proud, no matter how much blood is spilled. Of course I do.

　You are staring at Sophie, wondering whose name you have stained.

About three million pieces of elven blood have been spilled. It was a dark elf turned demon who caused it, and his name was Razel.

"My father became a demon?

"Yes. And in search of the World Tree, he was defeated by our party, led by Master Allen.

　Sophie does not flinch at all as she puts into words the truth she has seen.
　I told them to shut up, but Sophie's words are causing consternation among the generals and elders.

What do you want, and why do you speak like that?



"There's nothing in particular. If you have any reason to become a genie, I would like you to give me information. We're fighting demons.

　Many sacrifices were made, but asking for nothing.
　Asking for nothing means not only monetary compensation, but also no apology.
　For the princess of Rosenheim to have spoken out meant that she would never ask for anything in the future.

　Now, Sophie is fighting against paganism, pagans, and demonic gods as an associate of Allen.
　So talking about Razel might get in the way of achieving Allen's purpose as a companion.

　But Sophie is the princess of Rosenheim.
　If we prioritize the fight against the evildoers and all the talk about maps and shelters is done, we will lose all rights to talk about Hazel in the future.

　I mean, how can we talk about that after you've helped us.
　You cannot be a princess and ignore the fact that millions of elves have been overrun and go up against the dark elves.

　Allen knew that too and sent me to the west.
　He understood his position as royalty of Rosenheim.

　Sophie thought she had already gotten most of her answers from the conversations so far and the attitude of the dark elves.
　It was clear that the dark elves here were not waging last year's war on their own accord.

　Otherwise, they wouldn't be so outraged to hear that the current king's father had become a demon god and invaded Rosenheim.

　That is how the dark elves have ruled, with a dozen or so elders and royal children to choose the next king.
　You know the names of the kings, but you don't know all the names of the elders completely.

　The dark elves left the continent of Rosenheim some two thousand years ago.
　The truce was only signed about 500 years ago when King Olbers pushed for it to be signed.
　At this time Sophie's mother, the current Queen of the elves, Luciano, was not even born.
　Diplomatic relations were established between the two countries about 200 years ago, at the initiative of Luciano and with the approval of Olbers.

　Thus, for the first time, diplomatic relations were born, but not between elves and dark elves in each other's economic spheres.
　They only send their diplomatic elders to each other.

　Rosenheim believes that the fact that King Olbers' father's name was never mentioned is one of the reasons why the dark elves are not involved.
　King Olbers' father was not among the names of the kings who had ever taken office.
　Nor was he in Rosenheim's knowledge of the Fabrazy elders.

　Even through diplomacy, both sides are limited in their ability to grasp the names of the elders.
　No elf has ever arrived on the side of the dark elves.
　And vice versa.
　No spies can be sent to each other because they are of different races.
　They know each other's kings' names, but it is only 200 years since they knew each other's elders to some extent.

　Either they were hidden for a long time, or they were in a situation where Favrase would not know about it, and from the situation so far, it was probably the latter.

　And from the reaction of King Olbers, it seems that Razel has been away from Favrase for a long time.

　Sophie confronts King Olbers that this is all part of the story.
　Everyone waits for King Olbers' next words.
　King Olberth's thoughtful next words seem very long.

"You talked about building a shelter near the villages and wanting a map. I'll have it ready. You'll work out the details with the elders.

　From the topic of demon gods, we returned to the first and second Sophie's request.
　The expression on King Olbers' face seems to be desperate for something.
　Apart from those thoughts, he continues talking to Sophie sitting in front of him.

"Thank you for your cooperation. King Olbers.

　Sophie sits down, bows her head and says thank you.

What?　Will you cooperate?　O king!

　The elder, believed to be one of the closest advisors, reacts.

"Of course. It's happening around the villages. The information here was worth it.

　You will pay for what happened in the oasis city of Rukoak and for the information that the pagans are prowling the desert.

No, no, my king, but!　Wouldn't it be better to check the authenticity of a story like that first?

　One of the elders says that it would be better to impeach Rosenheim for his rude talk.

'We'd rather start the war again than verify its authenticity!　Let's be my overlord!　Surely, our bow and arrow will reach Forthenia!

　One of the generals speaks of starting a war.

That's right. It was I who spoke of a truce. And it was my decision to cooperate with the Elven princess this time. If my judgment is wrong, then I suggest we have a meeting of the council of elders at once and put me down.

" "!

　King Olbers assured them that the decision would not be reversed with the king's position at stake.
　The generals and elders had never expected such a decision, and the dark elves sat hunched over and watched the spirit king Fabre curl up at the feet of King Olbers.
　But he curls up against the hustle and bustle of the hall up to this point and doesn't say a word.

　It seems that Spirit King Fabre's attitude was all that mattered.
　He swallowed any further objections and no one said anything.

"So what are we going to do now?

I'll leave the matter of shelter to you. Later on, we will give you some of the medicine that won't turn you into an evil man. We'll take the map and go save the city that may be attacked.

I heard he's using a hexenbiest or something. I hear you're using a hexenbiest or something.

"Yes. This is Master Allen's summoner. Rosenheim could meet the Man of Light to shake off the darkness.



"Nuh?　Mr. Allen, oh, I see.

　King Olbers remembered a name he'd missed.
　Indeed, he said that the slayer of the demon god would be "led by Master Allen".

　In Rosenheim, the elves know most of the prophecies from when Rosen was the Spirit King.

　They have passed on the words of the genie god's prophecies to reassure the elves seeking salvation from the annual assault by the evil king.
　Many in Rosenheim believe that last year's war was won because the Spirit King summoned the Man of Light to shake off the darkness.
　Otherwise, the elves are convinced that such a breakthrough could not have taken place in the dying city of Rosenheim.

　The elves' belief in the myth of the salvation of the Man of Light who shakes off the darkness has reached Fabbrase.

　King Olbers has learned that the elves have found the man of light who shakes off the darkness.
　The dark elf generals have seen the summoner wipe out the evildoers and demonic beasts they have fought for days.

Now, thank you for your cooperation. Sorry, we don't have time for this: ......

"......

　I did everything I had to say as a princess and asked for your help.
　If they took any more time, the damage would spread, so they tried to move on to their next move with each other.

　Then Sophie noticed the change in King Olbers' expression and stopped talking.
　She stopped talking because King Olbers looked like a boy reaching desperately for something.
　There was a hesitation, as if the conversation was not yet over.

　I want to hear something.
　But you can't ask the king that.
　Not with that look on his face.

　Sophie is trying to figure out what King Olbers wants to hear.

　She decides that she should thank King Olbers for risking his position to help her.
　What haven't I said yet?
　What should be said.
　The circumstances of our conversation thus far lead me to one answer.

"I'm very sorry. I was in such a hurry that I forgot what Master Laisel told you.

Yeah, right. What did my father say?

　Sophie thinks it looks like she was right.
　King Olbers sits up and leans forward.

"The last thing Master Lazer said was, 'I wanted the dark elves to see the World Tree.

　The last words of the demon-god-turned-Lazel weren't hatred for the elves.
　His last words were not of hatred towards the dark elves.

　Before being defeated by Aren and his friends and disappearing into ashes, he told the dark elves about Razel's last words.

Ah. . my father would do such a thing. Thank you. ......

　King Olbers' face crumbles.
　Maybe it was the answer he'd been seeking for hundreds of years.
　She forgot to say thank you, forgetting that she was the King of the Dark Elves.
　Looking down, she couldn't see it, but it seemed to Sophie that King Olbers was crying.