Seven days after Masamune and his men left Hail Kuwait.

--This is the fertile country of Dams Aldan.

This country has been known as the 'Fudokuni' since its reconstruction.
The reason for this is mainly due to the number of people in this country, which is the largest in the seven countries of the Eighteen Kingdoms.
And the vastness of its territory.

The people of this country are not wealthy by any means.
The people of this country are not wealthy, but they are here because they want to be.
The town is full of smiling faces.
Because of Schneizel's policies, there is no one who has a need for food.
There are numerous orphanages, and in every sense of the word, it can be said that there is no "starvation" in this country.

Masamune watched the country from the window of the car, but he did not seem to have any particular feelings for it.
His eyes were stormy and he showed no interest in the country.
Schneizel was looking at the profile with a grim look in his eyes.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.

Francesca spoke only lightly and did not elaborate.
Schneizel had been concerned about the one incident in Raghu since then.

''What is it?''　Does it bother you?

Then, with a mysterious look on his face, Schneizel replied.

''........There are many mysteries to that organization. I don't know what it is, and I don't know if it's because of its recent emergence, but I hear that Ankh Amadeus rarely shows his face. But....I have a feeling we will have to deal with this at some point.

The Cihuangas' bloodline is a newcomer to the organization.
They were gone at least two months ago.
In other words, it was formed within that period of time, and has grown to this size.
But although they say it's a large organization, we don't know what it really is after all.

'Response?　What do you mean?　Are you trying to start a war?

'No way!　I do not wish to go to war, but if the rumors are true, I cannot leave the matter to chance. In the future no, I don't know yet.

As king, Schneizel avoided affirmation, but his expression was grim.
It was mainly intuition that had determined that they were in danger.

''Huh ... it's tough, isn't it?　Does a king need to be concerned with the level of rumors?

It depends.

You mean that "case" is Ankh Amadeus?

That's a possibility.

Then Masamune was silent, and then answered.
About what happened in that town.
Francesca didn't even want to talk about it.

'They were encouraging suicidal people...'

...I see.

Schneizel was silent for a moment, and then he understood.

"He talks about killing himself as if it were the right thing to do, and tells the woman not to run away."

....

And the woman who jumped, well, she's okay. But the... speech, you know?

A speech?

'Ah. Preaching to the crowd I'm not sure, but let's call it a speech for now. Apparently that was what made the Toa and the others feel a little sick. I didn't really understand it either, but that's what religion is all about, isn't it?　I don't know if it's a philosophy or a teaching...

Then Schneizel let out a sigh of satisfaction.
Although it was a fragmentary explanation, 'Religion', 'Bloodline of the Charity' and 'Ankh Amadeus'.
If you added Nito's explanation to those words, you could naturally imagine what had happened.

But someone hadn't died.
Then it's not something that should be a problem.
That town is, so to speak, a lawless area. It's not a territory controlled by anyone.
If that's the case, there's no need for Schneizel to judge it, and as a king, he shouldn't be forced to get involved.

''I see.......it still seems to be more than a little unusual.

Schneizel stroked his white beard and gave him an unexpected look.

'Are you going to go on an enforcement mission?

If we want to put it on the agenda, we need facts. "It's essential to have the facts on the agenda, but if we're involved in any way, we may not be able to leave the matter to chance. As it stands now, there is no question.

Vague reply.

'Huh ... that's a politician's answer.

Ironically, Masamune looks out the window again.
But there was nothing there that Masamune wanted to see.
But Masamune had been looking out for the past seven days and seemed to be thinking about something.

'What did my lord think?'

Schneizel was persistent.
But as a king, he wanted to keep in touch with Nito's thoughts.
That's how wary he is of Nito.

Masamune replied while looking out the window.

''Well I don't like to go on too long. I'm not much, if any, interested in people's stories. So I don't understand much of what other people think. The less I'm interested in them, the less I can get into their heads. In other words, I'm self-centered. I'm only interested in myself. So I'm always talking to myself and I'm not interested in religion. And I'm also not interested in charity?

But that doesn't mean that he answered Schneizel's question.
Schneizel asked about something else, mainly what Masamune thought about the organization.
Mainly about the organization, which was what Masamune had seen, and what he thought about it.
The heart of the matter is that he fears that if Nito were to have an organization one day, it could be a threat.
He wanted to know Nito's purpose and the possibility of Nito's future, including his ideology, while he was still in the present.

Then Schneizel waited for Nito's words.
And Masamune understood Schneizel's heartfelt intentions halfway through the process.
A king who doubts himself is asking about the organization.
Naturally, he understood his heart's intentions.
Masamune, still looking at the town, answers slowly.

'Well I like my freedom. I just want to have an adventure in this world. Not being tied down by anyone. I just want to travel with my trusted and favorite friends. That's all I want....

....

That was probably a surprising answer for Schneizel.
He rolled his eyes and was just amazed.

Then Schneizel asked, "What is an organization?

The organization is, in no small part, a force. Anyway, it can be. If it is a 'charitable organization' that surrounds itself with believers, its power can grow and become unmanageable one day. You are not an individual, but a country, and you are not interested in such things?

'Interested?　Me?

Hmm.

No ... what do you do with an organization?　You go to all the trouble of losing your freedom and what do you want to do with it?　I don't want to. I don't want to belong anywhere. This "Great Mage".......well, it's just a decoration, so I don't mind, but I'm not interested in it anyway. I don't want people to know about it any more than necessary. It's just an increase in the number of fences, you know?　That's what relationships are all about, right?

Masamune's emotions are full of strange contradictions.
While he wants to be understood, deep down he has conflicting emotions that he doesn't want to be known.
And it was also fear.
The more people who knew him, the more it weighed on his mind and would one day crush Masamune.
Was it the damage of being too used to solitude?
Hence, Masamune had a tendency to prefer darkness.
Perhaps that was why he was able to live in that dungeon.

''Then........what in the world did you gain that power for?''

Power? .....

Nito knows.
He knows that Schneizel doubts him.
But this question makes him aware of it again.
But it doesn't matter to Nito if he's suspicious or not.

'So I told you.　It's an adventure.

An adventure?

To put it bluntly, that's too childish an answer.
But Schneizel knew it wasn't a lie, either.

'Yeah, I'm an adventurer, right?　What's wrong with an adventurer dreaming of adventure?

I'm not saying it's bad, but it's just too...

Schneizel was just puzzled by a series of surprising answers.

There is certainly something different about Schneizel than the other kings.
You will find that you will be able to find the best way to get the best out of this situation.
But he was also tainted by his excessive exposure to the mundane.
Compared to other "kings," he is a much purer and wiser person, but he no longer remembers the "purity" that people should have had.
Not because he was a king, but as someone who lived a long time before that, he could no longer be that pure.

Can't you trust me?　But I'm a lot simpler than you think, okay?

But these words changed my impression of the person called "Nito" a bit.

"Well ... you're an unexpected ... unexpected mage,

What?

Don't mind the old man's sentimentality.

Maybe it was more than a child.
Masamune was just pure.
Schneizel understood that, albeit a little.

Then the carriage arrived in front of the royal castle.
When the butler opened the door, he saw a large number of guards outside.

'Hey Schneizel?　I've been meaning to ask you, why do you people let Tong Paal and Nuts loose on the grounds?　Why isn't anything being done about it?　On the contrary, I can't even get a hint of it, can I?

....

Then Schneizel stopped, looking at the soldiers outside.

''It's...''

It would be difficult to tell the king.
But Schneizel didn't want to lie as much as possible.

'It would be the only thing that would be dark for this country...'

Darkness? ...Is that right?　That's the kind of thing the king speaks of lightly?

No. I'm speaking to you now as Schneizel.

Then Schneizel answered with a serious look on his face.

"Of course I'm not impressed with those two. "Of course, I'm not impressed with those two, but as King of Dahms-Ardan, I'm not proud of them, nor am I proud of the Eightfold King.

'Isn't he in over his head?　What does that mean?　Are you guys supposed to be equals?

This was back when the present Emperor Uranos was still king of Dames Aldan.

"...What?　What did you say?　He's the king of Dahms Ardan?

'What?　Don't you know?　Your information is full of holes, isn't it?　It was more than 20 years ago that he was the King of Dahms Ardan. He ended up becoming the husband of my sister Gaia, and ascended the throne. Now the Empire of Dahmskale reigns in that land, which was originally Dahms Ardan.

But Uranos lost Gaia, and after a while he left his three sons alone, and all the others in exile.
And the present Durmskale Empire was born, but those of Durms Ardan who were exiled were lost in the outcrop for a while.

'And it was the present King of the Eightfold that saved us. With their help we established a new country in this land, and I was enthroned as king. The end of it all was the birth of the Fudoku Damsu Ardan. This abundance is not due to my power. The late King Artemias, and the fathers of King Tong Paar and King Nats, whom you have just mentioned. It was with their help that we were able to build our nation.

So we're not in over our heads, huh?　Well I see.....

I'm not convinced.
Then Masamune changed the subject.

'Why did they help you?　It's not unusual to go to the trouble of spending money to build a country from scratch again, is it?　That's how much money they must have needed.

Masamune doesn't know yet.
But there was definitely some kind of darkness there, and someone's convenience.
Even the current Masamune knew that much.

'It's to maintain common sense on this continent. You could call it order. That's how the existence of the 'King of the Eightfold' has to be an absolute thing. The country must never be lacking in one.

'I see, so Artemias's destruction is quite a blow, then?　You guys.
is seven now, right?

Well let's keep that a state secret. We'll have to do something about it sooner or later, but I don't know yet.

While saying that, snorting and then going down out of the carriage.
A sense of exhaustion could be seen from his expression.

And Masamune and the others, in turn, went out of the carriage.

The "Yagi" is a dragon that appeared in this world a long time ago.
The dragon spat fire from its seven necks in seven directions at the same time.
The eight kings of that time saw a ring between the heads of the dragon.
Hence, the Eightfold.
In other words, there is now a lost 'circle'.
It was a clear sign of weakness for them.



----.



　--Derms Aldan, "Feng Wang's Castle

It's a plain white castle that can be found everywhere.
But if there was one difference, it was the size.
The area of the castle, including the country, was vast.

And when I looked behind the carriage, I could see a grand staircase leading downward.
The carriage seemed to have come here by passing through a special passage prepared next to it.
The winding private passageway is a long way compared to the straight stairs, but even a royal carriage would not be able to go up these stairs in a carriage.

When Masamune and the others got out of the carriage, they took a deep breath and looked up at the royal castle in front of them.

　It's always an impressive sight.

Yeah?　Doesn't that look like a castle that could be anywhere?

Perhaps because Toa is a princess, she doesn't show much interest in a castle.

'Do you want a castle, Nito-sama?

'You want it? .....

Then Masamune ponders for some reason at Sufilia's question.

''A castle........come to think of it, I hadn't even thought about it......''

Masamune was thinking about something as he held a finger to his lips.
The three of them looked at him curiously.

'Let's get everyone to the hall!

Then Schneizel, despite being the king, beckoned to them in a ridiculously big voice.

Francesca and Dolly trotted past the four of them at a trot.

We just need to get a letter of recommendation. We just need to get a letter of recommendation, let's just drop in and head into town.

Then Nito walks off with a cumbersome look on his face and the three of them follow behind him.

And after this, they will meet a certain nostalgic person, but now Masamune is not expecting it.
And that will affect Masamune's future...

Nevertheless, it can be said that it was only a trivial matter.

Because it all depended on Masamune's choice in the first place.