Chapter 183 – Episode 183 Demon King Army VS Sacred Church Nation: Operation to Kidnap Saints (2)
The pilgrimage was boring and boring.
The saintess climbed into a chariot and was escorted by her knights, but even within her chariot she knelt down and, with her hands together, offered her prayers to her god.
Every time she prayed, divine light flowed from inside the carriage.
It’s a boring time.
To pray without doing anything in the wagon.
But it wasn’t a pilgrimage if it wasn’t hard.
She didn’t move an inch all week, just offering her prayers.
Her composure was not disturbed even in the rocking carriage.
The Holy Knights escorting the saintess were gradually influenced by the divine power felt inside her carriage.
“As expected, she is a saintess…”
“I can’t believe you’ve been praying for a week already…”
“We can’t even play.”
The Holy Knights were people who believed in God to the extent that they were close to fanatics.
Their faith in God grew stronger.
The saintess got into her carriage and moved, but no one thought that she was pursuing her easy way.
The saintess continued her pilgrimage by following her divine power.
It was a huge procession.
There are a total of 200 knights escorting the saintess on her pilgrimage.
500 people assisting them.
And 300 clergymen of the church who followed along with the saintess on pilgrimage.
There were about 1,000 believers who followed them.
A procession of close to 2,000 continued along the main road of Kyoguk.
The pilgrimage procession soon reached Beyond Castle, the nearest city to Saint City.
“Saintess, we will arrive at Beyond Castle soon.”
“Yes, I feel it too.”
The saintess, who was offering her prayers in her carriage, nodded her head at the words of her knight commander.
Even in the midst of that, she didn’t straighten her knee.
Until she entered the castle of Beyond and met the bishop there, she remained the same as the saint.
“Holy Lady, are you here? I waited while watching the holy light of the pilgrims.”
The bishop jumped out with tabi and greeted her saintess.
A group of troops followed behind him.
Shining armor and ornate decorations.
The saintess involuntarily made an impression on the appearance that did not match that of ordinary soldiers.
However, that was short-lived.
‘The greedy one…’
I was used to not showing my emotions.
Clearing her expression, she straightened her knees and rose from her seat.
Even though she had been on her knees for a long time, there was not a single shudder in her movements.
The saintess slowly descended from the carriage and bowed her head toward the Bishop of Beyond.
“Mother God bless you. Long time no see. Bishop Beyond.”
“May Father God have mercy. I have been waiting for you.”
“To welcome pilgrims… It’s an overkill.”
Haha, there shouldn’t be any shortage in serving the saintess.”
“There is no need for vanity. Give me a small room in the annex. I will stay overnight there. Please give me a separate room for the Templars.”
“But, saintess. How could the saintess?”
“Now I am a pilgrim. It is not right to be treated like that.”
“Haha.”
The saintess did not like the Bishop of Beyond.
He was the one who became the bishop of a castle because he supported the current pope from the beginning.
A person whose personal comfort is more important than belief in God.
Because such a person is a bishop, Mother God said that humans need to be purified.
“All right. If the saintess wants it.”
Bishop Beyond lowered his head.
She said to the bishop.
“And Bishop.”
“Yes.”
“I think it would be better to make the castle’s defenses more solid.”
“You mean defense?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me what the reason is. A foolish little man cannot understand why.”
“Evil energy is felt outside the castle.”
A few days after starting her pilgrimage, the saintess felt it.
Something evil is after you.
This energy must be the Demon King’s minion.
It’s strong and scary too.
‘It feels so intense, yet there is no news from the border…’
It meant that they were imperceptibly strong.
That means it’s the dragon that succumbed to the demon king, or the elves, or the vampire lord.
Will be them
Those who can attack the castle at any time.
The tighter the contrast, the better.
“All right. If the saintess wants it.”
Bishop Beyond bowed her head.
“Thank you. Bishop Beyond.”
The saintess entered her annex.
Her pilgrims who followed her took their place in Beyond Castle.
The Bishop of Beyond, who turned his attention to her saintess, turned to them with greedy eyes.
Pilgrims who followed her saint.
Not everyone was like that, but a significant number of those who followed the saintess’ pilgrimage were guys with plenty of pockets.
Beyond was the first city they arrived at.
I will use the money for a long pilgrimage in the future.
Money flows where people gather.
They will soon bring wealth to this city.
And the wealth will go entirely into his pocket.
“Quack. A windfall.”
He was the Bishop of Beyond, convinced that he could go to higher places with that money.
***
“Stupid dragon.”
Yulia clicked her tongue as she felt the energy of Europa exuding her energy.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
Dragons can’t use their power in a place where there are many humans, so they deliberately expressed their demonic energy so that other executives couldn’t use their hands.
It must have been that the saintess and the knights felt a sense of incongruity and were trying to take advantage of the small gap that was created when they continued to be vigilant.
Human stamina is finite.
Boundaries eventually create gaps.
I meant to use that gap somehow.
Europa’s strategy was the worst move for Yulia.
As a succubus, Yulia was able to use her own organs in crowded places, and even in places where her safety was poor and loose.
The plan was to enchant the humans and use them to infiltrate her, making her saintess dream of her.
Impossible in the carriage where she offers her prayers, I tried to carry out her plan in the only city where she does not offer her prayers.
“It’s embarrassing if it’s like this.”
Yulia gnashed her teeth as she looked at where she could feel the magic.
She can’t even fight among the executives.
“Yulia-sama, I don’t think it will be easy.”
She saw Ariana, a half-vampire with her.
She used to be an adventurer, but now she has become a vampire.
Yulia decided to join her hands with her who knows her way and geography.
Thanks to her, she arrived so quickly.
If she had been a member of Frey’s family, she would have interfered instead of holding her hand.
However, she was a woman who became a new vampire with the power of the Demon Lord.
Unlike vampires such as Frey, a special existence that can walk around during the day.
“I know. I’ll have to find another way. Is there any way?”
“Because all the secret passages in Beyond Castle are exposed… I think it would be better to enter the next castle, Lepin Castle, and wait.”
“You mean to set a trap?”
“Yes. There are several secret passages in Lepin Castle that no one knows about.”
“Not a bad idea.”
She felt good about bringing Ariana along.
“As expected, adventurers are different.”
“Thank you. Julia.”
“Then let’s go. We must prepare a trap.”
“Yes.”
The succubus and half-vampire disappeared into the darkness.
***
“It is the energy of the dragon.”
“You’re doing this on purpose.”
“Rather, the Demon King wouldn’t like it.”
“It’s a selfish dragon-like operation.”
Amy and Seiji murmured, feeling the eerie demon.
“The saintess and her party went into the city.”
“Amy, is there any way?”
“I give up going into that castle. If you are already defending yourself like that, you might not be able to get out even if you go in.”
At Amy’s words, Seiji nodded her head.
Unless there is no other way…
“Rebecca, do you have any good ideas?”
“…”
Rebecca’s black eyes stared at Sage for a moment.
She also shook her head.
“… No.”
“Then we just wait until we reach our next destination. Lepin Castle is less fortified than Beyond Castle, and the castle is also shabby, so it should be easy to enter.”
“All right.”
Amy and the others decided to change their strategy a bit.
Okay.
Because the saintess’ pilgrimage is long.
***
“… It’s fun.”
Elena von Roman murmured as she watched the Holy Knights and the guards of the Church wandering the streets.
The energy of the dragon felt outside the castle.
Seeing him revealing it so blatantly, I wondered if he was even trying to call a hero.
It’s probably adjusting it so that it doesn’t touch the hero.
‘It looks like they’re trying to kick out the executives like that.’
It’s stupid.
He didn’t know that he had already entered the castle.
Unlike the other officers who were still outside the castle, Elena had entered the castle with the pilgrims.
Unlike her other executives, what controls her are the tentacles embedded in her head.
Unlike other beings, her power was made of mana, not magic.
That’s what it means.
No matter how strict the Holy Church’s vigilance is, it’s almost impossible to catch her.
“Eh, Elena… Sir, I brought you a meal.”
A middle-aged man with a thick beard sat next to Elena.
His eyes were slightly out of focus.
He was a pilgrim who allowed her to enter her pilgrimage procession.
It was simple.
She ambushed a man who had left the ranks to do some errands, grabbed his hair, and made it into another small ‘cage’.
‘It’s troublesome when the size gets too big.’
Elena created her 15 ‘cups’ to escort her and assist her.
Together with those who have gathered around Elena, we will aim for the gaps in her saintess.
“I will eat well.”
Elena took the food he had brought with her.
Tears flowed from the eyes of Elena and the man who met her eyes.
I didn’t know if it was a final resistance or tears of regret.
There will be no resistance.
‘Because he’s already dead.’
Having received a piece of bread, Elena looked at her annex where her saintess entered.
“What should I do.”
Method is important.
***
“This is how it is going now.”
Frey hid in the shadows and reported the progress.
Elena, who had already entered the castle, Ariana and Yulia, who decided to set a trap in the next castle, and Diana, Lucy, Amy, Sage, and Rebecca, who had joined hands with Europa, were aiming for her saintess at the Beyond castle where her saintess entered.
Rayleigh and Kina were a bit behind.
“I don’t think Rayleigh and Kina will unfortunately make it.”
“Because Rayleigh is a rich man, he doesn’t seem to be able to use his power within the sphere of influence of the kingdom.”
“It’s a pity.”
There are executives who support them in their own way.
Yulia who supports me from the beginning, Seiji who considers me a father, Amy who created the Order for me, and Rayleigh who was recreated from me.
I hoped that one out of four would be successful.
Since the rest of the executives are extremely strong in the first place, I had a stronger thought that they would do well on their own rather than cheering them on.
“Europe is doing some pretty interesting things.”
“You want to leave it as it is? If her abduction of the saintess fails because of her…”
“You will receive a fair punishment. But it’s okay if you miss it like that. In that case, I can do it myself.”
Europa also had her own thoughts, and was careful about exposing her demons.
Those who went on the pilgrim’s path may be trying to take advantage of the law that they cannot return to the capital, so they cleverly orchestrated the magic so that only the saintess and her officers could feel it.
Certainly a dragon was a dragon.
It’s a flaw that it can’t attack humans due to restrictions.
“Frey.”
“Huh?”
“Who do you think will succeed?”
“Hmm… It’s hard. Since Elena has already entered the castle, I wonder if she will succeed… Still, won’t Europe succeed? Still, he held hands with Diana and Lucy.”
“I see.”
“Who do you think will succeed, Demon King? Could it be Elena?”
“It is a secret.”
“Why. Am I the only one talking?”
“Because if I say it, it will soon become the correct answer.”
“… After all, you are the Demon Lord, is this?”
“That’s how it is.”
I saw an illusion in the shadows of Frey.
Officers from several parties were reaching out secretly to the saintess.
I looked a little bit
Who will succeed.
***
“Now I did as you said. What are you going to do?”
Europa saw Diana.
It was Diana’s plan to drop the other executives with her powers.
I did as I was told, but she wondered if this was right.
No matter how much I think about it, it feels like I’m scratching it and making a boil.
“Good job. What we are aiming for is three days after the saintess passed through Lepin Castle, the next castle.”
“Why are you aiming for that time?”
“That’s when the Holy Knights get tired. The saintess will too.”
“I’m sure you’ll be tired then.”
“Yes. When that time comes, make a fuss as loud as you can. Lucy and I will kidnap her saintess while all eyes are on her.”
“… Okay.”
In this way, the plan of the two elves and the dragon was progressing step by step.
