But everyone just stood there watching, unable to move. Jaldabaoth had the Holy Lady hostage, so no one could attack him.
No, they were afraid that if they did attack him, he would use Calca’s body to absorb the hit. What would they do if that was how she died?
Paying no mind to their indecision…the star fell.
Chapter 2 | Seeking Salvation
1
A lone girl walked the streets of the Kingdom.
She had neither a particularly cute face nor the kind of body that would turn heads, but there was certainly something about her that did attract attention—in a bad way.
It was the slant of her dark, tapered eyes, which always made her look like she was always scowling, and the bags under them only accentuated the violent demeanor that wouldn’t look out of place on an inhabitant of some seedy backstreet.
Those eyes may have been handy for walking in a crowd, but they also got her possessions checked extra carefully at the city gate. She—Neia Baraja—looked up at the sky.
Thick, heavy clouds blocked out everything above, so while it wasn’t even noon yet, it already felt like evening.
The worst of winter may have been over, but spring was still a ways off.
Emitting a bone-tired sigh, she activated the keen senses she had inherited and headed down the road to the inn where she was staying.
The reason Neia had her guard so high was that ever since she had arrived in this city, she’d felt something like a sense of rejection as an outsider.
Of course, it was probably just in her head.
She was hiding her face with the hood of her cape. Like that, there was no way to tell she was from another country. But the weight she sensed in the air wasn’t just in her head. Glancing furtively at the people passing by, she saw their faces were gloomy, their steps heavy. They seemed to be cloaked in winter blues.
As she was thinking that the sky was usually clear, it occurred to her that the closed-off feeling in the Re-Estize Kingdom’s royal capital, the mysterious depression, stemmed from something else.
It could be because they recently lost a war. Compared to this, the people of Roebel are practically skipping.
The region of the Sacred Kingdom south of the bay was apparently still safe; only the north was hell.
But knowing that didn’t cheer her up. Not as a member of the liberation army made up of the remnants of the defeated Northern Sacred Kingdom and not as a member of their delegation to this foreign land.
Demoralized, Neia reached for her hip as if toward salvation, and there she felt the cold touch only steel could offer.
The sword she wore bore the crest of the Sacred Kingdom’s paladins that indicated her rank.
Paladins wielded blades that were slightly enchanted, but hers wasn’t—because it was a trainee-sword for squires.
Only after completing her training and being knighted would her trusty sword be imbued with magical power. It was part of the knighting ceremony. Until then, the blade was only a sharp lump of steel, but it had still been her partner throughout the long, arduous training process. It was no wonder she had gotten into the habit of reaching for it when she was anxious.
Having calmed herself a bit with the touch of steel, Neia exhaled a puff of white, pulled her cape close around her, and sped up.
Thinking of the bad news she had to deliver made her feet drag. That’s why she had to consciously move faster. It was better to get unpleasant work over with as soon as possible.
Soon, the inn where the delegation was staying came into view.
It was a gorgeous inn, and the price was proportionately high. She had heard it was one of the top five places to stay in the royal capital.
Thinking of the state of the Northern Sacred Kingdom and how her countrymen were suffering, it felt wrong to be enjoying such luxury. And in fact, the woman heading up the delegation had opposed it on those exact grounds, saying it would be better to choose a lower-class inn and use the money they saved for something else.
But the man who was second-in-command made a suggestion that overturned the leader’s opinion. “If we, as representatives of the Sacred Kingdom, stay in shabby lodgings, people will think Roebel is done for. To avoid giving that impression, we need to stay somewhere expensive to show that our country is still sound.”
Logically, he was right, and no one from the delegation objected. The leader was the only one to disagree—it just didn’t sit right with her emotionally. They argued for a while, and the others urged her until she reluctantly agreed.
Still, everyone understood that they didn’t have money to spare. In order to keep their visit short, they were even putting Neia, a squire, to work.
The delegation’s purpose for visiting Re-Estize was to request aid for Roebel; Neia and the other members were ordered to make appointments with strong people in the kingdom.
The delegation leader wasn’t wrong to think that a squire could make an appointment.
But the only squire in the group was Neia; all the other members were full-fledged paladins. Even if she made an appointment, when whoever she visited heard that their peers were visited by paladins and they only met with a squire, what would they think?
Probably, they would be offended. Even Neia realized that, so she suggested as much, but her orders didn’t change. A mere squire like herself couldn’t say much else, but still she persisted.
If it was her own failure and only her own, that would be one thing. But it might end with the Sacred Kingdom getting less assistance in this time of agonizing struggle. She couldn’t simply say, Yes, understood, when so many lives were on the line.
A squire not immediately following orders had put the delegation leader in an even worse mood. She acted as if everything was Neia’s fault. The second-in-command stepped in and resolved the issue, but it was clear that the leader didn’t think very highly of Neia.
The reason Neia had come was supposedly to keep watch on their travels with her sharp vision. Expecting anything else out of her put her in a tough spot.
Not like I can tell them that…
Neia sighed up at the sky and watched the white puff of her breath disappear into the chilly air. The thought of returning to the inn and being under all that pressure made her stomach hurt.
The noble she had gone to visit wasn’t terribly influential—in terms of rank in the Kingdom—so though she didn’t manage to get a meeting, it probably wasn’t a big deal. Still, she knew the delegation leader would gripe at her.
…What can we expect? We’re asking people with some degree of standing to meet without forewarning. They probably need time to investigate my background and gather information. I might have been able to get a meeting after waiting a week or so.
Or maybe that was just an excuse.
And it was our leader who decided we could only spend a few days in the capital… Our leader…
Their leader was always on edge as of late; she seemed to be having a hard time controlling her emotions.
She didn’t used to be like that, Neia knew. Their leader was once tolerant and generous—or sloppy, to put it less kindly. But after the battle where the Holy Lady had been lost, her personality changed dramatically.
“…I just can’t catch a break.”
As a squire, Neia had to hang her head in response to her leader’s scolding, even if it wasn’t fair.
That said, this burden was nothing compared to what the people still living and fighting in the Sacred Kingdom were experiencing. She could just lower her head and wait for the storm to pass.
Having steeled her resolve—or perhaps just resigning herself—Neia arrived at the inn.
With a deep breath, she took off her hood and pushed the grand door open.
Since it was such a high-class inn, it didn’t open up immediately into the lounge; there was a little room first. Apparently, this was a place to wipe the mud from one’s boots.
That said, she’d only been to a wealthy area paved with stones,
which had been much the same as the area around the inn. It hadn’t even been raining, so of course her boots weren’t dirty.
Neia opened the door opposite the one she had come in.
Warm air flowed out.
Directly across from her was reception. And to the right was the bar. To the left were the stairs, and near there were some sofas facing each other.
There was no hearth in the room—the difference in temperature from the outside was supposedly thanks to a magic object.
In Roebel, most casters were priests, and they didn’t create many items for use in everyday life. It seemed Re-Estize was ahead in terms of technology. If that was the case, then the empire her father spoke of had to be amazing.
She figured she’d live out her days without ever visiting, but she couldn’t help wishing a bit.
Most village girls lived their whole lives without getting to see anything beyond where they were born. People like Neia who served their country but weren’t particular adept at anything usually didn’t get to go abroad.
In that sense, maybe the chance to see a foreign land is a bit of luck in the middle of this catastrophe.
With those thoughts lightly on her mind, Neia climbed the stairs to the second floor where the delegation was staying. The innkeeper recognized her, so she wasn’t challenged.
Considering the cost of this inn, it would have been better to rent one room here for the leader and her second, while the others stayed somewhere cheaper, but when the deputy pointed out that some people might take such fussy economizing as a sign that the Sacred Kingdom had no future, the leader conceded the point.
When she reached the leader’s room and knocked, the door opened a crack. There stood a paladin on guard.
The security detail was for the Sacred Kingdom’s strongest paladin, the leader of the delegation. Well, the one answering the door was more like a footman than a guard, so Neia felt like it might have made more sense to have her fill that role. Of course, she knew that a nail that stuck out would get hammered down, so she didn’t say anything like that.
“Neia Baraja, reporting back.”
The door opened wider, so she went inside.
She could see a large room at the end of the hall. In the center of the room was a big, long table where the leader was sitting.
It was the leader Remedios Custodio and her second-in-command, Gustav Montagnés. Additionally, over half the seventeen delegate paladins stood at attention against the wall.
The two leaders had some documents spread out on the table. Stealing a glance, Neia could see that most of the names were crossed off.
“Neia Baraja, reporting back, ma’am.” She announced herself standing tall with her chest out.
“How’d it go?”
“My apologies. Apparently, there was no time for a meeting. The minimum wait would be two weeks.”
“Tch.” Remedios clicked her tongue.
Neia’s stomach twinged. Was the irritation directed at her or the kingdom noble who refused to meet her? It seemed like it could be either, but she didn’t dare ask.
“Ah. Well, thanks for going out in the cold. Head back to your room and rest up.”
“Yes, sir!”
Neia suppressed the sigh of relief that threatened to slip out in response to Gustav’s kindness. She got ready to leave as fast as possible, but Remedios stopped her.
“…Before that, I want to ask… Did you try to negotiate for an earlier meeting?”
“Huh? Um! Yes! Of course, I asked, but unfortunately, it wasn’t possible…”
“Are you sure you aren’t just a lousy negotiator?”
“Uh, w-well—”
Who could just outright say no? And it was clear that she would get a talking-to either way.
“—Commander, it’s not only the noble she called on. Other nobles have also refused. Although some said they can’t help but would still like to talk.”
Remedios rolled her eyes to glare at Gustav when he interrupted. A tension beyond description continued to mount.
“Neia Baraja.”
“Ma’am!”
So I’m going to be the target of her attack after all? she thought, disappointed, but of course she responded energetically so as not to show it.
Gustav tried to mediate, but Remedios ignored him and stared Neia down.
“While we’re here doing this, droves of people are being slaughtered by the subhuman army Jaldabaoth leads. Four major cities have already fallen, and there’s no telling how many towns and villages have been ravaged.”
The four cities were:
The political center of the country and capital, where the main shrine of the Sacred Kingdom’s religion, the Holy Sanctuary, was located, Jobans.
The bayside city west of the capital, Limun.
The city nearest the great wall—the fortress line—boasting the strongest curtain wall of any settlement, since it was positioned to be the first major target of any major invasion, Fortress City Karinsha.
And finally, the city between Jobans and Karinsha, Prato.
In other words, all the major cities of the north were now under the control of Jaldabaoth’s subhuman army.
“And on top of that, many of the survivors have been caught and taken to camps built in the cities and villages. I’m told that what goes on there would make your blood run cold.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The camps Remedios was talking about reportedly had walls erected around them, and no one had managed to infiltrate the sites yet, so no one had actually seen what happened inside. But there were whispers that they were guarded by subhumans, and according to people who had snuck up close enough to hear, groans and screams filtered out on the wind.
More than anything, the demon ruler Jaldabaoth hardly seemed like the type to show human prisoners compassion.
“You know all that, and yet you dare to bring back such pitiful results? Are you really trying? If you are, then show me some real progress.”
“My apologies, ma’am!”
That was true. Remedios was absolutely right. But—
Neia had another feeling she couldn’t suppress.
Then what does that make you as the commander of the paladins if you can’t even save our imprisoned people?!
She wanted to throw her words back in her face. But as a squire of the Sacred Kingdom, there was no way she could do that.
“So you’re sorry, but what does that do? How are you going to get things done?”
Neia had no reply.
She was just a regular person. She didn’t have noble standing or wealth or anything at all. She wasn’t even a paladin, only a squire. What could someone like her offer that would attract a noble of the kingdom? Her only option was…
“I’ll work hard.”
…pressing on with attitude. But Remedios didn’t seem to like that answer.
“I’m asking what kind of hard work. Working hard in the wrong way won’t—”
“Commander,” Gustav interrupted her. “How about we leave it at that for now and start getting ready? The Blue Roses will be here soon. It could offend them if our welcome is delayed.”
“Right. Squire Baraja, apply yourself harder and get something to show for it!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Remedios waved Neia off as if she were saying, Now get outta here.
“Excuse me, then, Commander Custodio!” Though she was exhausted, internally she trembled with happiness—Yes!—as she turned to go. But her reinforcements up until a moment ago suddenly turned into her worst enemy.
“Commander, maybe she should stay for the meeting with the Blue Roses.”
Neia’s vision went fully dark for a moment when she heard what Gustav said. Why should a mere squire participate in that discussion?
Remedios looked at her deputy. Her gaze was so different from what she had been directing at Neia a moment ago. It was like she was like another person; she looked so friendly.
“Oh? If you say so…
But why?”
“Well, even though she’s a squire, we brought her along for her uncommonly sharp senses. She may notice something that only she could.”
Many paladins and squires had died in the battle against Jaldabaoth. But there were still survivors. The reason Neia had been chosen over a knight was her keen perception.
Paladins had superior combat skills, but other than that, they were ordinary people. In other words, they needed to be supported by someone with scouting skills who could travel without being noticed, detect enemies at a distance, and slip through encirclements.
Normally, that would mean adventurers or light infantry, but many of them had fallen, and those who survived had fled south or to other countries. With such a severe lack of experienced personnel, the job fell to her.
She wasn’t anywhere near as skilled as her father was, but she still boasted keener senses than most paladins. She was glad that her abilities were useful to the country, but what happiness it brought her had mostly worn off. At this point, she even somewhat resented having been chosen for this mission.
“Hmm. Well, if that’s what you think, then we should do it. Permission granted.”
“Thank you, Commander.”
“…Squire Baraja, as you just heard, we’re going to have you sit in the corner and listen. Let us know if you notice anything… Now go to your room and make yourself presentable before you return.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
Finally, I’m free. That’s what she was thinking when Gustav followed her out. Once they were clear of the room, he spoke to her in a low voice.
“Sorry about her.”
Neia stopped and turned to ask something that had been on her mind. “I must have done something to make her mad, right? I heard that she changed completely when that city fell. Do you know what happened?”
“…A lot of paladins died in that fight against Jaldabaoth. As well as the Holy Lady and the commander’s younger sister.”
Neia knew that. But so what?
She was no different.
Her parents were probably both dead. And such circumstances were no longer rare in the Sacred Kingdom. But it wasn’t as if she could say those things aloud.
The Paladin of the Sacred Kingdom Part I Page 8