Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Satou here. When your position changes, your perspective shifts, and with that shift, what you consider right or wrong also changes. It’s like when a senior who used to complain about their boss suddenly starts uttering the same lines as that boss after getting promoted.

◇

With the optical camouflage skill activated, I teleported into the king’s office via unit placement.

Inside the room were the king, the Prime Minister, and Hikaru, dressed in Nameless’s clothes.

I thought Lord Juleburg, Head of the Eight Swords of Shiga, would be here too, but it seems he’s waiting in the adjacent room.

That’s fine, but Hikaru had taken off his mask and wig.

Apparently, he had told his descendants that he is the king ancestor—though wasn’t he supposed to be a direct descendant?

Ah well, the details don’t really matter.

Just in case, I decided to confirm via “telephone.”

‘You’ve already revealed your identity?’

“Yeah, I saw a hint of Sharoric in you, so I didn’t want to deceive you... Sorry?”

Well, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped.

Besides, now that I can use magic and skills that require chanting, there’s less need to be so secretive about my identity.

Of course, I have no intention of carelessly spilling the beans and messing up the tourism.

I deactivated the optical camouflage and appeared before the three of them.

“Hey there!”

“Two king ancestors?!”

“W-what’s going on here?!”

Unlike Hikaru, who waved, the king and Prime Minister froze upon seeing me.

Huh? Hadn’t they realized I was a different person?

My way of speaking and attitude are quite different, after all.

Also, Shiga Eight Swords Heim had seen me with Mito disguised as Nameless, so shouldn’t they have reported this by now?

“I told you from the start that I’m not the king ancestor, didn’t I? I corrected it several times, remember?”

Hikaru reacted much more strongly to my words than the king or Prime Minister.

“Pfft, hahahaha, w-what’s with that way of speaking? You’re not a character in some maiden game anymore, so just talk normally.”

Hikaru, who had been holding back laughter, burst out laughing.

Well, aside from the intonation, the lines weren’t that strange, right?

I wonder if something just struck a funny bone with Hikaru.

Ah, whatever. Taking this chance, I’ll change Nameless’s awkward way of speaking into a more arrogant tone like Kuro’s.

“Then let me correct my tone. As you can see, Yamato and I are different people. Understand that the hero Nameless is a partnership between Yamato and me.”

After some Q&A, the king and Prime Minister understood the situation.

When I explained that I bore no rebellion or ambition against the Shiga Kingdom, they said in unison, “We have no such concerns,” with a bit of sternness.

I also asked if it was a problem that I didn’t use honorific language toward the king, and they basically refused honorifics, saying, “The king ancestor is a respected elder, so there is no need to show deference to us.”

Now I suspect they might misunderstand me as “an apostle of god.”

◇

“…Lord hero Nameless, I have a request.”

After the report about the false demon king incident was finished, the king said this.

Because they think I’m an apostle of god, the honorific “Lord” remains even though the king ancestor suspicion was cleared.

By the way, the name of Boy Shin and the fact he’s alive were kept secret.

If the king’s request was to suppress the rebellion in Duke Bistal’s territory, I would refuse.

I don’t want to see humans killing each other on a battlefield.

“I’m listening—”

“We sense that this season of the demon king is different from usual. The era of great turmoil, similar to when the king ancestor defeated the golden boar king or when the Saga Empire’s first hero faced the king of the demon beasts, has begun.”

—King, your preamble is a bit long.

“History books say in such eras, many great countries decline and many small tribes or small countries lacking means of defense perish. Without Lord Nameless’s help, the Shiga Kingdom would surely have faced extinction just like those great countries.”