The Paladin of the Sacred Kingdom Part I

In front stood their team leader. A priest wearing a water god sigil around her neck. Judging by her Demonic Sword, this was Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra.

Her features were so alluring that Neia felt attracted even though she didn’t have much interest in the same sex. She didn’t look like someone who had reached the highest adventurer rank through combat prowess alone. If she were wearing a dress, she would have been the embodiment of what a commoner like Neia dreamed a princess was like.

She spoke with a voice that matched her beauty. “Thank you for inviting us. We are the Blue Roses.”

Remedios, who had stood to welcome them, bowed her head slightly and greeted them. “I thank you for coming, Blue Roses.”

“To receive an invitation from Lady Remedios Custodio, bearer of the Sacred Sword and a paladin whose unparalleled abilities are known far and wide, is an honor.”

Remedios was rather stiff and monotone during these formalities, but Lakyus spoke naturally. The rumor that she was a noble’s daughter must have been true.

“Ah, I’m also, uh, happy to meet the bearer of the Demonic Sword. Ahem. Please have a seat. Oh, and these people around us are paladins. I’d appreciate if we could allow them to listen to our conversation. And, ummm, if there’s time afterward, I’d love it if you could show me your sword…”

“With pleasure. And I do hope you’ll show me yours, too. All right, we’ll be accepting your hospitality. Everyone, please.”

The Blue Roses all sat in whatever position they pleased. Some were already propped up on their elbows, while others crossed their arms. The casual brazenness was strangely becoming due to their famous power and capability.

“Should we introduce ourselves first?”

Gustav piped up, perhaps to give Remedios a breather. “No, that won’t be necessary. Stories of you all have traveled far and wide in the Sacred Kingdom. Apologies, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m the deputy commander of the paladins, Gustav Montagnés.” Remedios smiled calmly at his reply.

“Is that so? I hope the rumors are good.”

“O—”

“Yes, we’ve heard nothing but good things. The stories of your exploits thrilled me.”

Remedios was about to say something when Gustav intercepted. Glossing over the momentary confusion, he exchanged smiles with Lakyus.

“I’m happy to hear that. I’d love to know what rumors you’ve heard, but we’re here because our presence was requested. We wouldn’t want to waste your time. Could we begin by going over the matter in question?”

“Hmm. Before we do that, I’d at least like to get that girl’s name.”

Surprised at the remark, Neia discovered one of the thief twins pointing at her. The other twin was also eyeing her with interest.

They must have been Tia and Tina. In all the tales of the Blue Roses that had made their way to the Sacred Kingdom, none featured these mysterious twins.

And they were pointing at her.

She felt like she’d be thrust out from a dark wing onto a brightly lit stage. The words
Why? How? What?
raced circles around her mind.

“She doesn’t have the build of a warrior. Her muscles are totally different from ours.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

It was Gagaran the warrior who jumped in to respond.

“Just what I said… She’s not a warrior no matter how you look at her.
This
is a warrior.”

“Whoa there. A body like this gets built through experience.”

“You mean she’ll transform into something like you?” The thief’s expression sharpened. “Don’t be ridiculous. That’s horrible to say to the poor thing.”

“Hey, aren’t you being a bit harsh? You’ve trained with me! C’mon!”

“Nothing changed, though. I only got sore ribs because you gave me a crazy bear hug while I was sleeping and—”

“That’s enough, you two… Apologies for my half-wits.”

“Nothing to worry about. This here is Neia Baraja, one of our squires. Her keen senses helped us a great deal on our journey to get here.”

“Got it.” She said it with zero emotion, so it wasn’t cute at all.

“…Hmph. It’s our fault, but this conversation isn’t getting anywhere. If neither of you have any objections, why don’t we get down to business? And there’s not really any point to you two acting like nobles. Does anyone have an issue with just speaking frankly?”

Lakyus said, “Evileye,” disapprovingly.

The arcane caster, Evileye. She was immensely powerful and never removed her mask. Her body was particularly petite—some rumors said she was from a different, smaller race.

“No, that’s fine. I’m not so clever when it comes to nuanced communication.”

“Commander…”

“…Hoh-hoh. Your boss is quick on the uptake. Now how about ours? If they’re going to pay us a proper intelligence fee, then they’re our employers. Rather than taking forever to feel one another out, why not just jump straight into money matters and get the contract over with?”

Lakyus sighed, and Evileye grinned as she continued.

“There’s our boss’s tacit approval. Now, before we decide the fee, let’s confirm the nature of the request. I’d like to hear it from you, but I presume it’s about the demon Jaldabaoth rampaging through your country, right?”

“You know already?”

“Whoa, whoa. You think nobles would have info we don’t? Some merchants travel by water to the Kingdom. And the various branches of the Adventurers Guild exchange intelligence to some extent. Putting that aside for now, how about it? Want to trade what we know? We’d rather have the info than the money.”

“Mmph… C-can I consult with Gustav for a moment?”

Evileye gave them a go-ahead gesture, and Remedios and Gustav stood and went to the room next door—the bedroom.

“Um, is it okay if I get some water?” Gagaran asked Neia, pointing at the pitcher and cups on the table.

Why are you asking me?!
Though a nervous wreck, she managed to reply, “Yes, of course. Go right ahead.” Her voice didn’t shake, and her manner was so perfect, she wanted to pat herself on the back.

By the time Gagaran finished pouring the water, Remedios and Gustav were coming back.

“We’ll pay an intelligence fee, so could we just hear what you have to say?”

Huh
, thought Neia. She wondered why Remedios didn’t agree, when she found even paying for their accommodation a waste. Probably because Gustav told her not to, but what was his reason for convince her?

“Well, that’s fine. I just thought that if we knew the current state of the Sacred Kingdom we would be able to offer more targeted information.”

“We’ll pay the agreed fee.”

Gustav put a small leather pouch on the table.

“Hmph. Hey.” Evileye jerked her chin at one of the thieves. The thief’s hand zipped out to grab the bag, and she tossed it once. Catching it, she nodded at Evileye.

She must have confirmed from the weight in her hand that it was the correct amount of money.

“All right. I, Evileye, will speak as our representative… That said, as I mentioned before, saying you want ‘all’ the information there is about Jaldabaoth is a bit like trying to lasso a cloud. I’ll tell you what happened in this country in detail, but first we should confirm the basics. Jaldabaoth looks like this, correct?”

Evileye took a pen and paper from the reading desk on the side of the room and began sketching a portrait with flowing motions. But what she ended up with, no matter how kindly one viewed it, was no better than a child’s scribbling. Remedios was saying, “No, he was m—” when one of the twins grabbed the picture and ripped it in half before anyone could stop her.

“Why you— What do you think you’re doing?!”

Evileye was furious, but the other twin took the opportunity to grab the pen, move it rapidly over a new piece of paper, and thrust the finished portrait out. “Mm…nnnngh…” came a frustrated groan from beneath the caster’s mask. To be blunt, the new drawing was incomparably better.

Yes, the outfit was difficult to describe in words. It comprised unfamiliar garments from some foreign land. And that weird mask. When Remedios saw the picture, she clenched her first and said, “That’s the guy,” like a snarling beast.

Seeing that response, Evileye seemed to compose herself; she quit chewing out the thief and turned back to Remedios.

“Then that’s one thing we know for sure. It’s the same man—er, demon. Well, if there were a whole bunch of them popping up all over, that would be a problem, so I suppose we should consider this a blessing. Okay, so—”

Then Evileye explained what had happened in the kingdom, and Neia frowned inwardly as she listened.

She was prepared to confirm the extent of Jaldabaoth’s strength. And the existence of a demon army filled with powerful, scaly demons was something she had known about already, so that was no surprise.

But the news that there were five maids who could hold their own against the Blue Roses in a fight deepened her despair.

I don’t recall any reports of maid demons in the Sacred Kingdom. Does Jaldabaoth keep them up his sleeve as a last resort? So there’s more to come…?

“What have you estimated his difficult rating as?”

The Blue Roses exchanged glances at Gustav’s question. It was their representative, Evileye, who answered. “First, let me say this: The number I’m about to give you is only a guess. Keep in mind that he could be higher or lower. That demon seems to be around two hundred.”

“Two hundred…” It was Gustav who practically choked the words out.

Neia nearly gasped herself, but she just barely managed to hold it back. Along the wall, some of the knights had failed, exclaiming in the same way Gustav had. Remedios was the only one who maintained her calm completely. Her expression didn’t so much as twitch.

Neia seemed to remember that 100 was the highest a human could hope to defeat.

“Two hundred—so how strong does that make him, specifically?” Remedios asked frankly, and Evileye wasn’t quite sure what to say.

“Something at difficulty two hundred has never appeared in the human world before, but, well, an old dragon is around one hundred.”

“An old dragon…? I’ve never fought one of those… I suppose it’s about the same as the guardian god of the sea?”

The guardian god of the sea was a sea dragon who lived in the water.

Its arms, legs, and wings had atrophied, and instead it had a long tail. It certainly looked more like a dragon than a sea serpent, and it was as or more intelligent than humans. The gentle creature often protected people’s boats if they presented offerings.

Neia had been lucky enough to see it once, albeit from a distance, with her family on a trip to Limun.

Its neck stretched up out of the water with enough majesty to be worthy of the epithet guardian god. She couldn’t believe a human could defeat it.

“Commander Custodio, comparing it to defeating the guardian god of the sea is a bit… If there were any fishermen here, they wouldn’t be very happy. But anyhow, Jaldabaoth is twice as strong as an old dragon…”

“Right. He’s more powerful than the evil spirits the Thirteen Heroes defeated. Anytime he shows up in the human world, a catastrophe is guaranteed; multiple countries will fall into ruin. That’s the kind of strength we’re talking about.”

“But you said when Jaldabaoth was on his rampage in the Kingdom, Sir Momon of Raven Black drove him off. Does that mean he’s equally powerful?” Gustav took a breath. “Or did he have a special item that was able to repel the demon?”

Evileye’s attitude changed.

Naturally, Neia couldn’t see her expression beneath the mask, but from the way she was moving, it seemed like she might have been blushing.

“It didn’t seem like he was using an item. But he was just so gallant! During Sir Momon and Jaldabaoth’s sword fight, I was battling the demon’s underlings, so I wasn’t able to watch the entire time, but what I managed to see was absolutely astounding. It’s just the kind of fight you would expect from a hero of heroes, the bravest of the brave.”

“I-is that right?” That was all Gustav could manage to say, edging away as Evileye leaned forward during her passionate explanation.

“It is! Truly, it was amazing. Sir Momon fought Jaldabaoth while protecting me, after all.”

“He fought Jaldabaoth—that monster—head-on? Really?”

“What are you getting at? I saw it with my own two eyes. Are you saying I’m lying?” Evileye’s voice took on a severe tone when she shot that back at Remedios.

Gustav hurriedly intervened before the atmosphere got any tenser. “Uh, no, she just thought that if perhaps Raven Black took advantage of some weak point, then maybe we would have a chance, too. Apologies that she wasn’t clear.”

“No, I apologize for the childish attitude Evileye is taking with you,” Lakyus responded.

Neia wondered if it was really all right for them to gloss over the tension while almost pretending the two in question weren’t even present.

“Hmph…
If
Jaldabaoth had a weak point, and
if
Sir Momon used it to win, I highly doubt a demon that powerful would leave such an opening unchanged.”

“That’s true… I suppose Jaldabaoth could compensate with magic items or his subordinates.”

The maids were news, but they were aware that Jaldabaoth had a few immensely powerful demons under him.

From what they had gotten out of subhuman prisoners, he had at least three.

The demon controlling the wilderness where the subhumans lived.

The demon controlling the bay city Limun.

And the scaly demon leading the subhuman army.

“Oh, right! Could you give us the details on that scaly demon?”

“Yes, would it be possible for you to tell us what sort of abilities it has?”

“Sure. I can tell you more about the demon that Evileye and I fought.” Lakyus’s story about what abilities it had and how it fought ended with the demon being defeated by Brain Unglaus, a warrior said to be as strong as Gazef Stronoff.

“…That’s strange. After Jaldabaoth took the Sacred Kingdom’s capital, he didn’t make any further moves—the one leading the subhuman army was a scaly demon. Maybe it wasn’t really defeated?”

“Hmm… I’ve met Brain before, though; he doesn’t seem like the type to lie. Maybe it wasn’t a unique monster, but simply an upper-tier type?”

“You mean as long as some condition or another is met, Jaldabaoth could summon an unlimited amount of them? Or multiple copies?”

Neia didn’t use magic, but she had learned about it to some extent.

It was difficult to summon more than one monster at a time.

The issue was that if someone cast a summoning spell while they already had one active, the previous spell would peter out, returning that monster, and summoning a new one in its place.

However, advanced casters were able to summon multiple monsters from lower-tier spells—for example, using tier-four magic to summon multiple monsters that could be summoned with tier-three magic.

“I don’t know. His summoning method is a mystery. Given how powerful he is, I imagine summoning multiple demons would be possible, but…then we’re left with the question of why he didn’t do that in the kingdom. Supposedly, a rare handful of casters specialized in summoning can create monsters of more than one race at a time, but…”

“So if the scaly demon was defeated, maybe Jaldabaoth could have summoned it again right away?”

“That must be it. But that’s if he’s using magic to do the summoning. If it’s a skill, things might work differently.”

“You don’t know for sure?”

“No, sorry. We haven’t confirmed much at all.” Evileye’s shoulders slumped in an obvious way.

“…Hmm, I don’t really get it.”

“…Commander, I’ll explain later.”

“No, explain now, even just a little. I can’t keep up.”

This is our leader, the one in charge of us all…

“So then, did he also summon that nasty bug maid?”

“I don’t know. I sure hope not…”

The Blue Roses began discussing among themselves.

“Ummm, may I say something?” Neia spoke up hesitantly. All eyes turned to her, and the pressure was so enormous she nearly regretted it. Maybe she could have just waited for someone else to bring it up. But the die was cast. She steeled her resolve and asked her question. “This might be a very basic question, but where did Jaldabaoth come from? Has a demon named Jaldabaoth been around throughout history?”

“It’s unclear. I looked through all sorts of books, but I didn’t find the name anywhere. I tried searching based on his appearance as well, but there weren’t any clues.”

“Could it be an alias? Like he wanted to go cause trouble under a different name?”

“That should be impossible. The name of a demon—and the same goes for angels—is an integral part of its existence. In order for a demon to appear, the wedge of its name needs to be driven into the world. Because of that, it’s apparently impossible for them to go by any other name. Some experiments have even shown that they’ll vanish if they even try.”

Neia knew next to nothing about demons and angels, but if a caster from an adamantite adventurer team said so, it must’ve been true.

“If he came from some remote part of the continent, it would make sense that we didn’t know anything about him…but at that point, anything is possible, so we just have no idea.” Evileye shrugged.

“…Hey, what if Jaldabaoth’s appearance was different? You looked him up based on the way he looks in that picture, but what if that’s a disguise?”

“Ohhh?” Evileye leaned toward Remedios. “Tell me more.”

“We had Jaldabaoth in that form in a tight spot, but then he revealed his true nature…” Remedios closed her eyes. “And we were utterly defeated.”

“Can you tell me the details?”

“That much is fine, right, Gustav?”

“No objections here. If by describing him we can gain more information, keeping it to ourselves would be our loss.”

“Really, I’d like to just tell them everything,” Remedios mumbled to herself. Then she began explaining Jaldabaoth’s true form to Evileye. Partway through, her face grew clouded with rage—she must have been recalling a battle no one in the room was present for.

“I see. I’ll try searching again based on that description. I’d like to let you know what I find out, so can you tell me how long you’re planning to be in town?”

“Right now we don’t have specific plans. But so, does that mean the description doesn’t ring any bells?”

“Lakyus, do you recognize it?”

She shook her head.

“What she says. Sorry.”

“Understood. We’ll inform you once we have a plan.”

“But now we have to consider the worst-case scenario. It’s possible that he held back in Re-Estize to spread false intelligence.”

“You mean…his true aim was in our country, and his goal in yours was something different?”

“Maybe. If his main objective was in the Kingdom, then it would have made sense for him to reveal his true nature here. Or maybe he was alarmed by Sir Momon’s strength and decided to save it for later to prevent his scheme from being ruined? I hope that’s not the case, but…”

Evileye’s comments left the room in a gloomy silence. It was so quiet that even faint breathing noises sounded loud. In the tension that followed, with everyone wondering who would speak first, it was Lakyus who proved her courage.

“So to back up a bit, we’d also like to hear some info about Jaldabaoth. What we know is only our own analysis after meeting him. We haven’t figured out his purpose, true form, or abilities.”

“Summoning demons to collect intelligence would have been an option…except it corrupts your soul. And even if you summon lower-tier demons, they often don’t know much about the higher tiers. So we’d need to get in touch with someone capable of summoning more powerful demons.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who specializes in summoning demons.”

It was Evileye who commented first. Then one of the twins.

Well, you wouldn’t, usually…
, thought Neia.

Fortunately, evil casters who specialized in summoning demons never became very powerful—because they usually either ruined themselves or were hunted down.

Of course, there could be individuals who avoided such grisly ends, but they lurked in darkness and were hardly out and about making friends.

“Still, though. Isn’t it aggravating to sit around and do nothing? I wanna be able to make him cry next time he comes to the Kingdom! But for that, we need info—as much info as we can get our hands on.”

“Also, when he came to the Kingdom, he didn’t bring subhumans. If he took subhumans under his wing as a result of failing in the Kingdom, then we need to be even more cautious.”

Gagaran and the other twin voiced their thoughts as well.

“So you want to know what we know?”

The Blue Roses all nodded, and Lakyus finished. “We’ll pay you the same as what you paid us.”

“Commander, can I take over negotiations from here?”

Remedios agreed immediately to Gustav’s suggestion.

“Then we’d like our compensation in a different form, not cash.”

“And that would be? We’ll try to provide what you ask, but I can’t simply promise that anything will go… That said, if you want to be connected to an influential noble, I think we can arrange that.”

“Oh? Thank you for that, but actually we’re after something else. Would you come to our country and fight with us?”

Silence fell over the room once more. After a few seconds—no, probably more—there was finally a sound. Lakyus had leaned back in her chair.

“Apologies, but we can’t compensate you in that way.”

“…We’re after the information in order to
not
die. Doing it that way would defeat the purpose.” Evileye shrugged her shoulders as if to say,
No can do
.

“We’re not saying you have to face Jaldabaoth. You could be on standby in the rear dispensing healing magic.”

“Don’t lie to us. You definitely need more help than that.” Gagaran rolled her eyes.

It was true. The northern part of the Sacred Kingdom had been conquered by Jaldabaoth and could hardly put up any meaningful resistance at this point. Most of the people had been sent to the camps, and the few remaining paladins were hiding out in caves.

“No, it’s not like that. We’re just barely holding the subhuman invasion back.”

The Southern Sacred Kingdom’s territory was still intact, and the troops guarding the southlands and Jaldabaoth’s army were sizing each other up. If that could be counted as holding back the invaders, then they were.

Lies versus truth. Neia knew the truth, so she felt Gustav’s response was closer to a lie.

“Would it be possible for you to come?”

“Sorry.”

Remedios had straightened up to ask, but Evileye’s reply was a clear no. And the silence of other members must have meant it wasn’t just her opinion but the collective’s decision.

“…Honestly, I said we were just barely holding them back, but…we’re actually in rougher shape. The Northern Sacred Kingdom is lost, but we still have some forces remaining in the south. Still, it’ll be impossible to beat Jaldabaoth with them alone.” Gustav poured some water into his cup and took a drink. Then he spoke again. “The reason the country wasn’t swallowed up in a single gulp was that the naval forces managed to pin Jaldabaoth’s troops along the coast. If he found a way around that and continued advancing south, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

But that was what the people of the north thought, since they knew Jaldabaoth’s power. The people down south may have had completely different ideas. Maybe they thought they could drive him off on their own.

That was a sign that information wasn’t being shared effectively, but it was partly due to other issues between the two regions.

In the south, a majority of the nobles opposed a woman overriding her elder brother’s claim to take the throne.

Which is why, in order to avoid a split, the Holy Lady had ignored the slanderous rumor in the south that she had attained her position through collusion with influential shrines and that her aide, Kelart Custodio, had been pulling strings from behind the scenes.

After that, the south never acted, so they managed to avoid an all-out confrontation, but that was because power had been balanced. Now that the north had collapsed, the south didn’t need to play nice anymore. The southern powers were only a few steps away from eclipsing the north.

At this juncture, with Jaldabaoth attacking, it seemed absurd that fighting would break out between humans. And catching glimpses of the power struggle surrounding the decision of who would be the next king made Neia, a commoner, uncomfortable.

“That’s no good.”

“It’s not. Our few air units in the naval forces sustained heavy losses battling flying demons. We won’t be able to hold Jaldabaoth’s army back forever. We need some kind of breakthrough. Please lend us your strength! Even just for a month or two! We’ll do our best to provide whatever compensation you ask! Please save the Sacred Kingdom!”

When Gustav lowered his head, Neia and paladins bowed and said, “We beg you!”

Then the quiet room filled with Lakyus’s voice. “Please raise your heads. And I’m sorry, but we can’t go to the Sacred Kingdom.”

“Why not?!”

Neia jerked her head up at Remedios’s shout and saw her leaning out of her seat, glaring at Lakyus.

“I doubt he’ll stop with defeating the Sacred Kingdom! He’ll probably just gather his strength there and then attack you! If we don’t defeat him now, things will only get worse!”

“Yes. There is a good chance that’s what will happen.”

Before Gustav could stop her, Remedios barreled ahead. “So if you understand that, then why won’t you help us?! It’s not only you! The nobles here and in our own country—they don’t get it at all! We should be combining our powers to fight!”

“…The reason our kingdom’s nobles can’t help you is a bit different from ours. How much do you know about the Nation of Darkness?”

It was a country built upon usurping one of the kingdom’s cities. And it was a horrible place ruled by an undead king. That was what the people of the Sacred Kingdom knew. When Remedios explained as much, Lakyus smiled wryly.

“Right. You have it almost correct, but there’s one part you’re mistaken on… It’s true that undead are in charge, but supposedly the humans living there are safe.”

“……Huh? But undead despise the living.”

“But there are all different kinds of undead, right? And the King of Darkness is an undead ruler. It must be easy for him to get the undead below him to submit and not harm the humans.”

Evileye pouted audibly.

“Come now, Evileye… Anyway, since we have this issue of the Nation of Darkness, we aren’t able to support you. And we sustained terrible losses in the battle against the Nation of Darkness. We’ll be feeling the effects of that for years to come. Even the nobles who appear wealthy don’t actually have assets to spare.”

“Still, though! Shouldn’t Jaldabaoth be handled as soon as possible?! He’s actually out there harming humans as we speak. The Nation of Darkness or whatever isn’t hurting people, right?!”

“…I don’t think I need to explain how dangerous it would be to open another front while a country is already exhausted.”

Remedios faltered.

“And two members of our party were actually killed in our fight with Jaldabaoth. We resurrected them with a spell, but they still haven’t reached their former strength. If we ventured to the land Jaldabaoth is ruling in such a state, we could be wiped out.”

“But it’s like Gustav said—you don’t have to fight him!”

“Is this lady serious…?”

“Tia! Excuse us. Um, I’m sorry, but I just don’t think things will go that smoothly. If there’s even the slightest chance that we would have to face Jaldabaoth, we have to turn down the job. We need to gather our own strength and prepare for the future…in case Jaldabaoth attacks Re-Estize again.”

The faces of the Blue Roses were unwavering; it didn’t seem like it would be possible to convince them.

Eventually Remedios spoke in a choked voice. “Then who will save our country?”

The Blue Roses exchanged glances with one another.

“There’s only one answer.” It was Evileye who replied. “Really, you should have talked to him first.”

“…Who?”

“Sir Momon, of course! The one who repelled Jaldabaoth the first time.”

“Ohhh! That makes sense!”

“Please wait, Commander Custodio… Isn’t he…I mean…?”

“So you’ve heard? Yes, he’s in the Nation of Darkness working for the king. You’ll have to persuade the King of Darkness.”

“Urk!” Remedios exclaimed.

Neia understood how she felt. It was a pretty complicated matter for a subject of the Sacred Kingdom to go to an undead for help.

She sensed that, even as a squire. Remedios, commander of the paladins and bearer of a Holy Sword, was probably even more eager to avoid anything of the sort. But there was power in her eyes as she looked at the Blue Roses.

“…If that’s our best shot at defeating Jaldabaoth, then let’s do it. Or really, it’s our only choice. Would you mind writing us an intro to this Momon g—?”

“
Sir
Momon, Commander.”

“R-right! Do you think you could write us an intro to Sir Momon?”

2

After the meeting with the Blue Roses, Neia and the other members of the paladin delegation were quick to depart the royal capital. Not only was there no longer anyone in Re-Estize who could help them, but they realized it would take months to gather any information about Jaldabaoth’s true form. Plus, they now had a lead in the form of Momon, the only person with any chance at defeating the demon leader.

Above all, their wish to do something for the people suffering in Roebel spurred them on.

Giving their horses only minimal rest, sometimes using magic, they proceeded east along the highway at a pace impossible for normal travelers.

After passing one final village, the party entered the buffer zone between Re-Estize and the Nation of Darkness.

Low hills obstructed their view, and there was no telling when a monster might emerge from the occasional patches of virgin forest. It was former Kingdom territory, true, but that only meant the chance of being attacked was slimmer, not zero.

Neia kept her sight, smell, and other senses sharp as they moved through that terrain.

Doesn’t seem like there’s anything waiting along the highway. And no signs that large carnivores recently passed this way.

The highway was a dirt road. Apparently, they would soon enter an area under royal jurisdiction, which would be better maintained. For most travelers, having a proper road was more convenient, but Neia preferred being able to see tracks in the dirt.

She looked down at her palms.

She wasn’t terribly fond of her hands.

They were toughened from training, though it wasn’t as if she hated them. She just hated her lack of ability.

She inherited her keen senses from her father, but unfortunately, she didn’t get anything similar from her mother.

Neia’s mother had been a paladin of some reputation, as well as fairly good with a sword. But her daughter could train all she wanted—she simply didn’t have the aptitude. She hadn’t even trained with her father’s specialty, the bow, but she was rather adept at using one.

Well, she was probably lucky to have inherited even half of their superior skills. But the special powers paladins acquired could only be used with close-quarters weapons. An aptitude for ranged weapons was pointless for someone aiming to join the ranks of paladins.

She returned her hands to the reins and held them tightly.

She lifted her hips a bit and adjusted her position on her saddle. She had spent quite a long time on her horse since departing Roebel, leaving her butt and groin incredibly sore.

If she asked one of the paladins, she could get them to relieve her pain with a lower-tier healing spell, but she was a grown woman. Such a request was too embarrassing. And since her discomfort was so minor that it didn’t affect her ability to ride, it was even harder to bring up.

…I can just rub some herbs on it later like always. I owe it to my dad for that one. When he talked to me about what to do if you got a sore butt, I was annoyed, but… Hmm, did I ever apologize for that…? Sigh…

She bit back the tears threatening to form in the corners of her eyes.

“Oh, Commander. We can see the pavement up ahead. We’ll be in Nation of Darkness territory soon.”

It was a strange sight to see that partway down the highway the road was suddenly paved.

“Right. So should we just go straight there? Or will we camp somewhere on the way?”

Neia looked up at the sky.

“If we don’t run into any issues, we can reach our destination before sundown. But we’ll have to move pretty fast. What should we do?”

“Let me talk to Gustav quick.” Remedios pulled her reins and slowed down to talk to her second-in-command.

So this is Nation of Darkness territory…? Where are the soldiers? There’s not even a fort. The Re-Estize side had one…

Normally, there would at least be a guardhouse on the border, but this country didn’t have one. She had heard that the Nation of Darkness only had one city, so she thought maybe all the troops were concentrated there.

Neia looked down at the paved road.

The path ahead wound between gently sloping hills. Far off in the distance, she could see a forest that had lost its leaves for winter.

She remembered camping with her father in the blustery time of year. Nature was the same wherever one went. She had the feeling this scenery was no different than what winter looked like in the Sacred Kingdom.

…What was it he said? That it was a pain to live in the human world?

Her father’s words remained like a tiny thorn in her heart.

He said it was for her mother that he went to live in the city. If he hadn’t had a family, he would have lived in a little village near the forest, surviving on the bounties of nature.

When she was little, Neia thought living with nature seemed harder, but during this trip it hit her what her father meant.
Is it proof that I’ve grown up?
At this age she would have been able to have different conversations with both her mother and father.

Those thoughts elicited another twinge from her heart. But the pain only lasted an instant. She was distracted by the scene that came into view beyond the road snaking eastward through the hills.

A fire?!

Neia squinted and took a more careful look.

The milky-white clouds weren’t smoke but fog. Still…

“Apologies for interrupting, but there appears to be fog up ahead!”

“What about it?”

When she called behind her, Remedios answered with her face guard up, looking dubious.

“Neia Baraja, what bothers you about it?”

“Ma’am, I just thought that since there aren’t any large lakes or the like in this area, it’s strange for so much fog to be around.”

The creamy fog, growing thicker as they spoke, was spreading more and more, nearly reaching their party.

Neia’s father had taught her a lot about natural phenomena, and according to that knowledge, too, this much fog appearing seemed unusual.

“Squire Baraja. It’s not a special environmental shift, is it?” Gustav, who was quicker to catch on than Remedios, asked.

A special environmental shift meant some sort of phenomenon that wouldn’t normally occur happening over a widespread area. For example, a region covered in rotten poisonous gas due to failed ritual magic, a desert where a huge storm occurred for a week once each year, or a place where rainbow rain fell during a specific season.

He was asking if this fog was one of those totally mysterious phenomena. But Neia hadn’t heard anything about it during her research. She had the feeling she’d get complaints if she admitted it outright like that, but she had no choice but to be honest.

“My apologies. I didn’t read or hear anything about this fog.”

“Do you mean you didn’t do enough research?”

Another question that was difficult to answer. Who was the one who would judge whether she did enough or not?

“Commander Custodio. I think the most important thing right now is what to do next.”

The horses had already stopped.

The fog was too thick; it wouldn’t be safe to continue on horseback. According to her research, there weren’t any sheer cliffs on the outskirts of E-Rantel, so even if something came up, they should have been able to handle it at a trot. But something about this sudden fog made her hesitate.

Neia sniffed.

It smelled only like water. Nothing stuck out to her in particular. But that made her wonder about it even more.

“Commander. Do you think it could be the work of some monster? My father once told me that some have the power to create fog and that they attack those who wander into it and get lost.”

“…Everyone, draw your weapons! It’s dangerous to stand still in the middle of the road, so move off to the side!”

That split-second decision was proof that Remedios functioned well in combat.

Neia and the paladins obeyed the order, walking their horses to the side of the road. Then they all formed a defensive circle. By that time, it seemed like the whole world was enshrouded in fog.

Even the person right next to her she could see only hazily. It was impossible to make out anything more than fifteen yards ahead. Anxiety swelled in her chest, and the swirling of the fog seemed almost like a parade of ghosts.

If she could hear better that would help, but she was surrounded by knights in full plate armor. Even their slightest movement caused the metal to rub, which drowned out quieter sounds. Under the circumstances, if something were sneaking up on them, it would be hard to detect. The only person Neia knew who would be able to hear well in this situation would have been her father.

Realizing how great he truly was, she desperately strained her ears.

“This fog really is strange. It’s not even usually this thick by the sea.”

“Aren’t we almost to the Nation of Darkness’s city? Could there really be monsters lurking this close? Or is it precisely because we’re in the Nation of Darkness that we’re in this weird situation?”

“I don’t know, but…maybe it’s some sort of defensive spell the Nation of Darkness keeps active.”

“…Quit talking about magic. It gives me a headache. Just tell me if you notice anything. In the easiest way possible. If it’s a monster, couldn’t we kill it and use that deed as a debt in the negotiations to dispatch Sir Momon?”

“I wonder. It’s up to each country to get rid of the monsters in their territory, but…”

Perhaps because she was focusing her ears so hard, she could hear the conversation between Gustav and their leader quite clearly. But she wasn’t confident she could keep it up from any farther away. What would her father do in this situation?

You can’t be dependent on someone who isn’t here. I have to find my own way from now on!

But it was true that if she stayed here, her abilities couldn’t be used properly.
Then maybe I should ask if I can take up a position somewhere slightly removed from the others.

Or maybe I shouldn’t.

Her desire to propose something withered.

Remedios wasn’t very fond of her as it was. What kind of punishment would she get if she failed again? She had no interest in any more trouble.

And it’ll be a pain if she won’t accept my guidance on the rest of this trip…

Neia frantically defended herself. But it wasn’t good for her mental state to be in a crisis and feel like she could handle it better if she were in charge but then say nothing.

From somewhere in her head, she also heard the voice telling her that if this party were wiped out, there would be a delay in getting aid to the suffering people in Roebel, but the biting remarks Remedios hurled at her pained her more.

Just then, Neia saw something out of the corner of her eye that she couldn’t possibly miss.

A large, hazy figure had appeared in the fog in the direction leading farther into the Nation of Darkness.

“Hey, can you take a look over there?” Neia poked the paladin on the horse next to her.

“…No, sorry. The fog’s too thick. I can’t make anything out. Do you see something?”

She heard the knight grip his sword harder.

“Oh no, I thought I did, but maybe it’s just my imagination.”

“I see. Well, if you think you see something, it doesn’t matter what it is, let me know.”

“Okay, I will.”

Neia thanked him with a solemn face and then turned her gaze forward again. If there was such a thing as women who look good smiling and women who don’t, Neia was sure she was the latter. She got a better response, even when saying thank you, if she kept her expression serious.

She stared earnestly into the fog once more. The figure was some distance away, so it seemed she was the only one who could see it, but it definitely wasn’t her imagination.

Perhaps she had improved her mood talking with the knight? Neia decided to try talking to Remedios, but she was busy conferring with Gustav.

“What should we do now?”

“It’s dangerous to move in the fog. Let’s stand by a little longer, but then if nothing seems to be happening, we can dismount and take a rest. By the way, there’s a monster in the sea that creates fog, right?”

“There is. But around here there’s no sea or lakes. Just like Squire Baraja said.”

“Do you think she could have been mistaken or missed something?”

“She doesn’t make that kind of mistake. Hasn’t she gotten us this far safely? We didn’t get caught by the subhumans patrolling the broken wall as we were leaving the Sacred Kingdom, either. That would have been impossible on our own, you know.”

“I’m sure we could have brute forced our way.”

Neia’s mood plummeted.

Does she have any idea how hard I worked paying attention to every little thing as I guided them?

She recalled having the party stand by and scouting ahead on her own in the cold rain, crawling through the mud because she didn’t have concealment abilities like a ranger.

If she had been found—alone in that forward position—she would have been as good as dead. Still, if she could help save the people suffering in the Sacred Kingdom, she was prepared to risk her life.

That’s right. I’m not out here doing this for compliments.
She tried to convince herself. Even if the commander wouldn’t recognize her, the people would appreciate her hard work, though they weren’t likely to say it aloud.

Only children feel like they need some consideration—a reward—for doing their best. This is what it means to serve as someone’s shield. It’s a paladin’s duty to bite their lip and protect people from the tough stuff. That’s what our commander has been doing in her career, too. Just…I wish she would at least talk quieter. Well, they probably think they’ve lowered their voices enough, but…

Their conversation continued.

Meanwhile Neia was thinking,
Quit chatting and help keep watch already.
Remedios, with her knack for smelling danger and her combat prowess, would be especially good at that.

Suppressing her irritation, Neia focused her attention on the figure in the fog—because she couldn’t stand listening to Remedios and Gustav talk anymore, but neither had she recovered enough to interrupt them.

Then perhaps the wind blew the fog? For just an instant she could make out the outline of a distinct form.

But she couldn’t believe her eyes. What she saw was something that shouldn’t have existed there.

Huh? No way. It’s…a ship?

Yes, the shape she spotted was a seafaring ship.

And it seemed quite large, like a galleass. But since it was only a moment before the veil of fog covered it again, she couldn’t be sure.

Of course, common sense said it was impossible.

Both the information she had collected
and
Gustav said there were no lakes in this area. But even if there was a lake, only a crazy person would build a ship as big as a galleass in an inland area like this.

If this were an area near the sea, it was possible that they had brought an old ship up on land to repurpose as a fort or something. That practice actually occurred in Roebel. But this far inland, it just didn’t make sense.

I must have seen it wrong.

That had to be the best answer.

Still, her eyes kept flicking in that direction.

“…So you did see something?” the knight from before asked.

“Huh?!” It caught her off guard.

“In that direction you were looking just now—you saw something, right?”

“Huh? No, I…”

She had seen something that looked just like a ship. But if she said that, he would almost certainly wonder if she had gone mad. Neia would definitely be doubted. So what could she say?

“Even if it was just your imagination. Could you tell me if you think you see something? That way, if it turns out to actually be something, it’ll be easier to handle.”

He was so incredibly sensible.

When she glanced around, she saw that everyone was listening to their conversation. All eyes were on her. Under those circumstances, she couldn’t just say it was her eyes playing tricks on her.

“…Um, I had the feeling I saw a large shape.”

“You mean like the shape of a monster?”

It was the person she wanted to be questioned by the least.
No, don’t ask!
she thought, but there was no way she could say that.

She sighed dozens of times in her mind before finally answering. “No, it seemed more like a building.”

“…You really saw it?”

“I don’t know. I just had the feeling I saw it. It might be a better chance that it was my imagination.”

“A building? Like a Nation of Darkness fort or something?”

“I don’t know. But it’s true that so far we haven’t seen a single Nation of Darkness fort along the road. Or a village. You would expect to see those things along the border.”

She told herself that it sounded better to say that it seemed like a building rather than just saying she saw a ship.

“I see… What do you think, Gustav?”

“It makes an awful lot of sense. But…we haven’t actually confirmed that it’s a building, right?”

“Right. I only caught a glimpse of it, so it might be something else.”

“Commander Custodio. I think our best bet is to standby in the fog for a little while longer. I doubt a Nation of Darkness fort would easily allow foreigners past anyhow.”

“Ahhh. Well, shall we do that, then? Everyone, stay on guard.”

The party acknowledged the order. That included Neia.

Though they were supposed to be on guard, everyone’s attention ended up focused on one spot. They all wanted to see it with their own eyes.

For a while, the fog was too thick to see anything, but just when they were starting to lose interest in the possibility of a building, something happened.

“—Ngh!”

Both Neia and the knight next to her gasped at the same time.

They could see something clearly moving through the fog.

“Wh-what is that?!”

Neia couldn’t answer the knight’s question. If she said that ships were mobile, she would sound insane.

“That’s the form you saw…? It’s moving! So it wasn’t a building?”

The commander’s questions were natural. But since Neia hadn’t said what she thought it actually looked like, she was forced to insist that it seemed like a building.

“It seemed like one to me…”

“But it’s definitely moving! And…it’s getting easier to see. I think it’s coming this way!”

She was right. If it was really a boat, it was sailing in their direction. So then…it was a boat that sailed across land?

But…that can’t be.

Eventually, it came close enough that others could discern its true shape through the thick fog.

There was no longer any doubt it was a ship. It was sailing as if it were on open water. Thick, long oars jutted out from the hull and moved as if they were actually paddling.

“This has to be some kind of joke.” Remedios’s astounded comment spoke for everyone.

“Do boats in the Nation of Darkness sail on land? Landlocked countries come up with some fascinating inventions…”

No, that can’t be it
, Neia retorted in her head. She couldn’t have been the only one to think that.

“A ship that sails through fog… I feel like I heard about something like that before…”

“Nice, Gustav! C’mon, think! If anyone can do it, you can. You’re always teaching me things. Oh, should I shake your head up?”

“Please don’t. And I’m not some kind of wise man, you know. It’s just that I’ve taken it upon myself to learn the things that you won’t.”

“…Well, it’s ’cause I had you and my sister. Whenever I asked something, you always answered.”

“I guess we spoiled you. Once we do away with Jaldabaoth, I’ll make sure you catch up. Oh, and thanks to that I just remembered! It’s that ghost ship that shows up in thick fog. I heard about it from a sailor. He said it’s a ship that was supposed to have sunk, but instead it’s crewed by undead.”

“Ohhh! I have heard something like that, about thick fog being the sign of a ghost ship’s arrival… Troops, get into a wedge formation! If it’s a ghost ship, we’re up against undead! They’re our enemies!”

Their commander’s order caused even the paladins some consternation.

“P-please wait, Commander Custodio! We’re entering the Nation of Darkness where an undead is king. Couldn’t it be a Nation of Darkness ship?”

“What?! You mean they brought a ghost ship ashore and are controlling it…? What in the world…?”

It was only natural that Remedios would be lost for words.

Some undead did control other undead. But what kind of undead would be able to take a ship that normally sailed the sea under its power?

Before long, the ship was fully visible.

It really was a ghost ship.

The whole thing was a wreck. There were gaping holes in the hull, and the boards were twisted up in places.

It was huge—definitely bigger than the flagship of the Sacred Kingdom’s navy,
The Holy King’s Hammer
. If it weren’t falling apart, it would have imparted quite a powerful impression.

The last of the three masts was rigged with a fore-and-aft sail, while the other two had square sails. But they were so ragged, it didn’t seem like they would be able to do their job. The ram jutted out to an unusually sharp point and gleamed as if it had been polished. Not only that, it had the dim glow of enchantment, and the entire ship seemed almost proud of it.

But what was most eye-catching of all was the crest raised on the main mast. It definitely belonged to the Nation of Darkness.

The ship was floating about three feet off the ground.

Soon it was passing by, ignoring the party that was frozen stiff staring at it.

As they all stood stock-still, the fog began to dissipate. Was it the ship causing the fog as it sailed along? No, if that were the case, the fog would have been thickest when it approached them, and they wouldn’t have even been able to see it. The ship must have been surrounded by the fog at a short distance, like a membrane meant to conceal it.

Or maybe it was a cage to keep its prey from getting away.
Neia’s own thoughts sent a chill up her spine.

The King of Darkness… An undead ruler. He might actually be terrifying…

When she heard he had summoned weird giant goats, she had imagined adorable barn animals, so maybe she had been underestimating him.

That made her anxious.

Just as undead were the enemies of paladins, might not paladins be the enemies of undead? In that case, their fates were…

Still, in order to get help from Sir Momon, who was supposedly Jaldabaoth’s equal in combat, they needed to ask for his cooperation. Neia wiped the sweat off the palms of her hands.

“…It looks like the fog has cleared. Let’s go, everyone.”

This undead king could reign over something that bizarre.

Neia braced herself.

The King of Darkness may be undead, but he allows humans to live… I wonder what he’s like. But I’m sure a squire like me won’t get to meet him anyway…

3

In the distance, they could see the outermost rampart of the famous triple-walled city, E-Rantel, the capital of the Nation of Darkness—and its splendid gate.

But what caught Neia’s attention wasn’t either of those things. What her eyes latched onto were the giant statues on either side of the gate.

It was an undead holding a strange staff—it looked like snakes twisting together. Perhaps they depicted the king, Ainz Ooal Gown.

Neia was still quite a ways away, but she could make out the details. She felt that even if she walked right up to it, she wouldn’t be able to find any sloppiness in the workmanship.

There were people-shaped creatures laboring around the statues.

Huh? Wait. Aren’t they kind of big? I mean, that’s the height of the wall. I get that the statues are big, but… Who are those workers?

The other members of the party seemed to wonder the same thing, and the paladins were discussing the hulking workers among themselves.

“…Surely they’re not human.”

“Couldn’t be. Maybe giants? Although they don’t look like hill giants to me…”

“Giants? Will we be all right? I’ve heard that some are friendly, but…”

Neia was only a squire, so she had never seen a giant before, but she had learned about them in her lectures on monster knowledge.

Giants were essentially a bigger version of humans, but not only were they stronger, they had racial abilities, too. Using those abilities, they were able to tolerate harsher environments than humans, so they were often found in those areas and didn’t have much relationship with the plain dwellers.

Some races knew more magic than humans, and some had more advanced cultures.

Some races were evil, and some were good. One of the Thirteen Heroes was a giant, and there was a sea giant who showed up in Roebel now and then on business.

That said, typical giants were violent and dangerous.

And the race of dangerous giants that often showed up in the human world were hill dwellers. One well-known subspecies of giant was the trolls.

So why were there giants in this undead city?

“…Maybe there were always giants in this region? And he conquered them?”

“You’re saying the King of Darkness controls giants? I haven’t heard anything like that!”

It was only natural for the paladin to yelp in surprise at such a suggestion.

They had gathered a large amount of information in preparation for their trip to the Nation of Darkness. Of course, there were a heap of unknowns, so it was hard to say whether they had succeeded, but they definitely put in a lot of effort. But first there was the ghost ship and now giants? The mystery only deepened.

Neia wondered if maybe the King of Darkness was an undead giant, but if that were a noticeable characteristic of his, it should have been in the information they had gathered.

Then Gustav called out to her from behind. “Squire Baraja. It’s about time to change formation. Head to the rear.”

“Yes, sir!”

During their travels, Neia led the way, but once they were near the city, her position switched to the rear. Remedios and Gustav took the lead.

“Commander Custodio, should we send someone ahead to announce us?”

Usually it would be alarming if a party of knights in full plate armor showed up outside a city. For that reason, when they entered cities and villages in Re-Estize, they had sent a single paladin ahead of time to say they were coming, and only then would the party approach with Roebel’s flag displayed. That was proper etiquette.

Remedios agreed and sent a paladin up ahead.

The knight went to the gate of the Nation of Darkness and then came back.

“Commander, I let the guard know. They welcome us.”

“Okay, got it. Then let’s go! Flag up! Chests out! Don’t do anything that would shame the Sacred Kingdom’s Paladin Order!”

With that shout to start them off, the party had their horses slowly approach the city.

Soon they were able to clearly see the gate and the giants working around it.

The giants were stabilizing the statues and doing maintenance work, cleaning up the carvings to make them even more beautiful.

The giants had pale-blueish skin and white beards and hair. They wore primitive clothing made from some sort of beast skins along with sophisticated mail shirts.

“What kind of giants are they?”

Neia’s superior hearing meant she could listen in on the conversation at the head of the group.

“I imagine they’re probably the frost variety.”

“Hmm.” She heard Remedios’s vague reply. “Are they strong? What kind of powers do they have?”

“…Seriously? Give me a break… Frost giants live in frigid regions and have perfect resistance to chill. But they’re weak against fire.”

“I see. So we should attack with fire if we have to fight them.”

“Well, yes. Mythril-rank adventurers should be able to beat them with minimal hassle. But some of them are trained like us and have warrior abilities. So you have to be careful.”

That’s what giants were like.

Warrior training, caster training, thief training. Humans weren’t the only ones polishing their skills. Superior races tended not to train in that way, but some did put in the effort to acquire skills, thus becoming extremely challenging adversaries.

Neia’s father always said,
A beast you can tell by looking. Powerful enemies you can’t gauge by sight alone are the toughest.

“Hmm, I’ve never fought a giant. Well, ogres are a different story, but…”

“You’ll offend them if you lump them in with ogres. According to the sea giant, it’s like thinking humans and monkeys are basically the same—although I heard that secondhand from a bard, so I don’t know how true it is.”

“Hrm. So Roebel wasn’t able to hire the sea giant, but the Nation of Darkness has hired frost giants? Which type of giant is stronger?”

“Mm, I don’t know details like that…”

The commander was probably hoping that the sea giant was superior, but what was important in this case was how the frost giants were treated by the Nation of Darkness.

Were they here on friendly terms? Or had they been forced into submission? Or was it a mutually beneficial exchange of goods, services, and money?

Just looking at the silently laboring giants, it was impossible to tell.

But wow, giants sure look like fantastic workers. The Sacred Kingdom cooperates with subhumans, too, but if we could expand the races we work with, I’m sure we could accomplish all sorts of things. Of course, it’s probably impossible for us…

Roebel had a long-standing cooperative relationship with mermen, but they were an exception. The Sacred Kingdom had also gone to war with subhumans, so they would probably never be widely accepted in human society.

Did the Nation of Darkness only accept giants? Or did they welcome all different kinds of races? If they encountered subhumans like the ones attacking Roebel, would Neia be able to suppress her hostile instincts?

I mean, I’ll have to, but…

For instance, what if snakemen showed up? What if snakemen, from lands Roebel had no contact with, were living in harmony with humans in the Nation of Darkness? Raising one’s sword against a snakeman just because there happened to be some in a hostile force attacking her homeland was surely a dangerous line of thinking. It would probably be impossible to simply say,
Don’t give in to antagonistic feelings
, but in this case, they had to abide by the rules.

Neia looked with some concern at Remedios up ahead.

Would their leader be able to do that?

Neia shook her head internally.
It’s disrespectful of me to worry about Remedios like that. She’s working to save the Sacred Kingdom as the head of the delegation. Surely she can suppress an emotional response. For someone like me to doubt her is awfully rude.

“Is it fine for us to keep going like this? Should we head for a different gate?”

The gate was open, but they wondered if the giants would pay enough attention as they worked to not step on them.

“Straight in is fine. They would laugh at us and our country if we switched gates because we were scared of some giants.”

“…Understood. Then we’ll follow your lead, Commander.”

The party continued on toward the gate.

Thankfully, the giants took one look at the humans and paused their work so the smaller beings could pass safely. Neia got the impression that rather than fondness for humans, the giants had some feeling about them as visitors to the Nation of Darkness.

Usually a group would be stopped at the gate, but since they had sent someone ahead, they were led into the magically illuminated city by a human who seemed to be a guard.

The war-trained horses snorted uneasily in the unnatural light.

“Welcome to the Nation of Darkness’s city, E-Rantel. Is this your first time here?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I see. Then, if you’ll excuse me asking, could you please come off your horses?”

Are they going to inspect our luggage?
wondered Neia. For them to inspect the bags of a group visiting as messengers from another country seemed a bit lacking in courtesy, but it was probably the right move.

Having dismounted from their horses without complaint, the group followed the guard who guided them with a “This way,” to a door off the side of the gate. Common sense told Neia it must have been an observation tower used as barracks for soldiers and a defense base.

“Please go in here for now. Our country is quite different from the kingdom or the Theocracy, etc., so we have first-time visitors receive a lecture here.”

“A lecture?”

“Yes, to avoid any unnecessary trouble. You won’t be permitted to enter the city until the lecture is over. What would you like to do?”

There was no way they would come this far and then not enter. It went without saying that Remedios answered, “We’ll listen.”

“Very well. May I hold on to your weapons for you?”

They probably couldn’t refuse this, either. But as could be expected, Remedios disapproved of the idea.

The sword she carried was one of the Sacred Kingdom’s holy treasures. When she explained that she wore it even before the holy king and that she couldn’t possibly hand it over unless they were meeting the ruler of the country, the soldier nodded.

“I see. Well, I suppose that can’t be helped. Then you may all proceed as you are. I wanted to take them for your own protection. Please promise me that you won’t draw your weapons in this room. If you can’t promise me that, it would be better for you to leave this place.”

“Got it. Since you trust us to wear our swords without incident, we promise not to draw them.”

Remedios put a fist to her chest—where the crest of the Sacred Kingdom was emblazoned—to make the vow. It meant that she swore on her honor as a paladin and her loyalty to the Sacred Kingdom.

“Thank you. First the defender of this area will come to meet you.”

In Roebel, Remedios’s vow would have drawn gasps of awe, but in a foreign country, it was passed right over. The soldier knocked on the door without even commenting on it.

The door slowly opened and what emerged was—

“Eegh!” Neia inadvertently emitted what could have been interpreted as a gasp or a shriek.

What slowly emerged was a being that could be described as thick in the vertical, horizontal, and every other direction.

Sharp spikes jutted from black full plate armor that sported a pattern like blood vessels running across its surface. Its helmet had horns like a demon and an open face that left the rotting features of a person visible. In its vacant eye sockets, its hatred for living things and anticipation of slaughter burned red.

The temperature plunged, and it felt like darkness was closing in on them.

“Please do not draw your weapons!” The soldier’s shout made everyone’s shoulders jump. “Nothing will happen even if you leave your blades where they are! But if you draw them, you’ll be killed in a single blow! And you’ll be doomed to suffer ever after! Please don’t make me watch that happen again!”

The pain in his voice was clearly from experience. He must have seen it happen before.

The undead gazed unhurriedly upon Neia and the others. The creature almost seemed to be waiting for them to draw their weapons.

“…What’s this undead?” Remedios’s voice trembled slightly.

“One of the city’s many guards.”

“…This thing’s a…?” Remedios cried out of shock, fear, unease, or maybe something else. Neia felt the same way. It was unimaginable to them that there could be a country where more than one undead that seemed this strong existed.

“E-excuse me, but is this undead under the control of the—er, His Majesty the King of Darkness?” Neia asked without thinking, and the soldier nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. He also seems to be controlling even more powerful undead than this.”

“They’re not dangerous?”

The soldier answered Gustav’s question immediately as well. He seemed like he was terribly eager to talk.

“Yes, as long as no one causes any problems in the city, no one will be killed.”

Undead loathed the living. If the King of Darkness controlled them so well he could keep them from harming humans, he had to be an amazingly powerful being. It hit Neia just how immense his power really was.

“I…see. So could you take us to this room, then?”

“Very well. Please follow me.”

The black-armored undead shifted slowly out of the way of the door, and the soldier walked right past. Meanwhile Neia and the others looked around to see which of them would go first.

Supposedly the King of Darkness had the thing under control, but it wasn’t as if there were any visible restraints. It was twice as frightening as passing by an untethered carnivore that supposedly had a full stomach.

Remedios tried to lead the way, but Gustav stopped her. Then he looked at Neia.

So I’m the canary?

If the question was which life wouldn’t matter if lost, he wasn’t wrong. She would have liked to think the weak were to be protected, but apparently squires didn’t count.

Neia steeled her resolve, squeezed her eyes shut, and walked forward.

After a few steps, she slowly opened her eyes. She hadn’t been cut down yet, so she sped up and hurried out of the undead’s range.

Seeing that Neia had passed safely, the paladins followed. Eventually, the entire party made it to the lecture room without being attacked.

The soldier opened the door, and inside were several long tables and quite a large number of simple chairs.

“Have a seat here and wait just a moment, please.”

“Okay. Thank you for showing us in.” When Remedios gestured with her jaw, Gustav took a small pouch from his breast pocket and tried to hand it to the soldier. It was a tip.

“Oh, please don’t!” He practically shrieked a forceful refusal.

The soldier raised both hands over his head so as not to even touch the pouch.

The reaction was a bit shocking to all present, including Neia. She couldn’t figure out why he responded so intensely.

“I receive a salary from the King of Darkness, so I don’t require gratuities, thank you.”

“B-but you assisted us so kindly…and besides, it’s not very much…”

“Still, I’m all right. Now then, I’ll be waiting outside until the lecture is over.”

The soldier made a swift exit. His sensitive reaction made everyone left behind exchange puzzled glances.

“Is it really okay not to tip?”

“If he said he doesn’t want it, then there’s not much we can do about it, is there?”

It was utterly natural to pay a tip. It was fine not to, but people of a certain status usually did. Of course, it came with the ulterior motive of hoping they could be moved through the inspection process quickly, but it wasn’t as if they had asked for anything explicitly. It was more just that their rank and station made a tip appropriate.

If his refusal was on the directive of the King of Darkness, what was its purpose?

“He didn’t say where to sit in particular, huh? Everyone take whatever seat you like.”

Following their commander’s instructions, everyone sat down, and finally a little while later, the door opened.

Neia turned around to look, and her eyes widened.

It was a member of the race that was human from the chest up and snake below—a naga.

There were multiple types of nagas, such as the sea nagas that popped up sometimes along the Sacred Kingdom’s coast, but she didn’t know which variety this was. Regardless, no nagas were friendly with humans, yet she didn’t feel frightened or surprised.

It was thanks to that black-armored undead. It was much easier to keep her head around a naga than that thing.

Oh! Could that be part of the point? That terrifying undead wasn’t just to cow us but also to lessen the shock of other subhumans appearing? They really put a lot of consideration into making it so humans and subhumans can coexist together here…

Apparently, the King of Darkness wasn’t
just
an extremely powerful undead.

Paying no mind to the party’s reaction, the naga entered the silent room. Then it bowed its head slightly.

“Sorry I kept you waiting, humans who wish to enter the city. I am one of our immigration officers, Ryuraryusu Spenia Ai Indaloon. I’m a naga. Well, you won’t be meeting those of my occupation very often, so it’s fine to forget about it. Sorry to be so brisk, but let’s begin. I’m going to be briefly explaining life in this city, how it differs from nearby cities, and things to keep in mind while you’re here… First of all, drawing weapons inside the city is prohibited.”

That’s a perfectly normal warning.
Neia relaxed her shoulders somewhat.

“Hmm. It seems many of you thought that sounded like a normal warning.” Ryuraryusu squinted at them. “I can see it on your faces. But remember: In the Nation of Darkness, all manner of races walk the streets. You may even see undead shuffling along. Even if it’s against a being you know as dangerous, drawing your weapon first is a serious crime.”

“Wait. Are you saying that if we encounter a dangerous being, we should just run away?”

“No. In this city, dangerous beings shouldn’t harm you. I’m just saying not to jump to conclusions if you still feel scared or threatened.”

“Can you guarantee that we won’t be attacked?”

“I can. The dangerous beings swaggering around here that you are most likely to be afraid of are His Majesty the King of Darkness’s servants.” Ryuraryusu’s lips curved into a slightly tired smile. “I think after a day in the city, your sense of danger will grow numb, but, well, it’s that first day that’s the issue. Oh, but if you’re defending yourself, using your weapons is fine.”

“Aha. So for defense, there’s no problem.”

“Yes, exactly. And in this city, we use mind control to investigate crimes. You’ll need to accept that.”

Neia’s eyes widened. And it wasn’t only Neia’s. A murmur went through the paladins, and Remedios spoke up as their representative.

“Hold on, please. Is the Nation of Darkness that behind the times? You allow magic like that? What about the courts, then?”

Normally mind control magic would never be used to interrogate criminals.

For example, Dominate could turn anyone into a criminal temporarily, and Charm could probably be used to create a scapegoat. Since criminals could be created at will with such spells, using them was viewed as something only a brutal tyrant would do.

“I hear they use them in court as well. Oh, but the King of Darkness would never make you say anything false. Please don’t worry about that.”

Anyone could say that, but who would believe it without thinking? Using mind control magic meant that if the country felt someone was a menace, it could frame and dispose of them with ease. There was no way humans could trust an undead they had never even met.

No one said anything, but everyone seemed to have the same opinion.

“Before I continue, perhaps I should ask: Would you rather just leave now?”

“…No, we can’t do that. We’ll go in.”

“Ohhh? That was the fastest answer I’ve ever gotten. Merchants usually take a moment to talk among themselves… Then allow me to continue.”

Most of the things Ryuraryusu said after that sounded crazy—like, “There are undead carriages on the streets”—but the one that stuck out the most was “Don’t be surprised to see dragons flying overhead now and then. Make sure your horses don’t panic.”

If dragons were flying over the city, they would have bigger problems.

A dragon was the kind of opponent that a hero could challenge perfectly prepared, but then still lose and die fighting. That was why warriors dreamed of slaying a dragon. Crushing a monster despite such an overwhelming power gap with trained-up powers, a group of friends, and battle gear earned anyone who succeeded a reputation—a feat attainable only by a select few.

If a dragon appeared in a human realm, what kind of chaos would usually ensue?

I can handle undead after seeing that guard, but dragons…? N-nah, I mean if it’s just one on patrol in the sky, then maybe…? And I’ve heard their powers are really different depending on how old they are.

A newborn dragon whelp was still a dragon. A little one like that would probably be much easier to tame than that undead.

“Well, that’s about it. Thanks for listening. Could you leave this room and follow that soldier up to the gate, then?”

“Sorry, do you mind if I ask some questions?” Remedios raised her hand.

“Hmm? About what?”

“Do you feel like you want to kill us or, like, eat us?”

“The old me probably would have. But now those things are prohibited, and not only that, now that I’ve seen His Majesty, I wonder what the point would even be of lower life-forms quarreling.”

“His Majesty is that powerful?”

Ryuraryusu smiled in an utterly exhausted way. “The power he possesses is dozens of times greater than what you imagine. The Supreme One and his subordinates all have extraordinary power… Frankly, there’s no safer place than this city His Majesty is protecting.”

Remedios was quiet; she seemed to be thinking.

“I don’t know what you came here to do, but since you listened to my lesson, I’ll teach you something else. A friend I drink tea with—a widow—told me that an utter fool antagonizes the Supreme One, while a wise man throws himself at his feet and begs for mercy.”

The naga’s voice was surprisingly emotional. Maybe the “friend” was a fib and it had really happened to this naga, Ryuraryusu.

“Thank you for your warning.”

Remedios stood, and the rest of the party followed.

Bringing up the rear, Neia bobbed her head at Ryuraryusu and left the room.

4

The delegation walked through the city of E-Rantel. Their destination was perhaps the city’s most luxurious inn—the Golden Glimmer—recommended by the guard.

Neia looked at the people they passed by.

From what Ryuraryusu had told them, she had expected the place to be full of undead and subhumans, with barely a human to be seen, but that wasn’t the case. It was mostly humans.

The only undead she had seen was a group of the same type as that guard, out on patrol, and skeletal horselike figures wrapped in fog that pulled carriages.

Meanwhile, the subhumans were all strange types.

There were goblins who marched in an orderly fashion down the streets with the dignity of seasoned warriors. That shattered Neia’s preconception of goblins. No, not only hers. She heard shocked gasps from the paladins as well.

There was also a maid with a face like a rabbit’s and another subhuman that looked like a frog standing upright.

It’s more like a normal human country than I thought…well, except not. But I would never guess a horrifying undead king was ruling here.

None of the people they passed by seemed frightened. Neia wasn’t sure if that was because they had broadened their worldview and gotten used to it or because they weren’t worried about coexisting with undead. Either way, there didn’t seem to be any confusion in the streets. She even heard children laughing now and then.

I guess he’s way better than Jaldabaoth, then…

Remedios’s horse abruptly stopped. The leader of the group had halted, so that meant the rest of the party necessarily stopped as well.

“Excuse me, you dwarves, there. Can I have a word?”

She addressed three dwarves doing maintenance on the road. There were also three skeletons performing construction work on their orders.

The skeletons didn’t really faze Neia, but she did feel slightly relieved to finally see something she could win against. That was how surprising everything had been since they had arrived.

“What? Eh? Who are you all? What country are you from?”

“Sorry to talk down at you from my horse. We’ve come from the Sacred Kingdom, and we’re trying to find the Golden Glimmer. Could you give us directions?”

“The Golden…the Golden Glimmer? Oh, you mean that fancy inn?”

The dwarves gave them a rough idea of how to get there. It was slightly different from the way the guard had mentioned, and it seemed like the destination was a bit off. But Neia was sure that asking directions wasn’t the primary objective.

“Aha. I’m grateful for the help. Gustav, a thank-you.”

Gustav dismounted and showed them some money.

“Oh, directions we can give for free!”

“That’s all right. We interrupted your work, after all.”

“Are you sure? Well, thanks.”

A dwarf approached to receive the tip. Then he grinned. “With this money, we’ll get to eat tasty food, so you have our gratitude.”

“No, don’t worry about it… So what are you up to here?”

“Hmm? Can’t you tell by looking? Road maintenance. Because His Majesty the King of Darkness wishes it. It’s mostly people from this city doing the labor, but we were brought on as technical advisers,” he said, and then laughed heartily. “Ga-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“I see. And what about those undead?”

“They’re skeletons we borrowed from His Majesty the King of Darkness. I have to say, undead really are great for simple manual labor. I see them in a totally new light now.”

“You use undead…?”

“What’s so surprising about that…? Well, I suppose if you’re a traveler, it would be. But in the Nation of Darkness, we take it for granted. I’ve heard undead are a huge help in the villages—because you can order them to take care of even tough chores like plowing the fields. You know, undead don’t get tired, and they don’t need to sleep or eat. Plus, they understand spoken language and follow orders—they’re the best! There’s no way we can go back to the days of horses and oxen. Even my own country has started adopting them little by little.”

“You mean not the Nation of Darkness but the dwarf country?”

“Yep. We came from there and are staying at an inn in the subhuman quarter at the moment.”

“The subhuman quarter?”

“That’s right. That’s what the area where races besides humans stay. It used to be the city’s slum district, but they tore all that down. The area was constructed so that people from all sorts of races would be able to have a comfortable stay. Well, I don’t think the area will be finished for a long time, but there’s already a nice house where people like us who are smaller than humans can stay without any struggles.

“We were really brought in to be in charge of that project!” One of the other dwarves shouted.

“I see. But if you tore down the slums, then where did those people go?” The commander’s eyes seemed to flick toward the undead.

“I don’t know the details, but I heard they were dispatched to the villages. There were a lot of abandoned villages near this city, so to restore them, I heard they were just giving away fields. Apparently the way they use undead is even more amazing. I heard they started a massive agricultural project with undead labor. It makes the food prices here pretty cheap.”

“Cheap isn’t the important part. The important part is that there’s lots of tasty food! And drink! If I lived here, I’d get fat in the blink of an eye!”

“If I go back fat, my wife’ll say, ‘You didn’t bring any for me?’ and get grouchy, so I have to go back skinny!”

“Whoo, guess I got lucky.”

The dwarves all laughed in the same hearty way again. “Ga-ha-ha-ha!”

“Lastly, do you know the name of the skeleton horse undead?”

“No. No, but it doesn’t matter. It won’t hurt anybody. The thing’s nothing but bones, but it’s somehow superstrong, so it’s great for transport.”

“I see… Thank you!”

“Thank you, too. Have a good trip!”

Parting from the dwarves, the group continued on toward the inn.

“Commander. Why did you ask the name of the horse undead?”

Neia was wondering the same thing. She had figured that would be the thing Remedios was least interested in.

“…Gustav. I asked because ever since we saw them, you’ve been acting kind of strange.”

“Oh…”

“So do you know what they’re called?”

“…Maybe—I have an idea, but…it’s probably not right. It couldn’t be. I must be misunderstanding something. The undead I’m thinking of would be impossible to control.”

“Hmm. Well, if that’s what you think, it’s probably the truth.”

That was the end of the conversation.

Eventually, after following the direction from the guard, they reached a magnificent inn that must have been the Golden Glimmer. There was a sign with writing on it, but since they couldn’t read the characters used in the kingdom, they could only guess what it said. Re-Estize and the Baharuth Empire had once been part of the same country, so they had many things in common, but Roebel was never part of that dominion.

“Gustav, go on ahead and book our rooms.”

“Understood. Hey, two of you come with me.”

Gustav went toward the inn accompanied by two paladins. A few minutes later, just one of the paladins came back.

“Commander. We were able to get rooms with no problem. The stable is around back, so we’re to take our horses there.”

“I see. Got it. Squire Baraja! Take the horses.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

She tied them to a tree in front of the inn and then transferred them one by one to the stable. Normally, it would be the squire’s job to care for the horses, but here the inn would do it, so she took advantage of that luxury and went inside.

The inn smelled so nice she thought maybe they did it to counteract the smell of any guests who walked in reeking of the stables.

There was definitely some kind of incense or perfume.

From the outside, it seemed the same class as the place they stayed in Re-Estize, but from the inside, she felt like it might even be a step above. It was enough that she was embarrassed to stand there dirty from her long trip (although at least she had wiped down with water, so hopefully she didn’t smell).

Neia went to the room the inn employee directed her to and knocked.

“Who is it?”

“Squire Neia Baraja.”

Inside the door was one of the paladins, still in his armor. Perhaps E-Rantel was so different from what they imagined during their travels that they were eager to get down to business, loath to even take a moment to recuperate.

“Good timing. We’re about to have a meeting.”

She wondered if it was really necessary for her to participate, but it wouldn’t do to say that aloud. If her superior was telling her to do something, then obeying was the way to get ahead in the world.

“All right, so today we’ll request an audience with the King of Darkness as planned. I’m counting on you, Gustav.”

“Of course, Commander. What will everyone else do? The idea was to have them meet with influential individuals to request assistance…”

Since Sir Momon was an adventurer, they were planning to go to the Adventurers Guild, but Ryuraryusu had told them the guild was practically on hiatus. The King of Darkness’s subordinates were fulfilling requests instead.

“Let’s go to the guild anyway. If there are any adventurers with free time on their hands, we can invite them to the Sacred Kingdom.”

“Understood. Then…”

Gustav gave orders to two of the knights, and they got started on their tasks immediately.

What kind of job would Neia get?

As a squire, her main tasks were polishing the knights’ armor and swords, doing the laundry, and even mending. Most of those who were currently knights had experience doing such chores.

I guess the commander might be an exception since her unparalleled ability propelled her up to the rank of knight right away…

“So what will the rest of us do? Should we stay at the inn?”

“Well, from the rumors we heard in the kingdom, I expected this to be a much darker place, but it seems like a pretty normal city… Going out in small groups is probably fine?”

“I can’t say for sure, but it doesn’t seem like there are likely to be any sudden dangers.”

“I see. Then maybe we should have some people go to the shrine and see if they can be a go-between for us with Sir Momon.”

“The ruler of the city is an undead. I imagine the shrines don’t have much pull.”

“But we’re paladins—holy knights. It would be strange if we didn’t at least visit the shrine.”

Gustav frowned. Remedios was right.

“Yes…yes, that’s true.”

“Don’t you think it’s important to hear from the people who live here and not simply rely on what the King of Darkness shows us?”

“That makes sense, too…”

But what should we do if we come across something we can’t let stand?

Gustav must have arrived at that question, and that was why he was being evasive.

Neia thought to herself.

Paladins are embodiments of justice. So if we act as we’re supposed to, it might result in the King of Darkness criticizing us. If, as a result, he refused to assist the Sacred Kingdom and untold thousands suffered, would it still be the right thing to do?

She remembered her father, how he said he didn’t understand the paladins’ idea of justice. While she was training and aspiring to be a paladin, Neia hadn’t thought much of it, but since Roebel was faced with these troubles, she was feeling less confident and recalled his words often.

If she could have asked her mother, her doubt might have vanished, but her mother was already gone.

I have no choice but to answer for myself.

While Neia was pondering all that, the conversation continued. It was decided that a pair would go to the shrine of the Four Gods, and several other pairs would see the city and gather intel. Remedios and the others would stay behind at the inn so they could be easily contacted in case anything happened.

As expected, Neia was ordered to polish armor.

The meeting ended and Neia began caring for each suit of armor one at a time.

Wetting a cloth with cold water, she wiped the mud off.

Since the armor was enchanted, there were no scratches or dings. If there were any, they would need to be hammered out from the inside, and if the maintenance person wasn’t careful, it would end up more uneven than it started. Neia wasn’t terribly confident with such delicate work, so she was thankful she got to maintain the enchanted armor of the paladins.

She appreciated having a job she could do with a blank mind. She didn’t have to think too hard about anything.

Sweat beading on her forehead, she finished going over everyone’s armor.

•

The audience with the King of Darkness came together so quickly Neia couldn’t hide her surprise. They were able to meet him the day after Gustav went to inquire.

The palace the party of knights arrived at—with Neia bringing up the rear—was awfully shabby. Maybe for the leader of the city it would have been grand, but it wasn’t enough for a king. It had none of the calm of history, none of the solemnity, none of the whimsy of a powerful individual; it was built only in the pursuit of practicality.

Compared to the palaces of Re-Estize and Roebel, it was just so sad. And it was the King of Darkness’s residence. This used to be a frontier city in the kingdom, so he had probably simply occupied an existing building.

In the profiles of the paladins with their helmets removed was a faint condescending air only Neia could detect. They must have been comparing this place to the palace back home.

Who could blame them?

But Neia remembered the ghost ship and the undead they had seen patrolling the streets.

Why was a ruler who could control such powerful undead living in such a shabby palace?

There must be a reason… If he wanted a splendid palace, he could have those dwarven craftsmen and tireless undead workers build one…

Through the gate, two lines of undead she hadn’t seen before stood facing each other. They were slimmer than the ones they had first encountered on the way into the city and held their spears aloft so that they crisscrossed.

The line on the right had the flag of the Nation of Darkness tied to the end, while the left side’s featured the flag of the Sacred Kingdom.

The setup was such that the path led them beneath the flags.

And there was music. It was a song she had never heard before, but she figured it was fine to just accept it as part of the ceremony.

A lecture from a long time ago rose up from the depths of her memory.

Always keep your wits about when faced with magic.

But still, this music couldn’t be an attack spell. If this were a trap, they didn’t need to be flying Roebel’s flag.

Neia put on a brave front as she walked forward, glancing side to side with her eyes only.

An honor guard and the Sacred Kingdom flag. That definitely meant that the Nation of Darkness was welcoming them as state guests. Which meant Neia and the others were being accepted as official messengers from the Sacred Kingdom. Which meant that Neia was representing her country.

Though it made her happy, the pressure gave her a nervous stomachache.

At the end of the path draped with flags was—Neia gasped.

A peerless beauty.

How pretty… She’s just so pretty…

Piercing, gorgeous features. A spotless white dress that cost who knew how much.

Her smile was so full of compassion Neia could have mistaken her for an angel. But the proof that she wasn’t an angel was the pair of black wings sprouting from her hips.

“Welcome, representatives of the Sacred Kingdom. Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Albedo, captain of the floor and domain guardians in the Nation of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown. To put it in terms you can easily understand, I’m the prime minister.”

“Th-thank you for the thorough introduction. I am the leader of the delegation from the Sacred Kingdom, Remedios Custodio. Thank you very much for making time for us today.”

“There’s no need for thanks. His Majesty the great King of Darkness, is very concerned about the situation in the Sacred Kingdom. He said it was only natural that he would take time to meet with you.”

“W-we appreciate that very much…”

Remedios seemed overwhelmed by Albedo with her smile. Despite her being the same sex—or perhaps because of it—she was swallowed up by her beauty. Albedo’s gaze quickly surveyed the rest of the group, including Neia.

“Well, His Majesty is waiting, so I’ll show you to the audience chamber. Would you please follow me?”

“Y-yes. What should we do with our swords?”

“Oh yes, there’s that, isn’t there?” Albedo smiled, seeming amused.

Neia wondered why. Surely they couldn’t take their weapons in to meet the king. Normally, they would surrender them. It also indicated their trust.

“Usually, we would hold them for you, but there’s no need in this case. Please wear them as you are now.”

Neia didn’t quite know what that meant.

That went for Remedios as well, and she asked, “Why?” She must have been more confused than anyone, having spent so much time serving alongside the Holy Lady.

In response to the natural question, Albedo smiled again. “Because we trust you. And we thought you might feel safer carrying your weapons. Of course, we don’t consider you a threat. If you’d rather we hold on to them for you, we can…?”

“In that case, we’ll respond in kind to His Majesty the King of Darkness’s goodwill… Would everyone besides me turn in your swords? Apologies, but mine is a national treasure. I hope you’ll understand that I can’t turn it over.”

“Yes, of course.”

Albedo signaled with her eyes, and the undead who came out took everyone’s swords.

Probably some of them felt uncomfortable as paladins, having to hand over their personal blades to undead, but they couldn’t refuse their commander’s orders.

Neia turned her sword in, too, and observed Albedo.

Her pretty smile remained on her face, so it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Or rather, all Neia could gather from her expression was amiability. She seemed to genuinely want to be as kind as possible to them. But was Neia’s interpretation correct? If not…

We were allowed to enter with our swords to meet her master. Was that his order? Or was it because they knew we wouldn’t be able to hurt him anyway?

The King of Darkness was an immensely powerful caster. Maybe he was boasting that he would be victorious no matter how many of the Sacred Kingdom’s paladins came at him.

Or maybe he has undead guarding him. Lady Albedo doesn’t appear to have any combat skills…

The beautiful prime minister who seemed the furthest of anyone from fighting in this world smiled gently.

“Come, everyone. His Majesty is waiting. Shall we go?”

•

As expected from the building itself, the throne room wasn’t anything special. This was undoubtedly being used without any changes from the way it was before the takeover as well.

But the throne itself was gorgeous. That is, it had a conspicuous golden sparkle. It couldn’t have been solid gold, but given its size, even coating it with gold leaf would have been a considerable expense.

And the flag behind the throne was splendid as well. She wasn’t sure what kind of thread it was woven with, but the color was deeper than black alone could achieve. In the low light, it seemed like it might have been dark purple.

“His Majesty will see you now.”

“Let’s bow our heads, everyone,” Remedios instructed.

Neia, taking a knee, was mildly surprised that Remedios would choose to have the paladins bow to an undead, but she had no objections. As a squire she was well-drilled in the etiquette. That said, she’d only ever had occasion to attend an audience with the holy king. With her head lowered, she moved only her eyes and stole desperate glances at the paladins around her.

Seems like…I’m okay…

Of course, she could only see them from the back, so it was possible that from the front there was something strange about her posture, but…

It’s fine! No one said anything to me the time with the holy king! My dad even told me I did a great job!

“Presenting His Majesty the King of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown.”

Albedo, standing slightly ahead of the throne to one side, spoke, and there was an extremely small
ksh
of crumpling paper that surely only Neia could hear and then footsteps accompanied by the
clack, clack
of something hard tapping on the floor. Eventually, she sensed someone sit on the throne.

“You’ve been granted permission to raise your heads.”

Getting the timing right on that was rather difficult. Being either too fast or too slow would be rude. She counted a couple seconds silently and then raised her head.

She couldn’t believe what she saw in front of her.

Th-that’s the King of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown.

The face of bare skull. Red flames burning in vacant orbits. An appropriate appearance for an undead. But this one was different from any Neia had ever known.

The first thing that surprised her was his clothing.

He was wearing more expensive-looking garments than any noble she’d seen since beginning her service as a squire.

His costume was long and loose with extremely wide sleeves. The fabric was pure, immaculate white, and both the cuffs and the hem were embroidered with gold and purple accents. He seemed to be closing it at the waist with a belt, but it didn’t strike Neia as strange. It was weird, but it had the air of foreign customs, and she could only rate his outfit magnificent.

And his gloves, the same color as his clothing, had plates that shimmered in the colors of the rainbow set in them. He held a staff made up of a rainbow of snakes intertwined. That was what produced the hard clacking she had heard.

But what was most surprising was the halo of darkness behind him.

…This is an undead? No way…

Neia’s idea of undead were skeletons, zombies, ghasts, and the like.

She didn’t feel like the King of Darkness could be described with the same word
undead
. Bizarrely, she wasn’t repulsed by his skull face and even felt that he was pure and sublime.

He was more immensely strong—terrible—and didn’t exist in the range of power humans could imagine; he transcended it all.

Forgetting Albedo, next to the throne, Neia inadvertently stared at the King of Darkness.

What brought her back to senses was the “Now then” he uttered.

“What a long way you’ve come from the far-off Sacred Kingdom, Lady Custodio. The other paladins in your party, as well.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty, King of Darkness.”

“I would have held a state feast to welcome you, but I figured you don’t have the leisure to be entertained. I carved out a slot in my schedule for you instead. Let’s not waste any time—we can cut out lengthy euphemisms, flattery, and the like, wouldn’t you say? Let’s speak our minds. Any objections?”

“None, Your Majesty.”

“Good. Then I’d like you to tell me how things are currently in the Sacred Kingdom. If you speak truthfully, and without omission, I think the Nation of Darkness may be able to offer you something in the way of assistance.”

Remedios indicated she understood and spoke eloquently on the country’s status.

What instinct made her want to volunteer that information, Neia didn’t know. It seemed most likely that she had simply gotten fed up with thinking.

Her explanation ended with what they had told the Blue Roses—that they were just barely holding off the invasion. She probably wasn’t very happy to be telling another country, especially one ruled by an undead, that the Sacred Kingdom was on the verge of collapse.

“I see, I see. So what is the plan now?”

“Well, we have a favor to ask of you, Your Majesty. We heard that the adventurer called Momon is serving your country. If we could borrow that warrior who fought on equal footing against Jaldabaoth, we would have nothing to fear. We humbly request that you dispatch the warrior, Momon, to the Sacred Kingdom.”

The red flames in the King of Darkness’s eyes went out for a moment and then came back.

“Just as I thought. I’ll give you the answer I prepared ahead of time: impossible.”

“Why do you say that, Your Majesty?”

“I’m afraid it’s to do with my nation’s shame… He plays a critical role in keeping the peace here. It’s thanks to him that my people are able to live here without fear.”

“But, Your Majesty, don’t you have an undead army?”

“Hoh-hoh-hoh,” the king chuckled softly. “You from the Sacred Kingdom seem to find my undead army trustworthy. Then shall I lend you my troops instead of Momon? I believe you saw the undead I control—they’re all hardy warriors. I’m sure they could easily annihilate the subhumans.”

Remedios wasn’t sure what to say.

Could she imagine herself leading an undead army back to the Sacred Kingdom? No, she would never imagine that. Leading an undead army was the last thing a paladin would do.

Certainly, an undead army came with lots of benefits. Undead didn’t require food or much of anything at all—you could even have them stand by in the middle of a primeval forest indefinitely without having to worry about resupply. They were truly the ideal soldiers.

But the idea of accepting an army of life-hating enemies of all living things was, above all, frightening. Calling a foreign nation’s army to one’s own country was anxiety inducing to begin with. It was eminently possible that they could just stick around and occupy the place once all the original problems were solved.

“Th-that would be…”

The King of Darkness chuckled at how shaken Remedios was. “Exactly, Lady Custodio. We have people who think like you do in our nation as well. People involved in growing crops, cultivating the land, and security are gradually learning to accept undead, but unfortunately, the city people aren’t keen on getting too close to them, so I haven’t managed to get the populace to accept them yet. Of course, they seem more open to the idea than when I first took power here, but it’ll probably require a little more time. Momon lends an ear to their insecurities and takes care of a lot of issues for me. If I sent him away now, there’s no telling how the people’s dissatisfaction would explode.”

“Then what if we paladins stayed behind instead of Momon to encourage people to trust the undead? It’s widely known that undead are the enemy of paladins. So I imagine it would be effective for us to announce that we trust those beneath Your Majesty.”

“Mmph… That’s a proposal worth considering.”

After some intense thought, the King of Darkness’s face moved slightly to look at his hand that wasn’t holding his staff. “…Hmm. The part that doesn’t work is that you’re from a foreign country. If someone has been through good times and bad with you, you can trust them, but if some strangers showed up suddenly and said undead could be trusted, would you believe them? I don’t think you would work as a substitute for that adamantite adventurer who has made such a name for himself in our city.”

He was exactly right.

They couldn’t argue with logic. It was especially impossible for Remedios, who was the emotional type to begin with.

She had fallen silent when the King of Darkness suddenly said, “Okay. By the way, this is a change of subject, but I wanted to ask about some people who didn’t appear in your report, Lady Custodio. I heard from Momon that Jaldabaoth had quite powerful maids with him. You haven’t seen them in the Sacred Kingdom, have you?”

“No, we haven’t. We heard about them for the first time from the Blue Roses in Re-Estize.”

“I see… So perhaps that means he uses them as his last resort? Or are they lurking in some other location?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know.”

“…You said the south of your country was still all right, but have you been in close contact with them?”

“To some extent.”

“So none of his subordinates have infiltrated there yet? Maybe I’m being paranoid, but…”

The King of Darkness looked up at the ceiling.

“You think someone under Jaldabaoth may have already snuck into the south, Your Majesty?”

“I wouldn’t say that, but I just wonder why, if he has such powerful pawns, he doesn’t put them into play… You remember how I said at the beginning of this conversation that we should speak our minds? So I’ll ask you straight: What is the Sacred Kingdom able to reward us for our assistance?”

It was a natural question to ask. Utterly normal. But it was extremely difficult to answer.

“Our country’s friendship, trust, and respect.”

The King of Darkness smirked at Remedios’s reply.

But if asked if Remedios was in the wrong, Neia couldn’t say that was the case. At times, paladins went into battle risking their lives for that much. For example, taking on a request from a poor village that couldn’t afford to compensate and fighting off a mob of subhumans was something a model paladin would do.

“That’s a very paladin thing to say. I had a friend who may have been called to action by those words, but not me, unfortunately. I said no flowery speeches. Can you offer me any actual benefit?”

Does the King of Darkness consider Sir Momon his friend? Is that why he talks about him so casually without any titles and not because Sir Momon works beneath him?

Remedios remained silent, while Neia thought those things.

No.

How could she say anything? There was nothing Remedios Custodio could promise.

What would happen if they did manage to drive Jaldabaoth off?

Naturally, the next holy king would ascend to the throne, but there wasn’t much chance that person would treat the paladins with much respect. If it was one of the nobles from the south they didn’t get along with, there was a chance members of their order might even be locked up.

If that happened, then Remedios wouldn’t be able to keep whatever promise she made here. In the end, this delegation was a group of regular people of unstable standing in society who came to beg for any kindness they could find.

She couldn’t guarantee anything. It was nearly impossible for a single person to bear the weight of an entire state. Only a monarch could do that.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty, King of Darkness. My name is Gustav Montagnés; I serve as Commander Custodio’s deputy. Please permit me to speak in her place.”

The King of Darkness gestured with his jaw that Gustav should continue.

“Thank you. We are unable to promise the sort of thing Your Majesty desires. Even if we manage to retake the Sacred Kingdom’s territory, rebuilding after Jaldabaoth ravaged our country will take an awfully long time, so I doubt we would be able to turn over anything we might offer you here in a timely manner. But I would like to make one appeal to you, and that is regarding how dangerous Jaldabaoth is.”

“Hmm… Go on.”

“Your Majesty. He appeared this time with a subhuman army that he didn’t bring with him to the Re-Estize Kingdom. If we don’t slay him now, there’s no telling what he’ll prepare by the next time he reappears.”

“So what you’re saying is that now, while he’s in front of us, is our chance to kill him—that we should nip this trouble in the bud—right?”

“As you so wisely perceive, Your Majesty. With that in mind, could you not please send Sir Momon?”

“I see. That makes sense. Certainly, Jaldabaoth should be destroyed.”

“Then—”

When a look of joy was about to come over Gustav’s face, the King of Darkness began to thrust a fist out, but then stopped and clacked his staff.

“But I can’t send Momon. Even if we manage to exterminate Jaldabaoth, I can’t have our domestic politics destabilized in his absence. So how about this? If you can buy a little more time, we can stabilize our situation. Then I can send Momon over—if he agrees, of course. You mentioned before that you could still put up a fight, right?”

“Th-that’s true, but…how much later would he come?”

“Hmm… Albedo, what do you think?” The ruler turned to the prime minister, who had been standing by at his side the whole time.

“The fact that the number of subhumans in our nation is likely to increase may delay any estimate we could make. To allow for that, a few years. Hmm, yes… I think after five years our problems will be solved.”

“There you have it. So will that work for you?”

Five years
, Gustav rolled the number around in his mouth and shook his head slightly. “It’s a bit long…”

“I see… I suppose we need to think of your country’s needs. This is a favor being asked by a friendly nation after all.” He emphasized the word
friendly
. “We’ll do everything we can to cut that time down. So, Albedo, how long would it take if we stripped it down as far as we can go?”

“In that case, perhaps we could make do with three years. But we may risk some turmoil in the Nation of Darkness.”

“Well, that can’t be helped, I suppose. It’s to save our friends. We should spill a little blood here, too…metaphorically speaking.”

He said it as a joke, but no one laughed.

“…Ahem. Now then, how does that sound? We’ve shortened the time by two years.”

The Nation of Darkness had compromised by shaving two years, but three was still far too long. There was no telling how much damage would be done during that time or if the Sacred Kingdom would even be able to maintain itself as a country. It wasn’t tenable. But if they said that outright, even the offer of sending Sir Momon after three years could be taken off the table.

Still, the chance to save the Sacred Kingdom was right in front of them.

This was the moment they had come all this way for. It was worth risking their lives.

Prepared to die if necessary, Neia inhaled and said, “My humble apologies, Your Majesty, King of Darkness.”

“…Who are you?”

“I’m a squire in the Sacred Kingdom’s Paladin Order. My name is Neia Baraja. I realize it’s rude of me to ask this, but couldn’t you send Sir Momon any sooner?”

The King of Darkness seemed to think it over.

“Neia! What’s a squire doing petitioning a king?!”

Neia thought only one thing when Remedios scolded her like that.

Please wait a little longer to cut down your insolent squire.

“Okay, sure. Neia, you said, right? Then when should I send him?”

“If you could send him as soon as possible, that would be much appreciated.”

“You’re asking me to send him, knowing it will cause damage to the Nation of Darkness, yes?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Neia bowed.

She had already resigned herself. If this upset the King of Darkness, she would simply pay for her mistake by having the commander execute her.

She closed her eyes so the sword could come down at any time.

“Your Majesty! Please forgive my squire’s impudence! We have absolutely no intention of causing damage to the Nation of Darkness!”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s natural for someone from one country to not mind what harm may come to another if it means saving their own… Hmm. Albedo. Do you think we could manage it in two years?”

“I think that would be very difficult.”

“I see. Still…make it happen.”

Neia’s eyes had been downcast, but she looked up at the king in spite of herself.

“Yes, Your Majesty! Understood!”

The slight tremble of Albedo’s shoulders after she received an order uttered in that powerful voice fitting for an absolute ruler must have been anxiety about this guest’s reckless challenge.

“Neia…Baraja. How about two years, then? You may still think it’s too long, but if the army in the south still stands, you can hold out, can’t you?”

Two years was still too long. But she could hardly take any more advantage of his kindness than she already had.

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

Her gratitude came out earnestly because she felt that their chances of being saved were better than before.

Remedios bowed after her. “Thank you, Your Majesty! You have my deepest gratitude for granting my squire’s wish!”

“It’s fine. Commander Custodio, you have a valuable subordinate, there. A squire can’t petition a foreign king unless they truly love their country… And I’m not being sarcastic.”

“No, I’m sure she’s happy to hear you say that.”

“I see. Very well, I think we’re finished here? It was a fruitful meeting.”

“The King of Darkness will leave you now.”

At the sound of Albedo’s voice, Neia lowered her head.

She heard the same footsteps and clacking as when he had come in, but receding this time. Eventually there came the sound of a door closing. The King of Darkness must have left the room.

“His Majesty has gone.” When Neia looked up, Albedo was smiling, her cheeks slightly flushed. “All right, I’ll see you all out now.”

•

Neia had braced herself, and sure enough, when they arrived at the inn, the dressing down from Remedios began.

“What were you thinking, talking out of turn like that?!”

When she tried to come closer, red in the face, Gustav stood between them and spread his arms.

“Commander Custodio! Please wait! It’s true that Squire Bajara acted without permission, but as a result, the wait time was shortened by a year. Shouldn’t you be praising her?!”

“What are you saying?! The negotiations could have broken down entirely! And in the first place, how could we praise acting without permission?!”

“My humble apologies.” Neia bowed sincerely.

“Are you really conscious that what you did was wrong?! This time things turned out fine, but if they don’t next time, are you prepared to be held accountable?!”

“My humble apologies.”

“I’m asking you! Answer me! Could you have told the suffering people of the Sacred Kingdom that reinforcements didn’t come because of you?!”

“No, I wouldn’t have been able to take that responsibility.”

“Then why would you do something like that?! What were you thinking?!”

Neia raised her head and looked the commander in the eye. “I thought that if things went badly, you would take my life and offer it to the King of Darkness as an apology.”

Remedios’s eyes went wide. But immediately after, they narrowed in displeasure. Gustav next to her looked impressed.

“You think I’d allow that?! You think your little life would be enough to make things right?!”

“I don’t know. But I thought that you and Gustav would figure something out.”

“And what would you do if we couldn’t?!”

She had a point. It was definitely possible that the King of Darkness wouldn’t have been appeased by her death. But the reason she had spoken up anyway was because three years was simply too long.

Did she think three years was fine? Why should I have to be criticized by someone who did nothing? I understand it was a gamble. But I did it because one side of the balance is the lives of all the people in the Sacred Kingdom. I’m sure saying something there was the right thing to do…

Were the results all that mattered? Or was the method just as important? Probably no one could answer that conundrum.

Either way, she didn’t enjoy being condemned by someone who had taken no action.

But Neia had an idea what would happen to someone who voiced an opinion like that. So she said nothing and bowed her head.

“Commander, please leave it at that. Thanks to her, our wait will be one year shorter. I think we should balance our response between reward and punishment. Or at least praise her as much as we scold her.”

“………Tch.”

Remedios seemed like she had more to say, but instead she turned on her heel and walked away.

Phew
, Gustav exhaled. Then he turned to Neia.

“Your resolve was magnificent. The commander may be harsh with you, but she recognizes what you’ve done.”

That’s definitely a lie. No one can hide a lie that big.

Maybe her thoughts showed on her face? Gustav winced. “Anyhow, I’ll talk to her. If you see her now, it’ll just be more trouble, so could you go out for a bit?”

“Understood. Thank you.”

Neia left the inn and set off for a stroll in the brisk air.

“Man…”

Sure, she could “go out,” but in this country, where to?

Neia dug in her breast pocket for a small pouch. Inside was what little money she possessed. It wasn’t much, but there were bronze and silver coins from the Sacred Kingdom. And if she couldn’t use that, she did have one gold trade coin. It would be enough to get a meal.

But can I really use the last allowance from my parents on this?

Neia gazed at the foreign land she was in.

“This is such a pain. Ugh…”

“That was an awfully heavy sigh.”

The voice came from so nearby, Neia jumped.

“Turn down that street. We stand out too much here.”

There was no way she would forget that voice so soon. She nearly called for help, but managed to stop herself. When she walked as directed, she sensed something following behind her. It wasn’t just a voice being projected—apparently its owner was there, but invisible to Neia.

Once they were on the other street, the voice said, “Turn left into that narrow alley.” Neia silently obeyed. It was cleaner than she expected, but there weren’t many people around.

After walking a few paces in, Neia turned around and addressed the voice.

“Your Majesty, why are you here? And are you using magic to make yourself invisible?”

“I see. I wondered why you were doing everything I said so trustingly, but you realized who it was, huh?” With that, the King of Darkness showed himself.

He had changed into a dark-black robe so as not to attract attention. But the robe had a velvet sheen, and she could tell it was valuable.

Neia immediately fell to one knee.

“Yes, it is as you say, Your Majesty. Where…is your escort?”

“Oh, I didn’t bring one. Having someone along would only be a bother.”

“Wh-what do you mean?!”

“Mm. I want to speak with your leader in secret. I want you to call her for me… No, I should go to her room. Could you open the window? I can go in that way.”

That was a bizarre request. She wouldn’t normally open her commander’s window, but it was a king—the king who had promised to assist Roebel—who was asking. She couldn’t be so foolish as to displease him.

The word
assassination
crossed her mind, but if he wanted to kill Remedios, he could have done it when they met him earlier.

There was also the possibility that someone was impersonating the king. But this presence before her that exuded overwhelming sovereignty was undoubtedly the King of Darkness. Each and every move he made could only have been performed by someone born as royalty.

Should I believe him or not?

Neia thought for a moment and chose the former.

“Understood. I’ll go right away.”

“Indeed. By the way, were you sent on an errand or something? If so, I should apologize to your leader.”

“Huh?”

“—Huh?”

Neia inadvertently exchanged glances with the king.

“…You mean you’re not out on work? It’s like free time? If so, I’ll apologize for interrupting your precious—yes, truly precious—off time with my request.”

“N-no, it’s not really…like that… I-I’ll go open the window.”

She slipped past the King of Darkness in hurry.

What had startled her was the kindness in his words, as if someone had gently spread a rich medicine blended with oil on her cracked, dry hands.

She sprinted and reached the inn almost immediately.

Of course, she couldn’t go thudding around at full speed inside such a high-class establishment. That said, she couldn’t take her time, either, so she proceeded at a speed that wouldn’t be uncouth—although she had the feeling she got some cold looks from the staff—and arrived at the commander’s room.

She knocked right away and went to open the door, but it was locked. For a moment, she had the lonesome feeling she’d been the only one left out, but this wasn’t the time.

“It’s Squire Neia Baraja. Please open the door.”

There was a click, and a paladin peeked his face out.

“Excuse me.” She didn’t have time for manners. She spoke to Remedios, who was there, “It’s His Majesty the King of Darkness. He wants to speak to you in secret.”

Neia sensed everyone’s eyes look behind her in surprise.

“No, he’s not there.”

She walked swiftly over to the window and opened it.

As one would expect from a high-class inn, there was no creaking, and it opened smoothly.

“What are you—?!”

From a third party’s perspective, it seemed like an almost dangerous act. It was only natural that one of the paladins would shout, especially since it was one of the ones who had been guarding the Holy Lady.

But Neia took no notice. She leaned out the window and waved to the King of Darkness who was out there somewhere.

Someone yanked her collar back.

“What are you doing, Squire Baraja, indiscreetly opening the window? And where exactly is the King of Darkness supposed to be?”

She turned around to find a paladin red in the face. Well, it made sense to be angry, but—

“That’s enough. She has only broken your rules to grant my wish. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me.”

A soft voice reverberated in the room.

With his foot on the windowsill, the King of Darkness leisurely revealed himself.

The paladins reached instinctively for their swords, but Neia rushed to stop them.

“Hmm… I seem to have startled you. Sorry for that. I came because I wanted to meet in secret. I realize coming through the window is ill-mannered, but I hope you’ll understand that I had no choice… I put her in a difficult situation…” Having set his feet on the floor, he surveyed with room with a kingly air. “…I am the King of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown.”

When he announced himself, Neia was the first to take a knee. Behind her, she heard the rest of the knights follow.

“It’s all right… You should stand. We don’t have much time. Lady Custodio. Can we talk?”

“I have no objections. This way, please.”

Neia sighed as she stood—
phew
—and her eyes met the King of Darkness’s when he turned around. Of course, he didn’t have eyeballs, so maybe she was the only one who felt like they exchanged a glance.

“That squire won’t be participating?”

“She’s only a squire.”

“She was at the audience earlier, though, right?”

He sounded genuinely puzzled and expressed himself in an utterly normal way, but the sarcasm was biting.

“Squire Baraja, you come, too.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

She didn’t really want to attend the meeting, but for some reason, she was curious to see why the King of Darkness could possibly have come.

Remedios, Gustav, and the King of Darkness sat at a table, while Neia and the others stood against the wall. It was the same setup as when they had met the Blue Roses.

“All right, Your Majesty. Please forgive me, but I’ll be direct. Why have you suddenly shown up at our inn?” Gustav asked, and Remedios nodded.

“Sure. I said back there that I’m not fond of indirectness. I don’t want people to understand me in a warped or mistaken way.”

His way of speaking was so substantial somehow, so indescribably intimate.

“We decided on sending Momon in two years, but if you agree to one condition, I’m not averse to sending someone else as strong as him right away.”

“As strong as him?” Remedios yelped.

“…What sort of condition is it? We may not be able to comply immediately,” continued Gustav, and the King of Darkness smiled at him.

“Yes, I figured. I have a pretty good idea of the situation you’re in… It sounds good when you call yourselves a resistance force, but actually you’re a small group of armed individuals living in a cave, right?”

Everyone in the room seemed to gasp at the same time.

Neia included.

How was he able to guess their true condition? How had he seen through their story? It was especially impressive that he got the detail about the cave right.

The commander and Gustav looked at Neia. They had to be wondering if she had told him about their situation. So she shook her head slightly to say,
I didn’t
.

The King of Darkness ignored their surprise and continued.

“Even if the southern forces are still around, they aren’t cooperating with you due to the deep-rooted issues that exist with the nobles. Since you weren’t able to protect the holy lady, it will be difficult for you to serve in the same positions under the new Holy King. So of course you can’t offer me privileges such as land, title, or trade. If you did that, depending on what the new holy king thought, a war could break out with the Nation of Darkness.”

He recited the future of their situation so accurately it was as if he had learned it by heart.

“And of course, national treasures are also impossible to part with. Like your sword, Lady Custodio. One possible option would be to say that Jaldabaoth stole everything and turn over the country’s assets to me, but that’s dangerous. If I told the new holy king you did that, no one would trust paladins anymore. So your only choice was to do as you did and appeal to my emotions… Hmm, it seems like I guessed right. I can see from your faces that I scored a bull’s-eye.”

Having said that much, the King of Darkness leaned back in his chair.

Silence reigned in the room.

It was perfect, just so perfect.

Neia was astounded by his accurate reading of their circumstances.

So this is the King of Darkness
, she thought.

She had seen royalty alongside the Holy Lady but only ever received a perfunctory greeting from them; she never really got the chance to interact. This was her first time meeting a perfect being with superior discernment, the appropriate dignity, and even more power. The impact was so great she would never forget it.

“That said, anyone can figure out that much. I’m a bit embarrassed that I sounded like I’m boasting… I’m sure you guys didn’t think I wouldn’t see it, right?”

“O-of course not, Your Majesty!” Gustav replied, forcing a twitching smile.

“Good. If people thought I was an idiot who couldn’t read a situation so simple, I don’t know how I could face my hardworking subordinates… Now then, I’ll explain what I’m after: maids. I want maids.”

The completely unexpected word that burst out of the king’s mouth stunned them all, including Neia.

“…Oh, sorry. I should explain better. Uhhh, so during our audience, I told you how Jaldabaoth has strong maids, right? I want those. How much do you guys know about magic?”

“Nothing at all,” Remedios admitted openly, and the king’s eyes swam.

“I—I see. Then I’m not sure where to start this explanation but, hmm, I guess… Uhhh, Jaldabaoth’s maids must be bound to him by some sort of contract. So if I defeat him and make his method my own, I can take control of those maids. Thus, my country will gain some powerful servants.”

“B-but we haven’t seen Jaldabaoth’s maids in our country…”

The King of Darkness snickered at Gustav’s reply. “They were seen in the Re-Estize Kingdom. It’s hard to imagine they’re not around somewhere. Maybe they’ll show themselves if we corner Jaldabaoth.”

“Just to reemphasize…we don’t know for sure if the maids are there or not. What will you do if there are no maids?”

“We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it, but I won’t make additional demands. I’ll have worked for nothing. But they may not look like typical maids, so let’s call them Jaldabaoth’s subordinates. Oh, right. Since he might be controlling them with a specific item, I’d like anything in his possession that doesn’t clearly belong to the Sacred Kingdom to be turned over to me. If things turn out badly and the maids rampage through your kingdom before I seize control, I’d like you to forget your hatred of them once they’re mine.”

“You’re saying we should forgive people who’ve torn apart our country?” Remedios said, sounding somewhat offended, and the King of Darkness shrugged.

“It’s not like I’d be getting anything else from the Sacred Kingdom. Unless you have something to offer?”

Unable to say anything, Remedios bit her lip.

“Your Majesty, I think what she wanted to say is that it would be difficult for us, who aren’t currently there, to get the people who are suffering to forget their ill will.”

“Well, you’ll just have to work hard to convince them,” the King of Darkness said in an icy tone. “…Er, you can explain that I put them under magic control and took them away. That might make them feel a little better.”

I wonder
, thought Neia as she listened. Still, refusing after he had made this much of a compromise would likely cause everything to fall apart. Frankly, this offer was an extraordinarily valuable one for the Sacred Kingdom. Wasting it would be foolish.

“That’s a problem. If they rampaged—”

“Your Majesty!” Gustav cut Remedios off. “We’d like to discuss this among ourselves. May we have some time?”

I’ve compromised this much, and you still need to talk about it?
Neia was worried he might reproach them like that, but…

“Sure. I can’t imagine it would take too long, and it’s troublesome to go somewhere else, so I’d like to wait here if that’s okay.”

The king’s generosity surprised Neia.

“Thank you. Then we’ll go discuss things and come right back. Excuse us for just a moment, please.”

“That’s fine. Talk as much as you need.”

The two of them left and came back awfully fast. Well, the answer had been decided from the beginning, surely.

“We apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Majesty.”

“Not at all. You could have talked a little longer. So what do you think?”

“We’ve decided that we’ll do whatever you say, Your Majesty.”

“It’s not as if I was trying to get you to submit to me; I just wanted to strike a deal, but that’s fine. Now then, we should really get this in writing, but I don’t have any stationery or my seal on me. We’ll do that later… Does the Re-Estize language work for you?”

“There are people who can read it, so that’s no problem. Then, Your Majesty, who is this person as strong as Sir Momon?”

“You’re looking at him. It’s me.”

Silence reigned again, and everyone’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

After blinking a few times, their brains started to work again.

“Your Majesty is as strong as Sir Momon?” Neia froze solid when she heard Remedios say that, but one man had already leaped into action.

“H-hold on, please. Commander, there’s something else we need to ask him first.” Gustav turned to the King of Darkness. “Is it really all right for you to leave the Nation of Darkness and come to Roebel? We don’t know how long this will take.”

“That’s a nonissue. Unlike Momon, I can use teleportation magic. Once we reach your base, I’ll be able to go back and forth.”

“B-but still, a king coming personally to help us seems—”

“Did you listen to what I said and think I wouldn’t come? I’m going to defeat Jaldabaoth and take possession of his maids! I highly doubt I could manage that from all the way over here. And to answer your question, Commander Custodio, I’m more powerful than Momon.”

“Then there’s no issue, right, Gustav?”

“There’s nothing
but
issues! Your Majesty, we can’t handle jokes right now!” the deputy barked, holding his stomach.

“I’m not joking. There’s no one else who can fight Jaldabaoth and win. And I will go alone. I have no intention of bringing an army. That’s why I came to talk to you in secret.”

“If you were to sustain an injury that couldn’t be healed, the relationship between our two countries would be ruined!”

“—is what Gustav thinks, but do you foresee any problems like that, Your Majesty?”

“Not at all.”

“B—”

“Gustav! I’m talking. Stay out of my way!” Reeling back in the hand she had thrust out at him, Remedios bowed. “Then please do assist us, Your Majesty.”

•

In the room with an atmosphere like a storm had passed—well, in a sense, one certainly had—Gustav exploded.

“What are you thinking?! He’s a king! How could you ask him to come fight Jaldabaoth?!”

Neia agreed.

This went so far against common sense.

But Remedios murmured, “Hey, do you actually care what happens to an undead?”

Everyone fell silent.

“…It’s a demon versus an undead. No matter which one is destroyed, we don’t lose anything. Am I wrong?”

Gustav’s eyes widened. Not because he accepted her position, but because he was shocked.

“They’re both enemies of humanity. The best would be if they were both annihilated…not that I’d actively aim for that. Just, if the King of Darkness happens to sustain a life-threatening injury in the fight, we won’t help him. Simple as that.”

Remedios’s words sound strangely loud in the quiet room.

“…Commander. Don’t you think that if the King of Darkness were to perish, all the undead he commands would go free and create an unholy uproar?”

“When that time comes, it’ll be the Kingdom, the Empire, and the Theocracy that will bear the brunt of it. We would support them, I’m sure, but the damage we’ve sustained from fighting Jaldabaoth is too much. I’d like our neighbors to tough it out until we recover some of our strength… When you think of it that way, we stand to gain a lot if they kill each oth—”

“Commander!” Gustav shouted with a stern look. “Is there any justice in that?”

“There is. For our country. It’s to save the people who are suffering the most. It’s not as if I want to sow misfortune in foreign lands. I do actually want this king who supports us to win.”

Watching Remedios say that softly, Neia thought,
Who
are
you?

Was this really Remedios Custodio, commander of the paladins of the Sacred Kingdom?

Neia didn’t know her that well. Mostly she had only seen her from a distance. But from what she had heard of the commander, she felt this was someone different.

“Gustav. Are you done objecting? If you’re on board, then we need to move on.”

“To?”

“…We need to think about how to milk the King of Darkness for all he’s worth.”

A chill ran up Neia’s spine.

Why am I hearing this conversation?
she wondered. No, she couldn’t have been the only one. Glancing around, she saw all the paladins wearing the same expression. Neia probably had the same look on her face.

“Any ideas, Gustav?”

“N-no, ma’am. First, though, what should we do once we’ve brought the King of Darkness back?”

“If he’s not all talk and really is as powerful as Jaldabaoth, how about retaking the capital? Then we can have him take out the demon right then.”

“…No, that’s the worst idea. The King of Darkness said he would defeat Jaldabaoth, take his maids, and return to his nation, so in order to gain the most out of this, we should save killing Jaldabaoth for the very end… If we do what you propose, we have no way of defeating the subhuman army that will be left over.”

“Then what should our strategy be?”

Gustav thought for a moment and then made a suggestion. “First, let’s gather lots of allies. We should free the people imprisoned in the camps.”

“Aha! That’s a good idea. There are some people I want to rescue.”

“The royal family?”

“That’s right,” replied Remedios.

The Holy Lady had been killed, but there were no reports that the rest of the royal family had died. If they could save even one of them, that person could be raised as a symbol to gain the full support of the southern nobles.

“And I’d likes to save whatever nobles we can, too.”

Most of the nobles hadn’t been very friendly to the Holy Lady, so Remedios didn’t care for them. But there had to be some northern noble with family ties to the south. If they put those families in their debt, they could openly request more active assistance from southern nobles.

Remedios gave Neia a piercing look. “Squire Neia Baraja, I appoint you as His Majesty’s aide. Influence him so he works to our benefit.”

“Huh? What?? P-please wait a minute! I’m just a squire—I can’t serve a king!”

“Work hard enough that you can.”

“It’s not an issue of working hard!”

Normally she would just give in, but this time she desperately resisted. This wasn’t the kind of thing she could accept so simply.
Has Remedios gone insane?

“Sh-she’s right, Commander!” Gustav backed her up. “If we don’t assign him a lady-in-waiting of some standing, His Majesty might be insulted.”

“…Are there any other women in the liberation army?”

Most of the women without combat skills had been evacuated to the south. But it wasn’t as if there were no women at all. The liberation army had a handful. Gustav was opening his mouth to suggest one of them, but Remedios spoke sooner.

“A woman in the Paladin Order. If I gave orders to a woman of the shrines, what would they think? My sister is gone! And besides, this sort of role should probably go to someone who was here to hear my thoughts. You would have me shove the job off on some third party?”

You’re already shoving it off on me
, thought Neia, but she didn’t say anything.

“In that case…” Gustav looked at Remedios.

“I’m going to be fighting on the front line! You want me to keep the King of Darkness company on top of that?! Or you think we should leave everything to him?”

“Even if you intend to use him, we can’t do it so blatantly. And there are issues of trust involved. Plus, if it looks like the Sacred Kingdom can’t put up a fight, he may decide to conquer it outright…”

When Gustav trailed off, Neia realized her reinforcements had been defeated.

“Understood. I may be powerless, but I’ll do my utmost.”

“Yes, and just to reiterate. Your job is to make the King of Darkness easy for us to take advantage of. Say whatever will put him in a good mood.”

This was more than a challenge; it was absurd. Neia hardly thought she could pull it off. But she gave up and bowed her head.
Nothing I say will change her mind.

“Yes, ma’am! I’ll do everything I can, so I hope you’ll all support me.”

“Sure. If you need anything, ask this guy.” She indicated Gustav.

Though rather deep in despair, Neia was surprised to find herself feeling somewhat excited as well.

His Majesty the King of Darkness, huh…?