166 And I feel sorry for him.

In order to participate in the talks in Ghane, we are traveling overland in a horse-drawn carriage.

Recently, we have been flying by Exarch and Kutu, but it is nice to travel across the continent in a horse-drawn carriage like this.

However, the thickness of the guards does spoil the scenery a bit.

When I looked around the carriage, there were many knights on horseback, riding side by side with the speed of the carriage.

The reason for this goes without saying. This carriage is carrying the most valuable person in the land of the Targs.

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day when I'd leave Taiz. It's such a new feeling!

"Hey, Marito. You know, Marito, it could have been you, or Mikus, or even Lord Raggedy.

"I agree with that opinion. But the King of Zenotta declared that he would go directly to the meeting even though it was invited by the Demon King. The king who unites the knightly nation can't show a reluctant attitude.

No, King Zenotta and Gold are getting along exquisitely well, aren't they? I don't know, it's more like a relationship between a man and a woman. It's more like a group of girls having fun.

King Zenotta is the type of person who doesn't doubt what he sees with his own eyes and believes. Whether it's an alien or a demon king, if it's beneficial to him, he accepts it easily.

It is this casual behavior of King Zenotta that has led to this monstrous march. If it's just influence, he's a great king.

"I'm sure Pope Euphro will be there. What do Thorin and Selende think?

"Representatives of Quama and Mejlis are involved, yes. But those two countries are facing the present with little realization. It's unlikely that the king will show his face directly.

Even if he does, it's normal to wonder about it.

These knights in the guard were not prepared by Marito. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

The knights of Tarz have also been informed of the situation, but there is no denying that there are individual differences.

The fact that we are from the same hometown as Seiya Yukura is mostly known, but only the Ragdoll squad and the knight captains know every detail about the Demon Lords.

The members of the Ragdoll squad are directly acquainted with the Demon Lord and are aware of this complicated human relationship.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.

"Well, I'm going to be busy. It's not so bad if you think of it as a night out with your friends, just to relax a bit.

"That's the kind of weight only a king can carry.

Lord Raggedy-doo is currently in charge of the Taze Kingdom. The same goes for the Ragdolls.

A few days shouldn't be a problem at all. If there's a problem, it's with us.

The expressions of the knights who knew that King Garne was the Demon King were stiff. It's not surprising, of course.

Even Ilias, when he first met Gold, forgot that he was fighting the King of Garnets and slashed at him. If the people of Earth had been watching, they would have thought, "What the hell is this guy doing out of nowhere.

But the reputation of the demon kings created by the Yugra religion and history is that bad. He was the father of the demons that caused the deaths of his own relatives in the past. For those whose family was killed by the mafia, the Demon Lord is the boss of the mafia. That's a grudge. It's a global mafia, and the victims are incalculable.

While Gold was taken care of without being able to do anything, we need to be very careful about how we treat Purple and Blue who are the biggest criminals in history.

By the way, Murasaki is staying at home. The reason is that with the power of cajoling, he has to keep Murasaki away from Marito as much as possible.

If you take him out in front of the representatives of other countries, that alone could be taken as a declaration of war.

Even if he doesn't use it against Marito, it's a source of stress for those who have to protect him.

Even if you don't bemoan your situation, you may envy the birds that fly freely. "Even if I never lament my situation, I sometimes envy the birds that fly free, especially on days when I have a lot of work to do.

"I'm glad you're a humane king.

Ecdysium and Ao are working in the Quama demon world. I hope they're getting along.

Mixu is also accompanying Garne, but they decided to avoid the same carriage. He's not sure he can handle the strain of being in a small space with Marito for so long.

Marito looked a little disappointed. Harkdock and Lakra are with the mix.

The relationship between Marito and Lakra is also a bit distant. Lakra probably can't act freely with someone who is too far above her.

Ilias was chosen as our guard, and Wolfe was chosen as Marito's guard.

Everyone wanted to be Marito's bodyguard, and it was Marito's own decision, frustrated by the lack of control. In fact, if it were only about ability, Wolfe would be in the class of Lord Ragdor, so there were few people who could complain. In any case, the real contender is the Dark Lord.

"Shishou, Garne is in sight!

"Oh, really. For Marito, it's the first time he's seen her in person.

That's right. The land of the Demon Lord is also a personal interest of mine. I'll take what I can get.

In moderation. You'll get into trouble later if people say you were inspired by the Demon Lord.

Haha, that's a possibility. But he's a lot better than King Zenotta.

That old man is going to copy everything he can.

In that sense, Quama is a very flexible country, isn't it?

Taze is bound by his pride, and Mejis is bound by his teachings. There is some good in that, but it doesn't seem to appeal to Marith, who wants change.

I think your reign is the best in Tarz, though.

"Well, that's nice of you to say, both as a king and as an individual. But it's the oldest country in the world.

"Tell me it has a history. The Iliad has a complicated look on his face.

You're right, that wasn't very kingly of you. Forgive me, Lord Ratcliffe.

No, not at all. ......

Ilias looks at me as if to say, "Don't talk to me. The relationship between Marito and Ilias is out of control. It's a shame to force them to be involved.

I guess I can only say this because I live in a changed world. When the environment is fulfilled to a certain extent, people can afford to respect tradition and history again.

It's a kind of regret for constancy, remembered after things have changed.

"But that's not all. There is a word in this world called "Onko Chishin. It means to know the new by warming the old. Marito thinks that the current Taze is old, but he wants to change it based on its history. It seems obvious, but it is difficult. It is necessary to understand the value of both the old and the new. I feel sympathy for Marito's policy.

"I see. Understanding is a way of life for you. A country that values understanding is desirable.

Marito nodded happily, seemingly convinced of something.

If Marito's head was that hard, he would have moved to Gane long ago.

I've done a good job. I've done a good job of that.

I arrived at the Ghanaian home country and completed some simple formalities. The Tarzan knights who showed up in a large group were a rarity among the Ghanaians. Their gazes are passionate.

However, there was no sign of anxiety on their faces. The knights' march is a picturesque sight.

The atmosphere in Garne has not changed, but the development of the outermost layer has progressed considerably. It will soon be time to change the names of the layers.

Why don't they just start naming the layers from the inside?

They want us to be aware of the changing times by changing the names moderately.

That's the bureaucrat's fault. I wish I were subject to the whims of the top.

It sounds so much better coming from the king.

There was another difference from before. As soon as we entered the first level, a horse came running to meet us.

Riding the horse was the Minister of the Ghanaian nation, Mr. Ludfein, who gave the impression of being a cool beauty with a slightly tight figure.

We both dismounted from the vehicle and greeted each other.

Welcome, King Taze. You've arrived much earlier than expected. I apologize for not being able to greet you to your satisfaction.

"Taze's horses are fast. I'll apologize if I ruined your good fortune.

Oh, don't worry about it. And it's been a long time, my old friend.

It's been a while since we met, but your reputation has deteriorated considerably. I'm mildly shocked.

Rudfein joined our carriage and we headed to Garne Castle together.

The way you look at it, you seem to have heard a lot about what happened.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. And the one in Ghanaian country was an alter ego and she was playing with you in Tarz.

Did he just reveal everything to me? It's no wonder he's treated like a bad friend.

I wasn't playing with him, though. I'm surprised that didn't cause you any problems.

It did. First of all, I had a lot of trouble getting people to believe me. And then, of course, there were those who complained about the king.

And what about the gold?

"'If you don't recognize her as king, that's fine. "If you don't recognize her as king, that's fine, but you'll have to replace her with someone else who does. If you can do that, I'll gladly give up the throne.

"I see. By force.

There's no such person. Money's power to rule can create a virtual world that works just like the real one, and by repeating trial and error, it can come up with a good plan.

In order to exercise such a policy more than the king who has the freedom of verification, only an outstanding person like Marito, who can be called a wise king, can do so.

In the first place, the "Golden Demon King" ......, or was it the "Yellow Demon King"? To be honest, no one had ever heard of it. No one had a direct grudge against him.

Well, even in the lore of the Yugra religion, there is almost no information about the Yellow Demon King.

It is an existence that Seiya Yugura only added, "Oh, by the way, we defeated this one too. In a sense, he is the Demon Lord with the least hate.

He is the least hated demon lord in a sense. "But you are keeping this from the people. I don't want to cause any unnecessary confusion.

Mr. Rudfain has hardly changed at all, has he?

"Yes, well. The King had always been a man of many secrets and a bit of a stinker. Even if you told me he was a demon king, I only thought, 'Oh, I see. He must be a capable person, and if he works to improve the country, it won't matter if he has a bad personality or is a demon king.

Wow, I wonder how many locals can make such a dry judgment. It seems to me that Mr. Ludfein is just not genuinely interested in money.

"It seems that 'money' was right in appointing Ms. Rudfain as a minister: ......

"That's an implied statement. I personally have a lot of respect for the King. I can even tolerate a relationship with an unsavory friend.

But you call him a bad friend.

As a minister, I have to see it that way. It seems that you've been having fun without my knowledge before.

He's the type to hold on to things like that, isn't he?

"No, my friend. The minister is not wrong. He's an evil man.

No, no, no, don't speak ill of the king in front of the minister.

Don't mind him. He's a foolish king who stirs up the country by favoring his lord's side over his office. It's not a crime to say what's right.

I suppose you could say that. Do you really respect him?

Only in my abilities.

The fact that your personality isn't valued in the slightest makes me sad, even if it's someone else's story.

I'm sure you've heard of it.

I wonder if this relationship between the top and the second place is safe in this country.

"Hmm. I want her for Taze. I'd like to see her as a candidate for queen. ......

Marith likes Mr. Ludowain. It is true that she is not afraid of the king, which is a high point in Marito's eyes.

You're a king, so I'm sure you can handle two-timing, but if you're going to make her your queen, at least let her develop a relationship with Luko first, okay?

I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

Oh, isn't it still in Tarz?

Oh, I thought he was back in Garne. ......

Well, his alter ego is in Garnets, so he won't be a problem for the meeting. It's a small matter.

How can you call the King's absence trivial?

I remember you weren't at the villa. If he had gone back alone, I would have thought he would have at least shown his face to Mr. Ludfen. ....... Well, he's probably out there somewhere.

Anyway, I was a little hungry and thirsty. I had assumed that the speed of the carriage would be the same as the previous one, but it was faster than I had expected, and I had missed my meal time.

I remembered that the box with the food from the road was here. Let's eat some fruits.

I opened the box and peeked inside. There, for some reason, was the teary-eyed figure of Gold.

"......

"......

He must have been hiding in his luggage, hoping to surprise someone with his mischievousness.

But someone and Marito were going in the same carriage. He probably thought that if he showed himself in that state, he would be ridiculed for playing a childish prank. And until now, he has not been able to get out: .......

Of course, he was listening to everything that was being said. Well, even this naughty guy has a human heart.

At any rate, I stroked Kim's head in a comforting way, and took out a piece of fruit from beside her and closed the lid.

Probably no one would look at me awkwardly if they knew I was here. I felt very sorry for them.

I turned my gaze to the others and realized that all of them knew about this except for Mr. Ludfeuin.

There was Ilias with an indescribable look on his face, Wolfe looking at the box as if he was having fun, and Marito trying to hold back his laughter.

"Mr. Ludfein. The next time you have a drink with Gold, why don't you take your time to talk and deepen your friendship? You may be able to respect him in many more ways...

"I wouldn't want to cut into my personal time for that.

This is a bad idea. I'm sorry, 'Kim', I tried to mend it anyway, but I can't...

The box is shaking. Probably any further failure to follow up will result in Kim running out of the room in tears.

I'll just give up and eat the fruit. And Marito, this guy really looks like he's having fun.