Saintess, I'm Kidnapping You (5)
"Demon King. Like I said before, if I just vanish all of a sudden, you'll be in danger. You okay with that?"
"We'll figure it out when the time comes. I'm strong, so it'll work out somehow, right?"
"You can't even use magic."
"I might not do magic, but my fists... Wait, you knew I couldn't use magic?"
"I'm not an idiot~? You're a total loser who can't use magic, Demon King."
She's grinning like it's fine if I smack her on the head for that. I unclench my fist at the sight and ruffle her hair instead.
"Let's head to the room I'm staying in first. Got some folks to introduce you to."
"That succubus lady from before?"
"Yeah, her—and one more. Hmm... Someone you might know too."
"Me? Have I ever seen your group before, Demon King?"
"Secret."
I didn't spell it out, but as Lai Teresa's saintess, Silvia would probably recognize her on sight. I kept it secret just to see her reaction.
"Silvia, you gonna keep calling me Demon King? It'll be awkward if you do that around other people."
"What should I call you then?"
"You were fine calling me Luster Uncle up until yesterday."
Silvia pouts like something's bothering her. Does she really want to call me Demon King that badly? She thinks hard for a moment, eyes widening like she just got an idea, then shakes her head vigorously side to side.
"I'll call you Luster sir."
She says it in a tone full of dissatisfaction. I feel a twinge of curiosity at her grumpy voice but brush it off. No good getting worked up over a kid's moods all the time—that'd just spoil her.
"Huh?"
I feel something wrapping around my hand and look down to see her grabbing it.
"Hehe."
Silvia beams up at me. After all the crap she's been through today, it feels nice having her lean on me like this.
"Up you go!"
"Eeeh?!"
I scoop her up and perch her on one arm. Back in the day, I'd never have dreamed of trying this, but damn, being strong has its perks.
"P-Put me down! Demon King—no, Luster sir, this must be heavy for you!"
"Can't do magic, but I've got strength to spare, so it's fine."
"Tch. Holding that against me, huh? So petty."
"Yup. Super petty about it. Here, down you go then."
I pretend to lower her to the ground, and she throws her arms around my neck, kicking up a fuss. Nearly dropped her. She was begging to get down a second ago, and now she's refusing? How lonely must she have been to act like this? My heart aches a little for her.
"Luster sir, can we swing by the temple real quick?"
"Why the temple? If you're spotted there now, it won't end with just a slap."
"I know, but... I need to grab my bag..."
"That lightweight backpack? I'll buy you a new one."
"It has to be that one. I'll be super careful, promise. Just the temple for a sec... Mmph?!"
The moment we step out of the alley, I clap a hand over Silvia's mouth and leap onto a nearby rooftop.
"What a pain this kid is."
"Tran and Enol went into that alley and haven't reported back."
I scan the street from the knights passing below. Hollidral's main road is crawling with soldiers. Knights here and there, mixed in with temple holy knights in their distinctive garb. Looks like they sent out troops when the guys who went after Silvia didn't come back after too long.
"Silvia, we can get to the temple. Let's go."
"I'll go alone. Security's so tigh... um... If I get locked in and can't get out, you can rescue me then. Okay?"
"And if you do? Get beat to a pulp by the Pope again? Besides..."
Ah, damn. This is embarrassing to say out loud, but I'm kinda enjoying it.
"Forgot who I am? I'm the Demon King. I can bust through heavy security no problem."
At this rate, she might start calling me Honorary Demon King or some nonsense later. If that happens, I'll bite my tongue and die.
"This is the building."
We slip into the temple grounds easily enough and land safely on the roof of a small outbuilding. As expected, security inside the temple wasn't that tight.
"There are fewer guards than usual."
"That's what they call 'the darkest place under the lamp.' They think you're out here, so they're not sweating the temple interior."
"Lamp...? No idea what that means, but you're amazing."
"Eh, whatever. Let's grab your bag quick."
The building was dead quiet. Makes sense—Silvia said it was just her in here, with only one guard and a cleaner dropping by occasionally.
Silvia ducks into her room and comes back out moments later, changed from her white saintess robes into shabby clothes, a backpack nearly as big as her slung over her shoulder. She'd lived here two years... but knowing she might never return, she doesn't even glance back. No lingering attachment. Guess that means no good memories here.
"Nothing else to grab?"
"Nope. I didn't bring anything but these clothes when I came."
How can she grin like that while saying she owns nothing? What a brag. I slap away the hand she holds out to me like it's the most natural thing.
"Luster... sir?"
"Sorry, Silvia."
"What're you—" Clank clank.
The sound of metal clinking—I knock her out cold. Whatever's coming next isn't for a kid's eyes.
I sling the unconscious Silvia onto my back. Might as well be a good thing. Better to make a huge scene and slip away quietly with her than risk the backlash pointing straight at her. As for the fallout—attacks from the whole continent... it'll work out somehow. I don't trust her fully, but the continent's sole goddess is on our side, after all.
Clank clank. Metal clashing, a horde of footsteps closing in. My sharpened hearing tells me over a hundred are coming easy.
'Can I pull this off?'
Silly to wonder now. No choice—I have to.
"Hoo..."
I exhale steadily. Left arm's supporting Silvia, so it's right hand and legs only for this fight. Recalling Lai's mana control lessons, I wrap mana around both legs.
Creeeak. The door swings open.
Boom!
I explode the mana in my legs, stomping hard and launching forward. The ground craters from the force, startling the soldier whose shoulder I plant on to leap high.
I know jumping into the air mid-fight without a plan is reckless. No wings or flight magic means your movement's limited. Limits mean predictable next moves, harder to block incoming attacks.
Proving the point, soldiers with swords swarm my landing spot. And arrows streak toward me in the air.
"This is so unrealistic."
It's ridiculous that I can see the arrows clearly. Slow enough to snatch with my hand if I want. So I do.
"Was hurting for a weapon. Thanks."
I grip the arrow like a sword and start batting away the rest flying at me. Silvia's so light on my back that one arm keeps her steady no sweat. Deflected arrows rain down harmlessly, scattering the soldiers below who'd been dodging them—their formation crumbles.
They're not elite knights with drilled formations; just regular grunts with a single sword and no proper armor. Expected.
Crunch!
Swords lunge at me as I drop. No interest in fighting these poor bastards just following orders, so I twist to let a blade's flat slide under me as I land.
Whoosh.
Another sword whistles in the instant I touch down. I lean left, grab the wrist, yank, and drive my right knee into the knight's solar plexus. He crumples—I snatch his sword. Unlike the grunts, no mercy for knights.
Slash.
"Gaaah!"
I slice across the chest of the next knight leaping over his writhing buddy. He screams, clutching the deep gash as he hits the dirt.
These knights ignored Silvia's abuse. They didn't have to scream for her, but a shred of humanity might've spared this little girl her hell.
I vault onto a charging knight's lance.
Clang!
A few stomps, then kick his head. Held back, so no exploding skull like those alley punks, but with his helmeted neck twisted around... doubtful he's breathing.
Neighhh!
The riderless horse rears, trampling nearby soldiers. I behead it and hurl the corpse into a cluster of mounted knights. Horses panic, chaos erupts.
I leap again amid the disorder, ears attuned, scanning left and right.
"Why can't you hit him with arrows?!"
"He's too fast!"
"Magic! Use magic! Wide-area explosion spells!"
"He's jumping over our soldiers—if we cast, our own guys get caught..."
"Don't you get it? The saintess's life matters more than dozens of those grunts?!"
Bouncing off shoulders while they shout, a familiar voice catches my ear. I glance toward it—a figure perched atop the palace walls in the distance. Exactly who I was after.
The Pope. The bastard who's been beating and extorting Silvia for two years.
Once I decided to make a scene, loud and messy, he was my only target.
"Found you."
I hurl the sword into a charging knight's gut and launch toward the Pope.