The king stepped to the side, so Neia slipped past him to come forward.
“Hello, everyone. Allow me to explain what His Majesty noticed.”
She told everyone what he had told her. After her short explanation, a heavy silence ruled the room.
“…So what do you think we should do?” Remedios asked the being next to Neia.
“No, first I want to know what you think. I came to fight Jaldabaoth, not take command. If I do too much leading, won’t there be trouble after I defeat Jaldabaoth?”
A murmur unsettled the room.
“…Or would you rather I took charge? If so, I’ll save this country in the optimal way.”
That would probably be best, wouldn’t it? His Majesty may be an undead, but everything he says is right, and he keeps his promises. At this moment when so many of our people are suffering, maybe the right thing to do is accept another country’s king.
“The only one above us is Her Majesty the Holy Lady. Sorry, but we can’t have another country’s king command us.” Remedios refused immediately.
“Ngh!”
We should do whatever it takes to save the suffering people. Isn’t that why you decided to use another country and its wonderful king?!
Neia hung her head. She couldn’t let the complicated feelings inside her show.
“For our reference, would you tell us what you would do, Your Majesty?”
“If it were me? Once I made any move, I would look for a new base right away, I think.”
“A new base…?”
Everyone in the room subordinate to Remedios frowned. They didn’t have any other places to hide.
“You don’t seem to have any ideas. In that case, your only choice is to plan an operation on the assumption that the more moves you make, the sooner Jaldabaoth’s army will attack… Okay, that’s enough from me, I think. I’ll go to my room now.”
Neia started to go with him, but he stopped her.
“Sorry, Miss Baraja, but I’d like you to stay here and listen as my representative.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
He can’t be thinking of me as one of his people, but he accepts me as a representative. Then he would be disappointed if she didn’t do her best to fulfill the role. The thought of the King of Darkness being disappointed in her made her heart uneasy somehow.
“Okay, I’m counting on you. You’re fine with that, right, Lady Custodio?”
“I have no objections if it’s what Your Majesty wants.”
Having received that reply, the King of Darkness turned to go along with the paladin who had guided them.
Once they were around a corner and out of sight, a priest spoke up. “So that’s the King of Darkness… Commander Custodio, are you sure we can trust him? I’m not sure anything good will come of chasing off one monster by inviting an even more terrible one in…”
“Exactly. Escaping our current suffering by doing something that will poison us in the long run… Well, that’s the typical pattern of someone ruining themselves.”
“We already discussed that. Let’s not rehash it. The poison is already coursing through us.”
So they don’t even call him His Majesty?
Neia was irritated by the way everyone was acting since the king left.
She understood how they felt about undead as subjects of the Sacred Kingdom; their attitude was utterly natural. Actually, it was stranger that Neia took issue with it. Why am I annoyed?
“We see the value in using him… You’ve explained it to us quite clearly. I’m just not sure even we priests will be able to provide an antidote.”
What did they mean “value in using him”? Why try to decide if they could take advantage of someone who noticed their mistake and even offered them a plan to fix it instead of thanking him?
Ohhh, I see. There’s something I sense from His Majesty that the Sacred Kingdom is lacking right now: nobility. That’s why my heart is so…
How lucky she was.
She had been given the opportunity to ride in the same carriage and decide that the King of Darkness was a ruler worthy of respect despite being an undead.
So maybe the correct thing to feel toward these people was pity.
“By the way, Squire Baraja. What’s that bow you have there?”
“Oh, it’s a weapon His Majesty told me to use; he lent it to me just for the duration of this mission.”
“…Can I see it for a minute, Squire Baraja? We should examine it to make sure it isn’t enchanted with any harmful magic.” A priest reached out a hand.
She probably should have handed it over, but—
“No, sorry.”
The priest went slack-jawed. His face said he never expected to be refused.
“This is a weapon I received from His Majesty to be used to protect him. I can’t allow anyone else to touch it.” She spoke with her eyes downcast, so the anger inside her wouldn’t show. He’s cooperating with us, yet you only want to use him! Why would I hand it over for even a second?
“Commander Custodio, what is the meaning of this?”
“My thoughts exactly. Squire Neia Baraja, you need to—”
“So then, I can tell His Majesty?”
The atmosphere in the room froze.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s move on.”
Hmm, so she’s aware that they’re saying things that would be problematic if His Majesty were to find out.
“Before we do that, Commander Custodio, shouldn’t we send Squire Baraja back to the king?”
Neia saw the priest’s eyes flick toward her bow momentarily.
She understood what he was getting at, and she responded with a look that showed none of the disgust rising within her. “My apologies, but His Majesty ordered me to stay and listen. I’d appreciate it if you would allow me to be here.”
“Hmm… Gustav, what do you think?”
“His Majesty told her that in front
