Episode 28. Interlude – Sealing Festival

“Ugh… Are you leaving already?”

“Let’s play a little longer!”

The children, tugging at her hem, whined to play more.

Iris smiled gently and persuaded the children.

“It’s okay. I’ll come back to play again next time.”

“…Really?”

“When? Exactly when are you coming?”

“I want to play more with you and him!”

The children, clearly reluctant, didn’t back down easily.

Seeing this, Priest Antonio stepped forward.

“Everyone, stop. You’re making the Saintess uncomfortable.”

“B-but…!”

Despite Priest Antonio’s plea, the children didn’t back down.

Just as the old priest’s gaze turned slightly stern.

“Don’t be so harsh, Priest.”

“…If you indulge them too much, they’ll just get spoiled.”

“Still.”

Iris, with a faint smile, patted the children’s heads.

“Oh, by the way, the ‘Sealing Festival’ is coming up soon, right?”

The Sealing Festival.

A festival commemorating the day the Five Great Heroes sealed the Devil God. It was one of the few days when the busy Candidates could relax, eat, and play.

And it wasn’t just the Candidates who eagerly awaited this festival.

Even the usually strict Hero School, which normally forbade outsiders, allowed the Candidates’ families and acquaintances to enter on this day. Around this time, not just the school but the entire Valhalla City would become lively.

“I’m thinking of inviting the children that day. What do you think?”

“…The children, you mean?”

“Of course, you too, Priest.”

“That’s…”

Priest Antonio, caught off guard by the unexpected proposal, looked flustered.

“Wooow!”

“R-really? Can we really go?”

“The school! I want to see the school!”

The children, excited by the invitation to the Sealing Festival, jumped around cheerfully.

“…Won’t the Saintess be inconvenienced?”

Priest Antonio asked in a low voice so the children wouldn’t hear.

If the children caused any trouble during the festival, it would undoubtedly tarnish Iris’s reputation.

No, even if they didn’t cause trouble, there would be plenty of people who wouldn’t look kindly on orphanage children wandering around the school.

Even though this was a ‘neutral zone’ under the agreement of three nations, where no class or status was supposed to matter.

But where would people’s ingrained prejudices change so easily?

In this continent where monsters and demons ran rampant, orphans without parents were weaker than stray animals, and humans instinctively despised the weak.

“It’s okay.”

But even so.

Not all humans turned their backs on the weak.

“If anyone dares to say anything about inviting the children, I won’t forgive them, even if I have to use the authority of the ‘Saintess.’”

“Lady Iris…”

Priest Antonio, with reddened eyes, looked at Iris.

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. I’m more sorry for not inviting you sooner.”

“Hoho, no need.”

Priest Antonio shook his head with a warm smile.

“S-so, can we really go see the school?”

“Yay!”

“I love you, sis!”

The children, already excited about attending the festival, ran around the yard, kicking up dust.

“You brats! What are you doing, making such a ruckus! Get inside now!”

“Ugh.”

“Anyone who doesn’t go in right now will be left behind during the festival!”

“S-sorry!”

“Let’s hurry inside!”

At Priest Antonio’s shout, the children rushed into the orphanage.

“The Sealing Festival is… in two weeks, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hoho. Then I’ll see you then, Saintess. Please take care on your way back.”

Priest Antonio, drawing a holy sign, bowed politely.

“Ah, and… Dale, was it?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Please take good care of the Saintess from now on.”

Priest Antonio, with a meaningful smile, patted my shoulder.

“Yes, I will.”

“Hoho. You’d better do well. She may seem gentle on the outside, but inside she’s quite fierce…”

“Ah, Priest Antonio!”

Iris, with a flustered expression, stomped her feet.

The old priest’s clear laughter echoed through the orphanage yard.

“By the way, the timing is quite good.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Ah, recently, the security in the Ant Hill has improved a bit. It’s a good time to take the children out.”

“Did something happen?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure exactly what’s going on.”

Priest Antonio shook his head quietly.

“But recently, the ‘Black Robe’ fiends who used to roam the Ant Hill have all disappeared.”

“The Black Robe fiends?”

“Yes. They seemed to be part of some criminal organization… There were rumors they were quite dangerous.”

The Black Robe fiends.

Hearing that, the image of the Devil God Church’s demons naturally crossed my mind.

“When did they disappear?”

“Huh? Well… not long ago. They suddenly vanished a few days ago.”

A few days ago… That was when I destroyed the Devil God Church’s hideout.

‘The timing matches perfectly.’

The ‘Black Robe fiends’ Priest Antonio mentioned were undoubtedly the subordinates of Grand Archbishop Ashtaroth.

“That’s really good news. With a large criminal organization of over a hundred people in this already chaotic area, the children’s safety would be at risk.”

“…Huh?”

Wait.

Over a hundred?

“The Black Robe fiends number over a hundred?”

“Well… I only heard rumors, so I’m not sure, but I’ve heard they’re a large organization of at least a hundred.”

“……”

The number of demons I dealt with at the hideout that day was around thirty.

The fact that only thirty of Ashtaroth’s over a hundred subordinates were at the hideout meant one thing.

‘There’s more than one hideout.’

In addition to the hideout I destroyed, there were other hideouts within the Ant Hill.

‘And they all disappeared without a trace after that day?’

Common sense would suggest that since their plan to cast a large-scale spell at the Hero School was exposed, they withdrew quickly before getting caught.

‘But they wouldn’t give up so easily.’

Grand Archbishop Ashtaroth had invested years into this plan.

‘He even risked exposure by infiltrating the school himself.’

No matter how high-ranking a demon he was, infiltrating the Hero School was a life-risking endeavor.

And yet, he would give up such a carefully laid plan just because it went slightly awry?

“…Ha.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

‘No way.’

I’ve never met Ashtaroth in this life, but I know demons better than anyone.

Demons who turned their backs on humanity and embraced the Devil God’s blessing.

They wouldn’t give up something they desired so easily.

‘He’s up to something else.’

I don’t know what he’s planning.

But Ashtaroth will surely use another method to obtain the ‘Seven Eyes.’

“Dale? What are you standing there spacing out for?”

“Ah, yeah. Sorry. I was just thinking about something else.”

“Ah. Are you also sad about leaving the children?”

“Well… something like that.”

“Hehe. I see~”

Iris, like a predator spotting prey, licked her lips.

“This Sealing Festival, do you want to… ahem. I mean, do you want to hang out with me? Ah, of course, with the children too!”

“……”

It’s a proposal that clearly shows her ulterior motives.

“Sure.”

“Yay!”

She clenched her fists and jumped in excitement.

“No take-backs later?”

“Got it.”

I swallowed a chuckle and nodded.

“Saintess. If we don’t leave soon, we’ll miss curfew.”

At Camila’s urging, I turned to see the sky already painted in orange hues.

“Ugh. Hurry, Dale!”

Iris, grabbing my arm in a panic, dragged me towards the school.

* * *

A dark warehouse.

Inside the musty, old warehouse, demons in black robes knelt.

Above them, a mysterious purple orb floated in the air, glowing with an eerie light.

[Is everyone here?]

A low voice emanated from the purple orb.

“Y-yes! As ordered, we’ve completely withdrawn from the Ant Hill!”

One of the kneeling demons bowed towards the orb and answered.

“W-we… this time, it was Priest Calyx’s fault, we had nothing to do with…”

[Silence.]

The purple orb flickered ominously.

[Only answer what’s asked.]

“S-sorry!”

The demon, with a terrified expression, bowed his head.

[Have all the ‘nails’ been retrieved?]

“Yes, all the nails embedded in the ley lines have been retrieved!”

[Good… That’s good.]

Tsk, a clicking sound followed.

[This is troublesome.]

A sinister smoke flowed from the purple orb, filling the warehouse.

“H-hick!”

“A-Ashtaroth-sama!”

“Please, give us one more chance!”

The demons touched by the smoke trembled as if having seizures.

“T-this plan was something you’ve been preparing for years, Ashtaroth-sama! Just because it went slightly wrong, there’s no need to give up…”

[Give up?]

The purple orb spun once.

[Who said anything about giving up?]

“Huh? B-but…”

[I have no intention of giving up on the ‘Seven Eyes.’]

A chilling laugh emanated from the purple orb.

[I’m just changing the plan to a more… direct approach.]

Originally, the plan was to steal the ‘Seven Eyes’ as stealthily as possible.

But since the plan went awry, there was no choice.

Even if it meant taking risks, he had to step in himself.

“U-um… What do you mean by a direct approach?”

One of the demons, still bowing, raised his head in confusion.

[What do you think?]

Kekeke.

With an ominous laugh, the purple smoke surrounding the demons writhed violently.

“A-Ashtaroth-sama!”

“Please, have mercy…!”

“Y-you said there was another plan, didn’t you?!”

The demons, with desperate expressions, cried out.

But despite their frantic struggles, the writhing purple smoke didn’t stop.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

“Cough! Huck! Ugh!”

The purple smoke seeped into the demons’ bodies through their ears, noses, and mouths.

The demons, writhing in pain, began to have their eyes turn purple.

[Hmm.]

A low hum came from the purple orb as it observed the scene.

[Since the plan went awry, there’s no need to wait until next year…]

Rather, they had to act as quickly as possible before another variable arose.

‘Who knows what he’s planning.’

The unidentified hero who destroyed the hideout this time.

Though his identity was unknown, two things were clear from investigating the gruesome scene.

One, the hero who destroyed the hideout was alone.

Two, over thirty demons were slaughtered by that one person.

‘He’s definitely not at the Candidate level.’

But there were no professors who left the school that day.

‘Who is he?’

At first, I thought of chasing him down to make him pay for ruining the plan.

‘But obtaining the Seven Eyes comes first.’

Punishment could come later.

[Hmm. When would be a good time?]

The purple orb flickered ominously.

[Ah, yes.]

A sinister laugh echoed through the warehouse.

[Come to think of it, the Sealing Festival is coming up soon.]

A festival commemorating the day the Devil God was sealed.

If he could obtain the ‘Seven Eyes,’ imbued with the blessings of the seven gods, on that day, there would be no greater significance.