Manowa: Intermission 6

Intermission 6 - Devil King Appears


*** Oracle ***


In the eastern Wezel region, the land governed by the God Dragon Emperor, a Devil King appeared.


That person is a giant in gold armor.


That person, possessing six arms, is a warrior who handles huge katanas.


That person, covered with rainbow radiance, wears Guren's flame.


That person, spreading jet black wings, flies in the sky.


That person, emitting the presence of a king, imbues words with the devilish power of obedience through terror.


That person is transcendent, breaking the earth and distorting the heavens.


That person, namely, Devil King.


That person takes the name Asura Kazanerian.



********



◎ Tsuvara Kingdom, Royal Capital Griffonia, Royal Castle Griffonius, Throne Room


「A Devil King appeared!? And in the dragon village where Tiara and the others were?!!」

Audin was agitated. Reigel, the leader of the royal knights, was there with him, and he replied to Audin with a sour expression.

「Your Majesty, the princess and the others flew away from the village yesterday, so they would have had no contact, right? The princess is safe.」

「Mm, that's right. That's certainly so.」

Even though Audin moaned, he was convinced by Reigel's words. It seemed he was confused by the sudden information.

His father Mefirus certainly appeared in his dreams last night and contacted him about the coronation ceremony date. Actually, while Devil King Asura Kazanerian's appearance was a sudden incident, it happened before Tiara and the others left. Since the oracle didn't say when the Devil King appeared, it seemed there was a discrepancy in Audin and Reigel's understanding.

「However, why a Devil King in that village...」

That hadn't happened for nearly 20 years. It was an absolutely abnormal situation.

「For that point, why don't you ask Mefirus-sama? He may know something.」

「That's so. But, I honestly don't want to converse with my father through that Ruby Beast too often.」

Each and every time, he would suddenly feel a presence behind him and shudder. Why did it always come from behind? That was a mystery to Audin.

「Well, fine. I'll ask my father. Also, send a messenger to Hyvern. Something dreadful might be happening.」

「Yes!」

Reigel responded vigorously. Audin nodded, then expressed another concern.

「And then, how about the aforementioned rumor?」

After that question, Reigel replied with a bitter expression.

「Yes. As we thought, it seems to be Shelkin-sama's faction.」

There were many nobles who thought Shelkin should be the king of Tsuvara. Shelkin was the one who adjusted Audin's overbearing policies towards the nobles, and when it came to practical abilities, the younger brother Shelkin was certainly superior to Audin. However, the king was Audin.

「Can my younger brother stop them?」

Shelkin himself actually strongly supported Audin and never even thought that he should become king. However, with the suspicion of Audin assassinating his daughter thrown out as feed, the number of nobles who were running wild was increasing, and it seemed even Shelkin couldn't control them.

That happened because Diablo had laid a seed for future conflict, which had arbitrarily sprouted, but since Audin and the others weren't omniscient, they naturally had no way of knowing that.

「It seems to be a major struggle. They're like a kite with a snapped thread.」

「Such a kite should quickly crash and burn.」

Audin said, but the only way the kite would fall at this point was if the daughter who should have been assassinated returned to the country.

「If we imprudently take measures, they're quite liable to think that we're deceiving them. It could lead to second and third rumors.」

Audin groaned after Reigel spoke. Moreover, like Tiara misunderstood in the past, it was also a situation where Shelkin was quite likely to be considered the mastermind. Useless tragedy could occur if they didn't proceed carefully. Depending on the situation, people who think『Let's make the assassination a reality』could appear.

「Tiara. Please stay safe.」

Audin's deep sigh echoed in the quiet throne room.



◎ Minshiana Kingdom, Royal Capital Shubain, Royal Castle Delgura, Queen's Bedroom


「So just like Kazane-chi told us, it seems an oracle descended at Mule's temple.」

「Ah, that girl is truly a genius at causing major problems.」

Queen Yuuko said while still lying prostrate on her bed. And Queen Yuuko's body double, Iria, was standing next to the bed. Her body double made her hear a heavy topic as soon as she woke up.

「Wouldn't it be preferable to publish the fact that Her Excellency the Queen of Minshiana is friendly with the pronounced Devil King?」

「I'll pass. Partially because it might lead to Kazane, but also because it would become troublesome.」

「Troublesome?」

「The timing's bad. There would be false accusations that the devils and the Devil King are connected, don't you think? Like from Soldard. Ah, Toure as well.」

「Soldard is always picking a fight, though.」

The bad relationship between Minshiana and Soldard had continued for a historically long time.

「But since the king has changed, that country is changing.」

Naturally, the story Kazane and Ao had heard from the Soldard Dragon Knight about the usurpation of the kingship had reached Queen Yuuko's ears. Rather than the devil problem, Queen Yuuko had recently been focusing on Soldard's situation, which was a more familiar abnormality.


The usurper, King Barome Soldard, was a knight chosen by Soldard's Guardian Armament『Elbaron』. He was a commoner who had become a member of the Soldard royal family by marrying the third princess, and Yuuko had heard from her spies that it seemed he had the support of the populace. Furthermore, she had heard that a storm of enforcement was being done against the members of royalty and nobility who refused to obey; it seemed the grand plaza of Soldard's royal capital, Mauardent, was now an appreciation venue for the heads of those aristocrats.


「It's an unsettling story, isn't it.」

「When it comes to the number killed, Queen Yuuko-sama doesn't lose, though.」

「I don't remember doing such vulgar behavior as making an excessive spectacle of it.」

That didn't necessarily mean he wanted to fully trend toward politics of fear. Queen Yuuko thought making examples was effective.

「But we can't overlook the fact that the military is being strengthened in a short period of time.」

「Strange medicine seems to be spreading widely, too.」

There were rumors about a prohibited drug with an unknown manufacturer that was spreading widely, centered on Soldard's royal capital.

「I don't know if the aim is Minshiana, but there's also the matter with the devils. Let's proceed carefully.」

「Roger.」

After Iria's lively voice, Queen Yuuko nodded.

(Kingship usurpation, huh? I hope this isn't also the work of the devils, but...)

Queen Yuuko thought, but she also thought it was reasonably probable.

It was fact that devils had infiltrated the top echelons of Tsuvara and Minshiana. It was very likely that the top of Sorcery Kingdom Amoria's devil hunters, Zeku, was also a devil. With that sequence of movements by the devils, perhaps the usurpation in Soldard is also part of it?... she thought.

It would be nice if it were an unfounded worry. But at present, nothing she heard could clear away her worry.



◎ Hyvern Dukedom, Capital City Deer South, Archduke Castle Malfoy, Throne Room


「It's a grave situation. I never expected a Devil King would be born in our country.」

「No way, did the Devil King attack the village!?」

「What does this mean? Why at this time?」


Archduke Castle Malfoy, the center of Hyvern Dukedom, was unusually noisy. The civil officials and military officers all had nervous expressions, and they were confirming information with the surrounding people.

However, among them, there were two people who were indifferent to that tumult.

They were Archduke Rynox and General Jiraid.


「Hey, General.」

「Yes?」

「This is about that lady, isn't it.」

「Seems like it.」

Rynox scratched his head after Jiraid's extremely serious reply.

「Does anything come to mind when you think of God Dragon Empress-sama?」

「The idea that she caused a disturbance comes to mind?」

Rynox made a bitter expression after Jiraid's words. The two were at the dragon village until a little while ago. And while it was only the blueprints, they had seen what Kazane was trying to make. And the content of the oracle brought from Norman's temple was partly consistent with the features of the complete blueprints.

「Well, considering the completion time, she probably made a blunder when it was built.」

「I don't have the slightest idea what kind of blunder could have led to this, though.」

Rynox and Jiraid said with wry smiles. They couldn't understand why she was certified a Devil King from the situation when they parted. Now that he had the Dairokuten Maou Blood Orb as his Core, they would be able to understand if it was God Dragon Emperor Naga who was certified, but...

「Anyway, contact the dragon village. Please confirm the situation with God Dragon Emperor-sama as soon as possible.」

「Understood.」

「And this goes without saying, but don't let speculations about the Devil King's true identity spread. I wish to avoid being pinned by a dragon and having my pants pulled down again. Not to mention being pierced. Absolutely not.」

Rynox shuddered and said「Absolutely not...」again.

Apparently, it had become a trauma. It seems like some people would be in to that... Jiraid thought, but it seemed Rynox didn't have such a disposition.


Good. That was good.

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