“Haahaahaa! It has been a long time since someone let their mouth run in front of me. It may, in fact, be a first for a woman as well. How pleasant. You may boast of that in hell.”
With a crack, the air froze over.
Like I thought, it’s come to this... Tch! With a sword used only for show hanging at her waist, Chastille was basically unarmed. To Raphael, it wouldn’t change the fact that he could crush her underfoot like an insect.
“U-UWAAAH, please run away, Lady Chastille!” The three Angelic Knights sprang forth. However, they were far too powerless to take on this giant of a man. And at that exact moment...
“Lord Raphael, what exactly are you doing to my Angelic Knights, pray tell?” The one who let out a roar at the giant of a knight was an elderly cardinal.
Rough steps came rushing over from deeper within the cathedral where the cardinal’s office was.
“Hmph. Clavwell, is it? I have no business with a man who can’t think of anything that isn’t written upon paper.”
“Even if you have no business with me, I have a sworn duty to protect the Angelic Knights under my care. Know that you shall not be permitted to do as you please here.”
Hearing such reliable words made Chastille think tears were about to spill from her eyes.
As for Raphael, he stared back at the cardinal without showing any hint of respect.
“More importantly, bastard... it seems you revoked this one’s access to her Sacred Sword?”
“It was not revoked, but is merely being kept in custody temporarily.”
“Isn’t that the same thing? Where is it?”
And in response to that, Clavwell returned an unconvinced gaze.
“...And what do you intend to do upon learning its location?”
“You know full well. A sword only has value when it is wielded. Is there any meaning to stowing it in a sheath and using it as a gaudy decoration?”
Clavwell then questioned him in a quiet tone, as if searching for the significance of his words.
“Are you, by any chance, requesting that I return it to Chastille?”
“That does not even need to be said. The Sacred Sword chooses its wielder of its own will. As long as the wielder is alive, no other may wield it,” Raphael paused there for a moment, then glanced over to Chastille and continued, “Though, that only applies as long as Chastille still draws breath. She would lose custody of it if the life was choked out of her, for example,” he expanded on his point, making a gruesome smile as if saying that he would happily take on such a role as he did.
“What a repulsive response!” Clavwell exclaimed, then stepped back in shock. And, as Clavwell mimed the sign of the cross in front of his chest and returned a glare at him, Raphael spoke out without any signs of timidness.
“What are you so frightened of? Am I not simply stating facts? In the first place, you bastards have no right to interject into how a wielder of a Sacred Sword brandishes their blade. All you need do is think about how to deal with the damn aftermath,” he claimed. The way he was speaking made it sound like as long as one was acknowledged by a Sacred Sword, then even a massacre would be permitted.
This is... the most dreadful Archangel...
Scolding the weak portions of herself that wanted to falter, Chastille forced her way out in front of Raphael.
“You have gone too far, Lord Raphael. If we were to wield our swords only to fulfill our base desires, then that in itself would be heresy!” Chastille roared, her hands trembling in fear all the while. And as she gripped them tightly, she glared at Raphael.
“Oh, so you would speak sharply at me not just once, but even twice, huh?” Raphael muttered like he was enjoying himself, then shifted his focus over to the cardinal.
“In any case, is this fine, Clavwell? One of those damn Angelic Knights that you should be protecting is on the verge of losing her life here.”
“Ugh...”
Clavwell knew there was a distinct possibility that many could cut down Chastille right where she stood, so he could do nothing but let out a groan.
But why is he trying to make me take up the Sacred Sword? If his goal was just an execution, then it would have been fine to just cut her down immediately. He already had more than enough just cause to do so, after all.
Then, is he just trying to make sport of me resisting? She didn’t want to think that such a man was chosen by a Sacred Sword, but she couldn’t think of anything else.
“...Understood. Chastille, follow me,” Clavwell said. And, as if he was beaten down by Raphael’s persistence, he invited Chastille into the depths of the cathedral.
On the other side of the door was a red carpet laid across the floor, and several doors were lined up leading to the offices of the cardinal and the Angelic Knights. At the very end was a gate with busts modeled after angels protecting it on each side, along with two Angelic Knights serving as guards.
As one would expect, Raphael and the three Angelic Knights did not follow them. And after verifying that, Cardinal Clavwell whispered to Chastille.
“Whether or not it is correct to return this to you at present is something that even I do not know. By some chance, this may just give that man a pretext to kill you, even.”
“...I am fully aware,” Chastille claimed. She didn’t know what Raphael’s true motives were, but it likely wouldn’t end up in a situation where Chastille couldn’t even wield a sword, at the very least.
Making Clavwell return her Sacred Sword seemed more like a move designed to protect her, rather than an attempt to make an example to others.
As they eventually arrived at the angel’s gate, the Angelic Knights who served as gatekeepers blocked their path.
“Your Eminence Clavwell, what business do you have here?”
“The time has come to return the Sacred Sword to Chastille. Please open the path.”
The two gatekeepers exchanged glances, but immediately moved off to the sides. The cardinal was the chief executive of the church they were in, so they could do naught to obstruct his path.
And, as he proceeded onward, the two gatekeepers stood before Chastille.
“As for you, please wait here.”
By all rights, it was a disrespectful attitude toward her, but Chastille obediently waited where she was. And before long, Clavwell returned with her sword in hand.
“I shall have faith that you will cut through any trials with your own two hands,” he said, then placed the Sacred Sword in Chastille’s hands.
◇
Evening. A bar in Kianoides.
“Hyahyahyahyahyahya! You adopted a kid, seriously?” The one letting out a vulgar laugh was Zagan’s undesirable friend, Barbatos.
After he finished procuring new books from Archdemon Palace, Zagan was called out by his undesirable friend and returned to town on his own right after arriving home.
Nephy and Foll should be finishing up dinner right around now, right...?
Since he was called out to a bar, he told Nephy that he wouldn’t need dinner. And now, Zagan was questioning whether there was any meaning in coming here when he had to miss out on his time with them. However, while he was asking himself that, Barbatos’ stupid laugh continued to echo.
As one would expect, Zagan responded in a sharp tone.
“...Why do you even know that?”
“Gerageragera. You know, Zagan, why don’t you try speaking after looking at your own fucking face in a mirror? If people heard that an evil looking ass like you was walking about with an innocent looking brat, then it would turn into an uproar over a kidnapping, right!?”
Zagan didn’t know how widely the rumors had spread, but it seemed that him walking around with Foll had become the talk of the town.
Well, the number of people who would mess with Foll should decrease in proportion to that, at least...
There were no humans out there who would dare incur his displeasure while knowing his name. If there were any, then at most it would just be the Angelic Kni
ghts of the church, but even they were not foolish enough to challenge him without the means to do so.
It was more than enough that word was spreading around that Foll was under his patronage. And it seemed Barbatos had summoned Zagan to verify the truth behind those rumors.
“...Can I go back now?”
“Oh, come on, don’t be so damn cold. Didn’t I just let you drink all that quality booze? At least share some gossip on the side. Can’t hurt, right?”
It seemed that he was already completely drunk before Zagan even came over. And as his unhealthy looking face turned redder from the liquor, Barbatos wrapped his arm around Zagan in good humor.
Having said that, the alcohol really was delicious. It was the first time Zagan tasted a spirit poured atop a lump of ice, and the mild sweetness mixed into the feeling of his throat burning was so pleasant that it made him unintentionally let out a sigh.
Would Nephy drink this kind of thing? If he was going to drink some anyway, then rather than this irritating man, he would prefer to share it with that lovely girl. And he now wanted to bring a bottle back with him as a present.
As he came to his sense, Zagan forced back Barbatos, who had his arm around him in an overly familiar fashion.
“...You’re filthy. Also, if it’s liquor, then just bring it to the castle. I’m busy looking after my disciple.”
“Haaa, I bet you just wanna get all fucking lovey-dovey with that elven slave of yours.”
“I-I’m not doing anything like that, you hear!?”
“The hell?” Barbatos said, picking his nose and rolling his eyes at Zagan as he did.
Can I just... slug this guy and throw him away? Without paying any mind at all to that cold gaze being returned to him, Barbatos began slapping Zagan’s shoulder repeatedly.
“So, just what is that rumored brat, exactly? It’s not your damn hobby to use sacrifices, right? Then is she a pet? You’re not gonna tell me she’s another goddamn disciple, are you?”
“...Look, she’s someone you’re familiar with, you know?”
“What? So she’s a sorcerer? She is a woman, right?” Barbatos asked, then folded his arms and thought deeply on the matter.
“If it’s a female sorcerer, then around here it would be Enchantress Gremory? But everyone knows she’s a severe man hater. Plus, she ain’t a kid. But other than that one...”
Watching Barbatos groan over the situation made Zagan feel secretly relieved.
If this guy hasn’t noticed, then the fact that Foll’s a dragon hasn’t been leaked, huh?
It was likely only a matter of time before others realized Foll was a dragon. Seeing her sorcery... or rather, her partial transformation into a dragon, would make it clear that she was Valefor.
It was an inevitable outcome, but it was still too early for that. After all, Zagan still had enemies.
Zagan’s name, as an Archdemon, was already well known, and those who would find that unacceptable and attack him were all gone. Just as he planned, both sorcerers and Angelic Knights should have known that it was not worth scheming against him.
Even so, it wasn’t perfect. There were certainly still sorcerers out there waiting for the brand new Archdemon to trip up and make use of that opening. Sorcerers who possessed sufficient power to do so did exist. And so, it would still take a little more time to make them give up as well.
Counterbalancing their lives on a scale, there was the name, legacy, and mana of the ‘Archdemon,’ after all.
That’s why... I may still need one more foil.
Zagan needed something that would strike fear into the hearts of all other sorcerers. With Nephy, and now Foll, there were two things he had to protect no matter what.
And while he was thinking of such things, Barbatos, who was simply groaning thus far, suddenly let out an ‘Ah.’
“Oh yeah, Valefor!”
Zagan’s body stiffened up with a start.
This guy... figured out Foll’s identity? And then, feigning composure, Zagan tilted his head to the side.
“What are you talking about?”
“No, a little while ago, Valefor should have launched an attack on your place, right? That big guy with the mask and armor.”
“...Ah. Yeah, he did, now that you mention it.”
After getting accustomed to Foll as she was now, Zagan completely forgot that she and the Valefor who attacked him were one and the same.
“What about it?”
As Zagan tilted his head to the side, Barbatos made a disconcerted face.
“So it’s not even worth remembering? There’s a rumor that he’s missing, but what happened in the end? Did you finish him off?”
“Who knows? How I finish off intruders is something you know full well, right?”
And while Zagan replied as if dodging the question, Barbatos looked up at the ceiling.
“Man, what a waste. There’s a rumor floating around that he’s actually a dragon. His corpse would’ve made for some good catalysts, you hear?”
Precisely because such people existed, Foll’s identity had to be kept secret. Upon hearing his words, Zagan simply nodded as if he had no interest in them at all.
“Oh, now that you mention it, I think I’ve heard that before.”
“What’s that? You knew and still threw him out somewhere? Let me ask just in case, but is he dead?”
“If he’s lucky, shouldn’t he be alive?” Zagan replied in as much of a cool expression as he could muster, and Barbatos clicked his tongue as he backed off.
Eventually, after throwing back another mug of beer, Barbatos responded.
“So it’s just as always? Well, whatever. Forget Valefor, let’s talk about that brat you’re dragging along. Who is it?”
This guy isn’t saying this crap while knowing already, right...? Since the correct answer had been guessed already, Zagan shrugged his shoulders while enduring his impulse to make a sullen face.
“...Who knows? Just think of her as an adopted child or something.”
“Gehyahyahyahyahyaa! An adopted kid... Adopted... Buhyahyahyahaha!”
... This guy’s hopeless.
And just as Zagan was seriously thinking of slugging his undesirable friend, who was laughing to the point where there were tears in his eyes... Barbatos made a grave expression.
“Well, let’s cut the jokes here, shall we?”
“...So you’ve finally come to the real issue at hand, then?”
Even this man didn’t have enough free time to just call out Zagan because he wanted to gossip.
“It seems a troublesome guy arrived at the church. I thought I’d give you a heads-up.”
“A troublesome guy?”
“A wielder of a Sacred Sword. It’s not like that girl from last time, got it? This one’s far more dangerous.”
It seemed an Archangel other than Chastille had arrived. The thought made Zagan let out a deep breath with a ‘Hooo.’
“For them to move the Sacred Swords... The church is coming out in force, huh? Are they thinking of striking down the brand new Archdemon or what?”
The discord between the church and sorcerers spanned a thousand years. Of course, within that long history, collisions between Archdemons and Archangels happened many times.
However, though there were records of Archangels repelling Archdemons, there were no records of any defeating one.
That was why, though the Archangels were able to deter Archdemons, they were unable to kill them. That was even a common understanding between the sorcerers and the church. It was only natural for the church to think of overturning that fact, however.
Barbatos then made a troubled expression.
“I wonder... This new Archangel who came over is quite the odd one. At any rate, he’s the monster with the highest kill count of sorcerers in history.”
“...He’s not a gentle one, I see.”
“Damn straight. The number of sorcerers he’s killed is 499, and I don’t know what’s got him so ticked off,
but there are calculations out there that say he kills a sorcerer every three days. And so, you’ve been chosen as celebratory number 500!”
Hearing that extraordinary number made Zagan knit his brows. After all, if it was a number published by someone from the church, then it was likely somewhat exaggerated, but Barbatos wasn’t the type of man to speak of such nonsense.
Zagan then hung his head down in thought.
“How strange. Even if he’s a wielder of a Sacred Sword, could he really kill 500 sorcerers on his own?”
Among sorcerers, the difference between those who only held the bare minimum amount of power and Archdemon candidates was like the difference between heaven and earth.
If an Archdemon candidate possessed 10000 circuits, then the circuits of a novice sorcerer would at most be a mere 100. Even if one were to kill 100 novices, an Archdemon candidate could easily defeat them if challenged. But if there were a total of 499 people, then he’d surely faced more than just one or two Archdemon candidates.
Taking that further, even among Archdemon candidates, someone like Barbatos would hold more than 20000 circuits. When it came to normal skill as a sorcerer, the hopeless man before Zagan’s eyes was far better than him.
It wasn’t like Chastille revealed her entire hand when she faced Barbatos the other day, but even so, if she fought against an Archdemon candidate he didn’t think she would get off lightly.
Does he have an ace up his sleeve other than the Sacred Sword? And while Zagan was perplexed by that thought, Barbatos set aside his mug and formed a smile.
“About that, it’s said that he killed a dragon and ate it.”
“...Huh?” Zagan said, puzzled, and almost reflexively shot out of his seat.
“Is that... true?”
“Yeah. The church doesn’t recognize the predation of dragons, after all. It’s unofficial information, but it seems that it’s really true that he cut down a dragon. If he gained the power of a dragon, then it ain’t all that impossible for him to kill so many sorcerers, right?”
Shit, so that’s it... Zagan cursed bitterly in his mind.
“What’s strange... about a sorcerer hating Angelic Knights?” Foll had some sort of grudge against Angelic Knights. Also, from the moment he met her, she desired an unnatural amount of power despite being a sorcerer and a dragon. And then there was a dragon killing Angelic Knight.
An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 2 Page 9