The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 30

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“Indeed, Lady Shude.”

Before me knelt the ‘Interrogator’ with utmost respect.

This individual was secretly sent from the Magic Kingdom disguised to assess the situation, and through the words of that person who was originally her subordinate, Shude began to find the overall situation evolving quite amusing.

“The failure of this Hero Party in that manner… Human greed knows no bounds, but surely the Emperor’s desire is insatiable at this point. Well… it’s the same with our Majesty, the Magic King.”

The Hero Parties, tasked multiple times with eliminating the Demon King, had faced their share of failures. Nevertheless, the very act of striking at the serpent’s head held considerable significance, and there hadn’t been any major disturbances regarding that until now.

However… disregarding such countless failures, this latest defeat of the Hero Party was brewing a massive storm unlike any before.

This tempest was not merely due to military losses, but was fiercely entwined with the dirty political rivalry unfolding.

It related to the power struggle between the Pope of the Elf Church Country, who had long been dormant within the Racial Alliance, and the Emperor of the Falcon Empire.

“So, to what extent does the Emperor seem to wish to proceed with this matter?”

“I cannot say for certain, but I believe he intends to see it through to the end, as he has even requested cooperation from our Majesty, the Magic King.”

“Indeed… Similar situations have occurred in the past, but it’s the first time the gap in national power between the Elf Church Country and the Falcon Empire has widened to this extent. It is only natural for him to seize upon this opportunity.”

With those words, Shude slowly sipped her tea, reconsidering the current state of affairs.

The Elf Church Country, in the name of being a race chosen by the World Tree and the Gods, governed the religion across the continent.

Although their own power was constrained by the small population of elves, the religious authority of the Elf Church, built over centuries, spread widely across the continent.

Places represented by temples established by the elves had become religious strongholds located in towns large and small throughout the continent.

The steadfast religious sentiments emanating from there, coupled with the vast ‘offerings’ accrued, had made it impossible for even the strongest nation, the Falcon Empire, to dismiss the Elf Church lightly.

Thus, while their population was small, the Elf Church wielded significant influence over the continent’s nations through the umbrella of religion.

However…

This longstanding robust religious authority of the Elf Church and its Pope had always been seen as a thorn in the side of the Falcon Empire, a nation possessing the greatest national power and vying for dominance.

The Falcon Empire, wishing to undermine the influence of the Elf Church by any means necessary, aspired to reign supremely as the one and only ruler of the continent.

To this end, the Emperor had tried to shake things up by cultivating priests like Amelda within the Empire itself and assigning them religious roles, yet he still could not undermine the firmly established authority of the Elf Pope.

However…

The recent incident with the Hero Party brought a new twist to the situation.

Unlike before, the Hero Party, commencing with lofty expectations amplified by the immense aura of the ‘Pope’s Oracle,’ faced a disastrous defeat far more catastrophic than before.

From the standpoint of the Emperor and the Empire, this presented a prime opportunity to shake the very foundations of the authority held by the Pope and the Elf Church, which had hitherto been absolute. The Emperor had already begun preparations to officially implicate the Pope in this regard.

Currently, the interrogation of Shude and the other warriors of the Hero Party was part of this grand scheme.

And now, regarding the impending storm, Shude began to calculate her next moves, a sly smile creeping onto her lips.

“The confrontation between the Pope and the Emperor… Honestly, from our perspective, it’s not unwelcome. After all, they’ll surely become our foes once we bring down that Demon Kingdom…”

With this thought, Shude concluded that regardless of who emerged victorious, it would benefit her and the Magic Kingdom, and she felt a sense of calm wash over her as she set down her teacup.

Only a few minutes ago, before entering this chamber, she had harbored feelings of anxiety.

However, upon seeing her subordinate in front of her, and realizing that political dynamics were at play behind the scenes, Shude recognized that the Magic Kingdom had already laid its hands over here, accepting the situation comfortably as if on holiday.

Of course, separate from that, in order to conceal her weaknesses and protect her other companions… to put it plainly, for Torare’s sake, she proceeded to open her mouth as per their prior discussion.

Moreover, this aligned with the existing plans of the Magic King, meaning Shude was effectively accommodating both the Magic King and the Emperor’s desires.

“This way, ultimately, our lies should remain undiscovered. And even if the truth were to surface somehow, the Emperor would surely dismiss it as falsehood, covering it up.”

Thinking that her luck was on her side in various ways…

At the same time, she felt a slight disappointment that she hadn’t been able to completely rid herself of Amelda, who she wished to erase without a trace.

A cold smile formed on Shude’s lips.

“Regardless, I cannot disappoint the expectations of His Majesty, the Magic King. Ultimately, for me to craft a sweet future with Torare…”

*

Amelda mentioned it was the betrayal of the female warriors that led to the hero’s defeat.

In strict terms, it might be difficult to directly correlate the betrayal itself with the hero’s loss.

To tell the truth, the simple fact was that the hero was weaker than expected, and the Demon King was stronger.

The ‘Pope’s Oracle’ was essentially nothing more than nonsense.

However…

For someone who had initially decided to spin lies, weaving such a story was no problem at all.

In fact, given that there was a now splendid justification of acting for the state and the people rather than personal gain, she felt little hesitation in unraveling her lies.

And…

As Amelda’s entwined truths and lies unfolded, a profound shock appeared on Brutus’s face.

“What… What!? Such a thing… happened? How could… how could something so absurd occur…?”

The female warriors of the Hero Party, consumed by a mere porter, had kicked away the divine opportunity given by the gods and betrayed the expectations of countless people.

In response, Brutus was enveloped in deep anger, trembling with rage, while Amelda lowered her head and wept.

“I’m so sorry! If only I had acted just a little more appropriately… If I hadn’t fallen for that porter’s threats and betrayed the hero… this wouldn’t have happened…!”

In truth, she was one of the main culprits who had fallen for Torare’s charm and acted.

Yet, since she had already opted for the ‘security of the nation’ over cohorts who were likely to discard her as the tide of political currents changed, there was no necessity to recount such details.

Although a sense of guilt lingered within her, that feeling was somewhat mitigated by the thought, ‘after all, they too would have abandoned me.’

In the end, the one in danger right now was none other than herself.

“It’s already spilled milk… What’s wrong with dedicating myself to the nation and the people? Indeed, this was an unavoidable choice for the country. Any benefits I might gain through this are just bonuses.”

As she shed tears, Amelda cast the blame onto her comrades, portraying herself as a victim.

To this, Brutus responded, as if now was not the time to concern himself with such matters.

“Stop it; there’s no time for apologies now. If we don’t accurately reveal this truth, something truly irreversible will happen.”

“I agree. Surely those wicked members of the Hero Party will fall for the Emperor’s schemes and will not hesitate to deliver false testimonies. It would serve them well to tarnish the hero’s honor.”

Unlike a moment ago when he had been engulfed in impatience, his teacher now appeared composed and rational once again.

Upon realizing that her lies had been firmly believed by her master, Amelda quietly sighed in relief.

“At least it’s a relief for now. The one driving the incident was that Eileen, the Emperor’s Vice Minister… If this fact gets out, it will strike a blow against the Emperor’s rationale to exploit this affair.”

“Indeed! Absolutely! That wicked woman… Even if she’s a fraudulent appointee of the Emperor, to act in such a manner while serving the divine ministry… it’s utterly unacceptable.”

With unwavering determination, Amelda criticized Eileen, having decided to go all in with her resolve. She was now keen to mount an offensive to defend herself.

And observing this attitude of hers, Brutus nodded slowly and spoke gravely.

“Then we have no time to waste; we must act swiftly before the Emperor manipulates the testimonies of this Hero Party and makes a public proclamation.”

“I think so too.”

With that said, Brutus rose from his seat immediately.

Afterward, he utilized the keys held by the Interrogator to unlock the Magic Sealing Handcuffs bound to Amelda’s wrists.

“Let’s leave right away. We must do so before the Emperor catches on… You must return to your homeland and convey the truth, no matter what happens to me. Do you understand?”

“Yes! I will do so, Master! I will surely expose the villainous deeds of that filthy Hero Party and bring justice to light!”

With firm resolve, Brutus spoke, while Amelda responded with unwavering conviction.

Surely…

She would declare the lies she had crafted to the world.