The Allied Forces came to a halt in the Meyer territory. All because of just one knight.
However, no one complained about this fact. Even the Masters who commanded the main forces of the Allied Forces were no exception.
“Fight against Kail Meyer? You give it a try.”
“I wouldn’t do it even if they gave me a Master-level sorcerer as an ally.”
“If you’re planning to commit suicide, do it alone!”
They were all Masters who had fought alongside Kail against the Apostles of the Evil God Cult during the Holy Kingdom’s recapture campaign and had witnessed Kail’s overwhelming power firsthand.
Superior Blade that couldn’t be blocked even by another Aura Blade, Chi-Controlled Sword that suddenly appeared from behind to stab through, Aura Blades that could extend for several kilometers—
If a Master was like a calamity to ordinary people, then Kail was nothing less than a natural disaster to those Masters.
And there was no human being capable of surviving against nature.
“Grrr…! We need to get past here quickly.”
“What if we go around instead?”
“No way! Going around the Meyer territory will take more than double the time! It’ll waste stamina and time unnecessarily!”
There was another reason they ended up waiting in the Meyer territory. Kail had only asked them to wait for a bit, not completely block off the Meyer territory.
What if they decided to abandon breaking through the Meyer territory, took a detour towards the Empire, and then the Meyer territory opened up while they were on their way?
It would be a complete waste of time.
“How about splitting in half, with one group going ahead…”
“No matter how much the Empire has collapsed, it’s still the Empire. If we split our forces in half, we might end up getting crushed by the Empire.”
“So what should we do…?”
“What can we do?! Just wait here!”
And so, the Allied Forces began wasting their time stuck in the Meyer territory. Fortunately, since they were provided with food and lodging at fair prices within the Meyer territory, their schedule wasn’t too exhausting.
Their discipline waned, and their passion to sweep away the Empire gradually melted away.
Meanwhile, Kail, who had made that decision, was talking with his father.
“For now, I’ve blocked them as Father wished. The rest is up to you to decide.”
“…You want me to decide? The rise and fall of the Empire?”
“It doesn’t have to be about its rise or fall. Just do what you think is right.”
Upon hearing Kail’s somewhat irresponsible words, Count Karl Meyer retreated to his room and spent a long time deep in thought.
Should he let them pass? Was it true that the Emperor intended to destroy the Empire? Would letting them pass truly benefit the Empire?
After much deliberation, Count Karl realized he couldn’t bear the consequences of any choice he might make.
“—Kail. I have a favor to ask.”
“Again?”
“There’s no one else but you. Sorry…”
“Tch. What is it?”
“…I want to receive an oracle.”
Hearing his father’s request, Kail slightly furrowed his brow. He had already lost his stigmata while fighting the Evil God, meaning he had lost his connection to the gods.
Currently, there was only one person on this earth who could connect with the divine.
The Holy Kingdom’s Saintess.
She was lying in a hospital bed after being struck by the Prince’s blade.
Meaning she was in a comatose state.
* * *
Zzzz-.
An angel slept.
The nun who had been watching her face suddenly realized what she had done and, startled, hastily finished what she was doing.
After flipping the unconscious Saintess’s body around, the nun dusted off her, changed the bedding, and left the room.
‘I’ve gone mad…!’
Even though she was also a woman and a priest, the Saintess’s face possessed an irresistible charm. The very idea of such a beautiful woman lying unconscious felt like a loss to humanity…
And this sentiment wasn’t unique to her; every nun who visited the room shared the same feelings.
“Saintess-sama… What if she never wakes up?”
“What are you saying…! Don’t jinx it!”
“But…”
“Enough! Get back to cleaning! We’re expecting guests today.”
“What kind of guests?”
“A man, they said.”
A forbidden zone for men. A convent. And especially the place where the Saintess lay deeply asleep. How could a man possibly enter an area even nobles couldn’t tread lightly into…
Though puzzled, the nuns couldn’t defy the Mother Superior’s orders. So they cleaned the convent thoroughly in preparation for the arriving male guest.
Not long after, when the man finally arrived, the nuns understood why the Mother Superior had allowed a male visitor.
“Where’s the Saintess?”
“Ah— This way, please.”
Kail Meyer. The unofficial lover of the Saintess.
The man who had reclaimed the Saintess from the clutches of the Evil God Cult and made her cry out so loudly that the entire convent echoed with her cries.
Though everything that happened between them was kept secret, everyone working in the convent had a rough idea of what transpired between the Saintess and Kail.
“Here we are.”
The nun who led Kail to the room where the Saintess lay bowed slightly before leaving the room. Kail cautiously approached the sleeping woman, wondering if it was alright to leave her alone with him.
Her skin was as white as jade, and her beauty made her complexion glow even more. Despite being deeply asleep, she exuded vitality, and her chest stood high despite gravity’s pull.
“Are you sleeping?”
Kail confirmed that the Saintess was unconscious. Even if she were pretending to be a vegetable, she couldn’t escape the senses of an Aura Master.
Perhaps the shock of being attacked by Belion, the Empire’s prince, was too great, or maybe the wound was in a bad spot, or perhaps Belion had infused her body with the Evil God’s energy.
Whatever the case, it was an incredibly troublesome situation. It meant her injuries couldn’t be healed simply with holy power.
‘Why did that bastard Belion suddenly flip out.’
Did being the third prince of the Empire really bother him that much? He used to say he didn’t care about becoming emperor…
This was as shocking as when his friend made an extreme decision. No, perhaps even more so. Dying alone would have been better. How many people were dying now because of his actions?
“Why didn’t he talk to me instead?”
He could have easily made him emperor… Kail thought as he gently stroked the Saintess’s neck.
Fortunately, her pulse was strong and lively. With just a little trigger, she’d wake up soon.
Kail sighed and began pushing his Aura into her body. As Aura shot out from the hand that had been stroking her neck, the Saintess’s unconscious body twitched violently!
“Hnnngh…!”
“You’ve slept enough. Wake up. I’ve got something for you to do.”
“Haa, haa, hmm…”
“Wake up.”
“Haaaaaang─!”
Splash! Water sounds accompanied the Saintess’s body curving into smooth arcs. After a moment, her convulsing body slowly began opening her eyes.
She had no idea why she was here, why Kail was in front of her, or why slight pleasure tingled all over her body—but she could grasp one thing.
“P-please… a little more…”
“…Pervert.”
Kail looked down at the Saintess clinging to his arm with disdain. Feeling his gaze, the Saintess trembled and fainted again.
It was quite the sight.
* * *
“I’m sorry… Hero-sama…”
“It’s fine, you’re awake now.”
Moments later, the awakened Saintess realized what she had done and blushed. Kail chuckled weakly at her reaction before bringing up the reason he came.
“Are you still connected to the gods?”
“Eh? Yes. The Sovereign God is still connected to me.”
“Let’s have a chat.”
“…Do I look like some communication crystal to you?”
“No, not me. My dad wants to talk.”
After pondering for a while, the Saintess, unable to refuse Kail who had saved her life multiple times, nodded cautiously.
Kail immediately pulled out a communication crystal and connected with his father back in the territory.
[Kail? Where have you gone? You’ve been missing for a while… Looks like the Allied Forces are starting to notice your absence─.]
“Dad wanted to talk to the gods, right?”
[What? What does that have to do with─]
“I’ll connect you now. Ask whatever you need to.”
Kail extended the communication crystal toward the Saintess. By now, she had closed her eyes and entered a prayer-like state, with divine energy radiating wildly from her body.
Seeing her face, Count Karl realized that this was indeed the Saintess and that Kail wasn’t joking. Gulping nervously, the Count carefully addressed the god before him.
[…Is that you, my Lord?]
“What do you seek, mortal?”
[I wish to inquire about my current predicament.]
Count Karl asked the god.
[Is it right for me to assist in bringing down the Empire by letting these people pass, or should I stop them and preserve the crumbling Empire? Please, give me the answer.]
Hearing this, the Saintess smirked and opened her mouth.
“The answer is─.”
