The Saintess's Scheme
The imperial palace of the Eryther Empire.
Unlike the other palaces, the residence of the Crown Princess—located right next to the Crown Prince's palace—was heavily guarded by holy knights.
Priests also resided there, attending to the needs of Emilia, who was both the Crown Princess and the Saintess.
Traditionally, maintaining the title of Saintess required preserving one's chastity; marriage or pregnancy meant immediate retirement.
Yet, despite claiming she would step down, Saintess Emilia refused to hand over the Staff of the Saintess—the ultimate symbol of her authority and power—to her successor.
Her excuse was that the next Saintess was still a young apprentice with much to learn...
But not a single priest in the Great Temple believed her.
Everyone knew she had grown drunk on the sweet taste of power. Even if the next Saintess were fully prepared, Emilia had no intention of relinquishing the staff.
After all, it was that very staff that had elevated her to her current position.
She would cling to it until the very end.
How had Saintess Emilia climbed to such heights?
For years, she had traveled with the hero's party, trekking through mountains, seas, deserts, swamps, jungles, and dungeons.
All the while, she had never ceased her relentless efforts to win the hero's heart.
Once the Demon King was defeated, she abandoned the hero and climbed into the Crown Prince's bed, ignoring the public's scorn as she steadily consolidated her power.
But now, an obstacle threatened to shatter her dreams. A new Demon King had emerged after only three years, and everything she had built was beginning to crumble.
She could no longer rejoin the hero's party...
Nor could she win back the hero's heart.
"Saintess, we have received word that the hero and his companions have passed through the northern elven forest and entered the Fiore Empire."
Emilia, who was handling the affairs of the Great Temple from her palace, could not hide her intense displeasure upon hearing the report from the administrative priest.
The Eryther Empire was currently in a state of total war.
Following a string of defeats against the Demon King's army, the front lines had pushed right up to their borders.
The neighboring kingdoms that once served as a buffer against the invading forces from the central continent had been wiped out. There were no shields left to protect them.
Even the Kingdom of Jeremiah, which had held out until the very end, was on the verge of losing its capital.
Yet the hero, their final hope, had headed not to the west where they were, but further north, toward the Fiore Empire.
"The Fiore Empire... Why did he go there?"
"The Arzen Kingdom hasn't made an official announcement, but rumors suggest he went to recruit Irene, the Northern Commander of the Fiore Empire, into his party."
"Irene...?!"
Emilia remembered Irene.
Though they had only met once, the woman had left an impression so sharp it was practically burned into her memory.
If that were the case, only one spot remained in the hero's standard four-member party.
The second member was a half-elf, and the third would be Irene. But there was one crucial role both of them lacked.
Neither of them could heal.
"I see... Recruiting Irene into the party..."
The corners of Emilia's mouth twitched upward. If she wasn't careful, she might have started humming.
If she could rejoin the hero's party, she could use Carlos to stop the Demon King's army marching toward the Eryther Empire.
Furthermore, her reputation as the retired Saintess who stepped up to save the empire would soar to unprecedented heights.
Beyond a mere Crown Princess.
Empress...
And eventually, the reigning Empress. Lost in her delusions of grandeur, a giggle escaped her lips, completely forgetting the priest standing right in front of her.
"Wait..."
As she stifled her laughter, a sudden realization crossed her mind, and her face contorted once more.
The apprentice Saintess...
If that young, inexperienced girl—who wasn't even a fully ordained Saintess yet—somehow managed to join the hero's party...
Then forget becoming Empress; Emilia wouldn't even be able to keep her position as Crown Princess.
And the Eryther Empire would surely fall to the Demon King's army.
"No. That cannot happen..."
"Pardon? What do you mean, Saintess?"
"Where is High Priest Radbod?"
"I believe he is at the Great Temple."
"I must ask for his help..."
The first person who came to mind was High Priest Radbod, her patron and the man who had made her the Saintess.
She was certain he would find a way to prevent the apprentice Saintess from joining the hero's party.
"Summon High Priest Radbod to the palace... No, I will go myself!"
By imperial protocol, the High Priest should have been summoned to the palace, but Emilia had no time to wait.
Every second counted.
There was no telling when the hero might bring Irene to the capital to seek out the apprentice.
"Um... Saintess..."
"Yes? What is it? Is there more to report?"
"Well..."
The priest hesitated, opening and closing his mouth as if struggling to find the right words.
"Spit it out. What else happened?"
"Yes... Actually, His Highness the Crown Prince..."
"My husband? What about him?"
"He is currently having tea in the palace gardens with Lady Lumina, the daughter of Count Lumina."
"..."
Emilia listened to the report with a blank expression.
It was nothing new, but she paused to consider how she should react.
Crown Prince Chris's womanizing was so notorious that every noble in the empire knew of it. Even without a report, anyone could guess what he was doing if he wasn't working in the middle of the day.
"Hmph... Let him do as he pleases."
"Pardon?"
"If everything goes according to my plan, his little games will end soon enough anyway..."
His infidelity was one thing.
But ever since the hero rejected their request for aid, an increasing number of nobles had been calling for the Crown Prince's replacement or demanding he remarry.
Consequently, Emilia's own standing had become incredibly precarious.
But still.
She believed that no matter what problems arose, everything would be resolved the moment she rejoined the hero's party as the Saintess.
The Baltabar Territory, located on the southeastern edge of the Fiore Empire.
Bordering the desert, it was a quiet place, more like a small village than a proper territory. It shared no borders with other nations, and travelers rarely crossed the arid wastes.
Yet, out of nowhere, military tents had been pitched, and soldiers clad in white uniforms had begun occupying the area.
The local soldiers who originally guarded the territory were reassigned to checkpoints to monitor anyone passing through.
"Ugh, what a miserable life..."
One of the guards at the checkpoint sighed, his shoulders slumping.
"I should be taking a nice, long nap in the barracks right now. Why the hell are we out here guarding a checkpoint in the middle of nowhere?"
"Tell me about it."
"Hey, did you hear the commander sent from the imperial palace is a woman? Apparently, she's a total beauty."
"So what if she's pretty? Didn't you see her earlier? She made those high-and-mighty knights freeze with just a look."
The two guards continued to gossip at the empty checkpoint.
*Clack, clack, clack.*
In a time of war, a suspicious carriage was slowly approaching.
Seeing this, the guards cut their chatter short, raised their spears, and blocked its path.
"We weren't notified of any carriages passing through today... Who goes there? State your identity."
"Greetings. We are traveling from the Arzen Kingdom. Inside the carriage is the hero and his companions."
"What?"
"I said the hero and his party are inside. Look here, can you not see the crest of the Arzen Kingdom?"
The driver, Roman, pointed to the royal crest of the Arzen Kingdom painted on the side of the carriage, but...
"The hero? Pfft! Don't make me laugh. Why would the hero come to a place like this?"
"The hero is truly inside! He has an appointment to meet Commander Irene here!"
"Hey, if the guy in that carriage is the hero, then I'm the Saintess! Hahaha!"
The two guards clutched their stomachs, howling with laughter.
Frustrated, Roman thumped his chest in exasperation before sliding open the small window to speak with the hero inside.
"You look like smugglers trying to sneak goods across the border. This area is locked down as of today, so turn around and take another route."
When the guards refused to believe them, the carriage door finally swung open. Carlos and Lucia stepped out and approached the guards.
"I am the hero, Carlos. I have come to meet Commander Irene. Please step aside."
"W-well, look at that... He's even playing the part..."
The guards faltered, unsettled by Carlos's imposing presence.
Doubts began to creep in. Could this actually be the real hero?
"We are tired from a long journey. Let us through, or I will force my way in."
"W-wait... We need to check with the Lord first..."
*Thwack!*
Just as one of the guards decided to run and report to the Lord, a sudden force intervened.
A white blur struck the guard, sending him flying through the air.
Before the remaining guard could even turn to see what had happened, he found himself staring directly into the eyes of the culprit.
"C-Commander!"
A woman with silver hair swept back to reveal her forehead stood before them. Clad in a white uniform and a blue cloak, her fierce, chilling gaze made the remaining guard tremble in terror.
"Commander Irene?"
Carlos called out to the woman who was glaring at the guard.
Her murderous aura vanished instantly. She stepped toward Carlos and bowed with formal, military precision.
"I am Irene Alsmeyer, Commander of the Northern Army. It is an honor to meet you, Hero."