Ch.137137. Before He Comes

This is the Saint Ant Hotel.

As the tallest building in Robern and one of the top five hotels in the kingdom, it boasts excellent service, diverse amenities, and a high-quality buffet prepared daily.

Illuania always felt guilty, wondering if this was a place where a woman like her—who had sold her body in the northern red-light districts—should be staying.

She closed her eyes while stroking her swollen belly and the child within.

A life she couldn’t have imagined just a year ago.

Though she believed herself unworthy of such treatment, Illuania had decided to be shameless for her child’s sake, thinking solely as a parent.

For her child, she had quit drugs and was consuming only good things.

She could only hope that her previous rough lifestyle wouldn’t greatly affect her baby.

“You’ll be fine.”

Even as she said this, her concern for Deus Verdi, who had become her master, continued.

He had mentioned going to some battlefield this time, and she hoped he would return safely and soon. Given the time she had been away from Norsweden, he couldn’t be the child’s father, but she still wanted Deus to stay by her side and even name the child.

Stroking her protruding belly, Illuania smiled happily.

For this child, she was prepared to do anything.

Knock knock.

A knocking sound came from outside the room.

“Room service.”

Room service?

Illuania headed toward the door, wondering what had arrived since she hadn’t ordered anything.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, she felt a hot energy enveloping the entire room. It wasn’t awkward or frightening.

She knew who was beside her.

“Is there a problem?”

Illuania turned her gaze toward the empty space where nothing had been visible. The figure of a woman with deep resentment gradually revealed itself.

[It’s dangerous.]

Deus Verdi had told her once. The deeper one’s grudge, the stronger the manifestation of evil spirits.

At the time, she couldn’t imagine how deep the resentment of this burn-faced woman must be if even an ordinary human like herself could see it, but…

Illuania nodded while firmly holding her belly.

Now she understood.

If anything happened to this child, she too would fall into despair and be consumed by rage.

As Illuania urgently tried to contact the front desk…

Crack!

The doorknob shattered and the door opened. Thugs entered.

She remembered what an employee had said yesterday about possibly moving her room since guests had checked into the adjacent room.

It was them.

The thugs, disguised as guests who had come to attack her, smiled as they drew hidden daggers.

“Let’s keep this quiet.”

“We don’t want to harm a pregnant woman.”

“But we will if we have to.”

Illuania tried to ask why they were doing this, but…

[SCREEEEEECH!]

Her guardian spirit, which had only been flickering in form, let out a scream and clearly revealed itself.

A burning half-body.

The fire alarm activated, and mana-infused water poured from the ceiling to suppress the fire, wetting the floor.

It was a device to help water mages handle magic more easily, but…

The intense heat evaporated everything.

“AAAAARGH!”

“WHAT IS THAT?!”

“Monster! It’s a monster!”

The guardian spirit’s hateful flames began to burn the thugs’ entire bodies.

Flames of resentment filled with determination and obsession to prevent anyone from harming the child.

Seeing the guardian spirit instantly burn away the threat, Illuania thought it might be excessive, but considering her child had been in danger, she felt it wasn’t too much.

The sound of staff footsteps could be heard in the corridor. Amid the sudden crisis, she tried to remain calm to avoid stressing the baby, but…

[……]

The guardian spirit didn’t disappear and clenched its fist, as if preparing to rampage.

And with that, the building shook with a thud.

Being on the top floor, she realized something had landed on the roof.

“Are you alright?!”

“W-what is this?!”

“Let’s get you to safety first!”

The hotel staff, prioritizing Illuania’s safety as she was a VIP designated by the Spiritmaster himself, tried to secure her, but…

CRASH!

The ceiling collapsed, crushing the staff beneath it as they screamed.

The guardian spirit immediately raised flames to burn this new threat to Illuania, but…

Unfortunately.

Her flames were merely absorbed and disappeared into the guardian deity’s wings.

[Run away!]

The woman tried desperately to make Illuania escape, but instead…

THWACK!

A spear thrust through the rising smoke, precisely piercing the woman.

An ordinary spear would have caused no damage, but this blade contained the power of the guardian deity Horua.

The guardian spirit couldn’t even speak properly and flailed at the spear piercing her chest before going limp.

“No!”

Though she knew the woman was already dead, Illuania didn’t want to see her suffering.

GRIP!

A large, thick hand squeezed her throat. A great warrior with bronze skin and red wings glared at Illuania through the smoke and asked:

“The Spiritmaster’s sore spot.”

Ah.

With that one phrase, Illuania understood.

I’ve become that person’s obstacle.

‘I’m sorry.’

* * *

The battle in the Great Forest of Marias was progressing more easily than expected.

Though they were fighting on enemy territory rather than kingdom land, and adapting to the jungle was quite difficult…

Late at night, when Gloria learned that the great warrior had gone outside, rather than reaching for stars she couldn’t chase, she decided to strike at his nest.

Having already contacted the royal family to pursue the great warrior, Gloria continued with her aggressive strategy.

She was certainly cornering the Marias tribe.

However, the kingdom’s army had to temporarily retreat due to the great warrior’s unexpectedly quick return.

The Knight Commander Gloria was confident they could win if they regrouped properly and waited to attack, but…

The great warrior brought a pregnant woman before the kingdom’s army and declared:

“The moment the Spiritmaster appears on this battlefield, I will behead this woman.”

An absurd, unbelievable declaration.

Starting with who this pregnant woman was, it seemed nonsensical to attempt hostage negotiation with one life when hundreds were dying on the battlefield.

Of course, a pregnant woman’s life was precious, but this was a battlefield where hundreds were dying.

The soldiers judged this provocation as showing the Marias tribe’s desperate state, but…

“That crazy bastard.”

Those who knew Illuania had different reactions. Especially Findenai.

She glared at the great warrior, looking ready to charge in alone with her axe raised.

Knight Commander Gloria and Saintess Lucia, who didn’t know about Illuania, listened to Findenai’s explanation and…

Expressed their disbelief.

“The Spiritmaster really was frightening.”

“Sigh, oh God.”

The situation was awkward.

If they were demanding to stop the war with a pregnant woman’s life as hostage, they would have scoffed and ignored such nonsense.

But they simply restricted the Spiritmaster from appearing on the battlefield.

After a brief deliberation, the answer came quickly.

“We weren’t planning to have the Spiritmaster join the battlefield anymore anyway.”

He was still conducting memorial services for those who died in the war.

Reports occasionally mentioned his piano playing stopping, but the memorial services continued without interruption.

Even after several days had passed.

“We’ll handle this ourselves.”

Gloria declared, and the other officers had no major objections. They were just cornered tribespeople after all.

Having already achieved several victories in the Great Forest of Marias, the upcoming battle was essentially just the final blow to secure victory.

Even the great warrior couldn’t do much in that situation.

“……”

Findenai was sharpening her axe blades while preparing for battle.

Uncharacteristically calm, she had one of the premium cigarettes Deus had given her in her mouth.

First opening.

She quite liked the deep tobacco scent. She was maintaining not only her usual folding axe but also the thick spare axes she had brought when Saintess Lucia cautiously approached her.

The Saintess had to be careful because of Findenai’s ominous aura, but…

She had something to convey.

“Findenai… right? Do you know about the spirit that accompanies the Spiritmaster?”

“Hmm?”

Of course she knew.

Though she had never seen the face directly, she had witnessed Deus talking to himself several times.

“That person asked me to relay a message.”

Realizing that the Saintess could also see spirits, Findenai nodded while exhaling smoke.

“What is it?”

“The Spiritmaster doesn’t know when he’ll come out from in there, but the war must end before he emerges. Or at least, the pregnant hostage must be rescued.”

“……”

“Otherwise, he might cross a line that shouldn’t be crossed.”

Findenai knew best how much care and consideration Deus had given to Illuania.

Because she was the woman who had felt that differential treatment firsthand.

That’s why, if Deus learned that Illuania had fallen into enemy hands at such a critical time on this bloody battlefield…

“Huff.”

Findenai tossed her cigarette butt to the ground, extinguished it, and picked up her axes.

“Don’t worry, the master will never know.”

She gripped her axes in both hands and headed forward without hesitation.