Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 172: “Events in Imperial Territory (11) – Part 1”
— Dorgalia Empire, Imperial Capital —
“This is the content of ‘that box,’ huh?”
In his office, Crown Prince Diaz held the documents in his hand.
One was the paper from another world that had been inside “that box.”
The other was a report written by engineers and scholars.
“I deeply apologize for this outcome, Your Highness.”
The newly appointed Minister of Magic knelt before Diaz and bowed his head.
He had been directly appointed by the Emperor after his predecessor, Azim, was dismissed.
Under his leadership, the investigation of “that box” had been conducted.
But—
“The box from another world was extremely sturdy, both the container and the lock. The door was tightly sealed, and with the Empire’s current technology, it was impossible to unlock it…”
“So in the end, you had no choice but to destroy it?”
“I’m terribly sorry!”
Beside the minister sat “that box.”
It was in a pitiful state.
There was a gaping hole where the dial had once been, and the components connecting the door to the main body were broken.
The box from the Heroes’ world had been extremely tough.
The scholars had predicted that the lock would disengage if the dial was turned in a specific sequence.
However, they had no clue which direction to turn it or how many times.
They had no choice but to destroy the lock.
“I told you it was fine to take your time unlocking it.”
“I understand. However… there was a direct order from His Majesty…”
“From my father?”
“‘We must learn about the Heroes’ world without delay. Use any means necessary to open that box,’ he said.”
“So you destroyed a precious artifact because of that…”
“I sincerely apologize!”
Listening to the minister’s words, Crown Prince Diaz bit his lip.
“That box” was a valuable item.
He had believed it would be fine even if unlocking it took years.
He never imagined it would be destroyed under imperial orders.
It was certain that the box came from the Heroes’ world.
The letters written on the paper inside matched the same kind used by the hero in the past.
Within the Empire, letters and documents written by the hero were preserved as national treasures.
Using those as references, the engineers had managed to translate the paper inside the box—but—
“His Majesty, and you all, may have acted a little too hastily.”
“With all due respect, we had no clues to unlock the box. There was no other choice…”
“Sophia has contacted us. She noticed a mysterious piece of paper left at the site where the box was found. It might contain the instructions to unlock the box.”
“W-What!?”
“Sophia is trying to negotiate. She’s likely trying to extract benefits for her Grand Duchy in exchange for handing over the paper…”
They had no choice but to negotiate.
They couldn’t allow information about “that box” to fall into other hands.
“Even if the box was destroyed, some of the parts remain, correct?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Then I order you, Minister of Magic: once the ‘mysterious paper’ from Sophia arrives, analyze it. Lead the engineers and find the correct way to unlock such boxes. Prepare for the possibility that similar boxes appear in the future.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“To think that items and materials from the Heroes’ world would appear one after another… The Empire has too few experts who can analyze magic items. If only we had a skilled engineer…”
Diaz suddenly recalled the boy who had been sent to the Demon Lord’s Domain.
A boy with the alchemy skill—he was called Thor Regus, if he remembered correctly.
He had been sent to the Demon Lord’s Domain at the request of then-Duke Valga Regus.
If that boy were still in the Empire, would the situation have been different?
(It’s hard to say. At the time, no one could have predicted the appearance of otherworldly beasts or boxes.)
Calling back Thor Regus would be difficult.
He had declared, in front of the Demon Lord’s people, “I forsake my house. From now on, I’ll go by Thor Canaan.”
The people of the Demon Lord’s Domain—perhaps even the Demon Lord herself—had accepted this.
Forcibly bringing him back could become a diplomatic issue. At worst, it could lead to war.
Of course, if war came, the Empire would surely win.
But now was a bad time. The conflict in the south hadn’t yet ended.
They wanted to avoid provoking a war with the Demon Lord’s Domain in the north under such circumstances.
There was also the issue of Daryl Zanno’s faction.
According to Ricardo, they called themselves “Ghosts Clinging to the Empire.”
Until they were dealt with, war with the Demon Lord’s Domain was unthinkable. There were too many uncertainties. How much time, money, and manpower would victory cost—?
(…No, perhaps I’m overthinking.)
A war over Thor Canaan was unlikely to happen.
He wasn’t that valuable.
There must be other people with the “Alchemy” skill.
They could just hire one and train them.
(Will we make it in time, though?)
A flicker of unease passed through Crown Prince Diaz’s mind.
The Demon Lord’s Domain had shown overwhelming power in battles against new types of magical beasts.
If that power came from magic items, then they were far ahead of the Empire.
Could the Empire raise skilled engineers in time?
While the Empire gathered and trained people, wouldn’t the Demon Lord’s Domain advance even further—?
“…Your Highness?”
“It’s nothing. More importantly, are you certain that the paper was the only thing in the box?”
“Several people checked it, but nothing else was found.”
“Could it have been lost when the lock was destroyed with magical weapons and spells?”
“The destruction was carried out in the presence of His Majesty.”
The Minister of Magic replied in a faintly dissatisfied tone.
“If you doubt it, please ask His Majesty yourself.”
“No, I’m not doubting you. This is the translated version of the paper from the Heroes’ world, correct?”
“Ten experts in hero studies worked together on the translation. There should be no mistakes.”
“I’m not questioning that. But… this is…”
Crown Prince Diaz read through the foreign paper and its translation written on parchment.
It said:
“This world is under threat from powerful magical beasts.
These beasts have frighteningly hard skin, and we call them ‘Hard Creatures.’
There are cases where these beasts suddenly vanish.
Scholars theorize that they might have moved to another world.
This is based on previous instances where humans from this world (later called ‘heroes’ after returning) also disappeared in the same manner.
If Hard Creatures disappear into another world, that would be fortunate.
Also, they explode.
Thinking about interdimensional summoning gives me a splitting headache.
Heroes explode. Hard Creatures explode too.
It’s dangerous.”
That was the entirety of the message.
“‘Hard Creatures’… In other words, magical beasts like the Gargarossa… do they come from the Heroes’ world…? Is this… really true?”
If so, then summoning heroes was far too dangerous.
Will it be a hero who arrives? Or one of the “Hard Creatures” like the “Magical Beast Gargarossa”? Those are the only two possibilities.
If it’s the latter, the damage will be immense.
Moreover, at present, the likelihood of the latter is higher.
After all, up until now, all of Commander Geralt Zelger’s summons at the fortress have called forth magical beasts.
And yet—
“A hero exploding… who would’ve thought.”
“The translators were dumbfounded as well.”
“Whatever else the document says, that part alone is abnormal.”
“The legends say the hero used a magical technique that caused a massive explosion. Could it be referring to that?”
“There were also some who lost control of their magic in a burst of rage.”
“If that’s the kind of ‘explosion’ meant, then fine…”
“But if the hero themselves literally explodes, then the ‘Hero Summoning’ is incredibly dangerous…”
Crown Prince Diaz and the Minister of Magic sighed.
They didn’t know.
They didn’t know that the text was based on a letter from Chancellor Kelve of the Demon Lord’s Domain.
Kelve, who had been asked to prepare a document to stop the “Summoning Magic,” had thought deeply—too deeply—and accidentally included the phrase “my head feels like it’s going to explode.”
Thor then used that as reference to write a version in the hero world’s language.
The result was the document that Crown Prince Diaz now held.
“Could it be that in the Heroes’ world, some heroes explode, and others don’t?”
“That seems to be the implication. But if there truly are exploding heroes, the extent of the damage would be unimaginable.”
“Probably several times—or even a dozen times—the power of ‘Meteor’… At worst, the imperial capital could be obliterated.”
“His Majesty said, ‘If we’re to summon a hero, from now on we must ask them, “Do you explode?”‘”
“As expected of His Majesty.”
“He also said, ‘To contain an exploding hero, we’ll need a special summoning facility and a barrier.'”
“Is Father actually planning to summon a hero?”
“We can’t presume to know His Majesty’s intentions.”
The Minister of Magic bowed deeply.
“I understand. I’ll speak with Father myself later.”
“A wise decision.”
“And this document will remain top secret. Also—”
Diaz paused for a moment in thought,
“From now on… we’ll also reconsider our diplomatic stance with the Demon Lord’s Domain.”
“Diplomacy with the Demon Lord’s Domain? Don’t tell me—we’re going to completely close our borders?”
“The opposite. We’ll open a diplomatic channel through Sophia.”
Daryl Zanno and his group were in the borderlands.
They still didn’t know how powerful the group truly was.
But the fact remained: they had infiltrated the fortress where Summoning Magic was performed and stolen “that box.” There was even a possibility that the summoning spell had leaked during the incident.
In any case, they couldn’t be underestimated.
Fortunately, the Demon Lord’s Domain was hostile to them.
Ricardo, who recovered the box, had recorded the conversations of Daryl Zanno’s subordinates. Although they escaped afterward, their statements remained on record.
According to the recording, Daryl Zanno’s subordinates had been captured by Sophia’s followers and demi-humans.
That meant Sophia and the Demon Lord’s Domain had cooperated to seize the box.
Apparently, the people of the Demon Lord’s Domain wouldn’t tolerate anyone who threatened security along the border.
That being the case, the Demon Lord’s Domain and Daryl Zanno’s group were enemies.
However, the future remained uncertain.
Daryl Zanno might still try to ally himself with the Demon Lord’s Domain.
They had to act before that happened.
“We’ll officially open diplomatic relations with the Demon Lord’s Domain. At the same time, we’ll update the ‘Non-Aggression Pact’. I’ll have my siblings present at the signing. Having members of the Imperial family present and making it public to surrounding nations will show that the Empire and the Demon Lord’s Domain aren’t enemies. It should serve as a deterrent to Daryl Zanno and his ilk.”
“Do you think the Demon Lord’s Domain will accept that?”
“We have two possible contacts: Sophia in Noza Town, and Thor Canaan in the Demon Lord’s Domain.”
“Thor Canaan has already declared his intent to ‘abandon the Empire’.”
“In that case, why not let him pick it up again?”
Crown Prince Diaz gave a fearless smile.
“Thor Canaan has abandoned his family. Then we offer him a new title—a title that lasts for his lifetime only—and give him a small domain near the border, close to Noza. That place can serve as a diplomatic window, just like Noza Town. That benefits the Demon Lord’s Domain too, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed. That might make it difficult for him to refuse.”
“He’d get a chance to prove himself to the father who cast him aside. If he was born in the Empire, he’ll show some interest.”
“To hold more power than his father—that would be quite the statement.”
“First, let us send a messenger to the Demon Lord’s Domain.”
As he spoke, Diaz crossed his arms.
“Still, that land is inscrutable. We must choose our timing carefully—select a time when they’re more likely to accept the messenger.”
“A day when the Demon Lord’s Domain lets down its guard, in other words.”
“A holiday would be best. Their founding day. A festival. Or perhaps the Demon Lord’s birthday.”
He would have Sophia investigate that—Prince Diaz made up his mind.
Opening relations with the Demon Lord’s Domain would benefit Noza Town.
Sophia would have no reason to refuse.
Of course, he would never trust the Demon Lord’s Domain, ruled by demons and demi-humans.
He would merely create a window. A window to peer into the alien world.
So that they could respond immediately, if something happened.
“I shall report to His Majesty right away. We must also decide who the envoy will be.”
“Prince Ricardo has expressed a desire to return to the borderlands.”
“I know. He wants to redeem himself.”
Crown Prince Diaz shook his head.
“I understand how he feels. But someone rushing to redeem themselves can’t be a diplomatic envoy.”
“Prince Ricardo is also visiting the Ministry of Magic. He wants to be involved with ‘the box.'”
“We’ll have to leave him be for now. The sting of defeat… can only fade with time—”
Diaz broke off mid-sentence.
For a moment, the image of himself being defeated by Archduke Kharon flashed through his mind.
—The opponent was a swordmaster.
—I wasn’t in top form.
—I never expected the Archduke’s left arm to move.
—Defeat was unavoidable.
Excuses and bitterness surged within him.
Diaz instinctively covered his mouth, as though holding back nausea—
“Is something wrong, Your Highness?”
“…It’s nothing. I’ll tell Ricardo myself to restrain himself.”
Diaz nodded.
“There’s someone else more suitable for the envoy.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll tell her myself. Either way, the Demon Lord’s Domain is too unpredictable. The fewer people involved, the better. It’s best to use someone already entangled in it.”
(Maybe Archduke Kharon’s left arm only began to move because he got involved with the Demon Lord’s Domain.)
There was no need for Crown Prince Diaz himself to become involved with that place.
He would assign someone else to handle it—and leave all dealings with the domain to that person.
(I’m the next emperor, Diaz Dorgalia. I mustn’t get involved with the Demon Lord’s Domain.)
Diaz declared it to himself.
To accomplish that, every variable had to be eliminated.
Shadows such as Daryl Zanno had to be erased.
Countermeasures against the Demon Lord’s Domain would be left to the appointed official.
“Update the non-aggression pact.” “Have the Imperial family witness it.” “Make it public to foreign nations.” — These three will be bait enough to make the demons take the hook.
With that, the matter would be resolved.
Crown Prince Diaz would never have to think about that land again.
Diaz nodded in satisfaction.
He ordered the minister to withdraw and headed for the Emperor’s chambers.
He never realized that, deep in his heart, there still lurked a fear of the Demon Lord’s Domain.