The Hostage
Having packed most of the relics from the Treasure Vault into the Subspace Pouch, we checked through the inventory as we made our way back to the Duke's office.
"Damn... this haul is even better than I thought. I can properly gear you all up this time."
"Is that so?"
I offered a meaningful grin at Muriel, who responded with her usual nonchalance.
"Muriel, you seem to think this is no big deal, but... this is an incredible harvest. We're talking class-exclusive gear for everyone."
"Hmm... While I do not quite grasp what that means, I did not think it trivial. Seeing you smile like that, Lord Han-gil, it must surely be something remarkable."
"Then couldn't you make a little fuss for me?"
"It simply does not suit my nature."
"A real wooden block, I swear. Even though you squeal like a wild beast whenever I put my hands on you."
"...I have never done such a thing."
"Oh, sure you haven't."
Smirking, I gave her backside a playful pat, and she pressed herself flush against my side with a completely deadpan face. Servants bustled past us in the hallways, but I paid them no mind, brazenly kneading her backside as we made our triumphant return to the Duke's office.
"Huh?"
However, the atmosphere inside the office was drifting in a very different direction than I had anticipated.
"How can we possibly trust someone who has betrayed us once before?!"
"Whether you trust me or not changes nothing about what I do."
"And who do you think will permit that?! An uncivilized barbarian warrior running rampant across the Duchy is utterly unacceptable!"
"...You bastard."
Tsarkhella was evidently the source of the trouble. The vassals were glaring at her with faces twisted in undisguised revulsion and contempt, while Tsarkhella stood with an icy, hardened expression, her eyes simmering with raw bloodlust.
"What in the world is all this racket?"
Since they hadn't even noticed my arrival, I rapped on the door and raised my voice, drawing every pair of eyes in the room toward me.
"You have arrived at the perfect time, Lord Alzen! That barbarian warrior claims she is betrothed to marry you—is this true?!"
"Lord Alzen! We heard it was you who brought that barbarian warrior here! What in the heavens were you thinking?!"
"Incest is one thing, but marriage to a barbarian warrior?! Absolutely out of the question!"
I frowned, taking a seat amidst the barrage of complaints dumped on me the moment I showed my face. No, seriously—are they really more tolerant of incest than marrying a barbarian warrior? The values of this medieval fantasy land never ceased to baffle me.
"Haah... Father. What were you doing instead of stopping them?"
I glared at Urtega, who merely cast a sullen, sideways glance toward Tsarkhella.
"...Because the vassals speak no falsehood."
"What? No falsehood? Ha... unbelievable."
I scoffed, curling my lips into a derisive sneer.
"Father. Our proud head of the ducal house. The great knight who carved out the realm of Demi-God, the sole pioneer on the entire continent. You seem awfully leisurely, don't you?"
"......"
"Two Demon Kings and multiple high demons. Did that sound like a joke to you? At a time when we could use every hand we can get, you have a magnificent asset right before your eyes, yet instead of figuring out how to use her, you're nitpicking and looking for faults?"
"......"
"Coming from a loser, I really have to wonder where that composure comes from."
"...!!"
In an instant, the aura of a Demi-God detonated outward, flooding the room with suffocating pressure.
"Wh-what...! Lord Alzen! What kind of madness are you spouting?!"
"A loser?! How dare you utter such disgraceful words?!"
"Have you finally lost your mind?!"
"Did changing your appearance make you forget that the blood of House Stanasila flows in your veins?!"
"You've finally shown your true colors, you imposter!"
Those vassals were truly something else. Even as their faces turned sickly pale under the crushing weight of a Demi-God's momentum, their hands and feet trembling uncontrollably, they snarled and barked like beasts defending their territory. Quite the spectacle.
"...So, Father. When exactly do you plan on shutting them up?"
"......"
Urtega glared at me, then let out a heavy sigh before parting his lips.
"Silence."
"......"
"......"
With that single word from Urtega, the office fell so quiet that one could hear dust settling.
"Seriously... Even after being warned of the threat posed by the Demon Kings and high demons, this is the sorry state of affairs? House Stanasila is in great shape, isn't it, Father?"
"......"
"Well, I suppose that explains how you were nearly swallowed whole by a single high demon in the past. An empty cart that only looks grand on the outside... Tsk, the name of the ducal house must be weeping."
"...!!"
"......"
"Kh...!"
The vassals gritted their teeth and glared at me, but I only dialed up the provocation.
"You couldn't even handle a single high demon properly and are still sweating over post-war reconstruction, so on what earth did you think it wise to spit venom at Tsarkhella? Did you honestly not know she's a Master Rank? Or is it that the Demon Kings and high demons seem like minor threats in your eyes?"
Smirking in mockery at the vassals, I took a long swig of liquor.
"Khaah... Why don't you all march out right this second, slay both Demon Kings, butcher the high demons, and while you're at it, take down the Evil God to bring about continental peace? Huh?"
"You go... too far...!"
"Cut the bullshit. The ones going too far are all of you. Your pathetic pride, your petty honor, your fragile vanity... How does any of that help our current predicament? Answer me. What damn good is any of that in the face of an overwhelming crisis like the Demon Kings?"
"...E-enough, A-Alzen..."
Unable to watch any longer, Pitora stepped in to intercede.
"......"
I had a few more scathing words ready, but I couldn't bring myself to say them to her. Closing my mouth, I leaned back against the chair. Losing the ability to talk back to Pitora because of guilt might actually be a problem. Is this what they call an incompatible match? I tipped the bottle and gulped down the liquor.
"Phew... Anyway, Father. I have good news."
"Speak."
"The Treasure Vault is overflowing with exceptional relics. With those, I think we can definitively kill one of the Demon Kings. Specifically, the Demon King of Death, Annus."
A stir ran through the room! Ignoring the murmuring vassals, I watched Urtega's reaction.
"...What relics, for example?"
"Well, hmm... It's hard to explain in a few words, but... shall we call it a 'Demon King self-destruct device'?"
"...?"
"There's no point explaining it now anyway. You'll see it for yourself when the time comes to use it. The same goes for the other relics. I'll be the one using most of them, so do you really need a detailed explanation?"
"......"
Urtega's eyes sank, calculating. I merely gave a slick, easy smile, casually brushing off his gaze.
To be honest, while explaining was a hassle, keeping silent was also a deliberate choice because explaining it would cause the risk to skyrocket. The Grimoire of Blasphemy I'd obtained from the vault earlier—its effect was granting the abnormal status condition 'Immortality' to a target exactly once. An imperfect 'immortality' that permanently halted growth, no less. Merely mentioning the Elixir had stirred up that massive frenzy; if word got out that there was a relic that could literally prevent death... I might have to watch out for internal enemies before the Demon Kings and high demons even showed up.
"...Fine. I will take it to mean you have secured a way to deal with one of the Demon Kings."
"That's right. Now that we have the 'means' to face them, all that remains is the location, the circumstances, and the personnel."
Rolling my finger in the air, I curled up the corners of my mouth.
"I hate to say it, but the primary objective of both Demon Kings is me. The Demon King of Life, Otiliv, has an interest in the human named Kang Han-gil, and the Demon King of Death, Annus, will want to see my reaction by going after those around me."
"...And what of it?"
"So, I will be the bait."
A quiet hush of shock rippled through the office.
"Once I draw the attention of both Demon Kings and force them to show themselves, the rest of the forces just need to separate them. Specifically, isolate Otiliv. Then my party and I will take down Annus. If an opportunity presents itself, we can deal with Otiliv next."
"...You make it sound easy."
"The plan itself is simple. The tricky part is minimizing casualties throughout the process."
"Hmm..."
"Well, take your time pondering it."
Leaving the contemplative Urtega behind, I pushed myself up from my seat.
"Where are you off to now?"
"I've got a lot on my plate. I gave you the general outline, so sort out the details on your end. We'll move according to our own plan."
"Haah..."
Letting out a weary sigh, he nodded with reluctant resignation, and I led my party toward the door. Since my party accounted for virtually all the primary combat power in the room, the office emptied out in an instant. Oh, and Weller stayed behind in the office, scowling fiercely.
-Let me know the plan later, Sister Weller.
When I sent a Telepathic Transmission, she sighed back.
-...Fine. Just make sure you finish whatever you have to do properly. And don't you dare skip explaining it to me later.
-Leave it to me.
"All right. First off... Cecilia."
"Yes!"
Cutting off the mental link, I called out to Cecilia, and she looked up at me with bright, round eyes. I reflexively patted her head before linking our minds via telepathy.
-I'm about to speak with the Pope. Mind backing me up?
-Of course! I was actually planning on contacting His Holiness myself!
-Thanks, as always.
-Wh-what...?
My honest thanks must have come as quite a shock, because her eyes widened and she snapped her head toward me.
-What? Did you think I was incapable of saying thank you?
-N-no... that's not it, but... ahem! Well, as long as you know you should be grateful!
She puffed out her chest with a triumphant look, bringing a smirk to my face.
"Uuu..."
Just then, Arpe lunged at my waist, letting out a pitiful whimper as if she were on the verge of tears.
"...Arpe. Are you still at it?"
"Sir Han-gil... You won't leave me, right? You'll stay mine, won't you? You're my possession for the rest of our lives, right?"
As Arpe asked, her wide eyes were already brimming with tears.
"I don't think I'm yours right now, either."
"Don't say that... We're friends, aren't we...?!"
"I really have no idea what a 'friend' means in that head of yours..."
Shaking my head faintly, I kept walking forward without breaking stride.
"Uuuuu..."
Arpe remained latched onto my waist, dragging her feet along the floor while continuing to whine.
The conversation with the Pope proceeded swiftly.
"Hmm, so..."
Reflected in the communication crystal, Pope Nierdian Hapechelaim stroked his beard with a grave expression.
"The ducal territory is currently exposed to the threat of Demon Kings? And two of them at that?"
"That's right. So send over some priests and paladins."
"...Is this the truth? It is so sudden that I find it difficult to believe..."
"It is the truth, Your Holiness!"
Just as the Pope voiced his doubts, Cecilia stepped forward with a determined face and thrust herself right in front of the crystal ball.
"The Duke's Castle is in grave danger right now! We need everyone's strength!"
"Hmm, Cecilia. If it is your word, I will believe it... But if that is truly the case, you must first return to the Holy Church—"
"Whoa, hold on. That's not happening."
"......"
"Huh? Sir Han-gil?"
Scooping Cecilia up, I plopped her onto my lap, gently stroking her small head while flashing a wicked grin. Across the communication crystal, the Pope's eyes hardened. Scary, truly scary. He looked ready to fire lasers from his eyes at any moment.
"Pope. Why waste so many words? The Saintess herself is volunteering to lend her strength to the Duke's Castle, isn't she? So just quietly send the troops. Don't want to? Well, suit yourself."
Grinning slickly, I ran my fingers along the Saintess's chin. From the Pope's perspective, it probably looked as though I had her by the throat.
"We'll manage on our own."
"Phoo... Even without taking the Saintess hostage, I intended to dispatch reinforcements."
"Pfft. Easy to say. You were just trying to recall her this second. Don't play dumb tricks on me."
"......"
As the Pope's gaze turned even more menacing, Cecilia finally caught on to the context of the conversation and gasped in shock.
"...Hostage?! Wait a second! Sir Han-gil! Am I a hostage right now?!"
"Bingo. You're a hostage. A hostage to squeeze every last drop of military force out of the Church."
"What did you say?! You are truly...!"
Clenching her fists, Cecilia began hammering away at my ribs and chin. I pulled her into a tight bear hug, completely pinning her in place.
"Ugh! Let go of me! And don't be ridiculous! I didn't offer to help just to be used like this!"
"If we don't do this, though, the Pope won't send troops—he'll just try to pull you out of the castle by any means necessary."
"Huh? What do you..."
Turning her head to meet the Pope's gaze through the crystal ball, Cecilia fell silent for a moment before speaking in a low, earnest tone.
"...It's all right, Your Holiness."
"Cecilia."
"It really is all right. I've seen firsthand from his side just how incredible and remarkable Sir Han-gil is. If it's him, he will protect me. He will overcome the Demon Kings, too. Without fail."
"Haah..."
His face twisted in profound conflict, the Pope squeezed his eyes shut. Moments later, as if having reached a conclusion, he slowly opened them and fixed a stern glare on me.
"...I shall place my trust in you, Sir Han-gil."
"Leave it to me. I'll send the Saintess back in one piece. And bag a Demon King or two while I'm at it."
"I will dispatch the forces with all possible haste."
"Much obliged. Now then... Ah, right. By the way, what happened with the Demon King's Fragment? Any progress?"
"It is not without progress, but it is not yet in a state where it can be immediately deployed against a Demon King."
"That's a shame. All right, I'm a busy man, so let's wrap this up."
"What? Wait! There are still matters to discuss—!"
Cutting off the communication crystal before he could finish, I ignored Cecilia's fierce scowl and pushed myself to my feet.
"Eek?!"
Still cradled in my arms, Cecilia let out a startled shriek at the sudden loss of gravity.
"Rubias. What's the status on the two Demon Kings?"
─...There is no significant movement as of yet. It seems the two are discussing something... but their opinions appear to clash. Hmph, naturally. It would be far stranger if those two ever agreed on anything.
"Good. The more time we can buy, the more we can prepare."
Quickening my stride, I gestured to the group.
"Everyone, follow me. We'll handle our tasks while I hand out the relics we snatched from the vault."
"Relics?"
"Um... Is it truly all right for us to receive them?"
"Who else would take them if not you? Well, we'll probably have to return them later... but when the time comes to use them, we use them."
At my words, the Master Rank members exchanged glances and nodded with grave determination.
"By the way, Lord Han-gil. What is this task you mentioned? Did we have something else to take care of?"
"Hm? Oh, that..."
After a brief pause, I bared my teeth in a mischievous grin.
"I'm just going to go take a quick leak and mark my territory."
"Pardon...?"
The rest of the group tilted their heads, thoroughly baffled, but Muriel alone looked my way with an uneasy, apprehensive gaze.