Bravado
Bravado
The stories I'd picked up while fending off Diocesan Bishop Hiseyena's intense interest in my deeds were nothing special.
It was about how unsettling movements were continually being spotted within the Holy Light Cross Order's headquarters, how signs of corruption from demonic whispers were showing among some of the congregation, and how the faithful, uncorrupted believers were gathering their strength to launch a massive heresy inquisition.
Why was that nothing special when the scale wasn't small? Because in this world, 'corruption' didn't pop up at every meal the way some game company might overuse the trope, but it wasn't exactly rare either. It sat somewhere awkwardly in between.
The greatest pleasure for those demon bastards was screwing people over, and the absolute peak of that pleasure was sending devout clergy to meet their maker. So it was the kind of incident that cropped up every time you almost forgot about it. Of course, the fact that it seemed to have started at the headquarters this time made it a bit problematic.
But it wasn't my business, so I didn't give a shit.
"The threat of demons is a matter that must be taken more seriously than the Demonfolk, and it's something we must unite against regardless of religion. Fortunately, the Imperial Divine Council and the Imperial Household agreed to our request, but..."
"The Hero refused?"
"Haah, that's right. We got a reply telling us to sort out our own turf war. I don't know the exact wording behind it, but the implication was clear enough."
Petty squabbles, huh... Looking at this whole series of moves centered around the saintess through the lens of my past life's memories, it really did seem like nothing more than a power struggle among corrupted religious nuts.
Since Siegfried was still in the position of being educated at the academy, he would have moved if the Empire and the Imperial Divine Council had actively pushed him. In fact, the fact that the two groups delegated the decision to Siegfried was highly likely a choice made after gauging his temperament.
A demon, even if it caused major damage, was ultimately a problem that could be resolved without a Hero, unlike the Demon King. They wanted to maintain their prestige but didn't particularly feel like helping out, so it was most likely a decision made from that stance.
Even I, for my part, was already in a situation where the only thing to be gained from a demon bastard was a mediocre by-product, so I didn't particularly want to deal with one. Returning to the capital quickly and focusing on magic studies would be a million times more beneficial in the long run.
I figured the Empire and the Imperial Divine Council weren't much different. It wasn't like refusing to help now meant they'd sulk and withhold their strength when the Demon King and the Hero fought. They probably didn't want to play the Hero card against a demon whose combat power was so unpredictable, either. If the Hero actually lost to a demon, who knew how badly things would spiral?
But as they say, nothing beats real combat experience.
"Give me a pen and some paper."
"Why a letter...?"
"I'm going to write to Siegfried. Just send it by the fastest method you have, Bishop."
I pointedly ignored Diocesan Bishop Hiseyena, who looked at me with an odd expression as she handed over the tools, wrote down just two lines, folded it neatly, put it in an envelope, wrote the sender and recipient names according to the format, and handed it over along with the by-product. She tilted her head and questioned me with her eyes.
"Enclose it and send it. He'll help."
"...The Hero, who wouldn't budge at the requests of the Empire and the Imperial Divine Council, will move because of this one letter and a demon's by-product? No matter how valuable this is, compared to the Empire's support, it's pocket change."
"It's not a request; it's a provocation. And since I spent the value of that byproduct helping you, Bishop, let's say the Holy Light Cross Order bought it."
That bastard's Korean. He'll never be able to resist a provocation.
◈
"Ugh, I said I don't wanna."
In his private quarters at the academy, Siegfried scrunched his brow as hard as he could, furiously scratched the back of his head, and expressed his refusal with his entire body. At that display, utterly devoid of dignity, Esmue furrowed her brow too. Only after Eselua sighed and smacked Siegfried's shoulder did he straighten his posture a little, relax his frown, and face Esmue.
She truly had a lot to say, but Esmue first took a sip of tea and began carefully pruning her words. After somehow swallowing down all sorts of advice and nagging about Siegfried's disorderly conduct in the privacy of her own thoughts, Esmue silently set down her teacup and spoke again.
"I am not asking whether you like it or not. This is a matter concerning everyone's prestige."
"Not doing it, not doing it. Those guys decided it wasn't that important either, so that's why they delegated the decision to me."
"Haah... I am advising you to accept the Holy Light Cross Order's request, if only for the sake of the standing your lover, Saintess Teneasi, will need to build within the Imperial Divine Council."
The Imperial Divine Council is the most snobbish among countless religions. It was an inevitable consequence, perhaps, of their symbiotic relationship with the Empire, but this was also connected to the Hero.
In other orders, saintesses appear based on the standard of faith, but in the Imperial Divine Council, the Hero, who is of a higher rank, appears irrespective of faith. While it might not devalue faith, neither is it treated as a blind guide to life.
If he defeated the Demon King, Siegfried receiving a noble title was inevitable. Judging by how he treated his lovers now, he would clearly become engaged to all three. In that case, setting aside Entiere the elf, Saintess Teneasi Reles at least would likely take a key position coordinating between the Imperial Divine Council and the Imperial Household. Naturally, that wasn't an easy position. To keep schemers around her in check, they needed to start managing each person's reputation and prestige in advance.
Two problems arose in that process.
The first problem was that Saintess Teneasi Reles was one of the people with the fewest opportunities for that sort of reputation-building. Even with Esmue destined to become the next emperor, there was an unspoken rule that she must not interfere in the internal affairs of the Imperial Divine Council.
Unless they stepped out into the secular world and created a pretext for intervention, what happened inside had to be left alone. That would not change even if Saintess Teneasi became engaged to Siegfried. The only exception was this brief window right now. And during that limited period, whose end no one could predict, Saintess Teneasi was the one who needed to accumulate the most achievements and prestige after Siegfried.
"I, I respect Sir Zeke's judgment, Your Highness."
The second problem was that very attitude. Saintess Teneasi was extremely wishy-washy, had low self-esteem, and was the most blindly devoted follower of Siegfried.
Completely oblivious to Esmue's urge to slap a hand to her forehead, Siegfried stroked Teneasi's hair with a smile full of affection.
"Just as much as Tessie respects me, I want to respect Tessie. Honestly, it's not like what Esmue is saying doesn't make any sense at all. If you think it's necessary, I don't mind going."
"Oh, no. I'm perfectly content just being by Sir Zeke's side!"
For fuck's sake. Would she still say that even if she later became Siegfried's weak point under the pretext of 'unfit for the position of saintess'?
Esmue forced down her simmering frustration with a sip of tea and let out a deep sigh. Eselua, who could only watch Esmue suffer because of the superficial nature of their relationship, was silently sighing too when it happened.
-Knock knock
-Sir Siegfried. A letter has arrived.
"I'm in a meeting with Her Highness the First Princess right now. Later."
Esmue thought to herself. In some ways, he was similar to Eldmia in that, while acting like a complete libertine, he didn't mess up moments like this. Though of course, he wasn't even worth comparing.
She shook off the idle thought and was about to rack her brain again to somehow persuade Siegfried, when surprisingly, the voice from outside continued.
-W-well, it... it was classified as an express message, so...
"Express?"
Tilting his head, Siegfried first shot a glance at Esmue. And Esmue, also feeling puzzled, gave a light nod to signal her agreement.
"Come in."
The moment the door opened, what the servant hurriedly carried in after paying his respects looked more like freight than a letter. Siegfried accepted the mysterious box with an odd expression, his eyebrows shooting toward his hairline.
"Eldmia?"
"What."
At the same time, Esmue's face filled with displeasure, while a smile spread across Siegfried's lips. After the servant, who had scurried backward, closed the door and definitely moved away, Siegfried, who had been wearing a sly smirk, opened his mouth.
"Wow, our little brother sent a letter to his big bro first, when he hasn't even been sending them to Her Highness the First Princess, eh? And with a gift enclosed?"
"......"
Esmue didn't hide her displeasure and puffed up both cheeks. Was this even a remotely plausible story?
"Hahaha. Now then, let's see what our little brother sent to his Big Bro Zeke that was so urgent as to send it by express mail, shall we?"
The item Siegfried confirmed with a grin, his smile irritatingly wide as he tore open the packaging, was truly surprising. As everyone stood there with dumbfounded expressions at the completely unexpected object, Entiere was the first to speak.
"It's a demon's by-product?"
"A-and a by-product of a considerably strong demon at that."
"What's this? Now? Is he hinting that he wants to give his big bro some spending money? Maybe it says so in the letter?"
Esmue, having pushed aside the displeasure and hurt feelings she'd harbored until just moments ago, examined the demon's by-product that Siegfried had briefly set down. Judging by its size, about as big as Siegfried's fist, it was clear, just as Teneasi said, that it was left by a quite powerful demon. Where had he gotten it? Had he fought and defeated a demon in the meantime and obtained this as a trophy?
No, if it was such a glorious trophy, wasn't it only right to give it to his future wife? Why on earth would he give such an item to Siegfried?
Esmue, who still didn't know the source of the item and hadn't even received a definite confirmation of marriage but had already been dreaming of grandchildren on her own, was about to puff up her cheeks again in a surge of displeasure when Siegfried's icy remark stopped her cold.
"...I'm going demon hunting."
"...Huh?"
"I said I'm going demon hunting."
When she lifted her head to look, Siegfried's face was scrunched into an ugly grimace, his nasolabial folds deeply visible. He didn't seem particularly angry, but his competitive spirit had been lit out of nowhere.
"This insolent little brother of mine dares provoke me like this?"
Siegfried passed the letter he had been reading to Esmue, who tilted her head, wondering what the hell he was talking about. Thinking that, for all that posturing, he still handed over the letter readily enough, Esmue examined its contents.
-To Sir Siegfried, Hero of the Imperial Divine Council and friend of the Imperial Household.
A hollow laugh escaped her at the letter, whose recipient's address was more elaborate than the mere two lines of the body. 'Friend' my ass, more like sworn enemy. Shaking her head from side to side, yet despising herself as her heart began to pound at the mere fact that it was a letter written by Eldmia, Esmue looked at the body of the text and—forgetting all dignity—burst out laughing.
-Did you chicken out? I killed one myself.
She understood what it meant from just one line. She had no idea how he had gotten connected to the Holy Light Cross Order and heard the story, but in the end, this single-line letter had made Siegfried move. As expected, he was no ordinary man.
But the next sentence was what pleased her most.
-P.S. The enclosed demon by-product is a gift for the pride of the Empire, the brilliantly shining White Star, so please deliver it well.
"...Hmph. Using me is quite insolent. But be that as it may, a gift is a gift, and it has ultimately helped me, so I shall take it into consideration."
Even though she understood that the final line was itself a ploy exploiting Siegfried's anticipation over the package to stoke his fighting spirit, Esmue smiled with satisfaction and gathered up both the letter and the byproduct.
Fortunately, Siegfried was too busy acting on his pointless reckless bravado to pay any further attention to the letter.