Volume 12 Chapter 3

Beginning the Counterattack

Part 1

The carriage was shaking.

This carriage was the property of the Sorcerer King, and in contrast to its plain appearance on the outside, its interior was classy, refined, and functional to boot. Neia was particularly grateful for the soft cushions that did not hurt her butt no matter how long she sat on them.

Neia peeked at the Sorcerer King, who was seated opposite her and gazing outside.

He may be a fearsome undead king, but she did not feel the oppressive grandeur he had shown when he had met them in the audience chamber.

This was probably because she had spent more time conversing with the Sorcerer King during their journey.

During all this, one thing which Neia had learned was that the Sorcerer King was extremely magnanimous.

It was true that the Sorcerer King acted with the dignity of a sovereign, his every action reflecting his quality as a monarch.

However, when Neia sat in the carriage with him, he would act like an ordinary person from time to time. In addition, these occurrences had been getting more and more frequent recently.

In all likelihood, the Sorcerer King had considered that Neia would be nervous while sharing the same carriage as him, and in his generosity, he had chosen to act more like a commoner. The reason why such incidents were recurring more and more were surely because his skills were improving.

The reason why he did not act that way around the others was probably because they were still playing the role of paladins.

To think he would treat another countrys citizens this way what a compassionate man he is

What was he looking at? Was he looking at the paladins riding alongside the carriage? Or perhaps something else, something that Neia did not see

Hm? Is there something interesting on my face?

Eh! No, my apologies, Your Majesty! Theres nothing on your face

It would seem she had been staring too intensely at the Sorcerer King. Puzzled, the Sorcerer King touched his face with those bony hands of his.

I suppose it must be quite awkward to sit in a carriage and not say anything. Yes, in that case, let us speak.

Although she had gotten slightly used to it, conversing with the Sorcerer King always made her stomach ache.

We are not entirely familiar with each other, so previously I did not ask questions which might have intruded on your privacy, but we have shared the same carriage for several days now. I suppose we can be honest with each other now. Neia Baraja. Can you tell me about yourself?

About me?

Even talking about herself was too vague a topic. She had no idea what she could say to please the Sorcerer King.

Yes, indeed. For instance, why you wanted to become a squire. What sort of work a squire does. Could you tell me about that?

If it pleases you, Your Majesty.

After bowing her head, Neia began talking about what had been asked of her, but it was hardly an exciting topic. Talking about family and the work of a squire was not particularly interesting.

Besides, I was told not to reveal anything to the Sorcerer King about matters within the country but this much ought to do.

Rather, if she had to cover up even those details, then there would really be nothing to talk about.

Soon, the drab exposition with no structure ended, and the Sorcerer King nodded deeply.

I see, I see. So youre an archer, a rarity among squires, Miss Baraja.

My skills arent good enough for me to proudly call myself an archer, Your Majesty. I am simply better at archery than swordsmanship, and the truth is that people have scolded me and told me I ought to focus more on training up my sword skills.

To Neia, an archer was someone like her great father, and she was only a little more talented than a commoner.

No, I should say that a paladin candidate who has an affinity for ranged weapons is quite a rare thing. If it were me, I would advise you to hone your bow skills. Since there are others better suited to swordplay, then you should let those people handle swordsmanship.

Thank you very much.

The Sorcerer Kings words were sincere, and it made Neia feel that he was earnestly thinking, What an odd combination; she must be travelling a path towards a rare vocation. However, she had no idea what to make of what the Sorcerer King said next, and his mutterings bothered Neia.

I feel embarrassed about dumping the work of minding me onto you. Nor is it just you; the same goes for the rest of you paladins. The best way to make use of your skills would be to station you outside.

His gentle words made Neia stare at him.

This was why talking to this king was so bad for her heart.

Not only did he stand at the peak of his country, he was also an individual of overwhelming might. Yet he had not chosen to talk down to her from above, but he had lowered himself until he could see eye to eye with her before engaging her in a conversation.

No! I cant let His Majesty spoil me like this! If I dont lower myself a little more

Neia pulled herself together.

Everyone knows I have been designated as Your Majestys follower, so please do not take it to heart. In addition, there is no job more important than accompanying Your Majesty.

Really now Still, I would like to offer you some form of recompense.

In the past, the Sorcerer King had mentioned the topic of payment. She had declined, of course, but it would seem he was bringing up that topic again. Neia immediately began to think about how to reject his offer without causing offense, but the Sorcerer King was not finished yet.

That said, it might not be good to receive a gift from the king of another country. So at the very least, allow me to verbally express my thanks. I believe I have inconvenienced you in many ways, and I hope I will continue to be in your care.

And then, the Sorcerer King bowed to her.

A king was actually bowing to someone like herself, who was nothing more than a squire.

It was only natural for a king to carry the weight of his nation upon his shoulders. Slighting a king would be the same as slighting the entire country. The idea that a country lived through its king was a very common notion.

In other words, the fact that a king was bowing was the same as a nation bowing. Of course, it was hardly unthinkable when a king did so to someone of high station.

However, Neia was little more than a citizen of another country, and frankly speaking, there was no need for him to apologize to someone of Neias stature.

I cant believe it. His Majesty is wise and sagacious, and surely he must know the meaning of bowing. Even so, he still bowed to me like an ordinary person No. Dont get full of yourself. I cant possibly be that valuable. This simply shows how magnanimous the Sorcerer King is; he even treats a commoner politely. Ah! He mustnt!

Please do not do that! Your Majesty! Please raise your head!

Yes. That was what she should have said before anything else.

The Sorcerer King looked up, and Neia sighed quietly. Frankly speaking, if anyone else had seen what had happened just now, something terrible would have happened.

Your Majesty

Neia took a knee within the cramped confines of the carriages floor.

Your servant is of humble origins, but I swear that until Your Majestys work is complete, I will loyally and faithfully serve you.

Since a king had given her his respect, it was only natural that she return it.

Neia ignored the voice in her head which said that he was not the king of the Holy Kingdom, and bowed.

No, no. Raise your head Come now, could you take a seat and continue your previous topic? We havent reached our destination yet, have we?

No, not yet.

She sat back onto the cushion, and looked outside.

Yesterday, we passed safely through the ruins of the wall by the grace of Your Majestys power. We have chosen a route that will make us harder to discover, so it may take a little more time, but I believe we will arrive at our base tomorrow, or the day after.

Although, said base was just a cave.

Is that so? Even then, we still have some time, do we not? Tell me about the topic from just now. Also, I have not yet heard why you have your sights set on becoming a paladin. Given your talent for the bow, surely there must have been some other path you could have taken. Why aim to be a paladin? For the sake of justice? Or perhaps to be the pride of your nation?

No When she narrowed her eyes, what came to mind was her personal experiences. My mother was a paladin.

She was a paladin who was skilled with the sword, completely unlike Neia.

I see, so you heard something from your mother, or you admired her, hm.

Ah, no. My mother often said I shouldnt aim to be a paladin. And my mother couldnt do the work of being a mother, and while she could do the laundry and sew, she was completely inept at cooking and that sort of thing. She did everything sloppily, the roast meat was always undercooked, that sort of thing was common.

Therefore, it was only natural that her father had been the one who cooked in their household. When she was young, she even thought that it was true for all families.

Is that so? Well, she still didnt stop her daughter from becoming a paladin, so I guess she was still a good mother.

Ah, no. When I told my mother I wanted to be a squire, she went and took out her sword and said, Ill let you if you can defeat me! and so on. The only reason why I was allowed to become one was because my dad desperately blocked for me. If I had fought her normally I could never have beaten her.

That was the first time she had understood the meaning of killing intent.

Ahhhh, mm, good, how shall I say this it was a good family mm.

Yes. While the neighbors often looked strangely at us, I thought it was a good family.

Really, how nice th-then, why, why become a paladin? Did you not think to follow your fathers path Hm. Was your father a househusband?

No, my father was also a soldier who served his country. However, I never really thought of following in my fathers footsteps why was that. Maybe its because dad gave me these eyes, so I sort of ended up resenting him for it

Neia pressed her index fingers to the corners of her eyes and tugged them around in circles.

When she was young, her friends often said, Why are you staring at me? Are you angry with me? and the like, and she had often complained to her father for it. After that, Neia had been beaten by her mother, who had overheard her saying so.

Thinking of them was quite nostalgic, Neia thought.

But perhaps after becoming a squire, I became more open-minded. At some point, I started to think that this was a gift from my father. Well, I could do without the fierce glare, though.

How are your parents now?

My father fought Jaldabaoths army at the wall and died. I lost contact with my mom, and I dont know what happened with her, but I think she must have died during the defense of the city. After all, she was the sort who would have struggled to the bitter end.

It seems I have inquired about a painful topic.

The Sorcerer King bowed to her once more. Since this was the second time, the impact was not so great. However, it was enough to make Neia feel anxious.

Please, please raise your head! How could you bow to someone like me!?

I thoughtlessly inquired about your dead kin. Although I did was not aware of that beforehand, now that I know the facts, an apology is still in order.

The Sorcerer King tilted his head after he raised it.

No, thats not right, thats how it should be between equals. A king is not the equal of a citizen from another country. Moreover, were the ones requesting his help

Erm well, such exceptions are everywhere. Er, if someone sees Your Majesty bowing to me ah they might look down on Your Majesty, because Im just a squire, after all.

Umu, I see, you do have a point. Thats how kings are.

These things are complicated, the Sorcerer King muttered.

He must have meant that it was difficult to mix with people from other nations even if he wanted to show his sincerity, probably.

Yes. While this cannot begin to count as an apology, I shall lend this to you, Miss Baraja.

The Sorcerer King swiftly reached into his robe and produced a bow.

Hah?

It was bigger than what could have been hidden inside his robes. Neia blinked several times, but reality refused to change.

This is a magic weapon. Use it to protect me.

Portions of the bow were made with animal parts, but it did not feel raw or gory; instead, she felt an air of holiness around it.

She could tell at a glance. In other words, this bow was a masterwork which needed to be described with the word super.

This is the Ultimate Shootingstar Super, made with the ancient art of runecrafting. For various reasons, I was carrying it on me to lend it out to someone else. Ahh, normally there would be runes carved here, but you cant see them now because of wear and tear. What do you think?

Neia used all her strength to suppress the urge to cry out.

Typically speaking, she ought to refuse it. This was very likely to be a national treasure of the Sorcerous Kingdom. However, would anyone lend such a treasure to a follower from another country?

Maybe it just looks amazing as if! This, its definitely a very powerful weapon!

What do you think? Will you not accept it? Your job is to keep me company and protect me, is it not? In that case, it would be good to equip you with a better weapon, am I wrong?

Ngh!

He was right.

Neia felt her head spinning around.

Ahh, my apologies. Is it because it looks too showy? In that case, I have something more sedate, the Great Bow Special, which is also a product of runecraft.

Saying so, he reached into his robe again

P-Please do not trouble yourself! I am more than satisfied with this one! Please allow me to politely decline!

Neias words came out as a mournful cry as she begged the Sorcerer King to stop producing any more weapons. If he took out another weapon in front of her, Neia did not think she would be able to retain her senses, and lending it to her would probably entail that she had to spend the whole day on maintaining it.

Your Majesty! I humbly accept this Ultimate Shootingstar Super which you have bestowed upon me!

She took the bow with trembling hands.

Given its accessories and decorations, it looked to be very heavy, yet it felt surprisingly light in the hand. In the moment she took hold of it, she felt her body strengthening, as though power were coursing into it, or was that just due to the shocking lightness of the bow?

Ah, this is bad. I wanted to reassure myself with the thought that this was nothing more than a fancy-looking magic item. This this is definitely a bad thing. For all I know This might be better than the holy sword eh? Wait, wait a minute no, surely it cant

Do you? To me, thats hardly worth being proud of, you know? If youd like some other if youd like a better weapon, please let me know.

This was bad. If this sort of thing continued, if she kept hearing about it, things would become extremely bad. She could not begin to imagine what would happen if a squire ended up with better gear than the top ranking person in the Holy Kingdom.

Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I am very grateful that you have spent so much time considering someone like myself

Letting someone else hold this would be very dangerous, so Neia clutched it tightly to herself.

She smiled to the Sorcerer King while she nodded. While the smile was a little stiff, she had managed to skillfully conceal her thoughts.

If others see this, tell them I lent it to you.

Cant I not let them see it? If possible, Id rather wrap it up or something but I cant do that with a weapon His Majesty lent me to protect him Ahh wait, my heads starting to hurt. So something like this is nothing to be proud of His Majestys standards are just too high Will I have to pay him back if I damage this bow? Me? Ahhh, my tummy hurts I wish I didnt have to think about this bow Ah!

Neia thought of a wonderful topic she had not yet mentioned.

Your Majesty! I saw those huge and grand statues of yourself in Your Majestys country!

Hoh.

He responded in a quiet voice that was tremendously different from the one he had used in the past. It made Neia uneasy about whether she had made some sort of mistake.

He had named his country after himself. Thus, Neia guessed that the Sorcerer King was eager to show himself off, which was probably why he had built those huge statues of himself to proclaim his might to those around him.

Did I not praise him enough?

Those statues not only showed off Your Majestys greatness, but they also demonstrated your power as well! We dont have any statues like that in the Holy Kingdom!

That was most definitely not a lie. Size notwithstanding, one would need engineering techniques that had been refined down to an art in order to produce such a life-like product. There was a similarly-sized statue of a Sea Dragon at a place called Lighthouse Cape, but it was cruder, and it looked quite pathetic after being worn away by the elements.

My subordinates often say that.

Ahhhh, is that it? Hes heard praise like that from his subordinates, so this much is only to be expected, is that what he means?

My subordinates are now planning to raise statues like these in various places of my nation.

I see. Indeed, it would be a good way to declare the glory of Your Majesty!

The Sorcerer King looked at Neia in what seemed like surprise.

Uh, mm. Still, I feel that placing statues of myself within my country is a little how shall I put this? Even so, my subordinates built statues of myself that are over a hundred meters tall in the middle of the city in order to show me off to the world I think theyve gotten carried away with the concept of bigger is better.

But why is that?

The Sorcerer King coughed to clear his throat, and that was when a question arose in Neias mind, Did the undead still have throats to clear? However, the Sorcerer King was speaking as that question echoed in her head, and she could not interrupt him.

A kings greatness cannot be shown with physical objects.

Ahhh!

Neia was shocked, but that was only to be expected.

Neia had not only forgotten that the Sorcerer King was undead, but had come to harbor feelings of genuine respect for him.

This man was truly a King.

Suddenly, she saw the Sorcerer King clenching his fist out of the corner of her eye.

Of course, declaring my greatness to the world by allowing my people to live without impediment is a different matter. But showing it off with statues of myself is well. I wish to be known by the peace of my rule.

It is as you say!

Neia gulped, and then asked a question.

Your Majesty is one of the undead, but why do you spend so much time thinking of the people?

Neia did not think the Sorcerer Kings compassion for the masses was an act. She even began to wonder if he was even undead.

I have not spent much time pondering that. But doing that much should be par for the course, no?

Neia was shocked.

Were all kings such amazing people?

Could the Holy Queen and the nobles rule the people with these thoughts in their heart?

Or was it because he was undead? Did he have this perspective because he was undead?

Neia could not answer that question.

Also, if it really was one hundred meters high, thered be complaints about things like not getting enough sunlight and so on.

The Sorcerer King followed up with what sounded like a joke, which only served to drill the humility of this incredible monarch into Neias heart once more. This man was truly a King of Kings.

As the Sorcerer King had pointed out earlier, the Holy Kingdom Liberation Armys base was a natural cave in a mountain.

There was an underground spring in one corner of the cave, and while the ceiling was not very high, it was very spacious, enough for a horse and carriage to enter. In addition, mushrooms, which emitted bluish-white light sprouted all around around half the height of a man so they did not need other sources of light.

The reason why they knew of this place was because the paladins had once been sent here to exterminate a monster which had made this location its lair.

After they fled here, they refurbished the place and divided it into several sectors, each serving a different purpose. They had even managed to make their sleeping quarters look like proper rooms. They cut down the trees around the mountain each of them around one hundred meters tall, and made simple furnishings and furniture from them.

But ultimately, it was just a cave.

There were a total of 347 people here: 189 paladins, 71 priests including trainees and other such personnel as well as 87 commoners with nowhere else to go. Naturally, hoping for a private room was out of the question.

Even so, they could not let the king of another country stay with everyone else.

Of course, there was the wish to minimize contact between the undead Sorcerer King and the citizenry of the Holy Kingdom, as well as the desire to keep him from coming into contact with the secret information within their base, and other considerations on the part of the Holy Kingdom.

However, they could not say that they would like him to use teleportation magic so he could take his rest in the Sorcerous Kingdom instead.

In the end, they had to forcibly move others things away and create a private room for the Sorcerer King.

Under normal circumstances, they would have sent messengers to report the arrival of the Sorcerer Kings arrival and have the others make preparations to receive him, but the Holy Kingdom was now in the thrall of demihumans. They could not send out paladins, who had poor enemy detection abilities, as outriders. In addition, Neia was now in the Sorcerer Kings carriage and waiting outside the cave. The people in the cave were frantically moving personal effects and transferring beds and cabinets and the like. In addition, they had already hung up a borrowed flag of the Sorcerous Kingdom.

Hm.

What is the matter, Your Majesty?

While I do not intend to insult you, I have a few questions about all of this which I hope you can answer to the best of your ability. It would seem you are not hiding your tracks; is that not a problem? Or will someone else take care of that?

The Sorcerer King delivered his question in a flat as though he was reading off something tone of voice, and then Neias eyes went wide.

He was correct.

They would leave tracks in the process of climbing this mountain, which was untouched by human hands.

When one added the hoofprints of the paladins mounts to them, it would be immediately obvious. In that case, the fact that they had not yet been discovered was pure coincidence. Or was it?

Your, Your Majesty. We have not performed any concealment work until today; could it be theyve deliberately let us off? But why?

Neias voice trembled as she asked the Sorcerer King her question.

Along this journey, Neia had become fully aware that the Sorcerer King before her was an extremely wise individual. Therefore, she thought that he might immediately supply her the answer, and her thoughts were not mistaken.

There are many possibilities for that, but under normal circumstances, that would be the most likely one

For a moment, Neia thought that she should not be listening to the Sorcerer Kings answer alone, but in the presence of the Captain. However, she could not control the curiosity welling up inside her.

Could it be because they do not wish to lose track of you or rather, the Liberation Army?

Lose track of the Liberation Army?

Hm well, I apologize for this comparison, but say youve found a nest of rats causing trouble, letting them run hither and yon would be very troublesome, no? The best thing to do would be to wait for all the rats to gather and then eliminate them all in one fell swoop.

Hes right! Its just as His Majesty says. I find it hard to imagine any other possibility. Hes already thought this much in just a few minutes after coming to this place its as though he knows exactly what the enemy is thinking, hes amazing

Well, as long as the situation stays the same, there will be nothing to worry about. However, Im not just talking about the situation here. Changes on the enemys side might lead to a very high chance of being attacked, which would be troublesome.

Neia felt nothing but awed respect for the Sorcerer Kings intelligence as he highlighted the finer points of their circumstances.

Thank you very much, Your Majesty! I shall report this to the Captain right away!

Then I shall go too.

Eh? But surely you must be tired from the long journey. We have prepared a room for you, would it not be better to rest there for a while?

Have you forgotten? I am undead, you know? I do not need to rest.

He was right. Neia had completely forgotten that.

The undead were beings who did not feel fatigue. That was why trying to flee an undead being of comparable speed was very difficult, according to her lessons. While that was common knowledge, Neias experiences with the Sorcerer King had completely shattered her perception of the undead. At times, she even found herself thinking that he was just a human magic caster in a skeletal mask.

Thank you very much. Then, may I trouble you to come with me?

But of course. And there is no need to thank me. Since we are here to defeat Jaldabaoth, we ought to be helping each other out.

While she knew that we in this case referred to the Holy Kingdom and the Sorcerer King, it could also be interpreted as talking about Neia and the Sorcerer King. That made Neia feel a little excited.

Eventually, someone knocked on the carriage door from the outside.

Your Majesty, we have prepared a room for you.

Neia opened the door.

When the paladin outside saw the bow Neia was holding, his eyes went wide in surprise.

This was the first time she had brought the bow she had received from the Sorcerer King outside the carriage. That was because the Sorcerer King had not left his carriage ever since he had lent her the bow. In the end, nobody else had seen it until now.

You must be surprised, huh? Mm. I understand how you feel. This isnt a weapon youd let a squire carry

While the paladin bathed her in his gaze, Neia turned to face the carriage and bowed.

Though she was simply looking at the ground, after sensing that the Sorcerer King had dismounted, Neia raised her head and asked the paladin:

Sorry, but we need to speak with Captain Custodio, so can you lead us to her? His Majesty says he will be going as well.

Ah, ah, yes. Understood. Then, please follow me.

The paladin followed by the Sorcerer King, and then Neia entered the cave.

The bluish-white illumination from the mushrooms that was creepy. In places where the mushrooms were particularly prolific, monstrous shadows danced on the walls in the spaces between the mushrooms. In addition, their bluish-white light made her look like a corpse, but mysteriously enough, she did not mind it now.

As they walked through the cave, they occasionally saw commoners and priests, as well paladins standing watch.

They should have heard all about him from the Captain and the others who had gone ahead of them but they still could not help gawking at the Sorcerer King.

Its kind of rude, though

The Sorcerer King would not get angry, right? He was a very kind ruler. However, the kinder people were, the more frightening they tended to be when they did get angry.

Should she tell them they were being very rude, in order to avoid such an event? However, she could not go and tell each and every one of them in person, and it was not a problem that could be resolved by words alone anyway. After all, to the citizens of the Holy Kingdom to all of the living the undead were fundamentally the enemy.

Ill tell the Captain about this later well, its good that they havent drawn their weapons.

Suddenly, Neia sensed that the Sorcerer King had produced a piece of paper, and that he was looking at the letters written on it. Although Neia was interested in what was written there, she could not see the letters owing to the way it was concealed within his hand.

Finally, they were brought to a room that was partitioned off by a hanging curtain, and the sounds of a noisy exchange of opinions came from inside.

Captain Custodio. The Sorcerer King and Squire Baraja have arrived.

The interior fell silent.

The paper in the Sorcerer Kings hand had vanished to places unknown.

Let them in.

After hearing the Captains voice, the paladin pulled away the curtain.

The paladins and the priests who rose to welcome the Sorcerer King the ones who had not been part of the delegation had a complex blend of emotions in their eyes. Even Neia could sense this. Naturally, the Sorcerer King must have felt it too. However, there was no way to tell how he had reacted to it just by looking at his back.

Theres no way His Majesty cant feel the mood in the air perhaps he simply doesnt care about the petty fumblings of tiny men. Is this the bearing of a king?

Everyone, listen up. Before us stands His Majesty, the Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown. Unable to ignore the plight of our nation, he has specially come here on his own to aid us. You will accord him all due respect!

After Remedios said so, everyone in the room bowed to the Sorcerer King.

Once everyone had raised their heads, the Sorcerer King spoke in a grand tone.

Greetings. I am the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown. I have come to this land in order to help you, not on the behalf of my nation, but in a personal capacity. Therefore, while this might be a little sudden, I have noticed a few things on my way here, so I wish to seek your opinions on the matter. Please allow my follower to explain.

The Sorcerer King stepped aside, allowing Neia to walk past and in front of him.

Excuse me, everyone. Allow me to explain what His Majesty said earlier.

Neia relayed the Sorcerer Kings questions to everyone present. After the short speech, a heavy silence filled the room.

Then what does His Majesty propose we do?

Remedios addressed her question to Neia, who stood by his side.

No, before that, what do you think? I have only come to do battle with Jaldabaoth, not to lead you all. If I end up participating too heavily in your strategic planning sessions, do you not think things will become very troublesome after defeating Jaldabaoth?

Murmurs spread through the room.

Or do you mean to say you will subordinate yourself to my command? In that case, I will also use the most appropriate means to save this nation.

That ought to be the best way to do it, right? His Majesty might be undead, but everything he says makes perfect sense. He will surely abide by any agreements he makes too. Right now, at this very moment, if you want to save the suffering people, bending the knee to another countrys king for a time ought to be the right choice to make, no?

The only one who may stand above us is Her Majesty, the Holy Queen. Regretfully, we cannot accept commands from the king of another nation.

However, Remedios promptly rejected the offer.

!

You should be willing to do anything to save the people! Wasnt that the reason why were using the king of another nation, and such an incredible king at that!?

Neia hung her head. That was to hide the dark, muddy emotions which stuck to the interior of her chest.

May we inquire as to what course of action Your Majesty would take in our position?

If it were me, hm? Well, the logical thing would be to immediately move your base to a new location, no?

A new location

Everyone in the room, Remedios included, had a distressed look upon their face. That was because they did not know of any other place which was suitable as a hideout.

Judging by your response, I guess you do not know. In that case, you need to plan your future operations under the assumption that the quicker you move, the sooner Jaldabaoths army will attack you. Then, since that is all, I will retire to my room.

Just as Neia was about to follow him, the Sorcerer King held out his hand to stop her.

Forgive me, but I would like you to stay here and listen to the others opinion on my behalf, Miss Baraja.

Understood, Your Majesty.

While he had not acknowledged her as one of his people, it would seem the Sorcerer King was treating her as a substitute for himself. In that case, if she did not properly complete this task, he would be disappointed. Just imagining the Sorcerer King being disappointed made her heart flutter for some reason.

I can count on you, then? You dont mind, do you, Captain Custodio?

If Your Majesty permits it, we will not object.

After hearing that, the Sorcerer King turned to leave with the paladin assigned to be his guide.

Once he vanished around a corner, a priest spoke up.

So thats the Sorcerer King Captain Custodio. Will it really be all right? I hope the cure is not worse than the disease. That would be very troublesome.

Indeed. Taking future poison to escape present agony is that not what paupers do?

Weve talked about this before, havent we? Dont make me repeat myself. The poisons already in us now.

Not His Majesty, huh. They arent going to address him with respect?

Neia was irritated by the dramatic change in attitude they had shown the moment the Sorcerer King was gone.

If one understood the attitude of the citizens of the Holy Kingdom towards the undead, then their attitude was only to be expected. Rather, it was Neias displeasure which was abnormal. Why did she feel unhappy about this?

Well, hes still useful now, so it cant be helped and weve concretely seen how he can help us but as priests, we might have trouble neutralizing that poison, no?

What do you mean, useful? Someone notices a mistake we made and even goes on to supply a solution, but not only are they ungrateful, theyre still thinking about how to use him Ah, so thats it. Thats what I sensed from His Majesty, something which the Holy Kingdom now lacks a sense of integrity. Thats why I feel like this

How much of his grace had she received?

After sharing a carriage with him, she had been given the chance to realize the fact that despite being one of the undead, the Sorcerer King was a king that was worthy of respect.

Therefore, what she felt for these people would be more accurately termed pity.

Speaking of which, Squire Baraja. Whats that bow youre carrying?

Ah, yes. His Majesty said that he would lend me this weapon for the duration of my assignment.

May I take a look at it, Squire Baraja? I wish to see if the bow is enchanted with any sinister magic.

The priest extended his hand to her.

Normally, she would have handed it to him. However

Please permit me to refuse.

The priest was stunned. It was a face that said he had not expected to be denied.

This is a weapon I have received from His Majesty in order to protect his person. I will not allow it to leave my hands.

She would not allow someone who was only thinking of using an ally to touch it for even a single moment. Neia lowered her head as she replied to keep the anger in her heart from showing in her eyes.

Captain Custodio, whats the meaning of this?

Ahhh, Squire Baraja, hand that bow

In other words, you dont mind if I report this to His Majesty, then?

The air in the room froze over.

Enough. I understand. Lets continue talking.

Hmm~ so at least they still know that things will go poorly for them if His Majesty finds out.

Before that, Captain Custodio, would it not be better to let Squire Baraja return to the Sorcerer Kingdonos side?

Neia noticed one of the priests glancing at the bow for just a moment.

Neia understood the meaning he was trying to convey, but despite the anger boiling in her heart, she did not let it spill over to her words or actions.

I apologize, but I am here to listen to everyones words by order of His Majesty. I would be very grateful if you would let me continue to remain here and listen to your words from the side.

True enough Gustavo. What do you think we should do?

His Majesty said so in front of all of us. If we have her leave now, it will probably cause more problems in the future.

Thats true. So well let her remain, then?

Is this something you should be saying in front of the person in question? As Neia thought this, she bowed in silent gratitude.

Now then, following on what the Sorcerer King has said, what should we do? Does anyone have any ideas about leaving this place and looking for a new refuge?

Perhaps someone with her father Pavels ranger skills might be able to find a place for this many people to stay for extended periods. However, there was nobody like that here.

The Sorcerer King His Majesty said earlier that if we do not do anything, Jaldabaoth will not make a move either. In that case, why not search for a new place before they take action?

That suggestion, made by one of the paladins, met with scattered approval. However, Neia knew very well that putting the matter off would not solve anything. In the end, all it would do was cause a pileup of problems in the future.

The problem isnt just finding a new place, but also the matter of provisions. While this is winter so food is easy to preserve, finding enough to tide us through the entire season is not easy. Even if we have not secured the Kingdoms cooperation, shouldnt we at least buy some food from them? Wouldnt that help things?

Unfortunately, prices are unbelievably high on the Kingdoms side. Also, even if we did manage to buy the food, wed need a massive amount to sustain this many people for several months, so transporting it would be very difficult.

Vice-Captain-dono, I understand what youre trying to say. However, there wont even be anything to discuss without that food. In the end, we need some way to get rations from the south, no? Or perhaps shift our base closer to the coastline, so we can ship it in from the Kingdom.

Unfortunately, we lack the funds for that, and we didnt get a good response from the Kingdoms traders. As for getting it from the south

Gustavo smiled bitterly as he replied:

They probably havent realised that danger is drawing near for them. Our navy is being slowly worn down. Its like theyre taking a step closer to the chopping block with each day that passes.

So we need something to make the south want to help us, is that it?

The base, the food, our problems are piling up.

As for resurrecting the Holy Queen-sama can it be done? After all, once we can get that settled, everything else will be moot.

Unfortunately, according to what we learned from Blue Rose, even that fifth tier spell will have a hard time working without a corpse, or if its badly-damaged.

Can we count on His Majestys power?

You want to borrow the power of the undead?

Things being what they are, what else can we do? If the Holy Queen-sama were to be resurrected, then only the main problem (Jaldabaoth) would remain.

Everyones eyes turned to the sour-faced Remedios.

Lets set that aside for the moment. We discussed this while travelling through the other countries, but our main objective will be to attack the camps and liberate the people.

Many people nodded in agreement.

I see. All of the Holy Kingdoms people are combat-trained. In that case, just freeing a single village will grant us a certain amount of fighting strength assuming theyre willing to help, of course. However, in that case, wouldnt that make the food problem worse?

Thats why Im saying we should attack the camps. There ought to be food there.

I see! Thats Captain Custodio for you!

Remedios smiled as she heard one of the paladins say so.

However, Neias eyes were cold as she looked at the smug Remedios. After all, she knew who that suggestion had come from.

Also, with the help of the people, well continue attacking and liberating the camps in various locations. That way, well be able to find nobles with ties to the south. Well gather their troops before Jaldabaoth can destroy us and strike him a crushing blow. That ought to keep them from doing anything too.

I see!

This time, there were more voices of agreement.

Well go with that. In that case, Squire Baraja, go relay this to the Sorcerer King

Please wait, Captain. I feel it would be better if I told him myself. It would be the basic courtesy to show a nations king when informing a king about our operations.

Gustavo was correct, but for some reason, something seemed off.

However, Neia could not object to this without knowing what that was.

Very well. Do so, then. Ill leave it to you.

Understood!

Neia and Gustavo returned to the Sorcerer Kings room together. Its door was little more than a piece of cloth, but a paladin still stood in front of it. Was he there to look out for people who might harm the guest within, or watch over the guest himself?

After being ordered to stand down by Gustavo, the paladin left.

Neia mentally furrowed her brow.

Since he had sent away the guard, coming here definitely meant he had something else in mind besides telling him about the plan. It was hard to imagine that they would want to assassinate him. However, should that really come to pass, then she would need to wield her weapon as the Sorcerer Kings shield.

Your Majesty, this one is Gustavo Montanjes; I and Squire Neia Baraja seek your permission to enter.

After it was granted, Gustavo took a step into the room.

When one recalled the inns they had seen in the Kingdom and the Sorcerous Kingdom, this place seemed terribly austere. This was no place for a nations king to rest.

There was nothing to be done about the fact that the cave walls were bare rock, but even the furniture was in in a sad state.

While paladins learned to sew during their squire days, it was not enough for them to make furniture.

However, the bed where the Sorcerer King sat was extremely beautiful. It gleamed with black radiance, like it was made of onyx. In addition, there were pure white sheets upon it.

Anyone else would have been scared senseless by the sight of this beautiful bed which had been produced from places unknown. However, to Neia, she had long since come to think that such matters were nothing to to be hung up about when it came to the Sorcerer King. Besides, it was possible that he had simply teleported home and came back with a bed.

Still, it was a different matter for Gustavo, who did not know the Sorcerer King like Neia did.

Your, Your Majesty. What, what is that?

Oh, this? The Sorcerer King indicated his bed. I made it with magic. As for this blanket, well, I also made it with magic. That said, I have no idea where this one hundred percent wool came from, but it feels good to lie down on. Im sure you could have a comfortable rest on it.

Even after receiving that answer, all Gustavo could do was stiffly reply, Ah, ahh. However, Neia did not have an intention to criticize him for it. After all, she too was looking into the distance and thinking, Magic really can do anything~

Now then, I understand why Miss Baraja has returned. But why have you come as well, Vice-Captain-dono?

Ah, ah, yes! While I have no intention of slighting Squire Baraja, I felt that it would be more appropriate, as the Vice-Captain, to conduct the upcoming briefing myself; hence my presence here.

Hm if that is what you all think, then I as an outsider have no room to disapprove. However, I would like to say something.

Just then, something black seemed to blend with the crimson points of light which served as the Sorcerer Kings eyes.

I gave her those orders because I felt she could carry them out. Interfering in the matter by weight of your position as a superior is comparable to slighting my judgement. I trust you understand how that would displease me, no?

Until now, no matter how he had looked at her, no matter how he had treated her, the Sorcerer King had never once shown Neia his unhappiness. However, for the first time, he was showing his anger before Neia. This anger was born from his trust in Neia, and it caused a current of heat to course through her chest. He was the only one who held that opinion of her.

I sincerely apologize!

That apology should be directed at her. Still, well, nevermind. Go ahead and brief me.

Gustavo briefly summarized the details of what had been said, but his only answer was a vague Hmm.

I see. Then what do you expect me to do? Or are you saying you have truly come just to inform me of this?

Of course not; I wished to ask if Your Majesty had any opinions about this operation.

So that was it.

He wanted to borrow the intellect of the Sorcerer King. That was what had worried Neia about his insistence on coming along. Ordering that paladin away was also for that reason. If he overheard what Gustavo said, if he learned that the Vice-Captain had bowed his head to the king of another country, who was also one of the undead, things would go very badly indeed.

At this point, whats the use of covering things up

It was plain to see that they were helpless without the might of the Sorcerer King. That being the case, news of this would certainly circulate throughout the people. It was only a matter of whether it took place sooner or later.

What the people of the Holy Kingdom should have done was to spread the word of the Sorcerer Kings mercy and compassion throughout the land, and then treated him with gratitude.

While I understand theyre wary of him because hes one of the undead, I dont think the Sorcerer Kings that kind of man

Still, even if Neia told everyone, it was likely that no-one would believe her. They might even think she was the subject of a Charm spell or similar magic.

What can I do to make everyone trust the Sorcerer King? In the end, it seems Ill need to do something to change the first impression of him. However, I cant possibly say something rude like, Please let more people accompany you

While Neia pondered the matter, the Sorcerer King was still speaking to Gustavo.

No, Ive already said this. I will not comment on your battle plans.

I pray you will furnish us with a solution on this point, because we have nowhere left to go. We would like to avoid the possibility of failure, however slight.

And that is the reason why I will not. If you heed my suggestions and the operation ends in a failure, what shall be done? I do not intend to shoulder that responsibility, you know?

Yes. Therefore, I feel that what we discuss here should remain with my heart, that of Your Majestys, and Squire Barajas.

Miss Baraja too? Would it not be better not to let her hear this?

No, for various reasons, it would be better if there was a third party other than ourselves present. Also, with someone of her skills around, we might be able to come up with more ideas.

Hm, then we may briefly discuss the matter. Miss Baraja, I trust you are fine with this?

Ah! Yes, I dont mind.

In that case there were several points in the operation you suggested just now which bothered me. The first is the question of rations. I agree that there might be food stocks in the prison camps, but I do not feel there will be much there. When you think about it, do you think they would feed their captives properly? If it were up to me, I would decrease their daily food intake and weaken them so they would have no chance to revolt. Also, there is the matter of pressing them into service as soldiers after rescuing them. What about their weapons? Have you transported them to this cave?

No, we have not. I would like to think we could obtain those from the camps.

Your plan of wagering everything on these camps is very dangerous. You do understand this, right?

Yes. However, saving the people suffering in there is very important.

On that point I concur. The more time passes, the less they will love this country. However, it would be best to do something about the food situation. In truth, I feel that seeking the aid of the south is the best choice in many ways. What can be done to accomplish that more easily?

The royal family will help. While the Holy Queen-sama has already passed away, I do not think all the royals have been wiped out. We could aid the members of the royal family supported by the southern nobles, and then have them ask the southern nobles to cooperate with us. If we did that, we would also have a safe refuge speaking of which, Your Majesty. The Holy Queen is dead, but perhaps Your Majesty could do something about it?

What do you want me to do about it?

Resurrection.

I see. That is not impossible.

He said so in such a casual tone that Neia doubted her ears for a moment. Resurrection magic could be considered the ultimate secret of divine magic. Very few humans could use it. How many people in this world could speak those words so easily?

Naturally, I will expect some form of compensation for this. Then where is the body? In what state is it?

The bodys location is currently unknown, as is its status. On the subject of compensation, we will gladly pay as much money as Your Majesty desires.

The Sorcerer King waved his hand before his face.

The lack of a body will make things very difficult. Even with one, damage to the body might complicate matters. Without an intact corpse, there is a chance that if I used resurrection magic, it might become one of the undead.

That, that would be very problematic for us.

The Holy Queen becoming an undead being would not just be problematic, it might plunge the entire Holy Kingdom into war.

Are there no magic casters in the Holy Kingdom which can use resurrection magic of the fifth tier?

I apologize, but I have not heard of any.

Hoh and what about the remaining members of the royal family?

They are probably in one of the internment camps. After so long, I doubt any of them are still hidden within the cities.

Ho, prisoners, then? Do you have any information on where they might be?

None at all, Gustavo replied with a shake of his head. The Sorcerer King looked at the ceiling.

Umu. You really are making this up as you go along, arent you?

Indeed, it is so. Nobody among the paladins is skilled at collecting information

Is that so The Sorcerer King hmmed to himself. As I thought, a solid organization to allow every subordinate to deal with all kinds of situations is essential. In addition, one needs multiple intelligence-gathering apparatuses.

There-therefore, we were hoping to draw on Your Majestys might. May I know if you could help us with your magic?

Well, magic is not that omnipotent for starters, we need detailed information on the prison camps. I trust you have a detailed map for me to peruse?

My sincerest apologies

I do not think there is one here; shall I fetch one? Neia interrupted halfway.

Maps were the treasure of a kingdom. The more accurate they were, the more useful they were in battle. Allowing a possible enemy nation to know so much about ones geography did far more harm than good. Therefore, Gustavo must have been planning to refuse him.

However.

Neia could not concede on this point.

She could not tolerate their one-sided usage of the Sorcerer King.

If they wanted to draw on his wisdom, they would have to pay that price.

Although Gustavo stared daggers at her, Neia pretended that she had not noticed.

Ah, in that case, let me take a look at it afterwards. Also, I apologize, but do tell me everything you know about the terrain, Miss Baraja.

Understood!

After the two of them spoke to each other, Gustavo pulled aside the curtain and left. Once the sounds of his footsteps faded away, the Sorcerer King muttered:

You dont have to worry about it. I came here for my own gain, Thats how valuable Jaldabaoths demon maids are.

Yes.

He must have been talking about the maps.

Neias chest burned. Truly, it was a joyful thing to have everything you did validated by others.

Still, this really is pushing it. Im surprised an organization that splinters so easily has held out for so long.

My deepest apologies.

No, theres no need to apologize to me however, its quite troublesome when an organization isnt united. Do you not use majority vote when a difference of opinion occurs? And of course, a rule to not hold grudges whatever the outcome.

How wonderful it would be if we could unite the group in that way. It sounds like a dream organization.

Mm wonderful, you say?

The Sorcerer King suddenly looked at the ceiling, but his eyes seemed to be gazing at something further away.

Yes, that truly was the organization of my dreams.

Could it be that Your Majestys nation is organized along those lines?

Ah, ahhh. No, not like that. Unfortunately, my country is not such a group. Still kuku.

The Sorcerer King went quiet, and then he laughed warmly,

It would be interesting if it was.

Interesting, you say?

Now then, can you tell me about the surrounding area?