How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 3, page 3
part #3 of How Not to Summon a Demon Lord Series
Delouche spread his arms wide.
“I see you have returned safely, Alicia Cristela. Splendid work on your mission.”
“I am unworthy of such praise, Your Majesty.”
“According to your previous report, you said there had been a skirmish with the Kingdom of Greenwood... I would like for you to provide more details regarding that encounter.”
Delouche didn’t want Alicia’s personal opinion on the matter, rather, he requested information as the eyes and ears of the king. For her, however, it wasn’t about what she had to say, but how she framed the information.
“My report is as follows: The Kingdom of Greenwood sent a demand specifying the return of the runaway Princess Shera, and sent troops to the Eastern Lakefront Forest. It seemed they had no intent to invade at that time; however, Sir Galford took the Elves entering his territory as a declaration of war, and executed the acting commander of the troops, Prince Keera. The Elven soldiers never entered Faltra. Though it may have been the land he governed, it may not have been necessary for Galford to eliminate Prince Keera. As a result, the relationship between us and our neighboring country has now become uncertain.”
“Hm...” Delouche crossed his arms.
The king had, most likely, already received a report from the governor as well; she couldn’t make any bold-faced lies here. However, she had managed to slip in some words suggesting the governor should show some self-restraint in her report. This would be sure to limit what Galford could do from here on. The less obstacles in the way of the Demon Lord’s resurrection, the better. He was one of the heroes of the great war, someone who, single-handedly, was unimaginably more powerful than any of the races. In fact, if possible, she wanted to make him disappear from Faltra—
But she wouldn’t do anything rash. There was something else she had to keep hidden, more than anything else.
“...Now, just who is this ‘Diablo’?” Delouche inquired.
“I believe him to be an Adventurer. Was that not in Sir Galford’s report?”
“No. It came from one of our informants in the city.”
—I get it now.
Though Galford had tried to eliminate him, it seemed he held Diablo’s combat prowess in high regard. If the governor had made a report saying Diablo was dangerous and was ordered by the king to capture him, he would be at a loss over how to cope with the situation. There wasn’t any chance someone like Galford would report back saying he couldn’t win against a lone Adventurer. That meant his motive here was to hide information regarding Diablo, and was planning on using him as a tool to fight against other countries, or even the Fallen.
Wanting to keep Diablo, and his power, a secret was in line with Alicia’s plans as well.
—I seem to be wearing a lot of masks lately.
In front of her parents, she acted the part of the diligent and obedient daughter. For Diablo and the others, she acted as a humanitarian, pretending that her role in life was to help others. Alicia’s actual goal, however, was the obliteration of all the races by resurrecting the Demon Lord. That is why she covered for Diablo. As of now, he seemed to ally himself more with the other races—but one day he could awaken as a true Demon Lord. Not only that, Alicia had felt traces of the Demon Lord inside of Rem. Could she be the key to the resurrection...?
Right now, she needed to take the king’s attention away from this matter.
“Your Majesty, there does exist an Adventurer by the name of Diablo, but I do not believe we need to be concerned of him.”
“Then what about these murmurs I hear of him defeating an army of one hundred Fallen?”
“I believe that to be a result of the exaggerations of a great number of Faltra’s Adventurers. After all, Diablo is said to merely be an 《Elemental Sorcerer》.”
Whenever someone mentioned a “Sorcerer” in the Kingdom of Lyferia, one would think about “Summoners.” Elemental Sorcerers were so weak, they were not even worth talking about. Delouche understood that well.
“Hm... So it was only a rumor.”
“That town is filled with Demis. Rumors spread there cannot be taken as truth.”
“So I see.”
There was a deep-seated resentment for Demis in the Royal Capital. Delouche was a person of nobility, and though he strove to be as fair as possible, he could not completely separate himself from the opinions of those around him. If Alicia said the rumors of an impossibly powerful Elemental Sorcerer were the result of Demis, there was no way the king would believe it.
This should end our audience with him thinking everything is fine in Faltra... —Or so Alicia thought.
Delouche was more persistent than she had expected, however.
“Now, Vinashin, you see...”
When he suddenly brought up the name of the Royal Seer, Alicia made a noise of silent disapproval in her mind. She made sure not to let it show on her face.
“Was it one of Lord Vinashin’s prophecies?”
“Indeed. Three days ago, he foresaw that there were ‘Omens of the Demon Lord’s resurrection in the town to the West.’ I can only imagine that to mean the city of Faltra.”
“I see. That is the most specific it has ever been...”
It took a tremendous effort on Alicia’s part to hide her overwhelming joy. She had to be careful not to show how she truly felt.
A Seer was someone who was able to scry into the future, and was an invaluable asset to the country—with the prophecies of this particular Seer in service to the king being remarkably accurate.
And he had predicted the second-coming of the Demon Lord! Alicia couldn’t have been happier with the news. But due to this prophecy, the chance of someone interfering with the resurrection had now skyrocketed. This had always been the case—the military or other Adventurers would disrupt the Fallen’s ritual, resealing the Demon Lord right before it could be resurrected...
“Of course, I believe Faltra is well prepared for such an event. The hero Galford is there, as well as the ten thousand elite soldiers I have dispatched to the city. Most importantly, they have a large-scale barrier protecting them. Even if the Demon Lord were to resurrect, they should be able to bide time until the main forces of the Royal Capital could arrive...” Delouche spoke as if something seemed to be troubling him.
“Yes, I believe their preparations to be flawless. So much so that if we were to divide our military strength with the West, defending the Royal Capital and our other territories would become a precarious situation... The Holy Land of Vylaar lies to the East, after all.”
The king’s nearby officials voiced their opinions as well:
A general asserted that if there were signs of the resurrected Demon Lord, the Royal Capital’s forces should be sent in now.
The minister in charge of the national treasury countered with a rebuttal, claiming that mobilizing a large army would require an equally large budget. Funds were limited, so if they squandered the kingdom’s cash reserves for no reason, and a time came where they were in dire need of money, they would face a deficit. If they declared a state of emergency and forced heavy taxation on the citizens, it would further ruin them financially. Furthermore, the people were the foundation of a country. There were no nations that had ever lost while their citizens were wealthy. When the people became destitute, it was a signal that declared the country’s demise was at hand.
Delouche was no fool. He wouldn’t rally his armies based on suspicion alone; but it seemed like he still wanted to take some sort of preemptive action.
“Your Majesty!” Alicia stepped forward. “In that case, please allow me to return to Faltra once more. Due to the confrontation with the Kingdom of Greenwood, I made my way back to the Royal Capital with haste to deliver my report as quickly as possible—but if there are signs of the Demon Lord’s resurrection, I will find them and put a stop to it!”
Her voice was brimming with a sense of justice and duty to her country.
“Hrm...” Delouche solemnly nodded. “Although, I was thinking of allowing you to rest after sending you on such a far away mission...”
“I humbly thank you for your concern. However, as long as it is for the sake of the kingdom, this body of mine shall feel no fatigue. Please, give me the order, Your Majesty.”
“Wonderful, truly wonderful! I must be one of the most fortunate kings in the history of our country to be blessed with a knight such as yourself. Very well—then I leave this matter to you. Return to Faltra and root out any indications of the Demon Lord’s resurrection.”
“With certainty!” She deeply bowed her head.
There were some things she hadn’t expected, but in the end, everything had gone according to plan. It was difficult trying to hide the exaltation she had felt on the inside.
Alicia lifted her head and opened her mouth, prepared to announce her intent to depart—
From behind her came the sound of solid, clanking footsteps.
†
The noise of something metallic scraping against itself mixed with the sound of footsteps—
It was the rattle of armor.
—We aren’t at war right now, so why show up to the audience chamber in full armor...?
Alicia reflexively turned around to look. There stood a man who left an impression sharp as any sword. He wore scarlet-colored plate mail, and carried multiple blades on his person: two swords on either side of him, and two swords on his back for a grand total of six longswords. Chains extended from the pommels of his swords, which made a grating metallic noise as they scraped together. He also sported a dagger that was affixed to his body with a belt.
As he got closer—
She could smell blood on him. It seemed like he tried washing it away, but the stench had seeped into his very being. The man wore a pleasant smile on his face, at odds with his appearance, which looked like he was ready for war. He knelt down next to Alicia.
-
An attendant scurried over to receive the letter he offered, handing it over to the king. Delouche nodded as he unfurled the parchment.
“Hm... I see. Good work.”
Alicia found it extremely rude for him to not follow the proper procedure of the audience chamber, but did not voice her complaints out loud.
The High Priest held the most powerful position in the Church. The Kingdom of Lyferia put their faith in the “Ancient Gods and the Celestials,” and it was evident that faith played a large role in supporting the livelihood of the races. Miraculous healings were not unheard of, and blessings of bountiful harvests were all but guaranteed.
Long ago in this world, it was said there existed both Celestials and Fallen. The ancient Gods of the Celestials and the King of all Fallen, the Demon Lord, were locked in eternal strife, but in the end, the Gods emerged victorious over the Demon Lord. As punishment, they broke his being into fragments, which were then sealed away.
The Gods bestowed their graces upon the war-ravaged land, and created five races from the blood of the Celestials: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Grasswalkers, and Pantherians. These were all descendants of the Celestials. However, the race known as Demons were an outlier, and were said to be Humans whose blood had mixed with the Fallen.
After granting the bountiful land to the races, the Celestials returned to the heavens. The people praised and revered the Gods said to be watching over them from above, praying for salvation in this world and the afterlife.
It was the most popular religion in the Kingdom of Lyferia. The authority of the Church was strong, and the power the High Priest held was enough to rival that of the king.
The king’s chief vassals laid words of praise upon the Paladin, though strains of fear tinged their voices.
The term “Paladin” referred to any of the holy warriors who “enact God’s will through force.” Paladins would hunt down the Fallen and any who followed them. These devotees wished for the Demon Lord’s resurrection, and were known as 《Demon Lord Worshipers》. On that point, they were no different than the army or the Imperial Knights.
Where they differed, however, was who they worked for.
Paladins served the Gods, and acted in accordance with the intentions of the Church. They abided not by the law, but by their own doctrines. Though they claimed it was the “will of the Gods” as to who was designated a Demon Lord worshiper, Paladins took it upon themselves to pass judgment. They would make their decisions based on their own personal biases; so even if the person in question was an aristocrat or extremely wealthy, if they were branded as a worshiper of the Demon Lord, they would be subjected to the most gruesome torture imaginable.
In other words, a Paladin was a sword that protected the authority of the Church. Even the high-ranking officials of the king’s court did not want to be involved with them as they did not want to become targets of the Paladins.
Fortunately, the number of Paladins was quite small. In comparison to the Imperial Knights, who were over one thousand members strong, there were only thirteen Paladins.
“I heard you had been sent somewhere in the South to handle a matter the other day...” Alicia muttered. “You sure have made quite the hasty return, Sir Saddler.”
“Indeed, the job of us Paladins is to swiftly and surely root out any Demon Lord worshipers and deliver to them salvation. I was having such a hard time finding Demon Lord worshipers in that Southern village—but I, being a mere servant of the Gods, could only follow their will. In the end, the entire village was kind enough to lend me their assistance.”
“...What happened to the villagers?”
“I offered them all salvation.”
Alicia felt the muscles in her back freeze. He hadn’t answered her question outright, but a Paladin’s methods only consisted of two things: torture and murder. Because that Southern village had been branded as harboring Demon Lord worshipers, it was most likely all its inhabitants had been brutally massacred.
—I couldn’t care less about the races dying.
Alicia wasn’t bothered in the slightest about that. Paladins, however, were a serious threat.
Say, for example, the king or his ministers started to suspect that Alicia truly wished for the resurrection of the Demon Lord—it would not be a problem, as she had already prepared a plethora of excuses to talk her way out of it. She had even gone so far as to build up her own achievements to make sure no doubt would be cast upon her.
This would not work on a Paladin. If they had come to suspect you, what awaited was merciless torture. Though she was confident she wouldn’t talk, she couldn’t wipe away the fear of having her body and mind broken. She didn’t want to get involved with them if she could help it. Alicia wanted to excuse herself from the throne room as fast as humanly possible—
—when Saddler said something she was not expecting.
“Though it may seem rude of me, I happened to overhear the details of your mission just now, Miss Alicia Cristela.”
“...And what of it?”
“Your dedication to take the mission upon yourself after hearing the Demon Lord might be resurrected... It’s truly marvelous!”
“...Thank you.”
“However, I was thinking this mission might be more suited for us Paladins. I would humbly request you leave Faltra in the hands of this humble servant of God!”
“That would be...”
—A problem.
She couldn’t think of a way to turn his offer down so suddenly. If she were to suddenly reject him, she was in danger of being suspected as a Demon Lord worshiper. Even if it was a false charge, it was difficult to provide evidence to the contrary. Not to mention that Alicia was a worshiper of the Demon Lord who wished for their resurrection. She didn’t know how well she would be able to hide that fact.
Delouche would not let this pass without first raising his own objections on the matter. The look on his face alone had said it all. He wouldn’t be able to turn a blind eye if a Paladin were to do to Faltra what Saddler had done to the village in the South. If nothing else, Galford would not stay silent if that happened. The king wanted to do everything he could to avoid a confrontation between the military and the Church.
“Your Majesty, if I may...” The lowest ranking of the chief vassals, a young minister, respectfully bowed his head.
“O-Oh! Yes, Noah, do you have any brilliant ideas for us?”
Alicia did not know much about the man named Noah, aside from him being a rising star in the royal court. Not only was he well-versed on politics and military matters, he had deep knowledge regarding subjects like agriculture and medicine as well. It was rumored that his proposals had revolutionized industry in the kingdom on a national scale.
His appearance could only be described as beautiful, and his blond hair and blue eyes almost made him seem like he had been manufactured to be flawless. Yet he did not give off a cold aura; in fact, he had a gentle smile playing on his lips. He could almost pass as a girl with short hair.
It was said he was the adopted child of the Marquess, Gibun, but Alicia hadn’t looked any further into his background. But at this point, the only things she wanted to hear from him were something that would either shut up the Paladin, or some kind of plan to protect Faltra.
“I am sure both Miss Alicia and Sir Saddler are more than worthy of our trust. How about we leave this matter to the both of them?”
“Hm... So you’re suggesting we should have them work together.”
“Their objectives are the same: to find traces of the Demon Lord. To that effect, I thought it would be sufficient to have them join forces to achieve that goal.”
“...That is not a bad idea.”
It seemed Delouche had taken a liking to Noah’s suggestion. Even if the king couldn’t outright reject Saddler, this way he could still keep an eye on his mayhem.
—Is this man trying to kill me? Or does he actually think I would be able to restrain a Paladin?
Alicia cursed Noah under her breath, while Delouche made his new decree:
“Imperial Knight, Alicia Cristela... You are one of my most trusted individuals. I would think there be no qualms in conferring you the imperative role of searching for signs of the Demon Lord alongside this Paladin—but what say you?”
