Chapter 199 – Those Who Send

After handing over the message and documents from the deputy captain to the old guard at Cassmeer (although his absence for a while was a cause of much grief and joy.), I checked to see if there were any excesses or shortages, serviced some supplies, and started on my way back to Lafan as soon as I could.

“Takifu was held up for a long time, wasn’t he?”

“That’s right. The Demon King is always present, and the fort is safe and sound. He procures everything from weapons to food, and he can even handle naval battles, so rather than being a merchant…”

“That would be the Demon King.”

Myrril and Lord McKin are all grinning at me, but I’m not so happy to be kept around by that old man/brother.

Generally speaking, your perceptions are wrong. A Demon King is not like a combination of a home improvement center and a PMC. It’s more like, what do you call it? He is dressed all in black, sitting on a chair with a skull on it, and saying, “Nuhaha! He is only the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!” Or something like that.

That’s not the kind of role I want to play. If I were in Casemaian or whatever, I’d probably be the one they’d call the weakest.

“What are you so upset about? I’m giving you a compliment.”

“Thank you very much.”

While thanking them in a broken voice, I took control of the Griffon and continued southward. After leaving the central territory of Cassmeer, it is about 400 kilometers from the southern territory of Lafan. On the way, we will pass through the eastern territory, but old man Tyrell, the eastern lord who colluded with the empire to plot a rebellion, is currently being held in Cassmer and awaiting transport to the capital city of Haghwai. He will not come against the southern territory at this point in time. At least not outwardly.

According to Lord McKin, the Tyrell family has been placed under surveillance and stripped of their territorial rights, and the administration of the territory is being carried out by the council members of Casseer. I didn’t want to get too involved, so I didn’t listen.

“Demon King, if you go around the cape on the landward side of the island, you will find a small fishing village. From there, could you go up to the land and take the overland route?”

“Is there anywhere you want to stop?”

“Yes. There is a town called Nordanan on the northern outskirts of the southern territories. It should be prepared by now.”

We rounded the cape as he had suggested and saw a few houses along the gently sloping coastline. There were about a dozen rowboats, the kind used by couples on lakes, pulled up on the shore. It was a rather idyllic scene.

“Preparations?”

“You’ll have to wait and see. You can go up from there.”

We went up from the sloping beach to the shore and passed through a small forest that looked like a windbreak. Hearing the roar of the hovercraft, several fishermen jump out of their beach huts, their mouths hanging open. They must have figured out who we are because there is a Kraken flag of the southern territory on the side of the Griffon. They don’t run away, but they look at us stunned and dumbfounded.

“Is this still the eastern territory?”

“That’s right. The border may be redrawn in the future when the territories are reorganized, but for the time being, the city of Nordanan, four miles down the road… south of the border, is the border town.”

This is the first time I have heard the phrase ‘territorial border.’ After going inland for a while, we came to an open area where there seemed to be a road. We turned south and drove straight for about 10 minutes. It was about six and a half kilometers. We saw what looked like a simple but wide fortress wall.

“There it is. The river borders the territory, so we have to cross the bridge.”

“If it’s a wooden bridge designed for a horse-drawn carriage, it’s not safe. Is there a sloping place on the riverbank?”

“A mile west of the bridge is the landing place for riverboats. There is an incline for unloading at Nordanan. At any rate, you can go straight to the bridge… Hmm?”

“There seems to be some kind of trouble.”

“Again!?”

“Don’t look so grim, Takifu. It is not our fault that there is a disturbance. Rather, you are the cause of much of it.”

That’s true, but… I can’t wait to get back to Lafan. More importantly, I want to go back to Sarz and relax.

As usual, my eyesight is not enough to tell me anything more than that there seems to be a gathering of people. If Myrril-san, who has hawk-like eyesight, says there is some kind of trouble, then I guess so. I don’t think it’s a battle, right?

“What are you doing, McKin-dono?”

“Ah? M-me? Why am I getting in trouble!?”

“Because you’re the cause of the trouble. What was that!?”

I don’t know what the hell’s going on…

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I’ll smash it!”

“I take this as a declaration of war on the eastern territories!”

The voices are coming from the residents on the north bank of the river across the bridge, in other words, from the eastern territory. Those being denounced are the residents of the southern territory, on the embankment of the southern river bank.

The guards seem to be standing in the center of the bridge to prevent contact between the two sides.

“McKin-dono… that can’t be it.”

“Is it? I thought it was cool.”

Idiot, that guy. That’s certainly cool. But this is a big fight against the eastern territories, isn’t it?

On top of the large service gate at the end of the bridge, a gold-coated skull of the Sea Serpent was displayed. Atop the gateposts positioned on either side was a huge statue of a giant sea monster octopus, which seems to be a trademark of the southern territory. The statue was designed to extend its tentacles toward the center of the gate, so it was “the symbol of the southern territory that defeated the symbol of the eastern territory. The intent, then, is clear.

“If you have a problem with it, why don’t the people of the eastern territory also kill the Kraken and display it at the eastern territory’s service gate?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about! Besides, an octopus has no bones to put on display even if you kill it!”

“Well, that’s true.”

The easterners looked back with chagrin and saw our strange vehicle and the southern flag waving next to it. Oof, this one’s locked on.

An elderly man comes up to us and approaches Lord McKin on the deck of the hovercraft.

“McKin-sama. Isn’t this too much?”

“Ah, no. I’ve just landed a big one. We’ve just brought down a big game. I wanted to commemorate that…”

“The Sea Serpent is the guardian deity of our eastern territory. It is a spiritual beast that dispels evil and eats impurities. If they have done harm to the people, it is unavoidable to strike them down, but to expose them to the public is unbecoming, don’t you think?”

“O-oh… is that so?”

Although he would probably buy it if they were willing to fight him head-on, Lord McKin was taken aback by the teary eyes of the eastern lords, who were pressing him with their angry looks, appealing to his feelings.

“I-I understand. We will lower it from the gate.”

“We would like to hold a funeral service in the eastern lands to mourn the dead, if possible, and would you be kind enough to give us the remains?”

“A-ah… That’s…”

Don’t look at me. I’ve already sold them, so I don’t know about them. I’m not going to give you the bones or drink an infusion of them as an elixir or whatever you want.

“We don’t mind giving you the bones, but can we have the meat?”

Hey, Myrril-san!? Why are you pouring oil on the fire there now?

“…Meat, you say!? Don’t tell me you’re going to eat it.”

“Well, after a tremendous fight to the death, it was this man and I who killed it. In honor of the mighty sacred beast’s power, we will share the flesh and blood of the beast as our own to pay our respects and offer our condolences. In the Casemaian way of thinking, this is a necessary ritual to pass on life and will to future generations without wasting them.”

I think that Myrril-san, who speaks earnestly with a sincere expression on her face, is only half-heartedly speaking because she wants to eat delicious meat, but what she is saying is probably the truth for those who have lived through the hunt.

The people of the eastern territories thought about it for a while and accepted it with understanding.

“Tomorrow night, we will hold a banquet in Lafan. You may come if you wish. The god who protects the land of our fathers will not let the death of his descendants go to waste.”

“””Eh!?”””

While the people of both territories (and the southern lord) were perturbed, Myrril went even further.

“If it is a sacred beast that has lived for a long time, its journey to death is one of its festivals. It would be better to send it off with a lively atmosphere, wouldn’t it?”

“…I understand. We will accept the invitation and send our guardian deity on his way.”

“Yes. We will be waiting with good wine and the best meat.”

Ah, yes. I guess that settles it. Lord McKin is frozen with a “No way!?” look on his face. I guess he was surprised by the fact that she was able to solve the problem that he had been having in an instant, even though she was Her Majesty the Demon Queen.

By the way, is that alcohol that you’re talking about? Am I going to prepare it for them? That’s fine, though.

I’ll get some good alcohol ready.