The Royal Castle stood at the center of the capital. From its gates, a main street extended toward the south, and Earth’s shop was located right on that thoroughfare. Situated between the commercial district and the residential area, it occupied a prime piece of real estate.
He had named the shop "Urza's." Earth seemed proud of the name, though he complained that it hadn't really caught on yet. Everyone else—residents and patrons alike—simply called it "The Maid's Shop."
One step inside and the reason was obvious. He had hired maids as waitresses. Not just girls in costumes, either; they were professionally trained maids.
"Welcome home, Master."
Yes, that was the greeting. The regulars apparently appreciated the familiarity, but I couldn't help but wonder if they should have been more formal. Wouldn't it cause trouble if a customer got the wrong idea? Earth mentioned they had bouncers, but that was just a way to handle trouble once it started. I felt it was better to prevent it entirely. Still, failure is a teacher in its own right, so I didn't nag him. I simply told Earth to make sure the maids were kept safe.
Earth led me through the shop. The interior was surprisingly large. I didn't see the back rooms, but the main floor alone felt like it covered nearly a hundred tatami mats. The space was divided into several sections, and I was led to a seat in a VIP area that was a step more luxurious than the rest. Since nobles frequented the establishment, these divisions were a necessity. There were private rooms as well, though they were tucked out of sight.
I sat on a sofa while Lu took the spot to my right and the Demon King sat to my left. I wondered why they didn't just sit across from me, but there was a reason they stayed by my side. A massive screen hung directly in front of us.
It looked familiar. It was Ire’s broadcasting equipment. According to Earth, he was running the displays with Ire's cooperation. Seven screens hung throughout the room, each broadcasting something different. The audio was handled ingeniously; the speakers were positioned so the sounds wouldn't overlap. It was impressive work.
The content mainly consisted of baseball, theatrical plays, and music. The large screen in front of me was currently showing a baseball game.
"This is a match from Shashato City a few months ago," the Demon King explained. It was a close game, and while I appreciated him not spoiling the legendary finish, the smug grin on his face told me everything I needed to know about who won. Still, I didn't mind knowing the outcome. Gol was the pitcher, after all.
As I watched, tea was served. I hadn't ordered anything, but it seemed menus weren't used in this section. The price of the seat included all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink service. In other words, whatever you wanted would be brought to you. That was why the maid who served the tea didn't leave but stood by a short distance away.
I still wanted a menu, though. How was I supposed to order? Apparently, you were expected to give vague requests, like "I'm a little hungry" or "I'd like something filling." I wondered if they could handle specific orders, too. I was tempted to test them, but I didn't want to be difficult. I shot a look at Lu, silently telling her not to be difficult either.
"Demon King, let’s set the baseball aside for a moment and get to the main topic," I said. "Maid-san, sorry, but could you pause the screen?"
I had come to Earth’s shop partly to see the place, but my real purpose lay elsewhere. It was about Alfred’s future. Personally, I wanted him to keep attending the Academy, but if he was going to be dragged into trouble like this, I wanted to bring him back to the village.
The Demon King agreed with my concerns. However, Alfred and the others were the ones insisting on staying. Thus, the conversation between the Demon King and me shifted toward allowing them to continue their studies.
The Demon King promised to take full responsibility for academy security. He had already stationed a division of his army within the school, making the grounds more secure than ever. It was precisely because of that heightened security that the children had been targeted outside the walls instead of within.
"We were on our guard, but we assumed that I was the primary target," the Demon King admitted, apologizing once more.
A series of simultaneous rebellions in the provinces had forced the Demon King to spread his forces thin. Naturally, he assumed the next move would be an assassination attempt on his own life, and the intelligence he received supported that theory. For some reason, however, the attackers went after Alfred and the others instead. Perhaps they were simply easier targets, or perhaps it was retaliation for the Lich Earth had defeated previously.
Either way, as a father whose children had been targeted, I was livid. The memory made my blood boil. Realizing I was losing my cool, I downed my tea in one gulp to steady myself.
Suddenly, the maid standing nearby glanced at the screen. Curious, I looked up as a new video began to play. I hadn't asked for this, but the footage wasn't baseball.
"Testing, testing. Hello. I am your mysterious host, Valvaloy."
He called himself Valvaloy, but the man on the screen was unmistakably Progenitor-san. He was wearing a black cloth over his eyes, but it didn't hide his identity at all. He was even wearing his usual clothes. I wondered if he could even see through that blindfold. More importantly, what was he doing? The landscape didn't look like the Demon Kingdom.
"I am currently reporting from the Gorunzen Kingdom."
The Gorunzen Kingdom. I knew the name. They were the ones trying to destabilize the Demon Kingdom. Weren't they in the middle of a coup? This had to be a recording. I wondered when it had been filmed.
"Here we have Prince Codol. He is about to launch his coup. Let’s hear about his resolve. Well, Prince? Can you win?"
Prince Codol, looking pale and twitchy, managed to squeak out that he would do his best. Judging by his face, he didn't seem to have much hope. The camera panned away from the prince, zooming in on a fortress nestled halfway up a distant mountain.
"That is Damocles Castle, the royal seat of the Gorunzen Kingdom. The King and his ministers are inside, but Damocles is famous for its impenetrable defenses. It’s quite a headache when they hole up inside like that. It also doesn't make for very exciting footage. Therefore..."
The castle exploded. Or rather, a series of small, rhythmic explosions rippled through it. When the camera pointed at the sky, a squadron of angels in perfect formation hovered above. They were split into three groups, led by Malbit, Ruincia, and Suarlou. The destruction of the castle was clearly the result of them rotating their magical barrages.
With a thunderous roar, Damocles Castle collapsed into ruin. I felt a sudden, sharp sense of relief.
"I wanted to use the Inferno Wolf horns, but I couldn't take them without permission, so I had to give up. How tragic. Or so said the representative of the mysterious Angel Race."
Mysterious Angel Race? Malbit and the others were also wearing black blindfolds. They looked like a very suspicious bunch.
"At any rate, hiding in the castle is no longer an option. This is a golden opportunity for the prince's faction. I expect them to make the most of it. Now, let us move on to the Gorlock Mountains."
At Progenitor-san’s words, the scene cut to a different location.
"H-hello. I am the mysterious beautiful girl, Beauty."
Instead of Progenitor-san, a nervous-looking girl appeared on screen. She was also blindfolded with black cloth, but I knew her immediately. It was Helzernark. Her horns and tail were a dead giveaway.
"Umm, the Gorlock Mountains are home to a dense concentration of mines that the Gorunzen Kingdom relies upon."
The camera showed a mining entrance, completely devoid of people.
"Since a warning was issued in advance, the evacuation seems to be complete. Now then..."
There was a blinding flash, followed by a deafening boom. A massive cloud of dust obscured the lens. As I wondered what had happened, the camera began to rise. Whoever was holding it had been pulled into the air.
Then I saw it. The area where the mountains had stood was literally melting. It was an attack of incredible firepower. The culprit was a pitch-black dragon: Marksbergark. Smoke curled from his jaws, suggesting he had just unleashed his breath. To think a single blast could do that to a mountain range.
Even in his dragon form, Marksbergark was wearing a massive black blindfold. I wondered how they’d even managed to procure a cloth that size. The footage returned to the ground as Helzernark reappeared. She almost waved to him and called him "Father," which would have rendered the blindfolds entirely pointless.
"Oh, oops. Anyway, this was the mysterious beautiful girl Beauty, reporting from the Gorlock Mountains. Back to you."
The feed returned to Progenitor-san.
"What a spectacular strike. Oh, Prince Codol? What’s wrong? Haven't you gone to battle yet?"
Prince Codol was trembling, muttering something about the collapse of the economy. Apparently, those mines were the lifeblood of the Gorunzen Kingdom.
"It will be fine. A very charitable religious group called the Korin religion will be supporting your country. Oh, and you'll need to change the name of the nation. That's a promise, now. This has been our special program: The Day the Gorunzen Kingdom Fell."
Progenitor-san signed off, and the video ended with a scrolling list of names. I couldn't help but notice "Mysterious Spider" listed as a collaborator. Zabuton must have been the one to provide those black cloths.
I looked at Lu and the Demon King. From their stunned expressions, it was clear they hadn't known about this. Their plan for retaliation had been limited to supporting the coup to install a friendly government. The only one who seemed to know the truth was Ire, who had appeared beside us at some point.
"I filmed that," Ire said, his arm wrapped in bandages. "I worked very hard. It was quite dangerous."
He must have been injured during the shoot. I asked if he was alright, and he assured me he was fine.
"That was filmed fifteen days ago," Ire continued. "The coup is proceeding in their favor. You likely received the report already, but the King and his ministers have been captured. Only a few small pockets of resistance remain. Barring a miracle, the coup is a guaranteed victory."
I see.
"Also, I have messages for the Village Head."
Messages? From whom? They were from Progenitor-san and Hakuren.
Progenitor-san's message: "It seems something terrible happened to the Gorunzen Kingdom. How shocking. Still, I believe any country that tries to lay a finger on Alfred deserves to be wiped out."
Then, Hakuren's: "That was a bit soft, wasn't it? They should have kept firing. Besides, I could have done that much myself."
So, Progenitor-san aside, both Hakuren and Zabuton had known about this the entire time. The massive weight of having to break the news to them had been lifted off my shoulders. It was a relief. And, watching that footage, I felt a weight leave my heart as well. I might be failing as a human being, but I couldn't bring myself to forgive those who targeted children.
But wait... who told them? Was it the three dragons—Ojes, Hyfryguta, and Kihatroy? No, they were too terrified to even go near Hakuren or Zabuton. Then who?
It turned out it was Mettora.
"Hakuren-sama ordered me to report anything concerning Urza-sama with the highest priority," she explained. "I apologize for acting without your consent."
I told her it was fine. But I did mention that if it concerned Urza, I wanted to be told as well.
Still, to think Hakuren and Zabuton had known since the very day it happened. Should I praise them for their restraint? Or should I be upset that they kept it from me? Given that I had already forgiven Lu, I couldn't really stay angry.
I decided to praise them. But I made sure to tell them that next time, they needed to keep me in the loop.