After talking it over, the conversation begins to converge, even if it can't be said to be coherent.
　Finally, I took out the 'Black Ring' from the inter-space storage and handed it to Minerva-san in order to propose a certain thing.

''What's this?''

'It's a ring that allows you to telepathically communicate with me. It's just a magic tool, I'll give it to you.

Okay, I'll take that as a thank you.

So, now that you're here, why don't you form an alliance with me?

Alliance?

''Yes. By coincidence, I was just awarded the title of Grand Mage by the Mage Church. And I've also just formed an alliance with Dahms Ardan as a form of "surveillance". I want to form an alliance with the Beast Nation as well.

　Was it too abrupt?　Minerva-san was slightly surprised by my proposal.

''That's fine, but what kind of alliance is that exactly?　I'm sorry, but this is somewhat unprecedented, isn't it?　There are references to an alliance with a certain dwarf nation in the past, but it was so long ago that it doesn't work, and the references themselves are not known for certain.

　So you're not familiar with those things. You can imagine how closed off the country was.

'We don't need any special rituals or cumbersome vows. It's even more so since it's done in secret than anything else. The bottom line is that you can get them to agree to a verbal agreement. That's what that ring is for. If you wish to break the alliance, you must return that ring to us. The duration is until the empire is destroyed and peace returns to the Beast Nation.

All right. Then I accept this ring as a sign of our alliance.

　Unexpectedly, the Beast King agrees with an immediate response. Does that mean he can't afford it that much?

'And please don't talk to them about it. It will be complicated if Schneizel and the other kings come in. I don't know where the information will leak from, and since the Empire always seems to have spies infiltrating some country, as a rule, I don't trust anyone except those who are here now. Please keep this story to this point. There are only six people here who know this story. The only people who know about it over there are Minerva-san and Kayu-san, so please don't report it to anyone else, no matter how much trust you put in them.

All right. All right.

'Please do. And then there's the meeting with Schneizel, but you shouldn't be in this country. Schneizel himself may be a mild-mannered, benevolent man, but this is a country that is devoid of many things. They only promote peace and call themselves a great nation, but there are many gaps in this kind of country that are easy to take advantage of. If you take a chance, the country will soon break down. It was a small country, but I have seen a similar country before. If you care about the future of your country, you should have no contact with Schneizel in the future. If a telephonic conversation is possible, you will hear from Schneizel at a later date. This meeting was Schneizel's idea in the first place, wasn't it?

Yes. He set it up for me.

'Then let's do this once and for all. As I explained earlier, Schneizel went to Pasquantin. Apparently, that country was attacked by the Dragon's Heart. The King of the Eightfold is a coalition made up of those who would sooner or later be noticed by that organization. If it's just the empire, it's still too much trouble to be stared at by the dragon heart.

　Whenever I mention the name of the dragon's heart, I always can't help but look at the three of them. Sure enough, there was Toa and Sufilia, who had something akin to doubt on their faces. Even Nem, who occasionally turned over and looked at each other, then what did I do with the dragon's heart?　I'm sure that's what you're wondering about. Especially since Sufilia and others are the ones who are responsible for the destruction of the country, and I know that it would be better to explain it once in a while. But this is not the time.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do that. If I don't even know when he's going to return, there's no point in staying here. Besides, I can't let the Emperor know that I've left the Beast Country.

''That's better. We'll talk about the details again, and I'll go directly to the Beast Country, so please wait until then.

All right. I appreciate it. Then I'll have this ring to report back to you on the state of the country?　It wouldn't be a good idea to run into an Imperial messenger.

No need to contact me. If you stand by the country, you'll have a general idea of who's inside in my case. If it's a bad person, I can detect it with my abilities, and since no one can detect me, it's not a problem.

Well okay.

　I don't feel like I'm getting it right. I'm only briefly explaining my abilities, in particular. But I have a lot of work to do, whether it's with Oliver, Zephyr, or the Empire. First and foremost, we have to put the Toa first. I want to go to the demon kingdom first.
　Then Minerva-san, who stood up, softly crouched down and whispered to Nem.

''Nem, are you going to stay with Nito-dono?

He is Nem's master. Nem will follow you wherever you go. That's ... the promise he made to his mother. And besides, the master is already an important family member to Nem Nem. They are family, just like Mimi.

Well, we're family.

　I've only heard superficial stories. I don't know how Nem is actually feeling right now. But I hope that one day we will be able to communicate without talking.
　Sharon, who runs a general store in Rashausen, once said. --I'm sure you don't know what the word 'master' means," she said, "but I think I have a better idea now. That's probably just my imagination.

Well, I suppose I'll just have to do it. But Nem?　If you get caught up in your travels, you can always come home, okay?　The Beast Country is Nem's home. Me and Kayu are waiting for Nem's return.

　And that's only after we do something about the Empire first. If we don't do something about it, Nem could be kidnapped by the Empire as soon as he gets home.
　But even though Nemours knows he can't return home, it's a meaningful word to him. I'm sure that I don't understand, and I'm sure Nem's shackles will come off a little bit. But you need to take a little more care of him. It's a good idea to have a good time.

"Master, sir--

　Then, as I was thinking about this, Nem called out to me with a stern look.

'Nem is a Nem. Mother, father I remember sometimes............... But it's all right!　Nem won't be lonely anymore when he's with his master!

"Nem,

　Nem is strong. He's far stronger than I am. I don't understand where this strength comes from. If I were in the same situation as Nem Nem, I would probably have resented the Empire and thought only of killing the Emperor out of spite. But that's not the case with Nem. Nem even said that he didn't want me to kill the emperor. Not Nem, I need to be stronger than that.

Yeah, I get it. I'm not worried about you, Nem.

　Then, returning to his usual innocent expression, Nem jumped on Ms. Minerva and said goodbye.

　Nem was smiling throughout, but the problem was Minerva-san.
　She didn't want to leave Nem. She looked at Nem in front of the main gate, her small body waving loudly, forever peeking out of the carriage window and looking at him with a lonely and worried expression on her face.
　The Toa also smiled when he saw Nem's figure like that. At this moment, Nem was stronger than anyone else, and it made him feel that way.
　But there was one thing that bothered me. It's about Sufilia. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what's going on in the world, because it's not just my imagination, but also the fact that you've been acting a little strange since you left the school. Occasionally, she has a lonely expression on her face, as if she were staring somewhere in the distance.
　Sufilia's expression itself is not in a bad way, it's just simply not to be relied upon. The reason is that Sufiria often makes up a fake smile. So what kind of thought is hidden in this expressionlessness?
　Then my eyes met with Sufilia for a little while. After reflexively looking away, I looked again and saw Sufilia's figure with her accustomed, natural smile on her face. I also match it and smile beside Nem who waves his hand. But for some reason, I feel a strange feeling, as if there's a little bit of distance between us there.
　And again, as usual, I make a break with myself that this is fine for now, and I turn my eyes to this gray sky with a crisp emotion.
　Even though I know what I'm feeling, I don't know what they're feeling. I've been having some strange thoughts lately. It's a contradictory emotion. The more I can do something, the more I don't understand, the more the unknowing weighs on my mind more than it ever has. It's mainly about the three of us, I'm supposed to be making progress with this, but for some reason the hole in my heart just grows, and while I'm still good with Nem, for some reason my heart can't rest when it comes to Toa and Sufilia.

　But I can't help but feel that such feelings are also exacerbated by my laziness in processing them in a good way, saying 'this is fine for now'. Is this another benefit of the abyss?

　I was sensing something that I couldn't mistake, at this moment.



o



　Her silvery white hair stretched out of the carriage window and danced in the wind, creating a lonely feeling for those who were leaving.
　Minerva ducked her head into the carriage, with the streets of Dames Aldan in the distance. Then she let out a sigh and closed the window, and Minerva looked down meaninglessly at her palms. I'm going to be able to see that Minerva is looking at it with a half-loving smile. --Kayu of the dog tribe.

''If you are so regretful, wouldn't it have been better if you had stayed a little longer?

'It can't be that way. Lord Nito said that, but I'm a little concerned about Schneizel's behavior. This meeting was made possible by repeated telephonic conversations, and at the right time. I'm not sure that he would just shrug it off like that. There must be some reason for this.

So that means that Pascantine was attacked...

　Then Minerva interrupted what Kayu was about to say.

'That's not all. I don't know much about the Eightfold King, but if Artemias is destroyed and Pasquantin is next, this is an extraordinary thing, even from my point of view. But so far, that's what it would seem to be for anyone. Just the last words of Serena that Nem taught me. --I don't think that's apparently relevant.

'You mean, is it about the dragons?　Are you saying that the Empire wants to take down the dragons?

'Oh, with Lord Nito's view, was it the Black Dragon Carpent ze Bach?　You know the lore associated with dragons, don't you, Kayu?

As I recall, was it written in an ancient document that 'the collapse of peace and order awakens the ancient dragon'?　But it was a fairy tale of sorts...

But if the Empire's sights are on that ancient dragon, then it's a nod to some of the actions the Empire has taken over the last few decades.

What do you mean by 'nodding'?

He sent his own son, the King's Shield, to destroy the great powers of the canyon city of Pastelas and the extremely cold land of Modherne. He also worked to strengthen his army by ruling the Beast Nation and gathering warriors. There is also information that he is gathering troops from towns and villages around the country. Probably, as far as the Beast Country is concerned, they are still being kept alive by the fact that they have some value to use. It means that every town and country where the empire has appeared has been destroyed without exception, with the exception of Razhuisen. But, strangely enough, they only gather and do nothing more.

'Excuse me, Master Minerva, but where on earth did you get such information?

　Then Minerva replies pretentiously while looking out the car window.

"What? I haven't been sitting still in the castle since then. I set up a secret reconnaissance team to gather information.

Scouting party?　Then........you could have at least taught me.......

　Kayu looked slightly sulky. That was a sign of the relationship between the two of them.
　Minerva didn't look at Kayu, who was producing sadness, and continued her story.

''And first and foremost, destroying it is a mystery in itself. Normally, the defeated country would then continue to offer 'tribute' to the other side. That could be, for example, the people, simple money, slaves, or all of them. It's not even the heart of a dragon, there's no need to kill the king, right?　But they do. Which would mean that killing them would have some meaning. So what is the meaning? .....

-You mean, the collapse of peace and order?

"...as it stands, that's how I see it.

'You don't think that's why we're going to war, do you?　I don't know. And even if I did, all I know is that it's crazy to me...

'So do I. Uranos is an anomaly, I think so. But it was an anomaly from the start. That country itself is the result of abnormal behavior. It's not the first time. But even if the target was a black dragon, why would Uranos go after a dragon? .....

　Minerva herself is still skeptical. But with the current situation where she can only formulate multiple hypotheses, she can't stop considering them. Minerva thinks that reasoning about an abnormal person has the potential to produce only wrong hypotheses, so she thinks that thinking about it as much as she can think about it is just fine. In other words, it's just a hypothesis, but Minerva thinks it's the closest to the truth.

It's a good thing that you're not going to be the only one who can do that. At the risk of sounding rude, let me say one thing, but isn't that a bit rash?　He was only a child. Do you really think he was that hero, Nito?

You'll have to admit it.　You felt it, too, if only for a moment. That chill I felt on the way up.

It's ... well, it's true, but ...

'And above all, he had Nem's trust. That alone is trustworthy. I can't say that I have a problem with a few ideas. Everyone has an idea. The specifics are to be discussed again, and even then we can find a compromise with each other. But remember, Kayu?　We cannot afford it. We have no choice but to turn to him for help, no matter the consequences, no matter the shura.

Shura...

　Kayu doesn't understand the heart of those words. He hadn't caught up with Minerva's thoughts.
　Minerva still had the ability to see people through this. What she saw in Nito was vague, but she may have seen darkness in him to the extent that she recalled the word 'Shura', whether it was metaphorical or intuitive.
　But whatever the darkness is, Nem trusts it above all else. For that alone, Minerva decided that he deserved credit.

　An endless expanse of open space visible in the car window. Then Minerva recalls the conversation between Nito and Toa and looks back again to see what kind of person Nito is. The word 'reincarnation' popped up in the conversation. In a corner of her mind, Minerva thought of the matter of Greberg's summoning of the heroes.

''I see, that was........Nito?''

　I'll try to sound like I understand, but Minerva herself still hasn't gotten a grip on Nito. But before the meeting with Nito, to see if I can understand something, even if only a little, I think about Nito's expression and conversation in my head.
　Then one thing came to mind, "What was that red eye? I ask myself. But that's the only thing I don't understand. I think about Nito's race, probably either sub-human or human, but either way, Minerva, who has never heard of eyes turning red, has a question mark behind her yellowed expression.

'The eye of a fool...'

　This is one of the folklore that has spread among the humans. The red eyes are called the Eye of the Fool, which is also a symbol of bad luck. The lore has gradually permeated our lives and has become common knowledge, and the red eyes of an angry person, for example, are sometimes referred to as such.
　But lore, Minerva believes, must have an original meaning. But still no answer is forthcoming, and Minerva half-heartedly speaks the name, as if possessed by the fool's eyes.
　But when the answer passed with the scene, after all, only a vague question remained in Minerva's mind.