クレイス王国と魔導皇国、両国の協議の結果、皇国の皇帝は戦争の責任を取る形で退位することになった.

　同時に魔導皇国は他国へ堅く流出を禁じていた魔道具製造の秘匿技術を王国へと提供することと、多額の賠償金、加えて捕虜となった兵士達を王都復興の労働に供することを申し出て、王都の復興に係る経費は全て皇国が捻出することが決まった.

　皇帝の『退位』は後継の政治の受け皿を整えた上で数ヶ月後に発表される.
　その為、皇国は表向きは当面今の支配体制を維持するが、内部的には粛清を進め権力移譲の準備を進めるという.
　当然反発は予想されるが、皇帝が存命のまま意思を伝えるという形であれば上手くことが運べるだろう.
　王国側も表から裏から、その動きを両面で支援する体制を整えている.

　王はその辺りの采配は全て、王子レインが執り仕切るように指示をした.
　それに関しては、あまり心配はしていない.
　あの優秀な息子に任せておけば、上手く行くだろうという安心感がある.

　王の頭を占めているのは、別のことだった.

「あの『魔族』の少年を──普通に、何の憂いもなく暮らせるようにしてくれ、か」

　仮設の執務室で王は急拵えの布張りの椅子に腰掛け、思考に耽っていた.
　頭にあるのは、あの男のこと.

「なんとも、困った注文だ──よりによって、魔族とはな」

　救国の英雄、ノールは今回の活躍の褒賞として「魔族の少年ロロの保護」──そして、人間と同等の「市民権を与えること」を望んだ.

「願いがそれだけとはな. 無碍にするわけにもいかん」

　『魔族』はミスラ教国だけでなく、多くの国で『討伐対象』となっている種族だ.
　長い間狩られ続け、随分数は少なくなった.
　あの少年は、その生き残りだ.

　魔族は生まれながらにして不思議な力を持つ.
　曰く、魔物を自在に操り、人の心をも見透かし操るという.
　その為に恐れられ迫害を受けている、ということは皆が知っているが、実物に出会ったという話はほとんど聞かない.
　多くはその特徴を伝承で伝え聞くのみで、王自身、目にしたことは幾度とない.

　彼らが持つのは「凶暴な魔物をも操れる」という力であり、戦争で多くの人間を殺した.
　そこだけ見ると確かに脅威かもしれないが、本当にそこまで邪悪な存在であるという話には疑問が残る.
　そこまでの証拠はきちんと調べていくと、ないのだ.
　確かに人と魔族の戦争はあったが、それは現存する本当の『歴史書』では人と人の争いとそう変わらない.
　魔族が殺したという人数で言っても、人が人を殺した数よりもずっと少ないのだ.
　それどころか、比べると人が魔族を殺した数の方がずっと多い.

　実際のところ──『魔族』を特別に危険視する合理的な理由は、ない.
　だが、それはたとえ知ってはいても決して公にしてはいけない類の『禁忌』だ.
　それはある程度の知識に通じる者であれば、皆が知るところ──今世界に出回っている魔族の脅威を伝える逸話・風説は全てミスラの公式発表と根回しによるものだ.
　それを国家が公式に「信用する」形で全ての魔族に関する国際的な条約が形作られている.

　──ミスラが保有し、各国に提供する『結界技術』.
　それを皆、失いたくない為だ.

　『結界技術』──街の外から魔物を立ち入らせないようにしたり、迷宮から魔物を出さない為の『透明な力壁』を生み出す技術.
　ある程度の規模の街になると、皆がその恩恵を受けている.
　ミスラ教国がそれを独占しているが為に、ミスラ教の教会各支部を通して『安全』を提供するという形で、ミスラは多くの国に影響力を保っている.
　その為、ミスラが他国に要求したことは、大抵すんなり受け入れる.
　それがその国の利益に反しない限り.
　There is no reason to weigh up effective defense techniques against a false claim.

　The "demon race" is a very dangerous race and should be declared an enemy of humanity.
　As soon as you find them, kill them and dispose of them, or hand them over alive.
　If you do so, the Holy Mithraic State promises great benefits to those who cooperate.

　There is no one who would dare to disobey that request.
　Because there's nothing to be gained by doing so.

　It is not clear why Mithra and the Church are so concerned about the demon race.
　It's true that they fought a major war against the demon tribe in history, and there are reasons to believe that their grudge is still smoldering, but that was hundreds of years ago...that's not the only reason.

　The demon race is something important to Mithra.
　There's a reason why she wants to keep them as enemies.
　There's something that wants to keep them as enemies even if it means putting down roots in the world.

　In other words, to join the demon tribe is to become a potential enemy of the great nation of Mithra.

That's a real problem. It's too big to be an enemy.

　But there's been a lot going on in that country lately that's been bothering me.

　It is said that the Devil's Heart was used in the attack on the capital this time.
　It's a rare magical stone that can only be produced in Mithra.
　It's inconceivable that it could be leaked like that.
　The strict control system that that country prides itself on would not allow it.
　It's impossible for it to have been stolen... we have to assume that it was officially provided to them for some reason.

　Why?

　I thought our country and Mithra were on good terms.
　It wasn't long ago that Lean went to study abroad.
　There was no sign of that at that time.

　We are about to conduct a full-scale investigation into this matter, and the distribution channel will be revealed in due course.
　But at this point, we have to be suspicious.
　It seems that these women already want to destroy this country.

"Of all times... this is the time to protect a demon boy.

　That boy has already been seen by many people.
　He was in control of that giant dragon.
　He's bound to get noticed.
　There's no hiding him now.
　But isn't the decision to protect him, no matter how heroic the offer, adding fuel to the fire in the current situation?

However... it's not like we're just going to throw the boy away.
　He's one of our heroes.
　It's not our way to return the favor, but...

　It's not right to put a barrier between us and humans just because we're demons.
　They are also intelligent neighbors who can speak to each other.
　Race and the past are irrelevant.

　How I wish I could say that.

　But... a person in my position is not allowed to say such a sweet dream.



Rain.
Yes?

　The king called out to his son, Rain, who was standing in the doorway of his temporary office.

Give the demon boy citizenship and a place to live in the kingdom.
　Give the demon boy citizenship of the kingdom and a place to live, as well as enough money to live on.
　I'll leave that to you.

And?

　The prince received the king's order and left quickly to deliver the order to his men in various places.

　And so, in the empty temporary office, the king sat even more deeply in his upholstered chair.

"Noor. He's a real pain in the ass.

　That man takes nothing.

　No goods, no houses, no treasures.
　He doesn't even want land.
　He rejects almost everything people want.
　He doesn't seem to have any of the greed that people are supposed to have.

　Is that some kind of deranged lunatic or something? 　

No, he really doesn't want it (・・・・).

　That man is strong.
　That's why he doesn't need it.

　The things I just presented to him, if he wanted them, he could get them from anywhere.
　Therefore, what is immediately available to him is of no value.
　It doesn't matter if it's close by or not.
　He's already got that much strength.

　To be able to subdue the evil dragon all by himself...

　The king had seen him up close.
　That man was able to deal a blow that could blow away the city with just one sword and roll the dragon to the ground.

　That's a real hero.

　The heroic image depicted in fairy tales that the king himself had longed for and tried to get as close to as possible.
　That man was the very image of that ideal.

　...... And he doesn't want anything.
　Maybe it's an anecdote about a saint or something.

　But the man wanted one thing.
　"Help the demon boy.
　What does he really want?

"Recognize and protect the boy as a royal citizen.
　That's asking our country to turn its back on Mithra.

　A realm we must never enter.
　A forbidden territory that many nations know nothing about.

　And he tells us to break it without a second thought.
　It's the only thing that man wants.



　What the hell is he thinking?

"What is he thinking?
　Is he going to turn the whole world upside down by himself?
　Is he going to drag our country into that hardship?
　Is that what you really want? ......?

　The king felt uncomfortable with the words he had spoken.

　"Involved"?

　No, no.
　That's not true.
　I'm willingly getting involved right now.

　Even if it means endangering the people of the kingdom I rule.
　Even if it means sacrificing the apparent peace of this world.

　I want to be caught up in the path he's taking.
　I want to watch over that man's future.
　I can feel such a feeling rising in my head.

　If I could, I would watch over that hero and walk with him.

　A childlike desire for the continuation of such a story is aching inside the king.

"You really are a troubled man, aren't you, Noor?

　After all, I'm not fit to be king.
　I'm not fit to be a king.

　I think it's perfectly legitimate for the old emperor to call me a foolish king.

　But...

"An adventurer is a creature who pursues his foolish dreams to the end of his days.
　As a king who is one of them, I have no choice but to support him... or is that too much to ask?
　I'll have to ask Oken to help me come up with a good reason.
　I'm really troubled by our hero's demands.

　The king's face was full of joy as he said this.
　The king's face was full of joy, and there was a great deal of laughter in the temporary office.