30 - The Thirtieth "Strong"

Upon seeing the queen, who was not supposed to be there, Helian splashed his ale with a loud bang.

Leifer hurriedly takes out what looks like a hand towel, to which Helyan turns his palm to say, <>.

In fact, it was not only nothing, but a disaster. And this is the third time. It's becoming a common story. I wonder if I am cursed to spew out my drink in front of these sisters.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm ...... okay, I just got a little choked up."

"...... ha, ha."

Leifer looked at me suspiciously because I was swollen more than just a little, but he seemed to have sensed my reluctance to be questioned, and readily withdrew from the conversation.

On the other hand, Helian, who was wiping the counter with his own handkerchief, was in a state of confusion.

（Why ......?)

Why is there a noble queen in such a seedy bar?

She's out of place.

And what a coincidence that she is sitting next to me.

If there really is a God, I want to curse him.

The robes of concealment have a disorienting effect, so there is little chance of my identity being revealed, but it is terribly unsettling to have a known face in close proximity.

"Um... ......"

"What is it?"

Leifa called out to me in a reserved manner.

Helian stiffened as if he had just been discovered.

"Do you have the menu list over there?"

"...... No, they don't have anything of the sort."

"What?"

"No, we don't have a menu. We don't have a menu.

"...... is a novelty."

It seems that menu lists exist even in the common knowledge of other worlds.

While acquiring new knowledge, I guess that the owner of this restaurant is either crazy or a nostalgist.

"Hey there, newcomer. What happened to the others?

They're still upstairs discussing. It's hard to work out the details.

The owner behind the counter and Leifa engage in a brief and casual conversation.

From the content of their conversation, it seemed that the Latestwood emissary and his party had come ahead of time to discuss the details of postwar processing, and were staying at this tavern and inn.

I was tempted to whine and complain to them to choose a better lodging, but I remembered that the population was over capacity due to the national celebration. All the inns must have been full.

"But it's rare to see a group of hoods all together, isn't it? Are they related to the Sixth Legion?"

"Sixth ......?　Well, maybe not, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention that. ......"

"Huh. Well, I don't mind."

Oh, okay.

Her appearance has never been seen by the people of Alkimaira.

Only the commander class and a few demons of the Sixth Legion know of the Queen of Rattestwood's appearance. So a disguise as simple as a hood is sufficient to conceal her true identity.

So, what would you like to order?　For a drink, a cold ale. For food, I recommend the cockatrice tempura or the smoked braised wild boar.

"So, tempura?　Can you give me something called.... I would like to order something without alcohol.

This is a bar, remember?

"It's a tavern and inn, isn't it?　I remember being sold that way."

"Mmm ......, how about some freshly squeezed white apple juice?　It's actually for fruit wine."

Thank you for your time. I'll take it then."

After a while, the owner put the order he had finished making in front of Leifer and ran to another table. It seems that there are not enough waiters for the number of customers, and they are hurriedly going back and forth from table to table.

"It's crowded, isn't it?"

I wonder if he was being clever.

While struggling with the unfamiliar dishes, Leifa asked me a question.

"The inhabitants of a country with a great king seem to be happy.

The topic chosen was that of the king of this country, whose name is called everywhere. It was an appropriate choice as a common topic of conversation among strangers.

--But Helian felt irresistible irritation.

"He is a truly noble man. I am deeply grateful to him..."

"...... where?"

"What?"

"What is it about him that makes him such a great king?"

The muttering came out lower than I thought it would.

"...... They're all just fooled by him. It's a wonder that all the great demons follow that man. He's the weakest of them all. He can't even beat a goblin."

The stagnant thoughts in my chest were spewed out from my mouth.

"Yes, that's right. He's not such a great man. He's just a weak, cowardly man who can be found anywhere. And now he's giving a big speech, telling us to save the people of Latticewood?　What's the big deal? I can't do it myself, so please save me instead. You're just a small person who barks like a tiger."

Once you say it, you can't stop.

The sordid feelings overflow like a weir.

"The healing of the people of Rattlestwood after the war was probably just a way to ingratiate yourself with the queen of that country, wasn't it? No, he didn't make good on his promise in the first place. Of course he did it to cover up his guilt. A benevolent king?　You make me laugh. If you were truly merciful, you would have helped us when we first met."

You can't keep it down.

There's a limit to how long you can grit your teeth.

The accumulated pressure had long since overtaken Hellian's tolerance level for the person of Tsukasa Misaki.

"It's the same with the governance. The reason why he gave up his autonomy so condescendingly is because he lacks confidence in his own ability to rule. His own political power is so limited that he can only act on the strength of his military power when he is cornered. He is a man who cannot even run a single town without the help of his subordinates. And to call himself king is outrageous."

That's right.

Negotiations between players are just an extension of chat conversations.

Helian has never had any real political power from the beginning.

"He takes advantage of his position and gets others involved in his activities, and then he claims the credit for others' achievements as if it were his own. And to top it all off, they can't do anything on their own, yet they have the bravado to do so. He is a hypocrite who makes himself look big, deceives the people with the false image he has created, and wears the mask of a king. ......!

That's the honest truth, no questions asked.

It was the truth that Helian had been holding in his heart and turning away from.

What is the King of All Evil? What is the head of a superpower? What is the ruler of the world?

What kind of a man talks with his mouth!

I'm not that big of a deal.

I'm just an ordinary student, a student with nothing special to offer, just like anyone else.

So what?

I was playing a game as usual when I was transported to another world, even though I wasn't hit by a truck.

And when I went out to explore with all the courage I could muster, I suddenly encountered the royal family of a nation in the midst of an interspecies conflict. In the village, I was shown a tragedy like a poorly written three-act play.

The ensuing uprising led to the cranium being crushed by a supposedly dead rebel as soon as he turned his back on the scene of the gut-splattering. Although he was able to revive himself, in his castle, he was so distracted that he did not have time to rest, even while eating.

Even so, he fought back his breaking heart and conducted an audience, playing the role of the King of All Evil. However, when I visited the village of Rattestwood again, I found myself clinging to the half-elves just before their destruction, and as a result, I was forced to bear many human lives.

Furthermore, he thought he had succeeded in bringing the country together in a desperate attempt to rescue a kidnapped girl, but what awaited him in the capital of Rattestwood was not salvation, but despair.

And it has only been three days.

Three days.

There will surely be more upheavals in the days to come.

And the one who will lead the people is the king of the Haribo, a man of no merit at all.

It is hard to imagine that this will go well.

Just thinking about the future makes me tremble with fear.

So, I've long since passed my limits.

There is no strength left in me to walk again.

I've been cursing at a girl (Leifa) who lost all her relatives.

--Suddenly, I felt like dying.

"............"

Perhaps disgusted by the man's abomination in front of her, Leifa fell silent.

An awkward silence lay there. Helian's words seem to have been lost in the clamor and did not reach the other guests, but Leifa's ears must have heard everything that was said.

Leifa let out a few words.

"Still ...... even if that were the case, I will never forget my respect for him."

"......Why?　Why do you trust that man so much?"

When I asked him, not knowing why, Leifa smiled with a lowered eyebrow.

"He was angry with me for my sister's sake."

--I was speechless.

That's it?

Just because of that?

"We are a persecuted race for ...... certain reasons, and no one was on our side."

There are no allies.

The only people you can trust are the few people in your own country.

Then, even that much kindness...

So they did not enjoy even the compassion of resenting the death of a young child?

They are enemies to everyone except their own people.

For these women who have been forced to live in such a normal environment for so many years, how did the sudden appearance of this eccentric traveler affect them?

"We were treated almost like slaves before we came to this land, and when we finally found a safe haven, we were looked down upon as low creatures by the elves who lived nearby, our closest relatives.

In fact, it's worse.

They were kept alive only to be fed by dragons that seemed to be relics of the gods.

They were regarded as nothing more than livestock, not slaves.

"But he did not look down on us. On the contrary, he saved us from years of persecution by Noblewood. He was outraged by the condition of our wounded brothers and sisters. We are saved by his actions. This is a fact that no one, not even God, can overturn."

...... Indeed, the threat of Noblewood is gone.

But not in time.

It was not in time.

I couldn't save the one person I really wanted to save.

And yet, the girl who lost her sister just a few days ago, smiles stoutly and says, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't save the one person I really wanted to save,

"So I will tell him again and again.

.

.

As if to show that it is from the bottom of your heart.

Words of gratitude spun as if praying, hands on chests.

My throat trembled and my eyes were burning.

I wondered who was saved.

"I am sure that you have your own deep reasons for saying what you just said, even though you are a citizen of this country. But shouldn't we give him credit for what he has accomplished?"

You should acknowledge your accomplishments, says Leifa.

A sweet whisper.

It works even better for a weak person like myself.

I resisted the urge to jump on her words without thinking.

"......You've done everything you've done with the help of others.

It's not like he himself put in the sweat of his brow. It's not even a matter of relying on others. ......!"

Do not enjoy sweet words.

Do not enjoy the sweet words of Helian's rebuttal, spewed out in anguish from such trivial rebelliousness,

"What's wrong with that?　That's what a king is supposed to be."

The Queen of Ratestwood dismissed the matter-of-factly.

"In times of emergency, make better choices and solve problems properly with the right people. In doing so, she leads her people, protects her country, and nurtures it. This is the job of the king. There is no reason that the king must accomplish everything by his own power.

If there is a king who thinks like that, he must be called a foolish king. It means that he does not trust his subjects who support him and, by extension, the power of the people.

The virtuous queen informs the inexperienced king.

The power of the people is also part of the king's power.

It is not where the power resides that the king should worry about, but how to use the power the nation possesses.

"I may not be able to say this, but I have failed in my duty as a leader.

A shy, wry smile.

The broken tone of his bashful smile is probably a reflection of his concern for Helian's stiffened shoulders.

"And you spoke ill of her, but you didn't mean ...... what you said, did you?"

No, that's not true.

The sludge-like words you just spewed out are unmistakably your true feelings.

I believe from the bottom of my heart that such a man should not be king, that he cannot be king.

"But you're crying, aren't you?"

"...... what?"

Nonsense," he said, rubbing his fingers under his eyes.

Naturally, his fingertips remained dry.

Not a trace of moisture.

No tears.

No tears.

There are people in the world who cry without shedding a tear. My sister taught me that."

Her sister.

The girl who is no longer with us.

There is no chance to question the truth of her words.

"I don't mean to be rude, but when you were criticizing her, you looked like a drowning child.

A person who really heaps abuse on a person with a heart of gold has a face contorted into a look of contempt or amusement. It is impossible for them to have such a look of bitterness on their face.

I am sure of it because I have been oppressed for so many years, Leifa said lightly. Helian looked down at the counter, unable to look at her directly.

"And just to clear up one misunderstanding, he was fulfilling the most important task of a king..."

"...... most important job?"

What's that?

Helian thinks back to what he has done, but he has no idea what he has done.

Like a confessor in front of a nun who tells him the way, Helian waits for the next words,

"--To take responsibility."

The words were like a revelation.

"The man was thorough, especially in that one area. He was determined to abide by a contract that was not in writing and could not even be called an oral agreement. .......

And if he could not fulfill it, he was willing to pay the price with his own body and soul. There was no need for him to do such a thing. ......"

The contract I made with my sister.

I will save every last Latestwood citizen who is kidnapped this time.

A promise I made to my sister.

I will help in any way I can.

Neither of us has lived up to our promises.

However, it is not something that can be settled with <.

A promise made once has a weight of its own.

It is natural to take responsibility for the results.

It is a natural thing for a human being, nothing special.

I'm sure that's his way of being a king.

"I will keep my promises at all costs and take responsibility for the results.

I have witnessed one ideal of a king who embodies this belief."

The ideal image of a king?

Who in the world is he talking about?

No, she must be talking about the King of Alkimaira right now.

But Helian himself felt that she was talking about someone far away.

"I'm sorry to sound like a stranger who just met you for the first time, ...... but I'm sure you're just misunderstanding me. If you could talk to him directly, you would understand that."

Then you will never know.

The things she sees are only illusions.

I feel as if I'm listening to someone else.

......, but...

But still.

If she says so.

- if she says that to me, the one who said those lines that made me want to cry.

Can I give myself just a little bit of recognition?

Can I allow myself to expect more from my weak self?

"Please don't look so bitter.

One day you will understand. You will be fine.

Leifa smiles at me.

It was an expression I had seen only recently.

Their faces are very similar. No wonder they are sisters.

In the face of this expression, my vision blurred slightly...

"I don't think you need to hold back your tears, do you?

I cried like a little kid last night, too.

Oh, please don't tell anyone. I'm a part of the leadership, and I'm in a position where it would be very embarrassing if anyone knew about the ugliness.

It's a secret," Leifua says, holding her index finger in front of her lips.

I lied about feeling better. The pain of mourning one's immediate family is not something that can be put to rest in a single night. And yet, the girl in front of me dares to play a trick to comfort the pathetic man I have just met.

Therefore, Helian turns his head to the ceiling and holds back what is about to overflow behind his eyelids.

It was unforgivable to cry in front of her.

I can't cry.

"I can't cry either, because of my position. ....... I'm a man, after all."

Men should not cry.

Even children know this rule.

It may be different in different parts of the world, but it is the same.

"Are you going to continue to work hard in that position?　Is it ever hard for you?"

When I think of my sister, this level of pain is nothing to me. I'm still her big sister.

...... Oh, that's not fair.

That's too cowardly.

How can it not be painful to lose one's last remaining relative?

And yet, you're smiling with the best smile I've ever seen in any village.

," she muttered sadly, trying to cheer up the people around her with a smile on her face that was a mirror image of the girl who said those words.

--<

I can't just stand here looking down.

"...... you're strong, aren't you?"

The younger girl in front of me has lost many things, but she keeps looking forward.

Then there is no reason why I, who am older than her and have not lost anything yet, should be broken.

At least as long as the girl in front of me is doing her best, I have a responsibility to keep on trying.

......Yes, I know.

It's just stubbornness.

It's just the will of a cheap, crappy guy who spent his youth playing video games.

But even so, I think this will must be carried through to the end.

I think so.

I could think that way.

"...... me."

"Yes."

"......I really thought it might not work anymore."

That's not true.

"...... that there's nothing a guy like me can do to help."

No, there is always a way.

"...... but I heard that there are people who support me and love me even though I'm such a f*cking pathetic person."

Then you will be fine. That lover has a good eye for people."

One thought at a time.

Leifa politely affirms the man I have never met before, who is not very specific in his words.

Some people might have resented this, saying, <>.

But for Helian, those words were an irreplaceable blessing.

It made me think that I can do my best even if I am like this.

So, in order to keep looking forward, I decided to tell her that I will not go back to my weak self.

"...... So, it's me..."

"Yes."

"I'll try a little harder."

"Yes. Let's work hard for each other."

It's a pledge.

As long as the girl in front of me doesn't break, I'll keep looking forward too.

I believe that will be my mourning for the girl who is no longer with us.

＋ ＋ ＋

After finishing the tempura, Leifa bowed and left the table, saying, "I have to go back soon, or people will worry about me. She behaved with integrity to the end.

It was a coincidence that we met here, but I am very glad that we could talk.

All the depressive feelings that I had been holding in until just a few minutes ago were drained out of me, and all that remained was a vague, enlightened feeling.

--Of course, it was just my imagination. I am not enlightened.

How can we call such a state of mind, which can be reached by such a fluctuation of mind, enlightenment?

This is a temporary feeling that is forgotten as soon as one goes to sleep and wakes up.

It is nothing more than an illusion of self-delusion that adolescent students tend to have.

But I will never forget my decision again.

After all, I made a promise to her, to no one else.

A vow is unilateral.

I am the only one who made the vow, and I am also the only one who is bound by it, which is a serious oversight.

Still, a promise is a promise.

And it is natural for a human being to keep a promise.

Then I'm sure I'll be fine from tomorrow.

I believe that I will be all right.

......I was suddenly thinking about the castle.

Rieve and the others must be very worried about me since I had almost snuck out on my own. It was time for me to go home.

After paying the bill, I was about to leave when I was roughly grabbed by the shoulder.

"Hey, hey, hey!　Today is the anniversary of the victory. I'll buy you a drink and you can relax!

A red-faced orc gets involved.

His breath reeks of alcohol.

"What are you doing, you drunkard? What are you doing drunk?

That's right. Pull back, you pig!

"But that idiot's right!　It's Victory Day, so drink up!"

"Hey!　It is an insult to our king not to drink on such a festive day. And the second person who called you a pig, I'm going to kick your ass later, remember that!　And anyway, hey, hey, hey, don't put on that grimy robe, come over here and have a drink with us, you too!　Gahaha!"

"Oh, hey, don't pull the robe off, stop ......!"

Despite her pleas for restraint, Helian is stripped of her gray robe, a ...... cloaking robe that has a cognitive inhibiting effect.

The black cloak with the national coat of arms is revealed underneath.

"........................ heh?"

The man who had stripped off his robe let out a dumb sound and stiffened.

His friends, who had been cheering him on, also peel their eyes away, unable to believe what they have just seen.

The others followed their gaze and opened their mouths in disbelief at the sudden silence.

A young man was standing at the end of the room.

He wears a black cloak.

On its back is the coat of arms of a great nation.

But there was no number engraved on it to indicate his rank as the leader of a legion.

There is only one man in the world who can bear the emblem of Alkimaira without numbers.

Who is it?

No one is fool enough to ask.

The head of the nation. The one and only absolute. King of all demons.

Helian Edda Elsinorek.

"Oh, ......"

I'm screwed," Helian said with a sigh.

The guests are all frozen, having correctly recognized the unbelievable fact.

The bar, which had been filled with a bubbling, bubbling noise earlier, was now as quiet as a chapel in the early morning.

And the poor lackey, the orc, whose face had been reddened by the spirit, now looks pale. Now all I have to do is turn it yellow and I'll have a one-man traffic light, I thought to myself stupidly.

It seems that I can't just go home without any problems now.

Helian thinks to himself that this world is very hard on him and wonders how he can make this situation go away.

"Oh, owner?"

A voice falls over the silence in the restaurant, sounding as if it had been uttered unintentionally.

When I looked at the owner of the voice, I found him standing dumbfounded behind the counter. It was the first time I had seen the owner directly, and he was a goblin.

I had expected his voice to be hoarse, but for some reason, there was a strange sense of déjà vu in his face, as if I had seen him somewhere before.

"Owner ......?　You mean me?"

Apparently, he is referring to himself.

Although Helian himself owned several properties, I often wondered if he had ever owned such an old-fashioned store.

As I looked at the owner's face and thought about it, I suddenly had a memory that dredged up.

"Are you ...... Gobutaro by any chance?"

The goblin's face was hard to distinguish, but it certainly had an aspect.

Gobutaro is the name of the first monster that Helian defeated in the game [Tactics Chronicles]. By chance, he succeeded in determining his tame and brought him in as a friend, and they shared the battlefield together during the turbulent period in the early stages of the game.

However, he was not able to reincarnate due to his blending, and he could no longer keep up with the front line of battle. He was retired from the military after his second death.

After his retirement, he was registered as a resident of the capital city as a test case for a resident unit that would play an active role in industry, and was supposed to be entrusted with the management of a certain store. .......

Why are you here?

"What?　Oh, no, I don't know why you ask, but the owner personally put me in charge of this bar ...... and I'm running it like this ......."

"What about ......?"

No way," he said, looking around the old-fashioned restaurant.

"Is this ......<> by any chance?"

"Yes, yes, the owner is. Didn't you see the sign?"

I saw the mark of the bar, but I did not see the name of the restaurant on the sign.

Apparently, I was more narrow-minded than I thought.

However, the old signboard hanging on the front of the restaurant must have been inscribed with the name of the restaurant, which I had named without any twist, , along with the design of the restaurant.

"............ pff,kk,kk,kk."

Such a sound came from the bottom of my stomach.

I unconsciously cover my face with my right hand.

Oh, I don't know why. Uncontrollable emotions naturally welled up in me. My diaphragm shakes of its own accord, and I can't stop it.

"Kukukukukuku......kuha,ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha--!"

I let go of the urge that came over me, and it overflowed in the form of laughter.

In the quiet restaurant, Helian's loud laughter echoes loudly from his stomach. Drooling over the sound of silly laughter, I think back on the memories of the past days.

It's a real blast from the past.

Somewhere along the way, I even forgot where it was, but the hut that stood where it all began had become so dilapidated that Helian had converted it into a tavern as a monument.

In short, I am now standing at the place where I took my first steps in the world of Tactics Chronicle.

What a joke that this place, where I was almost ready to give up, and where I decided to make a fresh start, is of all places the "place of the beginning", the origin of "Helian". If this is a divine arrangement, then it is a very interesting one.

I don't know why I am laughing so hard.

But I guess the thoughts of those who are laughing are more or less like that.

They just can't stop laughing. There is no reason for it.

As I endure the wave of laughter that has finally subsided, I am aware of a painful gaze piercing through me. It is a natural reaction to suddenly burst out laughing without any reason. It is no wonder that they think I have gone insane.

But Helian is no longer afraid of the gazes of the demons.

Perhaps it was because I had laughed so hard with my mouth wide open, but I felt strangely refreshed. I feel refreshed by my overly simple mental structure and bask in the afterglow.

Oh, what a coincidence, really.

How could I have wandered into this place at this time of all days?

And to meet the friends I left long ago.

I never thought that we would be able to have a conversation again in this bar that has kept and maintained the old promise (order).

I am truly glad that I did not give it up just because I reached the limit of revival. I never dreamed that we would meet again in such a way.

---- Hey, wait.

I'm creeped out (・・・・・).

Every sweat gland in my body opened up and sweat poured out.

In an instant, I was caught in a state of indescribable agitation.

Now something stuck.

I think I have realized something terrible.

The sentimentality that I had felt earlier, as if I had realized something, has vanished in an instant.

There is no longer a trace of the afterglow of a big smile.

But what is going on?

The mind, the thoughts, the body. None of them work together.

Only the sense of frustration that runs through my body is still rushing through me.

Why?

Why does something similar to an impulse burn my back when I was supposed to be reminiscing about trivial things?

I don't know why, but I feel an impending sense of urgency that if I don't realize it soon, it will be too late, and it is swirling around me in a fury.

Think back.

What is it that's stuck?

A word that came to you in your recollection.

The red-hot brain examines each one of the enumerated words at high speed.

A familiar place. The place where it all began. The owner. The wooden hut. Friends. Monument. Tavern. Goblin. Reunion. Reincarnation. Rebirth limit.

"-------- resuscitation?"

.

The power to revive a dead demon within 24 hours.

This is a unique ability of the king (player), which can revive a demon up to twice per demon.

The revival is limited to the people of Alkimaira or the people of the vassal state of Alkimaira.

My finger moved semi-automatically with an unsettled thought, "No way.

Basic Home Window: Open. Select: History.

The history of Alkimaira. A virtual window with a list of the most important events is displayed in front of you. Scrolling up from the latest description at the bottom of the window, the events of the day when Helian visited the village again are described.

There, Queen Leifa-Lim-Latestwood - that is, the most powerful person in La Teeste Wood - declared the transfer of all the rights to the settlement. The king of Alkimaira, Helian Eddah Elsinorek, immediately accepted it.

And written below it in red letters is a straightforward fact.

July 12, 150 years of the history of the Holy Demons, 1:03 p.m. 7 minutes 42 seconds

Successful Ratestwood Genestration.

"-------- when."

When did he die?

The girl.

Before Lastwood became part of this country (Alkymyra).

Or...

Or after RATESTWOOD became a province of Alkymyra?

And if it is the latter.

How much time do we have left to revive?

"...... wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, oi!!!"

I'm operating the virtual window with my shaking hands--no, my fingers are not doing their job properly.

Hurry up.

Open the function window with a spoken command.

Exercise Ability On: Friendly Revive.

The choice of the target is not selective.

The full name of each person must be entered correctly.

The management said that this was a measure to prevent the full recovery of lost military power.

At the time, I thought it was a good idea, but now I am deeply annoyed by this restriction.

There is no time.

With frustration and even hatred, Helian stares at the translucent text box floating in front of him and tells the girl's name.

Text input by spoken command.

The name <> is inscribed in the text box.

After the character's name is entered, the virtual window switches to show a decision button and a cancel button. The user immediately announces his/her decision. A second confirmation message appears. The user shouts his/her decision again, exasperated that the decision should be made quickly. In response, an inorganic message of 12 characters appears before your eyes.

--No one available for resuscitation.

"............----"

I saw the word "too late" in my vision.

I felt a strong dizziness, and my knees buckled as if I were about to collapse.

"Um, ...... you've gone quiet all of a sudden, what's going on?"

Then a voice called out to me.

I looked in the direction of the voice and saw Leifer peeking out from the stairway that probably led to the second floor.

Our eyes met.

"What?　Why are you here?

"Leifa!　Tell me Lillipha's full name right now!!!!"

Leifa blinked at the sight of the King of All Evil, who was not supposed to be there, but Helian didn't care and stormed over to her.

I know it's a bad move," he said.

Still, he didn't want to dismiss the possibility that he had simply gotten the name wrong.

"Re, is your full name ......?"

"Yes!　Answer me quickly, I don't have time for this!

If "Lillipha" is a nickname!

Isn't that girl's name <>!"

Please.

Please tell me it's not true.

It is highly unlikely that I am wrong about Lilifa's full name, judging from the full name of Leifa. I know that in theory. But even if it was a small chance, Helian could not help but put his trust in her.

"No, no, ...... her name is Rilifa. It is not a nickname.

And the hope we clung to was cruelly ended.

The few glimmers of light that remained faded away.

At the moment her knees buckled, but she continued to speak,

"But my full name is not .

The middle name 'Rim' is used to refer to the queen, so it can't be used for her name."

Helian heard a gasp, and he was sure he heard it.

If he had not been so lucky, even his heart might have stopped for a moment.

The middle name of royalty who are not queens or kings is "Lum".

Therefore, her full name is <>. ...... What's that about?"

Helian shouted, while Leifa tilted her head curiously.

"Function Window: Open!

Ability On: Friendly Revive!

Revive target name input 《Revive target input》--<>!!!!"

Decision button in front of you.

At the same time as he shouted his intention to press the button, he thrust his fist in front of his eyes.

Immediately after the decision button is pressed with a spoken command, Helian's fist is slammed against the decision button just as the second confirmation message appears.

--And a light was born.

+ + +

Tsukasa Misaki is a university student gamer.

This is the place where he first arrived in Tactics Chronicle as Helian.

There is an old bar built as a monument.

While the whole town was in a state of excitement over the great victory, only one bar was quiet, and suddenly a dazzling light swelled up inside the bar.

A divine shimmering.

Soon the pure white light converges on a single point and transforms into the shape of a human being.

Halfway pointed ears. A face young for its stature. Eyes drooping in a somewhat protective manner. White hair in a half updo. White skin. White tunic. The girl, all in white, has a well-defined appearance, and if her breasts were not moving as she breathed, it would be no wonder that she could be described as an elaborate magic doll.

After the light has completely disappeared, there is only one girl left.

"----"

No one moves.

Everyone in the room is frozen in silence.

The reason for their cowering was different for each of them, but they all had one thing in common: they could not believe what they were seeing in front of them.

At the same time, they were also trapped in a feeling akin to fear that if they said something, the reality in front of them would vanish like a dream or a phantom.

"............Ah, what is it?"

The painful silence was broken by a girl looking down at her body curiously.

"I, why ...... wasn't I eaten?

Is that a dream?　I mean, where am I?　You're not in Latticewood, are you?"

I look around.

The girl whose eyes had been wandering with the gestures of a small animal in its sleep eventually fixed her gaze on a point.

Oh, it's my sister. Good morning. Where am I?"

In a dream, the girl recognized her dear sister and casually asked her where she was.

With the sound of her voice, the time that had stopped ticking in Leifua begins to tick again.

"LELIFA--......!"

I ran to him.

He jumped at her with all his might, as if he was frustrated to be only a few steps away.

The lightweight girl almost falls to the floor from the force of the jump, but her sister, who hugs her dear sister, does not allow it.

"Warm ...... alive .......

......Rilifa's alive......Rilifa's alive......You're so good!"

From that point on, there were no words.

Leifua's fair face crumpled into a sobbing mess as she held her sister's body in her arms. She changed the position of her arms several times, as if looking for the position that would allow her to feel her sister's body warmth the most, and held her tight, never wanting to let her go again.

The Queen of Latticewood is not there.

Here is a sister sobbing for the life of her beloved sister.

"Hey, hey, hey! Sister, you're hurting me. You're hurting me!"

Like a cat that doesn't want to be bothered, the girl tries to pull her sister away from her with her hands outstretched, but she can't do it. Confused, she wandered around again looking for some help, and at one point she saw a familiar face.

"Ah, Mr. Helian.

A young man with an ordinary face.

A strange traveler whom I met only once, but I don't know him well.

But he is a kind and somewhat dependable human male.

"Are you crying, ...... Mr. Helian?"

The young man had an expression on his face that she had never seen before, and the girl asked him in deep wonder.

"......No. I'm not crying. Men don't shed tears."

It sounded a lot like something the girl's father had said to her one day.

At that time, the girl recalls, she had not heard it, thinking <.

But since he said the same thing, it must have been true.

Maybe it is a man's world that women do not understand.

So the girl just muttered "I see" and pretended not to see the beautiful drop of water running down his cheek.

Meanwhile, the older sister, who is not very attentive, is squeezing the girl's slender body tightly.

I think it's very mean of my sister who never let go of me even though I told her that it hurts, but I couldn't understand what she was saying. So, in order to escape from her sister's evil hands who hugs her with no restraint, the girl decides to rely on him.

But first, there was one doubt that she had to ask him.

The girl asks the young man as her heart leads her.

Hey, Mr. Helian. Is this a dream?

For a moment, the young man's face contorted into an expression that was difficult to describe.

But then, as if determined, he smiles wickedly, his cheeks wet, and tells the young girl his answer.

"No. I can't help it, I want to cry, but it's ---- real."

July 13, 150th year of the history of the Holy Demons.

The first war in another world is declared over.

Report of the results of the war.

The main objective of this operation, the rescue of the people of RATESTWOOD, is completed.

The capital of RATESTWOOD is successfully recaptured.

Total victory is achieved by annihilating all enemy forces.

The number of casualties in the Alkimaira group--zero.

- End of Chapter 1