The next morning, after enjoying a delicious breakfast prepared by Alice, the two of us spent some time relaxing and playing a game.
"Oh..."
"Whoops, a Level Up! Hehe, I'm catching up now~"
The wheel Alice spun landed on four. Moving her piece four spaces landed her on a Level Up Space, prompting a bright smile from her.
The game Alice and I were currently playing was a board game I recognized from my own world... what you'd call a sugoroku.
"This is really well-made, though. This 'Hero Sugoroku,' was it?"
"Yes. While the concept of sugoroku was introduced from your world, Kaito-san, this specific version has become quite popular. Nowadays, it’s a staple that almost every child plays at least once."
This Hero Sugoroku was apparently a recreation of the First Hero’s journey. The objective was to move your piece across the board and win by defeating the Demon King... the exact kind of thing that would probably make Noin-san writhe in terminal embarrassment.
The pieces had levels that increased whenever you landed on a Level Up Space. There were level checks on Monster Spaces along the way; if your level was too low, you might be sent backward. It was surprisingly engaging.
Furthermore, despite its small size, the board seemed to be equipped with Atmospheric Magic Crystals. At various points, it would play the cries of monsters or trigger light effects. It was quite elaborate, something both adults and children could enjoy.
"Seeing it turned into a toy like this really makes me realize all over again how much Noin-san is respected."
"Of course. She’s the hero of this world. A champion who, with only a small party, overthrew the Demon King and brought peace to the world... She’s the quintessential hero."
"That reminds me... I read in a book that Noin-san’s party consisted of a mage, a spearman, and... a versatile thief. But there wasn't much detail about them."
In the book Kuro had recommended I buy, Noin-san—Hero Hikari—had her name recorded, but the other party members were only listed by their roles: Mage, Spearman, and Thief. Their names were absent.
It seemed like an intentional omission, so I assumed there was a reason for it. Since I had Alice right here—someone who actually knew the situation back then—I decided to ask.
"Ah, that’s a political measure. It’s relatively common knowledge, actually... but one of the members of the First Hero’s party is the current King of Hydra. Consequently, out of consideration for the power balance between nations, there’s a tacit agreement not to publish the names."
"Huh... I think I heard they were from the Mermaid Race?"
"Yes, Laguna Dia Hydra... the spear user."
"I think the book said something like, 'She split a raging river with her spear'..."
"That’s historical fact. She’s certainly capable of that much."
As expected of a member of the First Hero's party. She must be an incredible person.
"What about the other members?"
"Well, let’s see. There was the Elf Mage known as the 'Miracle of the Forest,' the current Elder of the Elf Race, Falce-san... and then, there was the 'Mysterious Genius Beautiful Girl Thief' whose true identity remains a mystery to this day, Hapty-chan!"
"Wait... Alice, were you with the First Hero on her journey?"
"Now, whatever could you mean? I have absolutely no relation to that Mysterious Genius Beautiful Girl Thief, Hapty-chan~"
No, it's definitely you. You probably changed your appearance and slipped into the party. Knowing Alice, it wouldn't be surprising in the least if she had pulled off something like that.
"Hey, Alice."
"Yes?"
"I’ve been wondering about this for a while, but... no matter how difficult the situation was for the Six Kings to act back then, couldn't you... have taken care of the Demon King yourself and then handled the politics in the Human Realm?"
"...Well, I won't deny it. It would have been difficult to establish a Friendship Treaty between the three realms like Hikari-san did... but if it was just a matter of wiping out the Demon King Army, I had any number of ways to do it. I could have even fabricated a scenario where Humankind appeared to be the victors."
"..."
"As for why I didn't do that... Please don't tell anyone else what I'm about to say."
"I understand."
Alice prefaced her words by explaining she was about to reveal a truth that I—and almost everyone else in the world—didn't know. She asked me to keep it strictly confidential before she began to speak.
"At that time, there were two reasons why we, the Six Kings, didn't lay a hand on the Demon King. One, as you already know, Kaito-san, was our lack of connection to the Human Realm."
"..."
"And the other was... because our leader, Kuro-san, was hesitating."
"Kuro was?"
"The Demon King, you see... is Kuro-san’s 'family.'"
"What!?"
Alice’s revelation was truly shocking. The Demon King was Kuro’s family? Did that mean the Demon King had turned against Kuro and challenged her to a war?
No... looking at Alice’s expression, I didn't think that was it.
"To be honest, the Demon King invading the Human Realm was completely unexpected for us. She wasn't the kind of person who would do such a thing. To all of us—the Six Kings other than Kuro-san—the Demon King was like a younger sister. She was a girl with a kind heart who cared for others, and she loved Kuro-san like a real mother."
"I see..."
"That’s exactly why we suspected there was some significant reason behind it... Even during our discussions, the Six Kings were divided on how to respond."
"..."
"I’ll leave out the names, but the conversation went something like: 'Why don't we just beat her up and drag her back?', '...No... surely... there's... a reason...', 'But isn't it bad to do nothing after she's gone this far?', and 'In that case, shouldn't we look for the cause first?'"
"I think I can guess who said what."
"Well, apparently there was also a Phantasm King who couldn't read the room and said, 'Ugh, seriously, if she's just going to throw the world into chaos, wouldn't it be easier to just kill her already?'... That Phantasm King is the absolute worst, isn't she!?"
"That's you! You're talking about yourself!!"
Just when I thought we were having a grave conversation, Alice started cracking jokes and using self-deprecating humor. I waited for her to continue, feeling a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Ultimately, once the Hero—Hikari-san—appeared, we settled on just observing the situation."
"You mean 'everyone except Alice'?"
"Yes, exactly... I secretly had a Split Body accompany Hikari-san on her journey. That way, if I decided that Hikari-san couldn't handle the Demon King properly, I could step in immediately and end it... though, in the end, Hikari-san was the one who defeated her."
"So, the Demon King is..."
"She’s alive. I’d prefer it if you didn't ask for details, but... she continues to repent for her sins even now, seeking atonement."
"I see."
I couldn't find anything else to say.
When I first heard the story from Lilia-san, I assumed the Demon King was just some villain who got defeated by the Hero for a happy ending... but it wasn't that simple.
And Kuro, who was right in the middle of it... how must she have felt? I didn't know, but I realized this wasn't a topic I should carelessly pry into.
Alice smiled at me gently as I sat lost in thought.
"Well, it's not something you need to worry about, Kaito-san. This is a story from a thousand years ago, and it's long since concluded... Oh, the tea is out. I'll go brew some more."
"Thank you."
As Alice said, this happened a millennium ago. If it had already been resolved among those involved, it wasn't my place to interfere.
Dear Mother, Father—
I was able to hear a bit more detail from Alice regarding the Hero and the Demon King. Alice said it's all over now, but... why is it? For some reason, something feels like it's weighing on my mind.
Staring at the teapot, Alice found herself remembering things from a long time ago.
"Enough is enough, Kuro-san! It may be true that that girl hasn't killed anyone personally. But the fools who jumped on the bandwagon and invaded certainly have! If she can't keep them under control, then it's her responsibility!"
"That might be true... but..."
"I don't know what her reasons are... but if she’s truly gone mad, then putting her out of her misery is an act of mercy."
"Shaltier."
"Fine, I get it. For now, I'll wait until that Hero confronts her. But if I judge that the situation is beyond help... I will kill everyone myself. Is that clear?"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"I'll say just one more thing. Even if she survives... once she returns to her senses, the flames of regret will burn her heart forever... A future of salvation will never come for that girl."
"..."
Recalling that old exchange, Alice poured the tea into the cups... and whispered quietly to herself, to no one in particular.
"That girl will suffer for eternity. So, I thought I should just leave her be... or so I believed."
Catching her own reflection in the liquid, Alice smiled faintly.
"But with Kaito-san, I find myself wondering... maybe, just maybe, he might reach out even to that girl who is still being scorched by her own sins... Is that too convenient an expectation to have?"
Picturing her lover’s kind face, Alice turned her gaze toward the window, looking out at the distant scenery.
"I spun the roulette just a moment ago. Kaito-san will surely move... especially because it concerns Kuro-san... Now then, Fia-san? Do you have the courage... to take Kaito-san’s hand?"