Interlude 1

Lyferian Calendar: Day 6 of the Sixth Month, Year 164—

Location: the Royal Capital of Sevenwall, where the Castle Grandiose stood surrounded by seven layers of thick castle walls. This was the waiting room in the deepest part of that castle—

It was here where those who wished to have an audience with the king would stay. Even rulers of foreign countries would be made to wait here, so the furniture and fixings were the epitome of luxurious. It was as if they were there to exemplify the might and authority of the Kingdom of Lyferia.

Vases of pure gold, a crystalline table... The floor and pillars of the room were made of marble, while embroidered silk covered the walls. The ceiling boasted an enormous fresco depicting various, towering gods. There was a great assortment of relics from heroes of old adorning the room, showcasing mementos of those who had repelled the Demon Lords of the past.

And in that room—

The Imperial Knight, Alicia Cristela, stood stock still, waiting in silence. Her reflection was shown in a full-length mirror.

Normally, anyone wishing an audience with the king would be stripped of their weapons; since Alicia was an Imperial Knight, she was allowed to keep her sword at her side. If anything were to happen, she was trusted to jump to the king’s side to protect him. There were also cases where people were made to carry in cursed or otherwise dangerous enchanted objects, unbeknownst to the person themselves. For this reason, inspections were performed with the most scrupulous and utmost of care.

On her way back from Faltra, a combination of bad weather and her encounter with the group of knights from Faltra had caused her to arrive later than she had expected. As of now, she was waiting her turn to have an audience with the king of Lyferia.

There were two other visitors in the room with her: Humans, one male and one female, both in their mid-forties. One could tell they were from a position of high social status from a single glance at their elegant personal appearances. They were a married couple, a duke and a duchess—as well as Alicia’s parents.

Alicia had left the Royal Capital when she was on her mission, and went straight to the royal palace when she had returned. This was the first time they had seen each other in about half a month.

Her father, who sported a rather magnificent beard, laid a hand on Alicia’s shoulder.

“Good work on fulfilling such a long mission.”

“Thank you very much, Father.” Alicia slightly raised the corners of her mouth, shaping it into an elegant smile. “I feel no suffering or fatigue when I think of how I am serving for the honor of this kingdom.”

“Excellent. I don’t believe I need to worry about you, but make sure not to disrespect His Majesty when you see him.”

“I am fully aware of that. I would do nothing of the sort to besmirch the name of our family.”

“I have raised you well. There are very few women allowed to have an audience with the king. This serves as even more proof showcasing your great talents. You are our pride and joy; be sure to continue putting that talent to use for the good of the kingdom.”

“Of course.”

“...Wouldn’t it be better if you took those off?” Her mother pointed toward Alicia’s eyes.

“Oh, these are...”

“A girl shouldn’t be wearing metal on her face.”

She seemed to not like her daughter wearing glasses. Alicia never had any problems with her eyesight in the past, but it became poor as a result of her fervent studying day and night.

“...I will be sure to take them off.”

Without her glasses, she couldn’t even see the face of who see was speaking with. She could discern the king because of how prominent his position was in the audience chamber, but the ministers lined up on either side of him were impossible to tell who was whom. But still, Alicia removed her glasses and placed them into the pouch at her waist.

As if she had remembered something, Alicia’s mother began to speak: “About those dreadful books I found lying in your room...”

“...What?”

As if her mother was asking for confirmation, she turned to look at Alicia’s father who nodded along, smiling gently.

“We found some books that, how should I put it...didn’t seem too good for your education, you see. You are free to take an interest in whatever you like... But things like radical ideologies, legends about the Fallen... You should be able to work for the king just fine without knowing such rubbish, yes?”

“That’s why we threw them away for you.”

“......You threw them away.”

“It was for your own good.”

“We’re doing this for you, you know.”

A smile spread across Alicia’s face as she bowed her head.

“Thank you for your concern. I apologize for causing you worry.”

Her mother smiled happily and nodded, and her father breathed a sigh of relief.

“You truly are the perfect Imperial Knight. If only you were a boy, then I would have no complaints... But, no matter. I will find you a suitable partner soon enough. Our dukedom will be secure.”

A knock on the door; it looked like it was finally Alicia’s turn. She bowed her head once more.

“Mother, Father, if you will excuse me...”

Beaming with pride, the parents saw their daughter off.

†

—I wonder how good it would feel if I could just cleave the heads from their shoulders.

Walking along the red carpet, Alicia gripped the handle of her sword, that she had purchased back in Faltra, with her left hand. As you would expect from a place called the front-lines of the races, its appearance was second-rate, but its sharpness was top-notch. Even after cutting down the ten knights who had attacked her, the blade itself hadn’t suffered a single chip or scratch. With a sword like this, it should slice through a Human’s neck like it was nothing... In her mind, she daydreamed about bringing the blade down.

—No. It’s still too soon.

Alicia still needed to get some use out of her position in society. If she was going to exterminate these unsightly, rotten races, she couldn’t do it alone.

She needed the Demon Lord.

Her position of being an Imperial Knight as well as a daughter of a duke was invaluable to the Demon Lord’s resurrection. She couldn’t afford to lose that, to make the world a more beautiful place... Alicia had to be an obedient daughter, and an earnest Imperial Knight.

Taking her glasses out of her pouch, she placed them back on her face. Masking her face with a smile, she entered the audience chamber.

Countless pillars loomed in the cavernous room, with a lofty ceiling above. It was large enough that it could hold the kingdom’s many generals as they lined up before heading off to the battlefield. The country’s flag hung on the wall, boasting a color scheme centered around the color red; even the carpet was just as red. A luxurious chandelier hung from the ceiling, with the numerous gems embedded in the fixture sparkling as they were lit up by the glow from the candles.

Delouche Xandros, the sixth king of Lyferia—he would be 37 years old this year.

Alicia approached the raised platform where the king sat. When she was about eight paces away from the throne, she knelt to the ground and lowered her head.

“...Alicia Cristela, Imperial Knight, has made her return.”

“Raise your head,” Delouche called out to her.

Receiving approval from the king, Alicia looked up toward the platform. The king sat on a grand throne, one that had been chiseled from marble and inlaid with jewels and gold. If a person as equally grand sat upon it, it would surely make known their own solemn majesty.

The king of Lyferia was still quite young. Delouche had dealt with no major problems in terms of domestic affairs... But by nature, this country was quiet and peaceful, and was blessed with bountiful harvests from both the land and the sea.

The problem lay in his military aptitude. It was a factor still unknown to Alicia. The king had taken the throne twenty years ago, and there had been no large-scale engagements since that time.

Delouche had a sharp expression in his eyes, but that merely could have been due to his hardened nature developing over the years.

The stories of how Adventurers in Faltra managed to repel an army of Fallen had made their way to the Royal Capital. It was for that reason that Alicia had been dispatched to Faltra.

—The Demon Lord.

Nothing was more important, and nothing posed a greater threat to the Kingdom of Lyferia than any developments related to that being.

There were six Humans gathered near the king; from generals to ministers, they were the big wigs of the country. Of course, Alicia was well-versed as to who they were.

The stares from above the platform focused on her. If she had been any ordinary person, it might have been enough to make her faint.

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?”

At the very least, it didn’t seem like the king had wanted to make Alicia a sacrifice in this venture. If Delouche valued her this much, Saddler wouldn’t be able to label her a Demon Lord worshiper so easily, even if he and Alicia had a conflict of opinions on their journey.

It would be a different story if the Church was planning on opposing the king, however...

“Having one of the capable and gallant Imperial Knights with me is truly reassuring! In the name of the Gods, I vow we will find the signs of the Demon Lord’s resurrection and put a stop to it.” Saddler was reverent in his praise.

“I will endeavor to meet your expectations at any cost, Your Majesty.” Alicia bowed her head deeply.

Walking alongside Saddler, they left the room, the large doors closing shut behind them.

The Paladin kept that same affable smile on his face.

“Let’s begin our preparations for the journey right away, Miss Cristela. Are you all right with leaving tomorrow morning?”

“Yes, that sounds appropriate.”

“This will mark my first appearance in Faltra. The former Demon Lord’s Domain is close by, so who knows how many Demon Lord worshipers are there... It certainly seems to be a town filled with people in dire need of salvation.”

“Salvation... That may be. Sir Saddler...”

“What is it?”

“Do you hate the races?”

“Of course not! I’m terribly fond of people. In fact, you can say that I love them! They are both the descendants and inheritors of the Gods’ blessings, after all. That is why I can never forgive anyone who worships the Demon Lord.”

“...I see. I understand.”

—He loves people, so he kills them... I don’t get it at all.

The only thing she could be certain of was that her troubles had increased. A rather large hole had been torn in her once perfect plan. She stifled a particularly deep sigh.

“By the way, Miss Cristela...” the smile vanished from Saddler’s face. “Your facial expression hasn’t changed at all, has it?”

“What?”

“See? Even now, you are consciously trying to hide what you’re feeling. Just what could be the reason for that, I wonder? Perhaps, it’s because you must hide something?”

It felt like her chest had been pierced with a knife. Waves of nausea washed over her. But she had worn this mask of hers for a long time, and she forced it into a wry smile.

“...If I were to smile or act surprised all the time, I’m afraid it would make me seem immature... Thus, when I am in places such as the audience chamber, I consciously make an effort to keep my facial expression serious. Though, that might be hard for someone like you to understand. No matter your facial expression, you always seem so dignified.”

“Ah, how terribly rude of me! Please, don’t feel like you must worry over such things in front of me. I wouldn’t do something so foolish as judging someone based on the expression on their face.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“After all, the value of a person is decided by the color of their organs, wouldn’t you agree?”

“......Wha—?”

She no longer knew what face to make after hearing that. All she knew was that she had a sickening sensation in the pit of her stomach.