Because of that, Climb could keenly feel her intentions through the armor he wore.
正因如此克莱姆才感觉到自己的铠甲中融入了她的心意。

“I’ve heard princesses all wear pretty dresses and lead graceful lives...”
「听说公主都是穿着华丽的服饰，过着优雅生活的呢—」

“Reality’s hardly that nice. Still, we can’t say there aren’t any princesses like that.”
「现实可没有这么美好啊。但是，也不能断言没有那样的公主吧」

As he watched Princess Renner’s eyes light up with admiration, an emotion which he could not express with words welled up within Climb’s heart.
看着拉娜公主那闪烁着憧憬的眼神，克莱姆的心中不禁的涌起了一股无以言表的感情。

How he wanted to give that sort of life to she who was both the most beautiful person in the world and who had the most noble soul in the world.
真想把那样的生活献给这个世界最漂亮、同时也有着最美心灵的她。

On the flip side, all this had been because of her. He was standing here now because she had saved him. Just then, Renner turned her face, and her sparkling eyes met Climb’s own from the side.
然而和这样的想法相反，正因为是那样的她。自己才会被救助了，才有了现在的自己。这时，拉娜转过脸，那放着美丽光芒的双眼捕捉到、正窥视着其侧脸的克莱姆的视线。

“--Thinking of something, Climb?”
「——在想什么呢？克莱姆」

“Ah, no, it’s nothing, Renner-sama.”
「啊，不，没什么，拉娜大人」

“Is that so? Well, if you think of anything, you should speak up. We need to help each other in tough times, after all.”
「是这样吗？如果有什么事的话要尽管说哦，毕竟有困难时是要相互帮助的嘛」

“Ah, yes! Thank you very much!”
「啊，是！非常感谢！」

“Oi. Sorry to interrupt your intimacy, but I really don’t like handing down my skills for free. No matter what she says, I’m still going to ask for an appropriate payment.”
「喂。虽然打断你们的亲热很不好意思。但我果然还是不喜欢免费传授技术，到时候无论那家伙说些什么，我还是会要求收取相应的东西来做为报酬哦」

“I will strive to meet your price.”
「请务必是我也能支付的金额」

Renner lowered her head.
拉娜低下了头。

“Hmm~ but what you want to know is whether they have talent or not, right, Hime-sama? If it’s me, I can watch their movements, but how about you, Evileye?”
「嗯—、但是公主大人想知道的是有没有才能吧？我的话可以看动作，伊维尔哀要怎么看？」

“Ah, I’ll level with you. You can’t fathom a person’s depths just by seeing them carry out a few exercises. Magical ability is more internal than external. In addition, I might seem like a genius when it comes to magical ability, but that’s all there is. I don’t have the abilities of that great magic caster from the Empire.”
「啊，直说吧。光是看几次练习，是不足以看出那人深层的才能的。魔法的才能比起外部，更看重内部的东西。而且仅从魔法才能的层面来看的话我也算是上个天才，但也只是那样罢了。像帝国的那位大魔法咏唱者那样的能力，我也是使用不了的啊」

“So, identifying talents--”
「天生异能的鉴别呢—」

“Ttalents, huh,” Renner sighed. “It would be a big help if we could identify them during childhood. It would also help soften the nobles’ stubbornness toward the commoners too.”
「天生异能吗」拉娜叹了口气「要是能在孩子的时候看清就好了呢，这样的话贵族主义对平民的顽固思想也会减轻的吧」

“Then, how about setting up a universal natural talent identification system for children? There are 3rd-tier spells which can verify the presence or absence of a natural talent. However, if you want a full picture of what that talent might be you’d probably need a higher-tiered spell… well, in the end it’s just idle conjecture.”
「那么，建立对全部的孩子进行天生异能鉴定的系统，不就好了吗？只是鉴别是否拥有的话，第三阶位的魔法就有。但若是要具体调查是什么异能的话，就好像需要更高阶位的魔法了……嘛，说到底还是在纸上谈兵啊」

“Really? Can you really identify natural talents?”
「是这样吗？能够对天生异能进行鉴定吗？」

“Well, I don’t know what that sparkle in your eyes is for, but don’t get your hopes up. I’ve heard there’s a 3rd-tier spiritualist-only spell which can verify if someone before the caster’s eyes has a talent. That said, even if there was such a spell, the troublesome part would come after that. You’d need to learn how to properly develop that talent. And it’s also quite likely that after expressing that talent, it’ll end up being a meaningless ability.”
「虽然不知道是什么让你眼神这么闪烁，但别抱太大的希望啊。我听说必须得有精神系的第三阶位魔法，才能对眼前的对象进行是否拥有能力进行判断。而且即使有的话，麻烦的还在后头呢。不得不调查怎么才能把它发挥出来。而且最后调查出来的结果，却是怎么样都无所谓的能力的可能性也非常的高」

“Is that so…”
「是这样啊」

The light in Renner’s eyes dimmed.
拉娜眼神中的光芒黯淡了下来。

“I think it would be more important to have them try a bit of everything. Or have them stand under a waterfall, or inhale some relatively safe sleeping drugs to go into a trance. Apparently, it makes you suddenly realize your natural talent, or something.”
「比起那个，还是去做一些各种各样的尝试比较好的吧。或被瀑布冲击，或闻不太危险的药昏睡。好像会突然感到一种，天生异能与什么交织在一起的感觉哦」

“Really? ...Hm, is that really the case?”
「是吗？……哼嗯，是那样吗？」

“Ara, do you have a natural talent too, Evileye-san?”
「啊啦，伊维尔哀小姐也拥有天生异能吗？」

At this, the hitherto chatty Evileye suddenly fell silent. It would seem someone had brought up a topic she did not want to be asked.
至今喋喋不休的伊维尔哀突然沉默了下来，看来好像是提到了她不想被问的话题。

However, his master was innocent enough to actually ask it.
但是自己的主人却天真的这么问道。

“Could you tell me what kind of talent it is?”
「不能告诉我是什么样的能力吗？」

It was not that she did not mind such incisive questioning, but the fact was, she tended to be this way normally. One might say she did not know how to read the flow of a conversation, or perhaps that  she would unintentionally ask some questions which were normally very difficult to bring up.
不是说从没在意过这意外锐利的提问，但她平时也就是这样的。不懂得察言观色，或者说是会若无其事的问一些很难开口的事。

Neither was it because she did not care about the other party; it was simply because she had grown up in the royal family.
也不是说不考虑对方的事，这纯粹是因为她是作为王族长大的缘故吧。

“What, are you getting excited over a question like this?”
「怎么，这是能使你那么起劲的话题吗？」

“There are very few people with such talents around me, so I’d like to know what sort of ability Evileye-san has.”
「由于身边很少有天生异能的人。所以才想知道伊维尔哀小姐拥有什么样的能力啊—什么的」

“Is that so. Well, since it’s gotten to this, I might as well tell you.”
「是吗，既然是那么一回事的话，嘛，那就告诉你好了」

Evileye leaned her body forward, and Renner -- her face a picture of excitement -- leaned forward as well.
伊维尔哀倾身向前，而露出一脸兴奋神情的拉娜也靠了过去。

Natural talents could sometimes serve as a trump card, and this was even more so for adventurers. While he did not think Renner would go around blabbing out that secret, Climb felt that this was something which should not be shared lightly.
有时天生异能能成为王牌，对于冒险者更是如此。虽然不认为拉娜会跑出去到处乱说，但克莱姆觉得这应该也不是能够轻易告诉他人的事吧。

“This isn’t something I really want other people to hear, so could you bring your ear closer?”
「这不是什么希望被他人听到的事，能把耳朵靠过来吗」

“All right.”
「好的」

Renner brought her ear close to Evileye.
拉娜把自己的耳朵靠向伊维尔哀。

And then--
然后——

“AS IF I’D GO AROUND BLABBING IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE THAT TO OTHERS!”
「这么重要的事不可能随便乱说的好吗！！！」

Her angry voice echoed through the carriage.
愤怒的声音在马车内回荡了起来。

Tina seemed to have anticipated this, and had plugged her ears beforehand.
旁边的缇娜好像早就预测到了似得，早已将手指塞进了耳朵。

“How mean! My ears are ringing!”
「好过分！耳朵叮叮在响啊！」

Renner threw herself into Climb’s embrace. A suitable sound effect for this would be pomf.
拉娜飞扑到克莱姆的怀中。如果要加上效果音的话，应该就是嘭的一声。

She looked up from his chest, her eyes brimming with tears.
眼角含着泪水的拉娜从克莱姆的胸口向上看来。

Climb immediately cast aside such thoughts like “She’s cute”, “She smells nice” and other meaningless things from his mind. It was forbidden to have such fantasies about one’s mistress.
克莱姆赶忙将可爱、好闻、等这种无聊想法全部抛开。对于自己的主人抱有这样的妄想是绝不允许。

“Evileye-sama, I understand how you feel, but could I ask you to forgive--”
「伊维尔哀大人，您的心情可以理解，但可以的话还请原谅……」

“--Ah? Punk, she’s become like this because you keep spoiling her, no?”
「——啊？小鬼，不就是因为你一直宠着她，这小丫头才会变成现在这样的吗」

“It, it’s nothing like that, I, it’s not like I spoil the Princess or...”
「没、没有那样的事，我宠着公主什么的……」

Even if he wanted to spoil her, there was no way he could do it.
即使想要宠着，自己也根本不可能做得到。

“Yes, I feel that Climb can and should spoil me more. I approve of what you said, Evileye-san.”
「是的，我觉得克莱姆可以更宠我一点。我赞成伊维尔哀小姐的意见」

“No, no, that’s not right, Princess-sama. It feels kind of wrong…”
「不、不对、公主大人。这样也好像有哪里不对……」

“Of course not! If you spoil me more, I can take scoldings like that more easily. Therefore you must spoil me more. Let’s start by napping together like we used to as children. Come, Evileye-san, please go on!”
「没有那样的事！如果克莱姆更加宠着我的话，再碰上像这种责备的时候不就也能坦率接受了吗。所以要宠着我哦。总之就先和小时候一样一起来睡午觉吧。来吧，伊维尔哀小姐，请再多说一点！」

“Ugh, it’s fine. I’m such an idiot… In any case, I don’t intend to go around telling others my talent, kid. Got it?”
「已经，可以了。我真是个笨蛋……总之小丫头，我不打算告诉别人我的天生异能。这点明白了吧」

“Is it really that dangerous?”
「是如此危险的东西吗？」

“Ah, yes. It’s my ace in the hole. If I use it… yes, it would be like if our leader’s sword went berserk. It could easily annihilate an entire city.”
「啊。是杀手锏。倘若使用的话……没错，会像我们领队的剑暴走一样，有着可以轻易毁灭一座都市的力量」

There seemed to be a terrible weight in Evileye’s voice as she said this.
伊维尔哀所说的话有着沉重的分量。

Still, a baffled “Hm?” made its way up from his chest. He wanted to look down, but if he did, it would make him very aware of the reality that Renner was very close to him. There was no way he could do that.
但是，从胸口处却传来了「嗯？」的疑惑声。虽然很想把视线移过去，但那样做的话，就势必会强烈地意识到拉娜就在身边的事实。那样事情根本做不到。

He considered pushing Renner away, but after taking her soft and fragile body into consideration, he did not know how much force he should use.
即使是想把拉娜推开，但考虑到她那太过柔弱身体，以至于不知道该用多少力气才合适。

As Climb’s heart continued pounding, the conversation continued without him.
而在克莱姆的心脏快速跳动着的时候，对话也仍在持续着。

“The sword Lakyus carries?”
「拉裘丝所持有的剑吗？」

“Ah, according to her, once it goes wild, it’ll lead to grave consequences. A city, no, a nation, was it? Apparently it’ll be completely wiped out. She did say something about having to use use part of her strength to suppress it…”
「啊啊，根据那家伙所说如果一旦暴走的话，将会酿成十分严重的后果。都市，不对是国家吗？好像都会被整个毁灭掉哦。确实有说过为了抑制它，而分散了自己的力量呢」

“So that’s what was going on… I didn’t know about that…”
「原来还有这样的事吗……我对此毫不知情呢……」

Climb had not told his mistress about that demonic sword yet.
关于那把魔剑的事情，克莱姆还没有将它告诉自己的主人。

“It’s best not to mind it. Our devil leader didn’t mention it to the two of you because she didn’t want you to worry. I’d be glad if you continued pretending that you didn’t know anything.”
「还是不要在意比较好。魔鬼领队也是不想让你们担心，所以才什么都不告诉你们的啊。我想让你们继续装作不知情的样子」

“...I see. I understand. Then I’ll do as you say.”
「......也是呢。我明白了。那就让我按你说的做吧」

“Speaking of which, what happened to Aindra-sama? I haven’t seen her around recently...”
「话说回来，艾因卓大人是怎么了呢？最近完全都没有看见她呢」

“Hm? I don’t think anyone mentioned it, right? Princess, didn’t you tell him?”
「嗯？没听其它人提过吗？喂，公主，你没有告诉他吗？」

“...I forgot. It seems like she’s training with Gagaran-san and Tia-san.”
「……我不小心忘掉了呢。是这样的，克莱姆。好像是再陪格格兰小姐和缇亚小组一起修行的样子哦」

Evileye took up the baton from Renner and continued.
伊维尔哀接着拉娜的话说了下去。

“The two of them lost their lives during the battle with Jaldabaoth, the Demon Lord who attacked the Kingdom. Of course, they were resurrected after that, but it expended a large amount of their lifeforce. Thus, they need to place themselves in danger, treading the edge of life and death in order to regain their strength.”
「那两人在与，那袭击了王国的魔王、亚达巴沃的战斗中丧了命。当然了，那之后也有对其进行复活，但为此却消耗了膨大的生命力。而为了取回那生命力，就需要将自身置之于危险中，通过冲破死线来把力量重新取回」

“In truth, I wish I could have gone with them.”
「说真的，其实我们也想一起跟去的」

“Still, if you did that, you’d begin to depend on it somewhere in your heart. The best path to strength is through a small amount of short battles.”
「但那样的话，在心中的某处便会对此产生依赖。只有通过次数少且短时间的战斗，才是能令人变强的最佳途径啊」

“I doubt that.”
「这种方法还真叫人怀疑啊」

“Umu, it does seem like the an effective way to “lair-bellup” (level up)... Well, if you don’t rely on that method, you might not even be able to stall for time when that fellow attacks the Royal Capital again.”
「呜姆，这好像确实是能有效率的生机【升级】的、最高级别的仪式啊……嘛，但如果不相信这话来锻炼的话，当那家伙再次来袭王都时，可能连拖延时间都很难啊」

“Stall for time? Ahh -- time for that person you recommended, Evileye?”
「拖延时间？啊啊—是伊维尔哀首推的那个人到来的时间吗？」

“Of course! Until that hero-sama can arrive!”
「没错！直至那位大英雄赶来为止呢！」

Evileye’s mood seemed to have suddenly changed.
突然，伊维尔哀的气氛发生了变化。

One could clearly feel her passion and excitement through that mask of hers.
如同正兴奋起来的热情，即使隔着假面也能够清晰地感觉到。

“It’s Momon--sa--sama, right?”
「是飞飞先——大人对吧」

“That’s right! The great hero, Momon-sama! The mightiest warrior ever, who swings his twin greatswords like they were little more than twigs! There’s no doubt that he’s the strongest fighter in the land! Even if Jaldabaoth comes again, as long as Momon-sama is around, he’ll definitely slaughter him! Although, it was a shame that he managed to escape last time. Still, that great man should have thought up a countermeasure for that by now!”
「没错了！正是大英雄飞飞大人啊！明明双手手执巨剑，却能如同树枝般挥舞的最强战士！那毫无疑问是周边国家最强战士啊！只要有那个人在的话，即使亚达巴沃再攻过来，也绝对能把他给送葬了的吧！虽然上次很可惜让他给逃了。但是，若是那位大人的话，一定已经想好了对应方法没错！」

Overwhelmed by the ardor of her words, all Climb could do was weakly answer, “Ah, yes.”
被充满热情的演说所压倒，克莱姆只能以「啊，是的」来回应道。

“But will that person really come? Isn’t he a minion of that Sorcerer King?”
「但那个人真的还会来吗？不是已经加入了那个魔导王的麾下了吗？」

Tina’s expression suggested she was thoroughly exhausted as she spoke out to Evileye, who had her fists clenched.
对紧握了双手的伊维尔哀，缇娜罕见地露出累透了的表情向她搭话道。

“Ahhhh~ Momon-sama! Shit, that damn Sorcerer King! To think he would actually dare to take control of that great man! Even if Heaven permits it, I won’t! If only I could defeat him and free Momon-sama! What on earth was he thinking, anyway? Maybe I should go to E-Rantel and ask Momon-sama about his thoughts, how about that?”
「啊一！飞飞大人！！！该死，那可恨的魔导王！居然妄图支配那位大人，即使上天容许，这个我也不会容许的！要是能打倒那家伙解放飞飞大人的话！那位大人究竟是怎么考虑的啊！果然还是应该要去一趟耶·兰提尔，向飞飞大人了解一下他的想法不是更好吗？」

“...That will have to wait for after the two of them recover.”
「……那也得要等到那两人取回力量后才说」

“I’ll just pop over for a bit, and once I familiarize myself with the place I can just teleport back. Plus, if I use [Fly] and travel by myself, it won’t take much time!”
「只是稍微去一趟而已啦，把地方记熟后就能用转移回来的啊。而且单程过去用<飞行>的话，也花不了多少时间不是吗！」

“Evileye, you really do break down once it comes to Momon… Didn’t our devil leader say you can’t do that sort of thing?”
「伊维尔哀，真的，只要一扯上飞飞的事情就坏掉了呢……不是被魔鬼领导说了，不能这样做的吗？」

“So help me keep a secret!”
「只要你帮我保密的话！」

“Well, my lips are pret~ty loose, they’ll reveal everything in an instant.”
「其实我的口风是非一一常松的哦，一下了就会暴露的」

“Oi, judging by your prior vocation, that would be impossible, right?”
「想想你的前职就知道那是不可能的啊喂？」

“Alas, I am now Tina of “Blue Rose”, also known as ‘Can’t Keep A Secret To Save Her Life’.”
「真是可惜了，我现在已经是冒险者“苍蔷薇”的缇娜了，别名“口风松得不得了”」

It was then that Tina’s eyes took on a serious gleam.
而这时缇娜的瞳孔中，也散发出了认真的光辉。

“...Hm, this is a good opportunity. I’ve been wanting to ask you, Evileye -- can you kill the Sorcerer King?”
「……这也是个好机会。那我现在想问问你，伊维尔哀。你能够杀死魔导王吗？」

Evileye froze. Her excitement drained away in an instant. In its place was the highest-levelled magic caster among adventurers.
一下子伊维尔哀的动作便停了下来。直到刚才为止的兴奋样子在一瞬间逝去。在那里的是冒险者最高等级的魔法吟唱者。

“If those rumors are all true -- then he wields more strength than any single other magic caster. I did some investigations after the incident at the Katze Plains and looked up all my contacts -- I even got in touch with that granny -- and then analyzed the information I obtained. However, it’s so ridiculous it’s not even funny any more. It’s absurd to the point where I was seriously suspecting if the punk was mesmerized by an illusion.”
「若那些传闻全都是属实的话——那已经超越了魔法吟唱者一人能拥有的力量了。在卡兹平原所发生的事那之后我也稍微调查一下，托了各种各样关系——也找那老太婆取得联络，来对情报进行了分析。但那实在是太过荒唐无稽了。难道不是小鬼中了幻术被迷惑了吗，就是荒唐到了这种地步」

“That was definitely not an illusion. And there were so many dead…”
「那绝不非什么幻术所为。已经出现众多的死者……」

Renner’s face twisted in agony.
拉娜的脸因悲痛而扭曲。

“Of the 260,000 people who took part in that war, 180,000 of them lost their lives. I’ve also heard that there are survivors who were mentally scarred and can’t live a normal life any more. Some of the orphans had fathers who ended up like that.”
「参加了那场战争的人数有二十六万人。而其中，死者的数量已达到了十八万人。而且我也听说出现了因精神受创，而变得不能过上正常生活的人。来到那间孤儿院的孩子之中也有一些父亲是这样的状况的孩子」

“...Well, after listening to the punk, I can see how they’d end up like that. If they were chased by such monsters…”
「……听小鬼的说法，也只能想到会变成这样吧。若被那种程度的怪物追赶的话……」

“...Yes. It was hell. Fortunately, I had Brain-san… and the Warrior-Captain with me, and thanks to those two strong men, I didn’t suffer any mental wounds. Even so, sometimes I reflexively find myself wanting to look back over my shoulder. It must be worse for the peasant levies, and it wouldn’t be strange for them to become mentally ill as a result.”
「……是的，那简直就是地狱的光景。幸运的是自己与布莱恩先生……和战士长，这两位强大的人在一起才不至于患上心病。但即使如此，现在也不时地也有一种想要回头看的冲动。若是换做民兵的话，那恐惧想必要会来的更为巨大吧，即使患上心病也并不奇怪」

“You really need to thank your luck for that.”
「你真得好好地要感谢自己的幸运呢」

Climb could only nod in response.
对此克莱姆只点了一下头。

“Then, Tina. Let me answer your question honestly. I cannot defeat the Sorcerer King.”
「那么，缇娜。就让我坦率地回答你的疑问吧。就凭我要战胜魔导王是不可能的」

That was the answer she had expected.
这是已经被预期到了的答案。

“As I thought…”
「果然……」

“Well, yes. I might be able to think of a way to deal with those monsters he summoned. Granted, it’s hard to say that, given I was not at the scene. Still, the Sorcerer King -- who can not only summon multiple monsters of that kind and control them -- is truly a monster that does not belong in this world. Someone like that possesses the power of the gods.”
「也是啊。那些被召唤出来的怪物的话，说不定还能想些办法对付。但果然不在现场看的话，也难以断言啊。只是，能复数召唤、并操纵那样怪物的魔导王，说真的可不应该是存在于这世上的存在。那是有着神话领域之力的持有者」

“Is it possible that they could have been summoned from an item, and not from the Sorcerer King’s power?”
「有不是魔导王个人的力量，而是利用什么的道具来召唤的可能性吗？」

“The possibility does exist, but if that were the case, it would also be very dangerous. That said, we have no way of verifying that.”
「虽然这确实是可能的事，但一口咬定是这样的话也是非常危险的。但就算这么说，也没有能够任何确认手段就是了啊」

“If only he would end up coming into conflict with Jaldabaoth.”
「要是能与亚达巴沃相碰冲突的话，那该有多好啊」

“That’s a development we’re all looking forward to. After that, the best-case scenario would be Momon-sama slaying the Sorcerer King…”
「那才是任谁都渴望的展开啊。剩下的是让飞飞大人来把魔导王给送葬了，就最好不过了啊……」

“Between Momon-sama and the Sorcerer King, who do you think is stronger?”
「飞飞大人和魔导王，您认为到底哪一边更强呢？」

The person who asked this question was Climb, but to him, he felt that the Sorcerer King that had summoned those powerful monsters was far superior. Yet, Evileye’s pensive expression shocked him.
问出这个问题的是克莱姆，但就他个人来说，想必还是召唤出如此强大的怪物的魔导王遥遥领先。可是对与伊维尔哀陷入了沉思的表现，则令他感到了惊讶。

“I’m not sure. Personally, I feel that Momon-sama -- who drove off that Jaldabaoth -- is stronger. But the Sorcerer King also possesses unimaginable might. Both sides are far superior to us, to the point where I can’t even picture the outcome.”
「不清楚。虽然就我个人而言，认为还是击退了那亚达巴沃的飞飞大人要更强。但魔导王的力量也是超乎寻常的。两人力量的规模皆远超于我们，根本就连想象也无法做到」

“Still, having someone like him under the banner of the Sorcerer King is pretty much the worst-case scenario. Nobody would dare declare war on him.”
「但这样的人物却被纳入了魔导王的旗下，真是最糟糕的状况啊。任谁也不会愿意向其宜战的啊」

Indeed.

The only person who might be able to take the Sorcerer King on even terms had instead become his vassal. That was a truly troubling development. Anyone who declared war on the Sorcerer King would effectively be declaring war on two Sorcerer Kings.
唯一可能与魔导王对等地战斗的人物，却成为了魔导王的手下。这真是一个令人困扰的局面。如果向魔导王作出挑战的话，就等同于是向二位魔导王宣战一样。

Just as the mood in the carriage grew grim, there was a knocking on the board which separated the passenger compartment of the coach from the driver’s seat, and then it opened.
而就在马车内的气氛黯淡下来的时候，与驾驶座之间隔板上的小窗户被叩了叩，随后便打开了开来。

“We’ll be reaching the Royal Palace soon.”
「就快要到王宫了」

As she heard the driver’s words, Renner slowly rose to her feet, and locked eyes with the two adventurers seated before her.
听了车夫的话拉娜缓缓起身，并交互看了看坐在面排的两名冒险者。

“Today, I have received your care in various ways. When Lakyus returns, I will thank her properly. May I ask if you have time to dine with me?”
「今日在各种方面上都承蒙关照了。等拉裘丝回来后能代我向她传达谢意，并询问一下是否有空能与我一同用餐呢？」

***

After the report of his younger sister’s return reached him, the Second Prince -- Zanack Valreon Igana Ryle Vaiself -- departed his chambers to welcome her home.
听到王妹回来了的报告，第二王子——扎纳克·瓦尔雷欧·伊格纳·莱儿·凡瑟芙为了前去迎接而离开了房间。

The whereabouts of his elder brother -- Barbro Andrean Ield Ryle Vaiself -- were still unknown. Given that a long time had passed, his chances of survival were considered extremely tiny. That being the case, Zanack was effectively the heir to the throne. Thus, the way in which he went to receive his younger sister was entirely inappropriate. While they were siblings, there was a clear distinction in their respective stations.
由于兄长——巴布罗·安德瑞恩·耶路德·莱儿·凡瑟芙第一王子至今行踪不明。再加上已经过了相当长一段时间，其生存几率已经被看的非常渺茫了。为此扎纳克基本可以说是，内定的下任国王了。由那样的他起身去迎接王妹，原本应该是不合适的。虽说是兄妹，但两人之间还是有着明确的身份差别。

The reason why he had chosen to go in person despite knowing that fact was because he had a proposal he urgently wanted to discuss with her. Zanack might not have been entirely willing to do so, but he had lost his closest confidant and thus had nobody else to turn to.
明明是这样他还是选择亲自前去，是因为实在有想要尽快与其商谈的议案。对失去心腹人才的扎纳克来说，虽不情愿，但除了王妹以外已经没有可以依赖的人了。

Soon, his younger sister appeared before him.
不久之后王妹的身姿进入扎纳克的视界。

Climb -- clad in his pure white armor -- was close by. Wherever Renner went, Climb often followed her. Thus, this was nothing out of the ordinary.
身穿纯白色铠甲的克莱姆也在王妹近旁。不管拉娜去哪里，多数场合克莱姆都会随侍左右。所以也不是什么反常的景象。

The pauper’s child that Renner had picked off the streets -- Climb.
拉娜捡来的贫民家的孩子——克莱姆。

In the past, he had thought she must have gotten a bee in her bonnet and picked him up out of a moment’s fancy. However, after he came to understand Renner’s strange personality and her incomparable intellect, Zanack began to think she might have a reason for doing so.
虽然之前还以为只是她不知哪根神经搭错，才一时兴起才捡回来的而已。但在了解了拉娜的古怪性格和稀世所罕见的睿智之后，扎纳克便开始觉得她当时这么做是存在着什么理由的了。

And then, after Jaldabaoth assaulted the Royal Capital, and the Sorcerer King wrought his grand massacre, he slowly began to understand the meaning behind her actions.
然后在亚达巴沃的王都袭击、以及魔导王的大虐杀后，他便慢慢地理解了其中的含义。

There were very few warriors in this city who were stronger than Climb. Even among the men of Gazef’s hand-picked warrior band, one could count the number of people who were stronger than Climb on one hand.
在这个王都里比克莱姆强的士兵非常少。就算在葛杰夫遴选出来的战士团中，比克莱姆更强的人也只有屈指可数的程度。

In addition, there was the man called Brain Unglaus, who had come with Climb, as well as her close friendship with Lakyus, the leader of the adamantite-ranked adventurer party called “Blue Rose”. There was no doubt that his younger sister now possessed the most physical power in the Royal Capital.
不止如此，拉娜和那个跟着克莱姆来的、叫做布莱恩·安格劳斯的男人，以及精钢级冒险者队伍“苍蔷薇”的领队拉裘丝都构筑起了私人间的友谊。毫无疑问，自己的王妹才是这个王都内拥有最强大物理性力量的存在。

--Was she conspiring to overthrow him with military force?
——她真的没有图谋以武力来逆转局面吗？

Zanack was right to suspect her of doing so.
扎纳克会如此怀疑也是理所当然的。

Even if Renner was not one to resort to such measures so easily, one still had to take precautions. Therefore, Zanack had begun to secretly build ties with orichalcum and mithril-ranked adventurers.
即使拉娜不至于轻易使出那么直接的手段，但防范与未然也是有必要的。因此扎纳克为了以防万一，正背地里处心积虑结交山铜级或秘银级冒险者。

Zanack sent a silent word of thanks to his elder brother.
扎纳克向自己的王兄送上了感激之情。

The reason why he could work so actively on these events was because his brother had gone missing and had virtually assumed him the throne. Another big reason was because his brother’s stipend now went to him.
之所以能像现在这样在各种事情上倾力而为，也是拜王兄行踪不明，自己成为下任国王几成定局所赐。王兄的年俸转到自己手里也是一大理由。

That said, the fact that Crown Prince Barbro’s corpse had not yet been found left a hint of unease in his heart. It would be very troublesome if he had been imprisoned by the Sorcerer King or hiding in a village somewhere while recovering from his wounds.
不过话是这么说，由于巴布罗第一王子的尸首至今也仍未为发现，还是令他稍微有些心存不安。无论是遭到魔导王的囚禁，还是负了伤藏在哪个村子里都让人很为难。

“Really… Is he going to give me trouble right until the end?” Zanack muttered, quietly enough that the members of his retinue could not hear.
「真是……到最后也要给我添麻烦吗」

以侍从们听不到的音量，扎纳克在口中碎念道。

He had to avoid agitating the nobles before he consolidated his position.
在得到更稳固的地位之前，应该避免刺激到贵族们。

Currently, Zanack’s backing was still not very secure.
现在扎纳克的后盾还不是很稳。

Marquis Raeven -- who had pacted with him to revitalize the Kingdom -- had thrown off Zanack’s hand as he reached out to detain him, and returned to his own lands. It could not be helped, as he had lost many people from his demesne, but at that time, there had been an air around him which seemed to say that he would never be coming back again.
一起约定了要振兴王国的雷文侯也甩开了挽留他的扎纳克的手，返回了自己的领地。毕竟自己领地的人死了不少，这也是没办法的事。但那时的他总觉得散发着一种再也不会回来的气氛。

Part of the reason for that must have been the deaths of his formerly orichalcum-ranked adventurer team and that of his strategist, the man who had clawed his way up from peasantry and his treasure, of whom he spoke in glowing words.
他所得意地炫耀着的、从平民爬上来军师，已经可以称得上是宝贝的、原山铜级冒险者的死亡想必是其原因之一吧。

Zanack felt a slight pain pricking at his gut. Could discussing matters with his younger sister soothe that pain?
扎纳克感到轻微的疼痛刺激着自己的胃部。和王妹商量的话，又能否稍稍平息这份痛楚呢。

He had been agonizing over a certain problem for the past few weeks.
这几个星期来，扎纳克一直都为一个问题而苦恼着。

That was -- should he offer a tribute to the Sorcerer King? If he did so, should he send them in the name of celebrating the founding of his nation? Or should he do so for another reason?
那就是，要不要向魔导王献上贡品呢？即使要献的话，是以建国纪念的名义呢？还是用别的理由去送、呢。

Judging by the current circumstances, not sending the gift would be the right choice. Why would anyone send a gift to someone who had taken one’s own terrain and founded a nation on it? The surrounding countries would surely take it as a mark of vassalage. That said, it was crucial to remain on the best of terms with the Sorcerous Kingdom.
就现状看来不送才是妥当的选择吧。对于在被夺走的领土上建国的国家，还送上礼物什么的，难免会被周边国家认为那是从属的印记。然而，同魔导国加深友好关系也是非常重要的事。

Though the Sorcerous Kingdom’s fighting strength remained unknown, the fact that the Sorcerer King could destroy a nation by himself was common knowledge.
虽然魔导国的战力至今不明，但魔导王一人就足以灭国是已经人人皆知的事实。

No matter what, he had to avert the possibility of that man’s eye turning to the Kingdom once more.
他的目光再次对准王国这件事是、无论如何都要想办法要避免的。

Because of that, he had to send a gift. Zanack felt that it could not be helped, even if other nations believed it to be a sign of fealty. No matter what, he had to buy as much time as possible.
正因如此才得要送个礼——就扎纳克来说，即使被他国认为这是属于之证，也是没有办法的事——无论如何都要尽可能的争取时间。

However, the nobles would never accept that. This was the troublesome part.
但是，贵族们绝不会认可这一点。这才是麻烦的问题。

The Sorcerer King’s might was widely known. That said, they would not possibly accept an attitude of submission from the future ruler of the Kingdom (Zanack), even in the face of such strength.
确实魔导王的力量已经广为人知。但是即便是面对强者，但如果次任国王就摆出这样的从属态度，也是不能被他们所接受的吧。

The nobles had suffered tremendous losses, so they were looking for scapegoats upon which to vent their frustrations.
贵族们遭受了巨大的损失，所以他们正在寻找着可以宣泄自己不满的牺牲品。

Due to the loss of his confidant Gazef Stronof, the current king, Ranpossa III, had been overcome by grief and despair, and had fallen into a state of extreme mental distress. To some extent, seeing the king in this sad state had mollified the nobles’ anger, but their hatred toward their broken king -- and perhaps the entire royal family -- could not vanish so easily.
由于得力心腹葛杰夫·史托罗诺夫的牺牲，现任国王兰布沙三世因为悲叹和动摇、而陷入极度心慌意乱的状态，虽然见到其丑态的贵族们在一定程度上也确实解恨了。但对遭受大惨败的国王，甚至是对整个王家的怨恨是不可能完全消失的。

If that fellow were around, he’d probably be able to come up with something good.
（那家伙的话多少能想出些好主意的吧）

If possible, he would have like to have come to a conclusion himself. However, time was tight, and he needed an action plan soon.

Zanack stood in place, while stomping his boots loudly.
虽然可能的话还是想靠自己得出结论。但时间已经所剩无几，到了必须得拿出方案的时候了。
扎纳克原地站定，与此同时同时靴子踩出很大的声响。

Renner reacted to the sound, and turned to look at him. Then, she changed her direction and headed toward Zanack. That way, Zanack’s dignity as a superior being would remain intact.
拉娜对声音做出反应，将脸转向自己。然后改变方向，朝扎纳克走来。这样一来扎纳克作为上位者的威严也就得以保全。

Soon, his younger sister stood before him, but Zanack did not speak first. Opportunities like this were very delicate. He had to let more people understand who exactly was on top here.
没过多久王妹便站到自己跟前，但扎纳克没有主动开口。现在这个时期的非常微妙。有必要让更多的人明确地认清谁才处于上位才行。

“I’ve returned, onii-sama.”
「我回来了，王兄大人」

“Welcome back, my sister.”
「欢迎回来，王妹哟」

In the face of Renner’s respectful greeting, Zanack responded with equal generosity. He saw Climb saluting from the corner of his eye, but there was no need to return the salute of a mere soldier.
面对拉娜与公主身份相称的礼仪，扎纳克也落落大方地回答道。视野一角克莱姆也行了礼，但对于区区一介士兵就没有回礼的必要了。

“Let us walk together.”
「途中就一起走吧」

“It would be my pleasure, onii-sama.”
「非常乐意，王兄大人」

Zanack and Renner set out together, side by side. He raised his chin, indicating that his retinue should keep their distance. If he had looked over, he would have seen Renner gesturing to Climb that he was permitted to stay further away.
扎纳克和拉娜结伴迈出脚步，下颔轻扬，指示随从们稍微远离。看过去的话，拉娜也向克莱姆下达了、让他少许远离的指示。

“Speaking of which, onii-sama, you seem quite harried. What has happened?”
「说起来王兄大人，看上去相当着急的样子呐。究竟是出了什么事？」

Renner smiled as she asked her gentle question.
拉娜展露着笑容，轻声地这么问道。