Chapter 100

“Turn back, I forgot my phone”

White Sovereign, during the first Space Exploration Program outside the Solar System

Remedios: Why are we meeting the Elders? As ambassadors I demand to meet the Emperors! I demand it!

Our butler, Sengoku, stayed silent as he motioned for us to follow him. While he did not say anything, it was clear that he did not appreciate Remedios’s comment. Walking through the grand manor once again, we arrived in front of a massive door.

?: Come in.

As Sengoku opened the door, the scene that awaited me was something I did not expect. I thought the audience hall would be the throne room or a conference room. What I saw instead was a wide open area with simple a few couches in the center. A group of men, 5 to be exact, of different shapes and sizes were sitting and lounging; a stack of paperwork piled high on the small table between the sofas.

The shortest (and buffest) man with probably the strangest mustache (in which I would later know as the ‘Monopoly Mustache) motioned for us to come in.

1: As the first Elder, I should be the one to welcome you…but you are not. You are not fit to discuss the politics of this world I’m afraid.

The short man narrowed his eyes at Remedios-sama. Cutting her off as unworthy before she even began. Did we really have no chance here?

Remedios: Wait a minu—

1: No words can fool my color of observation girl. I can see it! Your greed and blindness, your own justice tainted by the words of the church. You hold the title of a Paladin but all I see is a bloody sword. You swing it without question, not caring for the consequences the blood you spill bring about. A sword which has no will has no place in the discussion of the Politics of the World. Leave now.

I guess that was it. It was final…did we come all the way here for nothing after all? Remedios-sama began to argue but the guard quickly drew their swords as well. Getting the message, we began to head right back out the door.

1: I told the girl in the front the leave, not you all. You.

He pointed at me. Why? Did I interest him in some way?

1: You may stay.

I looked behind me to see the others but they were already dragged out of the room with the door closing behind them.

*sigh* Great. Now it looks like I am locked in here with then, representing the Holy Kingdom. Honestly, I was the worst choice for this…I was a damn squire! The Queen wouldn’t have chosen me. The King only sent me the carry the luggage. Heck, even I wouldn’t choose me to represent even myself. What did the elders even see in me to represent the Holy Kingdom?

1: Give me your name.

Me: Neia…Neia Baraja my Lord.

Was it so they can have an easy opponent? I was sure they could humiliate me easily…after all I never had a way with words. Unlike my father, I was no commander. My only talent with the bow was seen as a coward’s weapon. Obviously these wise elders would have seen right through that and have chosen me for it.

1: Good, now let us discuss, for that is why you came here, correct? Also, I am not your Lord. I lead the Arcanian Empire and not the Holy Kingdom. While the five of us are the highest authority of the world save the Supreme Beings, we are not your lord…yet.

Me: Yes sir.

The feeling of fear in which I had since entering the room disappeared. The look they gave Remedios was gone and replaced with a warmer tone. One in which was…kinder than before.

Me: Please Elder! Our Kingdom is in grave danger. The Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth has invaded the Kingdom with his demon spawn and has already breached the walls and attacked the capital! Our Queen is dead and while our King has replaced her, we do not have the strength to repel his army!

2: I’m afraid that will be impossible dear.

…

Me: But…but I’ve heard that the demon emperor was repulsed by the forces of the Empire! He ran away to us! Part of why he is at our place is due to the Empire!

I knew I was overstepping myself here…but I needed to try. My Queen never acknowledged the Empire but I knew she always put her people first. I needed to beg them…for her, for my Kingdom…and for my family as well. My missing father who defended the wall where Jaldabaoth invaded.

4: You tread on thin ice…but I will let it go since you are still young. The Demon Emperor did indeed attack the territory of the Empire…twice actually. Both times he was kicked out of our land by our forces. The decision he made to go to your lands is not ours but rather your lack of strength.

1: He chose to attack your Kingdom because you are weak. Your people are easy prey to his weakened army. A very simple and logical thinking should answer. And now…why are we required or obligated to help your Kingdom?

Me: Elders! Please for the sake of the human lives within the walls, please save them! Only your forces can push back against Jaldabaoth.

Please…please….please! I know the Empire values life as well. Otherwise why would they have done all of programs and donations over the years?

5: We refuse.

…

Me: Excuse me?

5: We refuse; Completely and utterly; no. Years before our Empire has opened our arms for you time after time. We sent things to your Kingdom on a silver platter. Food, money, magic…and even an alliance agreement.

Something twisted in my stomach as I knew where this story was headed.

5: You refused them all. Your Queen cursed our Empire and believed it to be a trickery when all we had was goodwill. She seemed to think that we were doing this for her when in reality we wished to stop the starvation of your people. Now, the goodwill is gone. There will be no more free offerings and help to your Kingdom. You’ve had your chance and by thy own hand chosen to isolate. I’m afraid this is it.

2: Despite that, we are willing to help your people…only if they move and act for themselves. Like always, we will protect anyone who leaves your Kingdom and into our borders. We will accept them and make them our citizens. But mark our words when we say that we will no longer offer help to your Kingdom. Your Queen has overstepped her boundaries and have tested our patience one too many times despite our goodwill.

1: Oh! Though while you stay here, we hope you have a wonderful time and find what you are looking for. After all, help comes from unexpected places. But the official stance of the Empire remains a ‘no’

With the confusing but still crushing sentence, I was sent out of the room and soon we found ourselves out of the manor, out the gate.

Remedios: Cocky old bastards! How dare they treat us this way! The Gods will have their heads for this behavior!

Me: Remedios-sama…perhaps they are right though? They offered us help tie and time again so many times out of nothing but their goodwill alone. And we…we have declined them. Not politely or respectfully but rather rudely and out of disgust.

Remedios: Exactly! Disgusting old geezers these are!

Me: Remedios-sama! That is exactly the same behavior we have shown them years ago! Why do you think they cut off connections entirely?! They too have had enough of us…we are on our own now.

Paladin: You fucking Squire! You think you can speak to Remedios-sama that way??!

Me: …forgive me

As I expected, they simply don’t see their own problems. Is it perhaps their faith that blinds them? Like how the Elder described it earlier. A bloody sword that is blind? Nothing but a mindless tool. Is that what a Paladin is?

Remedios: Shut it. Look around for an inn to stay in tonight. We leave tomorrow. It’s already night and I’m sick of it all.

Me: Yes Remedios-sama.

Finding an inn was easy but as this was the capital, most of them were quite pricey. Especially so since this was the Empire. People here were rich, or at least on average compared to the Holy Kingdom even before…now with the years of isolation while the Empire thrived and the Kingdom declined, this simply increased. Thankfully our status as an ambassadors saved us.

Employee: The Government has covered for your stay for two days. Please feel free to use our services *smile*

Just before I entered my room; yes, my room. They were kind enough to provide us each with individual rooms. Honestly, this was new to me since squires never really have an opportunity like this. Anyway, just before I entered my room, I thought I saw a sad looking giant skeleton. I mean, undead are generally scary but this one looked at me like…he was missing out on an opportunity?

Me: I must be getting tired…

Seriously, that doesn’t make sense. Skeletons don’t have facial muscles to show their emotions anyway.

Meanwhile in the outskirts of the Holy Kingdom.

Demiurge POV

Me: *Summoning* Hellhounds!

The temple was burning down to the ground as the Paladins and Priests tried to defend their walls with their lives. Which was quite good as they were essentially fighting against free mana spawns.

I motioned towards the new group of Hellhounds. My personal collection if you will. They were bigger than the rest and had low tier physical attack immunity. They will prove themselves capable of ripping through that flimsy thing they call a defense.

I remembered a specific sentence in which Kara-sama liked to use whenever she summoned any demon dogs. I wonder why that is…does it add fear to the other side? I should test it out.

Me: Fetch me their souls!!!