Why?
　Why does this third princess of the Kingdom of Shumuria want to meet me?

　I'm confused.
　Kilts-san said with a difficult face.

Perhaps it's because you're a 'divine dog'.
..........
I believe Irna has told you that the Shumurian royal family is descended from the goddess Shurian. It is said that the third princess in particular has the blood of the goddess in her veins. --It's a good idea to have a look at Marle, who is said to be one of the gods' relatives, after receiving the report from Mumpa.

　What?

(I can't believe you said that.)

'I don't really know what a "Godgu" is, myself.　Is that okay with you?
Hmm. How is it?

　Mr. Kilt, you're craning your neck.

(Hey, Mr. Kilt!)

　What would happen to me if it wasn't good?

　In my former life, I was a small-time citizen.

　And I'm still a petty person.

　For the record, I don't want to meet or have anything to do with those high and mighty people.
　Because I don't know the etiquette and etiquette, and I think if I were to do something rude without knowing it, I would be imprisoned, or worse, executed. No, it's a selfish image, right?

　But Mr. Illtimina is also looking at me with concern.

　I confessed to her honestly.

"I want to run.
No!

　Mr. Kilt chuckles.
　Then he gets a little more serious.

This is an order from the royal family. If you refuse to do so, it will not only jeopardize your guild, but also your guild and the position of Mumpa, the head of your guild, and the guild itself. Worse yet, it could also put your current guardian, Irna, to blame.

　What?

(How absurd!)

　To my astonishment, Mr. Kirt says.

He said, "This is going to happen whether the Princess Lechlear wants it to or not. --It's called "family ties.

　............
　Illtimina-san's white hand came over my silent hand from above.

''You don't have to worry about us, do you?
..........
'Don't worry, we'll take care of it ourselves. So, Marl, do what you want to do.

　A gentle smile.
　A compassionate sister who, to all intents and purposes, puts me before herself.

(............)

　I stared at that smile, and I was ready to go.

　Once, I let out a deep breath.

All right. I'll see the princess.
Okay.

　Mr. Kilt nodded, somewhat relieved.

''Are you sure, Marl?''
Yes.

　Ms. Illtimina looks surprised, then concerned.
　I laugh.

(Yeah, you mustn't let this guy bother you, ever.)

　And looking at her like that, I felt rather 'I have to work hard'.
　Kilt-san looked at the two of us and nodded.

''Don't worry so much. I've had the opportunity to say hello to Princess Lekria a few times before, and she was young but intelligent. It won't be a bad thing, I'm sure.
Yes.
Well, I have to be rude to you.

　Finally, he says in a muttered voice.

　Hmmm.
　I don't know anything about etiquette, and to be honest, that's the part that's not fashionable, is it?

Well, good luck with that. I'll be careful.

　And so it was decided that we would talk, and Miss Fedonia, the princess's handmaid, who was waiting for me outside the waiting room, was called in. Kilt-san spoke with me and the maidservant guided me to go see the princess.
　But he said I was the only one who would be allowed to see her.

''Since Princess Reclear only called for Mahr-sama,''
..........

　Mr. Fedonia says, clearing up.

　Kilt-san chuckles and Iltimina-san still looks worried.
　I didn't expect the two of them to follow me, and I'm getting worried too.

　I feel cold inside.

(.........I should have run away, after all, shouldn't I?)

　Regret will not go away.

　Surrounded by Fedonia-san walking in front of me and the two knights walking behind me, I walked down the long, long corridor of the cathedral, feeling like a prisoner being taken away--.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Eventually we passed through a door like the back door of the cathedral and went outside.
　The opposite side of the great square.

　There is a long staircase in front of us, and at the end of it is the beautiful and majestic Holy Sumurian Castle on the lake.

　The third princess is in the castle.

(I didn't think I was going to the castle...)

　I still had a tenuous sense of the present.

　Fedonia and the two knights took me up the stairs above the lake for about 10 minutes. Yes, I was tired.

　When I look back, I can see the streets of the royal capital, Mulia.

　Beyond the white exterior walls, I could see the sprawling grasslands and distant mountains, and I could feel the breath of the vast continent.
　This other world is truly a land of abundant nature.

　Below us, there is a cathedral.

　To get to the castle, you must pass through the cathedral in front of the stairs - you can see it clearly from above.
　It's a veritable choke point for the gatekeepers in the service of God, protecting His children.

'Master Marr?'
Oh, I'm sorry.

　Mr. Fedonia calls out to me and I hurry after him as I stop in my tracks.

　There is a large, beautiful gate.

　The princess's maidservant is talking with the three knights standing at the gate.

　The castle, which I had always only looked at from a distance, now, when I look up at it up close like this, I see that it is intimidatingly huge, and that the walls and pillars of the royal castle are also beautifully decorated, down to the smallest detail.

　Eventually, we ducked through the main gate next to it, rather than the big one.

(Ugh....)

　The first time I entered the castle, I was a bit overwhelmed.

　It's beautiful.
　That's the only word I can think of.

　The walls and pillars are made of a shining white material of unknown origin.

　The ceilings were high, the spaces were wide, and the long corridors were covered with a red carpet with gold threads and several glittering chandeliers continued overhead. It's one more level of wonderfulness than the castle I had in mind.

　I walk down the corridor, stunned.

　Every once in a while, I would pass knights, people in civilian clothes, or people who looked like maids. Yes, they're all looking at me in a weird way. 'Why is there a commoner's child here? I was like.

(...really, why is that?)

　I'm a bit distant, too.

　Eventually, I was brought to a place that looked like a hanging garden.
　There were beautiful flowers in bloom and a fountain.

　In the middle of it, a small pure white building with columns and a round roof...was it called a gazebo?　There was a

　two knights standing at the entrance to the garden.
　It's also a woman.

(............)

　The air is different only around the two of them, just like when Kilt-san and Illtimina-san are poised. I think he's quite skilled. Just by looking at me, I could also feel the 'pressure'.

　The princess's handmaiden, Fedonia-san, speaks with the two female knights.
　And.

Ma'am, Mr. Ma'am, Mr. Reclear is waiting for you in the hallway. Please proceed.

　He indicated a pure white gazebo.

　She didn't move from her spot.
　Apparently, that meant I was going to be on my own from here.

　I took a deep breath.

(Okay, let's go.)

　Swallowing my nervousness, I pushed my trembling legs forward - and then I pushed forward.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　We walked through the sweetly scented flower gardens and approached a pure white gazebo.

　The gazebo had a small table and two chairs. On the table was a chessboard of sorts. And there was one beautiful girl picking at it with her little fingers.

(..............This person is Princess Reclear.

　I knew at first glance.

　The air he wore was different.
　Elegant, noble, and full of grace, it was somehow different in atmosphere from the people I had seen before.

　Her age was between 12 and 3 years old.
　About the same age as me.

　Beautiful light blue hair, trimmed at the shoulders. Smooth as white porcelain, with translucent white skin. The princess was very beautiful in her pale red dress.

　Among them, what caught my attention were her eyes.

(........Odd eyes.

　The right eye is blue like the deep sea. The left eye is a shimmering golden glow.

　The princess's fingers place the pieces.

　Coton.

　A piece resembling a dragon makes a small sound on the chessboard.
　And.

Do you like cupolo?

　Suddenly, her crimson lips moved, and a pretty voice, like a rolling bell, asked her that.

　Huh?
　Cupolo?　

(...maybe you mean that chessboard?)

　She smiles a small smile at my confusion.

　She indicates a chair opposite me.

You might want to take a seat first.

　I was kind of used to sounding like I was used to ordering people around, I thought. But I wasn't in a bad mood.

　I obeyed obediently.

　Princess Reclear stared at me all over. And then she closed her right blue eye and looked at me with only her left golden eye.
　That left eye is emitting a slightly strange light.

''Hmph?''
..........
You've got something mixed up in there, haven't you?　I don't know what's mixed in with it, but it's a very strange form of life.

　I was thrilled.

(Did you notice me(...), an impurity?

　She laughs at me, laughing at my strength.

'I'm sorry for the delay in greeting you, my dear. I'm Lekria Greig ad Shumria, as you may know, the third princess of this Shumria kingdom. As you may know, I am the third princess of this Kingdom of Shumuria.

　A graceful bow.

　I, too, hurriedly reply.

I'm not going to be able to get out of it. I'm a red-marked adventurer in the royal capital.
..........

　Princess Reclear looks at me once more.

I see. You are a very different person now, aren't you?
..........
''Still, right now, I'm a favorite of the Golden Mark Demon Hunter, Kilt Amandes. Then is it the best move for you to continue working together?

　The best move?
　No, first things first.

(Didn't you just say 'changed'?)

　The word means, in other words.

...Uh, Princess Reclear?　I don't have any memories. But, you know, I mean... do you know the old me?
No.

　She shakes her light blue hair and shakes her head.
　She closes her right eye.

I don't know. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. --I'm sure you're not the only one who's been through this.

　He said that while staring at me with his golden glowing eyes.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


(Me in the Divine Demon War ... you mean Marle in The Divine Dog?)

　The princess lowers her eyes in front of me in amazement.

'I must confess that the hunting goddess Yacour didn't have much power,'
..........

　twitch

　My mind was buzzing.
　The 'Marle's Body' was angry at being disgraced by the revered Lord God.

　She looks at me like that.

''But the seven hounds that served her were different, to the extent that in the Divine Demon War four hundred years ago, they bravely stood up to a demon that was equal in power to a god, and even though they were only 'divine dogs', the strength of the seven of them combined to bite it to death.''
..........
A power so great that even the goddess of war, Shrean, would have approved of it.

　There was a sense of awe in her voice.
　Her golden left eye looked like she had seen Marle in the Divine Demon War, which I didn't know about.

　Princess Reclear says in a feverish voice.

''The only survivor of that 'God Dog of Yacour' - that's you, isn't it?
..........

　Those words stabbed me in the back of my mind.

　Suddenly, the images of the six "Children of Light", whom I had never seen before, popped into my mind.
　From the stinging wound in my chest, many emotions came up.



　I thought so.

　Together with them, I I Marl fought.　

　I am nostalgic and sad.
　But it was a memory of the past that lingered in 'Marle's Body'.

"..........

　I looked at Princess Reclear.

　She was waiting for something.
　As if waiting for it to wake up, she looked at me with those beautiful odd-eyed eyes of hers.

(............)

　I think I somehow understood why I had been called out.

　I apologize and tell them.

'I'm sorry. I'm no longer a 'Yacour Godgu', I'm just Mahr.
..........

　Princess Reclear did not change her expression.

　But I could see the disappointment in her eyes.
　I smiled at her and smiled a lazy smile.

Yes, sir.

　Finally, I let out a slightly shaky voice.

　I could strongly sense that she wanted me as the 'God Dog of Yacour'. I could tell from her expression and voice that she was expecting that all along.
　I wanted to live up to those expectations if I could.

　But.

(I'm just me now.)

　That truth will never change.

　At the very least, keeping it clear was the only thing I could do for Princess Reclear.

　The princess exhaled slowly.　

''I suppose so.''

　Two colored eyes down, small fingers touching the cupolo piece.

'The incomplete summoning that was reported I could see it with my own eyes. That it has lost most of its 'divine dog' power due to being mixed up. --I suppose we should consider that the 'Godgu of Yacowl' is no longer a total loss.

　colon

　One of the pieces fell slowly.
　It rolled on the board and was in the shape of a dog.

(............)

　Princess Reclear leaned heavily against the back of her chair.
　She looks very tired.

　I'm sure she won't be able to say anything to me if I go home like this.
　But.

Can I ask you one question, Your Highness?
...What is it?

　With her eyes closed, she says.

'Perhaps Princess Reclear knows something about the identity of the Child of Darkness as well?
..........

　Odd-eye's eyes opened at my question.

　She hesitates a bit, then speaks up.

'That's the Demon Shard. It's a splinter that leaked out of the demon's body here on earth - in other words, it's part of the demon.

　----.

(That's part of the devil........)

　A tremendous, angry fire flared up in my chest.

　I didn't know my hands, and I clenched them.
　My skin ripped with my fingernails, and blood spilled out in patters.

　The two female knights at the entrance to the garden reacted to my fury and involuntarily turned around.

　Princess Reclear was surprised and then smiled happily.

''I see. ........Even if you lose your memory, that 'divine dog' fighting instinct is still alive and well, isn't it?

　..........
　I desperately suppress my emotions.

"....Princess Reclear?　Can you tell me more about that demon?
Of course.

　Princess Reclear nodded broadly as she stood the fallen dog piece with her white fingertips.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　-- It all started with the Divine Demon War, after all.

　The Divine Demon War that took place 400 years ago ended in a victory for the gods and men.

　The defeated demons are said to have disappeared, or those that survived fled back to the demon world. And so the hole with the demon world was closed up, and now, from this world of man, there are no more demons.

　But the truth was a little different.

　There are no demons.
　But that didn't mean that they didn't exist.

Some demons are sealed in the earth.
Sealed?

　That's right, there were some demons that couldn't be destroyed in the God and Demon Wars, and could only be dealt with by sealing them up.

　The sealed demons.

　If they were to resurrect, people would be destroyed.

　Four hundred years ago, the gods returning to the divine world were so concerned about this that they had the people create a magical relic called the 'Gate of the Divine World' that summoned the messengers of the gods.

　Of course, they didn't expect the seal to be broken.
　But it was a precaution, just in case.

It was their compassion that saved humanity as a result.

　It was three hundred years ago.
　One hundred years after the seal, in the land of a certain demon's seal, there was a change.

　A part of the demon appeared on earth.

　The demon that tried to break the seal died in return for its tremendous resistance. However, a part of the demon, like a black tentacle, was left on earth. The tentacles of that demon survived.

(.........no way.)

　I shuddered.
　Mumpa-san told me that once the 'Godgu of Yacour' was summoned, the reason why.......

　Princess Reclear nodded.

I heard that 300 years ago at that time, many of the God's children were summoned from the gates of the God's Realm, which were left all over the world. The Godgu of Yacour is one of them.
..........

　The apostle of the gods fought against that 'devil's piece'.

　Even though it was a shard, their opponent was a demonic splinter that had the same power as a god.

　The apostles finally destroyed that fearsome 'Devil's Piece' while scattering many lives.

(............)

　My chest began to ache and I squeezed the chest of my clothes.

　 And then six of the 'God Dogs of Yacour' were killed, leaving only one Marl who survived.

　I close my eyes.
　A flop, a single tear spilled onto my cheek.

　But I quickly wiped it away and looked up.

　Princess Reclear was staring at me with her beautiful blue and gold eyes.

Three hundred years ago, the world was saved through the sacrifices of many 'sons of God' and others.
..........

　A short breath escapes her lips.

'But, alas, the world is on the brink again!

　The princess says.

　Long after the crisis of three hundred years ago, the demon's sealed lands around the world have been under surveillance.

　About two months ago, one of those watchtowers suddenly lost contact with them.

　The Shumurian dragon cavalry that rushed in found the watchtower empty, leaving only a pool of blood, and the sealed land where a huge crack had been created. At the bottom of the earth, they found the corpse of a giant creature they had never seen before peeking out.

　At the same time, the voice of the oracle could be seen in Princess Reclear's 'Shrien's Eyes' (...).

''-- Once again, the seeds of disaster have sprouted.

　And.

　In the same way, the oracle had come down to a few priesthoods around the world

　It wasn't just in the Kingdom of Shumuria, but also in the Arun Divine Empire. There were oracles from Arzeus, the god of justice, and Moa, the god of love, and soon a gag order was imposed, and they became truths known only to a few.

　One of them, Princess Reclear, said

''The schism left behind by the demon that tried to break the seal this time, that's the true identity of that 'Child of Darkness'.
..........
'If it's the same as it was three hundred years ago, then perhaps the purpose of that 'Child of Darkness' is to liberate the other demons that have been sealed away. Right now, it's probably in the process of gathering demonic forces for that purpose.

　The word "demonic warfare force" reminds me of the night in the Kera Desert.

(...I'm not kidding.)

　With that demonic force, the strongest forces of humanity, the 'Golden Mark Demon Hunters', had one of them killed and another lost his right hand, barely forcing the opponents to retreat from the situation.
　What if they continued to increase their strength even more?

　The future was in a terrible darkness.

'There's not much time to spare, I can't say.

　The princess said.

But we are in the process of gathering our forces to fight back.
"Opposing forces?

　Her gaze is on me.

(Uh.....)

　Princess Reclear nodded.

''Just like three hundred years ago, the 'God Dogs of Yacour' have now been summoned from the Divine Realm like this. In the same way, from the 'Gates of the Divine Realm' left around the world, the 'Sons of God' should have been summoned to this earth.

　Children of God" like me?
　The seeds of hope have sprouted in this world to counter the seeds of disaster.

　But the princess's beauty was still grim.

''But three hundred years ago, most of the 'sons of God' lost their lives in the calamity.
..........
There are currently only two confirmed 'Sons of the God' in the Arun Godland. And you're the only one still living in the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　How many more people are there, including me?

(Why are there so few of them?)

　When I thought that, I suddenly thought of the smile of the Child of Darkness.
　No way.

"...attacked by the 'Children of Darkness' and the 'Children of God' were killed first?
!

　It was just an idea, but Princess Reclear's eyes widened as if she had gained it.

'It's possible. Could it be that he has already appeared in front of Maar-sama twice, perhaps to kill Maar-sama...?
..........

　Maybe.
　But I was lucky enough to have Kilt-san and Illtimina-san at the time.

(If it weren't for the two of them, I'd be...?)

　A shiver ran down my spine.

　Oh, I'm really being protected by those people.

　Princess Reclear pondered for a while.
　As if out of habit, she tapped the cupolo pieces on the board with her nails with a konkong.

(.........hmm?)

　Suddenly, I noticed the shape of the piece.

　A dragon with wings spread.
　A holy knight.
　A woman with horns.
　An old woman with a staff in her hand.
　A dog.

　And lying outside the board was a lion's piece.

　I see.

　Princess Reclear finally finished her thoughts.

''I'll have to ask the Pope to move the temple knights as well, after all, for this.

　knocking

　The little fingers flicked the Holy Knight's piece.

It's not a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on them," he said, "but for now, we have no choice but to mobilize all of our current strength to deal with them. If we don't gather the "Sons of God" in addition, we will be behind the curve. It's going to be very difficult to put all the parties involved in the process together.

　The princess giggles with a sigh.
　I asked her.

"What should I do?
'Master Marr, please continue on your way to the Arun Divine Kingdom at once.

　The answer is immediate.

(To the Arun god-kingdom?)

''I'd like you to meet the two 'divine sons' there. If possible, please regain your strength as a God Dog, and even if you can't, please take one of the divine armaments in the Arun Divine Kingdom to boost your fighting strength.
...God's armor?
It's the armor of the gods, activated by the power of the gods.

　Oh, is there such a thing?

I will write a letter to Emperor Arun, signed by both myself and your father, to that effect.
..........

　Yeah, I know it's easy to say, but your father is the King of Sumeria.

(It's kind of a big deal, isn't it?)

　But I'm sorry, but this is not the time to be dumbfounded.
　I nodded.

'Okay. I will.
Yes, sir.

　Princess Reclear smiled with satisfaction.

''As my escort, I'll have a party of Kirto Amandes, the Golden Seal Demon Hunter. It would be better for Mahr-sama, too, wouldn't it?
Yes, sir.

　Thank you for your concern.

But Princess Reclear?　I'm not an escort, these girls are already my dearest companions.
..........

　She looks a little surprised.
　But then she nods quickly.

''That's right. Well, then, Master Marl and your companions, I will once again submit a request to the Adventurer's Guild.
Yes, please.

　She smiled at my little obsession and gave me that consideration.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　But still, it's the Arun Divine Kingdom, huh?

　I was just getting used to living in the Kingdom of Shumuria, and now, outside the country.
　Maybe I'll be exposed to a different culture and way of thinking.

What kind of place is it?

　I'm both looking forward to it and anxious.

　Most of all, there are other divine relatives in that Arun divine empire other than me. Partly because I am an imperfect being, I was also slightly afraid of meeting those two 'sons of God' and others.

(........We're going to an unknown land, I'll think about a lot of things.

　Then I suddenly remembered in The Land of the Unknowns.

'That Princess Reclear?　Can I ask you one thing?
Oh, what is it?

　She was looking at Cupolo's piece and turned to me.
　I asked.

''At a time like this, why did the Kingdom of Shumuria decide to send a 'Pioneer Group to the Dark Continent'?''

　It's time to gather strength, and this is a dispersion of forces.
　Princess Reclear agreed, "Oh.

That's because it's possible that the Dark Continent is also sealed with a demon.
What?

　A demon in the Dark Continent?

　I was surprised, but Princess Reclear told me.

　According to the legend and the oracle I had seen in The Eyes of Shrean, the number of demons sealed four hundred years ago was nine. But up until now, I've searched the whole world and found 8 places where the seals were located. The other seal site has not been found.

　Then, 40 years ago, the Dark Continent was discovered.

So it is presumed that the final seal is located in that savage land.

　And so the pioneer group was sent out.

　But the result was annihilation.

　In spite of four dispatches, the pioneer group was repeatedly wiped out without any results, and the fact that the grounds for being a sealed land were nothing more than speculation had put a stop to their dispatch for the past ten years.

　However, with the advent of the Child of Darkness, the situation had changed.

　If a demon was sealed in the Dark Continent, and the Son of Darkness discovered it first, the possibility of its destruction was very high. In order to stop it, it became necessary to send a pioneering group to discover the seal first and defend it at all costs.

(Okay, so.)

　I was convinced.

Yes, it was I who asked your father for help.

　Princess Reclear laughed adorably.

　Yeah, this third princess really has the ability to think ahead and act on it.
　She's a great kid.

However, no matter how quickly we prepare to leave, it will take at least a year. --What do you think, Maar?　I hope you'll be strong enough to come back from the Arun Divine Kingdom by then, okay?
But I'll try.

　It's a bit of a problem when people expect it.

　Of course, I don't intend to neglect my efforts.
　But in order to compete with that Child of Darkness, I need to be as strong as Kilt-san and Illtimina-san.

　Even if you ask me to reach that realm in a year.

(...honestly, I'm not sure?)

　As expected, I couldn't hide my anxiety.

　When I think of the enormity of the walls that stand in front of me, carrying the fate of the world, I feel that my future has become a dark and suffocating one.

　Princess Reclear's beautiful two-colored eyes stared at me like that.

''Well that's a bit of a weight off my shoulders.
What?

　Suddenly, she muttered something like that.

　She smiled, a little embarrassed, and

I've been fighting this war by myself for two months now.
..........
Of course, there were people who helped me. But I am the only one in the royal family who has the eyes of Surian. As a representative of the gods, I had to make many decisions and carry the future of the people on my shoulders, which was difficult.

　At that moment, the 'royal mask' was removed and there was only a girl of age.

(............)

　The girl looks at me and smiles gently.

''So, I'm very happy and a little relieved to meet Marle-sama, who has the same divine power in her,''
..........
Don't tell anyone else, okay?

　I put my little finger to my lips.

(...Princess Reclear.)

　I felt ashamed of myself.

　I was almost crushed by the sudden, overwhelming responsibility that had come to me.

　But the girl in front of me, until now, had been carrying this burden all by herself.

　As someone who bore the same divine burden, she was trying desperately to do what she could.
　She kept stepping forward with her feet, bearing the weight of it.

(Yes, she did.)

　You can't always get the results you want.
　But you can still do what you can do, as best you can.

　And if it doesn't turn out well, you just have to accept the rest.
　That's all you have to do.

　I laughed too.

"I'm glad I met Princess Reclear too.
Well, are you sure?

　Maybe it was an act of encouragement, but she smiled happily too.

　And so the meeting between me and the third princess, Lechlia Greig ad Shumria, held at the Holy Shumria royal castle, ended without incident.