Chapter 541 – The Water Dragon and the Otherworld Ambassador's Conversation

“Hmm… That’s right.”

“Something on your mind?”

“No. There’s some history between the water dragons and the demons… I was just thinking there might be a possibility that Waldom and his group were directly involved with the water dragons.”

Considering Waldom’s individual personality, he doesn’t seem like the type to take hostages… but the possibility isn’t zero.

I’d somewhat forgotten because Eckels and Gymnos aren’t the type to favor such methods either. Even when the topic of water dragons came up, Eckels and the others didn’t show any particular reaction, and when we spoke with the water dragons, there was no mention of the Sea King or his subordinates… I should probably confirm how things actually stand in that regard.

“I see… That is indeed something we must consider beforehand.”

I wonder if Claudia knows about these circumstances. When I glance at her, she quietly closes her eyes.

“I heard that the ones directly responsible have already been defeated by Pernas and Invel.”

The water dragon couple—Pernas and Invel—knew a certain amount of information about the demon lord. Waldom began his activities as the Sea King after the demon lord was sealed, so what about the timeline?

I could find out by asking Eckels—but…

…No, that’s not it.

The question is how the water dragons would feel about those who served under the demon, even if they had no direct involvement.

If they were to declare all demons as enemies, saying they couldn’t even forgive those who cooperated with them, I wouldn’t be able to refute that either.

But then, I don’t know the detailed background of Eckels himself either. To what extent would they be considered enemies, and to what extent would they be unforgivable? That’s something only the parties directly involved can truly determine.

At the very least, I don’t think we have the option of keeping this information hidden from the water dragon couple—Pernas and Invel—who are our allies.

Since we’re building friendly relations with Grantios, we should explain the current situation honestly and confirm the water dragons’ feelings. If Eckels bears some responsibility, then he must accept that. That’s a principle we must uphold.

For now—I should first speak with Eckels and Gymnos.

“I see… so that’s how it is.”

When Eckels and Gymnos heard about the water dragons’ circumstances, they quietly nodded. We were in a room at the Adventurer Guild. I decided to rent a room and speak with them in a calm environment.

“Regarding that matter… While I am among the senior members of the subordinates, I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“Likewise… The royal guard are direct subordinates. We are in a position to know the overall movements, but…”

So they said. However, Eckels shook his head.

“But thinking that settles the matter would be too convenient. This is something our tribe must accept and consider going forward.”

That’s… certainly true. This will likely be an issue that follows Eckels and his tribe in the future.

“I’d like to know what happened on the surface during the era of the Benevolent Mother, and the timeline,” Rosemary said.

After thinking for a moment, Queen Eldorene answered, “In that case… it should have been around the time Silvatoria was founded. The Benevolent Mother’s anecdotes also include stories of trade with Silvatoria.”

From Grantios’ perspective… it’s in a position where trade with southern Silvatoria would be possible. This means the water dragons were injured around the time the demon lord was defeated and the seal was being established, and were then protected.

Beriondora spread its name as a Magic Kingdom after its founding, and was then destroyed. The survivors later founded Silvatoria, and Waldom began his activities as the Sea King around that time, I suppose.

There’s quite a gap in the timeline. The direct perpetrators were defeated, and the eras are different, but one could say that timelines don’t matter much to demons in the first place.

Since they remember Waldom and Oberk’s faces, confirming that with the water dragons should be easy enough.

Then, there’s one more thing I should confirm—.

“Where did you first meet Waldom, anyway?”

“Our former master… yes. I heard he absorbed various monsters, and if they swore allegiance, he would grant them power through techniques and welcome them as the Sea King’s subordinates. If they refused, it was said they would fall to darkness due to disrespect toward the Sea King. I was still just a youth at that time, so I heard this later.”

I see. So Waldom subjugated monsters through force.

Waldom’s faction was quite multiracial too. In this regard, it seems he followed Grantios’ governance methods in his own way. Either purifying the water to provide an environment where they wouldn’t fall to darkness, or granting them power through techniques as subordinates. Then…

“…The royal guard members are all from the same generation as Sir Eckels and Sir Gymnos or older, and those from younger generations tended to have rougher temperaments, didn’t they?”

When I voiced my inference, Eckels put a hand to his chin as if pondering, then nodded with a somewhat surprised expression as if realizing it for the first time.

“That… might be true.”

I see. This explains the differences in personality among the subordinates.

The fact that monsters fall to darkness depending on environmental magic power means that children of families who would be in close contact with demons could easily fall one after another. The impact would be particularly significant on newly born generations.

To prevent that, becoming subordinates through techniques was probably necessary, but it’s plausible that the results of the subordinate transformation spell formula differ depending on whether one has developed a sense of self or not. For example, becoming more hot-tempered, or undergoing mental changes.

Even if there were means to control monsters that had fallen to darkness, those who hadn’t would undoubtedly be easier to command.

From the fact that Waldom created and trained the royal guard, we can infer he desired excellent and loyal subordinates. He even seemed to teach them skills.

Anyway, even though they were led by a demon, considering they were forced to swear allegiance through power and received command, and that becoming subordinates was necessary to avoid falling to darkness, from my personal perspective, I feel it would be difficult to hold Eckels and the others responsible. However, that judgment isn’t mine to make. It ultimately rests with Pernas and Invel.

Dragons are creatures with different standards or scales, so to speak. I don’t know how they’ll respond, but… acting as a bridge for such matters is probably part of my job too, and our approach has somewhat been decided by our current conversation.

Regarding Queen Eldorene and Eckels, it would be best to have them wait outside the Water Spirit Hall first, then explain the current situation about Grantios, and proceed according to their intentions.

“…I understand the situation. I will speak with the water dragon couple myself, so could you please wait outside the Spirit Hall?”

“But that—”

At my words, Queen Eldorene and Eckels seemed about to say something, but I shook my head before they could.

“If I were to bring honored guests to a potentially dangerous place, I would lose face.”

“That is… hmm.”

Well, talking about my position is partly an excuse. If I didn’t say something like this, Queen Eldorene and Eckels are the type who would think we’re being insincere. Using my position as leverage would make it easier to persuade them to wait.

“I will go with Theodore. Those two are my friends,” Claudia said without hesitation.

Friends, huh. That’s right.

“Grace and the others, while they’re waiting, could they serve as Your Majesty’s escort?”

“Understood. Please be careful.”

Grace looked into my eyes and quietly nodded.

Accompanied by Queen Eldorene, I stood before the stone monument—and then flew to the front of the Water Spirit Hall.

Enveloped in light—a moment later, the surrounding atmosphere changed. The plaza before the Water Spirit Hall remained as always. The traces of my and Alvelinde’s battle had been repaired, leaving nothing behind. Only the quiet sound of flowing water echoed, and the gate leading to the Spirit Hall stood open.

“My apologies for troubling you with my affairs again.”

“No, I’m glad you understand my position. I know it must be difficult, but please wait.”

Since Queen Eldorene is an honored guest to Verdgar, we can’t simply have them meet without first confirming the water dragons’ intentions.

“Well then—I’ll go speak with them.”

“Be careful, Theo.”

“Claudia-sama, please be careful too.”

“I’m going.”

Passing through the gate and the corridor—I entered the interior section of the Water Spirit Hall.

The beauty of the Spirit Hall remained unchanged. Walls and ceiling studded with glittering crystals. And an underground lake of terrifying clarity, teeming with life. A scene that threatens to draw one in.

The depths shimmered. The water dragon couple, with coral and seaweed growing on their backs, surfaced—showing their faces above the water, facing us.

“It has been a while, Claudia, and Theodore.”

“It’s good to see you both came.”

The husband Pernas and wife Invel. It seems they remembered my name too. There should be one more child… Just as I thought this, a face appeared from the lake surface nearby and bowed politely.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

“It’s been a long time,” I greeted them in return.

“Your magical power shines even brighter than before.”

“Thank you.”

“The fact that you’ve come here today means… you have some business with us again? If you need scales, I can bring more.”

“No. That’s not it. I came today because there’s something I wanted to discuss.”

“Hmm?” Pernas tilted his head.

“We went to the western sea. There we encountered the people of Grantios led by mermaids, and a demon faction calling themselves the Sea King who led monsters.”

“We established friendly relations with Grantios, and conversely, fought with the demons. There were two demons. Both were awakened demons who called themselves Waldom and Oberk. Do you know them?”

When I created three-dimensional models of the demons, Pernas and Invel peered intently at them.

“…No, I don’t know them.”

“It’s the first time we’ve seen these faces. Demons specialized in the ocean, are they?”

…So they don’t know them. But the conversation isn’t over yet.

“During the battle with Waldom’s faction, we called for the surrender of those who had become subordinates, and Grantios accepted those who responded.”

“Grantios has formed an alliance with Verdgar, and they’re expected to appear in the waters near Termwills soon. Queen Eldorene wishes to greet you both.”

“And currently… Waldom’s subordinates are serving loyally as one of Grantios’ tribes. We came here to speak with you because we were concerned that if you two found these subordinates unpleasant…”

“Ah. So that’s what this is about,” Pernas nodded as if understanding.

I then continued to explain about the military officers Eckels and Gymnos who had been dispatched from among the subordinates, and the circumstances that led to that point.

The two listened to our story, nodding occasionally, but when we finished speaking, they eventually opened their mouths quietly.

“I see… We can sense the scent of those with strong ocean presence from outside the Spirit Hall. Is that them?”

“Yes. We have them waiting outside. Given my position, I had no choice but to be cautious, so I used that as a reason to persuade them to stand by. Eckels and Gymnos said that after hearing this story, they would follow your two’s intentions.”

…What would Pernas and Invel think upon hearing this?

We faced each other in silence for a while, but eventually Pernas spoke. What came from his mouth were words different from what I had expected.

“We knew the princess was a kind person. But you… are kind too.”

Saying this—Pernas seemed to smile gently. Hmm. Why is the conversation turning to me?

“And that must be difficult for you. To speak so openly even to us about such matters, and to consider mutual convenience… However, I find that thoughtfulness commendable.”

“No… Please don’t mind me.”

“It’s fine. We and those subordinates would hardly come to fight from the start. I understand why you would be cautious in your position, Theodore, and I comprehend that judgment. We too cannot claim to fully understand human ways of thinking.”

“That’s… thank you.”

Is it because they’re dragons and I’m human? Well, certainly, there are aspects where equality can’t be achieved even if desired. Some might be afraid of them, after all.

“Were those individuals delightedly serving the demon?”

“Some of them… might have been, I suppose.”

That’s right. Some seemed intoxicated by power.

“However, speaking about Eckels personally, I don’t think so. He seems like someone who basically thinks in terms of his tribe.”

“Is that so.”

The two looked at each other, then nodded.

“For us, demons are enemies. But we don’t call the monsters who served under them our enemies. If there’s no direct connection, it would be wrong to hold them responsible. Especially given the current circumstances.”

“Yes, that’s right. We’ve also been informed that Grantios’ people will appear in the nearby waters. We don’t consider them enemies.”

…I see. Well, I feel somewhat relieved. Now it’s just a matter of confirming whether it would be acceptable for the queen and Eckels to come greet them directly, and confirming their intentions.

“But… Theodore, you don’t say whether you forgive them or not,” Pernas asked, looking somewhat curious.

“That’s… because I myself consider demons to be my enemies.”

To what extent should they be considered enemies? I don’t want to be told various things about that. That’s why I conveyed the circumstances as I heard them, and left the judgment to the two of them.

Soldiers of different races who served under demons… If they were hostile, I would probably crush them without hesitation, but… at this point, they’ve shown loyalty to Grantios, and they’re prepared to fight. I won’t blame them for that. If they can uphold their beliefs as they say, I even want to watch that.

Ah… That’s right. Is that the difference between them and those villagers who keep running away from what they did? Then, if those people would face me directly, would I forgive them…? I don’t know, but at least regarding Eckels’ way of thinking and actions, I find them favorable.

“…I see. You were in the same position as us, weren’t you.”

Seeing me whose thoughts had drifted in a slightly different direction, the water dragons said this.

The same. I lost my mother. They mean they lost their child, I suppose. Indeed, there might be similarities between me and the water dragon couple.

Before I knew it, Claudia was peering at my expression with concern… and the water dragon’s child had also come to the shore, bringing its snout close to me with a somewhat worried expression.

“Hmm… Thank you. I’m fine.”

“…I see. Theodore, you’re strong, but you mustn’t push yourself too hard.”

As I gently stroked the Water Dragon child’s nose tip and answered, Claudia spoke softly, and the Water Dragon child closed its blue eyes and lightly pressed its cheek against me.