Overlord

Chapter 7 | The Hero Who Saves the Country

1

The liberation of Karinsha was surprisingly simple.

The betrayal of the zerun, the absence of the great demon aide, and the lack of subhuman soldiers compared with the size of the city combined to work in their favor. Of course, both sides incurred numerous losses, but the damage to the Sacred Kingdom Liberation Army was surprisingly light in exchange for retaking such a large city.

One reason for that was Neia leading the way with Ultimate Shooting Star: Super.

Though part of the reason she stood out was that Shizu had entered the shadows, and equipped with the splendid, gleaming bow, Neia possessed a dignity that inspired the people.

And now, she was standing on a dais in public giving an impassioned speech to an audience.

Telling them how there was no more wonderful king in this world than the King of Darkness.

The first thing she did after the retaking of Karinsha was seek support for a search party for the king.

Though she had gathered information about the Abellion Hills with
the zerun’s assistance and also by interrogating subhuman prisoners, she was still lacking the supplies, intelligence, and experience required.

If there were unlimited chances, it would have been one thing, but sending a search and rescue party into enemy territory was a challenge. In other words, she had to succeed in one shot. That meant that it was impossible to overprepare. So she took advantage of the fact that they had retaken Karinsha and saved a lot of people to appeal to a variety of powers.

But just because she asked for help didn’t mean she could get it immediately. They may have recaptured Karinsha, but other cities were still occupied, and many people were imprisoned, too. Some people had no idea where their families were. In order to move the hearts of those people, Neia had laid out the benefits of rescuing the King of Darkness.

As the number of supporters increased, however, the content of her talks began to change.

The ones who came to her wanting to hear about the King of Darkness were those who had been saved by him. These were people who had tasted agony and clung to the powerful being as solace for their mental wounds that wouldn’t heal.

Those who knew the greatness of the King of Darkness had a sense of belonging.

So it was only natural for Neia to tell them comforting stories of how wonderful he was.

Gradually, people who didn’t know the king began to attend. People who had been saved by him invited their acquaintances. Word of mouth had spread to the point that now her audience was a crowd of unrelated listeners.

Neia in her Mirror Shade smoothly related the retaking of the city and the battle with Jaldabaoth and described all the King of Darkness’s wondrous traits.

A few weeks ago, she wouldn’t have been able to speak so confidently like this. She got nervous in front of so many people and wasn’t sure what to say; her mind had blanked like that any number of times. But as she continued speaking, she realized she didn’t have to put on any airs. Explaining her
experiences of the king’s wonderfulness was enough, and she gradually grew more eloquent.

Yes, and then she was called a faceless preacher.

Which was why…

“As you see, His Majesty the King of Darkness is like no other! Has anyone ever cared so much for the common people?! I know what you want to say! And Holy Lady Calca Bessarez is also a wonderful leader. But have you ever heard of someone who has done this much to save the people of another nation? Have you?” Neia pointed at one of the people listening at the front of the crowd. “Have you ever heard of a king who went out on his own because the people of another country were suffering?!”

“Uh, er, well, no, I haven’t.”

With so many eyes on him, the singled-out man shrank.

“Wonderful! Exactly!”

As Neia praised him, the people on either side of her on the dais, who shared her views, gave the man a round of applause.

He was clearly embarrassed.

“We actually did the research to see if we could find another king like that. But there aren’t any! There has never been a king like that anywhere! His Majesty the King of Darkness is the only one!”

There were kings who had led soldiers to a neighboring country as aid, but it was true that no other king had ever gone well and truly alone.

“The king of a nation thought nothing of the danger and assisted the common people of a foreign country. That hasn’t happened before! His Majesty is the only one!” After a pause, she repeated herself. “His Majesty is the only one! That’s the kind of ruler we can call a king of justice, wouldn’t you say?!”

“We’re supposed to believe that?! He’s an undead!”

The question shot at her from the audience was one Neia could answer with a gentle smile. She had felt the same way at first. In other words, this man was her past self. He was simply ignorant; he didn’t have the knowledge.

She wanted to open his eyes—no, the eyes of everyone who felt that
way—just as her own had been opened. That was her motivation for speaking to the people.

“It’s true! His Majesty is an undead! It’s only natural to be wary! It’s also true that undead are terrifying monsters. I have absolutely no intention of saying all undead are good. Most undead are undoubtedly evil beings that despise the living.”

Grasping from the atmosphere of the venue that all the people listening were following her every word, Neia drove her point home.

“But! There’s an exception to every rule. Just as there is a warm day even in the most freezing winter. Like a single bud on a withered old tree. Like the sudden flare of a shooting star in the dead of night. His Majesty…is an undead who helps the living! Some of you probably want to hear from people who have been saved by him. Some of you might have been saved yourselves. Those stories will prove that what I say is true.”

Confirming that no one was objecting, Neia spoke in a heavy, dark tone.

“…Our sturdy fortress line had been broken, and the subhumans flooded in. Is this the only time such a tragedy will occur? Do you think we’re safe from a second invasion?”

The silence of the audience spoke volumes.

They wanted to think they were, but they couldn’t believe it.

“I understand your fears very well. Perhaps we and the generation of your children will be all right. We witnessed the tragedy with our own eyes, so we won’t drop our guard… However!” She spoke more forcefully. “Your children’s children, your grandchildren’s grandchildren—it’s impossible to say that they’ll be safe! Who can say that history won’t repeat?! So we have to be prepared. We have to make sure our fortresses are never breached again.”

“Yes! She’s right!” shouted voices in the crowd.

“It seems quite a few of you agree with me, but will your children’s children and your grandchildren’s grandchildren, who will only know of this tragedy as a story, maintain the necessary military power? Do you think they’ll have two or three times the army we had on the fortress line?”

Military expenses strain a country’s budget, but it’s difficult to see the deterrent effects of fighting power.

“I believe some of you were drafted and stationed in a fortress. So please recall something for me. If we needed three times the amount of food in your memories as a regular expense, wouldn’t that be a painful burden on our kingdom’s coffers? Do you think the royalty of future generations, who know of this tragedy only as a memory, will continue to pay it?”

Neia waited until this had sunk in for her audience before giving her conclusion.

“That’s why we need the protection of His Majesty the King of Darkness!”

“Why?! Why from some undead?!”

It was the same man as before.

A single man had been arguing this whole time. Having someone like that in the audience actually made things easier for Neia. It was much harder when no one reacted at all. When that happened, she worried they didn’t understand or might not even be listening.

Her collaborators thought maybe they should plant a few people into each crowd on purpose, but Neia refused. She was similarly against fake opposition, too.

“It’s precisely because he’s undead that we want his protection. His Majesty the King of Darkness is strong and, above all, undying. He’ll be there for your children’s children and your grandchildren’s grandchildren.”

“B-but I heard he was defeated and killed.”

“That is both true and false. Sadly, the former part is true. In order to help us in our powerlessness, His Majesty used a great deal of magic, consumed a huge quantity of mana, and lost to Jaldabaoth as a result. But the latter part is false. His Majesty the King of Darkness is not dead. Shizu’s presence is proof of that.”

She was one of those known to have played a critical role in the retaking of Karinsha. Shizu appeared from one wing of the stage when the time was ripe.

Admiring gasps and worshipful “It’s Lady Shizu”s rose from the audience.

“……Mm.”

Shizu stood tall.

“This is a demon maid who was once under Jaldabaoth’s control. Yet, she was our steadfast ally in the battle to retake Karinsha. Why? Because His Majesty the King of Darkness wrested control of her away from Jaldabaoth.”

Many people had seen Shizu hunting and killing subhumans by the dozens during the battle. Those who addressed her as “Lady” had probably been saved by her personally.

Shizu was very popular. Though people knew she was a demon maid who used to obey Jaldabaoth, she was beautiful and retained a certain childishness that endeared her to the masses. In a nutshell, it was hard to be hostile toward her.

Neia had once asked if the King of Darkness had taken that into account when choosing her, and Shizu had answered, “It’s possible.”

“Shizu is magically controlled by His Majesty the King of Darkness. That control holds as long as he is alive. In other words, her presence here proves that His Majesty is not dead!”

The audience erupted in chatter, and Neia spread her arms to calm everyone. She wasn’t finished talking.

“You must wonder why he doesn’t show himself. I don’t know the answer to that question any more than you. But I can’t imagine that merciful being would abandon us! Something must have happened to prevent him from returning right away! We don’t know if it’s his own decision or if he’s in danger. And that’s why”—her voice echoed over the silent crowd—“that’s why I’m asking for your help! I need your help to go look for His Majesty the King of Darkness. Even if we travel through the hills under subhuman rule and find him, that doesn’t mean the Sacred Kingdom has repaid its debts. Because, as I said before, despite the fact that he only came here to fight Jaldabaoth, we were so weak that he was forced to fight subhumans, and since he had used up his power on that, he was defeated!” Neia spoke even louder. “And so—everyone! We must repay the one who came to our rescue! I don’t want to be the kind of person who wouldn’t go help my savior when
he was in need just because he’s an undead! Anyone who wants to repay the debt we owe His Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you.”

She paused for effect before raising her voice.

“I’m seeking people who will help me aid His Majesty the King of Darkness! You don’t have to actually go on the journey! Your technology, your knowledge—anything is welcome! Please lend me your strength! I beg for your assistance!”

When Neia bowed, Shizu next to her also gave a shallow bow.

The audience sent up cries of approval.

Upon straightening, Neia had one last thing to say.

“…I’m sure some of you have listened to what I had to say and still don’t believe me. So will you listen to someone who was part of the liberation army even before the battle for Karinsha? Then I think you’ll see that I haven’t been lying to you.”

When she got back to her room, Neia flopped heavily into a chair.

“Welcome back, Lady Baraja.”

The one welcoming her was a quiet-seeming, heavyhearted woman.

No more than twenty, her most distinctive features were her ample bosom, which would have likely caught Neia’s attention if she were a man, and short hair. She said she used to have long hair, but it had been cut in the prison camp.

The woman was a member of the support organization Neia had created. Because those working with her wanted to give it a name, it was called the King of Darkness Rescue Team.

She assisted Neia, who had suddenly become incredibly busy.

It had been a couple of weeks since they had met, and her presence had become essential. She performed her tasks—cleaning, washing, cooking—so perfectly.

“Th-thank you.”

She wiped her face with the moist towel the woman handed her. The coolness felt good on her warm cheeks.

“Oof.” She emitted a noise like a middle-aged man as she put the towel on the table and then looked to the woman, who immediately picked it up.

“Um, like I always say, I wish you wouldn’t call me ‘Lady.’ I’m no one so important as that.”

“How can you say that? You’re the representative of His Majesty the King of Darkness in this country. It would be ill-mannered not to show the proper respect to someone taking the initiative to work for His Majesty.”

She wasn’t sure how to respond when a woman older than her said that.

It seemed like a common worry for anyone not used to being in a superior position.

And in the first place, Neia didn’t speak for the king. Or rather, how had she ended up in such a position?

Shizu, who was looking on absentmindedly from where she lay on a sofa, seemed a better choice.

Really, anyone should have been able to recognize the King of Darkness’s greatness just by looking objectively. It seemed absurd to be called a spokesperson when she was only stating the obvious. It wasn’t as if she was explaining the organization’s beliefs and opinions or something.

She had been the first to move, but she didn’t expect this to happen.

“All right, I’ll be going now. Oh, and Beltrán Moro would like to see you.”

“Okay. Would you have him come? Thanks for your help today.”

Her assistant left with a bow, and a man came in as if to take her place. The woman who helped her had an aversion to and fear of men, so being in the same room with them made her feel sick. For that reason, they always took turns.

“Lady Baraja, apologies for calling on you when you could use a rest. May I have a bit of your time?”

Beltrán Moro…

He was a thickly built man in his midforties with noticeably thinning hair.

The Moro family was originally a house of rather high rank and had
been butlers for generations; Beltrán himself had previously worked as a butler. To take advantage of his skills, she made use of him as something like a secretary in the organization.

She was lucky to have met someone like him right as she was establishing the organization. If she hadn’t, she would surely have gray hair already despite being so young.

“Oh, I don’t mind. What’s going on?”

“Thank you. Then I’ll get right to it. Currently the organization has over thirty thousand members.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! To think so many people grasp how wonderful His Majesty the King of Darkness is! Well, no, it’s a matter of course, isn’t it? His Majesty truly is an awesome being.”

Shizu nodded.

Their organization now had enough members to populate a small city. There were 3.5 million people living in the northern Sacred Kingdom, so almost 1 percent of the population was on board.

“Those supporters are saying they would like some kind of symbol that shows they are a member.”

“I…see… Yeah, that…might be good.”

“Yes. Having something that indicates their belonging puts people’s hearts at ease and gives them a sense of solidarity.”

Neia nodded,
hmm
ing. Belonging—something associated with the King of Darkness would make them happiest. Even Neia wanted something like that.

“Then, uh, please come up with whatever you think is best. But don’t distinguish between different amounts of financial support.”

“……Unoff…an…lub…”

Neia heard something that even she with her sharp ears couldn’t make out completely.

“Miss Shizu, did you say something?” she asked.

“……Nope.”

“…Oh. Well, if I say something wrong regarding His Majesty, please let me know.” Neia turned back to Beltrán. She was happy that more people
were unfazed by her gaze of late. “You can proceed with manufacturing. And…can you tell me what the schedule is looking like today?”

“Of course, Lady Neia. In about two hours, there will be a supporter event titled With Thanks to His Majesty the King of Darkness. Your participation and a speech about His Majesty’s feats would be most appreciated.”

“Got it.”

Neia was a little excited. She had an affinity for these supporters, her comrades, who understood the notion she had discovered, that His Majesty the King of Darkness was justice. She loved talking with people who shared her feelings.

“And there’s been a request for a drill inspection. You’re very busy right now. Shall I refuse?”

They had created the Supporters Guard and were training hard. Neia sometimes joined, and Shizu popped in now and then, too.

To Neia, who knew she was only deadweight to the king because she was weak, it was only natural to train and get stronger. If her participation would inspire them to keep at it, then she felt she should definitely go.

“No. I’ll go.”

“Everyone will be delighted to hear that! And…that was everything I had to report for now. Factoring in prep time for the event, you have about an hour, so please rest well.”

Beltrán exited with a bow. After watching him go, Neia stood from her chair and walked over to Shizu on the sofa. Then she lay down and squashed Shizu in an embrace.

“……There, there.”

Shizu was shorter than her, but the maid rubbed her back like a mother would for a small child.

“I wonder when we’ll be able to go look for His Majesty. It’s already been a month…”

The group that searched the eastern part of the Sacred Kingdom didn’t find the king. They couldn’t rule out the possibility that they simply missed him, but Neia was sure that he must have fallen in subhuman territory, the
Abellion Hills. That was why they needed to prepare so much, but even so, it was taking too long.

Of the three thousand zerun that betrayed Jaldabaoth, two thousand eight hundred had gone with the prince to the Nation of Darkness, and the other two hundred had headed to the hills on an intelligence-gathering mission, but Neia hadn’t heard anything yet.

“……Failure isn’t an option.”

“I know! But—but…”

Neia hugged Shizu even tighter, clinging. Shizu smelled like tea, so she inhaled.

Shizu was the only one who could make Neia feel better—because as long as Shizu was around, it meant the King of Darkness was alive.

“……Don’t worry. Lord Ainz is a generous master.”

“Yes, you’re right, Miss Shizu.”

“……So we should increase our supporters and build a plan that will definitely succeed.”

“Yes, you’re right, Miss Shizu.”

“……That will make Lord Ainz happy.”

“Yes, you’re right, Miss Shizu.”

“……Neia, you really are one of my favorites. Once you get used to it, your face definitely has its own flavor.”

“…Flavor… By the way, it must be a drag to be cooped up in here. Would you like to go somewhere together sometime?”

Shizu attracted lots of attention with her unusual, almost handcrafted beauty. But when people learned she was a demon maid, their gazes filled with fear and suspicion. Often, they became convinced she was after their souls or something. That was because of the demons of legend who transformed into a beautiful woman and struck contracts to rob people of their souls, but Neia felt like even that demon probably had standards for her targets.

And in the first place, why would a difficulty level–150 demon maid, serving the generous, merciful King of Darkness, want some random townsperson’s soul?

Still, they wanted to avoid any trouble, and if any harm came to Shizu, Neia would never be able to face the king. Of course, she realized that Shizu was so powerful, it would be impossible for anyone to hurt her.

In any case, Neia had her stay indoors. Still, now that their supporters had grown, she figured going out in areas where they gathered wouldn’t be a problem.

“……That’s not a bad idea. I’ll go as practice.”

“Then let’s get ready. That maid uniform will stick out… Do you think you could change into regular clothes?”

“……The professor……ahem. I’d like you to lend me some. I’ll leave the look up to you.”

“…Sorry. I don’t have anyone to go out with, and I’m not interested in clothes, so I don’t have much confidence when it comes to planning outfits.”

Shizu patted her shoulder gently. At a glance, she appeared emotionless, but Neia noticed something motherly in her kindness. Then Shizu pointed a thumb at herself. “……Leave it to me.”

“Really?”

It was after this that she realized Shizu had unexpectedly decent taste.

After the recapture of Karinsha, the amount of work on Caspond’s plate suddenly increased. With all the newly liberated people, he had a lot of organization-building tasks to do. And because of the influx in information he had to deal with, confirming everything and delegating also took considerable time.

Guarding him during this busy time was a single paladin.

It was reckless, but he couldn’t use a paladin with superior skills in maintaining public safety who could read, write, do arithmetic, and manage events as a mere bodyguard. In that sense, it would probably have been most efficient to have Remedios paired with him, but given her mental state, he was having her train with some other paladins.

Her fit of rage when Neia and Shizu had returned with Kelart Custodio’s head was so great that he worried there would be casualties. She
had calmed down but was still treated as if she was liable to go off at any moment.

Honestly, he wouldn’t have been able to do this alone.
I really owe it to all the people who have lent me their wisdom
, thought Caspond, his respect only growing for them, as he got down to work with his pen.

It was practice for the future, yes, but still annoying work. Caspond kept his complaints to himself, but a paladin who either couldn’t take a hint or was really that distressed spoke to him.

“Master Caspond, what about Neia Baraja?”

Realizing what the question implied, he answered without looking up from his paperwork, an exhausted smile on his face. “There’s nothing we can do. Leave her alone. And ‘Master’ is plenty title for me.”

“Thank you. But what do you mean, there’s nothing we can do?”

The paladin didn’t seem to get it, so Caspond looked up from his work and made eye contact. “If we pressured her to stop, what do you think would happen?”

“I don’t think anything would happen, sir. Her activities will destabilize the country if they keep going on.”

“I see. Have you ever listened to her teachings? Although I’m not sure that’s the right word. It doesn’t seem like it, so you must have read a summary? Let me ask you something: Were there any lies in them?”

The paladin seemed to be searching his memory, so Caspond gave the answer.

“She’s not lying, but it would be better if she were. Anyone with a little knowledge can corroborate almost everything—that the King of Darkness is a hero who liberated the people and single-handedly recaptured a city.” He took a sip from the cup of water on the table before continuing. “And Neia Baraja is a hero who contributed to the liberation of Karinsha. We made that public. We introduced the demon maid, the King of Darkness’s servant, and went a little overboard praising Neia so that the king wouldn’t get much more profile. She even looks like a hero with that equipment of hers.” With the splendid bow she borrowed from the King of Darkness and Mighty King Buser’s breastplate, what did she appear to be if not a hero?
“So back to my question. What would we look like if we put pressure on her? Don’t you think it would go something like,
What she’s saying is inconvenient for the Sacred Kingdom, so they’re trying to silence the hero
?”

“That would never…” The paladin mumbled a denial, but the look on his face spoke louder than words: He had realized that was how it would go.

“A rising hero or a falling royal family? Which do you think the people would belie—?”

“Master Caspond, please don’t talk like that!”

“Sorry… Anyhow, what do you think the demon maid would do if we tried to interfere with Neia’s teachings?”

“Urk…”

The paladin’s face scrunched up, and Caspond put on a devious expression.

“Heh-heh. Being protected by that maid means she has the most powerful military force in the whole city! It’s too dangerous to try to subdue her head-on. That’s why she’s being left alone. I understand your fears. But there are no good moves available to us.”

There came a knock at the door, and the serviceman from outside entered.

“Master Caspond, the deputy commander of the paladins requests an audience.”

“Show him in right away.”

Gustav must have heard him from where he was standing by outside, because he came right in. His slightly hard breathing indicated that he had rushed over.

“Apologies for the interruption, Master Caspond!”

Gustav had even more work to do than Caspond, so he was very busy. For that reason, he didn’t come in person very often, so Caspond knew something was wrong. It had to be some kind of problem that he couldn’t solve on his own.

“I tell you every time, you don’t have to worry about it. And it’s just us—there’s no need to bow so low. It seems like you came in a hurry, so what’s going on?”

“A lookout spotted an army of fifty thousand flying the crest of a southern noble. It’s headed this way.”

“I see… Did the southern army defeat Jaldabaoth’s subhumans, then? In any case, prepare for combat. There’s no guarantee that they aren’t being manipulated by Jaldabaoth.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Make sure no one attacks unless the other side does first. If they want to talk, bring them here. And”—Caspond turned to the paladin—“you take point on welcoming our guests. If my hunch is right, we’ll be entertaining a number of high-ranking nobles. We need to have food and drink they’ll enjoy.”

“Yes, sir!” the two of them acknowledged and left the room.

Watching them go, Caspond murmured, “So…has the time come?”

“I do so appreciate you coming, Marquis Bodipo, Count Coen, Count Dominguez, Count Granero, Count Landaluze, Viscount Sants.”

“Oh, we’re just glad you’re safe, Master Caspond.”

“Indeed! Indeed! We were ever so worried!”

After a toast, once the southern nobles had quenched their thirst with a sip of wine, Caspond celebrated everyone’s safety and continued to trade smiling greetings.

The nobles told him what had been going on, how they had struggled. Caspond spent all his time listening; they were relating their suffering to show him how devoted they were to the Sacred Kingdom.

After speaking at length, Count Coen seemed to realize something and asked, “Hmm? Master Caspond, has something about you changed?”

“Yes, of course. You’ve heard that Jaldabaoth has been traveling around the north? I’ve changed a great deal on the inside as a result of that. Not only that, I think I’ve changed in places you can’t see as well… Look here, don’t I seem thinner?”

Caspond indicated his belly with a merry smile and got the response,
“It does look like that, doesn’t it!” At the same time, a faint yet sharp glint appeared in the nobles’ eyes.

Caspond didn’t miss it—he knew that they were comparing him now to the way he was before.

They cleverly concealed the fact right away, but he was certain they were continuing to appraise him.

He didn’t want them to think anything had changed. His main goal was to avoid allowing anyone to meddle in the royal family’s affairs after the war.

“…How can I ever thank all you heads of houses for sallying forth to fight in this battle to save the Sacred Kingdom?”

“What are you saying, Master Caspond? It’s only natural that we would do so as servants of the royal family. Any able-bodied noble who wouldn’t fight for the future of our kingdom isn’t fit for the rank!”

All the nobles nodded. In other words, there were heads of households who didn’t go to battle, and they were these men’s political rivals.

Unfortunately, Caspond wasn’t familiar with which nobles got on poorly with whom. It could be counted as an unfortunate lapse of knowledge.

He needed to avoid making promises, but at the same time, not giving these men preferential treatment would be problematic. Flitting from side to side was frowned upon.

“Your devotion to the Sacred Kingdom must be known far and wide. I should say it even deserves to go down in history.”

The one who appeared the most delighted, if only for a moment, was the eldest among them, the graying blond-haired Marquis Bodipo.

It was because he already had rank and influence that he was interested in glory. The others were probably still more interested in rewards. Of course, they had brought a large army. It was only natural they would want to be compensated.

As he was flattering the marquis, who was refraining only from speaking much, Viscount Sants, looking peaked, awkwardly spoke up. “Master Caspond, there’s something I’d like to ask you… What in the world happened to the Holy Lady? We heard she passed away, but…”

“That is the truth.”

His ready response left Viscount Sants blinking, and the man asked a further question. “A-and where is her holy body?”

“It was in such poor condition that we cremated her. Normally, we would have used Preservation and held a royal funeral after driving off Jaldabaoth, but…” Caspond’s pained face indicated that he couldn’t say any more. “The death of high cleric Kelart Custodio has also been confirmed…”

“I see…”

The nobles trailed off, affording Caspond the time to sip his wine.

A substitute for the Holy Lady was seated before them, but the most advanced faith caster in the kingdom couldn’t be replaced so easily. They were probably thinking about how to best take advantage of her death.

When no one had spoken up after his second sip of wine, he volunteered more information. “We cremated her as well. The condition of her body was simply too horrible to consider any other option.”

The nobles frowned. Had something occurred to them, hearing that the two most honorable people in the country had died awful deaths? This was a life-and-death battle—losing meant dying. Perhaps they had finally realized there was no paying a ransom to go free if they were taken prisoner, and it scared them.

“And what happened to Commander Remedios?”

“Did you want to speak with her? Do you mind waiting a moment?”

“Oh, she’s alive? Even though the Holy Lady and high cleric are dead?” the splendidly bearded Count Landaluze remarked nastily, and the others sneered. Caspond opened the door and had the guard standing by call Remedios.

By the time his cup was empty, she was entering the room.

When Count Landaluze saw her, his eyes went wide. “What?! You’re Commander Remedios Custodio?!”

Instead of disdain, his voice contained shock. Surely, every noble in the Sacred Kingdom knew her face. And that went for Count Landaluze as well. That was why he was so surprised: the gap between his memory and the woman before him.

Remedios Custodio was almost like a ghost.

Sunken orbits, hollow cheeks. But in contrast, her eyes shone bright.

“You called me, didn’t you? Who else did you think would come?”

“What! You impu…dent…” His voice trailed off—because she glared at him.

Frankly, Remedios as she had become was terrifying. It was impossible to know what was on her mind, and there was no telling what she might do. That was why Caspond couldn’t keep her with him. And they were even taking pains not to let any information about Neia’s activities reach her.

“What do you need?”

Everyone in this country knew that Remedios was its strongest paladin. She had achieved a pinnacle of martial prowess.

Authority was no use against berserker violence. The most robust armor that could protect a noble was like paper to Remedios. In the past, there had always been someone nearby who could rein her in, and her mental state had been such that a little sarcasm wouldn’t set her off. But now things were different.

It was because they realized that that none of the nobles said a word. Remedios snorted with a shrug. “…Master Caspond, can I leave? They don’t seem to want anything.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Once Remedios had left, the nobles finally twisted up their faces in disgust.

“She was so discourteous to you, yet you allow it?”

“She may be the commander of the paladins, but that attitude was too much. Someone who clearly lacks devotion to the royal family shouldn’t be left to command any longer.”

Caspond stayed the eruption of discontent with a raised hand. “We’re currently at war. Her skill with a sword is useful. The next king can decide what happens after that.”

How many people had actually been offended by her attitude? Certainly, there were those who concealed their fear with anger, but Caspond smiled wanly in his mind knowing that they had a different agenda.

Remedios was the previous ruler’s military might and a fine weapon. There had to be those who didn’t want to see that weapon passed on to the next holy king. Or perhaps that was true of all these nobles.

“Ohhh! That’s an excellent point! We’re at war! But we can’t keep fighting the subhumans forever!”

“Yes, it’s as the count says! I believe our messenger summarized the situation for you, but we were able to come all this way because the subhuman forces have retreated! Master Caspond! We should capitalize on this momentum and attack!”

“Hear! Hear! Now is the time to rout them and thus increase your renown!”

“I see, I see. And…what happened to Elder Purple?”

The nobles exchanged glances, and Marquis Bodipo spoke as their representative.

“He seems to be in poor health and was not able to come with us.”

The oldest marquis, who was in his eighties, was called “Elder,” and he was also one of the Nine Colors. A great noble in the south, he had been awarded the color for his faithful service to the royal family.

So it was that not all the Nine Colors were given strictly for strength; sometimes they were given for outstanding deeds. The famous artist wife of a certain duke who held the Indigo title was another example.

Reading the momentary emotion that Bodipo couldn’t conceal as he answered the question, Caspond mentally smiled. He had already been aware, but confirming it with his own eyes produced that reaction.

“…Ah. Gentlemen, your opinion aligns with my thoughts on the matter.” Caspond told them about his idea to stall Jaldabaoth’s plan by eradicating the subhumans. “…But what will we do if Jaldabaoth shows up?”

“Is this Jaldabaoth demon really so powerful as all that? We’ve heard that commander of yours wasn’t able to protect you.”

Count Granero was able to ask such a naive question because he had never faced the demon, and Caspond responded gravely, “He’s terribly powerful. We invited the King of Darkness to face him, and the fight was extraordinary.”

“The King of Darkness? You mean that undead?!”

It was only natural that they would react in surprise.

“Oh? You haven’t heard about that? Huh…”

“You went to another nation for military support, Master Caspond? That’s unacceptable!”

“Not the military, the king—just the king.”

“Eh?” The nobles all froze. It took a little while for them to thaw out.

“Just the king? A ruler, the leader of a country, came on his own?”

Caspond nodded at Count Landaluze that that was the case.

“But that can’t be true! Who has ever heard of such a king? Perhaps his army was stationed nearby?”

They all murmured in turn that it went against common sense, that it might be some sort of plot. But Caspond shut all their opinions down.

“In any case, it’s the truth, so that’s that. And if his army had been nearby, it surely would have sprung into action the moment he was defeated in the duel.”

“He lost? …I don’t quite follow. We’ve heard he’s an undead, so did his brains rot through? And…isn’t this extremely bad?”

“Indeed. And Remedios was one of the messengers who invited him. We’ll need some sort of diplomatic maneuver, like sending her to request forgiveness.”

“You think we’ll get off that easily…? That said, the Nation of Darkness is situated on Re-Estize land. It would be difficult to cross through enemy territory to reach us. If the Re-Estize Kingdom falls, I suppose we’ll need to watch out.”

The nobles were all frustratingly confused. It was like trying to decide what to do about the sun suddenly rising in the west. Thus, they seemed to have decided it would be best to think about it later.

“Setting that aside, what are you planning to do now, Master Caspond?”

“I want to retake the royal capital—and as soon as possible.”

“If that’s your intention, you have our support!”

“You can be the hero who saves the country from Jaldabaoth!”

“A subhuman army of a hundred thousand invaded. So far, we’ve
probably reduced them down to just over thirty thousand. I’m sure by combining the forces in this city with those that we’ve brought, defeating them will be a simple matter!”

“It seems like the time has come to call you ‘Your Majesty,’ Master Caspond!”

Hearing all the nobles say the things he wanted to hear, he purposely put on an expression that said things were going exactly as he wished. “Right, and it’s only possible with your cooperation. I won’t forget to extend my gratitude.”

“Whatever are you talking about?! We’re only acting out of loyalty to the Sacred Kingdom and the royal family!”

In his mind, Caspond smiled a different smile.

“Good. Now then, gentlemen, let’s set about retaking the capital, shall we?”

2

One week after combining forces with the army the nobles had led up from the south, preparations were complete, and a new offensive was launched.

The next objective was Prato, a large city to the west of Karinsha.

Swaying along with the motion of her horse, Neia was unable to conceal her displeasure.

Her mind agreed with the plan to seize this chance—Jaldabaoth healing his wounds—and eradicate the subhumans. But her heart found it unforgivable. She wanted to increase the number of people who understood her feelings and put her efforts into preparing a perfect search and rescue party for the King of Darkness.

That said, Neia knew from watching Remedios that having an edgy, irritated commander affected a unit’s morale. It was awful the way she took her stress out on her reports.

When Neia took a deep breath to calm down, chilly, refreshing air
filled her lungs. Though spring was near, the cold of winter still lingered a bit in the atmosphere.

Having composed herself, Neia turned her attention to the massive advancing army.

There were around ninety-five thousand soldiers streaming endlessly forward. Of those, roughly thirty thousand came from the south under the command of the newly arrived nobles, and sixty-five thousand were from the liberation army. Incidentally, of the remaining twenty thousand of the nobles’ forces, ten thousand set off for home, and ten thousand were resting in Karinsha.

Neia was leading an archer unit of two thousand. They were all members of the support organization.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the subhuman army was estimated at thirty thousand, so there was an overwhelming numerical disparity.

But individual subhumans were stronger than humans, and above all, there was still the lingering fear of Jaldabaoth, so they couldn’t rest easy even when outnumbering their enemies.

This operation was premised on the assumption that Jaldabaoth, injured as he was, wouldn’t make a move. If the demon’s wounds had healed, it was clear that this would be a death march.

Neia’s heart began to pound.

She fell into the loop of worrying that they should have prioritized the rescue party.

“—Lady Baraja. Do you require any information from the other units our members are stationed in?”

The question from Beltrán, riding next to her, was confusing. She didn’t understand what he was getting at.

After thinking for a moment and catching his drift, she quickly waved him off with the hand that wasn’t holding the reins.

“N-no, there’s no need to act like spies. We’re all working together toward the same objective here.”

“Ohhh, I’d expect nothing less from Lady Baraja, representative of His Majesty the King of Darkness. You’re so kind.”

“……But her face is scary.” It was Shizu who mumbled that following Beltrán’s praise. She was riding behind Neia with her arms around her waist because she couldn’t ride herself.

Shizu always, always had to comment like that, and despite the fact that Neia respected her for her experience, the verbal jab stung.

Maybe I should make her walk…

Of course, Shizu was stronger in her legs and in general than an average human. The reason Neia let her ride with her was that she figured it would be rude to force a servant of His Majesty to walk.

Beltrán was listening, but he didn’t stick up for her. He neither confirmed nor denied it. In all likelihood, he simply found it awkward to disagree with a servant of the king and more that the comment was the undeniable truth.

Yeah, I’m sure it’s impossible to argue… I mean, if it weren’t true, I wouldn’t have to wear the Mirror Shade …

But Neia was a woman nonetheless. Being told how frightening her face was all the time—even if it was the truth, even if she was used to it—still hurt her feelings a little.

“So, Lady Baraja, a message has arrived from the main force. The scouts have spotted the subhuman army. We’ve been told their estimate was thirty thousand, and it seems we’re going to camp here for the moment. The messenger only told me that much before returning to the main force, but did you need him?”

“It’s fine. If it didn’t bother you, then it’s no problem.”

Beltrán made a fantastic adjutant.

“But do the subhumans want a field battle…?”

The subhuman alliance forces were only a third of the size of the Sacred Kingdom’s. Though they were superior one-on-one, they seemed to have no hope of victory in a battle with formations on an open plain. If, instead, they holed up in a city, they could use those defenses to ameliorate the numerical disparity.

Either way, if Jaldabaoth was healed up, a Sacred Kingdom victory would be a long shot. Buying time was the subhumans’ best option.

Or perhaps they meant to have a localized fight somewhere horses couldn’t go.

“The site of the battle would seem to be flat, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. There is no forest or any other cover where they could conceal forces. And there aren’t any hills, either, so there will probably be some dispute over where precisely to camp.”

“……Why would they choose a place like that?”

“My guess is”—Beltrán prefaced his answer to Shizu’s question—“they mean to run.”

“Run?”

“Yes, Lady Baraja. Similar to the zerun, who switched sides, not all the subhumans are enamored with Jaldabaoth. If they want to flee and survive, even if that means betraying him, they would choose a field battle over a siege. It would be difficult to escape during a siege battle.”

A dark emotion glinted in Beltrán’s eyes.

Neia wondered if she needed to exercise her newly acquired power, but the darkness gradually dissipated, and the usual gleam soon returned. The reality of the impending battle must have quelled his hatred for the time being.

“……I see.”

Beltrán replied to Shizu’s admiring nod with, “It was nothing.”

What he had said certainly made sense.

And it would probably be difficult for Jaldabaoth to tell who died in battle and who tried to flee.
In that case, waiting until night to attack would give them a chance to run, which could reduce the number of needless deaths.

That’s what Neia thought, but she couldn’t say it aloud.

The subhumans had caused the people of this country too much suffering.

Apparently, subhumans who serve His Majesty the King of Darkness are just barely allowable, but the rest have to die…

It was rumored that people who called for reconciliation with the subhumans or allied with them were being secretly lynched.

And when she had liberated prison camps with the subhumans, they
had found corpses that seemed to have been lynched. They appeared to be the bodies of those who had tried to collaborate with the subhumans.

“Lady Baraja, I don’t know what the higher-ups are thinking or how we will be positioned, but shall I gather the leaders of each squad?”

“No, you can do that once you figure out where we’re going. I think everyone knows what to do no matter where they get stationed.”

Neia figured that where they would be positioned would depend on how the higher-ups wanted to use Shizu.

If there were powerful subhumans among their enemies, they would probably be sent to the front lines in order to make use of Shizu. If they were going to be used as normal archers, they would probably be put somewhere in the army’s center or wherever the other archers were. If the leaders were concerned about being shown up by a servant of the King of Darkness, they would probably be sent to the rear.

Neia expected that they would be in the follow-up wave until a first attack had been launched.

And three hours later, she learned that she had been correct.

Facing the subhumans, who were lumped into a single wedge-like formation, the humans were broadly split in two. The thirty thousand troops of the nobles’ army plus ten thousand from the liberation army made up the forty-thousand-strong left wing, and the remaining fifty-five thousand from the liberation army were in a sort of flying wedge on the right.

Since the humans intended to eradicate the subhumans in this battle, they began to enact a gradual encirclement.

Whether they meant to break through and flee or turn the fight into a melee and kill as many humans as possible, the subhumans had chosen a formation built for penetration.

In the end, Neia and her unit were stationed on their own, somewhat removed from the battlefield, guarding the military engineers constructing the camp.

Rather than an order from Caspond, it had been a request, and they
were practically allowed to operate as they pleased. It didn’t matter if they ignored the engineers’ security. The current top of the Sacred Kingdom gave those instructions, seeming to forfeit his authority.

The reason was, unsurprisingly, the presence of Shizu.

Neia was the commander of the unit, but Caspond probably felt they couldn’t order around Shizu, who accompanied her; she was basically a resident of the Nation of Darkness. The Sacred Kingdom’s royal family giving commands to a subject of the King of Darkness could cause trouble in the future.

It made Neia wonder why now, after the maid had worked so hard during the capture of Karinsha, but it seemed her treatment had changed somewhat with the arrival of the southern nobles. Perhaps it was because they had to think about the future now, not just the present.

Neia and her unit organized themselves into ranks, gazing at the battlefield in the distance.

That said, since they were so far away, there was none of the usual battlefield tension. The seething energy didn’t reach them. The sound, coming from behind the unit, of the engineers hammering posts into the ground with their wooden mallets was so peaceful.

“……Are they still just staring at one another? When will it start?”

“Any time that passes works against us. I think we’ll be the ones to make the first move, but…”

It was Beltrán who answered Shizu’s question.

Darkness was an ally to subhumans. On an open plain like this, moonlight would allow the humans to see clearly, but the sky was overcast. If the enemy attacked during the night, it would definitely mean trouble. Their position wasn’t terribly solid at the moment.

So surely, the human side would attack before nightfall.

And they had overwhelming numerical superiority, so it would be a total victory—if they took out the majority of the subhumans, it might also thwart Jaldabaoth’s plan. In other words, the Sacred Kingdom would finally be rescued from this long period of suffering. There was no reason to sit on their hands.

Neia, too, hoped that with this battle it would all be over. Then there would be nothing to hold her back. She would be able to put all her energy into searching for the King of Darkness.

She raised her head.

A battle cry went up, and she could hear with her sharp ears the thudding of a vast number of feet. Beltrán must have heard it a beat later. “So it’s begun,” he murmured.

From where they were situated, it was difficult to tell how the two armies, over a hundred thousand troops in total, were maneuvering or how the clash would happen.

The subhumans had chosen to wait for them on such flat land that there were no vantage points from which one could take in the entire battlefield.

That was a job for a watchtower, but the engineers were in the middle of assembling it inside the camp.

“……What should we do?”

“Our role is to stay here and guard these guys. Let’s do a proper job.”

She couldn’t imagine that the outnumbered subhuman army would break through the human forces to reach them. Positioning Shizu, with her immense power, in the rear may have been the best move politically, but in a military sense, it could be said to be an awful idea.

Simply by putting her on the front lines, the Sacred Kingdom Liberation Army’s casualties would fall dramatically.

Everyone understood that, yet they still refused. They wanted to avoid her becoming any more famous than she already was.

These deaths will be pointless
, thought Neia, but there was no way she could say that.

Thirty minutes or more later, she heard a cheer go up on the right wing. It wasn’t her superior ears that picked it up—the roar was loud enough to reach her entire unit. If they could hear it all the way where they were, someone must have achieved something fantastic.

It was ten minutes later that a messenger arrived on horseback to shout the news.

“Paladin Commander Remedios Custodio has slain the scale demon, which was both aide to Jaldabaoth and commander of the enemy army!”

With that, he rode off.

Neia wondered if that was really true.

Well, it was probably true that Remedios slayed a demon. But was it really one of Jaldabaoth’s great demon aides?

Neia knew how strong the aides were from fighting that one with Shizu in Karinsha.

She hardly thought Remedios would be a match for a demon like that.

Has she gotten strong enough to defeat that thing? Or…could it have been a body double? I need to ask Shizu.

“Miss Shizu, I have a question. How strong is a scale demon?”

“……Just weak enough that the commander could beat one.”

“But I thought circlets were stronger than that.”

“……Some demons are strong, and some are weak. Scale demons are weak.”

“I see…”

Neia was relieved. This meant they had defeated the two great demons who had invaded. The only one left was the one in the hills, so it wouldn’t do any good to worry about it now.

“Now our country can be saved… The enemy commander is dead. The subhuman army will surely collapse as a result. According to Master Caspond’s calculations, this should be the end of it…”

Beltrán must have seemed disappointed because they had lost the opportunity to get revenge.

“……There will still be the job of hunting down the defeated remnants.”

“Right! Of course, Lady Shizu!”

But Beltrán’s delighted expression as he replied immediately stiffened.

A column of flames had gone up in what appeared to be the center of the left wing—the nobles’ forces. The hellish fire, tall enough that they could see it from a distance, seemed as though it was trying to burn the very heavens.

Neia looked to Shizu in a panic.

There was only one being capable of something like that. And Shizu confirmed her fears.

“……Not good…… It’s Jaldabaoth.”

“Paladin Commander Remedios Custodio has slain the scale demon, which was both aide to Jaldabaoth and commander of the enemy army!”

When they heard the news from the messenger sent by Caspond on the right wing, a cheer went up. Marquis Bodipo broke into a smile.

“Mwa-ha-ha-ha! We did it! I can’t believe she got the commander! That woman may not have much of a head on her shoulders, but her arms sure know what they’re doing. Now the enemy will lose heart. Tell them to keep pushing and crush the subhumans so that not a single one escapes!”

“Yes, your lordship!”

Having taken the marquis’s orders, the soldiers scattered.

“So we’ve done it, your lordship. It’s extremely fortunate that we were participating in this battle where we were able to take out the enemy’s commander,” Count Coen said, all smiles. The marquis rather favored this member of his faction.

“Right you are, Count. Now we’re a step ahead of them.”

The commander of the army that the forces of the southern nobles’ alliance had been skirmishing with for ages had been slain. This was a major achievement, and it was sure to be a useful card to play against the other southern nobles.

It was less their interactions with Remedios Custodio than her younger sister, Kelart, that had left a bitter aftertaste, but this feat was enough to make them forget that grudge.

And this would give Caspond some prestige. Frankly, if he survived to the end, he was almost certain to be the next holy king. Even the southern nobles who still had power remaining wouldn’t be able to complain, and if Bodipo backed him with everything he had, there were not likely to be any issues.

If he was anxious about anything, it was what had happened to the
other members of the royal family, but if they were dead, that problem solved itself. He had no intention of getting his hands dirty, however, so regarding that matter, he could only pray.

He cheerfully pictured the future map of influence in noble society.

He couldn’t stumble in these critical moments if he wanted to become the most powerful noble in the Sacred Kingdom. Everything had gone perfectly so far. All that was left was to keep it up.

“Count, do you think it’s possible to drive the subhumans south?”

“Forgive my ignorance, but why would we want to do that?” the count asked with a shocked look on his face. He sounded utterly confused.

The marquis inwardly chuckled at him.

There was no way he didn’t understand. The marquis didn’t remember appointing anyone so inept to such a high position. He was feigning surprise after surmising what the marquis was thinking.

The idea must have been to pretend that the great marquis was plotting something he could never have come up with. A hollow bit of flattery.

But the marquis played along. If the count was convinced he had Bodipo in the palm of his hand, Bodipo would have an easier time manipulating him.

“Look, don’t you think the subhumans would make an excellent tool for weakening the nobles from the other factions down there?” He pointed a finger and played the role of the old man who was terribly eager to explain. “With the northern nobles weakened, the balance with the south has been lost. At this rate, it’s unavoidable for the voices of the southern nobles to grow more prominent, but that would be an issue for the royal family—the royal family we support, you see?”

“You’re always so smart, your lordship. I’m amazed you’re able to think so far ahead!”

It was blatant brownnosing, but the marquis spoke louder, seeming pleased.

“Yes, there would be nothing better than to have the territory of the unhelpful nobles ransacked.”

Seeing the way the count glanced around nervously, the marquis fingered his beard—thinking what a good actor the man was.

“Relax, Count. These are all my men; we can trust them. This conversation won’t be leaking anywhere. And who would believe it anyhow?”

“I—I see. But simply allowing them to escape to the south entails too many variables. What if instead of driving them off, we signed a secret agreement with them…?”

“Employ the subhumans, hmm? Not a bad idea.”

The count sounded and appeared to loathe the idea of utilizing the subhumans, but that was probably more acting. He was the type to take advantage of whatever could be used.

Part of the reason the marquis inducted this outstanding man into his faction was to keep an eye on him.

In fact, he had installed several people in the count’s house. He cleverly employed members of other factions in order to avoid being found out even if Charm spells were used.

“Count, if we get a chance to make a deal with the subhumans, will you come with me?”

The marquis could tell many calculations were being made behind the count’s eyes.

“I-I’d rather not, but if you’re going, I shall humbly accompany you.”

Was the count’s intention to keep the fact that they had had this conversation as a card against him? But if he accompanied him, they would be in the same boat. It wouldn’t be a very strong card at that point.

“…You will? Then I suppose I should speak to Master Caspond and request that he suspend the attack? I can say there’s no need to suffer more casualties by continuing to fight and that we can finish this sitting down.”

“Yes, that sounds appropriate to me, your lordship. The other counts seem to be attacking all out, so the sooner we can stop them, the better.”

“Hmm.”

He felt bad stopping them when they were concerned with achieving
as much as possible on the battlefield, but with an eye on the future, having them finish up at this point was the better option.

The marquis was delighted to find himself more and more in a position to think about the future of the Sacred Kingdom. Of course, he didn’t let that show.

“I’ll contact the other cou—”

A sudden column of rising flames cut off the marquis mid-sentence.

He wasn’t completely ignorant of magic. Though they couldn’t wield it, having some knowledge of faith magic was standard for Sacred Kingdom nobles. Still, that only went as far as tier two, and they knew nothing of the other types.

That said, even he could tell that the column of fire was an incredibly powerful spell.

“What in the—? Could that be tier-four magic? Kelart Custodio and the Holy Lady were said to be able to use such spells.”

“I—I don’t know. What shall we do, your lordship?”

“Uh, hmm. I’m not sure, but for now, let’s fall back and move somewhere safe.”

3

Robby, a serviceman, was twenty-four years old. He hadn’t been able to receive a satisfactory education, but he was wise enough to understand that there was a mountain of things in this world that he didn’t know.

Which was why—

“Humans. I have returned. It appears that while I was out healing my wounds from the fight with the King of Darkness, you’ve been having your way.”

—when the roar that reverberated in the pit of his stomach hit him, Robby pissed himself.

But he didn’t even feel his wet pants clinging to his skin.

Since he intuitively grasped the immense power of the monster before him and sensed imminent death, his survival instincts were out of control. All noncritical senses were shut out as he quickly searched for a path to continued existence.

But before he could locate one, Jaldabaoth unleashed his powers.

“Perish. Burn in the fires of my rage until there’s nothing left of your life.”

Flames roared upward, and the heat wave hit Robby in the face. The terrible hotness dried out his eyeballs instantly, causing intense pain. The air entering his lungs through his throat felt like it was burning the inside of his body. No, that was simply the truth of it.

His skin burst, and the moisture it contained began evaporating. First, his epidermis was burning; next his subcutaneous fat, muscle, and nerves caught fire. The muscles and nerves of his arms and other areas with less fat heated up immediately. That caused the muscles to contract, and his body was about to assume a strange pose—but his skin stuck to the scalding hot metal of his armor, preventing it.

Once his clothes, skin, muscles, and fat had gone, his still pristine intestines fell out of his torso.

Human bodies are mostly water. For that reason, it takes a long time for the insides to char. In a fire, there is time for the insides to burn, but this magic heat created by Jaldabaoth’s flame aura moved with the demon, so it was already fading.

That was why the entrails came out perfectly pink, hardly changing color in the heat. A heap of burned corpses and sickeningly bright-colored innards floating in a sea of blood was enough to make anyone who laid eyes on the sight ready to vomit. It was truly a vision of hell abruptly made manifest in this world.

Leaving behind the charred corpses of Robby and the fifty-odd others who had spilled their fresh entrails, Jaldabaoth strode forward.

Jaldabaoth—a newly summoned Evil Lord Wrath—walked. That alone was enough to envelop the humans in his Aura of Fire and kill them.

“Move! You’re in my way!”

There were a number of similar shouts, but the first was the militiaman Francesc.

Day after day, he had lamented his misfortune. Because the Sacred Kingdom used a draft system, everyone had to belong to the military.

Yes. Even someone like him, the son of a rather successful merchant whose future was guaranteed. Though he had been assigned to a comparatively comfortable unit, thanks to his father’s donation money, life as a soldier was nothing but suffering for him.

And just as he was thinking the pain was nearing its end, this war had happened.

Not a day went by that he didn’t gripe about how unfair it all was. Still, he had thought that soon everything would be over, and he would be able to return to his job at the giant store multiplying his beloved money.

Everything was supposed to have been over soon.

Only a little longer.

But now he was running for his life from that monster.

If he was chased, he would definitely die.

He seemed liable to trip from the fear, but he frantically pumped his legs.

All around him, everyone was fleeing. As a result, though he was in a hurry, he was having trouble getting anywhere.

Especially obnoxious was the chubby man in front of him.

So Francesc shoved him—so he would be able to get even a single step farther away from that monster. For the enjoyable future that awaited him.

But there was someone else in front of that man.

There is a good chance that if a person crashes into someone in front of them, it will cause a whole slew of people to fall like dominoes. And that’s exactly what was happening in front of Francesc.

If it had been a single person, he probably could have dodged. Maybe he could have leaped over.

But Francesc wasn’t athletic enough to avoid this clump of fallen runners.

He sprawled over the pile.

He was going to struggle to stand—but he wasn’t given the time.

The aura of flames with Jaldabaoth at the center had caught up to them.

Francesc wasn’t even able to scream.

Why do I have to…?
The thought was erased instantaneously from his brain by the agony; he could only writhe in the pain enveloping him.

Francesc was fortunate. Why? Because he was able to die quickly.

Jaldabaoth didn’t stop. Crushing blackened human corpses underfoot, he strode across the field as if it were deserted.

“Run! Run for it!”

One man was stating the obvious. He was a serviceman called Gorka, and he had some confidence in his swordsmanship.

That was why, even facing Jaldabaoth, he had the courage to shout like that.

But it was recklessly brave of him. Why? Because Jaldabaoth turned to walk toward him. He wasn’t sure whether he had caught the demon’s interest or it was simply a coincidence.

To the ones who had been about to be caught, he was a servant of God; to those now in the path of destruction, he was an agent of the devil.

Judging that it would be impossible to escape from the monster in the chaos, he held up his sword.

The monster’s gaze landed on him for a single second and then shifted behind him.

That was Gorka’s worth in the monster’s eyes.

He was worth exactly one glance.

With a roar, Gorka charged against the current.

The people collapsing as charred corpses drawing nearer frightened him, but he also had the hope that maybe he could be the one—maybe he could reach Jaldabaoth.

Gorka learned the answer physically.

Violent pain coursed through him.

It was impossible to approach the monster.

Gorka was broiled in flames at the same distance as those servicemen who were weaker than him.

That was when he realized—that to the monster, there was no difference between him and the civilians around him.

His regret of not fleeing was forgotten in the searing pain shooting through every nerve in his body, and he collapsed with an incoherent shriek—looking just like all the other bodies scattered around him.

Jaldabaoth walked with no destination. Humans were running, so he chased them; that was all.

“Stay baaaaack!”

She ran.

Viviana, who was serving in this battle as a faith caster, ran.

Her long blond hair disheveled, she ran.

She didn’t have the composure to wipe away the tears and snot.

There was no way they could win against that monster.

Someone was saying something.

But what did she care?

If she could just get a little farther from the monster, that’s all she wanted. She ran with that single-minded purpose.

It was no good to shove the person ahead of her forward. She cut around the side and ran.

You’re in my way.

You’re in my way.

You’re in my way.

Why are there so many people in my way?

I don’t care who dies as long as it’s not me. I need to make sure I survive.

That was all Viviana thought as she ran.

Though she was fleeing, everyone around her was, too, in a panicked tumult. Even someone with above-average strength like Viviana was moving at a turtle’s pace, unable to gain distance from the demon.

A frizzling heat tickled her hair flowing behind her.

“Nooooo!”

It brought to mind the repulsive sight of people dying.

“I don’t wanna diiiiie!”

It was an utterly natural thing to scream.

Anyone would agree.

It’s hard to face death calmly and accept it. And it only gets harder the more unexpected it is.

“Owwww!”

The heat was so great that she could only perceive it as an all-encompassing hurt. Sensing a pain her brain couldn’t endure, she realized she was going to die.
No, I don’t wanna die.
That was Viviana’s only thought as she burned to death.

Jaldabaoth was bored as he silently continued his advance.

“Don’t run! Fight!” a brave man on a horse barked.

Leoncio was the second son of a retainer of the marquis. He was participating in this battle in the hopes of being promoted based on his swordsmanship. Those around him were all skilled swordsmen he had borrowed from his father.

He wanted to leave behind the bodies that died in agonized contortions and run away from the demon plodding toward him. But if he ran now, he wouldn’t have much to look forward to. If he wanted a bright future, he had to bet it on this moment.

Having made up his mind about that, he screamed again, “Don’t run!”

But his horse had other ideas. It knew instinctively that the demon approaching was a horrifying monster and tried to flee.

What happens if a horse bolts in a chaotic mob?

That’s simple.

It falls, taking some people with it. Those crushed beneath the panicked animal wailed in pain. No, some of them died outright.

And Leoncio, who had been seated atop it, was thrown a great distance and sprawled over the ground.

Luckily, he was thrown over the others who were fleeing, so he managed to escape being trampled.

But when he tried to stand, a sharp pain coursed through his arm. He must have sprained it in his fall.

And his sword had gone somewhere in the impact.

He was about to go look for it when—that instant—his entire body was assailed by a pain that made him forget everything. It was the first time Leoncio had felt such a pain in his life.

The agony robbed him of all thoughts.

Only one bobbed among those ripped to shreds by the horrible pain:
Why me…?

“……Mm.”

Standing alone before a mountain of burned corpses, the evil lord given the role of Jaldabaoth gazed out at the routed humans.

He was a bit bored.

Aura of Fire wasn’t a very fancy ability. All it did was deal fire damage to an area around him; casting a spell that boosted fire resistance would block most of it. Of course, he had been informed that the rank-and-file soldiers in this country were incapable of that.

He may have been a demon, but it didn’t mean he was a fan of bullying the weak. He was the type that preferred toying with weaklings who were convinced they were strong. So he had been hoping to encounter an idiot who would put on courageous airs and try to challenge him, but sadly there didn’t seem to be any.

The Evil Lord Wrath brought his foot down on a blackened corpse.

Succumbing to the pressure, the intestines splurted out and instantly caught fire.

There had been detritus inside, so a foul smell filled the air.

The Evil Lord Wrath turned on his heel.

If I had been more serious and flown after them, countless more humans would have died, but do they realize that?
he wondered as he went.

Everyone watched in silence, stupefied, as the demon confidently turned his back on them and returned to the subhuman camp.

What is that monster?
No one asked that question. And there was no need to. Even the biggest fool knew.

Evil Emperor Jaldabaoth…

The being who had overrun the Sacred Kingdom and visited suffering upon vast numbers of its people.

The demon who had rampaged through two countries had demonstrated that no human would be able to defeat him and returned to plunge people hopeful of victory back into grief and despair.

4

Who knew silence could be this heavy?
Neia marveled, as the air was so grim inside the tent she was summoned to.

The faces of the southern nobles seated around the splendid table they had gone out of their way to bring out were pale. No, not only them; the same went for the leaders of the liberation army.

Their reaction was only natural.

What human wouldn’t be shocked upon receiving a demonstration of Jaldabaoth’s overwhelming power? Well, Neia hadn’t been very surprised. But in Neia’s case, the shock of losing the great King of Darkness ranked highest. And it was possible that everything she had witnessed so far had dulled her reaction.

But the southern nobles, who hadn’t participated directly in the fierce fight, were utterly astonished. How could they have imagined that just by the demon walking, people would drop like flies, their tragic corpses exposed?

And on top of that, nearly a hundred thousand soldiers were terrified of a single demon and on their way to collapse.

“What? What is it?! What
is
that monster?!” Count Dominguez’s voice grew louder with each shout.

In response, Caspond, who was familiar with Jaldabaoth’s unconditional power, casually shrugged. “That’s Jaldabaoth… I’m fairly certain I gave you a realistic description of him, Count Dominguez.”

“You never told us he had an ability that allowed him to kill people simply by walking!”

“That’s true. His fight with the King of Darkness—His Majesty—took place inside the city, so we were unable to get a complete view. But I did tell you how powerful he was. Knowing that, it’s not so strange to find he has a power like this, is it?”

“B-but still!”

“Count, I understand what you’re trying to say. Seeing truly is believing.”

It was the marquis who spoke. It could only be said that no one expected any less from him—he was far calmer than any of the others.

“…But if we discuss that now, we won’t get anywhere. Why don’t we talk about what to do about it?”

“Quite right, your lordship. What shall we do?” Viscount Sants piped up quickly. Having realized one’s position isn’t safe, it’s surely natural to be in a hurry.

From the southern nobles’ point of view, this was supposed to be a quick matter where they could become heroes and saviors of the country by defeating an inferior force with their overwhelming numbers. But that clearly wasn’t going to happen. Now they found themselves hunted instead of hunting.

The marquis had crossed his arms and fallen silent, so Caspond replied instead. “We still have the number advantage on our side. The issue is that
Jaldabaoth makes up for it on his own. Brother of the Holy Lady, I ask you: How do you think we can attain victory under these circumstances?”

After a short pause, the marquis spoke, bursting with the absolute confidence that this was the only option they had. “Master Caspond, you said that Jaldabaoth may retreat if we eradicate the subhumans, correct? Then there is no other way.”

“Your lordship! You mean to continue fighting?”

“That I do, Count Landaluze. Do you really think we could get away if we fled now anyhow?”

“…Your lordship, it may be impossible for everyone to flee at once, but I should think a handful of people may be able to escape.”

“Ha.” Remedios scoffed in response to Count Coen’s idea. “That’s just what I’d expect an inept who can’t even grasp Lady Calca’s philosophy to think.”

“Wha—?!”

“You plan to run, survive, and then what? Hide terrified in a barn under the straw? There’s no doubt you’re a noble, huh? Then how about at least saying you’ll sacrifice yourself for the people!”

“You’re one to talk, Commander Custodio. You’re a paladin with a Holy Sword, yet you can’t defeat a single demon?” It was Count Landaluze who erupted at her.

With gleaming eyes, the ghostlike woman turned to him. “That’s right. I can’t win. The only one who could face him in a proper fight was that undead. But if you want me to buy time so the people can survive even one second longer, I’ll fight him and perish! So how about you?”

A warrior resolved to die versus nobles fleeing death—it’s clear who would win in a face-off.

Count Landaluze averted his eyes, and Remedios snorted snarkily. “Master Caspond, I’d like to order the paladins to their deaths now. Are we done here?”

“It’s important to have them prepare themselves, but…well, will you? You don’t mind if Deputy Commander Montagnés stays behind, do you?”

“All right. Then the rest here is up to you, Gustav.”

Having said that, Remedios swayed out of the tent—with one last glare at Shizu, who was spacing out next to Neia.

“Everyone, I apologize for our commander’s behavior.” Seeing the nobles eye him with glares that said,
You had better
, he continued. “Nonetheless, that is our consensus. We paladins are prepared to die shielding the people. We need you, at the highest ranks, to be prepared to do the same. We can’t have our superiors running away in a fight.”

“Why, I—!”

Before Neia could even figure out which noble had shouted, Marquis Bodipo raised his voice.

“Could we leave it at that…? We aren’t here planning an operation in order to die beautiful deaths. We’re here to achieve victory, no? Master Caspond?”

“To be sure, your lordship. We don’t have long before Jaldabaoth seizes complete control. We need to find a way to win before—”

“There’s no way for us to win! Have you seen what that demon can do?!” Count Granero jumped to his feet, shouting. “If he had used magic or attacked, there may have been ways to prevent him from doing that! But all he did was walk! Walking is all it takes for his surroundings to turn into a fiery hell!”

“Count Granero…I believe you are familiar with magic, yes? Is there…?”

“I didn’t learn anything about a spell like that.”

“I see… There are only about ten thousand subhumans left. Would it be possible, for example, to eradicate them while fleeing Jaldabaoth?”

The marquis solemnly agreed with Caspond’s suggestion. “It seems like that’s all we can do… It will be awfully difficult, but defeating Jaldabaoth would be even harder.”

“One moment.” It was Count Coen who held up a hand. “I object. Maybe Jaldabaoth will leave if the subhumans are defeated. But it’s possible that he’ll kill everyone here as a parting shot before doing so.”

That was true. Naturally, Caspond had a question.

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

“Negotiate.”

A number of people couldn’t help but laugh at the count’s earnest proposal.

Being laughed at, Count Coen blushed, but Caspond spoke up before he could say anything.

“Count, what kind of deal are you going to make with that demon?”

“W-well. Maybe we could give him something in exchange for letting us go…”

“Give him what? Wouldn’t it be easier for him to kill us and steal it? Or do you mean something that isn’t here? Like what?”

“Master Caspond, please wait! I’m trying to say that fighting isn’t our only option! I’m simply proposing negotiation as something to try.”

“Your idea seems a bit, yes, optimistic. In the first place, who would negotiate…? By the way, about His Majesty the King of Darkness taking control of a demon maid and her power being of great utility in the taking of Karinsha, couldn’t we do something with her?” Count Granero eyed Shizu.

“……I can’t defeat Jaldabaoth. It would be practically impossible to even buy time.”

“But wouldn’t you be able to buy a little more if you were fighting alongside Commander Custodio?”

He was on to something. They would need to slow down Jaldabaoth even just a little bit if they hoped to carry out Caspond’s plan.

“……Nn.” Shizu cocked her head and then looked at the ceiling. “……Dang.”

“Well? It would strengthen the ties between Sacred Kingdom Roebel and the Nation of Darkness, too.”

“……Nn. Ngh!”

What’s the right thing for me to say in this case?
Neia was still thinking when Shizu answered.

“……I refuse.”

“M-may I ask why?”

“……No particular reason.”

“N-no particular reason?” Count Dominguez asked, taken aback, but Shizu just nodded. “Are you scared of Jaldabaoth?!”

“……Hmm? …Fine, that’s the reason. I’m scared, so I’m not doing it.”

“Guh…” Count Dominguez was lost for words. There was no way to respond to that. He would be stuck if she replied with something like,
If you’re not scared, then why don’t you go buy time
. If she had some logical reason, then all he would have to do is overturn her logic, but an emotional reason was tricky.

In the silent tent, one of the leaders of the liberation army, those thousands of service and militiamen, suddenly spoke up.

“What if we just ran away before Jaldabaoth gained full control? I doubt we can beat him. Before, maybe when we had the King of Darkness, but he’s not here now… Does anyone have any ideas of who could beat him? You don’t, right? If we flee to the south…”

A commander next to the one who had spoken muttered, “…There’s nothing to say that Jaldabaoth won’t chase us to the south.”

Bang!
The one who spoke earlier pounded the table and barked, “Then Master Caspond’s proposal of killing all the subhumans is the only way! If we can’t run, then that’s our only option—we fight! Simple.”

“Yeah. That’s the only path to survival. I’m not about to bow down and experience that hell again. For now, let’s speed up the construction on our—”

The tent flap whooshed open, and a serviceman reporting directly to Caspond rushed in. “Master Caspond! The subhuman army is on the move! They’re getting into formation!”

In the previous clash, there had been nothing even worth calling a formation. This development must have been the result of Jaldabaoth taking charge.

“I see. Gentlemen…it appears the enemy is about to attack. We need to be prepared to fight!”

With Caspond’s words, everyone stood at once. That included Neia and Shizu.

They all raced to be first out of the tent, knowing there was no time to lose.

Neia and Shizu were the last to leave. Neia’s unit was ready to go, so there was no need for extra preparations at this point.

She wondered about the awfully severe expression on the face of the messenger who had burst into the tent, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she and Shizu returned to the unit.

“So it seems like there is more bad news.”

“Yes, Master Caspond. Is it all right that everyone left?”

“I’ll decide that after I’ve heard your report.”

He had told his men not to discuss anything in the presence of a third party that wasn’t already common knowledge. That must have been why he waited until everyone else had gone.

“…Subhuman forces are approaching from the west. At this rate, we estimate they’ll arrive in an hour or so.”

“…Of all the ridiculous…” Caspond was about to shout but forced himself to hold back. He couldn’t have anyone outside the tent overhear this discussion. “Karinsha is in the west. We haven’t heard anything from them! Even if they took a wide detour, how could they get past the patrols…? Is it a small group?”

“No, it seems to be over ten thousand… What should we do?”

Even if ten thousand were added to the remnants of the subhuman army, the Sacred Kingdom outnumbered them. But the fact that they were coming from the west was no good. Being pincered by small amounts of troops would normally just call for the larger force to defeat the divided enemy in detail, but Jaldabaoth was in this fight.

This essentially meant that their escape route was cut off.

“…Then listen to me. Do not under any circumstances let anyone else find out.” The lookout was surprised, and Caspond continued icily. “That information is too dangerous. If it spread throughout the entire army, the troops’ will to fight will crumble, we’ll lose even the battle we might have won, and we’ll incur a huge number of casualties. In order to maintain solidarity, those facts cannot be known.”

“But…”

“…What? We just have to win in under an hour. Don’t worry so much.”

“…Understood.”

“And to the extent possible, keep the lookouts from checking on the
west. If the intel leaks in a haphazard way, that alone will cause divisions, and our units will be picked off one by one. Keep the truth hidden until it’s not possible any longer, got it?”

“Yes, Master Caspond!”

The messenger didn’t seem convinced as he was leaving, but he apparently felt like Caspond’s way of thinking was the best they could do.

With no one left inside the tent with him, Caspond buried his face in his hands.

What they managed to build was a fence that was all too simple, and while the west and north sides were complete, the south was unfinished, and the east hadn’t even been started. They decided that rather than hole up in a place like that, it would be better to fight somewhere open where they could get into formation, so they abandoned their base and spread their troops across the flat land.

They decided to line up shoulder to shoulder.

Where Jaldabaoth showed up, that unit would be wiped out. In that case, the units on either side would ignore them and continue fighting the subhumans. That was the resolve with which they had chosen the formation. Remedios’s paladins were to be a flying unit, able to station themselves anywhere. They would head to wherever Jaldabaoth appeared.

Neia’s archers were also a flying unit. Neia felt there were two reasons for this. One was to allow Shizu, the King of Darkness’s servant, to escape more easily, and the other was that if Shizu decided she wanted to fight Jaldabaoth after all, it wouldn’t do to leave a hole in a unit that was assigned to a fixed location.

The unit had already discussed what they would do in the case that Jaldabaoth appeared.

Would they go to where they could take out subhumans, fall back to somewhere safe, or voluntarily fight the demon?

Everyone agreed.

They would go to where they could take out subhumans.

Certainly, their hatred for Jaldabaoth, the cause of all their hardship, ran deep. But not even the King of Darkness could defeat him. They had no delusions about their abilities. In order to inch closer to a strategic victory, it was best to pour their efforts into annihilating the subhumans. And they didn’t want the king’s servant, Shizu, to whom they owed so much, to die in vain, either.

Neia glared at the enemy forces from atop her horse.

In the previous battle, the subhuman alliance had been noticeably holey, but now they maintained a magnificent formation with no cracks. Likewise, the way they had been bunched up by race without divisions of arms had changed, and they were now lined up like a trained army.

Had she ever seen battle lines that projected such power? The rows of shields looked incomparably solid, and the glinting thicket of spears and swords was simply dazzling. While Jaldabaoth may have been a highly capable commander, this also spoke to his ability to capture hearts.

No—

Of course they obey him. How could anyone not after seeing how overwhelmingly powerful he is?

Many subhumans valued strength, so they were probably happy to fight on his side.

The battle started almost immediately.

Neia and her unit loosed arrows from the rear.

The volley of three thousand people loosing their shots all at once fell like rain.

In this battle, the humans hoped to score a swift victory by spreading out their positions—in their hope to eradicate the subhumans as quickly as possible.

They didn’t hold back their heavy cavalry charge. With the fierceness of a unit with nowhere to run, the riders mounted a desperate attack. In response, the subhumans tightened up their defense.

They must have understood they only had one shot at this all-out assault—like wood being fed to a fire. The burned-up logs would only crumble to pieces.

It would be difficult for the humans, who were individually weaker than each subhuman, to break through the subhuman defense. No, it would have been doable if Jaldabaoth hadn’t been there. But now the diverse races were organized so that their abilities complemented one another. Weaknesses were compensated for, and strengths were amplified.

The superiority they enjoyed several hours ago felt like a dream as they faced this new defensive prowess. They charged a few times, thrusted with their lances, and shot arrows, but the sturdy formation didn’t falter in the slightest. On the contrary, the Sacred Kingdom side took greater damage.

Time passed moment by moment. They wouldn’t be able to charge during the night. Well, they would probably be out of energy and strength before then and be thrown into confusion by the enemy’s move.

And on top of that—

“Jaldabaoth has appeared in area 2-A! The Second Infantry Unit has been wiped out!”

“The Fourth Infantry Unit is half-gone!”

“The Sixth Spearman Unit is half-gone!”

—messengers brought battlefield news in loud voices.

“Now he’s over there?!”

The battlefield had been split into several areas on Caspond’s suggestion.

To make it even a little easier to command the troops, each area had been assigned a number, and though they were very rough designations, they at least provided some general organization.

Neia could see from where she was that—perhaps the troops nearby had run from Jaldabaoth—the lines were messy. Then the subhuman attack began, and the unit disintegrated.

This was the problem.

Jaldabaoth shows up one time and wields his power, and a five-hundred-person unit collapses, and nearly a thousand people die in total. Then the subhumans flood into the opening and cause even more damage.

If the subhumans would then get ahead of themselves, that would be great, but after they attacked, they retreated like a turtle pulling its head in. At that rate, the humans weren’t able to turn it into a melee and make
it harder for Jaldabaoth to use his power on them. This was surely another operation born of Jaldabaoth’s perfect control over his troops.

Remedios’s paladin unit rushed to area 2-A, but by the time they arrived, Jaldabaoth was already gone. He had teleported away and reappeared elsewhere as if taunting them.

This had been going on for a while now.

But the truth was, Neia and those around her didn’t have any good ideas for how to cope. About all Neia and her unit could do was continue to rain arrows down on the subhumans.

Shizu merely stood next to Neia, keeping an eye on the battlefield. Her weapons couldn’t shoot in an arc like a bow could, so she was missing this chance to put her skills on display.

About the time Neia’s fingers had gotten sore from shooting, her quiver was empty. And it wasn’t only her.

“Lady Baraja! Arrows! We have hardly any left!”

It wasn’t as if they had infinite ammo.

“…Let’s fall back and resupply.”

On Neia’s order, the unit fell back to where the supply unit was positioned.

Really, she would have liked to give her troops a break, but unfortunately, they didn’t have the leisure to rest.

“Ready?”

“Yes, Lady Baraja. We can move anytime!”

“Then—”

She was about to shout,
Let’s go
, when she spotted several scouts riding in from the west.

As soon as her eyes met the one leading them, he shouted, “A subhuman army is approaching from the west! Look sharp!”

“—Huh?”

Surprised, she turned around. If she squinted as if glaring into the distance, she could make out a faint cloud of dust and humanlike figures moving within it. It depended how fast they were going, but at that distance, she guessed it wouldn’t take long for them to arrive.

What a terrible error.

They had been so focused on the fight with the subhumans in front of them that they had neglected the rear.

She wanted to believe it was a lie. She wanted to think it was those who had remained at Karinsha coming to reinforce them.

But she knew that couldn’t be the case. If they were going to do that, they would have sent a fast horse ahead with the message.

Neia felt as though the ground was crumbling beneath her feet.

The news was just too depressing.

To pincer them with enemy reinforcements—that had been Jaldabaoth’s aim.

He could stay back and have the subhumans fight. That way the humans would stick around to battle for their victory conditions. His objective had been to pin them to this spot.

In other words, he had foreseen them betting on him leaving if the subhumans were eradicated.

“Ha-ha! Well, that makes sense.” Beltrán laughed as if he genuinely found it funny. As everyone let their gazes wander, wondering what had gotten into him, he regained his composure and said to Neia, “Master Caspond’s idea was fatally mistaken. But really, why didn’t we notice?”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“…Lady Baraja. It’s obvious. If he controls the hills, then he can send reinforcements. Eradicating the subhumans here was never going to make Jaldabaoth retreat.”

“Ahhh!”

It wasn’t only Neia who understood, following his explanation. Others in hearing range groaned as well.

“We would need to drive the subhumans from this land and follow up with a counterattack on the hills. Then, finally, the subhumans would be eradicated, and we could learn whether Master Caspond’s idea was right or not.”

It made sense. Why hadn’t she thought of that? He told her that answer, too.

“…We glimpsed the hope of salvation that his idea offered and jumped at it without thinking carefully enough.”

Mounting a counterinvasion on the hills would be practically impossible. In other words…

“So there’s…no way for the Sacred Kingdom to be saved?”

Silence reigned. The tumult of the battlefield sounded so far away.

“No…,” Beltrán said awkwardly. “There is one way.”

“Which is?!”

“…Jaldabaoth. We have to defeat Evil Emperor Jaldabaoth.”

Despite hearing the perfect solution, no one could shout for joy. That was the most impossible thing in the world, and not being able to do it was the reason they had gone with Caspond’s idea in the first place.

“…So we should have gone to search for His Majesty the King of Darkness first. We made the wrong choice.”

If instead of retaking Karinsha, she and Shizu had gone to the hills, would this have been avoidable?

It was hard to say. Neia thought she had made the best choices she could. She had avoided recklessness and increased her chances of success.

But maybe they shouldn’t have taken on this challenge.

If…

If…

If…

A number of ifs crossed her mind. When she thought that if maybe she had chosen just one of them…regret and guilt crashed over her like tidal waves.

Morale hit rock bottom. And it probably wasn’t only Neia’s unit.

This fight was over.

The conditions necessary for victory that formed the foundation of their plan had been shattered. Any further fighting was surely futile.

All they could do now was try to minimize the damage and figure out how to escape to safety. But that wasn’t right.

Weakness was wickedness.

A weakling who couldn’t save anyone was bad. That was why she had trained so hard.

She couldn’t finish wicked.

How would she be able to show her face to absolute justice—His Majesty the King of Darkness, Ainz Ooal Gown?

Having made up her mind, Neia inadvertently voiced the thought in her heart.

“So this is the end, huh?”

The words came out louder than she expected. Whether those around her had heard what she said or they were thinking the same thing, they looked down.

This was as far as they would go.

The dream of liberating the Sacred Kingdom and saving the people was over.

Upon reflection, it was only with the power of the king that they had been able to dream at all. On their own, this was all they were capable of.

Neia knew it was no time to smile, but she did anyway. Then, regaining a somber expression, she turned to Shizu. “…Will you do me a favor and make a run for it?”

“……What about you, Neia?”

Neia stood tall. “I can’t run! Having witnessed His Majesty the King of Darkness’s great deeds, and as someone who has trained, I refuse to end as wickedness!”

From the corners of her eyes, Neia saw the others lift their heads.

“I won’t run from him!”

Their faces were those of warriors once again.

They were faces of resolve. Faces the King of Darkness would be proud of.

“But…you… You’re different… So we’re entrusting our wishes to you. Maybe it’s strange for us to entrust you with our gratitude for His Majesty…but please. Go find him, Shizu. You can use the members of our organization back in Karinsha however you choose. So…”

“……No worries.”

Neia took the reply as an affirmative and breathed a sigh of relief.

But in the next moment, her expression warped with concern.

“……I don’t need to go.”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?”

“……Look.”

Shizu was pointing toward the reinforcements—the various races of subhumans including both orcs and zerun—coming from the direction of Karinsha. When Neia squinted, she saw them all raise banners at once. It was…

“Huh?” Neia yelped in shock.

She couldn’t believe her eyes, but no matter how many times she looked, the sight remained the same.

“……See? No need.”

Neia knew that banner well.

It was the flag of the Nation of Darkness.

Proving that it wasn’t a hallucination only she could see, her comrades gasped around her.

“That’s the Nation of Darkness’s flag, right? I think that’s what you told us, Lady Baraja.”

“Reinforcements from the Nation of Darkness? You did say there were subhumans there, right, Lady Baraja?”

They were in the middle of a war. At this very moment, lives were at stake, and Jaldabaoth was killing people.

Even so, Neia forgot all that and frantically tried to comprehend what was going on. What happened next caused a huge—truly huge—commotion.

The subhumans parted neatly in two as if they had rehearsed, and down the path that was created came a single undead.

A caster enveloped in a raven-black robe, riding a skeleton-like horse…

It was the hero Neia sought, the one she had been waiting for in her dreams.

“H-His Majesty the King of Darkness… No way…”

Neia wasn’t sure if what she was seeing was reality or merely a dream.

But it was undeniably happening. This was no fantasy.

Her emotions exploded, leaving her unsure how she felt anymore.

But her field of vision filled with tears, and it was all she could do to wipe them away.

Shizu waved to the king. When he saw that, he steered his horse toward them.

The King of Darkness was approaching.

What should I say to him? Should I apologize for not going to his rescue? Will that be enough for him to forgive me?
Before Neia could speak, the king drew near and nimbly dismounted.

“…Hmm. What a coincidence meeting you here, Miss Baraja. Did you think I was dead?”

“Y-your Majesty King of Darknesssss!” Tears overflowed nonstop. “I believed in you! Because of what Miss Shizu told me. I thought you were all right, but to see that you really— Waaaah!”

“Uhhh, mmhm. Uh…mm. Yeah. I see. I’m glad. Wait, ‘Mi…’?”

Perhaps the King of Darkness was also happy to be reunited—his words trailed off.

“……Stop crying.” Shizu pressed a handkerchief to Neia’s face and then rubbed it hard. “…​…​…​…​More snot. That really is a shock.”

“Oh…? Seems like you’ve made friends with Shizu, huh, Miss Baraja. I’m very happy to see that.”

“Thanks to you, Your Majesty! Without Miss Shizu, I just… Thank you!”

Her emotions were so disrupted, she had lost track of what she was saying a while ago.

“I see… I didn’t expect that… How have you been, Shizu?”

“…………Neia. She’s my favorite… With her flavorful face.”

“Please don’t say it has flavor,” Neia said as she rubbed the last tears from her eyes. “Your Majesty, there are so many things I want to ask you. More than anything…are you angry with us for not coming to rescue you? If so, I’ll take full respon—”

“Miss Baraja.” The king held up a hand to stop her. “What are you talking about? I’m pretty sure there’s no reason for me to be angry with you…”

Neia’s eyes overflowed with tears again. And it wasn’t only her crying. Hearing the king’s merciful reply, the people around her wept as well. The ones who had already had tears in their eyes sobbed.

The King of Darkness’s shoulders moved slightly.

“…Uh, no need to cry, everyone. Isn’t there something else you want to ask? You said you have a lot of questions, right? C’mon.”

“Er, yes.” After Shizu wiped her face again—having been kind enough to fold the snotty side of her handkerchief up—Neia asked a question. “A-are those subhumans soldiers from the Nation of Darkness?”

She didn’t see any undead, but maybe the subhumans were just the ones out front?

“N— Well, I guess you could say that. I fell in the Abellion Hills. I added that area to the Nation of Darkness, so I guess they are from the Nation of Darkness.”

Neia had no words.

Wow.

What other reaction could there be besides
wow
?

The hills were filled with all different types of subhumans, and the ruler had been Jaldabaoth’s aide. Who besides the King of Darkness could deal with all that on his own as if it were nothing and conquer the area?

Neia trembled with excitement.

“And, well, it took a little while, but I rounded up the subhumans who had suffered under Jaldabaoth and led them here as an army—to settle the fight with him. Looks like I came at just the right time.”

The King of Darkness’s face was bone and didn’t move at all. But Neia sensed a spirited smile.

“How very like you, Your Majesty!”

Beltrán approached, crying a storm of tears.

“Whoa, who are you?!”

Beltrán dropped with a thud to his knees. No, it wasn’t only him. From all around Neia, the members of her organization approached the king and fairly threw themselves at his feet.

“We would expect nothing less, Your Majesty!”

“Brilliant, Your Majesty!”

Bathed in so many voices, even the king seemed to be caught a bit off guard.

“Oh, umm, hmm… Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you, Miss Baraja. Who are these people?”

“They’re grateful for your compassion and want to repay you.”

“That’s right! You saved us, Your Majesty!”

“Yes, we responded to Lady Baraja’s call in order to do whatever we can to repay our debt to you, Your Majesty, Great King of Darkness!”

Perhaps inspired by their agreement, Neia proudly declared, “And it’s not just everyone here! There are many more!”

“Ohhh, I’m very happy to hear that, but…are they all like this?”

“Yes, that’s right! Every one of us carries this much gratitude in our hearts!”

“I see, hmm… Thanks, everybody.”

Everyone wept to hear his words of thanks and learn that their way of feeling indebted to him wasn’t wrong; sobbing filled the air.

“…They’re all crying because they’re grateful to me?”

“Yes! That’s right!”

“And you gathered them… You’ve, uh, grown a lot while I was gone, Miss Baraja.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” The praise she received from the King of Darkness made Neia smile ear to ear.

“N-now, then… Miss Baraja. Have them stand up. I’ve returned to overwrite my loss… What happened to Jaldabaoth?”

“Oh! Right! Jaldabaoth is…”

As if waiting for that moment, flames erupted with a roar. The thought of how many Sacred Kingdom soldiers perished beneath them made her shudder.

“…I see. You don’t even have to say the rest. It seems the time has come for me to fight him once more. Shizu!”

“…Yes, Lord Ainz.”

“I’ll handle this from here. You protect these people. Make sure they’re ready to welcome me with applause upon my return!”

“Whooooo!” Everyone cheered.

“Listen! In the previous battle, I was careless. Outnumbered, low on mana… But not this time. Not even Jaldabaoth can summon that many demons so quickly. And my mana is full. There’s nothing left that would cause me to lose! Wait here until I return victorious!”

Another roar went up when he proclaimed his absolute victory.

Then, his robe fluttering behind him, the king strode across a deserted field. As if compelled by his energy, everyone moved aside. They created a path.

“Your Majesty!”

At the sound of Neia’s voice, the King of Darkness stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder.

“Defeat him!”

“Of course!”

The king set off walking again. His back receded into the distance. But Neia didn’t feel lonely or scared. All she felt was the sort of safety a baby feels in their parents’ arms. And it wasn’t only Neia. Everyone who shared her beliefs felt the same way.

“……We won.”

Standing next to her, Shizu said only that in a voice confident that the King of Darkness would be victorious. Neia agreed.

Eventually…fire blazed into the sky. And after it, darkness.

The pair clashed in midair as they had before.

There were no more battle cries.

Even the armies had halted their attacks to watch the sky.

Yes.

Everyone understood—that whoever won this fight, whichever side, had the authority to put an end to everything.

The battle had shifted to a divine realm where no normal person could set foot.

Light…

Darkness…

Fire…

Lightning…

Shooting stars…

Incomprehensible phenomena…

…all crashed together.

And then—

“Aaah!”

Neia cheered—because with her sharp eyes, she saw the flames scatter and the darkness descending.

Compared to the last fight, this one was over so quickly. It seemed a testament to the fact that if the king had possessed all his mana, if there hadn’t been demon maids in the way, victory would have been this simple the first time.

“Miss Shizu!”

“……Like I said, Neia.”

Shizu replied as if it was all a matter of course, and Neia grabbed her hands, shaking them up and down. But that wasn’t enough.

She threw her arms around Shizu’s little body and clapped her on the back.

Everyone could see that victory was theirs, and a huge cheer went up.

The King of Darkness slowly descended and alighted on the ground.

And when he raised a hand, the cheering thundered even louder.