Chapter 2: Start From X (part 5)

However, if you asked what monsters were, the term referred to things like

chimeras, which were a mishmash of different animals fused together, zombies,

skeletons and other undead types, as well as goblins, orcs, and ogres, which looked

almost like people, but no one would mistake them for sentient beings.

Ever since the Demon World had appeared, there had been a large outbreak of

these monsters in the north of the continent, but even before the Demon World's

appearance, they had inhabited areas known as dungeons that were all around the

continent.

Dungeons were underground spaces with a mysterious ecology. I was used to

seeing them in games, but they actually existed in this world. Incidentally, I had

heard that in this world there were people called "adventurers" who explored these

sorts of dungeons, protected merchants, eliminated dangerous beasts that tore up

the fields, and slayed monsters that come out of the dungeons as their way of

making a living.

Before the Demon World appeared, monsters had been thought to lack

intelligence. As a matter of fact, the monsters in dungeons, even the almost

humanoid ones like goblins, only possessed intelligence on the level of animals.

However, among the monsters in the Demon Lord's Domain, there were those

that behaved as if they were intelligent.

These monsters acted in groups, used weapons and magic, and could put

together strategies. These acted almost like "people" do. When mankind had failed in

its invasion of the Demon Lord's Domain, their lack of fuller knowledge about the

existence of these monsters was the biggest factor in their defeat. Mankind had

chosen to call these intelligent monsters "demons" to distinguish them from more

animalistic monsters.

Now, let's get back to the story. Basically, Tomoe said she had spoken with one of

these demons.

Apparently, up until now, no one had ever succeeded in talking to a demon. With

the sudden appearance of an army that spoke a foreign language, and with hostilities

ongoing no less, understanding one another just wasn't going to happen.

Liscia drew in closer to Tomoe.

"Just what did you talk to, and what did you talk about?!"

"W-With Mr. Kobold. They're different from us... They're short, and their whole

faces, not just their ears, are doglike... On the day before our village was attacked, he

said, 'I can't bear to see those with the same scent as me attacked. Hurry and flee.' It

was a miracle I could understand what Mr. Kobold said, but... thanks to him, we were

able to avoid trouble..."

"So, to sum it up... Demons have a clear will of their own, is that it?" Ludwin said,

as if groaning.

The people of this world only thought of demons as slightly smarter monsters.

Like locusts swarming over the land, or barbarians that delighted in slaughter. From

what I had heard, that wasn't a mistaken impression when it came to monsters.

However... For demons, perhaps another viewpoint was going to be necessary.

If demons had their own will, like Tomoe was suggesting, mankind might have

been fighting a "war" against the demon race without realizing it. A war with no

channels of diplomacy, at that. With their families being killed, their houses razed,

and their countries stolen, mankind held great resentment towards the monsters

and demons. If this was a war, it was possible that the demons resented mankind in

the same way.

"If this knowledge spread to all of the other countries..." I began.

"...there would be chaos," Liscia finished.

Liscia and I both slumped our shoulders.

I didn't think dialogue would be possible with each and every demon or monster

from the Demon Lord's Domain. Those we could talk to, like the kobold who had let

the mystic wolves escape, might only be a small portion of them. However, if people

were to find out that even some of the demons are like that, the demon race would

stop being the common enemy of all mankind.

Right now, even if it was only on the surface, all of the other countries were

united against the Demon Lord's Domain. If this information were to spread, what

would happen to that? If it meant they tried to sue for peace with the demons, that

would be great, but it would be completely unsurprising if some of them put their

own country's interests first, siding with the demons in order to invade other

countries. If that were to happen, mankind would fall to pieces.

"Do you think the Empire knows?" I asked.

"...I'm not sure," Liscia said. "It was only with Tomoe's unique gift that someone

was finally able to communicate with them. Even if they do realize it, they'd have no

way to verify it."

"So, basically, our country has a monopoly on this information for the time being.

Good grief..." This was one hell of a thing to have fall in my lap.

She's like a bomb. I can use her as a trump card, but if I mishandle her, it could all

blow up in my face.

"I-I'm sorry..." Tomoe was wincing, so Liscia poked me.

"Oh, no, we aren't blaming you," I said quickly. "Actually, I'm glad you came to

this country. It chills me when I think what might have happened if you had gone to

another country instead."

"Still, are you going to conceal this information?" Ludwin asked. "If people find

out we hid such vital information, isn't it possible we would be condemned as an

enemy of all mankind?"

"...You have a point." I wanted to clutch my head when Ludwin pointed that out.

"Doing a bad job of hiding it and then having people think we're harboring ambitions

as a result isn't a great plan. Besides, if this is a war, the current situation where both

sides are fighting a war of extermination is not good. In order to make sure the war

doesn't continue until one sided is wiped out, we need to leak the information out

little by little."

I need to resolve myself. I continued to speak, looking at those around me. "'Maybe

there are those among the demons we could talk with.' We'll leak something that

sounds like nothing more than a hypothesis to the other countries. If we do that,

they should be a little more cautious. At the very least, they should try to discover if

there's any truth to the rumors."

"As part of that process, isn't it possible they will reach the same information that

we have? Wouldn't that eliminate the value of concealing it?"

"You're wrong, Marx. Our trump card is Tomoe herself."

"M-Me?!" she squeaked.

I nodded firmly to Tomoe, whose eyes were darting about in bewilderment.

"Even if the demons do have a will of their own, there needs to be some means of

communication to negotiate with them. For instance, while the other countries are

still searching for a way to negotiate with the demons, we can talk to them using

Tomoe as a mediator. That is a huge advantage."

I didn't know how much our kingdom would be able to negotiate for on its own.

However, by having our own independent line of communication, we could prevent

a situation where another country monopolized the right to negotiate and refused us

any opportunity for dialogue. In exchange, we would be taking a burden on

ourselves, but that was far preferable to leaving our kingdom's fate in the hands of

another country.

"So, Tomoe, our country needs to do everything it can to protect you," I said.

"P-Protect me...?!"

"Yes. It's no exaggeration to say that, right now, you're far more important than

some guy like me. Honestly, if this information leaks out, the moment you get

abducted, this country is ruined."

"No way... you're making that up... right?" Tomoe looked around restlessly, but no

one denied it.

It was no exaggeration to say that Tomoe held this country's fate in her hands.

While I would never do it myself, another country might have pretended they had

never heard any of this and "disposed of" her. That was just how important Tomoe's

existence was.

"So, in order to keep you under the highest level of guard we can, I want you to

live here in the palace. If it comes down to it, we might not be able to protect you in

the refugee camp."

"Awoo..." Tomoe moaned.

"Hold on a moment," Marx raised his hand. "If we have someone not of royal

blood living at the palace, might that not draw unwanted scrutiny?"

"Hmm. Well, tell me how we can welcome her as royalty, then."

"You say that like it's so easy... There are a number of ways a common person can

become royalty. One would be for you to adopt her, sire. However, as the wedding

has not been held yet, this is not possible. Your wedding ceremony will take more

than a year to prepare, after all."

"You heard him, Liscia," I said.

"Hey, don't throw this over to me." Liscia quickly looked away.

Living with Liscia as my wife and Tomoe, who's already around ten, as my

daughter, huh... Yeah, I just can't imagine it.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"You could take her as a secondary wife, sire."

"That's... all kinds of messed up."

She's young enough to be in elementary school, pal. It brings to mind that image of

Backbeard saying, "You damn lolicon."

[MISTERLP]: save the lolis!!!!!

Marx cleared his throat. "She is just barely within the acceptable age range for a

political marriage, I believe."

"Souma... Ten years old is a little young..."

"Why are you blaming me, here?!"

Now Liscia's looking at me coldly. I'm not into that stuff, okay?!

[MISTERLP]: yeah liscia defend the loli from this lolicon!!

"Hey, wait, the former royal couple can just adopt her."

"Hmm. I believe that would be acceptable." Marx was snickering.

That bastard, he said all that stuff when he already knew that was possible!

"That sounds good! I've always wanted a little sister!" Liscia said.

"Whuwhuh!" Tomoe cried in confusion.

Liscia hugged Tomoe tight, causing her to sputter and panic. As for Liscia herself,

she had a more relaxed look than I had ever seen on her face before.

Come to think of it, since Liscia's my fiancée, Tomoe's going to be my sister-in-law. A

wolf-eared loli sister-in-law... That's too many character attributes.

"But, but... I have a family. My mom and little brother are waiting for me in the

camp," Tomoe said, breaking free from her (prospective) big sister's excessively

touchy-feely embrace.

"Ohh, the adoption is only for appearances' sake, so you don't have to worry

about that. If you become my sister-in-law, your mother and brother will be family,

too, so I don't mind if they live at the palace, as well. We'll provide some funds for

them to live on, and if they want to work, we'll give them something to do in the

palace."

"Well... in that case... okay," Tomoe accepted somewhat timidly.

Good. That doesn't quite wrap everything up nicely, but I think I've done what I can

for the moment. I've somehow gained a sister-in-law in the process, but, hey, she's cute,

so it's all good.

"Now then, let's get back to the hall," I said. "We're keeping Madam Juna waiting."

It's been almost thirty minutes, after all. She probably can't draw things out much

longer.

"For now, we'll only give Tomoe the prize money as her reward. If the former

royal couple were to suddenly announce they were adopting her, that would be like

telling everyone that something's up. We'll let some time pass and then announce it

another day. I'd like you all to act with that in mind, got it?"

""""Yes, sir!""""