Suspicious Movements - 2
“The Pope of the Holy Kingdom is burning villages to root out demons and dragging innocent citizens onto the judgment platform…”
It had been a week since Dane and Eri ascended to the human realm, and just as Eri had reported at first, Dane was now delivering a similar account. They were carrying out Nahen’s orders to assess the Holy Kingdom’s situation with commendable diligence.
“Was he always so cruel by nature?” Seere asked.
After the conquest of the 68th Floor, Nahen had delegated most duties and authority to Seere. Yet because Dane and Eri were his own hands and feet, he continued to receive reports concerning them directly.
“It doesn’t appear so.”
“Do humans always flip like that on a whim?”
“I can’t claim they never do, but this does feel rather strange.”
Nahen felt no pity for the innocent citizens of the Holy Kingdom being sacrificed. The humans of this world, who only interfered with reaching the ending, could meet whatever fate they liked. What troubled him was the chaos spreading through the human realm. Because…
At this rate, won’t the Hero appear sooner than expected?
When the human world fell into turmoil, a Hero would emerge to restore peace. This was an inevitable event that occurred no matter which route one took in Evil Queen Maker.
Having accidentally eliminated Luke—the first Hero to appear and the Hero of the Sword—Nahen had believed the emergence of a new Hero would be delayed. Yet…
It would be disastrous if a Hero appeared now.
The Hero existed as a restraining force against the demon race. The Holy Sword in a Hero’s hands could cut through anything where demons were concerned, and the chosen one’s power swelled exponentially. Even a child who knew nothing of the sword could display skill equal to a veteran knight the moment they were selected. If someone with even the slightest sword experience became a Hero, the consequences would be far worse.
In the game, the Hero felt like a natural disaster. When one appeared, the player had to steel themselves to lose half their assembled forces—because the Hero of Evil Queen Maker grew stronger in proportion to the player’s own power.
This was precisely why Nahen believed a Hero must not appear at this moment. He could not afford to lose half his forces. In the current situation, such a blow to the 72nd Floor’s holdings would be devastating.
“I’ll have to resolve the situation in the human realm.”
“…Pardon? Why?”
“If the Holy Kingdom starts claiming there are too many demon collaborators and incites the other human nations, it will become a serious problem. The war between the Northern Alliance and the Empire hasn’t fully ended yet, but if the Holy Kingdom frames the Demon Realm as a common enemy of humanity and persuades both sides to end their conflict…”
Nahen’s expression grew grave.
“We will be the next target.”
“But Teacher, humans are easy enough to handle. No matter how wildly they rampage, they’re still only human.”
Seere did not know of the Hero’s existence. That was why she could speak so lightly. Nahen shook his head.
“If the forces of the human realm unite, they will form an army of overwhelming scale. Even if we are stronger than humans individually, numbers can overwhelm any advantage.”
“But you’ll be there, Teacher.”
“Hm?”
Seere was recalling the traces Nahen had left behind on the 68th Floor—scars that looked as if the very earth and mountains had been gouged out. It resembled the aftermath of something colossal opening its maw and swallowing everything whole. And that was almost certainly the work of the giant white whale that appeared whenever her teacher revealed his true power.
Having reached that conclusion, Seere said simply, “No matter how many human soldiers there are, your power could swallow them all, couldn’t it?”
“…You saw it?”
“Only the traces. But I’ve seen the whale you keep with you, so I was able to guess.”
A bead of cold sweat slid down Nahen’s temple. It seemed he would have to explain about the Hero if he wanted to persuade her.
Because he had transferred most authority to Seere, he needed her permission to intervene in the human realm.
“By the way, Teacher, I have a question.”
“…Yes?”
“That whale you keep with you. What exactly is it?”
“……”
Nahen could not answer. Because… he himself had no idea. He could not understand why the enormous, terrifying white whale followed him. When he had summoned it directly on the 68th Floor, even he had been so dumbfounded that a hollow laugh escaped him.
Seere stared quietly into his eyes, demanding an answer. After racking his brain, Nahen uttered something ridiculous.
“It’s… a pet.”
“……”
He regretted it instantly. What lunatic would keep a whale that size as a pet? Even he recognized it as an absurd, idiotic excuse.
Yet Seere’s reaction was completely unexpected.
“As expected!”
“Huh?”
“You truly are an incredible person, Teacher! Ah, it’s amazing. To command such a powerful monster as nothing more than a pet—yes, Teacher really is the coolest…”
Nahen blinked in bewilderment at her enthusiastic response. Sensing something strange, he simply watched her until Seere suddenly startled and waved her hands.
“I-I mean, it’s just that I respect you so much!”
“Ah…”
She actually believed him. Nahen was genuinely moved. It was an excuse that made no sense even to him—something impossible to accept at face value—yet this kind-hearted child had taken it completely seriously.
“Anyway, it won’t do any good for the human realm to become this excessively chaotic. Even with the one I keep at my side, the situation remains the same.”
“Mm… understood.”
“So we need to find out what’s happening. Unless the Pope has suddenly gone mad, there must be a reason he’s doing something so pointless…”
Nahen’s eyes gleamed with meaning.
“We must investigate this properly.”
“Heh.”
Seere looked around with open curiosity. Nahen watched her with a faintly anxious expression. Though she was still a child he felt uneasy releasing anywhere, there was an additional reason for his worry now.
They were in the human realm.
Originally Nahen had intended to come alone, but Seere’s stubborn insistence left him no choice but to bring her along.
She didn’t have much to do for a while, but still…
He had planned to expand the army’s scale. They needed to select promising talents for the legions and train them for actual combat. That breathing room was why he had come to the human realm in person. While he was away, Seere would have no teacher to instruct her and thus nothing to occupy her time. That was another reason he had yielded to her request.
Still, the thought of Kain struggling to handle all the castle’s affairs in their absence made him feel a little guilty.
“Your Majesty? You mustn’t wander too far.”
“I know~.”
Naturally, Nahen could not look after Seere by himself, and the Demon King Castle would never permit it, so he had brought one more person—Secily, the maid from the 72nd Floor Demon King Castle.
Bringing a maid rather than a combatant might have seemed strange, but thanks to the previous Demon King’s eccentric approach to personnel, Secily’s combat ability surpassed even the elite soldiers of the Fourth Legion. She could slaughter an enemy Demon King’s assassination squad with nothing but a broom.
“Secily, keep your ears and tail hidden at all times.”
“Yes, Lord Nahen. There’s no need to worry. Human sorcery won’t be able to detect them.”
As a member of the Kitsune—or ‘fox spirit’—tribe, she normally displayed her fluffy fox tail and ears. To infiltrate human society, she needed to conceal them with magic.
“Teacher, when is that human supposed to arrive?”
“It’s not time yet. We came up a little early.”
“Oh, is that so? I thought he was just being lazy, like any other human.”
Occasionally, when he observed Seere’s attitude toward humans, Nahen couldn’t help thinking that this pretty, adorable child truly was a Demon King after all. He did not find it strange. It was the normal reaction and proper attitude.
Treating them kindly would be far more problematic.
At that moment Nahen lifted his head slightly, gazing northward. A beat later, Seere seemed to sense something as well and turned in the same direction.
“He’s here.”
The leaves on the northern trees rustled several times before Dane finally stepped into view. The moment he landed, he first offered a greeting to Seere.
“I hope you have been well, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, I have.”
After Seere returned the greeting simply, Dane rose and presented Nahen with two items: a rectangular wooden plaque covered in dense writing and an epaulet engraved with letters of the alphabet.
“Lord Nahen, here are the identification papers and adventurer rank plaques you requested.”
“Did you prepare suitable ones?”
“Yes. Yours is AA rank. The other two are A rank. I made certain the genders matched as well.”
The adventurer plaques and identification Dane handed over had belonged to real, active adventurers. It was not difficult to guess how he had obtained them.
Yet upon hearing this, Seere spoke with a trace of dissatisfaction.
“Wait. Why is my rank different from Teacher’s?”
“Pardon?”
For a moment Dane assumed Seere was displeased that she, as Demon King, had been given a lower rank than Nahen.
“Then shall I prepare an AA rank for Your Majesty…”
“No. I want the same as Teacher.”
In truth the rank itself meant nothing to Seere. She simply disliked being different from Nahen. As Dane faltered, Nahen gently persuaded her.
“Seere, this cannot be helped. I need the higher rank so I can gather information quickly and return to the Demon Realm.”
“Umm… then it can’t be helped.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Nahen turned back to Dane. “Have there been any changes in the reports or the situation since last time?”
“The Holy Kingdom continues to scour the entire country in search of demon collaborators. The only notable change is that they have begun spreading this activity beyond their borders.”
“So they are demanding judgment from other nations as well.”
“Yes. Given the Holy Kingdom’s influence in the human realm, it seems other countries cannot easily ignore their requests.”
As its name suggested, the Holy Kingdom was a theocratic state. The Pope served as both religious leader and head of state. Naturally, it upheld a single faith as the state religion—the Heavenly God Religion.
Since that faith was influential enough to establish one of the three greatest powers in the human world, many believers lived in other countries as well. When the Holy Kingdom made external demands, other nations could not simply dismiss them.
“Strange. Was the Pope always such an authoritarian and violent man?”
To Nahen’s question, Dane replied, “No. I operated in Soter City in the Holy Kingdom five years ago, did I not?”
“You did.”
“At that time, nearly every rumor about the Pope described him as gentle and sincere.”
If Dane’s words were true, the Pope had undergone a complete reversal in the past five years. Nahen asked whether there had been any suspicious rumors or stories about him. Dane answered carefully.
“There is one odd tale, though its credibility seems rather low.”
“What is it?”
“There is a rumor that the Pope took a woman into his bedchamber and changed under her influence… but honestly, it sounds like nonsense. There is no way an outsider woman could enter the Great Temple, much less the Pope’s private quarters.”
All official clergy of the Heavenly God Religion, including the Pope, were forbidden from marriage. They were not to indulge in carnal desire; doing so would result in immediate judgment by the inquisitors. Of course, high-ranking clerics sometimes abused their power to pursue women, but never inside the temple itself. The Pope was no exception. As head of the Great Temple and leader of the Holy Kingdom, he had to uphold certain standards within its walls. Otherwise the citizens would lose faith in him.
Therefore, neither Dane nor most others believed such baseless gossip.
“…That story will require detailed investigation.”
“Pardon?”
“As you said, an ordinary woman could never have set foot in the Pope’s bedchamber. The inquisitors of the Great Temple would never have allowed it.”
“Correct.”
“Which means the contact came from inside.”
“…Pardon?”
“And the one capable of such a thing is unlikely to be an ordinary human.”
Dane’s eyes had gone wide. Nahen’s words pointed toward one clear conclusion.
“Y-you mean this is the work of the Demon Realm?”
“I don’t know which Demon King, but it appears someone besides us has been interfering in the human realm.”
“Certainly, a demon might be able to slip into the Pope’s quarters without the inquisitors noticing, but…”
“It’s impossible.”
The denial came from Secily. She lowered her head respectfully.
“Forgive me for interrupting, Lord Nahen. But the conversation seemed to be heading in an odd direction, so I spoke up.”
“It’s all right. What exactly is impossible?”
“There are only two ways to travel from the Demon Realm to the human realm—either through the 72nd Floor ruled by our leadership, or by using the special gate found only on the 1st Floor.”
“I know that. That’s why I thought it must be the 1st Floor… that Belzebuth had made a move.”
“Even so, it doesn’t add up. A demon cannot enter the Pope’s bedchamber.”
“…Because of the holy power?”
“Yes.”
There was a reason a vast theocratic nation like the Holy Kingdom could exist. In the world of Evil Queen Maker, gods truly existed. To be precise, they were beings closer to angels, but…
To humans they must appear as beings with power and dignity no different from true gods.
The Heavenly God worshiped by the Holy Kingdom was one of the angel race. In gratitude to the humans who revered him, that angel bestowed a powerful blessing upon Babylon, the capital of the Holy Kingdom. That was why Secily claimed demons could not invade it. The immense holy power generated by an angel’s blessing was fatal to the demon race.
“An ordinary demon would never be able to endure it there.”
“…I understand what you’re saying, Secily.”
Yet Nahen knew of a being who lived in the depths below—a being in complete opposition to the great angels who dwelled in Heaven.
“Nevertheless, I still feel the rumor needs to be investigated.”
Secily offered no further objection. To contradict Nahen’s decision any more would be to disrespect the lord who regarded him as her teacher.
And Nahen was not simply being stubborn. There existed a race that could walk unscathed even upon land blessed directly by an angel. Or rather, not a demon race but…
A devil could manage it.
Devils. Like in many other games and novels, they were the counterparts to angels in Evil Queen Maker. However, the developers had given devils a rather unique setting: they were an entirely separate race from demons. While many works simply included devils within the broad category of demonkind, this game did not. Devils possessed higher status and far greater power, and they did not live in the Demon Realm. They were great beings who dwelled in ‘Hell,’ a place even deeper than the Demon Realm’s lowest floor.
They share some similarities with Demon Kings, but…
Unlike Demon Kings, who ruled over and dominated the demon race, devils existed for a different purpose. Their sole reason for being, their one desire, was the destruction of ‘Heaven’—the realm where angels and other holy races resided.
If a devil had reached out to the Holy Kingdom, which worshiped the angels, in order to plot against Heaven, and had contacted the Pope as part of that scheme…
It would be entirely possible.
In fact, during his playthroughs, Nahen had seen his builds ruined more than once when a devil’s interference caused a Hero to appear far earlier than expected.
If a devil truly was involved, it had to be stopped in advance. Only then would the Hero’s appearance be delayed, granting him time to expand Seere’s forces even further.
“For now, we head to the Holy Kingdom’s capital—Babylon.”
“Yes!”
“Seere, you and Secily will go to Chelino City to meet Eri. Find out exactly how they are conducting these demon hunts.”
“…Pardon? Can’t I go with you, Teacher?”
Seere’s expression made it clear she wanted to stay with Nahen, but he shook his head.
“Seere, you are the Demon King and Secily is a demon. The holy power scattered across that land would likely cause you both great discomfort.”
“You’re the same, Teacher.”
Nahen paused briefly, then answered simply, “I can protect my own body with magic. But I cannot extend that protection to others.”
It was a lie, of course. Given his true nature, Nahen could easily ignore mere holy power from a blessing laid upon the earth. However, for a young Demon King and an ordinary demon, such power would be lethal.
When Seere pouted in disappointment, Nahen reached out and gently stroked her hair.
“Your mission is important as well. We must confirm whether they have truly obtained information about the Demon Realm or if they are simply flailing about blindly.”
Only then could they spread the truth to other human nations besides the Holy Kingdom. Of course, he had no intention of simply telling them nicely.
“Understood? You must listen carefully this time. Bringing you to the human realm is already a tremendous risk. I believe you understand that, Seere.”
“Yes…”
“Stay close to Secily and carry out the tasks I’ve given you. I’m trusting you.”
Seere loved it when Nahen said he trusted her. The dejected girl from moments ago now nodded vigorously.
Nod. Nod.
“Good. Off you go. Chelino City is in this direction. Use the map to find your way.”
“Yes, Teacher. Please be careful.”
Nahen himself wondered whether he truly needed to be careful, but he understood her feelings. He smiled softly.
“Yes. You be careful as well.”
After Seere and Secily departed, Nahen turned to Dane who remained at his side.
“Dane, you’re coming with me to Babylon.”
“Yes.”
“Once we arrive, I’ll give you more detailed instructions.”
“Understood.”