It’s Not an Anomaly, I’m Just Too Strong (1)

Although Berbaria, being a god based on indigenous beliefs, is said to be significantly weaker than Damian, he still occupies a seat among the demon archdukes and is on a different level from humans.

And this applies not only to humans but also to the lizardmen who are called strong warriors, so it took only a moment to deal with these twenty or so prairie lizardmen.

【I can hardly contain my anger.】

It seemed he was quite angry.

Berbaria swung his enormous body, staining the prairie with blood.

The prairie lizardmen showed clear signs of fear when Berbaria revealed himself.

Despite this fear, they tried to form ranks and face Berbaria, which was somewhat praiseworthy, but that was all.

Such feeble resistance couldn’t even scratch Berbaria.

“Calm down a bit. I know you’re angry, but.”

At Yona’s words, Berbaria expressed his frustration by tapping the prairie with his tail.

But Berbaria, who was glaring at the prairie lizardman kneeling before Yona, gradually became transparent and then appeared in the form of a small girl.

【You’ve been saved by the Saint’s mercy, you worthless one.】

It was a girl who looked exactly like Rubina.

‘…Why are you taking Rubina’s form again? Don’t you have anything else?’

Since Berbaria’s body was so huge, Yona had asked him to change his appearance a bit.

But now that he was standing next to her looking exactly like Rubina, Yona felt strange.

【This is the second most familiar form to you. If you wish, I could take your most familiar form—】

‘No! No! Nooo!’

Knowing what might appear if he took her most familiar form, Yona deliberately pretended not to know.

The thought of two Alecs appearing was horrible.

No, it wasn’t horrible, but she didn’t want to admit yet that Alec was her most familiar form.

Shaking her head to clear her stray thoughts, Yona looked down at the lizardman kneeling before her.

All traces of his earlier bravado had disappeared, and the lizardman was shivering, his teeth chattering.

“Amira, come here.”

She had subdued them.

They were clearly ruffians at a glance, so she had subdued their leader, but Yona couldn’t judge what to do from here. She didn’t have enough information, so in this case, it would be best for Amira to interrogate them.

Amira carefully approached Yona’s side, bringing a few of her guards.

If there had been some doubt in the eyes of the guards looking at Yona until now, there was none of that now.

She had summoned Berbaria, deployed the Saint’s Domain, and instantly dealt with these prairie lizardmen, so they must now believe that Yona was indeed the Saint of Berbaria — actually of the entire demon realm.

“Now, explain who these guys are first. What they are, why they’re attacking you.”

The Katus Empire — a country with a somewhat unique governing structure where different species take turns occupying the emperor’s position.

Nevertheless, the country has been running well without major problems so far.

A structure where there is no separate imperial bloodline, and the chief of each species serves as the emperor.

Even as emperor, one cannot wield absolute power, and the state is run together with a council of chiefs from other species who are not the emperor, allowing for a fairly plausible operation.

“—The prairie lizardmen… or the Prairie Gilled Tribe, were the previous imperial family. They were the emperors during the period when relations with the Kapatia Empire were particularly bad…”

Amira took a sip of water brought by a maid, caught her breath, and slowly explained to Yona.

While doing so, she didn’t forget to glare at Barikian as if she wanted to devour him.

“Then their reign has already ended, right? So why are they suddenly doing this?”

“That’s—”

Amira showed a somewhat embarrassed expression.

It was understandable because Amira had been receiving education in the church territory in the Kapatia Empire, so she didn’t know well what had happened in her home country.

Moreover, as nearly the thirtieth daughter, not even the twentieth, her presence as a current royal was extremely faint.

She wasn’t the type to assert authority as royalty in the first place, so it’s difficult for her to know what’s happening now.

Berbaria, observing Amira’s expression, took a step towards the kneeling lizardman.

“You. Speak.”

Berbaria spoke, trying to sound quite solemn.

But with his outward appearance being Rubina, that authority or such wasn’t felt.

Even the slightly slurred pronunciation was the same.

“—Is it rebellion?”

At those words, Amira’s face turned pale.

“N-No, not rebellion. J-Just… trying to return to the rightful… imperial family, to return to a strong Katus…”

“Don’t beat around the bush, you.”

Berbaria frowned.

Although he’s speaking in roundabout ways, the meaning is clear and also explicit.

“Amira, was it?”

“Ah, yes, yes! Yes! B-Berbaria-nim—!”

With Amira’s response, Berbaria turned to look at her.

As Amira was as tall as Yona, Berbaria in Rubina’s form had to look up at her.

“Your head is high. Lower it.”

“I-I’m sorry—!”

It wasn’t just Amira.

All the snake people, including Amira, knelt down at once and lowered their heads as if they were about to bury their faces in the ground.

Unable to keep their heads higher than Berbaria in the body of 10-year-old — now 11-year-old — Rubina, they waited for Berbaria’s next words in that posture.

‘…He’s really playing around.’

Yona mocked Berbaria as she watched him from behind, but she didn’t show it.

This is his home ground after all.

So he might want to put on some airs in front of his followers.

She doesn’t intend to interfere with that.

“It seems a rebellion has occurred.”

As he said this, Berbaria glanced at Yona.

It’s a nice way of saying he looked, but Yona quickly realized that Berbaria was watching her reaction.

Honestly, it didn’t really sink in.

It’s not her homeland — in fact, even the Kapatia Empire where Evian is doesn’t feel like a homeland at all, but even so, why should she care if a rebellion has occurred in this completely foreign country of Katus?

“S-Saint-nim…!”

Amira approached Yona and grabbed her hand tightly.

Yona almost frowned at the touch of those incredibly cold hands, but it probably didn’t show.

“Saint-nim… p-please, h-help us…!”

Amira’s earnest voice.

Yona silently glanced at Alebiang.

Alebiang, holding Rubina who was strangely glaring at Berbaria, didn’t say anything even when her eyes met Yona’s.

Then, she started to say something, moving her lips.

‘Do, what, you, want…?’

It’s a nice way of saying do what you want, but isn’t it just saying she’s leaving it up to Yona?

Yona looked at Amira once and thought.

Honestly, there’s no reason to go that far.

They were heading to Esima, the capital of the Katus Empire, but if a rebellion has occurred, it would be right to head somewhere other than Esima.

Alebiang had said she didn’t know the exact locations of the other archdukes, and the plan was to gather some information after arriving in Esima and then search for the archdukes again, so there’s no reason to move right into the middle of a rebellion.

Moreover, a rebellion means a civil war on a national scale.

It’s not desirable for Yona and a few others to get involved in that.

Although Yona has Berbaria as an extraordinary weapon, and she understands Amira’s desperate desire for her help—

Still, although it’s unfortunate for Amira, it would be right to refuse here.

Having organized her thoughts like this, Yona looked at Amira.

It was very painful to see Amira’s face, with tears welling up in her unique tricolored eyes, looking at Yona as if she were a savior, and to have to refuse her request on top of that.

“…Um, Amira?”

“Yes, yes…! Yes, Saint-nim—! A-Amira is listening—!”

Amira believed without a doubt that Yona would help.

After all, isn’t she a saint?

The name saint, who helps those in need and doesn’t reject believers.

Moreover, a saint who controls Berbaria, the snake god that the Azrami tribe has continued to worship, like her own limbs.

So Amira thought that there was no way she would just abandon them.

“Uh… I understand your feelings of wanting help, but you know…”

Yona hesitated, mumbling her words, not knowing how to say it.

It’s really not easy to say the words of refusal.

Especially in cases like this where someone is sincerely asking for help.

“It, it’s useless anyway. We have our own god too, even if you have the snake people’s god, it’s useless!”

The lizardman shouted.

And at those words, Yona, Alebiang, and even Berbaria turned to look at the prairie lizardman.

“…Where do you think you are right now?”