No Way Out

——Dona’s Manor, Holylight.

The shock wave that resulted from the two factions making peace had spread throughout the continent. While they suffered no direct loss from the event, Dona’s noble faction was most threatened by this result, considering their standing. The previously unparalleled force (at least in Holylight) had suffered a depression in morale as of late.

“Ha-rumph... Above all, ha-rumph, I say!” Dona’s fat jiggled as he tossed a piece of steak into his mouth. Unpleasant reports were piling up, without a single viable countermove for him to make. He had lost contact with the mad-dog Milligan, the Madam had proudly sent her caravan up north, and Dona had lost an auction to the Madam’s sister. Worse still, the Demon Lord had now made a great name for himself in the North. All of this bad news was almost unbearable.

“Azur!” he shouted. “What were you doing in the north?! You couldn’t even stop one lousy maniac who claims to be the Demon Lord?!”

“A thousand apologies, My Lord. He is beyond my control.” Azur was telling the truth, so he bowed deep in apology. The more he thought about the battle he had witnessed, the less human its participants seemed.

The clash between the Tzardom and the Satanists had half-destroyed the capital of Suneo. They had each used their trump cards, as the Tzardom sent in their Temple Knights and Elemental Knights, matched by the Satanists’ Entranced and Haunts. That much, however, could have been explained as merely acts of war.

“My Lord, not only were there Tzardom troops, but a mock angel and a devil I have never seen before—”

“Silence! How dare you blame the likes of angels and devils for your incompetence?!” Angels and devils were something detached from Dona’s life. A mere concept to him. He simply took advantage of the fact that his far distant ancestors had stood against the king of devils alongside the Wise Angel. Deep down, he held no faith for any deity.

“But Lady Luna defeated the—”

Dona scoffed. “Number Three has some talent in magic. The least she can do to justify her position is take down a Hellion or two.”

In this world, the word ‘Hellion’ was an umbrella term that encompassed any creature from devils and Firebrands to monsters, Haunts, Hellbeasts, etc. Dona only had knowledge of low-ranking Hellions, which were a far cry from the Ancient Devil that called itself Behemoth. Left alone, it would have easily taken out an entire nation or two, let alone all that remained of the city. That being said, as Dona wasn’t there to witness it firsthand, Azur could say nothing to change his mind. At the end of the day, those who have never experienced an earthquake do not understand the severity of one, nor do they grasp the horrors of a plague regardless of how much history textbooks tell of the Spanish flu and Black Death.

Dona’s attitude was less from ignorant optimism, but more from a sense of arrogance. He disregarded the unknown and felt entitled to the known. “What is Milligan doing, anyway?!” he shrieked. “Why won’t he send a single report?!”

Azur’s expression darkened. “Why?” He was dead or captured, of course. Furthermore, Azur expected a mercenary as notorious as Milligan to have prepared men reserved for communications. No news at all, in this case, meant that his entire team was taken out.

Azur attempted to convey the fact to his master, as plainly as possible. “Killed or captured, most likely. In fact, we must prepare for—”

“Ridiculous! How much do you think I’ve put into him?! He’s a far cry from getting me my money’s worth!”

“If he’s dead, we may be able to feign ignorance... We’ll need another plan if he’s kept alive.”

“Hmph! Who cares about a useless mercenary? I’ll simply deny ever knowing the man!” Dona threw another chunk of steak into his mouth.

In fact, a man of Dona’s status could shut most nobles up with a simple denial. However, he had sent Milligan to the village of Rabbi, run by one of the Holy Maidens, Luna. If things escalated, even White was sure to make an appearance.

“Knowing how much Lady White cares for her sisters, she may come after us.”

Dona groaned, pausing his chewing. He considered White his one and only weakness, and intended to take her as his wife one day. He wanted to avoid losing her favor at all cost. His childish sentiment, of course, would not be reciprocated.

“No matter. I simply need to take my wife. That’ll keep her from spewing nonsense. Azur, bring in Five and Forty-One. I need something to take my mind off of things.”

“My Lord, if you truly intend to wed Lady White, consider freeing those girls. If she ever discovers that—”

“Silence! You dare defy me?!” Dona smashed the plate, wet with steak blood, into Azur’s face.

Azur bowed without another word. This sort of interaction was a common occurrence in the manor, even though Azur had simply made what he considered a bare minimum suggestion to his master, whom he felt he owed for giving him a stable life after a life on the run.

Shrimp, Dona’s nephew, waltzed into the dreary room, his attire glitzy enough to change the air at once. Shrimp gave a glance at Azur’s state and noted the air in the room, but said nothing of it. He simply pointed to his own face and drew a line with his finger, gesturing for Azur to clean himself off.

“Uncle. I have good news from a trustworthy source.”

“Good news? It’s a long time coming after a slew of unpleasant reports. Go on.”

“The militaristic nobles of the north and the high society of Central have joined forces...”

Dona froze for a moment before beginning to shake. Azur kept his chin down as he wiped his face, but he was giving a piercing look to Shrimp.

“What?! How could that possibly...?! And what part of that is good news?!” He stood from his seat, incredulous.

Shrimp, on the other hand, spread his arms wide in celebration. “What is it but a declaration of war against us? We finally have the excuse we’ve been looking for to rid the country of them.”

“Wait... If they’ve joined forces...”

“They’re desperate, seeing how you’ve expanded our legion, Uncle.” Shrimp was technically correct that neither Madam nor Harts had enough manpower to take on Dona’s faction alone. The best they could manage was to maintain the status quo.

“Hrm...” Dona grunted. “Their forces are separated, north and south. Are you suggesting I should take them out one by one?”

Shrimp graciously nodded. “Dear, brave Uncle. Taking them on in the field would be one thing, but have you a plan to siege Gatekeeper?”

“Wha...?! N-No, if they lock themselves in that fortress... It won’t be...so easy.” Dona awkwardly reached for his glass of wine. If Azur had asked the same question, he would have thrown his steak knife at his face.

“And High Society is simply an organization of ladies without swords. We can hardly march into one of their balls and massacre them.”

“You think I haven’t thought of that?!”

“Such a barbaric act would spell doom for our reputation. All nobles would drink to the savagery of Dona Dona.”

The Madam and Harts were equally as troublesome to Dona as he was to them. It was nearly impossible to take the fortress in the north, and the ladies of Central were on a different battlefield altogether. As Luna might agree, elegance and decorum were expected of nobles. None would follow a noble who resorted to brute force. On the flip side, any heinous act could be accepted in noble society with a little touch of elegance.

“Get to the point!” Dona demanded. “What are you telling me to do, Shrimp?!”

“With a declaration to defeat our faction, they have no choice but to attack. They can’t simply stand back after throwing their gloves to the ground in such a theatrical fashion.”

Dona nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Without their fortress, the northerners are nothing but a swarm of poor meatheads. But what if they stay put in their nest, forsaking what little pride they have now?”

“We simply eliminate their choices until they’re forced to attack, Uncle. For instance, we can limit the number of Water Spell Stones we put out in the market, raising prices and slowly suffocating them.”

“Grah hah hah! Starve the beast out, you say!”

Starving a beast, then striking it as it emerges from its lair weakened. It was a very noble method of hunt indeed. Whether the civilians who would be caught in the crossfire would see it that way was another story.

“Uncle. This calls for urgent and major renovations of our fortress, the Wise Angelic Gatekeeper.”

“Indeed. A grand fortress worthy of our cause is in order if we are to call the majority of nobles to our aid. We shall show those beasts how nobles conduct themselves on the battlefield!”

Dona’s faction naturally possessed their own fortress, which had only served ceremonial purposes until now. Now he planned to renovate the structure for actual battle. Dona imagined the tens of thousands of nobles flocking to his feet to receive his command. He chuckled, shaking his gut.

“One more thing, Uncle. It may be best to gather as many swords as you can...for a rainy day.”

“Who needs outsiders? There’ll be forty to fifty thousand strong, ready to fight at my command.”

“Let the beasts hunt each other. What merit is there in you cutting down the beast yourself, Uncle? Your mercy may become your undoing.” Shrimp chuckled. He had implied that Dona lacked the aforementioned decorum in his plan.

Dona had no words to retort. “You certainly speak your mind, Nephew... What are these ‘swords’ you speak of?”

“Xenobia and the Tzardom come to mind... They seemed to have a chip on their shoulder.”

“Interesting... Go on.”

After the meeting of Dona and Shrimp, Azur silently stepped out into the hallway.

Shrimp called to him, “What are your thoughts on these changes, Azur?”

“I lack the wisdom to offer, My Lord.”

Azur addressed Shrimp as such, as he would be the one to follow in Dona’s footsteps. Each time, Shrimp’s cheeks would ever so slightly redden. Another survival tactic of Azur’s.

“Still water runs deep... And you’re as still as they get,” said Shrimp.

“Certainly you jest.” Azur deeply bowed, as if to avoid the inquisitive glare.

Shrimp regarded Azur highly, but made sure to keep an eye on him at the same time. “I have a philosophy to use any and all tools at my disposal. Xenobia, the Tzardom, mercenaries, even Satanists... And even you, Azur.”

“I doubt I may ever be so useful to you.”

Shrimp patted Azur on the shoulder and whispered, “If we win this war, Holylight will be a glorious land ruled by our kind for a thousand years. If ever you find any seed of treachery in your mind, stomp it out.”

These changes reached beyond Holylight and into its neighboring nations.

——Kongming’s Room, the New Kingdom of Xenobia.

“How...could this have happened...?!” Kongming’s face was losing color by the second as she heard Hanzo’s report. She had aimed to create a divide in the long-standing peace between the Tzardom of Light and Holylight. In that sense, she had greatly succeeded. On the other hand, there were far more unforeseen events than she expected. “Why did the Satanists...? Why would they go to such extreme lengths in a foreign nation...?”

While the Satanists were active within Holylight, their actions in foreign nations had been limited to seeking donations or followers to strengthen their ranks. They called for helping the meek and for the redistribution of wealth, and called out the abuse of power. All of which were pleasant tunes to the ears of an average citizen. Many had donated money to the organization, tired of the endless warfare in the north. Now, they had summoned Haunts and devils in the middle of a foreign capital.

Kongming groaned at the inconsistency. “It’s like they’re trying to throw away all of the goodwill they’ve earned...!” At the same time, Kongming had one answer in mind. They didn’t mind throwing it all away. That wasn’t an easy decision to comprehend, however. They had destroyed everything they had built up through their grassroots efforts.

(Even the chancellor is shaken up by this one...) Hanzo continued her report, waiting for Kongming’s thoughts to settle. Her wisdom was what had elevated Xenobia to the Ruler of the North, after all. “...The Tzardom countered the devil with a mock angel, before the devil was finally defeated by Luna Elegant of Holylight.”

“What a timeline...”

Somewhere in the middle were the Entranced and the Haunted clashing with the Elemental Knights. Ordinarily, turning a foreign capital into a battleground would have been a grave war crime.

Kongming recalled how cutthroat the career ladder was within the Tzardom, and felt a certain level of understanding towards the bishop’s decision. “He must have feared turning it into a City of Death. I still had uses for that bishop, too...” It was regrettable, considering how well the bishop served to rot the Tzardom from within and drive the Hero’s heart away from his homeland.

“He seems to have been taken to Holylight.”

“I wonder what they’ll do with him... No matter how much they make him talk, the Tzardom will make sure he never existed. Or simply call him bedeviled.”

‘Bedeviled’ was a term that described those possessed by a devil. Like witches in Salem, the bedeviled were rounded up and executed. At times, the accusation was used to take care of deviants. A bishop privy to the secrets of the Tzardom was more likely to be treated like a devil themself.

“Forgive me, Chancellor, but I doubt Holylight will accept the usual spiel.”

“The Tzardom will stick to it, no matter how bold of a lie it is. They always know when to control the food supply or flash their blade.”

In fact, the Tzardom of Light had always pushed through any diplomatic issue with two tools: intimidation and enticement. Many of the smaller Northern Nations were rendered powerless, manipulated by the monetary and moral enticement of the Tzardom.

However, Hanzo had witnessed something that had blown away all of her preconceptions on the power dynamic of this world. “The man who calls himself the Demon Lord, and who I assume to be his right-hand man, ‘Tahara,’ are both beyond our frame of understanding. They would scoff at any poor excuse the Tzardom can come up with.”

“You said they destroyed a mock angel, right? It’s hard to believe, but...”

“Using the bishop, they were poised to wage war against the Tzardom at all cost.”

“War?! Don’t be ridiculous... They haven’t even taken over a single region in their country. If we just take a step back, they only have a village full of demi-humans.”

“If you recall my previous report, the militaristic and high society nobles in Holylight have joined forces.”

Kongming’s expression clouded. It was an eerie report, indeed. She would have expected Hellion territory to freeze over before the infamously adversarial Harts and Madam made peace. Who else but the ‘Demon Lord’ could have made it happen? She could see how much Holylight had changed since the man’s appearance... Personally, she would have preferred the nation in its fractured, directionless state.

“The Demon Lord...” she muttered. “Must be a cunning strategist.”

Anyone else would have made the same assessment as Kongming. From the perspective of a foreign nation looking in, the Demon Lord had performed some dark magic to make Harts and the Madam shake hands.

“He mentioned that he would ‘swing by’ our nation.”

“Some gall...!” Kongming growled.

Xenobia had grown too large in too short of a time. At the moment, the country was like a lion catching its breath. They were in a situation where they wanted to let their expansions settle and enrich what they already had. Geographically, there was significant landmass between Xenobia and Holylight, which should prevent an all-out war between the nations, but the Demon Lord was outside of that equation. If he could take out a mock angel on his own, Kongming could easily imagine him infiltrating their capital and single-handedly reducing it to rubble. Seeing that the capital of Suneo had suffered a similar fate, her fear was entirely rational.

“We can’t let him near our country...” Kongming decided, and began floating countless ideas in her mind.

Hanzo asked, as she always did, “What shall we do?”

“It’s too risky to face him head-on. We’ll make Euritheis our camp, first.”

“Euritheis...? Ah, Mad Dog Jack.”

“Yes. He must be losing his mind without the treasure trove that was the bishop.” Kongming imagined the knave with whom the bishop preferred to trade. Their merchandise ranged from the drug Trance, to slaves, weapons, illegal imports... Considering how many ongoing illegal and profitable trades Jack had with the bishop, Kongming expected him to be thoroughly outraged. As she had a knack for taking advantage of the anger and suspicion of others, more and more strategies materialized in Kongming’s brain. “At the same time, we’ll keep them busy in Holylight. Let’s bolster the nobles that oppose him so they can buy us some time... Nothing could be better than resolving this situation all within Holylight.”

“I believe it will be next to impossible to take him by force,” Hanzo said bluntly. After seeing the Demon Lord in action, she would consider it suicide to engage in combat with that.

“I’ll put Leon on it this time.”

“The general...?!” Just as Hanzo muttered in shock, one of Hanzo’s subordinates entered with a pigeon and handed it over. She slowly unraveled the paper tied to its leg. “A Holylight noble has approached us. They request a meeting with you, Chancellor.”

“Perfect timing.”

Kongming spread her fan and snickered, seeing how well things were coming together.

Dubious intentions surrounding the Demon Lord were now reaching the Tzardom of Light in the far west.

——The Tzardom Light, Western Nations.

The Tzardom was a giant nation, its population far exceeding 20 million. While Holylight was a theocracy that worshiped the angels and their teachings, the Tzardom of Light worshiped the Great Light, said to have led those angels.

Their system of government was rather archaic. Old and powerful families each held their own farm workers as laborers, which were raised without decent education. Perhaps they feared some sort of rebellion if the laborers were taught how to think. This age-old system bound children by birth, ensuring that lines of laborers would forever remain in their role. Those families, who held the vast farmland and numerous laborers, selected the pope, the leader of their nation. Despite his title, the pope had always been the epitome of avarice, which left the country hopeless for any change to their system.

While such systems often declined and fell throughout history, like in the Russian Empire, the Tzardom of Light possessed unparalleled advantages.

The first of which was its land. Blessed by the Great Light, the Tzardom’s soil produced unbelievably bountiful crops. Their national yield easily doubled or tripled that of neighboring nations, allowing them to pay the farm workers barely enough to live. Year after year of endless war and food production had garnered great wealth for the Tzardom. In fact, they had enough resources to fuel the entire Northern Nations region throughout its wars.

The second was the existence of the Paladins. They could each fight an army on their own. The Tzardom held two Ancient Fragments, said to have been left by the Great Light, and those chosen by the Fragments were tasked with becoming the face and sword of the Tzardom as Paladins. With its land and military blessed by the Light, the Tzardom was one of the superpowers of the continent.

However, day after day, unpleasant reports reached the glorious and prosperous Tzardom of Light.

“Your Holiness. There is a messenger from Suneo requesting a public statement and compensation for the incident.”

“Nonsense... A nation as insignificant as a leaf in the breeze.”

The current pope was 47, but looked much younger, perhaps thanks to his habit of drinking bottles of Spirit Cure (which would have cost the average citizen an arm and a leg for a single one) as well as burning with endless ambition. He seemed more like a venture capitalist ready to fulfill his every worldly desire.

“That being said, they are one of the wealthiest nations in the north. If we keep them talking...”

“It might hurt business,” the pope snarled, unbecoming of his holiness.

“The king of the nation is a masterful diplomat,” the temple master continued. “It may prove cumbersome to have him whisper this and that in the ears of foreign rulers.”

Annoyed, the pope reached for a piece of fruit from the stack beside him. Suneo was a strange nation where its entirety, including its king, was entrenched in business. The king directed refining national goods, while they were always importing materials to develop into branded products. Their widespread obsession with luxury items seemed unending, from jewelry, dresses, perfume, and cosmetics to things like dishware and silverware. One would find it difficult to find a luxury item not handled by the brand conglomerate that was Suneo.

This made Suneo a little bit of a nuisance for the pope. “An annoying little country. A little too much change in their pocket...”

When it came to business, Suneo still stood no chance against the Tzardom, which exported an abundance of food. They also had a different customer base than Suneo’s limited release of luxury items.

“Your Holiness, they have managed to effectively lend their pocket change to their neighboring nations.”

“Hmph. Those clever rats...”

Suneo’s foreign relation policy could be summed up as ‘money talks.’ Most Northern Nations were impoverished by long-lasting wars. Suneo often swept in with a loan and a smile, virtuously putting the borrowing nation under their control. Whenever international problems arose, they utilized their borrower nations as intermediaries or bodyguards. Although they were a small nation, Suneo knew how to stretch their money.

“As frustrating as it may be, we may have to hand over some cash,” the Temple Master added.

“All because of that fool...” The pope spat out the pit of the fruit that he was eating, recalling the smirk of the bishop, smothered with greed. The pope had known the bishop’s dealings with the underworld, and had taken advantage of him with that in mind. Now the pope was quick to cut him off. “He was bedeviled. Relay the message.”

“Your Holiness...”

“We have also lost soldiers. I won’t stand for this pretense that they alone were the victims in this attack. Allowing such a miniscule nation to extort us will besmirch the name of the Light.” Then, the pope dramatically added, “That being said, tell them that the Light will bestow their people with securities for pity of the civilians who have fallen.”

“Excellent, Your Holiness. I will have the temple and Suneo have mercy upon their people.”

“Very well. Throw some food scraps in with it. Sprinkle the mob with some mercy.”

“Understood!”

As a result, they would not pay any reparations to the government of Suneo, but garner the goodwill of their people. The pope knew how to make lemonade when he was handed lemons.

“Speaking of mercy, he has been bombarding us with requests...”

“The imbecile... Tell him to return to his homeland at once!” The pope shouted with audible irritation, vividly imagining the face of the pesky Hero. He saw the hero as someone who defied his authority as the voice of the Light, and rarely obeyed his orders. What’s more, the hero had the gall to always give him a cold, sideways glance filled with disrespect and contempt.

“I have... Many times before...”

“Still trying to save the poor?! Hmph! When will he wake up?!”

“In a way, he is more troublesome than our enemies.”

“‘Think of all humankind...!’ Pah! A fool’s rambling. He refuses to see reality. Nor politics, nor the balance of the continent, nor anything substantial for that matter. He lives in a pipe dream!”

The Temple Master shared the people’s sentiment. War continued even in the west where the Tzardom was located. The people considered it laughable that the Hero seemed to turn a blind eye to this and was undertaking the impossible task of ‘saving the poor.’ Of course, that may have been the very quality that made him a Hero.

“There is also a messenger from Holylight, Your Holiness.”

“Holylight... Well.” The pope’s expression twisted.

The Tzardom and Holylight had a long-lasting friendship as nations that worship the Light and Angels, respectively. While their relationship had been mostly in name, the pope wanted to avoid rocking that boat, if only to keep from giving any ammunition to those scheming for his position.

“Lady White is as steadfast as always... Although her beauty has been wasted in a second-class nation...” The pope had met White before in a diplomatic scenario. At the time, he was a seasoned politician while White was a young girl newly selected as Holy Maiden.

“Actually, Your Holiness, it seems the messenger is from the third Maiden.”

“Hm? The girl who defeated a devil?” The frown faded from the pope’s brow. This wasn’t a conscious shift, but a natural display of underestimation.

“It appears she has suffered severe injuries from the summoned angel, along with a military officer...”

“She expects us to take responsibility for the malfunction of an angel...? I wonder if Lady White takes the training of her sisters seriously.” The pope let out a sigh, thinking of Queen.

He truly saw Holylight as a second-rate nation, where the Holy Maidens were all troublemakers, the entire nation was divided into feuding factions, and the people devolved into Satanism. As someone who saw Holylight as a sort of crazy uncle, the ship had sailed long ago for the pope to ever respect them.

“Your Holiness, her request seems... extreme. I asked the messenger to repeat it, thinking that I was mishearing...”

“How do you mean, ‘extreme’?”

“She demands a direct apology and explanation from Your Holiness...”

“Outrageous! What does that second-rate country think it is?!” The pope grumbled at the message from the third Holy Maiden of an inferior nation.

In truth, the messenger was sent by Tahara unbeknownst to Luna. He hadn’t done so with any particular scheme in mind, but simply to criticize what he thought was wrong and set a precedent.

The pope, unaware of that, quivered at the unexpected insult. “Foolish girl... Who does she think she is...?!”

Then, another report came in. Whether the timing was good or bad was yet to be seen.

“This is from the noble faction of Holylight,” a bishop explained. “A letter from sir Shrimp...”

“That youngblood. Go on.”

“He requests aid to eliminate Satanists and other threats within Holylight.”

“Oh...?” The pope read the letter, and a grin spread across his face. He could see that the Satanists were merely an excuse for another goal. “It seems he wants to unite the country.”

“It seems about time... Acting as swiftly as an old man waking from a nap.”

“Hmph. A perfect excuse. Let us break their sense of entitlement.”

“And for our return, Your Holiness?” the Temple Master asked with a nasty grin.

The pope wore a similar expression. There were no signs of valor or camaraderie, only the smelling of money.

“Lord Dona’s land is rich with Water Spell Stones...” the pope declared, as if speaking about mountains of gold.

The Temple Master’s grin grew wider. Spell Stones were practically a money tree in this world. “Now this is a very favorable dea—mission, I must say.”

“Indeed. The extermination of those devil worshipers is an important mission to the Light. We mustn’t turn them away.” With that, the pope finally burst out laughing, and the Temple Master joined in. It was as if they only had to mow the lawn to receive a load of funds.

After a fit of laughter, the Temple Master decided to disclose his remaining concern. Naturally, it was about the man who called himself the Demon Lord. The report stated that he had obliterated the summoned angel to pieces.

“About the man who calls himself the Demon Lord...”

“If half of the rumors are true, he seems a nuisance. He may be a Firebrand.”

“According to the report, the angel had suffered a grave injury in its fight against the devil...”

“Naturally. That is not something a human can take on. That being said, we mustn’t let our guard down.” The pope rang a bell, summoning numerous serving women. Each of them held a silver tray topped with luxuries like fine wine, fruits, and meats. “After we rest, let us select a troop to deploy.”

“Yes, Your Holiness!” The Temple Master turned to the women. “What are you doing with your clothes on?! His Holiness has much to worry about, ease his mind!”

In the Grand Citadel in the City of Light, another feast and much debauchery continued, devoid of any semblance of holiness. Their lascivious prosperity would continue the next day and into the next, until the day when the Demon Lord arrived in this land.