“No, Your Holy Majesty. It’s actually Kelart’s bad.”
“Honored sister…”
“Hey! It’s definitely not my fault! I was busy guarding Her Holy Majesty Calca and exterminating monsters! I did my job! I do what I’m best at!” Heh-heh. Remedios puffed her chest out.
She was right. What she said was correct, but there was something wrong with it.
“…Could the people vanishing from their villages be related to Jaldabaoth somehow?”
“Maybe…”
It had happened a while ago; all of a sudden the population of several villages simply disappeared. They weren’t able to find any clues to lead them to a perpetrator, but maybe Jaldabaoth was the one behind the incident.
“Then before we kill him, should we interrogate him about that? But if that’s the case…dang. If only the Kingdom had slain him when they had the chance. Gazef Stronoff didn’t fight him?”
Kelart shot a quizzical look at Calca.
It must have meant, You haven’t told her yet? So Calca replied perfectly with a tired smile.
In words, it probably would have been something like, Of course I did. I told her how Jaldabaoth attacked the capital, how he was repelled by the adventurer, and how other demons showed up, and how the captain of the Royal Select drove them off… It either went in one ear and out the other or was pushed out by newer information…
“…I feel bad for your deputy commanders, honored sister.”
“Huh? What do they have to do with anything?”
Kelart massaged her temples with her fingers instead of answering.
Since Remedios didn’t use her brain, she needed people to clean up after her—her two deputies.
Kelart understood their pain all too well. But because Remedios was so naive—or to be blunt, rather stupid—she was a healing presence for a tired heart, so things more or less balanced out.
“…Sigh. I don’t know all the details, but apparently, he was fighting other demons, ones with scales.”
“Ah. None of this would have happened if he could have just defeated him for us. I can’t imagine that adamantite adventurer is stronger than Gazef.”
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”
Remedios made a sour face.
She must have been displeased at the idea that someone she considered strong could be inferior to a stranger.
“Well, yeah, he can only wield a sword. If he had attacks for countering demons like I do, it might be a different story.”
In terms of pure combat ability, paladins were a notch below warriors, but against evil beings, they performed extremely well. What Remedios said was right, but Kelart emitted a little sigh.
Just then, Calca thought she heard the faint ringing of a bell.
Remedios leaped into action. She was always the one to move first in these situations.
She pushed the window open.
An early autumn breeze rushed in, forcing out the air inside that had been somewhat warmed by the trio’s body heat.
Carried on that bracing gust was indeed the sound of a bell—proof that the earlier noise hadn’t been her ears playing tricks on her. How much she would have preferred it to have been a figment of her imagination…
At the same time, a set of footsteps could be heard as several people pounded down the hallway.
“Holy Lady Calca, get behind me.”
Remedios stepped forward, drawing Sacred Sword Safarlissia, and took up a position between Calca and the door.
The door banged open.
“Your Holy Majesty!”
She recognized the man who was first through the door—the chief of staff.
“What is it? What a racket you’re kicking up!”
Scolded by Remedios, the man answered as he tried to catch his breath. “There was no time to leisurely stroll over! Your Holy Majesty! It’s Jaldabaoth! He’s inside the city! And multiple demons are tearing through the streets! The subhumans are also on the move—they’re probably advancing on us!”
“What?!”
“The subhuman army was spotted on the outskirts of town. I have no idea how they slipped past the patrols, but we had the wrong info! I have no doubt they’ll mount an attack in no time!”
It was so much news at once Calca couldn’t take it all in, but that hesitation only lasted a moment. With the face of a queen, she gave orders. “This is not what we anticipated, but the fight against Jaldabaoth starts now! Prepare to battle the subhumans while we keep Jaldabaoth busy! Pass on my orders to the adventurers, too!”
As she listened to her subordinates acknowledge, her doubts returned: Are we sure we’re not underestimating him?
She certainly didn’t mean to underestimate a demon who had broken their nation’s great wall. But was it a mistake to even think they could win? Would it be better to flee until they gathered more intelligence?
No, thought Calca, crushing the apprehension that had sprouted inside her.
If they didn’t fight now, then when? Intelligence was important certainly, but there was no better chance to bring their powers into play. As the war went on and resources dwindled, it would only become more difficult for the Scared Kingdom to muster its full strength.
And fleeing while collecting intelligence would mean allowing the people and land of the kingdom to be ravaged.
There was no telling how many of her subjects would be harmed if that happened.
“…Bring joy to the weak and make this a country where no one cries, right?”
“Yes, Holy Lady Calca!”
Remedios met her private comment with a resounding reply.
Boy, I was naive when I was younger. I could hardly have set more impossible goals for myself…
“Hmph! He’s all full of himself because they got past the big wall! He even waltzed right into our midst completely alone!” Remedios barked in anticipation.
But is that true? Well, it’s what I’ll have to believe. But she couldn’t get the feeling that they were making a serious mistake out of her head.
“…Still, don’t let your guard down. You should approach him with the understanding that he’s more than powerful enough to do terrifying things on his own.”
“Of course, Holy Lady Calca. Please consider me fully guarded! I’ll present you with his head after I cut it off with the Sacred
