Things were… complicated for the Theocracy… and Raymond knew it…
Especially since he had to… work five times as hard as he already did…
Technically speaking, it was actually only… three times as hard.
"Ha… Ha… What times these are…" He gasped, feeling his muscles especially tired from the burst of abilities he'd just experienced.
"Lord Raymond…" The priestess, or rather, Princess Miko, attended to him, helping him regain his strength…
"You're certainly not what you once were." A condescending voice seemed to almost mock him from the side.
"… I know. But it's not like we have many options…" The Cardinal sighed, at least relieved that this woman was still alive…
Zesshi Zetsumei, Certain Death, the Theocracy's ace… She was deployed months ago to assist with the elimination of the Komodo Devil.
But to prevent her from being crushed alongside the Black Scripture and Titania, should they lose, she was sent separately from the elite unit dispatched to the Demon Empire.
But that ended up being… Well, he couldn't say whether it was a waste or a benefit… But ultimately, it was… A massive strategic defeat, even though they won the war.
Komodo was defeated by Titania's efforts, who managed to penetrate Komodo territory thanks to the Black Scripture's assistance… At least until whatever happened, happened.
According to the scant information revealed by Deorum Regnum… The Black Scripture somehow seemed to turn against Titania, and a fight broke out…
Subsequently, reports of Black Scripture members appearing amidst the armies of Deorum Regnum, the Theocracy, and Komodo, to aid the Demons in a blind and frenzied charge… Implied that they were somehow controlled by that monster… The Deorum Regnum Commanders managed to defeat them, and while this caused enormous demoralization among the Theocracy's forces, at least those familiar with the Black Scripture members, Raymond knew that the only reason the Deorum Regnum Commanders managed to defeat even the Captain was because they were insane.
The reports made this clear. They attacked with a kind of bloody madness, as if they were just another Demon rather than trained humans.
… In the war, half of the Theocracy's army died in combat, unable to be revived due to the Demons' curse before they vanished in agonizing flames, turned to dust, or were annihilated.
The material and monetary losses were massive, and adding to that the fact that part of the Theocracy betrayed its own men, the contradiction of the country collaborating with a kingdom that accepted other races, being saved not by humans, but… Were they Elves or Fairies? He honestly couldn't remember, the fatigue from rehabilitation plus his work as Cardinal was taking its toll… All of this caused a huge moral blow that shook the Theocracy, especially the army. Some stopped attending church, others moved to Deorum Regnum, others simply spread the rumors, causing discord between the most faithful and supremacist and those who experienced firsthand the help of other species.
Of course, the army's losses were enormous, as were those of the church, with many priests dying in the war, and its power even within a damned Theocracy.
The few who could be revived decided to move to Deorum Regnum and change their nationalities along with their families. So there was a very large migration for a few weeks.
But even then… None of that was as great as the absolute loss of the Black Scripture, with the exception of Titania, technically speaking, and Zesshi, the Extra Seat.
No member could be rescued, and the only one they managed to contain, the 6th Seat, seemed like a rabid dog that even preferred to destroy its own body in order to harm everyone around it, with no healing or protective spell able to restore its once great faith and honor.
In short, the Theocracy lost half an army, and an entire metaphorical army, which was the Black Scripture, not to mention more, since just the Captain or the 10th Seat were enough to fight against all the soldiers of the Theocracy and win.
Not to mention that… A huge portions of the Gods' lineage were lost with the destruction of the Black Scripture… The Captain himself was among the strongest Godkin who ever lived, second only to Zesshi and her mother.
The only remaining trace of the divine blood of the Six Great Gods was in Zesshi, and a few more scattered among the other Scriptures, and one of the Miko Princesses.
Simply put… In less than a week, they lost their best warriors, and the potential of many equally powerful warriors… Because neither the Captain nor the other two secret Godkin within the Black Scripture had children…
And Zesshi would only have children with someone stronger than herself. The only known possibility was Titania, but she was also a woman, and it wasn't really confirmed, so they could forget about the Half-Elf's offspring even existing for the time being.
This doesn't even take into account all the equipment that was lost among the rubble in the now-defeated territory of the Demon Empire, or what Deorum Regnum claimed without giving any option to return it, as compensation for having suffered so many casualties because of the Black Scripture.
So, to rebuild at least a fragment of the Theocracy's power, emergency replacements were gathered to fill at least 8 seats… And among them was Raymond, who had retired from the Black Scripture… But still possessing power worthy of an Orichald Adventurer, even though his bones ached and he tired quickly, he became Seat Number 6 once again… So now he had to train hard to get back into shape and be a worthy temporary replacement… While continuing with his duties as Cardinal.
He observed the other members without much emotion. They ranged from a particularly skilled army commander to a child with outstanding talent but no experience or real power for now. It was clear they were desperate to rebuild their defenses. The last thing they wanted was a full-scale attack from the Elves or the Argland Council.
Although it was true that both Deorum Regnum and Argland had also suffered enormous losses.
Due to the absence of the Astrologer of a Thousand Miles, they didn't quite possess the same level of long-range intelligence they had just a few years prior.
In silence, the Cardinal of Earth prayed to the Gods for strength, for help in regaining the power the Theocracy once held. He also cursed the Komodo Demon, wishing it was suffering in the darkness of whatever abyss it had crawled from.
He looked silently at Princess Miko, who had finished offering prayers to invigorate him, and waited for the Cardinal to rise.
Raymond stood up and sighed with mild relief…
The only good thing about this was that Princess Miko could take away the pain of old age.
He couldn't really hope for it, but he hoped they would find someone to replace him… Even though he possessed Princess Miko's excellent magic, he preferred not to have to break his bones, collapse from exhaustion, and sweat all day to regain a fraction of his former power.
…
Neia read, somewhat confused, but making sure to memorize every letter…
She didn't really understand… But if the Archer Commander told her that the theory behind these numbers and things like that would help her become more skilled… Then she would study with all her might…
However difficult and tedious it might be…
Humidity, angle, distance, weight… There were countless calculations of imaginary numbers that she didn't understand how they would be useful to her, but she was already beginning to grasp how they worked on paper, at least.
And after reading the last word of the theory book she had for homework… She closed the book, sighing with relief, a feeling of satisfaction at finishing…
Huf… Honestly, she hadn't expected to be given homework on being an archer…
She put the book aside…
She considered sleeping, eyeing the comfortable bed in her suite within the Marble Palace…
But… She was really hungry… And sleeping all day wasn't exactly what she wanted to do either…
She should practice with her bow a bit.
Leaving her room, feeling much better after stretching and getting away from those numbers… She sighed with relief.
What greeted her was a lovely circular garden. She looked around, seeing the doors to the rooms of other apprentices within the Marble Palace…
She only remembered that there were a couple of new kids… But she didn't have time to see them yet…
She took a deep breath and relaxed.
She moved to the edge of the garden, feeling better as the greenery and birdsong eased the stress of studying that strange thing.
She'd had enough of calculating tension forces, pulleys, projectile velocities, and the conversion of mechanical energy into kinetic energy…
Not that she was saying it wasn't necessary, surely they must have taught it for a reason. Even Commander Miia of Deorum Regnum herself came to demonstrate tension and such.
She certainly saw the point, some materials differ greatly from others in their ability to withstand tensile energy and stress. And it was the first time she'd heard of synthetic bowstrings, and some even metallic ones, like the one Mrs. Miia was using… That bow she carried must have been a terrifying weapon…
"Ah… Hello." She heard a voice, making her stop for a moment.
She glanced to the side, seeing… a blond boy…
"Oh… Hello…" Not quite knowing what to say, she replied, looking away… She didn't want to disturb him with her eyes…
"You're… Miss Neia, right?" The boy murmured, his tone stiff and uncertain, as if he didn't quite know what to say.
"Oh… Yes… Neia Baraja… Do you… know me…?" She sweated… How…? Unless it's because they're classmates, but… She hadn't even seen him before…
"Ahem… I heard about you from Titania… A blonde archer with peculiar eyes…" The boy replied, before extending his hand, and then withdrawing it, as if unsure how to greet her… "I'm Climb…"
"Oh, I-I see… Nice to meet you, Climb." Neia nodded, extending her hand and taking the blond boy's. "So you know Titania?" She asked curiously, it was what connected them after all.
"Y-Yes… She helped me in the past…" He nodded, his gaze distant. "Thanks to… A friend, I managed to get in here… I'm looking to… Become stronger, to protect someone."
"I see… I wish you good luck with that… Perhaps someday I'll hear of some achievement of yours in the future…" She said with a slight smile. Um… sHE didn't really know how to interact with people…
"T-Thank you… I heard you're from the Holy Kingdom… I'm so sorry for everything you went through there…" He blurted out, looking down at the ground, his fists clenched.
"Yes… Me too… But I don't dwell on it anymore. I'm trying to make the most of the opportunity that Deorum Regnum gave me, and everyone in the Holy Kingdom as well. If it weren't for Titania, Nyx, and the Marble Queen, I'd be nothing now." He said, speaking more freely. "I want to improve myself as much as possible so I can take care of others, just like they helped me."
"Yes… I understand the feeling." The boy smiled, a touch of nostalgia in his eyes…
The pair remained silent, with only the chirping of birds as a sound.
"Well… I'm going to get something to eat…" Neia murmured.
"Of course, sorry for stopping you." Climb nodded.
"What a curious duo to see~" They both tensed, hearing a voice from the side of the hallway.
Looking, they saw a beautiful woman, dressed all in white, a flowing gown that covered her perfectly.
"H-Huh? M-Miss Titania!?" Neia froze, stepping back in disbelief at the sight of the legendary Paladin.
"G-Good morning, M-Miss Titania!" Climb greeted, standing at attention in a military salute.
"What's with the surprise~? You live in the same house as me, it's normal that we might meet someday~ Relax, relax~" The woman laughed, her hands slightly raised.
"Y-Yes… E-Excuse me…" Neia stammered, trying to relax… But it was impossible…
"M-My apologies, Miss Titania." Climb echoed Neia, bowing.
"Only Titania is fine, for both of you~ I'm going to the dining room. Have you eaten yet~?" The Paladin said, smiling, her expression calmly gentle.
"I-I was about to…" Neia sweated.
"N-Not yet…" Climb admitted.
"That's great~ Will you join me~? They added a new coffee with sweet croissants today~" The saint said with a smile.
"O-Of course!" She blurted out, her eyes sparkling.
The blond hesitated for a moment, but nodded.
"I-It would be an honor to go with you." He said firmly.
…
"Aah~ So delicious~" Titania sipped from the rich coffee, seated at a round table for three. "And these croissants are so crunchy~ Listen~" She said, taking one and holding it up to the two of them, squeezing it lightly. The crunch of the treat filled the air.
"Y-Yes, they are delicious…" Neia admitted, her shoulders slumping at the sweet taste of this strange and innovative food from Deorum Regnum… The same one that Titania seemed to adore as well.
"I've never tried this sweet treat before…" Climb said, impressed by how delicious the brown filling inside the croissant was.
"It's from my homeland~ It's called Dulce de Leche~ The cooks spent quite a while trying to replicate it, but they did a great job, even better than the one I remember~" The Paladin explained, taking a bite of the croissant, her face glowing happily~
"I-It's very good…" Climb couldn't help but admit, but… He still felt uneasy eating so freely, and alone… Besides these delicacies.
Of course, he wasn't truly alone, but…
Without Renner by his side, he felt a little empty… And worried.
"Does it bother you that the meeting isn't over yet?" The white-haired woman asked the boy. After all, a meeting had started at the castle an hour ago. "I was just coming back from there, so they might finish in 15 or 30 minutes~ Renner is now part of Deorum Regnum, so she has more responsibilities than before~"
"O-Of course… Thank you very much, Lady Titania." Climb, feeling a bit more relaxed by this, inclined his head toward the heroine.
"A meeting?" Neia asked curiously. Of course, as a student, she really wouldn't be getting such information. In fact, she shouldn't even be having dinner with the heroine of several nations…
"Yep~ It's quite important, since they need to decide who will replace me~" she indicated, taking a sip of coffee afterward.
"H-Huh!?" Both blondes blurted out at the same time, looking with… Surprise, to say the least, at the Paladin.
"R-Replace you?" Neia blinked.
"W-Why…?" Climb blurted out incredulously.
"Well, it's more of a temporary thing; I'm taking a break from adventure for about a year~" she explained, then enjoying a croissant~
"O-Oh…" Climb sighed, a little relieved.
But Neia…
"B-But why are you taking a break…?" Neia questioned, unable to understand why the legendary Paladin would have to do that… She was young, beautiful, powerful… And although it was true that Komodo died… Ugh…
"It's not from any damage in the fight with Komodo or anything, if you're wondering, I'm perfectly fine, although I almost died in that fight~" She said with a sweet smile.
"I-It's good to know…" Climb nodded.
"Do you promise not to tell~? It's not public knowledge yet, although it will be~" The Paladin said softly.
"O-Of course I promise!" Neia blurted out instantly. "I-I swear as a future Paladin…" She whispered, realizing she shouldn't be speaking out loud.
"I-I swear too, as Princess Renner's shield, I promise." Climb said with a firm expression.
"Alright~ Even though I'm still strong, young, and capable, and could fight Komodo again right now if I were still alive, it's not because of me that I'm taking such a long break~ Or well, yes, partly, since it has quite a bit to do with me~" She said with a giggle. Seeing that they were slightly confused, she sighed with amusement. "I'm pregnant~" She announced the news directly.
"…" Neia paled, blinking as she thought she hadn't heard.
Climb remained silent, opening his mouth, then closing it…
Then the boy tried to recall Titania's personality and wanted to be sure…
"I-It's not a joke, is it, Miss…?" He asked haltingly.
"Nope, it's totally serious~ There's a mini Titania paladin growing inside me~" The girl laughed, amused by their reaction, eating her last croissant. "That's why I can't continue traveling and fighting powerful things as usual, this time I wouldn't be the only one in danger. So, for the sake of the child growing inside me, I'm taking this year off. Although, of course, if something happens that threatens any kingdom, I'll still go and fix it~"
"…" Neia didn't really know how to respond, blushing slightly… T-Titania… W-What a good mother…
No! For starters!
Who could have gotten TITANIA pregnant!?
Thousands of people passed before her eyes, and she instantly dismissed them, seeing no possible scenario where the Paladin could have offspring with them…
Commander Alucard? Commander Bulldoger? No… He died in the war against Komodo, and the timelines didn't add up… The Prime Minister? No, that didn't make sense either… Achernar? No, how disgusting, he was her son… Achernar's father?
Ugh. No matter how much she thought about it, no one came to mind… Perhaps she simply lacked knowledge of Titania's relationships, but…
"My dear, you're practically steaming up~" Titania said with a smile to Neia.
"I-I'm sorry…" She whimpered, her mind overloaded.
"C-Congratulations, Miss Titania…" Climb blurted out after recovering from the slight shock, looking at Titania, unsure what else to say.
"Thank you~ Who knows, maybe you'll be her training partner when she grows up~" She said to the boy, glancing at Neia afterward. "Or maybe she'll want to be an Archer Paladin like you, Neia~"
"W-Wah…" The archer's face turned bright red at those words… Especially at the mental image of a little Titania holding a bow and calling her senpai…
"So you'll probably be seeing me around here more often~ I might be able to help you with your training from time to time if you run into me at the weapons field~" She said with a smile. "I'll also be visiting the academy a few times, so you'll have me as your teacher at some point, Neia~"
"A-Ah… Th-That…" The idea thrilled her, but honestly… She didn't even know how to react anymore, on the verge of fainting from everything she was hearing…
"Do you know how to use a bow, Mis-? N-No, no, that's a silly question, please excuse me…" Climb said, bowing as he sat down.
"Okay~ Actually, I don't know how to use a bow that well, I'm more accurate throwing a spear by hand than with my bow~ But an Archer Paladin still has a shield and a sword, and I know how to use those very well~ So I'll teach some basic combat techniques and a bit of theory~" She answered the question, Climb looking surprised by that. "What do you say, Neia~? Do you want to learn how to kill country-destroying Dragons~?" She said, amused by the girl's demeanor.
"Y-Yes!" The aspiring Paladin blurted out immediately, trembling with excitement and nervousness, to the point that the table began to shake as well from how she was holding it.
"T-That sounds like an amazing class…" Climb admitted, a bead of sweat forming on his brow at how happy Neia looked.
"Haha~ I could also do some guard training if you want to participate in any of that~" She murmured, Climb looking quite surprised, though equally excited. "But there's still a little while to go before all that~ The important thing is the news I told you, I hope you understand~"
"O-Of course." Climb replied with understanding.
"M-My mother was also inactive for a while because of me…" Neia murmured. "So I understand, Miss Titania."
"Good~" The Paladin smiled, before her smile faded slightly. "Hm… They're really working hard to find a temporary replacement… We've lost a lot against Komodo… And 10% of their forces managed to escape across the ocean…" She murmured, clearly displeased with the current situation…
"… I-I heard that one of the Commanders died in combat…" Climb murmured, trying not to sound insensitive.
"… Yes… Bulldoger, against one of Komodo's Generals… He was very strong, his death is a hard blow. Also Alicia… I've known her for a long time, if the Black Scripture hadn't killed her, she would have replaced me during this time." The Paladin murmured, a grimace on her face.
"... The Black Scripture…?" Neia tilted her head.
"Ah, I believe Princess Renner mentioned it once… They were the elite unit sent by the Theocracy… Whose minds were controlled by Demons and turned against us…" Climb grimaced, also remembering the man sleeping in the room next to his…
"If Alicia hadn't taken the Captain's attack for me, I would have been the one seriously injured, perhaps even killed. And I wouldn't have been able to kill Komodo after that…" The girl stated. "Alicia didn't care much about being seen as a hero or anything like that, but she ended up being my hero."
"…" "…" The pair of blondes remained silent, showing their understanding and respect…
"Unfortunately, I couldn't finish off one of the Komodo Generals, who escaped with his remaining forces. One of Argland's champions confronted him, but the Demon fled with his tail between his legs… I've been informed that he was the same one who caused the disaster in the Holy Kingdom." Titania murmured, placing all the blame on General Betelgeuse.
Neia tensed, feeling a knot in her stomach… Th-That guy… He managed to escape… Again…
"I had planned to kill them all after finishing off Komodo, but I hadn't counted on a Dragon Lord betraying us as well. So I had to finish him off too, which left me completely drained. And I couldn't pursue the Demon. I made so many mistakes that day…" Titania sighed, taking one of Climb's croissant and biting into it, though she didn't realize she was doing it, it seemed almost automatic.
"…Huh…" That was all the boy could manage to say… It seemed many… Betrayals had occurred…
He had truly wanted to trust the Argland Council… And the Theocracy only sinned because its warriors couldn't withstand Komodo's influence…
It really was a miracle that Lord Brain had survived… And he owed it all to…
"… Thank you so much for all your effort and sacrifice, Miss Titania." Climb stood and bowed deeply to the Paladin.
"A-Ah, Y-Yes! Thank you so much, Titania! I-If it weren't for you… My country, and many people dear to me, would have died… Thank you…" Neia mimicked him after she had recovered.
"It's nothing…~ You all fought too, and there were many people as strong as me supporting us~ It's good that all those great warriors joined Deorum Regnum when everything happened~ Commander Miia, Commander Alucard, the very intelligent Queen Nitocris, and my son Achernar too~ And well, Nyx helped us a lot as well~" Titania nodded. "But it wouldn't have been possible without you either~ And the hundreds of thousands of warriors who came with us~"
"… Yes…" Neia murmured, remembering everything that happened at the camp in the Holy Kingdom… How they managed to convince Deorum Regnum to save the Holy Kingdom…
On the other hand… Climb pursed his lips, unsure if he really considered himself so… Useful.
In the battle at Re-Estize, he managed to accomplish a few things… In the battle against Komodo in Katze, he didn't know how, but he survived… And he couldn't even participate in the war… In comparison, he seemed… Just an extra…
But… He couldn't think like that. His place was protecting Princess Renner. And even if he had wanted to go to war, it wasn't his decision to put his life at risk out there.
"Although, well, not everyone is cut out for the same thing. I'll still be the one to face danger once it's all over~ I have to make the most of my youth, you know, I'm older than I look~ In fact, I'll be 27 in a month~" She said with a giggle.
"O-Only 27 years old…?" Neia paled… H-Her mother was nearing 40…
"H-Huh…" Climb murmured… He wasn't that far from that age… For a moment, he wondered what kind of hellish training Lady Titania must have undergone to become so powerful and experienced…
"I know~ I look quite a bit younger~ But who knows, maybe that blessing is just in appearance, that's why I don't want to waste my time~ Although, without a doubt, my children will still remain to protect Deorum Regnum~ To give you an idea, Achernar is, I think… 14 years old? And he looks my age, but he won't age any more~" She explained.
"14 years old?" Climb froze… T-The guy who looked almost 30!?
Although the numbers certainly matched… But… S-So Titania had him when she was 13…? Although… Such cases among the nobility weren't rare either, in fact, quite common…
"I-It seems your blood is very good…" Neia murmured, remembering the muscular, silent man she had seen only once… If he was only 14 years old and so big, strong, and handsome… Titania's bloodline must be incredibly impressive…
"Though those stories from my homeland are so boring~ If they exclude killing Obsidian Dragons and things like that~ Now I just look at the present and enjoy it~ Because soon it will also be my wedding~" Bombshell after bombshell, Titania continued.
"S-She's getting married!?" Climb blurted out.
Neia just fell face-first onto the table, unable to handle so many surprises…
"Of course~ I'm pregnant, obviously I'm going to marry the one I love, and with whom I had a daughter~" The white-haired woman stated.
"T-That must be someone very lucky…" Climb sweated, unable to imagine anyone who could win Titania's heart and get her pregnant…
For a moment, he tried to imagine the process, with Titania clearly in control, but he instantly dismissed the indecent and disrespectful thoughts.
"Yes~ In fact, you know her~" the woman revealed.
"Her…?" Climb frowned, feeling like he was going to share the same fate as Neia… H-How could a woman get Lady Titania pregnant…? It was biologically impossible…
"Bingo~" She gave a thumbs-up. "Hint~ She has black hair and is the richest person in Deorum Regnum after the Queen~" She winked at them.
"…" The image of that woman flashed through his mind… Climb froze, and as the image of Lady Nyx appeared before his eyes, he fainted.
"Ah… Tehee~" The Paladin giggled, sweating as she watched the pair of humans faint… "Well, maybe I had too much fun~" She laughed, scratching her cheek.
Titania stood up, they'd be fine if she left them there~
"Ah~ Peace is so lovely~" She sighed, walking towards the exit.
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Name: Climb
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