Taming the Evil Saintess

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According to the Sword Saint’s description, the Grand Assembly Hall was divided into the main building and three annexes, where leaders affiliated with the Empire resided in the main building and the heads of each continental faction stayed in the annexes.

As soon as I heard the story, I headed toward the main building.

“If you’re thinking of asking for the help of the Cathedral Knights, it’d be better to give up on that.”

Albrecht, who was following me, voiced his concerns, but I didn’t pay him any mind. I had no intention of relying on the Knights’ strength. Just having Albrecht, the Knight Commander, assisting was already more than enough.

The place I was heading to was…

“Archmage? Knight Elliot, are you on friendly terms with Lord Eldarian?”

“A bit.”

Naturally, one of the leaders of the Empire, Eldarian, the master of the Magic Tower, was present in this Grand Assembly Hall.

The guards made way as soon as they saw Albrecht’s face, and we were able to reach Eldarian’s room without any obstruction.

I knocked on the door somewhat roughly. Soon, a short-statured butler opened it, and inside, Eldarian looked at me with a somewhat astonished gaze.

“It’s been a while.”

“…Has it been about a month? Knight Elliot, I heard the story. You met with the Golden Lion, right?”

“Well, to elaborate, it’s a bit long.”

Sitting behind Eldarian on a sofa was Emily Barried, who widened her eyes as soon as she spotted my face. Then, she twitched her hands a few times before bowing her head deeply.

‘…Hmm, Emily is currently… going through puberty, I guess.’

With a quiet whisper, Eldarian explained, and I nodded. I really didn’t mind.

“I came here because I have a favor to ask. I need the help of the Archmage immediately.”

“What kind of help?”

“I’m going to hit the Pope.”

Clatter.

That was the sound of Eldarian’s monocle dropping to the floor and shattering. However, just like last time, he didn’t have any intention of picking it up.

After blinking a few times and checking his surroundings, he continued, only after confirming there were no eavesdroppers.

“Hitting the Pope…? I mean, not playing a card game or anything else like that….”

“Yes. I mean to hit him physically. ‘Like hitting’ would be a more accurate description.”

“…Hmm.”

Eldarian looked to Albrecht, who was beside me, with an expression that asked for an explanation, and he smiled bitterly.

“The Saint Lady has been kidnapped. The mastermind is the Shadow of God. They attacked both Knight Elliot and the Saint Lady within the Empire’s territory.”

“What?!”

The one who reacted to this was Emily. She looked at me and Albrecht with wide eyes. I gave a small nod.

“Anyway, that’s the situation. We aim to rescue Ophelia.”

“…That’s quite terrifying. To be honest, I’d rather not believe it, but having the Sword Saint accompanying you makes it undeniable.”

“Yes.”

Eldarian shifted his gaze and continued.

“Hitting the Pope, huh? Is that the will of the Hero?”

“….”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out. Since the Magic Tower is practically my territory, conversations held inside tend to be overheard unintentionally.”

So he was aware after all. Well, it makes sense that the Archmage wouldn’t lack surveillance or eavesdropping magic in the Magic Tower. Spending a week there, it’d be more unusual if they didn’t discover the fact that I’m the Hero.

Since I intended to reveal it anyway, this sped things along.

“I’ll take responsibility for this.”

“No. Responsibility rests solely on each of us. I just want to provide enough assistance to the Hero who will save this world.”

Eldarian stepped back a few paces to look at Emily. As everyone’s gazes crossed, Emily stammered slightly.

“Emily, aren’t you coming?”

“Well….”

Emily seemed hesitant. It was time to seal the deal. I said to her.

“Emily.”

“Uh, yes.”

“Ophelia was cherishing the golden brooch you gave her until she got kidnapped.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

As I spoke with conviction, Emily’s expression shifted. She vigorously nodded her head and stood up to wear her witch’s hat. It looked just like her appearance in the game.

According to Eldarian, it was an outdated outfit, but it seemed purely to be her preference.

Good. With Emily’s support secured, it was time to move on.

“Where are you planning to go next?”

“To the Information Bureau.”

*

The Fairy King Arlon of the Great Forest could not attend the meeting as he was tasked with protecting the World Tree. Instead, he ordered one of his clan leaders, the chief of the Vinheim Tribe, to attend the meeting and convey his thoughts.

Thus, currently, the chief of the Vinheim Tribe, Archery Master Erwin, was tapping the table with his long nails, unable to shake off his boredom.

“Isn’t the air of the Empire just dreadful? Is it because there are no trees?”

“Indeed….”

The one who accompanied him was Wuzmund. Although he had been embarrassed for getting subdued by some fool months ago and dragged around, he was appreciated for his contribution to dealing with Nua Diel’s Dark Mage regardless of how the situation unfolded.

There was still half a day until the meeting began.

As elves live for long periods, such a prolonged wait felt like a fleeting moment for them, yet Erwin found himself feeling restless. The main reason was indeed the filthy air of the Empire.

Finally, she stood up abruptly.

“I’m going for a walk. Somewhere with lots of trees.”

“W-walk?”

Wuzmund’s complexion turned pale.

The Archery Master Erwin, the chief of the Vinheim Tribe, had a rather… no, a very free-spirited personality. Hence, if Erwin decided to wander around the Imperial Capital, it could lead to all sorts of disasters.

“Ah, no!”

Surely, she’d receive a stern warning from the Fairy King.

And all the blame would flow over to Wuzmund, who was supposed to be her aide at the moment.

He was in a position akin to a mouse standing under an eavesdrop.

“Please reconsider. The meeting will start soon. Ah, I brought some interesting books that might pique the chief’s interest….”

“I don’t care. Boring. Anyway, I’ve made up my mind, so you handle it.”

Erwin brushed off Wuzmund’s insistence and approached the door, swinging it open.

“…Who are you all?”

There were already visitors inside.

Four in total.

Two of them were familiar faces. I had been introduced to them when I first arrived in this capital.

Sword Saint Albrecht von Ridensstein and Archmage’s disciple Emily Barried.

One of the remaining two was also recognized. The blue-haired one must be Hound Owen of the Information Bureau.

So right before Erwin’s eyes were all of the Empire’s Divine Mark Holders gathered together.

From an elf’s perspective, that alone was a rather extraordinary sight.

“…Uh, is the meeting starting early?”

“No.”

The one who responded was the final remaining knight.

The knight with faded blond hair stepped forward and spoke.

“Archer Master Erwin.”

“….”

“I need your help.”

“Why are you speaking so informally? What are you, a short-eared brat?”

Erwin’s眉 (brows) twitched in agitation.

She looked ready to draw her bow at any moment, prompting Wuzmund to interject.

“Y-Young Knight Elliot! What brings you here?”

“Wuz… what was your name again? Good to see you. Were you here too?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Young Knight Elliot, we are all here. I hope you are doing well.”

The two exchanged pleasantries.

Erwin’s expression scrunched up.

“Huh? Do you two know each other?”

Elliot.

Now that I think about it, I’ve heard that name before.

Surely…

“You’re the one who caught the Dark Mage in Nua Diel, right?”

Not just any human, but one who had helped them. Thanks to his assistance, the Vinheim Tribe was able to attend the meeting as representatives of the Great Forest after catching the Fairy King’s eye.

Erwin beamed brightly. Elves could surely distinguish between those whom they owed a debt of gratitude.

“Uh-huh. Short ears aren’t so bad. Of course, long ones are much better.”

“….”

“By the way, what does the great hero need with us? You’ve brought the Sword Saint, the next Archmage, and even the Information Bureau’s Hound with you?”

“I would like your assistance.”

“What kind of assistance?”

“Because we are going to take down a really bad bastard from now on.”

At those words, Erwin squinted her eyes, examining their faces.

According to Wuzmund, that Knight Elliot was strong enough to match any elf chief. The other three were also Divine Mark Holders. That was to say, they comprised the strongest forces available to the Empire.

Only one conclusion emerged from Erwin’s shallow mind.

“Uh… are you guys going to catch the Demon King or something?”

“Not the Demon King, but a bastard just as bad.”

*

The skills Ophelia learned during her lengthy life in the Cathedral were not limited to just picking locks.

To escape from a solitary confinement cell in the educational institute back in her childhood, she had to evade the keen eyes of the Saint Knights guarding the entrance.

What she had learned through that was Stealth Technique. Of course, it didn’t work against someone with sharp eyesight like Elliot.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot, Ophelia.”

Ophelia quickly stripped off her holy garment and turned it inside-out so that the black fabric was facing out.

This created a black garment that would blend easily into the shadows. The only downside was that if she bent over, her underwear would be shown plainly, but right now, that was of no concern.

Ophelia held her breath, carefully crawling through the commotion around her.

The knights’ senses were keen. However, Ophelia’s Stealth Technique surpassed their perception.

“Phew.”

And with that, Ophelia managed to reach the end of the corridor, beyond the room she had been confined to.

Just beyond that door lay the corridor of the annex outside.

Once she escaped there, she’d be able to call for help from the Imperial Guards.

Just as Ophelia celebrated in her mind and reached for the doorknob.

“Saint Lady.”

A rough voice.

Turning her stiff neck back around, she saw a knight with short hair standing there.

Had it been an average Saint Knight, Ophelia could have slipped past without being noticed, but this knight was a Cathedral Knight.

His name was…

“Dick…”

“My name is not Dick, but Rowan Dictus.”

“Uh, yeah. Right. Rowan.”

“Where are you going? Also, how did you rid yourself of the cuffs?”

“….”

“You are clearly guilty of desertion. His Majesty has ordered a strict crackdown on this. It would be wiser for you to return quietly.”

The Cathedral Knight Rowan Dictus was standing right in Ophelia’s path.

And Ophelia knew very well just how strong the Cathedral Knights were.

She was no match for someone of their caliber, just having recently acquired her apprentice knight skills.

Things had become quite awkward.

Just as Ophelia bit her lip, Rowan suddenly scowled and bent his body down.

The sound of metal echoed, and a massive wind pressure bore down upon Ophelia’s face.

In the blink of an eye, a priest was pointing a sword at Rowan.

“Yurede, what’s going on here?”

“As an Inquisition Officer, I’m merely doing my duty.”

Yurede twirled his rapier nonchalantly, wearing his typical smile.

Elliot’s words sprang to mind.

For sure, Yurede was a crazy guy, but when he was on our side, he was a dependable kind of crazy.

So I cheered him on.

“Uh, go for it! Win!”

“Your Ladyship’s encouragement, I will take as a divine message.”

“Have you finally lost it, Yurede?”

“That’s correct, Sir Rowan. Unlike His Majesty, who is blinded by his own desires, I have gone mad in faith.”

“You should retract that statement; it’s blasphemy.”

“In my view, what you’re doing is blasphemy on a different level. Do you not realize you are standing before the Saint Lady, who is as good as God’s messenger? When will you wake up, Sir Rowan? I, Yurede, will strive for your enlightenment as an Inquisition Officer.”

Swish.

Another blade emerged from Yurede’s wide sleeves.

Dual-wielding.

Even if he was unarmored, an Inquisition Officer possessed strength unlike any ordinary person. Rowan readied his sword.

“F-fight….”

The atmosphere grew tense.

Ophelia began to stealthily inch toward the door behind her.

The lock was still in place.

“…Oh no.”

In the end, Ophelia pulled out a hairpin once again.

Whether or not it was noticed, Yurede lowered his stance and charged, while Rowan unleashed his sword, releasing its energy.