Ch.334Chapter 334 – Guests from the Kingdom

The commotion spread through the barracks in an instant.

The situation was already tense and chaotic since someone from the Royal Guard had visited early in the morning, making everyone particularly sensitive.

In a flash, people rushed out with weapons, and an officer could be seen running to report to Princess Gabriella and Archerie inside the barracks.

The commotion also woke up Sera and Chris, who had been sleeping soundly.

“W-what’s happening?!”

“Hehe, finally kissed…!”

For some reason, Chris was touching her lips with a pleased expression.

And as a consequence of her strange comment, Chris drew everyone’s attention inside, causing her to panic and extend her hands defensively.

“N-no! I wasn’t having that kind of… weird dream!”

“Chris?”

“I wasn’t thinking anything dirty!!!”

Nobody asked.

But she volunteered such information while blushing furiously.

‘Her mouth denies it, but her body is being honest.’

I quietly nodded as I watched Chris glancing at me repeatedly with a look of disappointment.

‘Let’s pretend I didn’t notice.’

Because if I teased her, Chris might explode from embarrassment.

“If you’re awake, get ready. Seems like something’s happened.”

“Yes!… Huh?”

After responding immediately, Chris picked up her staff but then tilted her head in confusion.

“Miss Christina?”

“Ah, um, how should I describe this? Hmm…”

Chris wore an ambiguous expression for a while.

Soon she closed her eyes and began to concentrate, and a faint holy aura began to emanate from her.

“AAAAAAHHH?!!!”

“S-sacred light…!!”

“My throat!!”

“Ah, h-hot, give us some warning first!”

All the demons in the barracks screamed in unison.

The succubus who had somehow sneaked in and was sleeping next to Vanilla, along with Gigas and Sia, began writhing in agony.

Vanilla seemed less affected and didn’t scream, but appeared to be choking as the succubus tightly embraced her.

Chris quickly apologized in surprise.

“I’m sorry! But it feels a bit strange…”

“You just shortened our lifespan even more…”

With those words, Gigas, Vanilla, and the succubus collapsed again.

It seemed they had fallen back asleep due to their strength not returning after overexerting their injured bodies.

Sia was lightly patting her face, apparently trying to calm her startled body.

‘Come to think of it, why is that succubus sleeping here?’

She wasn’t even injured.

Moreover, Eve and Sera would glare fiercely at any succubus they saw because of her previous attempt to charm me, yet she boldly came in here to sleep.

Well, since all the demons were gathered in our barracks, she probably needed to stay with them for protection.

Thinking about how difficult her life must be, I turned back to Chris.

“What kind of feeling is it?”

“Well…”

Chris put her finger to her lips, deep in thought.

Then she quietly said:

“It’s like I can feel my holy power again? Or it’s approaching… or maybe a familiar person is coming…”

Chris explained that this was her first time experiencing this, so she wasn’t sure.

As we looked at each other trying to interpret Chris’s words, a soldier hurriedly entered.

“Goddess! Is the Goddess here?”

“Pardon?”

Chris asked in confusion.

The soldier immediately bowed his head to Chris and said:

“Goddess! If it’s not too presumptuous, could you please come outside for a moment?!”

“What? Me?”

Chris’s reaction was slow, probably because she wasn’t used to being called a goddess by someone who wasn’t an enemy.

In the end, I decided to step in for her.

“What has happened?”

“Ah, well!”

The soldier looked directly at me and explained:

“Actually, there’s someone outside the barracks who claims to be the Goddess’s follower, leading some soldiers…”

“Follower?”

I looked at Chris.

She soon seemed to understand, hitting her palm with her fist as she spoke.

“Ah, so that’s why I felt the same holy power!”

“I see, so you’re the cause.”

I don’t know when she spread her religion, but if someone claimed to be Chris’s follower, the cause must lie with Chris.

Quietly shaking my head, I immediately addressed our group.

“Let’s go check it out. Judging by the soldiers’ attitude, they don’t seem to have come with hostile intentions.”

“Yes. …Chris, snap out of it and get up already.”

At Sera’s chiding, Chris realized her situation and got up from her seat.

Perhaps due to our long journey, it didn’t take them long to prepare.

We then followed the soldier’s guidance outside the barracks toward where the person in question was waiting, and cheers erupted around us.

“It’s the Goddess!”

“The Goddess has come out!”

“Move aside! Let me see the Goddess’s divine face!!”

Soldiers cheered and began crowding around us—or more precisely, around Chris.

Trembling at the fanatics rushing toward her while chanting “Goddess,” Chris said:

“Kay, people are cheering and calling me Goddess.”

“Indeed they are.”

Honestly, just looking at their fervor made me nervous to intervene.

It was somewhat frightening even though I wasn’t the subject of their adoration.

Chris seemed to feel even more burdened, hanging her head low and groaning.

“Ugh…!”

Apparently embarrassed by people calling her a goddess while sober, Chris pressed herself against me and slightly embraced me.

I smiled at Chris as she clung to me and said:

“You are a goddess, aren’t you? Right, Goddess?”

“It’s embarrassing. And I feel distant from them. I don’t like that.”

Chris said this while looking up at me from her close position.

“I want to be close to you, you know?”

“Is that so?”

I thought her upward gaze was somewhat cute.

And simultaneously, I felt a chill.

“…Chris, you’re too close.”

“It would be better to keep some distance, as Kay might be uncomfortable.”

Soon Sera and Eve approached Chris with smiles.

Though they were smiling, it was somewhat frightening.

While I realized that these two were the source of the chill, Chris’s face turned slightly pale at their smiling faces and she stepped back.

Then she said with a slightly sulky voice:

“We were finally getting close…”

“We also want to get closer to Kay.”

“That’s right. Don’t you think we’ve been lacking time together lately?”

Eve and Sera said with smiles.

As they began to approach me gently, Sia cleared her throat and spoke:

“I’d appreciate some restraint here. There are many watching eyes.”

“Can’t be helped. We’ll leave it at this for now.”

When they heard Sia’s uncomfortable comment, Eve and Sera moved slightly away from me.

Soon Chris, Sera, and Eve began talking about something among themselves.

However, I didn’t have the mental capacity to listen to their conversation.

‘It burns.’

The surrounding gazes were too intense.

Both the soldiers who had been cheering for the goddess and those who hadn’t were all staring at me with one mind.

They were looking at me with murderous intent.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Thank you.”

I noticed that the speech pattern of the soldier guiding us had changed significantly, but I decided not to point it out.

It seemed a bit rude, and judging by those eyes, I must have done something to deserve their hatred.

As we passed through the soldiers and approached the temporary palisade, I could see people standing outside.

‘Their armaments lack consistency.’

Some appeared to be adventurers with light armor and simple weapons, while others seemed to be soldiers with better armor and spears.

If my guess was correct, they were likely people of different professions who had been forcibly gathered.

However, I didn’t sense the subtle distance that would normally exist between such diverse individuals.

They gave the impression of having gone through life-and-death situations together.

And my eyes widened slightly when I saw the person standing in front of them.

“You…”

“A reunion sooner than expected.”

A woman with a face strikingly similar to Christina’s, slightly lighter blonde hair, and gentle red eyes.

“Kara!”

At Chris’s exclamation, Kara smiled and waved her hand.

+

A short while later, Kara and several others entered the palisade.

Normally, Princess Gabriella or Archerie’s judgment would be required, but the soldiers permitted their entry due to a request from Chris, whose popularity among the soldiers had skyrocketed.

After all, these visitors’ purpose was to meet us and Princess Gabriella.

“They’re going to get in trouble.”

“Their attitude of ‘I’ll take punishment for the Goddess’ is a bit scary.”

Sera spoke as if she found it burdensome.

Despite the clear military law, they prioritized the goddess without hesitation.

Finding this amusing, Kara laughed lightly.

“Well, even if things don’t work out and we have to leave, it’s not a big burden.”

“Not a burden? With all those people?”

“We received warp scrolls from the Magic Tower.”

Those are expensive.

I was surprised they provided them so readily.

“For reference, the royal palace is covering the cost.”

“So it’s the citizens’ tax money.”

“I heard taxes taste sweet; I’m planning to taste them this time.”

Kara said with a smirk.

Then someone hit Kara on the head.

“No matter what, you shouldn’t say such things in front of me, Kara.”

“I apologize, but I think words would have sufficed.”

“Let’s make it one more hit.”

By the time those words ended, Kara had already been hit on the head once more.

Diana, who had come with Kara, smiled slightly.

“It’s been a while.”

“Indeed it has. I see you’re still alive and well.”

After saying this to me, Diana added as if she just remembered:

“Oh, Ludger asked me to send his regards if I saw you.”

“I see.”

“Yes. And he said he wouldn’t let you off for making him work.”

“Pardon?”

What does that mean?

I looked at Diana, wondering what had happened there.

“Well, just this once, I understand Ludger’s position. Being called to work after retirement is quite annoying.”

“I did that?”

“Huh?”

Diana seemed to realize that the conversation had taken a strange turn.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Chris bowed her head and spoke:

“Um, Diana!”

“Oh, what is it, child?”

As Diana composed herself from the awkwardness caused by me and looked at Chris, Chris bowed her head and said:

“Um, I heard earlier that you took care of Kara. I wanted to apologize for the trouble…”

“Sweet child. I don’t mind at all that you sent a homeless child to me.”

Diana smiled as she looked at Chris.

“If you’re really concerned, you can pay me a fee. Taking care of that child cost me quite a bit.”

“Oh, I, I don’t have money…”

Chris panicked.

“I’m joking, child. What could I possibly extract from someone like you? I wouldn’t fleece young ones like yourself.”

“…I’m sorry. I was just surprised by your sudden comment…”

“How cute. Don’t make this old woman out to be such a devil.”

Diana said with a laugh.

However, seeing Kara deliberately averting her gaze, there seemed to be something we didn’t know.

“What is it?”

“Nothing at all.”

I merely thought there might be something, but Diana immediately met my gaze, causing me to look away.

“Anyway, what’s with those soldiers? And why are Diana and Kara leading them? Why have you come here?”

“To answer one by one, we’re just the representatives who entered here because we have the best speaking skills among them. Since some of them aren’t familiar with how this world works, we divided the troops and had half wait nearby.”

Diana casually mentioned that these weren’t all their forces.

“As for why we’re in charge of those soldiers, I can only say that various things happened, child.”

Diana smiled as she answered Eve’s question.

“Don’t rush too much. It’s not something we need to hide. Rather, Kara said it’s information we must reveal to you.”

“Then…”

“However, we don’t want to tell the story twice.”

Diana pointed to one side and said:

“I believe it’s over there. Princess Gabriella of Firenze, right? The princess of the kingdom. We planned to discuss our story while talking with her.”

“The period was short, but it was quite difficult.”

After saying this, Kara looked at Eve as if she just remembered something.

“By the way, it was Count Metis who sent us here. He advised Princess Liriel that if we departed immediately, we could help you in time.”

“Father… the Count.”

As Eve quietly murmured, Kara nodded.

“He was an interesting man. He seemed to know what would happen in the future.”

“Though I hate to admit it, without him and the Magic Tower, it would have taken longer to stabilize the chaos in the Kingdom of Mikea.”

After saying this, Diana clapped her hands once.

“Well, let’s get ready. I’ll handle the conversation, and you just support me from the side, Kara.”

“Understood.”

With those words, everyone’s footsteps stopped.

We had arrived at Princess Gabriella’s tent.

The soldiers guarding the tent immediately addressed us:

“Halt. Excuse me, but who are you? What is your purpose?”

“We are…”

“Step aside, child. This is our business, not yours.”

Diana stopped Chris as she was about to say something.

Then she gave a Mikean military salute to the soldier and said:

“I am General Diana of the Kingdom of Mikea. As a representative of Princess Liriel, I’ve come personally to speak with Princess Gabriella of the resistance.”

“Kingdom of Mikea…?”

“I’d like to discuss the details directly with the princess. Could you ask if she can spare us some time?”

The tent guards looked at each other briefly.

Diana held something out to the guards.

“Here is Princess Liriel’s personal letter and my appointment document. Please show them to Princess Gabriella.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Just as one soldier slightly lifted the tent flap to enter, we caught a glimpse inside.

People were gathered there.

And in the center, a princess could be seen slowly walking with a sword in hand.