The sudden appearance of the term “Demon” reached the ears of the Emperor through the House of Marquis of Portus. It was somewhat expected since the Marquis held a prominent position as a minister frequently interacting with the Emperor. Despite being a marquis, the Marquis of Portus wielded power on par with or even greater than that of the Duke families, making their status in the Empire painfully evident.
Consequently, stories about the demons quickly spread, reaching even the temple in no time. The temple promptly raised the banner of the Great Demon and soon found the demons’ lair and the place of the Demon King’s resurrection. Within less than a month, the temple completed all these processes and immediately declared a holy war. With the support of the Empire and numerous nations, this crusade was already becoming a massive war, gathering hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of knights.
Upon hearing all this, Lilian felt a sense of satisfaction. Things were unfolding as she had envisioned. However, her comfort quickly vanished upon hearing the next piece of news.
“The temple’s holy knight is wielding the Sacred Sword?”
“Yes, it says so here.”
“Can that holy knight use magical power?”
“No, they say that’s not the case. By the way, Miss, what about Catherine?”
“She went out for a bit on an errand.”
After briefly sending Catherine on an errand, Lilian frowned slightly at the woman delivering the report. Why does this maid have any interest in Catherine? Of course, she knew that this maid was under Catherine’s watch, so the chances of them getting together were next to none, but it was ridiculous that she would seek Catherine even while standing right in front of her. It made no sense.
“So, Marcia. Who is this holy knight? And the saint?”
“The saint is a woman named Yulia… and the holy knight is Sir Karon Aventus, the commander of the Second Holy Knights.”
“Karon Aventus…”
Karon Aventus was not a completely unfamiliar name. Given that the original game genre was a dating sim, Yulia had numerous targets, and Karon was one of them. However, his role wasn’t particularly extensive; being a devoted man, he struggled to express his feelings until the latter part of the story—hence the reason for his limited screen time.
Despite this, he was quite popular, mainly due to his noble appearance. Compared to the crown prince, a brat who threw tantrums, Karon Aventus always protected Yulia, staying close by and ensuring her safety whenever her life was in danger. During non-Karon routes, he would save players at crucial bad endings, making him a likable character from the player’s perspective.
However, considering him as a human rather than a target, there were many complex aspects. The fact that he was a devout religious person naturally contributed to this. Yulia might be odd, but most individuals devoted to the Church shared a similar personality to Karon.
“Hmm.”
After instructing Marcia to prepare a guest’s letter, Lilian turned her gaze quietly toward the spot where Catherine always stood. Naturally, Catherine was not there, but in a way that felt as if Catherine was present, Lilian murmured softly.
“What should I do, Catherine? I don’t want to send you away.”
However, leaving things as they are would only accelerate destruction. Sure, there was a possibility that Karon Aventus, wielding the Sacred Sword, could defeat the Demon King alongside Seon. Yet, asking whether a sword wielded by someone without magical power could deal any impact to the Demon King was a resounding no.
Ultimately, it meant she had to take Catherine to the Church. If the Church wasn’t completely out of their minds, they would hand over the Sacred Sword as soon as they saw Catherine; then Yulia and Catherine would set out to hunt the Demon King. Of course, it was likely that this would not take long, considering Catherine had easily dealt with the demons last time. With Yulia’s help, they could dispatch the demons even more swiftly.
Nevertheless, Lilian couldn’t help but feel anxious. The very thought of Catherine being taken away from her was something she honestly couldn’t bear. That said, she couldn’t follow since the Marquis would never send his precious daughter into battle. From the family’s viewpoint and as a father, it just wouldn’t happen.
Understanding this, Lilian was immersed in her worries. Honestly, this was closer to BSS than NTR, but if Catherine were to be taken away by Yulia, she was certain she would lose her mind. While deep in contemplation, a good idea suddenly struck her. Although she felt sorry for Catherine, she hoped that Catherine would understand the intent behind her drastic actions.
So, while waiting for Catherine’s return, Lilian crossed her legs and quietly lifted her teacup. The aroma of the black tea tickled her nose.
#
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to the temple.”
“True.”
After finishing the errand Lilian had assigned, I followed her to the temple located in the Marquis of Portus’s territory, where we exchanged such pleasantries with the priest who greeted us.
To be honest, the only person from the House of Marquis of Portus who visited the temple was the Marchioness. It was somewhat amusing that she, who indulged in affairs daily, was a devout believer.
“Wow, it’s been a while. Sister Lilian. This is my first time seeing you since entering the Academy.”
“It’s been a while, Priest Alex.”
Offering a greeting with a sign of the cross, Lilian mirrored Alex, maintaining a smile as she looked at him.
“I’m not sure why you’ve come to the temple, but please come inside.”
In this world, the Church primarily served a single deity—the one true god, Salea. Heretics were relentlessly hunted down, and once in several generations, a saint inspired by the goddess appeared. Thanks to such miracles, the Church still thrived across the continent. Therefore, while some churches were corrupt, others remained pure. Among them, the Church located in the territory of the Marquis of Portus was one of the more honest ones.
It was unlikely that corruption could thrive in a place while the Empire’s power was watching closely. The priest Alex before us, while eagerly rushing out to greet us, was considered a candidate for the next cardinal. With such a guide, we could move forward without hesitation.
After a while, we arrived at Alex’s private room, and Lilian naturally took a seat. Standing behind her, Alex gestured for me to sit.
“Please, Catherine, take a seat too.”
“I’m okay.”
“Um, understood.”
Having exchanged our usual pleasantries, both Alex and I quietly turned our gazes toward Lilian. She flashed a smile at Alex, one that held ambiguous meaning. Alex tilted his head in confusion but didn’t reveal that curiosity, simply pouring tea into Lilian’s cup. The familiar scent wafted through the air. Green tea.
“I hear these tea leaves came from the East. They have quite a lovely aroma, so I serve it to guests.”
“Thank you.”
Lilian responded coyly, quietly lifted her teacup for a sip, and then opened her mouth softly.
“Time is short, so let’s get to the point. I heard news of the demons being discovered.”
“Haha, if I’m not mistaken, that came from the House of Marquis of Portus?”
“There’s no way I can know everything my father is doing, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Pouring himself some green tea, Alex raised his cup and spoke.
“So, why did you come to see me?”
“My maid possesses magical power.”
Crash! The sound of a teacup falling echoed as tea splashed everywhere. Yet Lilian, unfazed, merely smiled as she continued sipping the tea.
“Ouch! Is that really true?”
At the sudden revelation, my eyes met Alex’s, who was staring blankly at me. First to look away, Alex cautiously picked up the broken teacup with his hands.
“Uh, I…”
“No, no! I can’t have my guest do any work. By the way, is that really true?”
“If you mean that I have magical power… yes, that’s true.”
Picking up a large shard from the broken cup, I infused it with magical power. A vibrant blue magic poured wildly from the shard. As Alex stared dumbfounded at the scene, he reached out to touch this magic swirling about.
“It’s not hot.”
“Of course, it’s magic.”
“Can this power be applied to a weapon?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“…”
A sudden silence fell over Lilian, who had grown quiet, and Alex, who was now at a loss for words. The atmosphere around us filled with an unexpected stillness.
