A relatively small yet well-kept and clean room. Could this be the reception room? It was here that the explanation, which had been interrupted by our earlier movements and mealtime, resumed.
[Now then, about this world…… The topic came up a bit earlier, so I’ll explain it to you through the story of the First Hero-sama.]
As Lilia-san spoke, Lunamaria-san placed what appeared to be a map on the table.
The shape of the continent gave the impression of an enlarged version of Europe. On the lower left part of the continent, roughly where Spain would be, there was a section marked in black and white. Meanwhile, near the center of the continent, slightly away from that area, a spot was encircled in red.
[The area enclosed in red is the Symphonia Kingdom, where we are now. To the north is the “Archlesia Empire,” and to the south, across the sea, is the “Hydra Kingdom.” These three nations are known as the Three Major Powers. Up until about a thousand years ago, they were the entirety of what we knew about this world.]
[……Are you saying that’s no longer the case?]
[Yes, that’s correct, Aoi-san. This world map depicts the region primarily inhabited by humans, elves, and dwarves, a realm of various “Humanoid races” collectively referred to as the “Human Realm.” Beyond this, there exists the “Demon Realm,” where the “Demon Race” resides, and the “God Realm,” home to the “God Race.”]
After saying this, two new maps were placed on the desk. One was more than twice the size of the map I had just been looking at and resembled the shape of the Australian continent. The other was a small map of a continent shaped like a ring, or perhaps more accurately, a donut.
[The larger map is the Demon Realm, and the smaller map is the God Realm. It might be easier to understand if you think of it like a sandwich, with layers stacked on top of each other. The three realms, the God Realm, the Human Realm, and the Demon Realm, are separated by an invisible dimensional wall, yet they exist side by side. That’s what this world, Trinia, truly is.]
[……It’s turning out to be quite the magnificent story, huh.]
[Fufufu, yes. For those of you who came from another world, it might feel like there are three distinct worlds, but for us, these three realms are simply different regions of the same world. We can freely travel between them through the gates. It’s a little different from places like where Hero-sama and everyone else came from, where inter-world travel is only possible through summoning circles.]
[I see.]
A different world operates with a different set of common sense. While we might find these dimensional walls mysterious and strange, the people who have always lived here see them as no more unusual than oceans or mountains.
Yes, I suppose we just need to accept that this is how things are here.
[As for the government system of the Human Realm, I’ve heard from past heroes that it’s similar to the one in the world you came from, but…… What do you think? Can you think of a country back in your world that operates the same way?]
[Hmm…… I think it would be a system where there’s a king and nobles ruling their own domains?]
[Yes, that’s an accurate way to describe it.]
Yuzuki-san replied to Lilia-san’s words with a hint of confidence. That was how I had pictured this world too, so it seems I wasn’t off the mark. However, what piqued my curiosity was how Lilia-san specifically referred to “the government system of the Human Realm.” Does that mean the God Realm and Demon Realm operate differently?
As if to confirm our thoughts, Lilia-san nodded toward us, signaling that Yuzuki-san was on the right track.
[Now then, let’s talk about how the three realms established their friendly relationship. Let’s start with the God Realm and the Demon Realm. The God Realm is a realm where the Creator God reigns supreme…… Or to put it another way, it’s a realm with only one nation, where the God Race recognizes the Creator God’s will as absolute, without exception.]
[The Creator God only appears in public during the Hero Festival, held once every ten years, so it’s unlikely we’ll encounter them anytime soon. In fact, the Creator God rarely interferes with the world, choosing instead to watch over its future. According to legend, apart from the time of the great war against the Demon Realm, they have never exercised their absolute power.]
Lunamaria-san chimed in, adding to Lilia’s explanation.
In other words, the God Realm could be described as the pinnacle of a strictly hierarchical society. The Creator God, at the very top, maintains a stance of simply observing the rest…… just as I had imagined.
[Next is the Demon Realm, right? It’s the largest of the three realms and home to the most diverse species. While they’re generally called “Demons,” their appearances vary greatly. Heroes often thought of them as equivalent to monsters, but in the Demon Realm, monsters are defined as beings with intelligence below a certain level.]
Hmm…… To be honest, I used to think the same way about demons and monsters. But it seems they have a clear standard for distinguishing themselves? I guess I won’t really understand until I see them for myself……
[The Demon Realm operates on a straightforward meritocracy. Essentially, the one with the greatest power stands at the top. That said, just because it’s a meritocracy doesn’t mean the Demons are violent. On the contrary, most Demons are rational beings who don’t resort to violence without reason and don’t look down on the weak. It’s simply a society that values individual ability over lineage.]
[Rather, they’re much more even-tempered than humans. Both My Lady and I have been to the Demon Realm and toured around a bit. The people there have always been kind to me.]
[Yes, I’d love to visit again sometime. While the Demon Realm has no unified country, it’s divided into six territories. Each territory is ruled by one of the “Six Kings”…… namely, “Underworld King-sama,” “War King-sama,” “Death King-sama,” “World King-sama,” “Dragon King-sama,” and “Phantasmal King-sama.” These Demons have lived for thousands of years, and their power is said to be capable of destroying the world.]
The most outrageous of the Six Kings…… just hearing that title is enough to dredge up the black history of my youth. But in this world, it seems they are beings who absolutely must not be crossed.
However, there was something about the explanation that caught my attention. Both Lilia and Lunamaria-san described Demons as fundamentally benevolent beings, yet didn’t humans fight a war against the Demons in the past?
[Umm, can I ask you something?]
[Yes, of course.]
[……You mentioned earlier that most Demons are quite gentle, but a thousand years ago, the Six Kings…… was there a Demon King among them who attacked the Human Realm?]
[Unn. How do I put this……? It seems the so-called “Demon King” who wreaked havoc in the Human Realm back then was actually just a rogue from the Demon Realm.]
[Eh?]
Lilia-san gave me a wry smile in response, as if she herself didn’t quite know how to explain it. It more or less aligned with the image I had in mind, but to think the fearsome “Demon King” was nothing more than a small fry…… That revelation was absolutely earth-shattering.
[As I mentioned earlier, the Demons are generally gentle by nature. The Demon Realm is vast, their food supply is abundant, and the Six Kings, who stand at the top, are on good terms with one another and often interact socially. It’s said that the only time there was any significant conflict in ancient times was the skirmish with the God Realm, and even that happened only once. In the first place, until the Demon King and the First Hero-sama appeared, Demons were aware Humans existed but had never actually encountered them. They apparently saw Humans as beings they had no particular reason to fight.]
[Well, no matter the world, there are always people who can’t see the value of living in peace and instead chase after their ambitions.]
Lunamaria-san added with a sigh. Even after 1,000 years, the First Hero is still revered, but it feels like the “Demon King’s” reputation has taken quite a hit over time.
[Yes, it was that “Demon King” who rallied all the bloodthirsty Demons and attempted to overthrow the Six Kings in a bid to rise to the top of the Demon Realm. In the Human Realm, they’d be something like bandits…… or perhaps rebels. However, because of the sheer number of Demons, the “Demon King’s” forces grew into a massive army of over a million. Even so, compared to the full scale of the Demon Realm, I heard it was just a small-scale army……]
The more the denominator increased, the more sympathizers emerged…… To be honest, I can’t imagine an army of millions suddenly appearing, but I heard that this was how the “Demon King” apparently rose to power. In that case, why didn’t it try to overthrow the Six Kings and invade the Human Realm instead?
[……I heard that the “Demon King’s” army once challenged Underworld King-sama to a battle in an attempt to seize control of the Demon Realm.]
[Ah, you mentioned earlier that there was a war in the Demon Realm.]
[……So, what happened?]
I think it was because I was curious about their attack on the Human Realm, but since we were concerned about something, Yuzuki-san and I asked her to elaborate a bit more on that topic.
[It was a battle of a million against one, and the Underworld King crushed them in a matter of minutes.]
[……Errr……]
[That is…… how should I put this……]
[……I can’t help but feel sorry for them.]
The fact that they were overwhelmingly crushed even made Kusunoki-san feel a bit sorry for the Demon King. Either the Demon King’s army was too weak, or the Underworld King was too strong…… Just like Kusunoki-san said, I’m starting to feel sorry for the Demon King too. I mean, in just a few minutes of fighting, most of them were probably wiped out in just one or two strikes……
[However, Underworld King-sama is very kind. He didn’t kill anyone, instead, he just warned them, “It’s good that all of you are lively, but you shouldn’t bother those around you,” and let the Demon King’s army go.]
Not only did he go easy on them, but he’s even treating them like troublesome neighborhood kids!? That’s enough already! The “Demon King” image I had is completely shattered now, you know!?
[And after that, the Demon King realized he was no match for the Six Kings…… So, he decided to invade the Human Realm, which the Six Kings had decreed not to interfere with back then.]
[ [ [……] ] ]
He ran awaaaaaaaay!? The Demon King ran away from the Demon Realm!? I don’t have any particular attachment to him, but you’re not very good at this, Demon King!? It’s like he suddenly turned into a kid who was scolded and ran away from home……
This is…… honestly…… How am I supposed to react to this?
Dear Mother, Father—They were saying that Demons are rational and gentle. And the Demon King—was just a small fry.