18 The Royal Capital of the Past Part 02

"Is this… Neiro Kingdom?"

Although he said something very serious, he quickly changed his mind and started walking around the city.

Such details are things that the main character thinks about, and it's not something that Mob has to confirm one by one.

"Goo is still investigating, but... well, there's no problem with the current situation."

"Well, speaking of the past, it's a place like this after all~. Yeah, yeah, everyone has that kind of eye."

"I'm walking in a slightly dilapidated area that could be called a slum, but not a slum."

At the very least, I've never seen it in the current Neiro Kingdom, but... have there been any changes since then?

"I'll find out about it eventually, but now I need to do what I need to do."

Using his skills to detect signs of the surroundings, he wanders around looking for someone who should be saved.

"Hmm? This reaction is..."

Before long, a cleverly disguised staircase appeared in my field of vision.

I took a peek, but it looks like it continues to the bottom.

"Quite a few, debilitated reactions. And what a strange staircase leading down to the basement... if my knowledge is correct, this is definitely that."

"A slave shop, a place where people are trafficked illegally."

"If there were cursed items instead of people, I would have misunderstood, but since there are so many people, I think my thinking is correct."

"The options are limited, how should I act as a hypocrite?"

1. Defeat the enemy and save the slaves

2. Secretly hide and save slaves

"The option of not saving the slaves is a hypocrite, so I'm throwing it away."

"Well, if the people themselves tell me not to save them, I'm going to add a way to do it."

"Hmm, but you said that your fate changes depending on your choice... Then, select number two."

"If you choose the best and kill someone, that person's life will be destined to go wrong."

However, if it's number two, the chances of that happening are greatly reduced as they don't take hostile action.

"But you're a hypocrite roll… how do you treat Ryoku before it gets exposed?"

"It's nice to have a high-handed attitude because it's easier for me as well."

"It's subject to change depending on what you choose, but... well, let's adapt to the situation."

"Well then, let's go!"

　　◆　　　□　　◆　　　□　　◆

SIDE: A certain slave girl

"After that, every day was hell."

When we came to our senses, we were all in a dark cage.

"No one knew how it happened."

"Listen, you guys are slaves sold for a certain boss. It's a pity that I can't even taste it... but if you don't listen to what I say, I'll whip you jointly and severally with each cage. Gufufufu, if you don't like it, you'll be quietly waiting for Master to appear. Fuhahahahaha! 』

A man calling himself a slave trader said so and locked us in a cage.

"I didn't make them do anything, just give them the minimum amount of food to keep them alive."

Adults and children are also separated by cages, and their existence can only be checked when the slave trader is away or when they are whipped.

On the contrary, it was painful to hear her voice trying to call her family as quietly as possible.

At first, some people tried to resist, but since they couldn't eat, their energy gradually decreased...now no one does anything.

We didn't have the will to fight as the days just passed by.

"Khoho, goho..."

"Furi! Are you okay?"

"... it's okay ── Koho!"

However, it was also an unsatisfying environment that I had to do something about someday.

Inside the unsanitary, dark cage, abnormal conditions caused by old people and children spread.

Even Fuuri, who had been weak to begin with, soon became so after the first infected person appeared.

"... Onee-chan, it's cold."

"Is it cold? Isn't it hot?"

Up until now, Hui had been emitting a very high heat from his body.

The other people were in the same situation, so the people around them were doing their best to cool them down somehow.

"... it's cold, it's cold, onee-chan"

"Furi..."

I can tell from the tears that are pouring out that it's not just a matter of fact.

For the first time, Furi, who had been trying to console me without putting up any roots, revealed his pain to me.

His frozen body feels like his life is coming to a halt...a hole suddenly opens in my heart.

Rough breathing is like death is approaching...my breathing is getting faster.

"Why... do we have to go through something like this?"

"...Hey, chan...?"

Nanika is boiling inside of me.

I was filled with anger at my unreasonable fate, my irresistible power, and my inability to do anything.

"If I had the power, I could have chased away the men who appeared in the village."

"The reason we couldn't do that was because we were all weaker than those people."

"Furi, I was weak."

"......"

"I want to be strong... I want the power to keep everyone together so that this doesn't happen."

"... Onee-chan"

Fuli's body was cold to the core.

In order to prevent it, I can only hug her tightly.

"I'm sorry, you're a helpless older sister."

"But I was able to apologize... and hate him so far."

"--Here, there is someone who can make a wish."

"I heard a voice from the stairs."

The sound of getting off slowly resounded.

Strangely, we were trying to see where the sound was coming from in the darkness.

"Whenever the slave trader laughed so badly, he would never look at that place."

"Fumu, it's still a slave. Was that collar something you wanted to wear?"

A mysteriously dressed man emerged from the darkness... I think.

"Because something like black smoke envelops the person's body, I can't really see his face."

And then the question asked by such a man.

I whispered so as to pour out my boiling anger.

"--No."

"I see... it was you who made a wish. I see, you seem to have a will."

"what do you mean?"

The man chuckles and exaggerates his hand to the side and says,

"In this state, you feel resentment that you can't do anything right now, right? 　The girl you hold so dearly is about to die, and the others are weakened and look like they're going to collapse at any moment. Are you the owner of strong feelings?"

"......"

"It's fine to harbor the will of revenge in you, but I'm not interested in just a common story. First of all, I'll give you the first salvation - 'wide area recovery area recovery'."

A warm light emitted from a man.

It gently enveloped all of us in the cage--it healed our bodies.

Fuli's cold body regained some warmth.

Breathing slowly and calming down... I realized that everyone around me was doing the same.

"I'm sorry, but please leave the touching discussion for later. Trouble is about to come."

"Eh, that..."

"At least, with the magic you have now, that girl's illness that you had is completely cured. Next time... let's release her from her captive environment—"Space-Time Transfer Teleport"."

"This time, our feet will shine."

"It looks like they're trying to take you somewhere other than here."

(But if it's this person... is it different?)

"A man who heard my voice and appeared here."

As I hugged his sister, he told me step by step what he was going to do.

"You don't have to do that, just do what you want..."

"But I'm sure he's a kind person."

He cares about me, a mere village girl, and tries to help me.

(But can I thank you?)

If this person is a devil, will he save everyone with just my life?

"Yeah, maybe they can help."

"I don't have a reason, but as I was disappearing from a place I hated...that's what I thought."

　　◆　　　□　　◆　　　□　　◆

"The dazzling sun hurts our eyes."

"Because of being in a dark cage, he may not be able to see bright things."

"It's a place where the scent of flowers floats softly, but I couldn't confirm it now."

"I'm sorry ── 'wide area recovery area heal'"

As the warm light enveloped us again, our eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness.

And then, I captured the spreading scenery in my field of vision.

"...pretty"

Fuli, who was next to me, let out a small sigh.

She's staggering, but she's standing on her feet and opening her eyes.

"Furi!"

Cheers mixed with cries rise here and there.

"Because I was able to feel strongly that I had been released from a dark cage and gained freedom."

I also hugged Fuli again, and I felt the reality of being hugged back.

"The representative, isn't it you? Is it the village chief? 　He comes out."

After confirming my direction again, the man headed to a place a little further away with the village chief who stepped forward.

A gigantic castle soars up there, as if it can reach the sun.

"The king, maybe?"

"If you have such a splendid castle."

"──Fula, Furi!"

"Both of you, are you okay!?"

"..."father, mother!""

With that person gone, everyone moves from where they were and goes to his family.

"My father and mother also rushed to our place."

We smiled for the first time in a while and hugged the two of them.

(but...)

"What's wrong? Fula"

"Huh? Uh, no, it's nothing!"

I said that to my father because I was in a hurry, but his eyes immediately turned to that person.

Fuli noticed me, and my father and mother also noticed because they were watching.

"... no way! Did Fula like that kind of man..."

"Oh my god, it's a fated love"

"Is it time to say such a leisurely thing! At this rate, my daughter..."

"The two of you seem to be talking, but I can't hear you."

I was curious about what was going on inside the castle, and it felt like my heart wasn't here.

"... Onee-chan, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. But is Fuuri really okay?"

"...The body is also light. It's like recovery magic."

That person said that Fuli's symptoms were not abnormal conditions, but illnesses.

"Different from poison or numbness, what you call an illness is a symptom that lasts for a long time, right?"

"It can't be cured with recovery magic, so it shouldn't be possible to cure it without recovery magic that can be used by excellent priests...I wonder if it's a priest too?"

If you switch your mind a little and look around, you'll see that everyone in the village is right here.

From the time they were in the cage, they seemed to be checking who was there and who wasn't, but by looking properly like this, they were able to recognize it.

"... Onee-chan, I'm back."

"!"

When I turned to face the castle, I could see that person and the village chief walking slowly.

There was nothing dark about the village chief's face, and on the contrary, it seemed somewhat bright.

"That person is watching what the village chief will do in a place away from us."

Seeing that, the village chief said to us after pretending to nod ──

"listen

Give me. We were saved by that person and we are in this place. This is the new world created by that person--a place called 'Lean'."

"Lean... it's a place I've never heard of."

"That's what one of the adults said."

I have never heard of such a country or place name from my father or mother, and everyone else is puzzled.

However, the mayor nodded as he seemed to understand that his reaction was natural.

"Didn't you say that he created the new world? Everything in this place was created by his magic. This sky, the sun, and the land below."

The village chief asks us to follow him, so we leave him and move somewhere.

And then they headed for the cliff.

"If you look here, everyone will understand. My choice is... not wrong."

The village chief left the cliff just to be careful not to fall off it.

The adults will start by looking at the scenery the village chief describes.

『!?』

"Everyone looks surprised."

"But no one seems to think it's a lie."

"I don't think a person who would lie would give us such a roundabout proof."

As I was thinking about that, it was the children's turn.

"Furi, let's go."

"...yes"

Together with the other children around me, I approached the cliff one step at a time.

"I can't say I didn't have any fear, but more than that, my curiosity was rising in my chest."

An uncontrollable urge moves my body and captures the scene.

"...Eh? Is this... a cloud?"

Puffy white clouds, usually visible when looking upwards, were at our feet.

"That reminds me, when I looked up, there was only the sun... not because it was sunny, but because this place was above the clouds!"

"... Onee-chan, over there!"

"Is that... a castle?"

Reflected through the gaps in the clouds was a small castle where dwarves lived.

However, it only looks small when viewed from above... in reality, it's probably as big as this castle.

Above all, we were able to see various scenery little by little ──even though we didn't move our eyes at all.

The scenery changed as if this place was moving.

"──It seems that this person's country doesn't want anyone to know of its existence.

The village chief will give an explanation behind you.

"It's true that even a child like me can understand that seeing such an amazing sight can change your way of thinking."

"The benefactor who helped them is in trouble about the people living in the country."

"In such a situation, we have only one choice, even if we don't ask."

"Regarding this collar, it seems that he can remove it. I said that I could pledge allegiance even if it was like that... but he laughed at me."

"If you really want to say that, take off the collar and say the same thing."

"I laughed unintentionally, but everyone was laughing the same way, so it's okay, right?"

"... Our village is a pioneer village. Therefore, even the knight-sama did not extend a helping hand."

"Help is coming," the adults said at first in the cage.

"But no one came."

──No, you came.

"But he saved us. He said, 'This is hypocrisy,' but compared to a knight who can only save the king and the people who live there... no, you can't compare. It's too ugly."

"What is gizen?"

"It's about that person, so it must be a good thing... but I'm not sure."

"But I understand what you want to say."

"Neither a king nor a god, just a village girl's voice helped us."

"That person is more amazing than those people who didn't do anything!"

"The village has already burned to the ground. What awaits us in trying to return to that place are days filled with bitterness. But if we take that person's hand, we'll surely be able to change... don't you think so? ?"

"Then, the village chief headed to that person."

"From now on, I'm going to ask you to do more surprising things."

After talking for a while, he came back here with that person.

"He looks at all of us and then speaks slowly."

"Let's put the village chief's story aside for the time being. But there is a problem that needs to be solved first... the 'collar of servitude' that was placed around your neck."

"! 』

"I don't want to subjugate you, nor do I want to give you orders. Even if you don't choose to become a citizen, I'll take off your collar."

He said that lightly, as if he was doing something simple... snapped his fingers.

"-- O collar of slavery, take it all off."

"Clap"... such a sound resounds from our necks.

I wanted to hear it, I wanted to hear it, and the sounds I wanted so much that I dreamed of it all came together.

Something fell down with a thud, and my body felt lighter for a different reason than before...but I can't afford to worry about such things.

"Oh, hey... what's wrong with you guys!?"

All at once, tears flowed from everyone's eyes.

Adults, children, men and women, everyone in the village burst into tears.

I was filled with happy feelings, but the feeling of painful memories vanishing with me was very warm... my suppressed emotions leaked out.

"I feel sorry for him, but it will be a long time before these tears subside."

...When you stop crying, everyone has to say thank you.