Chapter 31
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Emma, gathered in the meeting room of the Holy Knight Order, received a report from the commander that Ceres, a First-Rank Adventurer, had been defeated by Dark Lich.
Not just Emma, but the fifty-some members of the Holy Knight Order who were assembled also held their breath in shock.
(To think that even Ceres would be defeated... It's not exactly surprising. If you think about it, it's only natural... Considering the power that single-handedly suppressed over thirty members of the Holy Knight Order, defeating a single First-Rank Adventurer would be nothing.)
The members of the Holy Knight Order dispatched the other day all possessed strength of Class Two or higher. No matter how powerful Ceres is, she couldn't stand against the Holy Knight Order alone. If the Holy Knight Order couldn't win, there's no way Ceres could.
However, the fact that a First-Rank powerhouse was defeated brought a different kind of shock compared to the defeat of the Holy Knight Order.
"According to the adventurer who went on reconnaissance with Ceres, it seems that Ceres and Dark Lich were fighting on nearly equal terms. However, in addition to Dark Lich... she also had to fight Claire, and that's when Ceres began to be overwhelmed."
As Claire's name came from Commander Cardin's mouth, a bitter expression crossed the faces of the members.
(Claire... I'm glad she's alive... But to think that a former member of the Holy Knight Order is fighting alongside Dark Lich...)
Though Emma thought it might be unnecessary, she asked Cardin a question.
"Commander, how did Claire seem at that time? I mean... did she appear to be fighting for Dark Lich of her own volition?"
Deep wrinkles formed between the brows of Cardin, who was nearing forty.
"The details are unclear. However, it didn't seem like she was being controlled by Dark Lich or fighting like a puppet. It appeared she was fighting by fully utilizing her own strength."
"...Does Dark Lich have the ability to control people freely while drawing out their full potential?"
"I don't know. But it's a possibility. It's a fact that she has the ability to control people at will."
Emma recalled the time when her own body was controlled. The feeling of her body moving regardless of her will was incredibly unsettling.
"By the way, Ceres didn't lose to just Dark Lich and Claire. There was another person there, a Beastkin woman. Black hair, wolf ears, and a tail... most likely, it's Gilka, the leader of the bandit group Black Phantom Wolves."
Hearing Gilka's name, the members stirred with murmurs.
Gilka is a notorious bandit in Rivalt Kingdom. With exceptional physical abilities and masterful swordsmanship, combined with highly troublesome stealth skills, she excels in combat styles more fitting for an assassin than a bandit. She's famous for overturning differences in strength and hunting down stronger opponents.
"Why is Gilka with Dark Lich?"
"That's also unknown. For now, it's certain that Gilka is aligned with Dark Lich."
"...What about the rest of their forces?"
"For now, it's been confirmed that about ten members of the Black Phantom Wolves and two young girls from the Eyeless Tribe are in the town of Grimoire. Whether they should be counted as combat strength is uncertain."
"...Their forces are expanding. Ah, by the way, what happened to Ceres afterward? Was she killed?"
"She wasn't killed. She suffered severe injuries, such as having her limbs severed, and it seems Dark Lich cast some kind of magic on her, but she's alive."
"...I see. Like us, she wasn't killed."
"So it seems."
"...Why doesn't Dark Lich kill the opponents she attacks? That's not typical behavior for a Monster."
"...That, I don't know either. But it's the doing of a Monster. There's likely some cunning reason behind it, such as a method to turn others into her pawns. The fact that Dark Lich is increasing her allies might also be due to that cunning nature."
"...Indeed."
(A Monster that avoids killing... If you search the world, it's not as if such Monsters don't exist. I've heard that in the Large Empire, a dragon serves as a prime minister... But such Monsters can be counted on one hand. I shouldn't entertain the thought that Dark Lich might be friendly toward humans.)
"Now that Ceres has been defeated, it's been decided that the lord near Grimoire will lead an army to subjugate Dark Lich. A request for reinforcements has also come to us, the Holy Knight Order."
"...That's rare. For a lord to ask for our help."
Lords don't think favorably of those associated with the church. While the Holy Knight Order lives and fights for God, lords prioritize the management of their own territories. Even if they use God's name for territorial management, it's rare for them to be devout believers themselves.
Normally, they would want to exclude church affiliates and claim the subjugation of Dark Lich as their own achievement. If they borrow the power of the Holy Knight Order, it will be said that they won thanks to God's blessing, which wouldn't sit well with a lord.
"...It's because the enemy is Dark Lich. Having heard of our defeat, they must have concluded that the power of the Saint is necessary to subjugate Dark Lich."
"...I see. But does that mean we'll be taking Emeralda to the battlefield?"
"That's right. It might be hard for you, Emma, but it's also true that we can't be optimistic about the situation. The longer we wait, the more Dark Lich's forces grow, and there's a risk she'll amass even greater power. We need to act swiftly and subjugate her now while we have the chance."
"...I understand the situation."
(Emeralda... I wanted that child to live peacefully in a safe place... Judging by Dark Lich's behavior so far, she might not actively kill, but that's not certain. And she doesn't hesitate to inflict injuries.)
Imagining Emeralda getting hurt, Emma felt a sharp pain in her chest.
(I don't want to see that child hurt. But perhaps Dark Lich has only refrained from killing because she has the leeway to do so. If she loses that leeway, who knows what she might do... There's also the possibility she could use magic capable of wiping out an entire town's population...)
Unable to stop imagining the worst, Emma grimaced.
"Emma, calm down."
"...Yes."
"In the next battle, not only the Saint but also the Holy Knight Aquell and members of the covert unit will accompany us. Having the Saint and the Holy Knight alone is reassuring, but if we combine forces with the covert unit, we should be able to subjugate Dark Lich."
"...That gives us a bit of hope."
Aquell, a young man with the unique skill of Swordsmanship, is an adventurer unrelated to the Seirene Faith, but few surpass him in Monster subjugation.
In terms of rank, he's quasi-Class One. However, he's more suited for Monster subjugation than Ceres, who uses Light Magic.
The covert unit generally refers to assassins. Lords often employ their own assassins, who are quite skilled. As allies, they're dependable.
"The departure for the subjugation operation is in five days. It will take another ten days after that to reach Grimoire. Everyone, prepare yourselves with determination."
The members nodded in unison.
(Our numbers will exceed ten thousand. I wonder how much a single individual like Dark Lich can resist... I just hope that cornering her doesn't lead to something disastrous...)
Feeling a stirring in her chest, Emma prayed for the success of the operation.