To the Holy Kingdom
To the Holy Kingdom. The one who had thrown everything away and fled. The words seemed to point straight at Iris, and Evan had to fight to keep his expression blank. Does this bastard know something? The truth that the Saintess had cursed herself to escape the war was not something anyone should have been able to uncover.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh dear, it seems I’ve slipped up. Please forget I said anything. The Saintess isn’t the one who deserves blame, yet sometimes when I remember the innocent souls fighting demons on the battlefield, the anger surges up and the words tumble out before I can stop them.”
Evan glanced at the priests behind the man, but their faces showed this wasn’t an unfamiliar outburst from Diocasan. The Cardinal bowed his head.
“My apologies, Saintess.”
“……Ugh.”
Even as Diocasan lowered his head, Iris shrank behind Evan, clutching his clothes in a death grip as though the Cardinal terrified her. Slowly raising his gaze again, Diocasan spoke in a low, measured voice.
“Saintess, it is not proper to trouble an honored guest. That’s enough. Come here.”
“I-I… want to stay with Evan-Evan—”
“Saintess.”
Without bothering to hide the faint thread of disgust, Diocasan narrowed his eyes to slits. “Do you intend to show me that ‘disappointing’ behavior again?”
Iris’s entire body jerked as if she’d been struck. The stubbornness that had never once yielded in all this time finally cracked. Her fingers slipped from Evan’s sleeve like petals falling from a withered flower.
“Come here, Saintess.”
“……Yes.”
As she staggered toward the Cardinal, Evan reached out silently and stopped her.
“…Evan? Evan?”
He pulled her back and tucked her firmly behind him once more. Diocasan watched the scene with open bewilderment and let out a thin sigh.
“Lord Evan, I assume you understand how that action might appear to others.”
The Devil of Abaddon standing in the way of the Cardinal trying to return the Saintess to the Holy Kingdom’s embrace. Yes, Evan knew exactly how it would look.
“That’s your problem to manage.”
“This is quite troublesome. Even though I am a Cardinal…”
“I accept your invitation.”
“……Hmm.”
“I’ve been exposed to Abaddon’s miasma for a long time. The Saintess’s presence purifies the air around her without effort. It’s more comfortable.”
Diocasan clearly recognized the excuse for what it was, yet he didn’t answer right away. He stroked his beard, seemingly lost in thought.
“To exploit my goodwill so brazenly… well, well.”
“So you’re refusing?”
“I do have my own reputation to consider.”
“Isn’t it enough compensation that you’ve convinced me to accept the invitation willingly? I’ll be traveling with the Saintess regardless.”
“Hehe.”
Diocasan maintained that mild, affable smile, but it was clear the gesture hadn’t yet earned full concession. Evan clicked his tongue, irritation rising.
“…I won’t share a carriage with you on the way.”
Diocasan’s smile widened brilliantly. “It can’t be helped. I understand completely. Since you have lived in Abaddon for so long, Lord Evan, the Saintess’s side must be the most comfortable place for you.”
Watching the man flip his attitude and accept so smoothly left Evan with the unpleasant feeling that he had just sold his own body as payment.
“It seems we’ll have plenty to talk about during the journey. Don’t you agree?”
“…I have no desire to exchange words with you.”
“Hehe. What a pleasant trip it will be.”
Fucking crazy old man.
…
“Is this really necessary?”
“It is.”
“I’ll stay perfectly still even if you bind my hands and feet.”
Evan let out a long sigh. “If there existed restraints capable of completely immobilizing you, I might consider it.”
“……What if I cut off my hands and feet and left them here?”
[Head Maid, give it up already. I’m staying behind too, aren’t I?]
“Lord Lich!” Kaede exploded.
“How can you say something like that! Last time Master lowered his guard and left, he came back missing a finger! And now he’s heading to the Holy Kingdom of all places—he must have an escort! Who knows what could happen there!”
[Then perhaps you should have fixed that anger-management problem of yours sooner.]
Kaede had no retort. She simply hung her head.
Evan adjusted his coat while addressing the head maid, who remained kneeling in full desperate-defense mode.
“If you truly care about me, you’ll stay. Kaede, that place is nothing like here. In the worst-case scenario here, we could still find a way to cover up you killing a priest. There, it could spark an outright war. I don’t need to explain what that would mean for you.”
“……Understood.”
“And more importantly, if you leave, there’s no one I can trust to watch over those two.”
Evan gestured toward Natasha and the coachman—two strays he had somehow collected. Iris had blessed them herself, so they would be fine for a while, but he could hardly leave human cooking in the hands of undead who leaked miasma just by existing. Leaving them outside Abaddon was equally impossible now that the Holy Kingdom’s eyes were already on them. Whether he struck a deal with the Pope or Locke officially resumed his role as hero and took responsibility for the pair, only then could they be considered safe.
Evan turned to the Lich.
“I’m entrusting you with boundary surveillance and undead control, Skull.”
[If word spreads that the King has left his throne, those bats will surely cause chaos… but I will conceal it as best I can.]
“I’ll return as quickly as possible. But if trouble arises before then…” Evan paused, then exhaled. “Kill at your own discretion. You may use what’s sealed in the basement.”
[This is the first time I’ve actually hoped those bats would be quick on the uptake. At last, the chance to unleash what lies beneath has arrived.]
“Only in the event of an actual incident. Don’t do anything stupid.”
[Of course not. Would I dare disobey my King’s command and deliberately create an opening?]
This guy’s just as unreliable. Evan sighed. He had never once considered leaving Abaddon in his entire life, so he had never prepared anyone to fill the void he would leave behind. Still, at least he obeys orders.
“Master, how long do you anticipate being gone?”
Kaede’s face suggested she would storm the Holy Kingdom herself if the schedule ran long, so he almost didn’t want to answer. But staying silent would only increase the odds of her charging off on her own.
“More than one month. Less than two.”
“Two months… ugh… to think Master will be trapped in the Holy Kingdom’s clutches for that long…”
“Most of that time is travel.” Using Yongyong would have shortened it dramatically, but having accepted their invitation, he had no choice but to ride quietly in their carriage.
“Then I really must accompany—!”
“I said no. Skull, if Kaede tries to leave on her own, stop her even if you have to restrain her—”
[Hehehe, at last the chance to annihilate those bat bastards who have been thorns in my side…]
……
These insane, gold-obsessed undead. Why wasn’t even one of them normal? It made him seriously consider pouring more power into Natalia to promote her to a higher-ranking undead just so he’d have one sane subordinate.
When Evan fixed the Lich with an icy glare, the skeleton made a show of clearing his throat and asked with perfect composure:
[Your Majesty, do you have any further instructions?]
“…Never mind. Looks like I’ll just have to come back as fast as humanly possible.”
At least the biggest troublemaker could be sent elsewhere. Small mercies.
…
Why must I carry yet another human—!! And obey the orders of such a pathetic weakling on top of it? This is an insult to dragonkind!
When told to carry Locke to the border and slaughter monsters according to the hero’s instructions, Yongyong threw a full-blown tantrum.
“Shut up and do it.”
I refuse! You wretched brat! Being ridden is humiliating enough, but now I must follow the commands of an inferior human?!
“Spit out your heart.”
…However, a dragon does not go back on a bet made in his own name. This one time only! I follow your orders, but I never agreed that you could hand that authority to someone else!
Sighing at the dragon whose pride reached the heavens, Evan dangled the one bait the creature could never resist.
“If you behave, I’ll return the half that was forged into a greatsword.”
Truly?!
To the suddenly eager Yongyong, Evan added a warning. “But Locke is the one who will judge whether you behaved.”
Ugh… Understood.
After roughly talking the dragon down, Evan noticed Locke watching Natasha race around the garden with a pained, longing expression.
“Locke. The Holy Kingdom is watching.”
“I know. I understand I must be careful, but…” Locke sighed, his face clouded with conflict as he slowly turned to Evan. “She keeps catching my eye.”
“……”
“Don’t worry. I know my duty. This was my request from the beginning. I must return to report to the Empire regardless.”
Locke fiddled with the spear Evan had given him in place of the Holy Spear and asked quietly, “But once my work is finished… it’s all right to come back, yes?”
Evan let out a soft laugh. The idea that a hero would think of this place as home was genuinely amusing. Not a bad feeling, though.
“Have you been forgiven yet?”
“…I’m still begging.”
“Then you’d better come back and keep begging.”
At the indirect permission, Locke gave a firm nod. “I’ll return as quickly as I can. The Holy Spear blocks some of the miasma, and the blessing helps, but Abaddon’s corruption is still harmful to a child.”
“Keep that in mind.”
After delivering his final warning, Evan sighed and opened the mansion door. The moment it swung wide, Iris darted forward and hid behind him. Evan frowned, then glared at the old man who had followed them all the way here.
“You came for no reason. Have you never heard of the virtue of patience?”
Diocasan smiled, completely unbothered by the sarcasm. “My desire to serve our honored guest with the utmost care is simply that strong. I ask for your understanding.”
He bowed to Evan with that same gentle smile.
“Shall we depart? To the Holy Kingdom.”