[ Part 1 ]
The carriage was shaking.
This carriage was the property of the Sorcerer King, and in contrast to its plain appearance on the outside, its interior was classy, refined, and functional to boot. Neia was particularly grateful for the soft cushions that did not hurt her butt no matter how long she sat on them.
Neia peeked at the Sorcerer King, who was seated opposite her and gazing outside.
He may be a fearsome undead king, but she did not feel the oppressive grandeur he had shown when he had met them in the audience chamber.
This was probably because she had spent more time conversing with the Sorcerer King during their journey.
During all this, one thing which Neia had learned was that the Sorcerer King was extremely magnanimous.
It was true that the Sorcerer King acted with the dignity of a sovereign, his every action reflecting his quality as a monarch.
However, when Neia sat in the carriage with him, he would act like an ordinary person from time to time. In addition, these occurrences had been getting more and more frequent recently.
In all likelihood, the Sorcerer King had considered that Neia would be nervous while sharing the same carriage as him, and in his generosity, he had chosen to act more like a commoner. The reason why such incidents were recurring more and more were surely because his skills were improving.
The reason why he did not act that way around the others was probably because they were still playing the role of paladins.
To think he would treat another country's citizens this way... what a compassionate man he is...
What was he looking at? Was he looking at the paladins riding alongside the carriage? Or perhaps something else, something that Neia did not see—
"Hm? Is there something interesting on my face?"
"Eh! —No, my apologies, Your Majesty! There's nothing on your face..."
It would seem she had been staring too intensely at the Sorcerer King. Puzzled, the Sorcerer King touched his face with those bony hands of his.
"I suppose it must be quite awkward to sit in a carriage and not say anything. Yes, in that case, let us speak."
Although she had gotten slightly used to it, conversing with the Sorcerer King always made her stomach ache.
"We are not entirely familiar with each other, so previously I did not ask questions which might have intruded on your privacy, but we have shared the same carriage for several days now. I suppose we can be honest with each other now. Neia Baraja. Can you tell me about yourself?"
"About me?"
Even talking about herself was too vague a topic. She had no idea what she could say to please the Sorcerer King.
"Yes, indeed. For instance, why you wanted to become a squire. What sort of work a squire does. Could you tell me about that?"
"If it pleases you, Your Majesty."
After bowing her head, Neia began talking about what had been asked of her, but it was hardly an exciting topic. Talking about family and the work of a squire was not particularly interesting.
Besides, I was told not to reveal anything to the Sorcerer King about matters within the country but this much ought to do.
Rather, if she had to cover up even those details, then there would really be nothing to talk about.
Soon, the drab exposition with no structure ended, and the Sorcerer King nodded deeply.
"I see, I see. So you're an archer, a rarity among squires, Miss Baraja."
"My skills aren't good enough for me to proudly call myself an archer, Your Majesty. I am simply better at archery than swordsmanship, and the truth is that people have scolded me and told me I ought to focus more on training up my sword skills."
To Neia, an archer was someone like her great father, and she was only a little more talented than a commoner.
"...No, I should say that a paladin candidate who has an affinity for ranged weapons is quite a rare thing. If it were me, I would advise you to hone your bow skills. Since there are others better suited to swordplay, then you should let those people handle swordsmanship."
"—Thank you very much."
The Sorcerer King's words were sincere, and it made Neia feel that he was earnestly thinking, What an odd combination; she must be travelling a path towards a rare vocation. However, she had no idea what to make of what the Sorcerer King said next, and his mutterings bothered Neia.
"I feel embarrassed about dumping the work of minding me onto you. Nor is it just you; the same goes for the rest of you paladins. The best way to make use of your skills would be to station you outside."
His gentle words made Neia stare at him.
This was why talking to this king was so bad for her heart.
Not only did he stand at the peak of his country, he was also an individual of overwhelming might. Yet he had not chosen to talk down to her from above, but he had lowered himself until he could see eye to eye with her before engaging her in a conversation.
No! I can't let His Majesty spoil me like this! If I don't lower myself a little more—
Neia pulled herself together.
"Everyone knows I have been designated as Your Majesty's follower, so please do not take it to heart. In addition, there is no job more important than accompanying Your Majesty."
"Really now... Still, I would like to offer you some form of recompense."
In the past, the Sorcerer King had mentioned the topic of payment. She had declined, of course, but it would seem he was bringing up that topic again. Neia immediately began to think about how to reject his offer without causing offense, but the Sorcerer King was not finished yet.
"That said, it might not be good to receive a gift from the king of another country. So at the very least, allow me to verbally express my thanks. I believe I have inconvenienced you in many ways, and I hope I will continue to be in your care."
And then, the Sorcerer King bowed to her.
A king was actually bowing to someone like herself, who was nothing more than a squire.
It was only natural for a king to carry the weight of his nation upon his shoulders. Slighting a king would be the same as slighting the entire country. The idea that a country lived through its king was a very common notion.
In other words, the fact that a king was bowing was the same as a nation bowing. Of course, it was hardly unthinkable when a king did so to someone of high station.
However, Neia was little more than a citizen of another country, and frankly speaking, there was no need for him to apologize to someone of Neia's stature.
I can't believe it. His Majesty is wise and sagacious, and surely he must know the meaning of bowing. Even so, he still bowed to me like an ordinary person— No. Don't get full of yourself. I can't possibly be that valuable. This simply shows how magnanimous the Sorcerer King is; he even treats a commoner politely. —Ah! He mustn't!
"Please do not do that! Your Majesty! Please raise your head!"
Yes. That was what she should have said before anything else.
The Sorcerer King looked up, and Neia sighed quietly. Frankly speaking, if anyone else had seen what had happened just now, something terrible would have happened.
"Your Majesty—"
Neia took a knee within the cramped confines of the carriage's floor.
"Your servant is of humble origins, but I swear that until Your Majesty's work is complete, I will loyally and faithfully serve you."
Since a king had given her his respect, it was only natural that she return it.
Neia ignored the voice in her head which said that he was not the king of the Holy Kingdom, and bowed.
"No, no. Raise your head... Come now, could you take a seat and continue your previous topic? We haven't reached our destination yet, have we?"
"No, not yet."
She sat back onto the cushion, and looked outside.
"Yesterday, we passed safely through the ruins of the wall by the grace of Your Majesty's power. We have chosen a route that will make us harder to discover, so it may take a little more time, but I believe we will arrive at our base tomorrow, or the day after."
Although, said base was just a cave.
"Is that so? Even then, we still have some time, do we not? Tell me about the topic from just now. Also, I have not yet heard why you have your sights set on becoming a paladin. Given your talent for the bow, surely there must have been some other path you could have taken. Why aim to be a paladin? For the sake of justice? Or perhaps to be the pride of your nation?"
"No—" When she narrowed her eyes, what came to mind was her personal experiences. "—My mother was a paladin."
She was a paladin who was skilled with the sword, completely unlike Neia.
"I see, so you heard something from your mother, or you admired her, hm."
"Ah, no. My mother often said I shouldn't aim to be a paladin. And my mother couldn't do the work of being a mother, and while she could do the laundry and sew, she was completely inept at cooking and that sort of thing. She did everything sloppily, the roast meat was always undercooked, that sort of thing was common."
Therefore, it was only natural that her father had been the one who cooked in their household. When she was young, she even thought that it was true for all families.
"...Is that so? Well, she still didn't stop her daughter from becoming a paladin, so I guess she was still a good mother."
"Ah, no. When I told my mother I wanted to be a squire, she went and took out her sword and said, 'I'll let you if you can defeat me!' and so on. The only reason why I was allowed to become one was because my dad desperately blocked for me. If I had fought her normally I could never have beaten her."
That was the first time she had understood the meaning of killing intent.
"...Ahhhh, mm, good, how shall I say this... it was a good family... mm."
"Yes. While the neighbors often looked strangely at us, I thought it was a good family."
"...Really, how nice... th-then, why, why become a paladin? Did you not think to follow your father's path— Hm. Was your father a househusband?"
"No, my father was also a soldier who served his country. However, I never really thought of following in my father's footsteps... why was that. Maybe it's because dad gave me these eyes, so I sort of ended up resenting him for it..."
Neia pressed her index fingers to the corners of her eyes and tugged them around in circles.
When she was young, her friends often said, Why are you staring at me? Are you angry with me? and the like, and she had often complained to her father for it. After that, Neia had been beaten by her mother, who had overheard her saying so.
Thinking of them was quite nostalgic, Neia thought.
"But perhaps after becoming a squire, I became more open-minded. At some point, I started to think that this was a gift from my father. Well, I could do without the fierce glare, though."
"How are your parents now?"
"My father fought Jaldabaoth's army at the wall and died. I lost contact with my mom, and I don't know what happened with her, but I think she must have died during the defense of the city. After all, she was the sort who would have struggled to the bitter end."
"It seems I have inquired about a painful topic."
The Sorcerer King bowed to her once more. Since this was the second time, the impact was not so great. However, it was enough to make Neia feel anxious.
"Please, please raise your head! How could you bow to someone like me!?"
"I thoughtlessly inquired about your dead kin. Although I did was not aware of that beforehand, now that I know the facts, an apology is still in order."
The Sorcerer King tilted his head after he raised it.
No, that's not right, that's how it should be between equals. A king is not the equal of a citizen from another country. Moreover, we're the ones requesting his help...
"Erm— well, such exceptions are everywhere. Er, if someone sees Your Majesty bowing to me — ah — they might look down on Your Majesty, because I'm just a squire, after all."
"...Umu, I see, you do have a point. That's how kings are."
These things are complicated, the Sorcerer King muttered.
He must have meant that it was difficult to mix with people from other nations even if he wanted to show his sincerity, probably.
"Yes. While this cannot begin to count as an apology, I shall lend this to you, Miss Baraja."
The Sorcerer King swiftly reached into his robe and produced a bow.
—Hah?
It was bigger than what could have been hidden inside his robes. Neia blinked several times, but reality refused to change.
"This is a magic weapon. Use it to protect me."
Portions of the bow were made with animal parts, but it did not feel raw or gory; instead, she felt an air of holiness around it.
She could tell at a glance. In other words, this bow was a masterwork which needed to be described with the word "super."
"This is the Ultimate Shootingstar Super, made with the ancient art of runecrafting. For various reasons, I was carrying it on me to lend it out to someone else. Ahh, normally there would be runes carved here, but you can't see them now because of wear and tear. What do you think?"
Neia used all her strength to suppress the urge to cry out.
Typically speaking, she ought to refuse it. This was very likely to be a national treasure of the Sorcerous Kingdom. However, would anyone lend such a treasure to a follower from another country?
Maybe it just looks amazing — as if! This, it's definitely a very powerful weapon!
"What do you think? Will you not accept it? Your job is to keep me company and protect me, is it not? In that case, it would be good to equip you with a better weapon, am I wrong?"
"Ngh!"
He was right.
Neia felt her head spinning around.
"Ahh, my apologies. Is it because it looks too showy? In that case, I have something more sedate, the Great Bow Special, which is also a product of runecraft."
Saying so, he reached into his robe again—
"P-Please do not trouble yourself! I am more than satisfied with this one! Please allow me to politely decline!"
Neia's words came out as a mournful cry as she begged the Sorcerer King to stop producing any more weapons. If he took out another weapon in front of her, Neia did not think she would be able to retain her senses, and lending it to her would probably entail that she had to spend the whole day on maintaining it.
"Your Majesty! I humbly accept this Ultimate Shootingstar Super which you have bestowed upon me!"
She took the bow with trembling hands.
Given its accessories and decorations, it looked to be very heavy, yet it felt surprisingly light in the hand. In the moment she took hold of it, she felt her body strengthening, as though power were coursing into it, or was that just due to the shocking lightness of the bow?
Ah, this is bad. I wanted to reassure myself with the thought that this was nothing more than a fancy-looking magic item. This... this is definitely a bad thing. For all I know... This might be better than the holy sword... eh? Wait, wait a minute... no, surely it can't...
"Do you? To me, that's hardly worth being proud of, you know? If you'd like some other — if you'd like a better weapon, please let me know."
This was bad. If this sort of thing continued, if she kept hearing about it, things would become extremely bad. She could not begin to imagine what would happen if a squire ended up with better gear than the top ranking person in the Holy Kingdom.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I am very grateful that you have spent so much time considering someone like myself..."
Letting someone else hold this would be very dangerous, so Neia clutched it tightly to herself.
She smiled to the Sorcerer King while she nodded. While the smile was a little stiff, she had managed to skillfully conceal her thoughts.
"If others see this, tell them I lent it to you."
Can't I not let them see it? If possible, I'd rather wrap it up or something — but I can't do that with a weapon His Majesty lent me to protect him... Ahh... wait, my head's starting to hurt. So something like this is nothing to be proud of... His Majesty's standards are just too high... Will I have to pay him back if I damage this bow? Me? Ahhh, my tummy hurts... I wish I didn't have to think about this bow... Ah!
Neia thought of a wonderful topic she had not yet mentioned.
"Your Majesty! I saw those huge and grand statues of yourself in Your Majesty's country!"
"—Hoh."
He responded in a quiet voice that was tremendously different from the one he had used in the past. It made Neia uneasy about whether she had made some sort of mistake.
He had named his country after himself. Thus, Neia guessed that the Sorcerer King was eager to show himself off, which was probably why he had built those huge statues of himself to proclaim his might to those around him.
Did I not praise him enough?
"Those statues not only showed off Your Majesty's greatness, but they also demonstrated your power as well! We don't have any statues like that in the Holy Kingdom!"
That was most definitely not a lie. Size notwithstanding, one would need engineering techniques that had been refined down to an art in order to produce such a life-like product. There was a similarly-sized statue of a Sea Dragon at a place called Lighthouse Cape, but it was cruder, and it looked quite pathetic after being worn away by the elements.
"My subordinates often say that."
Ahhhh, is that it? He's heard praise like that from his subordinates, so this much is only to be expected, is that what he means?"
"My subordinates are now planning to raise statues like these in various places of my nation."
"I see. Indeed, it would be a good way to declare the glory of Your Majesty!"
The Sorcerer King looked at Neia in what seemed like surprise.
"...Uh, mm. Still, I feel that placing statues of myself within my country is a little... how shall I put this? Even so, my subordinates built statues of myself that are over a hundred meters tall in the middle of the city in order to show me off to the world... I think they've gotten carried away with the concept of bigger is better."
"But why is that?"
The Sorcerer King coughed to clear his throat, and that was when a question arose in Neia's mind, Did the undead still have throats to clear? However, the Sorcerer King was speaking as that question echoed in her head, and she could not interrupt him.
"A king's greatness cannot be shown with physical objects."
"Ahhh!"
Neia was shocked, but that was only to be expected.
Neia had not only forgotten that the Sorcerer King was undead, but had come to harbor feelings of genuine respect for him.
This man was truly a King.
Suddenly, she saw the Sorcerer King clenching his fist out of the corner of her eye.
"Of course, declaring my greatness to the world by allowing my people to live without impediment is a different matter. But showing it off with statues of myself is... well. I wish to be known by the peace of my rule."
"It is as you say!"
Neia gulped, and then asked a question.
"Your Majesty is one of the undead, but why do you spend so much time thinking of the people?"
Neia did not think the Sorcerer King's compassion for the masses was an act. She even began to wonder if he was even undead.
"...I have not spent much time pondering that. But doing that much should be par for the course, no?"
Neia was shocked.
Were all kings such amazing people?
Could the Holy Queen and the nobles rule the people with these thoughts in their heart?
Or — was it because he was undead? Did he have this perspective because he was undead?
Neia could not answer that question.
"Also, if it really was one hundred meters high, there'd be complaints about things like not getting enough sunlight and so on."
The Sorcerer King followed up with what sounded like a joke, which only served to drill the humility of this incredible monarch into Neia's heart once more. This man was truly a King of Kings.
-x-X-x-
As the Sorcerer King had pointed out earlier, the Holy Kingdom Liberation Army's base was a natural cave in a mountain.
There was an underground spring in one corner of the cave, and while the ceiling was not very high, it was very spacious, enough for a horse and carriage to enter. In addition, mushrooms, which emitted bluish-white light sprouted all around — around half the height of a man — so they did not need other sources of light.
The reason why they knew of this place was because the paladins had once been sent here to exterminate a monster which had made this location its lair.
After they fled here, they refurbished the place and divided it into several sectors, each serving a different purpose. They had even managed to make their sleeping quarters look like proper rooms. They cut down the trees around the mountain — each of them around one hundred meters tall, and made simple furnishings and furniture from them.
But ultimately, it was just a cave.
There were a total of 347 people here: 189 paladins, 71 priests — including trainees and other such personnel — as well as 87 commoners with nowhere else to go. Naturally, hoping for a private room was out of the question.
Even so, they could not let the king of another country stay with everyone else.
Of course, there was the wish to minimize contact between the undead Sorcerer King and the citizenry of the Holy Kingdom, as well as the desire to keep him from coming into contact with the secret information within their base, and other considerations on the part of the Holy Kingdom.
However, they could not say that they would like him to use teleportation magic so he could take his rest in the Sorcerous Kingdom instead.
In the end, they had to forcibly move others' things away and create a private room for the Sorcerer King.
Under normal circumstances, they would have sent messengers to report the arrival of the Sorcerer King's arrival and have the others make preparations to receive him, but the Holy Kingdom was now in the thrall of demihumans. They could not send out paladins, who had poor enemy detection abilities, as outriders. In addition, Neia was now in the Sorcerer King's carriage and waiting outside the cave. The people in the cave were frantically moving personal effects and transferring beds and cabinets and the like. In addition, they had already hung up a borrowed flag of the Sorcerous Kingdom.
"...Hm."
"What is the matter, Your Majesty?"
"...While I do not intend to insult you, I have a few questions about all of this which I hope you can answer to the best of your ability. It would seem you are not hiding your tracks; is that not a problem? Or will someone else take care of that?"
The Sorcerer King delivered his question in a flat — as though he was reading off something — tone of voice, and then Neia's eyes went wide.
He was correct.
They would leave tracks in the process of climbing this mountain, which was untouched by human hands.
When one added the hoofprints of the paladins' mounts to them, it would be immediately obvious. In that case, the fact that they had not yet been discovered was pure coincidence. Or was it?
"Your, Your Majesty. We have not performed any concealment work until today; could it be they've deliberately let us off? ...But why?"
Neia's voice trembled as she asked the Sorcerer King her question.
Along this journey, Neia had become fully aware that the Sorcerer King before her was an extremely wise individual. Therefore, she thought that he might immediately supply her the answer, and her thoughts were not mistaken.
"...There are many possibilities for that, but under normal circumstances, that would be the most likely one..."
For a moment, Neia thought that she should not be listening to the Sorcerer King's answer alone, but in the presence of the Captain. However, she could not control the curiosity welling up inside her.
"Could it be because they do not wish to lose track of you — or rather, the Liberation Army?"
"Lose track of the Liberation Army?"
"Hm— well, I apologize for this comparison, but say you've found a nest of rats causing trouble, letting them run hither and yon would be very troublesome, no? The best thing to do would be to wait for all the rats to gather and then eliminate them all in one fell swoop."
He's right! It's just as His Majesty says. I find it hard to imagine any other possibility. He's already thought this much in just a few minutes after coming to this place... it's as though he knows exactly what the enemy is thinking, he's amazing...
"Well, as long as the situation stays the same, there will be nothing to worry about. However, I'm not just talking about the situation here. Changes on the enemy's side might lead to a very high chance of being attacked, which would be troublesome."
Neia felt nothing but awed respect for the Sorcerer King's intelligence as he highlighted the finer points of their circumstances.
"Thank you very much, Your Majesty! I shall report this to the Captain right away!"
"Then I shall go too."
"Eh? But surely you must be tired from the long journey. We have prepared a room for you, would it not be better to rest there for a while?"
"Have you forgotten? I am undead, you know? I do not need to rest."
He was right. Neia had completely forgotten that.
The undead were beings who did not feel fatigue. That was why trying to flee an undead being of comparable speed was very difficult, according to her lessons. While that was common knowledge, Neia's experiences with the Sorcerer King had completely shattered her perception of the undead. At times, she even found herself thinking that he was just a human magic caster in a skeletal mask.
"Thank you very much. Then, may I trouble you to come with me?"
"But of course. And there is no need to thank me. Since we are here to defeat Jaldabaoth, we ought to be helping each other out."
While she knew that "we" in this case referred to the Holy Kingdom and the Sorcerer King, it could also be interpreted as talking about Neia and the Sorcerer King. That made Neia feel a little excited.
Eventually, someone knocked on the carriage door from the outside.
"Your Majesty, we have prepared a room for you."
Neia opened the door.
When the paladin outside saw the bow Neia was holding, his eyes went wide in surprise.
This was the first time she had brought the bow she had received from the Sorcerer King outside the carriage. That was because the Sorcerer King had not left his carriage ever since he had lent her the bow. In the end, nobody else had seen it until now.
...You must be surprised, huh? Mm. I understand how you feel. This isn't a weapon you'd let a squire carry...
While the paladin bathed her in his gaze, Neia turned to face the carriage and bowed.
Though she was simply looking at the ground, after sensing that the Sorcerer King had dismounted, Neia raised her head and asked the paladin:
"Sorry, but we need to speak with Captain Custodio, so can you lead us to her? His Majesty says he will be going as well."
"Ah, ah, yes. Understood. Then, please follow me."
The paladin — followed by the Sorcerer King, and then Neia — entered the cave.
The bluish-white illumination from the mushrooms that was creepy. In places where the mushrooms were particularly prolific, monstrous shadows danced on the walls in the spaces between the mushrooms. In addition, their bluish-white light made her look like a corpse, but mysteriously enough, she did not mind it now.
As they walked through the cave, they occasionally saw commoners and priests, as well paladins standing watch.
They should have heard all about him from the Captain and the others who had gone ahead of them but they still could not help gawking at the Sorcerer King.
It's kind of rude, though...
The Sorcerer King would not get angry, right? He was a very kind ruler. However, the kinder people were, the more frightening they tended to be when they did get angry.
Should she tell them they were being very rude, in order to avoid such an event? However, she could not go and tell each and every one of them in person, and it was not a problem that could be resolved by words alone anyway. After all, to the citizens of the Holy Kingdom — to all of the living — the undead were fundamentally the enemy.
I'll tell the Captain about this later... well, it's good that they haven't drawn their weapons.
Suddenly, Neia sensed that the Sorcerer King had produced a piece of paper, and that he was looking at the letters written on it. Although Neia was interested in what was written there, she could not see the letters owing to the way it was concealed within his hand.
Finally, they were brought to a room that was partitioned off by a hanging curtain, and the sounds of a noisy exchange of opinions came from inside.
"Captain Custodio. The Sorcerer King and Squire Baraja have arrived."
The interior fell silent.
The paper in the Sorcerer King's hand had vanished to places unknown.
"Let them in."
After hearing the Captain's voice, the paladin pulled away the curtain.
The paladins and the priests who rose to welcome the Sorcerer King — the ones who had not been part of the delegation — had a complex blend of emotions in their eyes. Even Neia could sense this. Naturally, the Sorcerer King must have felt it too. However, there was no way to tell how he had reacted to it just by looking at his back.
There's no way His Majesty can't feel the mood in the air... perhaps he simply doesn't care about the petty fumblings of tiny men. Is this the bearing of a king?
"Everyone, listen up. Before us stands His Majesty, the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown. Unable to ignore the plight of our nation, he has specially come here on his own to aid us. You will accord him all due respect!"
After Remedios said so, everyone in the room bowed to the Sorcerer King.
Once everyone had raised their heads, the Sorcerer King spoke in a grand tone.
"Greetings. I am the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. I have come to this land in order to help you, not on the behalf of my nation, but in a personal capacity. Therefore, while this might be a little sudden, I have noticed a few things on my way here, so I wish to seek your opinions on the matter. Please allow my follower to explain."
The Sorcerer King stepped aside, allowing Neia to walk past and in front of him.
"Excuse me, everyone. Allow me to explain what His Majesty said earlier."
Neia relayed the Sorcerer King's questions to everyone present. After the short speech, a heavy silence filled the room.
"...Then what does His Majesty propose we do?"
Remedios addressed her question to Neia, who stood by his side.
"No, before that, what do you think? I have only come to do battle with Jaldabaoth, not to lead you all. If I end up participating too heavily in your strategic planning sessions, do you not think things will become very troublesome after defeating Jaldabaoth?"
Murmurs spread through the room.
"...Or do you mean to say you will subordinate yourself to my command? In that case, I will also use the most appropriate means to save this nation."
That ought to be the best way to do it, right? His Majesty might be undead, but everything he says makes perfect sense. He will surely abide by any agreements he makes too. Right now, at this very moment, if you want to save the suffering people, bending the knee to another country's king for a time ought to be the right choice to make, no?
"The only one who may stand above us is Her Majesty, the Holy Queen. Regretfully, we cannot accept commands from the king of another nation."
However, Remedios promptly rejected the offer.
"—!"
You should be willing to do anything to save the people! Wasn't that the reason why we're using the king of another nation, and such an incredible king at that!?
Neia hung her head. That was to hide the dark, muddy emotions which stuck to the interior of her chest.
"May we inquire as to what course of action Your Majesty would take in our position?"
"If it were me, hm? Well, the logical thing would be to immediately move your base to a new location, no?"
"A new location..."
Everyone in the room, Remedios included, had a distressed look upon their face. That was because they did not know of any other place which was suitable as a hideout.
"Judging by your response, I guess you do not know. In that case, you need to plan your future operations under the assumption that the quicker you move, the sooner Jaldabaoth's army will attack you. ...Then, since that is all, I will retire to my room."
Just as Neia was about to follow him, the Sorcerer King held out his hand to stop her.
"Forgive me, but I would like you to stay here and listen to the others' opinion on my behalf, Miss Baraja."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
While he had not acknowledged her as one of his people, it would seem the Sorcerer King was treating her as a substitute for himself. In that case, if she did not properly complete this task, he would be disappointed. Just imagining the Sorcerer King being disappointed made her heart flutter for some reason.
"I can count on you, then? You don't mind, do you, Captain Custodio?"
"If Your Majesty permits it, we will not object."
After hearing that, the Sorcerer King turned to leave with the paladin assigned to be his guide.
Once he vanished around a corner, a priest spoke up.
"So that's the Sorcerer King... Captain Custodio. Will it really be all right? I hope the cure is not worse than the disease. That would be very troublesome."
"Indeed. Taking future poison to escape present agony... is that not what paupers do?"
"We've talked about this before, haven't we? Don't make me repeat myself. The poison's already in us now."
Not His Majesty, huh. They aren't going to address him with respect?
Neia was irritated by the dramatic change in attitude they had shown the moment the Sorcerer King was gone.
If one understood the attitude of the citizens of the Holy Kingdom towards the undead, then their attitude was only to be expected. Rather, it was Neia's displeasure which was abnormal. Why did she feel unhappy about this?
"Well, he's still useful now, so it can't be helped... and we've concretely seen how he can help us... but as priests, we might have trouble neutralizing that poison, no?"
What do you mean, useful? Someone notices a mistake we made and even goes on to supply a solution, but not only are they ungrateful, they're still thinking about how to use him— Ah, so that's it. That's what I sensed from His Majesty, something which the Holy Kingdom now lacks... a sense of integrity. That's why I feel like this...
How much of his grace had she received?
After sharing a carriage with him, she had been given the chance to realize the fact that despite being one of the undead, the Sorcerer King was a king that was worthy of respect.
Therefore, what she felt for these people would be more accurately termed "pity."
"Speaking of which, Squire Baraja. What's that bow you're carrying?"
"Ah, yes. His Majesty said that he would lend me this weapon for the duration of my assignment."
"...May I take a look at it, Squire Baraja? I wish to see if the bow is enchanted with any sinister magic."
The priest extended his hand to her.
Normally, she would have handed it to him. However—
"Please permit me to refuse."
The priest was stunned. It was a face that said he had not expected to be denied.
"This is a weapon I have received from His Majesty in order to protect his person. I will not allow it to leave my hands."
She would not allow someone who was only thinking of using an ally to touch it for even a single moment. Neia lowered her head as she replied to keep the anger in her heart from showing in her eyes.
"—Captain Custodio, what's the meaning of this?"
"Ahhh, Squire Baraja, hand that bow—"
"In other words, you don't mind if I report this to His Majesty, then?"
The air in the room froze over.
"Enough. I understand. Let's continue talking."
Hmm~ so at least they still know that things will go poorly for them if His Majesty finds out.
"Before that, Captain Custodio, would it not be better to let Squire Baraja return to the Sorcerer King—dono's side?"
Neia noticed one of the priests glancing at the bow for just a moment.
Neia understood the meaning he was trying to convey, but despite the anger boiling in her heart, she did not let it spill over to her words or actions.
"I apologize, but I am here to listen to everyone's words by order of His Majesty. I would be very grateful if you would let me continue to remain here and listen to your words from the side."
"True enough... Gustavo. What do you think we should do?"
"His Majesty said so in front of all of us. If we have her leave now, it will probably cause more problems in the future."
"That's true. So we'll let her remain, then?"
Is this something you should be saying in front of the person in question? As Neia thought this, she bowed in silent gratitude.
"Now then, following on what the Sorcerer King has said, what should we do? Does anyone have any ideas about leaving this place and looking for a new refuge?"
Perhaps someone with her father Pavel's ranger skills might be able to find a place for this many people to stay for extended periods. However, there was nobody like that here.
"The Sorcerer King — His Majesty said earlier that if we do not do anything, Jaldabaoth will not make a move either. In that case, why not search for a new place before they take action?"
That suggestion, made by one of the paladins, met with scattered approval. However, Neia knew very well that putting the matter off would not solve anything. In the end, all it would do was cause a pileup of problems in the future.
"The problem isn't just finding a new place, but also the matter of provisions. While this is winter so food is easy to preserve, finding enough to tide us through the entire season is not easy. Even if we have not secured the Kingdom's cooperation, shouldn't we at least buy some food from them? Wouldn't that help things?"
"Unfortunately, prices are unbelievably high on the Kingdom's side. Also, even if we did manage to buy the food, we'd need a massive amount to sustain this many people for several months, so transporting it would be very difficult."
"Vice-Captain-dono, I understand what you're trying to say. However, there won't even be anything to discuss without that food. In the end, we need some way to get rations from the south, no? Or perhaps shift our base closer to the coastline, so we can ship it in from the Kingdom."
"Unfortunately, we lack the funds for that, and we didn't get a good response from the Kingdom's traders. As for getting it from the south..."
Gustavo smiled bitterly as he replied:
"They probably haven't realised that danger is drawing near for them. Our navy is being slowly worn down. It's like they're taking a step closer to the chopping block with each day that passes."
"So we need something to make the south want to help us, is that it?"
"The base, the food, our problems are piling up."
"...As for resurrecting the Holy Queen-sama... can it be done? After all, once we can get that settled, everything else will be moot."
"Unfortunately, according to what we learned from Blue Rose, even that fifth tier spell will have a hard time working without a corpse, or if it's badly-damaged."
"...Can we count on His Majesty's power?"
"You want to borrow the power of the undead?"
"Things being what they are, what else can we do? If the Holy Queen-sama were to be resurrected, then only the main problem (Jaldabaoth) would remain."
Everyone's eyes turned to the sour-faced Remedios.
"—Let's set that aside for the moment. We discussed this while travelling through the other countries, but our main objective will be to attack the camps and liberate the people."
Many people nodded in agreement.
"I see. All of the Holy Kingdom's people are combat-trained. In that case, just freeing a single village will grant us a certain amount of fighting strength... assuming they're willing to help, of course. However, in that case, wouldn't that make the food problem worse?"
"That's why I'm saying we should attack the camps. There ought to be food there."
"I see! That's Captain Custodio for you!"
Remedios smiled as she heard one of the paladins say so.
However, Neia's eyes were cold as she looked at the smug Remedios. After all, she knew who that suggestion had come from.
"Also, with the help of the people, we'll continue attacking and liberating the camps in various locations. That way, we'll be able to find nobles with ties to the south. We'll gather their troops before Jaldabaoth can destroy us and strike him a crushing blow. That ought to keep them from doing anything too."
"I see!"
This time, there were more voices of agreement.
"We'll go with that. In that case, Squire Baraja, go relay this to the Sorcerer King—"
"—Please wait, Captain. I feel it would be better if I told him myself. It would be the basic courtesy to show a nation's king when informing a king about our operations."
Gustavo was correct, but for some reason, something seemed off.
However, Neia could not object to this without knowing what that was.
"Very well. Do so, then. I'll leave it to you."
"Understood!"
-x-X-x-
Neia and Gustavo returned to the Sorcerer King's room together. Its door was little more than a piece of cloth, but a paladin still stood in front of it. Was he there to look out for people who might harm the guest within, or watch over the guest himself?
After being ordered to stand down by Gustavo, the paladin left.
Neia mentally furrowed her brow.
Since he had sent away the guard, coming here definitely meant he had something else in mind besides telling him about the plan. It was hard to imagine that they would want to assassinate him. However, should that really come to pass, then she would need to wield her weapon as the Sorcerer King's shield.
"Your Majesty, this one is Gustavo Montanjes; I and Squire Neia Baraja seek your permission to enter."
After it was granted, Gustavo took a step into the room.
When one recalled the inns they had seen in the Kingdom and the Sorcerous Kingdom, this place seemed terribly austere. This was no place for a nation's king to rest.
There was nothing to be done about the fact that the cave walls were bare rock, but even the furniture was in in a sad state.
While paladins learned to sew during their squire days, it was not enough for them to make furniture.
However, the bed where the Sorcerer King sat was extremely beautiful. It gleamed with black radiance, like it was made of onyx. In addition, there were pure white sheets upon it.
Anyone else would have been scared senseless by the sight of this beautiful bed which had been produced from places unknown. However, to Neia, she had long since come to think that such matters were nothing to to be hung up about when it came to the Sorcerer King. Besides, it was possible that he had simply teleported home and came back with a bed.
Still, it was a different matter for Gustavo, who did not know the Sorcerer King like Neia did.
"Your, Your Majesty. What, what is that?"
"Oh, this?" The Sorcerer King indicated his bed. "I made it with magic. As for this blanket, well, I also made it with magic. That said, I have no idea where this one hundred percent wool came from, but it feels good to lie down on. I'm sure you could have a comfortable rest on it."
Even after receiving that answer, all Gustavo could do was stiffly reply, Ah, ahh. However, Neia did not have an intention to criticize him for it. After all, she too was looking into the distance and thinking, Magic really can do anything~
"Now then, I understand why Miss Baraja has returned. But why have you come as well, Vice-Captain-dono?"
"Ah, ah, yes! While I have no intention of slighting Squire Baraja, I felt that it would be more appropriate, as the Vice-Captain, to conduct the upcoming briefing myself; hence my presence here."
"Hm... if that is what you all think, then I as an outsider have no room to disapprove. However, I would like to say something."
Just then, something black seemed to blend with the crimson points of light which served as the Sorcerer King's eyes.
"I gave her those orders because I felt she could carry them out. Interfering in the matter by weight of your position as a superior is comparable to slighting my judgement. I trust you understand how that would displease me, no?"
Until now, no matter how he had looked at her, no matter how he had treated her, the Sorcerer King had never once shown Neia his unhappiness. However, for the first time, he was showing his anger before Neia. This anger was born from his trust in Neia, and it caused a current of heat to course through her chest. He was the only one who held that opinion of her.
"I sincerely apologize!"
"That apology should be directed at her. Still, well, nevermind. Go ahead and brief me."
Gustavo briefly summarized the details of what had been said, but his only answer was a vague Hmm.
"I see. Then — what do you expect me to do? Or are you saying you have truly come just to inform me of this?"
"Of course not; I wished to ask if Your Majesty had any opinions about this operation."
So that was it.
He wanted to borrow the intellect of the Sorcerer King. That was what had worried Neia about his insistence on coming along. Ordering that paladin away was also for that reason. If he overheard what Gustavo said, if he learned that the Vice-Captain had bowed his head to the king of another country, who was also one of the undead, things would go very badly indeed.
At this point, what's the use of covering things up...
It was plain to see that they were helpless without the might of the Sorcerer King. That being the case, news of this would certainly circulate throughout the people. It was only a matter of whether it took place sooner or later.
What the people of the Holy Kingdom should have done was to spread the word of the Sorcerer King's mercy and compassion throughout the land, and then treated him with gratitude.
While I understand they're wary of him because he's one of the undead, I don't think the Sorcerer King's that kind of man...
Still, even if Neia told everyone, it was likely that no-one would believe her. They might even think she was the subject of a 「Charm」 spell or similar magic.
What can I do to make everyone trust the Sorcerer King? In the end, it seems I'll need to do something to change the first impression of him. However, I can't possibly say something rude like, "Please let more people accompany you..."
While Neia pondered the matter, the Sorcerer King was still speaking to Gustavo.
"...No, I've already said this. I will not comment on your battle plans."
"I pray you will furnish us with a solution on this point, because we have nowhere left to go. We would like to avoid the possibility of failure, however slight."
"And that is the reason why I will not. If you heed my suggestions and the operation ends in a failure, what shall be done? I do not intend to shoulder that responsibility, you know?"
"Yes. Therefore, I feel that what we discuss here should remain with my heart, that of Your Majesty's, and Squire Baraja's."
"Miss Baraja too? Would it not be better not to let her hear this?"
"No, for various reasons, it would be better if there was a third party other than ourselves present. Also, with someone of her skills around, we might be able to come up with more ideas."
"...Hm, then we may briefly discuss the matter. Miss Baraja, I trust you are fine with this?"
"Ah! Yes, I don't mind."
"In that case... there were several points in the operation you suggested just now which bothered me. The first is the question of rations. I agree that there might be food stocks in the prison camps, but I do not feel there will be much there. When you think about it, do you think they would feed their captives properly? If it were up to me, I would decrease their daily food intake and weaken them so they would have no chance to revolt. Also, there is the matter of pressing them into service as soldiers after rescuing them. What about their weapons? Have you transported them to this cave?"
"No, we have not. I would like to think we could obtain those from the camps."
"Your plan of wagering everything on these camps is very dangerous. You do understand this, right?"
"Yes. However, saving the people suffering in there is very important."
"On that point I concur. The more time passes, the less they will love this country. However, it would be best to do something about the food situation. In truth, I feel that seeking the aid of the south is the best choice in many ways. What can be done to accomplish that more easily?"
"The royal family will help. While the Holy Queen-sama has already passed away, I do not think all the royals have been wiped out. We could aid the members of the royal family supported by the southern nobles, and then have them ask the southern nobles to cooperate with us. If we did that, we would also have a safe refuge... speaking of which, Your Majesty. The Holy Queen is dead, but perhaps Your Majesty could do something about it?"
"What do you want me to do about it?"
"Resurrection."
"I see. That is not impossible."
He said so in such a casual tone that Neia doubted her ears for a moment. Resurrection magic could be considered the ultimate secret of divine magic. Very few humans could use it. How many people in this world could speak those words so easily?
"Naturally, I will expect some form of compensation for this. Then where is the body? In what state is it?"
"The body's location is currently unknown, as is its status. On the subject of compensation, we will gladly pay as much money as Your Majesty desires."
The Sorcerer King waved his hand before his face.
"The lack of a body will make things very difficult. Even with one, damage to the body might complicate matters. Without an intact corpse, there is a chance that if I used resurrection magic, it might become one of the undead."
"That, that would be very problematic for us."
The Holy Queen becoming an undead being would not just be problematic, it might plunge the entire Holy Kingdom into war.
"Are there no magic casters in the Holy Kingdom which can use resurrection magic of the fifth tier?"
"I apologize, but I have not heard of any."
"Hoh... and what about the remaining members of the royal family?"
"They are probably in one of the internment camps. After so long, I doubt any of them are still hidden within the cities."
"Ho, prisoners, then? ...Do you have any information on where they might be?"
"None at all," Gustavo replied with a shake of his head. The Sorcerer King looked at the ceiling.
"Umu. You really are making this up as you go along, aren't you?"
"Indeed, it is so. Nobody among the paladins is skilled at collecting information..."
"Is that so..." The Sorcerer King hmmed to himself. "As I thought, a solid organization to allow every subordinate to deal with all kinds of situations is essential. In addition, one needs multiple intelligence-gathering apparatuses."
"There-therefore, we were hoping to draw on Your Majesty's might. May I know if you could help us with your magic?"
"Well, magic is not that omnipotent... for starters, we need detailed information on the prison camps. I trust you have a detailed map for me to peruse?"
"My sincerest apologies—"
"I do not think there is one here; shall I fetch one?" Neia interrupted halfway.
Maps were the treasure of a kingdom. The more accurate they were, the more useful they were in battle. Allowing a possible enemy nation to know so much about one's geography did far more harm than good. Therefore, Gustavo must have been planning to refuse him.
However.
Neia could not concede on this point.
She could not tolerate their one-sided usage of the Sorcerer King.
If they wanted to draw on his wisdom, they would have to pay that price.
Although Gustavo stared daggers at her, Neia pretended that she had not noticed.
"Ah, in that case, let me take a look at it afterwards. Also, I apologize, but do tell me everything you know about the terrain, Miss Baraja."
"Understood!"
After the two of them spoke to each other, Gustavo pulled aside the curtain and left. Once the sounds of his footsteps faded away, the Sorcerer King muttered:
"You don't have to worry about it. I came here for my own gain, That's how valuable Jaldabaoth's demon maids are."
"Yes."
He must have been talking about the maps.
Neia's chest burned. Truly, it was a joyful thing to have everything you did validated by others.
"Still, this really is pushing it. I'm surprised an organization that splinters so easily has held out for so long."
"—My deepest apologies."
"No, there's no need to apologize to me... however, it's quite troublesome when an organization isn't united. Do you not use majority vote when a difference of opinion occurs? And of course, a rule to not hold grudges whatever the outcome."
"How wonderful it would be if we could unite the group in that way. It sounds like a dream organization."
"Mm... wonderful, you say?"
The Sorcerer King suddenly looked at the ceiling, but his eyes seemed to be gazing at something further away.
"Yes, that truly was the organization of my dreams."
"Could it be that Your Majesty's nation is organized along those lines?"
"Ah, ahhh. No, not like that. Unfortunately, my country is not such a group. Still... kuku."
The Sorcerer King went quiet, and then he laughed warmly,
"It would be interesting if it was."
"Interesting, you say?"
"—Now then, can you tell me about the surrounding area?"
-x-X-x-
[ Part 2 ]
A group of people forged through the night towards a prison camp.
They had decided to adopt the Sorcerer King's suggestion of attacking the prison camp by the shore which was as far from their base as possible. It would be easier to hide their tracks by the sea, and given the distance, they would be able to buy some time before the enemy verified the location of the Liberation Army after the attack.
However, there was a problem.
If it was too far, the chances of being spotted by enemy scouts was very high.
Therefore, they decided to attack the furthest prison camp within their travel range.
Neia asked a question of the Sorcerer King, who was riding a horse beside her.
"Your Majesty, we will be making our approach on horseback until we reach the village. Are your preparations complete?
"Ah, but of course. However... I did not hear much about the operation details. What sort of tactics will they use? I do look forward to it."
"You look forward to it?"
"Kuku, I'll be able to see some of the Holy Kingdom's tactics at work. What abilities will they use to break down the camp gates? Or will they fly over the walls and infiltrate through the air? I doubt they will be so unwilling to let me see that... The thought that they might have an ability I have not encountered excites me."
The Sorcerer King will surely be disappointed, Neia thought uneasily.
The Holy Kingdom's basic siege tactic was to launch a two-pronged attack with angels from the air and infantry from the ground. They would probably do the same thing this time round. Or rather, they did not have the manpower to do anything else.
Neia looked at Remedios.
Practically all of the Liberation Army's fighting power was now advancing.
The Captain raised her lance, from which the Holy Kingdom's flag fluttered in the wind.
"Let's go!"
"Ohhh!"
The Captain spurred her horse, which began to move, and the paladins followed behind her. They were still some distance from the village, so they could not go at a full gallop, but a trot.
"The paladins are carrying freshly-cut logs; are they battering rams?"
"Yes. Our Liberation Army only has paladins and priests. Nobody is skilled at opening doors or other infiltration skills. Therefore, all we can do is mount a frontal assault. Our Captain is a skilled swordswoman, but for breaking down gates, tools like that would be faster."
"So they're not using magic, but seek to physically break it down with a battering ram? Aren't they going to use ladders or the like? Can the magic of paladins carry them over walls?"
There were several broad types of spells, like arcane, divine, and spiritual. The magic that the paladins used fell into the "other" category, and they typically cast spells in the form of blessings. Dark knights, who were fallen paladins, also used blessing spells.
From what Neia had seen and heard, there were no spells which let them make ladders.
"I apologize, but I have never heard of such magic before."
"Neither have I. That said, I have heard that there are some paladin spells which allow them to fly, although those are of quite a high tier."
"Is that so? You even know about paladin spells..."
Truly, he was the Sorcerer King. He possessed great knowledge even about spells he could not cast.
"That's because the enemy might use them. It took a lot of effort to memorize every spell there was. Since I was not talented, I had to make up for it with hard work. The more you know, the closer you are to victory, although that was what a friend told me, hm."
She could not believe what he said about having no talent. However, there was something more important that she had to say.
"Your Majesty, if you have any strategies to recommend, I will relay them to our Captain."
It was quite likely that someone as capable as the Sorcerer King had already come up with a more effective plan than what the Liberation Army had. That was why he was acting this way.
"Eh? No, no, I shouldn't. Ah, well— about that. Liberating this prison camp is not my job, but yours. Attacking these prison camps is the first step in finding a better way to do things. They need to realize that themselves, which is why it must be done this way."
The Sorcerer King was right. Or rather, everything he said was right.
However, just for today, Neia wanted to borrow the Sorcerer King's strength. That was because their war was fought to save the suffering masses, and she wanted to choose a path which was faster and which could save more people.
"I fully agree that what Your Majesty said is correct. However, I pray you will still lend us a hand."
She immediately knew she was being very rude. However, Neia still bowed her head and pleaded with the Sorcerer King anyway,
The Sorcerer King looked forward for a while before speaking again.
"Umu... Neia Baraja. Don't make me repeat myself so many times. Failure is the mother of success. The consequences of not relying on me and instead thinking for yourself, even if they should end up being failure, should not be feared, but embraced. This is because they are the failures necessary for success."
The Sorcerer King's words stabbed at Neia's heart. She could not keep asking the Sorcerer King to help. The Sorcerer King was saying that the consequences of planning on their own were a necessary sacrifice for the recovery of their nation.
Indeed, it was as His Majesty said.
But with the power of the Sorcerer King, they might be able to save more lives.
Would sacrificing them for the sake of self-reliance be justice?
What was justice, anyway?
Was saving more lives justice? Or—
Her thoughts went around in circles, and she could not find an answer.
"Now then, let us look forward to their skills."
Right now, Neia was simply praying that the many sacrifices they would make would not be wasted.
The group advanced towards the prison camp in a straight line.
The terrain around the village was uneven, but there were watchtowers. If they made a direct approach, they would definitely be spotted. However, it was also a fact that this was the only way they could attack.
Soon, they spotted the village.
There seemed to be sentries on the watchtower above the gate. They banged on the alarm bells, and a commotion arose from within the village.
Neia narrowed her eyes, and stared at the watchtower.
The demihumans there looked like bipedal goats, wearing chain shirts and carrying large spears.
If Neia recalled them correctly, those demihumans were known as Bafolk.
They were a demihuman species who lived in mountainous regions, and their legs were every bit as capable as a mountain goat, making them fearsome warriors who could scale even city walls if they had so much as the slightest bump or depression on their surface. In addition, their fur tangled on slashing swords and steadily blunted their edges, so after killing one, it was important to clear the fur off the blade, or so her father had taught her.
The Bafolk's spears were long enough that they could stab people passing underneath from above.
She mused that things would be troublesome if they immediately strengthened their defense. However, they did not seem that well drilled, given how they were running around wildly and giving their side a lot of time to prepare.
The priests dismounted, and immediately summoned angels.
The paladins also dismounted, and raised their shields. This was probably to protect the people carrying the battering rams from attacks.
However, not all the paladins were like that. About ten or so people remained mounted and began circling around the village.
"Miss Baraja, I trust dispersing some troops around the area is meant to intercept any demihumans from the camp who are trying to flee with intelligence about this battle? If anyone gets away, then even if you win the battle, you will lose in the long run."
"That, that's it! It's just as you say!"
He had seen through the paladins' tactics with such ease. The only thing Neia could say about him was that he was amazing.
Still, that raised a question. Where had the Sorcerer King learned such tactics from?
A being with a demihuman's tough skin would not wear armor on top of it. With sharp claws, one would not need swords. Humans wore armor and carried swords because of their fragile bodies.
If there was no need to rely on one's wits, then tactics would naturally be unnecessary too. Why did the overwhelmingly powerful Sorcerer King know of siege tactics?
"Your Majesty, may I know where you acquired such knowledge?"
"Hm? By knowledge you mean— ah! My predictions just now? Umu.Those tactics were taught to me by one of the friends I mentioned before. After that, I tested them out in live combat. Well, I learned a lot of things, but I didn't expect them to be put to practical use here."
"...Since he was Your Majesty's friend, surely he must have been very strong too?"
"Oh yes. Well, his strength was not in melee or magic, but in another field. In that sense, I have not yet attained his level of strength yet."
Huhu, the Sorcerer King laughed happily. It was the kind of laugh one had when reminiscing about the past.
Right now, he seemed just like a human being.
Could it be that the Sorcerer King was once human...?
Perhaps he had transformed himself into one of the undead with the power of magic, but that would be a perplexing matter. That should not have been possible. To Neia's knowledge, the undead were naturally occurring things. However—
The world is large, after all.
Neia's journey with the ambassadorial delegation had let her realise how tiny the world she once knew had been.
Across the ocean, beyond the mountain, and in the depths of the forests — there ought to be something out there. The sages who could scoff at Neia's problems and tell her the answers ought to be out there too.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Ah, my, my apologies."
"No, I am not blaming you. I was a little worried when I saw you spacing out on horseback... the battle is about to begin, and I understand if you're uneasy."
"Th-Thank you very much, Your Majesty."
Just then, Remedios planted her banner in the ground and drew her holy sword.
"Everyone! The first battle to save this land from Jaldabaoth is about to begin! Justice shall triumph!"
There was a heated response of "Justice shall triumph!" to Remedios's shout. Once they gathered, they began their charge.
"So it's begun. Miss Baraja, would it not be better to move up if you wish to fight?"
"No, my duty is to accompany you, Your Majesty. Abandoning Your Majesty to fight—"
Is something I cannot do, Neia shook her head.
"Hm, mm, is that so? Then, then let's talk about something else... You haven't lent that weapon to anyone else, have you?"
"Not even once! This is a weapon I borrowed from Your Majesty! I would not dare allow anyone other than myself to touch it!"
"Ah... really now. Umu, I suppose. I thank you."
His tone sounded a little depressed, but there was no way to divine his intentions from it.
Have I done something to offend His Majesty? ...I'm not too sure what's going on, but perhaps I should apologize?
While Neia was waffling, the Sorcerer King changed the topic.
"Ah — this is a rare opportunity. I looked around our surroundings, but I did not discover any demihumans hiding with invisibility magic. Perhaps we should move forward a little to observe the battlefield conditions. I doubt there'll be any problems with leaving the priests here... What do you think?"
"Understood."
It would be very disrespectful to tell the Sorcerer King — who possessed might which far exceeded her own — that moving to the front would be dangerous.
As the sound of bells rang through the prison camp, she stayed close to the Sorcerer King as he moved up. That was when the fighting began.
The angels attacked the watchtowers on top of the gate, and the Bafolk there met them with their spears.
The archer towers launched arrows. They were not aiming at the angels, but at Remedios as she led the charge. It was only natural to aim for her, given that she was not carrying a shield and there was no chance of hitting friendlies.
However, her strength was far removed from the others.
She easily cut down all the arrows coming at her with her sword, maintaining her speed as she ran.
As if to counterattack, several angels rushed the archer tower. Shortly after that, three Bafolk corpses fell from the tower.
This was when the paladins reached the gate and began pounding on it with the battering ram.
The log doors began to shake, and there was a faint sound of cracking from inside, along with the cries of the paladins going, "One more time!"
The gate shook again, more violently than before.
And then the battering ram struck again.
One of the logs making up the gate bent heavily, and they could hear the paladins' cries of triumph even from here. While the gap was not yet big enough to let people in, they ought to be able to break the gate down completely after several more tries.
Several angels flew past the gate. Neia could not see what they were doing from here, but they were probably trying to hold off the Bafolk defenders.
"—Get back, all of you!"
All eyes went to the source of that shout.
It came from a watchtower above the gate. The angels should have taken that place. Yet, a single Bafolk appeared there. However, the problem lay in what the Bafolk was carrying.
"Get back!" the Bafolk shouted again.
The Bafolk was holding a girl, aged around six or seven, and he had a sharp blade to her throat.
"If you don't back off, I'll kill this human!"
The girl was dressed in filthy clothing — her face looked dirty too — and her body shook from side to side. Was she still alive? They could not detect any signs of life from her. It seemed to speak for how everyone inside the camp had been treated.
"You're despicable!" one of the paladins shouted.
"Hurry up and back off! Look!"
There was a commotion among the paladins. What had happened? Even Neia could not see what was happening at this range and at night. However, it was different for the Sorcerer King.
"...The child's throat seems to be bleeding."
"Could it be!?"
"It was just a nick; she is not dead yet. Otherwise her value as a hostage would—"
"—Everyone, fall back!"
The paladins obeyed Remedios's command and moved back.
Although the priests in the rear had a hard time grasping the situation, they still understood what was going on, and they pulled the angels back. At the same time, the priests ran up to Neia and the Sorcerer King. They had probably come closer to see what was going on.
"Further! Go further back!"
After the Bafolk said so, the paladins began retreating slowly.
They could see the Bafolk hurriedly swapping positions atop the watchtower. They swapped the people who had been wounded in the earlier battle with the angels for fresh fighters.
"This is bad."
"Yes, very bad."
Neia slowly raised the bow she had been lent. The Bafolk seemed to be using the girl as a shield. Therefore she had a very small space in which to aim for. Killing it in one hit would be very difficult.
Even so, if she did not do it, who would?
I wish I'd practiced my bow skills more, Neia thought as she drew an arrow from her quiver.
Just then, the Sorcerer King swiftly held out a hand, as if to block her shot.
"I don't intend to insult you, but you should stop. There's no longer any point to it."
Just as she was about to ask what he meant, the Sorcerer King walked over to where the paladins were gathered.
There was an argument raging there about how to save the girl.
Priestly magic could freeze the enemy in their tracks. Many people approved of that, but spells had an effective range. Could they get into that range? Would the hostage be killed? All these questions and more flew back and forth, but there was no sign that an answer had been reached.
Just then, the Sorcerer King and Neia arrived.
"How long are you going to twiddle your thumbs about this? The situation looks bad."
After he spoke, the others turned to look at the Sorcerer King as one.
"Of course we know that—"
"—Captain... please calm down. The enemy is over there."
Remedios was at the end of her tether, and Gustavo spoke to her.
"No, Captain Custodio. You know nothing. Since the enemy knows that hostages are effective, they'll show that this is not a threat, and they'll use her as an ex—"
As though waiting for those words, the girl hostage's head was hacked off. They could see her bright red blood spurting even from here. The Bafolk let go of the girl's body, and it crumpled weakly to the ground.
Everyone was silent.
Their minds refused to accept what had just happened.
Remedios was the first to recover, and as she shouted, Neia came to her senses as well
"You bastard! How dare you kill the hostage!? Even after we obeyed your demands!"
"Hmph!" The Bafolk dragged a boy in front of him this time. "That's why I've got another one, see? Now back off!"
"You shameless scumbag!"
"Hmph. You really are an idiot, aren't you? Perhaps you'll understand after I bring another over?"
Remedios's clenched fist trembled mightily. Then, as though to vent her feelings, she ordered:
"Everyone, fall back!"
"Also, gather up the people on horses around the sides! Move it!"
She could hear the sound of grinding teeth from Remedios. It was loud enough that one might think she was crushing her teeth.
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"Vice-Captain. Order them to gather here."
"B-But—"
"If you don't do it, the child will die. Move!"
"Everyone fall back!"
"A very bad move. You've shown the enemy that hostages are effective and given them so much time to prepare. If the enemy does something to break your will to fight again, won't that cause even more damage?"
A red-faced Remedios glared at the Sorcerer King like she was looking at the enemy.
"If this goes on, your surprise attack will be pointless. Also, I can hear the sounds of something moving over there. If they set up barricades, breaking them down will take more time, and things will be more troublesome—"
"—Shut up!" Remedios interrupted the Sorcerer King.
"Who's got an idea? A way to solve this without anyone dying!?"
Nobody said anything.
Of course nobody had such a convenient solution. For instance, if they had someone adept at infiltration skills, this situation might not have arisen. However, there was nobody like that around.
Even Remedios should have understood this. If her animal-like instincts analyzed the battle situation and told her there was no way, then such a method did not exist.
Even so, why did she refuse to admit it?
Why was she hung up on not letting a single person die?
The Sorcerer King's words flashed through her mind — was this not one of those necessary sacrifices which he mentioned? There was no way to come out of this without losing a single person unless one had an overwhelming advantage in strength or a great deal of luck.
"Captain Custodio,"
Neia's voice sounded abnormally loud.
"Right now, can we not finish the fight with only a few casualties?"
Remedios's furious gaze shifted to Neia.
The powerful emotions boiling off that mighty warrior's body made her own body tremble, but Neia was sure that she was right.
"There's no justice in that!" Remedios shouted.
Justice? That justice—
The surrounding paladins remained silent. It would seem nobody was prepared to say anything. Neia felt like she was surrounded by enemies and she unconsciously backed off, and then she felt someone's hand supporting her from behind.
Looking back, she saw the Sorcerer King, as she had expected.
"—I support Miss Baraja's opinion."
He had affirmed her in a quiet voice. But to Neia, it was like a hundred-million strong ovation.
"Shut up!"
Remedios barked again. However, this was not something she should be saying to a king from another country who had come all this way to save her. There were actions which were acceptable, and actions which were unacceptable.
Anger welled up in Neia's heart.
"What you need right now is to change the situation, not sit around and butt heads in frustration... Ah, it can't be helped. I shall turn things around, then."
After muttering to himself, the Sorcerer King turned away from them — towards the gate — and began walking. Due to his sudden movement, nobody managed to call out to him before the Bafolk shouted a warning.
"You there, in the mask! I told you to back off, didn't I?"
"I will not back down! What do you think a single human life means to me!?"
"W-What!?"
"Our aim is to kill every single one of the Bafolk here! It doesn't matter what happens to the humans! 「Widen Magic — Fireball」!"
The Sorcerer King extended his hand with a shout, and the fireball that flew forth blew away the Bafolk and the boy he was holding.
The enormous burst of flame also consumed the watchtower.
Everyone on top had been slain by that attack. The Bafolk and his hostage fell onto the Sorcerer King's side of the wall.
"「Maximize Magic — Shockwave」"
The spell which followed blasted away the half-ruined gates. In addition, it scattered the Bafolk who were erecting barricades behind it, blowing a huge hole into their defenses.
"Come, you paladins! Attack! Kill the Bafolk inside to the very last man!"
As though awakened by his voice, Remedios came to and replied:
"You son of a bitch—!"
"—Captain!"
"Grrrrgh! —Charge!"
The paladins moved forward in response to Remedios's words. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say that they had abandoned all attempts at thinking and fully subordinated themselves to her orders.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Gustavo left those words behind and moved on. After that, there the paladins and priests — the more sensible ones, at least — directed grateful looks at him. Remedios was the only one who was staring at the Sorcerer King with open displeasure.
The Sorcerer King addressed Neia in a quiet voice.
"—Miss Baraja. Did you think I would save the boy with a spell beyond your imagination?"
Indeed, the thought had crossed her mind. However, the Sorcerer King must have had some reason for his actions.
"Ah, yes, I did. It is as you say."
"Hm, perhaps that might be so."
The Sorcerer King nodded, and Neia listened in silence.
"Indeed, I could have done so. By using the various spells I have learned, saving a single boy would be a trivial task. However, I could not do that. That was because I could not allow the Bafolk to see me rescue a boy."
Doubt crossed Neia's face for the first time, and the Sorcerer King gently explained to her.
"If I allowed them to know that hostages were effective against us, the prisoners inside would be used as meat-shields to block our attacks in battle.The paladins would be at a loss, and they might end up being wounded or killed. Due to our dire lack of manpower, even one fewer paladin would constitute a great disadvantage... at least, according to Lanchester's laws.
(TL Note: Lanchester's laws are mathematical formulae designed to calculate the relative strength over time of a predator and prey pair. They're usually used for military modelling. In this case, even one loss can lead to more losses over time.)
The Sorcerer King walked to the gate, and Neia hurried after him.
"On the other hand, once they know the hostages are useless, they will simply become hindrances to the Bafolk. Now, when they are being attacked and the enemy is about to come through the walls, do you think they have the time to leisurely kill off their prisoners? Murdering people who can't resist ought to be a very low priority then."
"It is as you say."
"Indeed. Rather than waste time killing people, they would prepare to stop the enemy incursion instead. Therefore, it was necessary to use a method that would clearly illustrate the pointlessness of taking hostages."
He was right,
If Remedios had her way, they might end up being unable to save anyone in the end.
The Sorcerer King slowly lifted up the body of the boy by his feet.
"Your Majesty, let me—"
"—This is a job for me."
Neia accompanied the Sorcerer King as he carried the boy to the place where Remedios had planted her banner.
The Sorcerer King laid the boy on the ground. Neia wetted a cloth with water from a waterskin, and wiped away the grime on the boy's face.
His cheeks, his wrists and his thighs were all shockingly thin.
It clearly illustrated the harsh conditions under which they lived.
"Those Bafolk bastards..."
"Perhaps this should not be said, but do allow me to say it anyway. I am the king of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and not the king of the people who reside in this country. Thus, I can calmly make this decision. I would choose to save a thousand people's lives over a single life. But if this boy alone were a citizen of my nation, I would prioritize saving him instead. If you cannot accept that—"
"—No, thank you very much. I can understand how you feel... Your Majesty is just."
"...Hm? What do you mean?"
"My apologies. Ah, maybe it should be, Your Majesty is righteous?"
What on earth am I saying? she could not help but wonder.
While she felt that this left him with nothing to reply with, the merciful and compassionate Sorcerer King still answered her.
"...Eh? Ah, no, I do not feel that I am just. And frankly speaking, justice ought to be determined by others. The motives for everything I do are very simple. Well, I have thought of spreading my reputation too..."
Neia recalled the matter of the statues.
Does wanting to spread his reputation mean the Sorcerer King is a show-off after all?
"That said, I now feel there's no need to try so hard with that... I ended up talking about pointless things. All I desire is to live in happiness with my children. That is all there is to it, but at the same time, it is also everything to me."
She did not think the undead Sorcerer King could have children. Therefore, he probably did not mean children in the sense of carrying on his bloodline, but children in a broader sense. It felt like he regarded the citizens of his nation as his children.
He is a kind man in every sense of the word... indeed, what a wonderful world it would be if even the frailest child could live in happiness. What was he thinking when he took this boy's life...
As she looked at the profile of his face, she saw something like grief for killing a child.
"Well, that was pointless. In that case, let's drop the topic here. Miss Baraja, while I am not qualified to speak pretty words, I hope you find the justice that belongs to you."
"...May I ask one more question? If your own subordinates had been taken hostage like that, would you have done the same thing?"
"...Well, this might be grumbling on my part, but it would be troublesome in another sense."
"What exactly do you mean?"
"In the past, I asked them out of curiosity, 'What would you do if you were taken hostage to force me to negotiate?' At that time, every single one of them promptly said they would rather kill themselves than inconvenience me in any way. 'No,' I told them. 'Can't you say you'd wait for me to rescue you?' and things like that... While it pleases me to see their loyalty, this is still, how shall I put it? My subordinates are all a little too fanatical."
As he rotated his wrist, the Sorcerer King continued in a tired voice.
Just as Neia began to think, Weren't these unnecessary worries for someone in his position? Remedios appeared at the gate, carrying a bloodstained longsword, her armor similarly splattered in blood. Though she had removed her helmet, her bangs were stuck to her forehead by sweat. She looked utterly exhausted.
After saying something to Gustavo, Neia sensed that for a moment, Remedios's eyes had met hers. No, it was less that she had locked gazes with Neia, but rather, she had been looking at the Sorcerer King and Neia was in the way.
Remedios said nothing, simply going back inside with a blank look on her face.
In her place, Gustavo approached the two of them.
"Your Majesty, I wish to express my thanks. While there were some slight losses, we were able to minimize them thanks to Your Majesty's power. Normally, the Captain would be thanking you in person, but she is somewhat distraught at the moment due to the tragic condition in which we found the people, so I pray you will forgive me for taking her place."
Gustavo sneaked a peek at the boy, and then he looked back at the ground.
"It is fine. Go tend to the Captain."
"Thank you very much."