Chapter 235 (1/2)

The Jiol Forest Kingdom’s capital city, Roumrelus. Within the audience room of the royal palace that was there, the Fourth Prince, Eric, was before Sarigan who was his father as well as the King.

Sarigan, being a king who has lived for a long time, was also a character who appeared in the Hero legend.

Eric had heard his father’s legends from his mother and elder brothers, and also hoped to become like his father someday. For that sake, since the time he was able to understand what was going on around him, for Eric, his father wasn’t his father, but a legendary person who was at a far off height, and was a great wise king.

When he was entrusted with this time’s sightseeing mission, Eric desperately held down his ecstatic feelings.

However, at the same time, he also didn’t know what King Sarigan’s aim was either.

Since he was going along with Luuty, who was one of the Hero’s party members, he thought that it might have also been about killing the Demon King if there was an opening, but he immediately cast away that thought.

It was because if that were the case, he should have chosen one of his elder brothers who excelled in deeds of arms rather than himself.

It was there that Eric arrived at one more thought.

In other words, King Sarigan was thinking of strengthening the friendly relationship with the Zadark Kingdom.

If that was the case, his brothers who knew the legendary era very well would be unsuitable. If the worst case scenario were to happen, it wouldn’t end with just the relationship with the Zadark Kingdom deteriorating.

Naturally, since his elder brothers weren’t fools, there was currently the possibility that they could change their thoughts about the Mazoku.

But, even so, King Sarigan chose Eric.

Eric concluded that the reason for that was because he didn’t experience the legendary era himself. Since he didn’t know anything, he would be able to things with impartial eyes.

Eric came to see the place called the Zadark Kingdom to form his own thoughts about the ones called the Mazoku.

The current Eric was in front of the king holding the confidence that he had answered to King Sarigan’s expectations.

「……Umu, Eric. Raise your head.」

「Yes.」

Receiving Sarigan’s words, Eric finally raised his face that was cast down.

「Now then, Eric. You were dispatched to the Zadark Kingdom as the representative of the first tourism group but……」

「Yes.」

「How do you see that nation?」

Hearing Sarigan’s question, Eric hesitated over how he should answer.

In regards to the three points of military, economy, and politics, there were few things that Eric could report about. It was because within the range of being taken along by that Maid Knight called Ichika, he was unable to talk about the details of each of those points.

However, even so, Eric spoke the answer that he had settled on since last night.

「Yes, King. That country, is a major nation that practices government under a king and laws.」

Hearing those words, a portion of the lined up senior statesmen nodded while another portion were astir.

The senior statesmen that nodded were those who had gone to the Zadark Kingdom together with Sarigan before or together with Eric this time, and had actually seen it themselves.

After Sarigan nodded looking like he was interested, he tapped the armrest of his throne with a *ton*.

「……I see, a major nation huh. For what reason do you feel that way?」

What Eric had seen was nothing more than a small part of the Zadark Kingdom. To speak of the entire nation with just that would normally be quite foolish.

However, Eric had confidence.

「The castle, the town, and Dragons. I can explain it all with just these three points.」

「Hou, try saying it.」

Prompted by Sarigan, Eric continued.

「First is the castle. This is the crystallization of a country’s greatest technology. In other words, by looking at the castle, one can surmise the country’s technology. Looking at it from that point of view, the Zadark Kingdom’s technology, it could be said to have reached a level where it has surpassed or at least is not inferior to the Cylas Empire. Then again, since the Cylas Empire has too many technologies that they conceal, this is nothing more than my personal opinion though……」

When it came to the technology of the Cylas Empire, which had come to be called the nation of fire and iron, there were many parts that couldn’t be seen. Even the large 「ship」 that could easily go around the outer circumference of the continent, the Cylas Empire was currently the only one that could make it. There was no one else that knew what other kind of technology they might be hiding.

However, that was surely the same for the Zadark Kingdom.