Neia knew that they had remained in the tent after the King of Darkness left the operation meeting going over the arguments again. And she understood it was impossible to do what they were doing without shedding paladin blood.
Remedios bit her lip, saying nothing. But—
“Commander! We cannot be victorious without sacrifices! We need to let one go to save many more!”
Neia saw Remedios’s eyes blaze crimson. “That’s not how someone under Her Majesty the Holy Lady fights! I am Her Majesty’s sword! She wishes for all her subjects to live in peace!”
“But the Holy Lady is…”
Before Gustav could say dead, Remedios screamed. “The next holy king hasn’t stepped up yet! So shouldn’t we uphold the beliefs of the holy ruler we swore loyalty to?! Would you break your vow of allegiance?”
Oh, I see, thought Neia.
Remedios was bound by the wishes entrusted to her by the object of her devotion.
The holy knights who served the Holy Lady, who loved her subjects, wouldn’t be forgiven for leaving any of them behind.
The only one who would be able to break those bonds was whoever the next person Remedios swore allegiance to ended up being.
“Am I wrong?! Who did you all devote your swords to?! What was the ceremony you participated in to become paladins?! Who do you think this order of paladins serves?!”
The ceremony to become a squire involved an audience where one’s sword was dedicated to the holy king. And when someone else ascended to the throne, the same ceremony was held again, and the paladins swore allegiance to their new king. So all the paladins in the order had dedicated their swords to the Holy Lady.
“Or what?” The tone of her voice abruptly changed—to an icy one devoid of all warmth. “Do you think her wish to bring joy to the weak and make this a country where no one cries was wrong?”
“She wasn’t wrong! But given the circumstances…it needs to be changed!”
“By who? Who’s going to change it?! Tell me that. What greater justice is there than striving to not let a single person die?!”
Gustav fell silent.
Neia realized her earlier idea was mistaken.
Remedios wasn’t ruled by her devotion to the Holy Lady’s ideas.
She thought she should serve justice. That meant no matter how hard the road was, no matter how impossible it seemed, she had to stay the path and forge ahead.
Which was more just: saving the many at the expense of the few or wanting to save both the many and the few?
It went without saying.
The latter, of course. But it was too idealistic, and any normal person would give up on it right away. Remedios must have been aware of that, but still argued that they should save everyone.
She held up an ideal that normal people would abandon.
That was why she was such an elite paladin, as well as the commander of the Sacred Kingdom’s order.
Being unable to comprehend that Remedios was after that lofty justice made Neia feel like the pitiful one.
Perhaps some of the paladins felt the same way; a few hung their heads in shame.
The King of Darkness’s justice of abandoning one to rescue a thousand was a king’s justice, while Remedios’s justice of wanting to save both was the shining ideal.
They were both just. Neither was wrong. Still—
Unless you have power, your actions won’t achieve justice.
If there were some being Neia couldn’t even imagine, like a god, far more powerful than Remedios, who would help them, they would probably be able to save the child and the city’s people. Then there wouldn’t be a single issue.
But that wasn’t reality. They were stuck here precisely because no one could come up with a way to avoid losing lives.
You need power in order to serve justice. Ahhh, I wish I were strong… Then Jaldabaoth never could have sullied this land…
“…Sorry to interrupt while you’re duking it out with your opinions, but at this rate, you’re not going to reach a conclusion.”
The extremely levelheaded comment made all the heat in the atmosphere dissipate.
“Your Majesty…”
“Lady Custodio. At this rate, word will spread, just like last time, that hostages are effective. I don’t think there’s a way to take this city without anyone dying.”
“I disagree. There must be a better way—a way where no one dies or has to grieve!”
Remedios’s voice was pained, but the King of Darkness answered in an even tone. “I really doubt there is… This is taking too long, though. It’s just going to be a repeat of last time.”
Remedios bit her lip hard. It seemed like she drew blood.
“…So…Commander. That child will have to be a sacrifice.”
“But—!!”
“Right. I’ll handle the rest. With all the time that’s passed, even if you all attacked with the resolve to die if necessary, this won’t end with a mere few casualties.”
“Are you sure?!” Neia blurted instinctively. “Your Majesty’s mana is for fighting Jaldabaoth. Won’t you be at a disadvantage if you use some now?!”
“That’s true, Miss Baraja. But I have no choice if we’re trying to save as many people as we can… I can’t do it with no sacrifices, but there will be fewer than if you guys did it. So how about it? Shall I make the move?”
“There will be…sacrifices…?”
“Unfortunately, yes, Lady Custodio.”
Remedios hung her head and walked away—toward the city and where the anxious subjects looked on.
“Excuse us, Your Majesty. Allow me to ask for your help in her place,” said Gustav.
“Sure… This is a petty question, but…will you be grateful?”
The king’s question puzzled them for a moment, but they agreed immediately. Neia didn’t overlook her momentary worry about why he was asking something so obvious, though.
“Okay. Then I’ll take this city on my own. If you see anyone fleeing, kill or imprison them as you see fit. Personally, I’d like to get some information out of them, so I’d appreciate it if you could take prisoners.
