Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: Continental Summit (2)
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"Welcome to the Roselia Grand Temple. Lady Lapori, Lady Cecily. It's been a while. It's regrettable that we meet under such unfortunate circumstances."
"Thank you for your warm welcome, Saintess."
"Hello, Saintess? I am Cecily Greenwood, a high elf of the Elven Kingdom."
The elf girl who had been somewhat special when she left this place was now a full-fledged high elf, formally greeting the saintess.
Riesta, immersed in an inexplicable sense of pride, warmly welcomed Cecily, and soon a cordial atmosphere formed.
In truth, despite appearances, Cecily the elf was older, but that wasn't a pressing issue right now.
"Hahaha. I thought that last matter would be my final diplomatic duty, but somehow it turned out like this."
Lapori smiled awkwardly and shrugged her shoulders.
This was such a critical issue that Lapori had no choice but to step forward personally.
However, it was quite unexpected that Cecily, who should have been focused on her studies in Drasha, had joined the delegation. This reflected her strong desire to return to the Ion Continent.
'Opportunities to cross the continent like this don't come often. This way, I can fulfill my promise to properly repay Sir Hari.'
And the Elven Kingdom's leadership had accommodated her wishes.
The delegation itself wasn't particularly dangerous, and it could serve as valuable experience as part of her education.
"I've heard the news. Sir Heinrich has become a saint, hasn't he? I sensed he was no ordinary person back then, and hearing the news confirmed it."
"Hee hee hee... The Saint will be delighted to see you all. He's currently busy rechecking the temple's defenses."
The long-awaited reunion didn't last long due to the saintess's packed schedule welcoming other guests.
The Elven Kingdom's delegation was escorted to their accommodations until the conference began.
Everyone was satisfied with the smooth proceedings, but one person was subtly dejected without realizing it...
"W-What? I'm not disappointed at all. I knew it would turn out like this from the start!"
Harris said nothing, but Shaphiron, fidgeting with the belt around her waist as she interpreted his gaze, startled and reacted.
"O-Of course? With a delegation this large, there couldn't be any issues en route. This is just preparation for any eventualities..."
He remained silent, but Shaphiron continued with unconvincing excuses in a small voice.
'Still, pretending not to notice is the magnanimity of an adult.'
Harris simply gazed at her warmly, and Lapori, who kept glancing over with eyes full of affection, did the same.
Naturally, he was an accomplice for not stopping her.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ As time passed, delegations from various powers began arriving at the Grand Temple one after another.
Of course, not a single one was absent.
'Missing out on a gathering this grand is tantamount to self-imposed diplomatic isolation, so it's only natural.'
It wasn't called the Continental Summit for nothing.
Before it was confirmed, perhaps, but now that everyone was united in purpose, absence was unthinkable.
With the convenient gates available, the tight timeline posed no obstacle.
Thus, time flowed without major issues.
Finally, the day of the eagerly awaited 'Continental Summit' dawned.
Knock knock—
In the heart of the Roselia Grand Temple, guarded ironclad by holy knights stationed everywhere.
Heinrich, clad in armor shining brighter than usual, lightly knocked on the door.
"Saintess Riesta? It's Heinrich. It's time to head to the conference hall. Are you ready?"
"Yes! I'll be right out!"
Right after the response, the door opened, and she approached carefully with her attendant priestesses, dressed in formal robes.
As it was an official occasion, she had no choice but to pay extra attention to every detail...
'She seems a bit tense. Well, this is her first time at an event this big.'
Riesta approached him stiffly with a rigid expression.
Though she had represented the Church of the Main God in public activities, she was still just a 19-year-old girl.
Naturally, an event of this scale was her first, and anyone would be nervous in her position.
Of course, Heinrich, the master of emotional control, showed no hint of agitation.
Pretending not to notice her tension, he spoke to her calmly.
"Quite a few have come from all over this time. This is my first time seeing people from every corner of the world. You must be used to it by now, Saintess."
"W-Well, yes. It's been over seven years since I became the saintess. I'm somewhat accustomed to dealing with all sorts of people, but..."
"And isn't this all thanks to your tireless efforts, Saintess? It's a gathering born from your hard work uniting everyone. It must feel all the more meaningful."
"...It was just my duty. You've been working hard too, Saint! You've been busy inspecting the holy site's security lately."
As they walked to the conference hall with the attendants following at a distance, the natural conversation gradually eased the saintess's tension.
She had holy spells to maintain composure, so her nervousness stemmed purely from mental burden.
After all, as the face of the church, she had borne that weight alone in such situations.
'But now with Saint Heinrich by her side, she doesn't have to shoulder it alone.'
Realizing this, Riesta seemed to lighten her load while chatting with the relaxed Heinrich, regaining her usual demeanor by the time they neared the hall.
"Even though others have checked multiple times already, did you need to personally inspect security again, Saint? And in full armor instead of robes, no less."
"I'm a holy knight and the warrior who faced the Immortal King directly. Doesn't this inspire more trust? Besides, the temple's defenses concern the Church of the Main God's prestige, so they must be thoroughly verified."
High-ranking delegates with full authority from nations across the continents, minor faiths worshiping sea gods or earth gods, and representatives from the Magic Tower Alliance and Mercenary Guilds were all attending.
Including their entourages and guards, an enormous number of outsiders had flooded in at once.
Naturally, the temple's security was tighter than ever.
It was taken for granted that paladins and archbishops were mobilized, with Saint Heinrich personally leading them.
'And the inquisitors are discreetly monitoring attendees just in case.'
There could always be bad actors hiding among them.
Fortunately, none with malicious intent had been detected yet.
"Ah, you've both arrived. Shall we go in, then?"
At the end of their conversation, they joined Cardinal Cordelia, who was assisting with proceedings, at the conference hall door.
With everyone else already seated, they just needed to enter, and it would begin.
The 'Continental Summit' that would decide the world's future.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The grand conference hall inside the Roselia Grand Temple.
In the center were circular seats for each power's representatives and their key aides, while outer seats accommodated the rest of the delegations.
Just before the summit began, nearly every seat was filled, but the atmosphere among them varied subtly based on inter-power relations.
'Phew, this is tough. I hope we can salvage something from this conference.'
Among them, the busiest was Dennis Rohan, heir to the Rohan Principality, constantly mingling with delegations.
He first approached his closest ally, the Empire, but the attending crown prince dismissed him as a nuisance.
Dispatching troops was difficult now, but they'd continue supplying materials as before—just hold out a bit longer.
He'd hoped a face-to-face plea would make a difference, but it was the same as the formal channels.
'Of course, supplies are appreciated, but hundreds die daily...! There's no one left to use them.'
The Empire was swamped with monsters too, so he understood, but disappointment was inevitable.
Unlike the resilient Azerion Empire, the Rohan Principality was like a candle in the wind.
Dennis slowly surveyed the vast hall.
The continent's ruling powers gathered in one place was a spectacle in itself.
It was disheartening that none seemed willing to aid his homeland amid the crowd.
'...I couldn't even approach the heteroraces. Even if they agreed, distance would prevent sending armies.'
His gaze turned to the Enamel Continent's delegation clustered together.
The elves' kingdom revering the World Tree, 'Elven Kingdom';
'Titanian', founded by dwarves worshiping the god of fire and metal.
And others like the beastmen alliance 'Wild Land' with their native faiths, and the lizardmen community 'Central Marshes'...
Aside from the Church of the Main God, they weren't human-friendly, making even conversation difficult.
Most wouldn't attend without the church's request.
'Unlike chaotic Ion Continent, Enamel is relatively stable.'
They'd support continent-wide like during the previous Immortal King incident to prevent spread, but Rohan needed more immediate, substantial military aid for its precarious state.
'The Zepia Republic, on bad terms with the Empire, wouldn't listen at all. Inevitable since we're pro-Empire...'
Despite his efforts, no other nation responded positively.
Not even the western kingdoms—Talia, Sharoti, Tulc, Lesk alliance—with lighter undead issues.
Nor the southeastern island mage-nation Wizet and southern Kolkos tribal league where the Magic Tower Alliance was based.
In chaotic times, no one wanted to divert forces outward, but from his view, they were exasperating.
'Minor faiths lack real combat power. At least the Mercenary Guild promised to introduce major corps, but negotiations will take time.'
Thus, the summit's outcome was crucial.
The Church of the Main God was already dispatching holy knight orders and paladins to Rohan.
They understood the gravity.
It would likely be a high-priority agenda.
A continental alliance army could overcome the crisis.
As Dennis pondered his next move—
Creeeak—
The hall doors opened, and the temple's representatives entered.
All eyes turned instantly, silencing the chatter.
Though many entered at once, including aides, only the two leading figures stood out.
"Hoh— truly recipients of divine favor. The space around them feels like another world."
"That's the newly ascended saint..."
"Hmm... I glimpsed him before, but his presence is overwhelming."
After a brief silence, delegations murmured among themselves.
Unlike the familiar Saintess Riesta from prior activities, all eyes fixed on Heinrich, the saint in his first official appearance.
No, they had no choice but to.
A man naturally exuding a hot, intense aura like blazing flames, contrasting his soft, benevolent smile and reverent atmosphere.
He was the era's hero and hope, the protagonist to defy the Immortal King and end the chaos.