What on earth are they talking about?
The news of the Saintess’s pregnancy shook the already tense situation.
Did I hear that wrong?
Doubt spread across everyone’s faces.
Even Sirelle, who looked ready to draw her Holy Sword at any moment, was frozen in shock. The First Saintess, representing the Holy Kingdom, suddenly revealing her pregnancy made her lose her composure for a brief moment.
“Waaa! What should I do, our baby…! It hasn’t even been born yet! To just give up on the heir of the Hohenberc Family like this! Forgive me, my lord!”
The girl with flowing silver hair burst into tears and pleaded, drawing attention with her exaggerated display. One could see the tactic of manipulation at work.
Is she trying to bring Maximilian down?
Something about this feels off, but it’s quite a brilliant tactic.
As Zebeline cried out for help, Maximilian’s footsteps, who had aligned with Sirelle, paused. It seemed he momentarily felt bewildered by Zebeline’s outcry about having Hohenberc blood.
“The First Saintess…! How can the Saintess representing the Holy Kingdom resort to such villainous tricks to escape immediate crisis! Aren’t you ashamed?! Shouldn’t a Saintess value purity more than anyone else!”
Regaining her composure amidst the chaos, Sirelle shouted while aiming her sharp blade. Realizing she had been momentarily deceived by a ruse, she grit her teeth in frustration.
Pregnant? That’s absurd.
Clearly, this is an attempt to gloss over the dire situation.
Confirming this, there were no signs of life stirring within Zebeline’s womb. The protruding belly was just a change from the fabric being tucked in.
“Put down your sword.”
“…What?”
The commander of the knight order, who was about to pull out a criminal, was hit with hostility. Surprisingly, the one radiating animosity was Maximilian, who had promised to cooperate with the Holy Kingdom.
A chilling coldness ensued.
Sirelle could only tremble in tension.
“If it’s Edan’s child… then it’s my nephew.”
“Are you seriously believing such nonsensical lies! There’s not a hint of life’s wave at all!”
“How dare you slander the wife of the Hohenberc family as a cowardly liar.”
“Damn it! This is ridiculous!”
With a mighty BOOM, a heavy pressure began to bear down. Sirelle and the Holy Knights, crushed by the pressure radiated by Maximilian, swallowed their breaths as a sense of crisis enveloped them.
A way out emerged.
Who would have thought Maximilian would fold so easily?
Smiling with Zebeline, they began looking for an escape route.
“Step back now, Sirelle Beilred.”
“Seriously, you’re such a blockhead…! I never liked the idea of teaming up with you from the start!”
Sirelle was a hunting dog devoted to the Creator Deity and the Holy Kingdom. She also had a long-standing rivalry with Maximilian, who attended the same school.
The Invincible Sword had its tip turned.
Her blade was aimed precisely at “The Hero of All Times.”
“Let’s see the prowess of the Invincible Sword this time.”
“Gah! Are you provoking me!”
Sirelle Beilred had achieved victories in battles against the Demon King’s Army and cultist forces, earning the title of Invincible Sword from the Valtarian Empire and Gael Holy Kingdom.
The Invincible Sword.
It was the highest honor bestowed upon an indomitable warrior.
However, Sirelle viewed the lack of fame as a shame.
Despite being the Invincible Sword, she had never beaten her rival. Even with a record of victories against the Demon King’s Army and cultists, her failure against her rival continued to stir her frustration and inferiority.
Maximilian, cold and devoid of empathy towards others, had no idea of Sirelle’s inner turmoil and continued to invoke the name of Invincible Sword, worsening the situation.
“For now, let’s just escape.”
“Yes.”
Maximilian finally drew the black-and-white Holy Sword.
As soon as she saw him, Zebeline pulled on her hand and they began to move.
*
The Holy Kingdom dispatched Sirelle Beilred to arrest Zebeline on-site for supposedly worshipping cults.
She might be a witch, after all.
They attacked the First Saintess without any evidence.
If it became known that the guardian dragon that protected the Holy Kingdom was bound by the disaster of Famine from the Creator Deity, it would cause immense waves. Fearing the aftershocks of that revelation, the cardinals sought to cover up the truth while trying to capture Zebeline.
“If the truth gets exposed, then naturally, the higher-ups in the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t escape unscathed. And the Earth Mother, who puppet-mastered the Disaster of Innocence, would be swept up in the blame.”
“The past First Saintesses, who have received the blessing of the White Dragon, would face the same fate.”
Zebeline exercised absolute influence within the Holy Kingdom, even to the point of restraining the Holy Sovereignty. The cardinals’ decision to deploy the Invincible Sword against her was truly a foolish display of hubris.
It could easily lead to civil war.
Yet the cardinals made the unprecedented blunder of labeling the First Saintess as a witch.
Damn it.
Did they all intend to die together in the Holy Sanctuary?
As I pictured the cardinals gathering in the cramped conference room, anxiously awaiting the results, I clicked my tongue.
“I’m worried about my father-in-law and mother-in-law at the cathedral. They’ll surely try to harm them…”
“That’s just unnecessary worry.”
Crash!
BOOOOM!!!
The repeated sounds of explosions echoed.
Naturally, the source of the explosion was the Februa Cathedral.
The battle between the disciples who learned swordsmanship from the same master had begun. The flying blades testified to that.
“Ex-explosion!!”
“It’s the Februa Cathedral! Move quickly!”
The Holy Knights adorned in gleaming armor rushed towards the Februa Cathedral. Along the way, they crossed paths with us, but no friction occurred.
Fortunately, Zebeline’s charges weren’t fully revealed yet. Thus, the regular Holy Knights dashed toward the scene of the explosions, leaving the First Saintess behind.
What a relief.
I almost ended up having to clean up innocent corpses.
“Please show me the shortest route to escape the Holy Sanctuary as quickly as possible.”
“As long as we can reach the outskirts, we’ll be fine.”
Thanks to Maximilian’s betrayal, the swift escape from the Holy Kingdom was smooth. Had Maximilian not intervened to stop Sirelle, they would’ve surely faced greater troubles.
Maybe I’ll express my thanks if we meet again.
After all, he’d likely be captured by the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom, so I should at least send some remuneration later.
“Where do you think you’re slinking away to, you disasters that lead humanity to ruin?”
As we passed through the maze-like passages that led to the outskirts,
Flames erupted.
It was a man-made magical inferno.
A beauty with deep green hair emerged from the flames, a dress that boasted daring exposure, fluttering around her. She waved her hands like a conductor leading an orchestra, manipulating the fierce fire at will.
Fwaaaaaam!!!
Rumble rumble rumble—!
Suddenly, the flames swirled and took shape.
The blaze transformed into a gigantic beast, roaring as it surged more fiercely.
“I have no personal feelings about this. I’m merely fulfilling my duty assigned by the Master of the Magic Tower.”
“…The Master of the Magic Tower?”
Querisa Nesserhane.
The Magic Lord Nesserhane, the owner of the Scarlet Magic Tower, renowned for her magical prowess.
Also the mother figure to the sage of the Saintess Party and an unprecedented monster who awakened existing magics in this world.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to call her a living armory.
To oppose such a colossal being signified an unprecedented misfortune in one’s life.
“Edanant von Hohenberc. Can I see if you have some skill?”
“I like twenty-seven-year-old ladies, but I’ll pass on grandmas who are over seventy.”
I responded casually to the Master of the Magic Tower’s provocation.
As a result, I received a spiteful glare filled with jealousy from Zebeline.
“You seem quite relaxed in the face of the Master.”
“There’s no reason to fear a grandmother who turned seventy-five this year.”
Crackle crackle.
Boom boom boom—!!
As if to declare full-scale war, the ground split, with countless pillars of stone shooting upwards. Subsequently, these pillars enclosed us, creating a domed arena around us.
They erected massive barriers on all sides to block outside interference. This was a combat style favored by the distinguished grand magicians of the Magic Tower.
So arrogant.
Is she intending to have a short decisive battle against Zebeline and me?
The Master of the Magic Tower seemed thrilled to be facing a disaster foretold by prophecy. She immediately unleashed high-tier magic, showcasing her power right from the start.
-So far, I’ve experienced many situations, but who would’ve thought I’d be facing my friend’s mom? What a ridiculous turn of events.
Instantly, she unleashed the Disaster of War.
She was facing the Master of the Magic Tower, known for the strongest firepower among the Seven Heroes of the Warring States.
She was clad in pitch-black armor.
And she extended her gloved hand.
As the black haze flickered, hundreds of weapons materialized. Witnessing the grand spectacle before her, Querisa bared her white teeth, beaming with satisfaction.
-Just wait a moment. I’ve got to take that seventy-year-old grandma to a nursing home in the Holy Kingdom.
“How typical of you, Edan, to pull out all stops even for the young Luinongs.”
The Holy Kingdom’s aim was to unleash the rampant Famine.
They would surely push Zebeline to her limits.
Recalling how Ludmilla was driven to the brink during the disaster of Tyranny, I clenched my fist in disgust. It turned my stomach to think of the Holy Kingdom’s plan to sacrifice Zebeline completely.
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