Chapter 37 - The Second Demon Lord Subjugation and the Aftermath for the Summoners Whose Plans Went Awry
～Inside the Captain's Shadow Storage (Space Within the Shadow)～
Sangou continued to wait inside the space within the shadow, ruled by true darkness, for the moment when it could emerge outside, moment by moment.
Usually, Sangou would return to normal space without much time passing.
However, this time, for some reason, that had not happened.
The space within the shadow was different from a situation where external energy from light would naturally pour in.
Therefore, for Sangou, which only consumed energy during standby, it was by no means comfortable.
The captain, Shin, knew that fact because Sangou had provided him with information about it.
That was precisely why.
If it was expected that the time to emerge from the shadow would be considerably long, Shin properly informed Sangou in advance.
But this time, there was no such prior notice.
Until now, when the captain returned to his home on the capital star of the Gialpha Galaxy Empire, he would first promptly inform his lawful wife, Rouj, of his return.
Next, he should have teleported to the space region where he would take Sangou out of the shadow.
Sangou had secured a space region assigned exclusively to Sangou on the satellite orbit of the capital star by using the Emperor's authority.
Thus, the captain would move there via teleportation and release Sangou from the shadow.
From that state, whether Sangou would simply remain on standby or enter the atmosphere and float on the sea depended on the situation, but here, that was probably an 'irrelevant matter.'
Anyway, the time required for the entire sequence from Sangou's emergence from the shadow was less than a minute at the shortest.
At the longest, based on past performance, it was at most about ten minutes.
However, in Sangou's current subjective time, more than thirty minutes had already passed since entering the shadow.
In other words, this was clearly a situation where the occurrence of an abnormal event was foreseen.
Yet, with no means of voluntary escape while inside the shadow, the only thing Sangou could do was wait for the moment to be released outside by the captain's hand.
Setting aside Sangou's situation like that,
Now, what about the situation on Shin's side, who should be caught up in the abnormal event?
Let us trace that in order.
At his home after moving via ultra-long-distance teleportation, Shin experienced the customary momentary pain from a rapid decrease in his internal magical power.
Taking advantage of that brief, momentary gap, Shin could not escape the summoning magic that had been activated by someone somewhere, and he took the full effect of it.
Through such an unreasonable turn of events, Shin was forcibly moved from a world in the Gialpha Galaxy Empire to another world.
However, it was not a direct transfer to another world; before that, he received interference from a high-ranking existence in an intermediary space.
From Shin's perspective, this high-ranking existence was one that he wouldn't find too strange to call a 'God.'
While muttering to itself content that was incomprehensible to Shin, that existence quickly finished what it needed to do.
At that time, Shin was unilaterally granted the basic abilities of a Hero by what seemed to be a god, without any say in the matter, and his abilities were enhanced.
Also, to a level that would not hinder his activities as a Hero, Shin's physical body was restructured.
As a result, Shin's body changed into that of a ten-year-old boy, the lower limit of the high-ranking existence's rules.
This part, including summoning bonuses, was a standard procedure, so it was something that was carried out unilaterally by the high-ranking existence.
Of course, Shin had no way of knowing such circumstances.
Incidentally, the one who tried to abduct Shin this time with summoning magic was a country called the 'Kingdom of Orze' in the world where the Louvre Empire existed.
However, the high-ranking existence involved in this summoning was different from the one involved when Shin was previously summoned or when he was exiled to another world by the Louvre Empire; it was a so-called 'successor.'
In fact, the fact that 'the Origin of Dragon Vein' was fused with Jin at that time as an apology was deemed problematic by beings higher up, and to put it bluntly, 'the predecessor was replaced, practically like a demotion.' Shin didn't know this, and he bore no responsibility for it.
Leaving that aside, the current high-ranking existence, the successor, had indeed received a proper handover from the demoted predecessor regarding Jin at that time.
However, the current supposed god did not realize that the recipient on whom it had performed the additional ability grant was 'Jin' from the handover matters.
The reason was that, from the perspective of a high-ranking existence, all 'people' were essentially the same, and it did not recognize them as beings that needed to be handled with particular care.
Well, that was perhaps unavoidable.
To use an analogy, 'It is the same as an ordinary person being unable to distinguish between two black cats lined up as separate individuals, and then, the next day, seeing one black cat and being unable to tell if it was one of yesterday's two cats, or a third black cat.'
Moreover, in this case, Shin was not someone with whom the current high-ranking existence itself had ever been directly involved.
If we liken the current situation to the aforementioned cat story, it was as if the first two cats were only shown as photographic materials, so perhaps it was unavoidable that the high-ranking existence did not realize Jin and Shin were the same person.
In any case, Shin, who had been summoned again, ended up having the power of a Hero granted to him in addition to his original Hero power.
Shin became the first existence to have his Hero abilities strengthened by multiple overlays.
To what extent have those abilities developed?
Since there is no precedent, no one knows.
And Shin had been reduced back to a child's form.
Will he be able to return safely to Rouj and the others?
The future is unclear, but if he does return, how will his wives and children see him in this boyish state?
Probably, various upheavals await him.
Incidentally, Shin's awareness of the aforementioned turmoil might have come from his resignation based on his past experiences.
After receiving interference from the supposed god in that flow, Shin appeared in the summoning chamber of the Kingdom of Orze.
The 'Kingdom of Orze' was a neighboring country to the Louvre Empire, and it was also a country currently suffering from the influx of refugees fleeing the crumbling empire.
Furthermore, with the loss of the Louvre Empire's source of magical power, just as water flows from high to low, the magical power that should have filled the kingdom itself was flowing out unilaterally.
Although in numbers it was 'about three percent on average within the kingdom,' it was definitely being affected.
It was completely collateral damage.
Well, that said, it should be a matter of course that 'summoning people from elsewhere without their consent and abducting them is not permissible.'
"Heheheh! It succeeded. Does this mean you can hire me permanently instead of probationarily, First-class Mage-dono?"
"Ah, I'll keep my promise. Go wait in the waiting room while we hammer out the details of your treatment."
Shin listened to such an exchange silently while looking around the room with a blank expression.
From the visual information, Shin discovered a difference from the time he was first summoned.
As a result, he felt a strong sense of disgust.
Because the corpses of people believed to have been sacrificed for the summoning were there.
This was done as part of saving magical power and magic stones, and as part of processing the criminal element among the incoming refugees, but of course, Shin didn't know such circumstances.
Not knowing, he simply thought, 'They sure are doing some awful things.'
Next, Shin tried to cast Map Magic without an incantation, but finding himself unable to cast it, he realized that the room he was in was warded to prevent the use of magic other than that via magic circles.
"(It's impossible to grasp location information with Map Magic and escape with teleportation magic.)"
Understanding that in an instant, Shin chose the next best option.
"(It can't be helped. First, I'll strive to understand the situation.)"
Shin solidified his policy in a realistic direction.
But even so, 'his lack of intention to proceed amicably in the slightest' might be the Shin-ness of Shin.
"Where is this place? Kidnapper-san."
Surprisingly, Shin went on the offensive from the very start."
"Oh my. In this situation surrounded by knights, you're quite a child with impressive courage. No? Is your mind that of an adult? Well, fine. But 'kidnapper' makes me sound bad. However, since we forcibly brought you here without your consent, I'll admit it can't be helped if you say that."
"You still haven't answered my question, have you? Kidnapper-san."
Shin went on the offensive from the start, and then added further provocation.
Of course, the fact that he was using '-san' for the other party might still be considered polite.
And although his purpose was to understand the situation, his instigation of the other party was likely due to unconsciously letting out a part of himself that couldn't remain calm for Shin's part, but such things were trivial.
"Oh, sorry about that. This is one of the rooms in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Orze. We expect you to work as a Hero. Specifically, we want you to defeat the Demon Lord."
"After abducting me, you suddenly say 'Defeat the Demon Lord.' Are you sane? If the roles were reversed, would you say, 'Yes! With pleasure!'? No way. Absolutely not. Also, at least give me your name, Kidnapper-san."
"You really have quite the nerve. I am Marcarin, the First-class Mage. Sorry, but this country is in a situation with no other options. We have no choice but to rely on you and cling to you. I am aware that this is an unreasonable request. That's why we'll offer a generous reward. Also, I think this is a cowardly thing to say, but I'll tell you in advance. You won't be able to obtain the means to return to your original place unless you defeat the Demon Lord."
"Hmm. For the sake of argument, I'll ask. What is the basis for that claim that 'you won't be able to obtain the means to return to your original place unless you defeat the Demon Lord'?"
This was a remark that only Shin, who had defeated a Demon Lord before and knew the result, could make.
Because as soon as Shin heard the words 'Kingdom of Orze' and 'talk of the Demon Lord's subjugation' from the other party, he realized that the world he was in now was the world where the Louvre Empire was.
"I don't know if it counts as evidence, but there are records that in the past, Heroes were also summoned, and all of them returned to their original worlds after defeating the Demon Lord. And currently, not a single Hero remains in this world."
"(That's basically confessing that they 'killed' them or something like that, isn't it? 'That's all there is.')"
While inwardly being amazed at the words of the man who introduced himself as 'Marcarin,' Shin, who still had things he wanted to know, continued asking.
"Hmm. Then I have another question. What was the reward given to past Heroes? It wasn't 'nothing,' right?"
"Of course, it wasn't 'nothing.' The rewards given were various. There are records of 'receiving gold, jewels, treasure items, territory, and even marrying a princess.'"
"(Yes. Guilty. Land and a princess for someone who is going home? No way. Doesn't he think it's strange? Or does he think 'Heroes are easy' and that's why they can be fooled?)"
Having thought that reflexively, Shin asked about the contradiction.
"They all went home, but they got territories and married princesses, huh? Hmmm. Do you really believe that record, and that's why you said what you just did?"
"Since these are not records from this country, to be honest, I do find some parts suspicious. However, the Kingdom of Orze has no experience with Hero Summoning other than this time. It was an exclusive technique of the neighboring country, the Louvre Empire. And we have no other documents to explain. Rather, I'd like you to think that explaining even the suspicious-sounding documents without hiding anything is a sign of our sincerity."
"(Is that so? Well, the Louvre Empire was crazy. I have to find a way back quickly, and to do that safely, eliminating the Demon Lord is a prerequisite. In that case, I'll get the reward guaranteed and then tidy things up.)"
Having organized his thoughts in this way, Shin continued to speak.
"Guarantee the reward. And at least a partial advance payment. If you can do that, I suppose I'll go defeat the Demon Lord. I have various thoughts on the matter, but right now, my priority is my 'desire to go home,' so I'll do it. So, do you know where this Demon Lord is?"
"For the reward, I'll guide you to the royal treasury right now, so please look at it first. We are prepared to offer all of it as the reward. Of course, I cannot give you the entire advance. Even so, a portion should be permitted. Also, we will provide a letter from His Majesty the King guaranteeing the reward. As for the Demon Lord's location, it is said to be a castle on a floating island in the sky somewhere, covered in miasma and invisible, but the Kingdom of Orze has no means to reach it, and no one has seen it. We only know that 'if you obtain the Dungeon Core, you seem to be able to teleport there.'"
After such an exchange, Shin finished inspecting the treasury.
He received a portion of the wealth as an advance, and walked out of the royal capital, which was under a teleportation magic restriction, on foot.
Next, he teleported to the middle of the ocean, far from any land, and brought Sangou out of the shadow.
Thus, Sangou's situation, which had been on standby at the beginning, finally improved.
"Captain. Based on the genetic information examined during quarantine, I could tell you were the same person, but what is that appearance? Isn't it too absurd?"
Sangou chose not to specifically point out that even the clothes Shin was wearing had been properly resized to a child's size.
Incidentally, the subordinate unit attached to his clothes remained attached even though the clothes had changed size.
"Don't say that! I'm also concerned about having my appearance turned into a child's! As you were about to ask, this isn't the universe we were in until just now. It's a so-called different world. This is the planet where the Louvre Empire I was in before is located. I'll think of a way to return to our original world later, but 'defeating the Demon Lord is the top priority' now."
"Is that so? Then, if the Captain gives instructions, I will move accordingly."
"Master. Can I come with you to defeat the Demon Lord?"
"Right, it seems to be up in the sky, so let's go on Kichou's back. Sangou, go up into orbit and do a search. There seems to be a floating island up there with a castle, but the location is unknown."
"Understood. Then, 'I will inform you as soon as I find something that looks like it.'"
With this background, the second battle with the Demon Lord for Shin began.
The battle was fierce and gruesome, and the Hero Shin would fight with all his might...
Unfortunately, with Shin as he was now, such a situation could not occur.
From start to finish, resolutely, such a development was absolutely impossible!
Having received the destination's location information from Sangou, Shin attacked using his usual 'that.'
Moreover, this time, there was even a delicate bonus of Kichou adding a breath attack at the right timing.
"Here we go! Annihilation Slash! With Kichou's breath added!"
The Demon Lord was completely annihilated along with the floating island.
Incidentally, Shin's Annihilation Slash also completely destroyed a moon-like satellite that was on its extension line.
It was terrible environmental destruction.
After doing it, he suddenly came to his senses and felt frustrated at the inability to plunder treasures from the Demon Lord's castle, but that's a secret and a trivial matter.
The fact that the disappearance of one moon had a rather serious impact on the ocean tides and the fishing industry from then on might be dismissed as a trivial matter compared to the Demon Lord destroying the world.
Probably, surely, it must be so.
Of course, the influence of the moon's disappearance was not limited to that, but the details of other effects will be described on another occasion.
Thus, the second battle against the Demon Lord ended without the Hero Shin ever even seeing the Demon Lord's form.
Only a short time, less than three hours, had passed since Shin was summoned to the Kingdom of Orze until the Demon Lord was defeated.
This world was saved by Shin once again.
That aside, of course, Shin's method of return did not present itself.
"Sangou, stay in orbit and wait. I'll send Kichou to you once, then go to the palace to receive the reward. After that, I'll come to you, so take care."
From Shin's perspective at this point, the remaining major problem was only the method of return.
The scene shifts to the throne room of the Kingdom of Orze's royal palace.
After having Kichou join Sangou, Shin returned to the royal capital alone and visited the palace.
After being made to wait in the waiting room for about three hours there, Shin was finally shown into the throne room.
In that state, the Prime Minister was the first to speak to Shin, who appeared to be nothing more than a child.
"We have received the report of the Demon Lord's subjugation. Thank you for your hard work. However, since you say you 'don't have anything to prove the subjugation,' we have sent people to investigate the activation status of the dungeon. Well, since the miasma in the sky is gradually clearing, I don't think the claim of the Demon Lord's defeat is a lie. The investigation is just a precaution. So, Shin-dono, we would like you to stay in the state guest room of this castle tonight, and after receiving the report of the investigation's completion tomorrow or later, we will award the reward. Would you be willing to accept this schedule?"
"Hmm. The letter guaranteeing the reward you gave me before my departure didn't include a condition about bringing back or submitting a part that proves the subjugation. Also, in the first place, the Demon Lord was something no one had ever seen, right? What exactly would be a part that can prove its subjugation? Furthermore, the means for my return is still unknown. What do you think about that?"
The throne room fell silent.
There was not a single person who could answer Shin's questions.
And in this situation, the King of the Kingdom of Orze, who was not permitted to remain indifferent to the progression of events, was growing anxious.
Because he had been told by the First-class Mage beforehand that 'defeating the Demon Lord requires the Dungeon Core, and with that core, a teleportation magic user can teleport to the Demon Lord's castle.'
If the Demon Lord's subjugation was accomplished, the plan was to have Shin submit the core as part of the proof, send an investigation team to the Demon Lord's castle, and confirm the subjugation status.
Thus, the Kingdom of Orze also intended to obtain the highly valuable Dungeon Core.
However, Shin, as a result, completely betrayed the flow of events that the King and the kingdom's vassals had envisioned.
Because the Hero Shin had defeated only the Demon Lord and returned to the palace at a speed that no one could have imagined.
The young Hero before the King claimed to have 'accomplished the Demon Lord's subjugation,' and the situation was completely different from the country's prior expectations and plans.
Given these circumstances, the King, desperate to buy time, thought hard and then made the following statement.
"Hero Shin. I understand your dissatisfaction. However, in this situation where the expected 'dungeon conquest' was not carried out and 'only the Demon Lord was defeated,' it is true that the investigation takes time. And even if you only report 'I defeated the Demon Lord,' I think you understand that 'we cannot give a reward without confirmation.' Also. The Hero Summoning is a technique brought by a mage from the Louvre Empire, and since this is the first time the Kingdom of Orze has performed it, there are many things we have yet to grasp. Regarding the method of return, we will also ask that mage again for details on past cases. So, please give us time. Since it's sudden, we cannot hold a grand party. Nevertheless, we will prepare meals and a room immediately. Could you please spare us one day until tomorrow?"
The King's statement, a request including a proposal, made Shin's impression of the situation the worst possible.
On Shin's side, he had properly and perfectly completed the job he had undertaken, so that was only natural.
Moreover, since he had already sensed from the beginning that there seemed to be no method of return, he had no way of having a good impression.
"(Should I just go wild here right now? No, there's no need to go that far at this stage. For now, it seems I only have to wait one day.)"
Somehow calming his heart with such an inner mutter, Shin ended up accepting the King's proposal.
"Hey! What is the meaning of this? Deputy Assistant Mage. The Hero we summoned today came back saying 'I've already defeated the Demon Lord.' The Hero claims 'there is no way to return.' What on earth is going on?"
The First-class Mage caught hold of the mage from the Louvre Empire and began to interrogate him.
Even now, there was nothing else Marcarin could do.
"Did you really believe such a convenient thing could happen?"
"What are you saying? What do you mean by that?"
Marcarin's defiant posture at this time was worthy of praise.
On the other hand, the 'words alone' that the Deputy Assistant Mage spat out had a minimum level of politeness.
However, what emanated from his expression and his attitude was extremely poor.
And to state the result first, it 'would also seep into his subsequent remarks.'
"You're slow on the uptake, aren't you? There's no way a Hero can return home."
"Wait. Then what about the materials the Louvre Empire has published externally? What happened to all the past Heroes?"
"A being capable of defeating the Demon Lord is an existence more dangerous than the Demon Lord himself. However, since Heroes are human, unlike the Demon Lord, they have countless weaknesses. Can't a wise First-class Mage-dono understand that?"
"In other words, you deceived us, didn't you? And you made me 'give the Hero a deceptive explanation,' didn't you? I've been underestimated. Do you think I cannot reproduce the summoning method after seeing it once?"
The Kingdom of Orze had faithfully kept its contract with the mage who came from the Louvre Empire.
Marcarin hadn't become the First-class Mage of the Kingdom of Orze for nothing.
He possessed abilities commensurate with his position.
To such a Marcarin,
The Hero Summoning performed by the mage before him, which required a special magic circle.
He had been present and seen it all just once, and it was entirely possible for him to understand and absorb it to a level where he could reproduce it on his own, and he was confident he could actually reproduce it now.
Nevertheless, he had acted to faithfully uphold the contract with the mage, who one could say was 'no longer necessary,' on the grounds of good faith, so being deceived was unforgivable.
It couldn't be forgiven.
Furious.
Changing into precisely such a state, the First-class Mage approached the mage from the Louvre Empire and quickly put magic-suppressing manacles on him.
Then, he ordered the guards to take the mage, who was making a fuss without understanding that his magic had been sealed, to the dungeon.
That aside,
Returning to report to the King and the Prime Minister, Marcarin, the First-class Mage, explained the facts as they had come to light.
In a private chamber for confidential talks in the palace, with no one else present, the three of them ended up with their heads in their hands.
"Even if we give up on the core that was supposed to fill the hole left by the reward's wealth, if we pay the reward as promised, the country will be crippled. If it's true that the Demon Lord has been defeated, the financial resources needed for the reconstruction we are about to undertake must come from there."
The Kingdom of Orze, in a state of extreme exhaustion, truly had no spare capacity.
Just because the King understood that, he mentioned being stingy with the reward for Shin.
What would happen if they did that?
He couldn't imagine it, so perhaps he was somewhat lacking in ability in that regard.
Well, the fact that the country had a system in place to prevent the King from running wild on his own accord should be commended.
"However, Your Majesty. If we do not uphold the contents of the issued letter, we will lose face with our vassals and other nations. In addition to the loss of credibility for 'not keeping promises,' there is the perception of 'a King who does not reward achievements.' Both would be fatal damage to the administration of the country, I believe."
"I don't think what the Louvre Empire did was permissible. But now that I'm in that position, I understand the reason why they wanted to eliminate the Hero and carried it out. We, who are in trouble now, are definitely 'the idiots who were deceived by that mage,' but from Hero Shin's perspective, we are simply perpetrators."
Maintaining a heavy expression, the First-class Mage paused for a moment before continuing.
"If we believe the past records, the fastest Demon Lord subjugation was by the previous-previous Hero, Jin. Even so, it took 'five years.' And Shin-dono, who accomplished the Demon Lord's subjugation in just a few hours, is 'a being of immeasurable ability.' Either we honestly confess everything, aware of incurring his wrath, and offer everything we can offer. Or we imitate the Louvre Empire. I believe there are only these two paths. For my part, I don't want the Kingdom of Orze to choose the latter."
Upon hearing Marcarin's words, the King's shoulders slumped, and his expression changed to one of complete resignation.
Because he had finally realized what would happen if they angered Shin.
If it came to that, the King's options were limited.
"Indeed. At worst, we can only appease the Hero by offering the lives of the entire royal family. If the Demon Lord hadn't been defeated, the country would have been destroyed and everyone, including the people, would have been killed. Compared to that, the current situation can be considered 'still better.' Let us convey that to the Hero tomorrow. You may both leave now."
With the King's words, the private discussion ended and they dispersed.
However, from there, the Prime Minister began to act on his own authority.
The King's decision this time might be admirable.
But the Prime Minister wanted to somehow manage the situation through other means.
Finding a way for both the royal family and the people to survive was what would save the Kingdom of Orze.
And the purpose of carrying out the Hero Summoning should have been to achieve that.
The Prime Minister could not operate the kingdom's intelligence apparatus without a royal order.
However, he could use his own personal maid.
To put it simply, 'the Prime Minister's actions were all wrong—methods and choices alike'—but he, in his own way, took unilateral action out of concern for the country.
"Guh, kill me!"
Shin was holding down a maid, who he believed had come to kill him, on the bed in the guest room he had been given.
"(Judging by the fact that she doesn't immediately commit suicide, she's not a professional assassin—and besides, that line has to be said by a female knight! Why is a maid saying it? Unforgivable!)"
While exasperated by the Kingdom of Orze's response, the first thought that came to the mind of the man who had been attacked, especially the latter half, was something extremely trivial—a fact that was secret and known only to Shin.
Thus, the Hero Shin was summoned by a country different from the Louvre Empire in the world where he had previously been a Hero, and although he had his reservations, he accomplished the Demon Lord's subjugation.
He asked Sangou to remain in space, where the humans of this world could never reach, while Shin himself went to receive the reward and sought a way to return to the original world where Rouj and the others were.
The Demon Lord's subjugation was completed in such an unexpectedly short time from the perspective of the summoners that they requested Shin to wait one day while being treated as a state guest.
At the same time, the mage from the Louvre Empire revealed that there was no method for the Hero who defeated the Demon Lord to return to his original world, exposing that the Kingdom of Orze had been deceived.
The King resolved to settle the matter by offering the heads of the entire royal family to Shin, but the Prime Minister, unable to accept this, made a move.
What will become of the would-be assassin maid captured by Shin?
In the first place, is there any demand for a 'kukkorose' these days?
No one knows the future.
Even without much expectation, the Hero believed in the possibility of a method to return to his original world, quickly defeated the Demon Lord, and returned triumphantly to the royal palace of the Kingdom of Orze.
Shin was completely unaware that through the subordinate unit attached to his clothes, Sangou, remaining on standby in orbit, was continuously monitoring the situation and had begun considering dangerous ideas like 'should I have the Captain activate a shield spell and then annihilate everything on the ground?' depending on how things went.