The Coolest Priestess
"You're the coolest priestess among all the priestesses I've ever seen."
The fields of wheat that had turned pitch black were revived through Seraphina's diligent prayers.
As expected, a top-notch priestess is essential for any party.
Beatrice's father, Leopold, and her mother, Selena, had come out to greet them.
"But is this really okay? Our territory doesn't have anything fancy like a grand carriage. We've only got the wagons we use to haul wheat to other territories..."
"It's fine. Better than nothing. By the way, Sisilia, why didn't you bring your Pegasus?"
In response to Eddie's question, Sisilia gave a suave reply.
"It's not a Pegasus. It's a unicorn."
"...Uh. That unicorn. One of the three legendary steeds, right? Where'd it go?"
"It left to find a marriage partner."
"......"
"Virgins always bolt first when there's a chance they might lose their virginity, you know."
Edward gave up on the conversation, but Selena looked deeply intrigued.
"Our Betty needs to hurry up and escape virginity too..."
"Mom!"
In any case, Sisilia's party finished preparing to head to Carmot for their next mission and boarded the wagon. The cargo area was padded with wheat sacks, soft and fluffy—Sisilia was quite satisfied. It looked perfect for a good nap.
"Take this."
"This is..."
Just before they departed, Baron Leopold smiled warmly and handed over a pouch of gold.
"A whopping 50 gold."
"D-Dad... don't overdo it."
"Dear, giving them that much pocket money..."
Even Edward, who believed in proper compensation, looked uneasy.
"It's fine. I don't plan to bankrupt the territory."
"......What do you all think of our territory?"
...Countryside?
Countryside.
Deep in the sticks.
Sisilia's party all thought the same thing at once. Leopold smiled softly.
"Without you all, this territory would have faced a brutal winter. Compared to that, the price of a mansion or two is nothing. Please accept it."
Man, in Betty's territory, 50 gold really can buy a mansion without a sweat.
Sisilia recalled how Beatrice had once seen her clothes and said, "In our territory, that'd cost a mansion." She'd thought it was a joke, but it seemed legit.
Well, guess I'll gratefully accept.
As Sisilia reached out to snatch it, smack.
Edward swiftly slapped the back of her hand. Sisilia clutched her reddened skin, eyes welling up.
"It's really fine. The mission pay from the knights' order is more than enough."
"Isn't the Windsor Knights' order under the imperial family?"
"Yes, but..."
Leopold burst out laughing. For the record, this rural lord knew little about the Windsor Knights. He didn't know their captain, Edward, was the empress's only son. Or that their salaries were the highest in the world.
"Central salaries are a pittance, right? I visited a neighboring territory once, and their knights said they had to sell drugs just to make ends meet—despite being fairly wealthy. Haha!"
"......Could you tell me that knight's name and the lord's?"
Edward sighed.
"And the Windsor Knights' annual pay is around 1,000 gold."
Leopold's eyes shrank to dots.
"......That much?"
On the road to northern Carmot.
"Thank you, Captain. If my parents knew they'd spoken casually to the crown prince, they'd have probably fainted on the spot."
Beatrice spoke to Edward, who was driving from the coachman's seat. She appreciated that he'd kept his identity hidden to the end.
"......I never reveal my status on missions anyway."
And technically, speaking casually to the captain wasn't proper noble etiquette either. He held at least the rank of earl, after all. Edward didn't mention that, though. Rank meant nothing among fellow Windsor Knights.
"Still, thanks. It was the first time since joining the Windsor Knights that I saw you as a reliable captain."
"......What kind of image did I have before?"
"A pervert who teases Lady Sisilia...?"
"......"
Edward glared at her for a moment before whipping the horse reins harder, letting only the clop of hooves fill the air.
"We're almost there. Wake Sisilia. And that fake saintess next to her."
"Yes, sir."
Shaking her awake, Sisilia lifted her head from the pile of straw. Straws poked out from her tousled hair like a chick fresh from the egg.
"You're a mess."
Beatrice plucked out the straws one by one and woke Seraphina.
"Eek! Oh, morning prayer time."
Seraphina, drooling from her deep sleep, snapped to attention and hurriedly assumed a prayer pose.
"Lord, today as well... uh, what was it... oh, right. Grant us your grace..."
Sisilia, still nodding off even after sitting up, placed her hand on the back of Seraphina's neck and pressed hard.
"!"
Seraphina instantly passed out on the spot.
"Five more minutes..."
"L-Lady Sisilia. Seraphina isn't an alarm clock."
Zzz...
But Sisilia was already back in dreamland.
"Wh-what do we do, Captain? I don't want to be an alarm clock."
"......Leave her. She'll wake up once we toss her out of the wagon."
"Y-yes..."
"...We'll plan the strategy among ourselves."
But contrary to his words, there wasn't much of a strategy to plan. Accept a peace treaty proposed by a legion commander? Such a pipe dream had zero chance of becoming reality. Even if sincere, there was no reason to let demons live.
"Above all, the empress isn't the optimistic type."
"If it's Her Majesty's intuition, maybe there's something to it?"
"Anyone with good instincts includes your superior."
"...Come to think of it—Lady Sisilia."
Sisilia had heard the plan and stated firmly:
—A demon preaching peace? Great. It'll be easy to kill.
She hadn't even considered peace as an option. To her, demons were targets to eliminate, not converse with—that one line revealed it all.
"Roadside pebbles get kicked away. That's what demons are to Sisilia. She even collects the oddly shaped ones sometimes."
"Ah."
Beatrice had a rare good idea.
"What if that 'oddly shaped pebble' is the Lujerna we'll meet this time? Her Majesty expects Sisilia to pick it up."
Edward halted the wagon.
"We'll know the details once we meet her face-to-face."
The entrance to northern Kazemor? No, northern Carmot territory. The grand territory of Chrisval. Nicknamed the "Valley of Crystals."
The majestic sight of Carmot's largest metropolis welcomed them.
"What're you doing."
For the record, Sisilia was already geared up, buzzing with the scent of adventure.
"Let's go already."
Everyone was baffled seeing the kid who'd been snoring moments ago transform into the heavenly Sword Princess.
Beatrice said cautiously,
"Lady Sisilia, your hair's tangled in the back."
"!"
Sisilia, mid-heroic pose, instantly turned into a stray cat and slunk back dejectedly.
"Help me out."
Carmot was the region with the most magic crystals buried in Liannen. And Chrisval was where all those crystals converged. In a word, filthy rich neighborhood.
But Sisilia didn't bat an eye at that. She had one expectation:
This is the midpoint rally spot to meet the hero's party.
Sisilia grinned, thinking she could just chill here and wait for the hero's party. How much had they grown? They were surely legends by now, their names echoing far and wide. With all the merchants passing through, news of them would be easy to come by.
"We've been awaiting your arrival. Crown Prince Edward Belladis."
Knights lined up the moment they entered the territory, and the marquess—the lord himself—approached for a handshake.
Edward's eyebrow twitched. He'd deliberately named him as crown prince, not Windsor Knights captain. A silent implication: he would be treated as royalty, not knight. Yet the semi-respectful tone meant—
He's presuming equality with me.
A mere marquess acting on par. Especially the knights lined up in mock welcome radiated rivalry—staking claim to dominance in this territory.
But showing discomfort would be amateurish. Edward accepted the handshake with a smile.
"It's an honor to receive such a welcome. Marquess."
"And those beside you are the Windsor Knights?"
"Yes. All my capable subordinates."
"No need to ask their names. The famous Sword Princess and saintess, I presume."
The marquess turned, glancing sidelong as he spoke.
"We appreciate the swift central support. Her Majesty must value this matter highly—makes a vassal like me glad. Follow me."
His tone was reluctant. They clearly weren't thrilled about their arrival.
I see. He sent a letter to Her Majesty asking if a treaty was okay, and she assigned us after receiving it. He's displeased, seeing us as interference. The marquess really wants to ally with demons.
Time to probe the marquess's intentions. Edward matched his pace, chatting.
"Perfect timing. The star of this story is right here in the territory."
"The protagonist—Lujerna, I assume?"
"Indeed. The war with demons has raged for centuries. I see her as the key to ending it."
"I see."
"...You don't buy it."
Damn, it showed.
Edward chided himself for the slip. But the marquess's words were infuriating. How outraged would those slain by demons be hearing this?
"I understand. Your Highness's days have been spent slaying demons. But this sight will change your mind."
What now? Edward pondered briefly, then grasped the marquess's meaning.
The market. Beings with human forms but unmistakably alien auras milled about—demons.
Progress already.
"See? Our citizens living alongside demons. Weeks have passed without a single casualty."
Edward felt endless disgust. He wanted to draw his sword right then.
"...Impressive."
But he couldn't. A marquess was near duke-level nobility. Acting without cause would be trouble. And killing him? Impossible. Few nobles knew how to run demon crystal mines.
Shing—
Then, the sound of a sword drawn. Edward said without turning,
"Sisilia, sheath it. We'll observe the situation fir—"
But Sisilia was already in the market center amid the demons, sword swung.
The marquess stepped forward.
"What is this? Lower your blade. Or even a Windsor knight will be arrested."
Sisilia glanced indifferently at the marquess and lowered her sword.
Swoosh—!
With a chilling sound, dozens of demon heads fell simultaneously. She'd sliced them before anyone could stop her.
"Wh-what the—"
Edward couldn't hold back and clutched his stomach laughing for a good while. Wiping tears, still chuckling, he looked at Sisilia.
"Right, you've always been like that."
Sisilia didn't hold back. No matter who or what the situation. To block the empress's mouth in front of everyone? That said it all.