Chapter 46: Meeting with the New Summoner
“Alright. Looks like everyone is here. So, Nara-kun, I’ll share our situation, and then you can tell us about yours, okay?”
“Ah, yes.”
After bringing Ivern and the others back, we sat down at the same table to start our discussion.
By the way, as soon as Leon got home, he immediately asked Meileen to pick him up, leaving my side.
Even now, he clings to Meileen even more tightly than he did to me.
Hey, hey, my son. Isn’t your attitude a bit different from when you were with me?
Guess you really can’t compete with a mother.
“Now, first off, I want to ask you, Nara-kun. How have you been since you were summoned? And what kind of information have you gathered?”
As I asked, Nara-kun shifted his gaze, looking a bit uncomfortable.
“You don’t need to choose your words carefully. I can guess most of it.”
“Eh, really?”
“Yeah. You’re probably thinking I’m the villain who destroyed Lindor and now aims to take over Weimar, right?”
Upon hearing this, Nara-kun’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Wow… that’s almost spot on!”
“Well, if you gather the information circulating around, it’s not hard to make that assumption. So, as someone from the same hometown, you’ve been training to defeat me, the fallen one?”
“…Yes, that’s right. I saw Lindor destroyed by Maya-san, and because of that, I believed those words.”
Ah, so he witnessed that.
“Well, I can’t blame you for that. Anyone would think that after seeing it.”
Hearing Nara-kun’s reason for believing Admos, I understood, but Ivern tilted his head in confusion.
“By the way, I’ve never been to Lindor. What was the situation like?”
I see, even someone as well-informed as Ivern can’t imagine what he hasn’t seen.
“Um, the Capital City was half destroyed. According to the rumors, it was completely leveled around the Royal Castle…”
“Ah, that happened, huh?”
As I recalled that, both Nara-kun and Ivern looked shocked.
“W-Wait, does that mean Maya-san is really a villain…?”
“I heard she caused significant damage while escaping, but I didn’t realize it was that bad…”
It seemed that Nara-kun’s belief in the villainous narrative about me was reignited by the fact that I had indeed destroyed Lindor, while Ivern was surprised by how severe the situation actually was, despite knowing the sequence of events.
Nara-kun was also taken aback by Ivern’s reaction.
“Ivern-san, right? You don’t seem that surprised after hearing that.”
“Hm? Ah, well, I’ve heard the story leading up to that point. You might have doubts now, but if you listen to the whole story, it’ll make sense.”
“…I understand. If it’s the words of someone who can be friends with Maya-san, then I’ll trust it.”
“Hey, wait a minute.”
What do you mean by being friends with me?
Is being my friend that harsh?
“Ah, no! I didn’t mean it like that! I meant if you’re friends knowing the whole situation, then I can trust you!”
“…I’ll let that slide for now. So? What have you been doing since Admos took you until today?”
“That is…”
And so, Nara-kun began to recount his life in Admos.
My impression was that he was treated far better than I expected.
His living conditions were guaranteed at the highest level, and he had the best instructors.
On top of that, he even caught the attention of a princess.
This guy is seriously acting like the protagonist.
“And then, the Demon Tribe declared war on us to eliminate us… and I was drafted into it.”
“I see.”
“…I was in a daze. It was kill or be killed. In that extreme situation… I wonder how many I’ve slain…? Before I knew it, I was watching the Demon Tribe retreat…”
It was easy to imagine that Nara-kun had been in a situation he had never experienced before.
I had been there too.
Should I try to encourage Nara-kun, who looked so troubled? Just then…
“Fuh… fufufufufu.”
Meileen suddenly burst into laughter, unable to contain herself.
Even Nara-kun, who had just been wearing a pained expression, looked surprised.
“M-Meileen-san?”
“Fufu… Oh, I’m sorry, Nara-san. I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just that it’s amusing how my brother, who possesses only brute force and no intelligence, failed.”
Ah, right. Meileen had her throne taken by her brother.
Given that she unabashedly wishes for the demise of the current regime of the Demon Tribe, it’s no wonder she finds their failures amusing.
For a while after that, Nara-kun couldn’t continue the conversation, caught in the throes of Meileen’s slightly deranged laughter.
“…Let’s set aside the topic of Meileen for now. So, Nara-kun. You got here pretty quickly after returning, but did you think you’d be fine after just one battle?”
“That can’t be true… Honestly, I thought I was done with fighting. But…”
“But?”
“…Actually, the day before the orders were given, I became close with Eva… the Princess, and I think the King got angry and sent me here because of that.”
“Hoo.”
Not only did he win the Princess’s favor, but he also made a move on her.
Nice going.
“Though he didn’t seem angry when he spoke, his eyes weren’t smiling at all. It was definitely a face that said I should take you down, even if it meant taking both of us out.”
“Well, if it’s a royal family in this world, they’d probably do something like that. After all, they’re all rotten.”
As I said this, Nara-kun’s expression turned serious.
“…Is that really the case?”
“Yeah. You might only have interacted with the royal family of Admos, but the nobility in this world… or rather, the ruling class in general, is truly corrupt. They think nothing of letting commoners die as long as it benefits them.”
I must have shown a considerable amount of disgust on my face when I said that.
Nara-kun looked at me with a hint of fear.
“If Maya-san is saying that… does that mean you’ve had some serious conflicts with the royal family?”
“Hm? Ah, well, yeah.”
Now that I had heard most of Nara-kun’s story, it was time for me to share mine.
“Alright, now it’s my turn to tell my story. After hearing this, you can decide whether to believe me or not, and whether you can accept my actions or not.”
“…Yes.”
And so, I began to recount everything that had happened since I was summoned to this world.