The God Abduction Plan
“Sieg Barbary has arrived.”
With the booming announcement, the doors swung open.
Creaaak—
The massive doors, worthy of being called works of art, led into the imperial audience chamber.
“So that’s the male healer? I can’t believe it.”
“They say he cured both Her Majesty and Princess Morgan’s curses… It must be true.”
“Rumor has it he’s been having secret meetings with Princess Nero quite often.”
“Even the princess can’t resist a handsome face… Hahaha.”
Following the carpet laid across the audience chamber, I made my way toward Emperor Diana. Whispers from the nobles reached my ears from every direction.
She had summoned me while in the middle of state affairs with her ministers, so I suddenly found myself the center of attention—like a monkey in a zoo.
I hadn’t expected things to escalate this far.
I had visited Nero’s workshop several times, thinking it would be a casual meeting, and asked for imperial permission to enter the Goshura Great Forest.
—That’s not something I can decide on my own. Normally it might be different, but the beastmen’s situation has been unstable lately…
Nero’s tone had been negative. She seemed reluctant to grant permission.
But if things continued as they were, the beastmen would surely be wiped out. I needed that approval no matter what.
I couldn’t stop the Church’s invasion alone, but at least I could warn them of the threat and treat the curse that had been planned for the beastmen.
Maybe my desperate persuasion had worked.
—Th-then I’ll speak to Mother about it.
With those words, Nero left the room. She said she would go directly to Emperor Diana and negotiate.
After waiting for a while, a servant came to fetch me and led me here.
“It’s been a while, Sieg Barbary.”
Unlike last time, Diana looked healthy.
I bowed my head in greeting to her lively welcome.
“Ministers, you may leave.”
Emperor Diana dismissed the other nobles.
Now only Diana, Nero, and Morgan remained.
“Have you greeted my daughters?”
“I just greeted Lady Nero.”
“Is that so? I hear you meet with her quite often.”
“Haha… Yes.”
Technically, Nero was the one who came to me. To dispel suspicions that I might be a dragon, I had visited her workshop a few times. Since then, she had been coming regularly for additional examinations.
“You’re also acquainted with Morgan, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am.”
At the emperor’s mention, I looked at Morgan. She stood with her head lowered, looking dazed. The thuggish demeanor I had seen at first had largely disappeared. The curse’s influence should have been completely lifted, yet her attitude had changed. She now radiated a refined, ladylike aura.
‘Don’t tell me my healing magic caused that too?’
After consulting with Soho, I had continued researching the healing magic. I hadn’t uncovered the exact truth yet, but I had confirmed that it was exerting some kind of influence. Based on the documents I found in Nero’s workshop, I might learn more if I went to the Goshura Great Forest.
“How admirable. Hahaha. I welcome your audience, Sieg.”
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. You’re the man who saved a life that was nearly lost. I still haven’t given you a proper reward.”
This was my second time meeting Emperor Diana. After the banquet incident, she had been busy dealing with the aftermath and cleanup.
She had identified the collusion between nobles and demons and executed all the traitors. Morgan had been spared because there was solid evidence she had been controlled by demons, but the other nobles had paid the price for treason.
“So, you wish to go to the Goshura Great Forest?”
“Yes.”
“The Arcadia Empire owes you far too much.”
She’s going to approve it right away?!
Given how seriously she had brought me to the audience chamber, I thought it might be difficult, but it seemed things were going smoothly.
“That’s why I must refuse.”
“What?”
“You cannot go to the Goshura Great Forest.”
I tilted my head, forgetting my manners. She had seemed ready to approve, so what was this sudden reversal?
Seeing my bewildered expression, Emperor Diana snorted and spoke again.
“To explain, it’s simply too dangerous right now. The beastmen are showing unusual signs as their mating season approaches. There have even been reports of men being kidnapped near the territories surrounding the Great Forest. I can’t send you into such a place. The Church is also strongly opposing it.”
‘Did Freya already visit?’
I knew Diana often met with the Saintess Freya. She said “the Church,” but Freya’s influence must have been strong.
“How about staying in the capital? If you remain here… the matter of Nero’s husband I mentioned last time is still on the table! I can make you the princess’s husband. What do you think, Second Princess?”
“Th-th-th… that’s—”
“See? Nero agrees too, doesn’t she?”
Nero hadn’t even managed to open her mouth properly, but Diana strongly insisted before hearing a proper answer. She was telling me to become her husband.
“But I can’t force you. You have your own circumstances. If that’s the case, I’d like to offer you the position of the empire’s exclusive healer. A healer capable of using saintess-level healing magic without compensation would be unmatched anywhere in the world. What do you say?”
Diana rose from her seat and approached me.
“The timing is perfect. With so many pests in the empire lately, several noble titles have become vacant. I’ll grant you a title along with a territory.”
It was an extraordinary offer. Becoming a noble wasn’t easy. Money? Titles couldn’t be bought. They were only granted in special cases when someone made direct contributions to the empire.
“And if you’re worried about the Barbary Barony, don’t be. I’ll grant you a separate title for that. What do you think? If you choose to stay in the capital, I’ll gladly give you even greater rewards than this.”
Diana extended her hand with a confident smile. Her bold demeanor showed clear certainty that I would take it.
When I glanced aside, my eyes met Nero’s. She had been sitting behind Diana. She slightly averted her gaze before nodding. It seemed like she was telling me to take the hand.
But—
“I don’t think I can do that.”
After all, if I stayed here doing nothing, the Arcadia Empire would fall anyway. It felt meaningless. The Demon King’s army wasn’t the type to give up so easily. They would use this failure as a stepping stone to attack even more relentlessly.
Even if I accepted the emperor’s offer, I would spend every day worrying about the Demon King’s army’s attacks. The reason Daeho suddenly went to the Seolha Empire was, of course, because of the demons. Traces of demons had been discovered in the Seolha Empire’s imperial family, so he had left in a hurry.
In the end, only Nero and Daeho—the protagonists of this world—could stop the Demon King’s army and protect both the Arcadia Empire and my own life. And I had already decided to help Daeho.
“I want to go to the Goshura Great Forest. If you wish to reward me, please grant me permission instead.”
First, I would go to the Goshura Great Forest. There, as promised to Akasha, I would heal the beastmen and find clues about my healing magic.
—You must awaken before it’s too late. If you delay, your followers may demand excessive expressions of affection, bordering on obsession.
Moreover, the ancient text I found in Nero’s workshop was bothering me. Ignoring that warning felt like it would lead to something serious.
I couldn’t afford to hesitate.
“Is that so? Well… if that’s what you want, then so be it.”
“What?”
Was this the same person who had just been refusing? She was agreeing so easily?
“The Church warned me to keep you here, but I don’t want to make an enemy of you just to follow their wishes.”
Diana met my eyes and smiled brightly.
“However, there is one condition.”
“A condition?”
“Yes. Take Princess Nero with you. That’s my condition. That should be acceptable, right?”
“Yes.”
When I accepted Emperor Diana’s proposal, she wore a playful expression. I finally understood.
“No matter how threatening the beastmen may be, Nero is a genius mage! She’ll be able to protect you. That’s the official reason… and if anything happens between the two of you, the Arcadia Empire would welcome it. Hahaha.”
This person had planned this from the beginning.
As if to confirm it, Diana handed me a document. It was a permit allowing entry into the Goshura Great Forest. She must have prepared it in advance.
I felt like I had been tricked, but I was satisfied with obtaining the permit.
Just as I was leaving the audience chamber with a light heart after achieving my goal, I heard a voice.
“Actually, I wanted to go with you myself…”
Did I mishear? It had been muttered quietly, but it was clearly Diana’s voice.
*
Deep within the Goshura Great Forest.
An forgotten temple stood there. It was a place dedicated to an ancient god once worshipped by many, now abandoned and neglected.
“O our god…”
A soft, thin voice echoed from within. The beastmen priests were bowing their heads in prayer.
“Please save us…”
They prayed with all their hearts, hoping for salvation.
“Chief?”
When the prayer ended, one beastman approached the woman at the front.
“The Unique God Church is planning to attack. Wouldn’t it be better to join the Demon King’s army after all?”
What they brought was a declaration of war. The humans who had massacred their kin were coming again with bad news.
Those despicable bastards. They persecuted and slaughtered the beastmen for worshipping a different god, and now they were trying to do it again.
The beastmen, burning with rage, suggested listening to the Demon King’s army that had recently approached.
But the chief shook her head.
“No. There’s no need for that.”
“Chief!? We’re all going to die at this rate…”
What a frustrating person. Why trust a god who had abandoned us so much?
“Don’t worry. Our god will come soon…”
“You mean the god is coming personally?”
“When he arrives, neither the Church nor the Demon King will stand a chance.”
When I met the chief’s eyes, I couldn’t help but step back. Her coldly sunken gaze and strong conviction were overwhelming. If I denied her words, something terrible might happen.
“Now then, sister. Let us worship the god together. And prepare everything we will offer to him…! Come, let’s do it together.”
“H-how can you be so sure the god will come?”
“How?”
At the question, the chief smiled brightly. Then she spoke as if it were obvious.
“We’ll keep praying until he does. And if he still doesn’t come…”
“Then what?”
“We’ll just go kidnap him ourselves. So don’t worry, sister!”
With those words, the chief pulled out a photograph from her bosom. The face of the man shown there was incredibly handsome—more beautiful than any the beastmen had ever seen. He was their god.
Sieg Barbary.