Has the Pope Gone Mad?
The banquet was barely brought under control, and it was decided that the Imperial Debutante would be held again at a later date.
Countless young men and women had attended hoping to meet their destined partners, yet the entire affair had collapsed into chaos over the unfortunate incident.
Staging the Imperial Debutante twice in a single year was something that had never once occurred in the empire’s history.
Even so, ending it like this would only damage the imperial family’s prestige, so a proper debutante had no choice but to be postponed.
Many left with confusion and lingering regret, having no other option.
However, the imperial side—including the Empress and the Imperial Princess—as well as the church side, including the Pope and the Hero, remained at the lodgings prepared by the Frigid Grand Ducal House.
There were still matters that needed settling.
First was Edward, second son of the Frigid family, who had collapsed unconscious and still showed no sign of recovery.
The Frigid Grand Ducal House stayed in order to hold the church accountable; the imperial side had no choice but to remain as well, since their original purpose—the marriage with the Imperial Princess—had not advanced a single step.
Next was the Hero’s utterly absurd behavior.
Because the events belonged to a distant past, it was only natural that those living now would know nothing of the Hero’s true nature, which had been handed down merely as legend.
Yet the actions that scarcely seemed those of a Hero, and the ominous aura surrounding her…
Even if she was someone from another world, neither the imperial family nor the Grand Ducal House could simply overlook it, and so they prevented the church side from leaving as well.
As for the church, they had already resealed what needed resealing, yet the Hero who had lost an arm required time to recover, and they had other purposes of their own, so they too had no choice but to stay.
But because of that other purpose—
“Pope, have you gone mad?”
Charlotte could not help raising her voice.
The words Pope Tenesa had just uttered were something Charlotte could absolutely never accept.
Tenesa had demanded a sacred marriage between the church’s Hero and Edward, second son of the Frigid family.
It was under the pretext of granting the Hero what she desired so that she might adapt to this world and find the will to act.
The Goddess had declared that a Hero from another world would naturally struggle to adjust if she was to defeat the Demon King, and that every convenience and every form of support must therefore be provided without stint.
That support, it turned out, was to give the Hero the second son of the Frigid family—Edward—whom she currently desired.
No detailed reason was offered, only that the Hero knew Edward and wanted him more fiercely than anyone else.
What kind of bullshit is this!
Charlotte could not keep the curse from rising to her lips.
“There’s no way we’re handing Edward over to that crazy bitch!!”
“…”
Even when Charlotte cursed without the slightest regard for the title of Hero, Tenesa had nothing she could say in reply.
From Tenesa’s own perspective she harbored the same doubts, and part of her unconsciously agreed with the Imperial Princess’s words.
But what else could she do?
Tenesa was the one who heard and conveyed the Goddess’s will, a servant of the church who acted according to that will. Though it pained her, she forced her mouth open once more.
“Please… this is necessary for the future of this world. Please…”
“Why does giving Edward to that bitch have anything to do with the future of the world?!”
Charlotte’s fury made it nearly impossible for Tenesa even to finish speaking.
“Tenesa. Even I find it difficult to grant permission for this.”
“Y-Your Majesty…”
Empress Elizabeth herself showed not the slightest intention of taking Tenesa’s side, leaving the Pope even more hard-pressed.
“There is someone whose permission would be far harder to obtain, is there not?”
“Ah!… Grand Duchess…”
Tenesa had forgotten the other person present in the room.
Without even observing proper order, she had first raised the matter with Empress Elizabeth.
Ordinarily she would never commit so grave a blunder, yet she had been so consumed by concern for the Hero that she had overlooked the most important thing of all.
“Pope… no, Tenesa…”
“Yes…”
Fortunately Camilla did not point out the breach of etiquette.
Yet Tenesa understood at once.
When Camilla addressed her by name rather than by title, the situation was truly serious.
And Camilla was barely holding her anger in check.
“Political relations, the future of the world, the long friendship among the three of us… setting every one of those things aside…”
Her voice pretended to calm, yet it trembled faintly.
“I am a mother.”
“…”
“Is this not far too shameless?”
“H-However…”
Tenesa knew perfectly well that Camilla’s words were right.
Even so, if she failed to persuade those present and force the matter through, there was no telling what the Hero—left alone in her room—might do.
In truth this was not the first time the Hero had thrown a childish tantrum and smashed everything in sight the moment things failed to go her way.
That was precisely why they had never forced her to study the Goddess’s teachings or spend long hours in training.
Unless the situation was special, they simply allowed her to do as she pleased.
When Tenesa first met the Hero she had recognized a deeply wounded soul with a complicated past.
As long as she was not provoked she did not turn violent, so the plan for this Imperial Debutante had been merely to show her face, exchange greetings, and then send her somewhere quiet.
Yet the second son of the Frigid family had suddenly been wracked with pain, and at the request of her longtime friends Tenesa had no choice but to examine him.
Of course he would have entered the Hero’s field of vision as well.
And then it turned out that his identity was the very man with whom the Hero had once promised a future in her previous world.
How could such a coincidence exist?
She had not heard the full story from the Hero herself, yet from the Hero’s reaction it was certain that the reason she had accepted the Goddess’s bargain was that man.
Therefore, if only they could join the second son of the Frigid family with the Hero, she would surely devote herself to the Demon King’s defeat without any further outbursts.
From Tenesa’s standpoint it was shameless, yet she had to bind the two of them together by any means necessary.
“Your Majesty! Grand Duchess! There’s no need to listen! Does it even make sense that that person is the Hero in the first place?”
“Th-The Goddess herself chose her! Watch your words—”
“The one who needs to watch her words is you, Pope!”
“Imperial Princess… no, Charlotte, calm yourself…”
“Your Majesty!”
“Enough.”
“…”
As voices threatened to rise higher still, Elizabeth stepped in to mediate.
She had little choice.
However hard the situation was to accept, the imperial family understood the importance of the being known as the Hero.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Then—”
“I never said I granted permission.”
“Th-That—!”
But Elizabeth did not give Tenesa the answer she sought.
“More than anything, the Grand Duchess has not granted permission either. Why do you keep acting so unbefitting of a Pope? If I were to agree, she would probably raise a rebellion.”
“Your words are excessive, Your Majesty.”
“Haha. You’re not denying it.”
“…”
“G-Grand Duchess…”
The only ones who knew the Hero’s true importance were the imperial family, the Grand Ducal House, and the church. Tenesa had believed Camilla would understand along with the rest; when she refused, the Pope called out to her in flustered desperation.
“Tenesa. Honestly, even you know this is unreasonable, do you not?”
“But the Frigid Grand Ducal House also knows—”
“I know. Even so, no.”
“Grand Duchess!”
“Because of that so-called Hero, my son still cannot open his eyes.”
“I-I will personally cast a spell. Then—”
“Edward is afraid of her.”
“That is merely a misunderstanding that arose—”
“Perhaps. But without even following proper procedure, and with my son in this condition, you dare bring up a sacred marriage?!”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Tenesa decided to apologize for the moment and withdraw.
The Camilla she knew was a woman of iron discipline regarding public and private matters.
Yet after she had borne children, whenever they met privately Camilla spoke of nothing but her sons with pure delight—especially her youngest, about whom she could talk endlessly. This time, Tenesa realized, she must not push any further.
She was just about to open her mouth, intending to leave room for a later opportunity—thinking that if she took her time and seized the right moment she might yet win permission—when
“The Grand Duchess is right! More than that, Edward already has a decided partner!”
Imperial Princess Charlotte shouted once more.
“What? I’ve never heard any such thing…”
A decided partner? She had never heard of one.
If there was one, who could it be?
“It’s me who’s decided!”
“…Charlotte… Edward hasn’t answered yet…”
“There’s no way Edward would refuse, right?”
“Haa…”
“…”
Listening to the exchange between Empress and Imperial Princess, Tenesa could not help thinking that the road to granting the Hero’s desire would be anything but smooth.
“For now, let us end the discussion concerning Edward here.”
“That’s right! Me and Edward. This is the end of it.”
“Th-That… I’ll raise the matter again next time—”
“There is no next time!”
“Haa… Charlotte, you calm yourself as well…”
“How am I supposed to calm down when—”
Before Charlotte could finish her sentence—
Suddenly—
Crash!!
Wreee-oo! Wreee-oo!!
The sound of shattering glass and a shrill magical alarm blared throughout the Grand Ducal Castle.
“What is that sound, Grand Duchess!?”
“It’s the magical alarm installed within the Grand Ducal Castle!”
“Edward!!”
Inside the Frigid Grand Ducal Castle—
The chaos of the daytime debutante had not even been properly cleaned up.
And now, at night, a new incident—an even greater chaos—was about to begin.