The sky, covered by red clouds, split open, and dazzling light poured down.
It was an area-of-effect buff cast by Vice Captain Liana.
The light illuminated everyone on the battlefield.
However, people’s gazes were drawn to one person standing at the forefront.
The one who caught everyone’s attention was none other than Princess Irena.
Why was she the only one who stood out so much?
It was by no means a coincidence.
“Clack.”
It was thanks to Maru, the Skeleton Paladin standing right behind the princess.
Maru generated Holy Power and focused it on Irena.
As a result, even within the shining curtain, Princess Irena, who received the Holy Power, was able to receive particular attention.
Those who didn’t know the truth began to draw their own interpretations of Princess Irena.
“Ah, this person is truly a faithful follower of the Goddess.”
The Paladins whispered in voices filled with awe. They believed Princess Irena’s actions and demeanor stemmed solely from faith and devotion to the Goddess.
But the truth was different. Princess Irena was merely following Celia’s instructions.
“Princess! Please retreat! We will handle that monster!”
The royal knights shouted desperately. The knights saw hope in Princess Irena.
As long as the princess was there, the kingdom’s future seemed bright.
For the kingdom they desired, the knights pleaded, ready to throw themselves in to protect the princess.
However, Irena ignored the knights’ pleas and approached the King of Death with firm steps.
Naturally, Irena was able to act this way because she was confident she would never die.
After all, that King of Death was just a subordinate of the Great One.
And she would have already coordinated with Celia.
Still, as it was a fragile human body, she felt a slight tremor but was not afraid.
However, someone stood in the way of the princess’s actions.
“Haha, Princess. Stop this meaningless act.”
It was Count Beerton, holding a pickaxe.
The Count wore an expression as if he possessed the entire world.
“The tide has already turned. Look! That incredible being! He will rule the continent!”
The Count exaggerated his actions and pointed at the Death Knight King.
“He is the one who gave me strength! I will crush anyone who stands in my way.”
He then intended to eliminate the princess, who had lost her senses, and overthrow the royal family.
“With his power, I will soon become king! Hahahahaha!”
Everyone fell silent at the Count’s maniacal appearance.
They felt like they had seen Count Beerton’s true colors.
“For the sake of our past relationship, I will offer one word of advice. Surrender now. You surely know that all this is futile. Who knows? Perhaps I might even take you as a concubine. Hehehe.”
He now referred to her as “you” instead of “Princess.”
He already considered himself no different from a king.
“…Clack.”
Necros, who had been watching Count Beerton, made a gesture of slitting his own throat.
It was a signal to cut off Count Beerton’s excessively long speech quickly.
This was a play.
But a supporting actor with nothing to do was acting out too much.
The Death Knight King, understanding Necros’s intent, shot darkness energy towards Count Beerton.
“Wha… why am I suddenly feeling sleepy…”
The darkness energy induced deep sleep in Count Beerton.
The supporting actor had now exited the stage.
It was time for the main actor to enter.
The Death Knight King and Necros nodded slightly.
Irena also nodded slightly, giving a signal.
Betta, standing behind the Death Knight King, immediately spoke his lines.
【Khaha. You insignificant human… How dare you try to stop me!】
As Betta finished speaking, the Death Knight King gathered his darkness energy and formed a massive sphere of magic.
A huge sphere of obsidian black.
“Everyone, evade!”
Before Irena’s shout could even finish, the sphere was fired.
The obsidian sphere passed by Irena and struck the knights behind her.
The knights quickly evaded, but some who couldn’t were swallowed by the sphere.
“Aaaaaargh!”
“No!”
Screams echoed through the air, and red flesh flew.
Those who were filled with courage moments ago despaired.
【Hahaha! Is that all! Do you really think you can stop me with just this!】
As Betta’s lines ended, the Death Knight King fired the obsidian sphere upwards.
The sphere blazed like hellfire, scorching the ground. The burning sphere flew towards the knights.
However, this time, Maru stepped forward and blocked the sphere.
It was all planned.
Inducing a moderate amount of fear was good, but killing more humans here might cause them to lose their will.
Therefore, everyone adjusted their strength.
This was, after all, a stage for Princess Irena.
But the knights had already lost their will to fight.
“Goddess, save us…”
The Paladins also offered prayers with expressions of despair. Despite calling out so desperately, there was no response from the Goddess.
Could it be that the Goddess had abandoned them?
Just as seeds of doubt began to be sown in their hearts.
“Everyone, cheer up! I’m here!”
A ray of hope flashed across the battlefield.
Princess Irena, clad in silver armor, raised her sword high into the sky.
The light pouring from the sky and the Holy Power emanating from Maru merged, emitting a dazzling brilliance.
That light flowed down the blade of the princess’s sword.
It was truly a sacred sight.
Princess Irena slowly, very slowly, dismounted and advanced.
As the princess approached, Betta shouted.
【K, kudeuk! Is this the power of light! But it’s not enough!】
The Death Knight King also immediately reacted to Betta’s cry. He gathered all his darkness energy.
This time, not just one sphere, but dozens, hundreds of spheres filled the air.
“Dispel the darkness with sacred light!”
Princess Irena, wielding the shining sword, charged.
At the same time, the obsidian spheres descended upon her.
“Princess! No!”
Lennon, realizing the situation belatedly, lunged towards the princess, but then…
*BOOM – KWA-GWANG-*
A tremendous explosion occurred as Irena collided with the monster.
The aftermath of the explosion was immense.
*Beep-*
Tinnitus sounded in their ears, and they could hear nothing.
Vast energies of light and darkness. And the dust that covered the street from the explosion made the vision blurry.
No, it was more accurate to say they couldn’t see at all.
Everyone simultaneously covered their eyes and plugged their ears.
* * *
“Now, that was excellent. Especially Betta’s acting, it was superb.”
“Thank you, Celia.”
Celia, who had appeared unnoticed, praised Betta.
There were humans nearby, but it didn’t matter much.
They were currently covering their eyes and ears.
Moreover, the street was already filled with dense dust, and Maru was emitting a vast light with his Holy Power.
Even if they opened their eyes, their appearance would not be revealed.
“Death Knight King, you worked hard to match Betta. Please continue to work hard until the end.”
The Death Knight King nodded cheerfully at Celia’s unexpected encouragement.
Celia then looked at Irena.
Irena had followed along particularly well in this plan. Thanks to her, things had been resolved easily.
“Then, our Princess Irena? It’s not over yet. Shall we finish the finale now?”
At Celia’s words, Princess Irena assumed a stance.
It was the pose of stabbing her sword into the Death Knight King’s body.
Of course, the Death Knight King felt no pain. After all, the princess was an ordinary human, so she had no effect.
However, the play was not over yet, so the Death Knight King pretended to fall.
To anyone who saw, it would have looked as if Princess Irena’s sword had defeated the Death Knight King.
“Well, once all this is over, you will no longer be a princess.”
Celia said with a smile.
Many had already witnessed Irena’s heroic deeds.
Especially the citizens of the kingdom, as well as the knights of the royal family, numbered in the hundreds.
Even if Princess Irena didn’t want it, she would walk the path to becoming queen.
Most importantly, the remaining Paladins and Vice Captain Liana had also witnessed Princess Irena’s heroic deeds with their own eyes.
“The Church’s attention will also be immense.”
Irena nodded silently at Celia’s words.
Even if this was all an act, Irena had officially defeated a 7-star disaster.
This was not a trivial matter.
The Church’s attention would be focused on Princess Irena for a while.
Although troublesome things would happen repeatedly, Irena had already made up her mind.
“Good. Once this is over, Irena, you will be able to formally serve the Great One. Don’t forget that this is a great honor.”
Irena was already captivated by the Great One’s power.
To be able to serve such a person was no different from a great honor for her.
“When you become the ruler of the kingdom, record everything about the Sail Kingdom that you didn’t know then and submit it to me. The kingdom will be reborn.”
It was just the beginning.
“We will meet again soon, Princess Irena. Or rather, Queen Irena.”
The moment Princess Irena became Queen of the Sail Kingdom, the kingdom would cease to be a kingdom of humans.
Celia turned her back.
Necros and Betta followed behind Celia, and the Skeletons followed behind them, carrying Count Beerton.
Irena and the Death Knight were left alone on the street as the monsters departed.
And slowly, the light began to recede.
* * *
As the dust cleared and the light vanished, people immediately searched for the princess.
Clearly, the princess and the disaster known as the King of Death had clashed.
In their minds, they had already concluded that the princess had been defeated.
But they clung to a sliver of hope.
Humans always wished for miracles, so they hoped the princess would survive.
And then.
“……!”
Everyone wore expressions of disbelief.
“P-Princess?”
Lennon, who had escorted the princess for a long time, also looked as if he had seen a ghost.
Princess Irena, whom they had desperately hoped was alive, was truly alive.
Not only that.
Princess Irena’s sword stood piercing the King of Death.
“My God… a miracle has occurred…”
A Paladin murmured, unable to believe it.
The royal knights, overjoyed by the princess’s survival, hugged each other and shed tears.
The citizens also roared with cheers that shook the ground.
“Long live Princess Irena!”
“Long live Her Highness the Princess!”
The people cheered and focused their attention on Princess Irena.
Princess Irena slowly withdrew the sword that had pierced the monster.
Then she raised her sword high into the sky.
“We have won!”
At Irena’s voice, everyone knelt.
Not only the citizens but also the royal knights and Paladins knelt on the ground.
Vice Captain Liana, leading the Knights of the Church, also knelt and murmured quietly.
“A true Saintess has been born.”
Princess Irena was no longer just a princess.
She would be revered as a hero who saved the continent from evil, an apostle of the Goddess, and a Saintess.
* * *
The long battle had ended.
Princess Irena led the knights towards the royal palace.
The surviving citizens were rebuilding the devastated grounds.
Most importantly, all the nobles of the kingdom promised to contribute to the restoration of the royal capital.
Naturally.
Count Beerton, the head of the Aristocrats, was a criminal who had summoned the disaster.
However, the disaster had met its end at Princess Irena’s hands.
Although Count Beerton’s presence had disappeared, he would now be designated as a heretic of the continent.
Moreover, through this incident, Princess Irena gained justification.
A Saintess who saved the continent.
Everyone who had witnessed the princess’s heroic deeds said so.
Princess Irena now had the White Church backing her.
In that case, who would dare to oppose the royal family?
The nobles acted to please the royal family without even having time to think.
Everyone from Princess Irena to the citizens was busy.
And so was Vice Captain Liana, who had come as an envoy from the Church.
“The true form of the King of Death was the Death Knight King…”
Vice Captain Liana gazed at the disaster that the princess had defeated.
The true identity of the disaster was, in fact, the Death Knight King.
It was the identity of the monster that Princess Irena had told her about, saying she heard it from the Great One.
‘If she heard it from the Great One, did she receive a prophecy from the Goddess?’
Vice Captain Liana thought of Princess Irena.
‘I thought she was just a weak princess…’
But she was hiding her power.
Suddenly, the princess’s words about returning to the royal palace to finish the matter came to mind.
It was a meaningful statement.
‘Well, by now, she must have arrived at the royal palace.’
Enough time had passed.
Vice Captain Liana had a feeling that the ruler of the Sail Kingdom would soon change.
‘Indeed. She already has justification.’
Even if she deposed her own father and ascended the throne, no one would question it.
Princess Irena had already become a being with that much influence.
Separately from that, Liana called her subordinates to fulfill her mission.
“Lift it carefully!”
She would transport the Death Knight King, defeated by the princess, to the Church.
Of course, those who remained would not move it directly.
They just needed to wait for additional support from the Church and maintain their position.
Due to this incident, the Church suffered significant damage.
They had confirmed the deaths of Titan Priest and Captain Gerard, and most of the envoy had died. This was the Church’s decisive action.
However, the Death Knight King’s form began to rapidly disappear.
“Vice Captain! The Death Knight King is disintegrating!”
Liana quickly approached the Death Knight King, but it was already gone.
* * *
– Special Mission Complete!
– All monsters dispatched to the Sail Kingdom are recalled.
– Rewards are given for completing the Special Mission!
– Warning! After 6 hours, the temporary evolution of Death Knight King (★★★★★★★) will be released.
– Upon release of temporary evolution, Death Knight (★★★★★) will enter a state of incapacitation for a certain period.
* * *
“Did you hear the news? They say a Saintess has been born in the Sail Kingdom, and it’s causing quite a stir.”
The news had already spread rapidly throughout the Church.
Princess Irena, or rather, Queen Irena, who had defeated the 7-star Death Knight King single-handedly, was now a famous story.
It had already spread throughout the entire continent.
In particular, it was said that the Great One had spoken about the Death Knight King.
It was undoubtedly a prophecy from the Goddess.
Even the priests of the Sail Kingdom and the Church were calling Queen Irena a Saintess.
Queen Irena, after defeating the disaster, immediately turned her forces towards the royal palace.
Her father, the King, could do nothing in front of her, who had become a continent’s hero.
Most importantly, through this incident, Irena gained the people’s support.
Traces of summoning demons were found not only on Count Beerton but also in most of the kingdom’s nobles.
Who would have thought skeletons would be found in the mansions of nobles within the royal capital?
However, someone had to take responsibility.
It was an incident that could have led to the collapse of the entire continent.
Ultimately, the King stepped down voluntarily.
“All of this must be the Goddess’s will.”
The Church supported Irena’s enthronement by saying it was the Goddess’s will.
Although the investiture ceremony had not yet been held due to the kingdom’s turmoil, Irena was already no different from the Queen of the Sail Kingdom.
However, from the Church’s perspective, it wasn’t entirely good.
The White Church already had Saintess Helisa. The emergence of a second Saintess was unexpected even for the Church’s leadership.
But seeing Queen Irena’s heroic deeds, it was difficult to deny her sainthood.
Naturally, Helisa was filled with annoyance.
“How dare a mere princess gain the title of Saintess?”
Helisa didn’t recognize Irena as a Saintess, let alone a Queen.
But in reality, the atmosphere recognized Irena as a Saintess more than Helisa.
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
Helisa screamed.
Nothing was going her way.
At this point, some began to distrust Helisa.
The continued disappearance of priests and Paladins.
Moreover, with the emergence of a 7-star disaster, the Church suffered great damage.
As a result, doubts arose within the Church about whether Helisa was truly a Saintess.
Helisa was extremely annoyed by the current situation.
“It’s all because that bastard Kanghyeon Lee was sent back to Earth!”
It was definitely around that time.
She had previously sent a man named Kanghyeon Lee back to Earth.
But since then, things had strangely not gone well.
Even if it seemed like a baseless claim, Saintess Helisa could sense it. As a Saintess, she had a feeling.
Something must have been done by Kanghyeon Lee.
“Are you sure he didn’t cast some kind of curse?”
Otherwise, why would things be going so wrong! As she pondered, Saintess Helisa’s gaze changed.
“Yes, if I eliminate him, everything will be resolved, won’t it?”
To solve it, it was right to eliminate the cause itself.
No matter what, she was the true Saintess.
“Just get rid of Kanghyeon Lee. Just Kanghyeon Lee… even if I have to find a way to summon him here!”
She was the one who had forcibly sent Kanghyeon Lee, who had been summoned to the El Dorado Continent, back.
If she could send him back to Earth, perhaps there was also a way to summon him back?
She intended to find that method, no matter how long it took. Helisa clasped her hands and began to pray.
