The Eve
Elbridge answered the question from Vice-Bishop Heinz.
"If you've sealed a demon... this wouldn't be about Ashpen, would it?"
"Is Ashpen the name of the village where a demon appeared last autumn?"
"It is."
"I only heard that a demon had appeared there. I was told they were defeated by it."
"You are well-informed. Then where exactly did you seal this demon?"
"Middlemarch."
One of Vice-Bishop Heinz's eyebrows rose at a sharp angle.
"Middlemarch in the Central region? The city where all roads meet?"
"Yes. I stopped there before arriving in Soleneon yesterday."
Vice-Bishop Heinz's expression grew grave.
"If this is a lie, leave now. If it is the truth, remain seated."
"If you doubt me, contact the Central Magic Tower."
The Magic Towers could communicate with one another. The cost was absurdly high for ordinary people, but for the Golden Platter Order it would not be an unbearable expense.
Vice-Bishop Heinz said, "The mages of the Central Magic Tower are renowned for their exceptional skill. They have no holy knights, yet their regular knights are said to be outstanding as well."
Elbridge gave a small, dry laugh. He had understood the true meaning hidden behind the vice-bishop's sudden praise.
"You believe I quietly inserted myself into the accomplishments of the Central mages and knights."
"Facing a demon alone is impossible. The real question is how large a part you actually played."
"Contact the Central Magic Tower and ask the vice-tower master to confirm. Tell him to describe exactly what Elbridge showed without any exaggeration. He will surely do so."
"Hmm."
Vice-Bishop Heinz had learned several truths over a lifetime of meeting people. One of those truths was that liars and braggarts were desperate to show off.
Yet in his eyes, Elbridge's tone was far too plain to belong to a braggart.
"I will contact the Central Magic Tower today. Not because I suspect you, but to gauge the true extent of your contribution."
"Please do."
Heinz rose from his seat.
"You've arrived at a most exquisite moment."
"Coming during the year-end voting period is indeed excellent timing."
"No, that is not what I meant. You said you had heard about Ashpen, yes?"
"As I told you earlier, I only know that they were defeated by the demon."
"Are you aware of the Dickens Territory incident?"
Elbridge nodded.
"You received a letter from Baron Riverford stating that Dickens Territory had fallen to a demon. I was the one who delivered that letter."
"Ah, so it was you... Then this will be quick."
Heinz pointed at the map on the wall with his cane.
"Here is Dickens Territory, and here is Ashpen."
Red circles had been drawn over both locations.
"What do the red circles signify?"
"Cities where demons have appeared."
"Then what is the circle between Dickens Territory and Ashpen?"
Elbridge had asked while already guessing the answer. There were not two circles, but three.
"The same. A merchant who visited for trade discovered the corpses and reported it to the order."
Elbridge's gaze grew serious as he studied the map. The three red circles were arranged in a perfectly straight line.
Most demons could not have their point of emergence predicted. Once they appeared, one could only rush to the site as quickly as possible, just as the holy knights of the old Rusty Shield Order had done.
But some demons allowed for estimation. When a clear pattern existed between emergence points, like the red circles on this map.
Demons never appeared where there were no people.
Connecting the red circles in a straight line would allow one to predict the next location.
Elbridge stared at the map and murmured, "The next place the demon will appear is Soleneon."
"Sharp eye."
But Elbridge was not finished.
"Are the dates beside the circles the dates the demons appeared?"
"They are estimated, but... yes."
Elbridge placed his hand on the map and began comparing the dates with the distances.
Vice-Bishop Heinz looked slightly flustered.
"You can predict the timing of a demon's appearance?"
"I can."
"How? This information was barely unearthed from ancient texts..."
Elbridge answered carelessly. "Just happened to know it."
It might be valuable information now, but in the past it had been common knowledge.
Elbridge examined the map closely. The distances between the three circles varied. When the gap to the next city was large, the time between appearances was long. When the next city was close, the demon appeared again relatively quickly.
As Elbridge had expected, the demon was moving at a constant speed.
This spring in Dickens Territory. Late summer for the second city. Ashpen was roughly forty days ago...
Elbridge said, "No matter what, the demon will reach Soleneon within ten days at the latest."
That was the limit of what he could determine. The map lacked precision and the appearance dates were estimates, so some margin of error was inevitable.
Still, one thing was certain: the demon would appear in Soleneon by the end of the year at the earliest, or early the following year at the latest.
"Yes. That is the problem."
Vice-Bishop Heinz let out a heavy sigh.
"The demands the combat orders are shouting about? Under normal circumstances I would not have given them the slightest attention. Hand over seats using our money? Does that even make sense? But the timing is poor. We need their strength."
"If you believe the combat orders' assistance is necessary, why have you not concluded negotiations with them?"
"Their demands were excessive."
Elbridge considered this. A demon would appear and the world would descend into chaos. Would it truly be too much for the Golden Platter Order, which held sixty-one seats, to yield six or seven of them to the combat orders?
"We must look selfish. It must seem right to quickly yield seats to the combat orders. In the short term, that would be correct."
"You are saying the long term is different?"
"Indeed. Have you ever heard that logistics is half of war?"
When Elbridge nodded, Vice-Bishop Heinz continued.
"This is only the beginning. No one knows how many years the war against the demons will last. Decades, perhaps even centuries. And our Golden Platter Order must provide supply and financial support to countless combat orders throughout that long conflict."
"A sound perspective."
"The problem arises if the balance of power shifts too drastically. That duty would become difficult to fulfill. Ancient records show that after the war with demons began, the Golden Platter Order's seats decreased every single year."
"That would be inevitable."
Vice-Bishop Heinz spoke accurately. Yet Elbridge had never witnessed the decline. The downward trend had ended before he was born. During his active years, the Golden Platter Order's seats had remained roughly stable.
"It is not that we refuse to yield or refuse to support the combat orders. But we must control the speed of that yielding. Stripping away the Golden Platter Order's seats too quickly is no different from devouring the seedlings meant to be planted next year."
The old vice-bishop's eyes burned with conviction. This was the face of a man prepared to endure public condemnation to do what he believed was right.
Looking back, the Golden Platter Order of the past had been the same. People had pointed fingers and called them selfish. Yet they had simply chosen not to fight on the front lines. Instead they had opened their storehouses to feed and clothe the holy knights of other orders and helped raise new ones.
Of course they had often behaved like misers... but it was not entirely incomprehensible.
Vice-Bishop Heinz added one final remark.
"This is a decision made for the people of the world."
Suddenly Felix's words from yesterday came to mind. Felix had claimed that for the sake of the world's people, the combat orders must secure seats as quickly as possible.
Vice-Bishop Heinz's argument was not so different. Only their conclusions stood in complete opposition.
"The conversation has grown rather long. In any case, I will not forget your request. Whether I will negotiate with you or with the combat orders, however, remains to be seen."
"...Understood."
He had considered visiting the Olive Tree Order as well, but it no longer seemed necessary.
Elbridge left the Golden Platter Order's temple and trudged through the crowded streets of Soleneon. As he passed through the market district, a loud voice rang out.
"Those who haven't offered their prayers yet! I will finalize your deal under the best possible conditions! Lowest commission fees! The largest number of people currently assembled! Everyone knows that the more people involved, the better the negotiation terms, yes? Don't hesitate, come right over!"
When he turned, he saw a young man standing on a platform shouting. The White Hands must refer to people like him.
For some reason, the sight left Elbridge drained.
He dropped heavily onto a wooden crate beside the road. Watching the busy crowds rush past, everything felt like a dream.
He turned over in his mind what Felix had said, what the head holy knight had said, and what Vice-Bishop Heinz had said.
No one understood better than Elbridge how difficult the coming battle against the demon would be. Yet at the same time, he had been deliberately ignoring the truth that the fight against the demon was not everything.
Even before demons, even at the brink of survival, even on the boundary between life and death, people could never truly unite.
They quarreled endlessly with one another to enforce their own ideas and protect their own interests. Sometimes the conflicts between orders burned hotter than the war against demons. Force was often employed in battles between orders themselves.
How wonderful it would be if everyone could fight the demons with one heart.
As Elbridge sat blankly watching the people, an oracle descended.
"Elbridge. You look so weary."
"Goddess. Did you hear the conversation I just had with Vice-Bishop Heinz?"
"I heard."
Until now there had been little to say, so he had asked the Goddess of the Rusty Shield for encouragement. But at this moment, he desperately needed her support.
"Goddess. I truly need your sincere encouragement."
"It breaks my heart that all I can offer is the simple words to endure. Yet Elbridge, your goddess will always believe in you and remain at your side."
Elbridge felt human warmth in the goddess's oracle. Or perhaps it should be called divine warmth.
"Elbridge. Today, go find Marcus and Rombel. Eat rich food and drink fine wine until you cannot drink any more. Speak openly from your heart. Sing loudly with the noisy voices of those around you as accompaniment. Then fall into a deep sleep without thinking of anything at all. This is the task your goddess entrusts to you."
For some reason, Elbridge felt a little happier.
"Your faithful holy knight Elbridge shall certainly carry out the task you have given me, Goddess."
When Elbridge clasped his hands together in prayer, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield burst into clear, bright laughter.
Somehow, strength seemed to rise within his body.
As Elbridge prepared to stand, two people approached him. One was the man he had seen that morning, the head holy knight of the Bloodied Spear Order. The other was a lightly armed female knight with a laurel wreath emblem at the center of her chest. Judging by the decoration on her pauldrons, she too was a head holy knight.
The head holy knight of the Bloodied Spear Order spoke.
"Sir Elbridge. It seems you spoke with Vice-Bishop Heinz."
News certainly traveled fast.
"We finished our conversation just now. What is the matter?"
Elbridge shifted into a slightly crooked posture. He had recovered far more strength than during the recent Grand Tournament. Even if they drew their swords right now, he was confident he could subdue them easily. He had nothing to fear.
The head holy knight of the Laurel Wreath Order answered.
"It would be best if you would align yourself with the combat orders as much as possible."
Elbridge gave a small chuckle.
"Are you aware that a demon will appear in Soleneon within ten days at the latest?"
"We are."
This time the answer came from the Bloodied Spear Order.
They had not mentioned it earlier.
"That is precisely why we came to find you, Sir Elbridge. We will not interfere with your negotiations with the Golden Platter Order. We ask only one promise."
"What is it?"
"If the demon appears before the voting ends, please do not fight it until after the new year begins. The situation must grow urgent for us to gain the upper hand in negotiations."
And then the head holy knight of the Bloodied Spear Order finished with the words Elbridge had expected.
"This is for the sake of every person in this world."
This was the third time he had heard those words.
Elbridge could not help but laugh.
He suddenly wanted to get drunk, just as the goddess's oracle had suggested.
"I see."
Without further reply, Elbridge turned and walked away. The two head holy knights did not try to stop him.
Elbridge headed toward the Magic Tower to find Rombel. After walking for some time, the noisy voices of the crowd gradually faded.
He looked around. People were staring up at the sky. Elbridge followed their gaze.
Purple clouds were gathering from the east. Familiar, yet grotesque purple clouds.
Looking at those clouds, Elbridge thought that getting drunk today was no longer an option.
He stood still and offered a prayer to his goddess.
"Goddess. What do you believe I should do?"
He left the choice to her.
Unlike everyone else he had met that day, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield did not force anything upon him.
"Elbridge. Many gods set their eyes upon seats in the council. But for your goddess, a seat is merely a means and a result. Of course, it would be a lie to say I am not tempted by a second seat... Simply do what you believe is right."
Elbridge nodded and began walking toward the approaching clouds.