NOVEL WEB Chapter 44
Chapter 44
“The Pope of the Holy Kingdom is burning down villages in an attempt to hunt down demons and putting innocent citizens on trial…”
It had been a week since Dein and Eri had come up to the human realm, and just as Eri had reported, Dein was providing a similar report. He was following Nahun’s orders to assess the situation in the Holy Kingdom effectively.
“Were they always so brutal?”
That was Seere’s question. Although Nahun had handed over most of the duties and authority to Seere after they finished the assault on the 68th floor, Dein and Eri were still under his command, so the reports regarding them were directed to him.
“No, that’s not what I heard.”
“Is it normal for humans to change so abruptly?”
“I can’t say it’s not, but this does seem a bit unusual.”
It was not pity for the innocent citizens of the Holy Kingdom who were suffering that mattered to him. He didn’t care what happened to these humans, who were just a distraction in the ending of this world. However, if the human realm descended into chaos, it would pose problems. Because…
‘Isn’t this going to speed up the Emergence of the Hero?’
Whenever the human world became chaotic, a Hero would emerge to restore peace. This was an inevitable event that occurred regardless of the route taken in Ebel Queen Maker.
Having already eliminated the first Hero and the Sword Hero, Luke, he thought the emergence of the Hero would be delayed more than expected…
‘…It would be problematic if the Hero appeared now.’
The Hero was essentially a being that restrained demons. The holy sword wielded by the Hero was a weapon that could cut down anything for demons, and the power of the one chosen as the Hero would exponentially increase.
For example, even a child who knew nothing about swords could display the skill equal to a veteran knight. If someone who had even a little knowledge of swordsmanship became the Hero, what would happen?
In the game, the Hero felt much like a natural disaster; when the Hero appeared, players had to prepare to lose half of their amassed forces. This was because the Hero grew in strength in proportion to the player’s forces.
The reason Nahun believed the Hero should not appear was due to this. If the Hero emerged, one had to prepare to possibly lose half of their forces. Losing half of what had been gained on the 72nd floor would be a tremendous blow.
“I have to deal with the situation in the human realm.”
“…What? Why?”
“Because if the Holy Kingdom has so many connections with demons, we can’t let them incite other nations in the human realm. Although the war between the Northern Alliance and the Empire isn’t completely over yet, if the Holy Kingdom persuades the two factions to end the war by framing the demon realm as the common enemy…”
Nahun said with a serious expression.
“The next target will be us.”
“But, Teacher, we can easily handle humans. No matter how rampaging they are, they’re still just humans.”
Seere was unaware of the Hero’s existence, which was why they could make such remarks. Nahun shook his head and said.
“If the forces of the human realm unite, they would form an overwhelming army. Even if we are stronger than humans, there’s no winning against sheer numbers.”
“But you’re here, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
Seere recalled the remnants of the devastation Nahun had leave on the 68th floor. It looked as if the earth and mountains had been dug up, resembling something enormous that had opened its mouth wide and swallowed everything.
And it was likely the massive Leviathan that appeared whenever the Teacher revealed their power. Assuming this, Seere simply said.
“Even if there are many humans, with your power, you could devour them all.”
“…Did you see that?”
“I only saw the remnants. But since I’ve seen the whale the Teacher brings around, I could make an assumption.”
Nahun broke out in a cold sweat. It seemed it would be impossible to persuade Seere without explaining about the Hero. Since he had handed over most of his authority to Seere, he would need Seere’s approval to interfere in the human realm.
“By the way, Teacher, there’s something I’m curious about.”
“…Hmm?”
“That whale you have. What on earth is it?”
“……”
Nahun couldn’t answer. Because… even he didn’t know.
He couldn’t understand why this gigantic and terrifying Leviathan followed him. The last time he summoned it directly from the 68th floor, even Nahun had been so baffled that he let out a hollow laugh.
Seere stared at Nahun as if demanding an answer. Nahun, struggling to think, blurted out a strange answer.
“Uhm… it’s a pet.”
“…….”
Nahun immediately regretted it. Who in their right mind would keep such a massive whale as a pet? Even he thought it was an absurd… foolish excuse to make.
However, Seere’s reaction was unexpectedly positive.
“I knew it!”
“Huh?”
“You really are amazing, Teacher! Ah, that’s incredible. To tame such a Massu as just a pet, you’re truly awesome…”
Seeing Seere’s reaction, Nahun blinked in confusion. Something felt off, and as he stared, Seere suddenly looked startled and waved their hands.
“W-What I mean is, I respect you!”
“Ah….”
So they believed him. Nahun was truly moved. He had thought it an absurd, unbelievable excuse, but this kind-hearted child had taken it at face value.
“Anyway, what I mean to say is that the human realm is getting too chaotic for anyone’s good. It’s the same even with the being I carry.”
“Um…, yes.”
“Thus, we need to find out what’s going on. If the Pope suddenly went insane, we need to understand why they are acting like this….”
Nahun said with a significant look.
“We need to investigate properly.”
#
“Heh.”
Seere looked around in amazement, as if everything were fascinating. Nahun looked at Seere with a slight anxious expression.
It was a still vulnerable child to show in public, but Nahun had another reason for his anxiety. This was the human realm. Originally, Nahun had intended to come alone, but Seere’s insistence forced him to bring them along.
‘Seere might not have anything to do for a while…’
For now, he planned to expand his army while selecting talents to enter the legion and training them for actual combat.
It was during this free time that Nahun had come to the human realm. While Nahun was away, Seere had no teacher to guide them, and so they would have nothing to do. That’s why Nahun had indulged Seere’s stubbornness.
Still, he felt a bit guilty imagining how Cain would struggle for a while, taking over the duties since both he and Seere were absent.
“Your Majesty? You shouldn’t wander too far.”
“I know~.”
Of course, Nahun couldn’t look after Seere by himself, and the Demon King Castle wouldn’t allow that, so he brought another along.
Cecili, a maid from the 72nd floor of the Demon King Castle. Bringing someone who wasn’t a soldier seemed absurd, but thanks to the previous Demon King’s peculiar recruitment methods, Cecili was stronger than the elite troops of the Fourth Legion, capable of killing a hostile Demon King’s ambush members with a broom.
“Cecili, always hide your ears and tail.”
“Yes, Nahun. You don’t have to worry. Humans won’t be able to see through my magic.”
Being of the Kitsune race, or ‘Yohō’ race, she had fluffy fox ears and tail that were normally exposed. To blend in among humans, she needed to hide them with magic.
“Teacher, when is that human coming?”
“The time hasn’t come yet. We arrived a bit early.”
“Oh, is that so? I thought they were simply being lazy, considering they’re human.”
Sometimes, when Seere interacted with humans, it would naturally make one think that this pretty and adorable child really was a Demon King. Nahun didn’t find it strange at all; this was the expected reaction and attitude.
‘If anything, it would be a bigger problem if they were treated well.’
At that moment, Nahun raised his head slightly and looked north. Then, realizing something late, Seere turned their head in the same direction as Nahun.
“They’ve come.”
The leaves of the trees in the north rustled a few times before Dein appeared. As soon as he landed, he greeted Seere first.
“Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
“Yeah, I have.”
As Seere briefly returned the greeting, Dein stood up and handed something to Nahun: a rectangular wooden plate densely packed with writing and an insignia with an alphabet inscribed on it.
“Nahun, as you requested, here is the identification card and the adventurer’s rank badge.”
“Did you prepare something suitable?”
“Yes. Your badge is AA, and the other two’s are A-ranks. Of course, I made sure to match the genders.”
The adventurer rank badges and identification cards Dein handed over were genuine items that adventurers actively used. It wasn’t hard to deduce how Dein managed to acquire these.
However, upon hearing Dein’s story, Seere expressed slight dissatisfaction.
“Wait, why is my rank different from the Teacher’s?”
“Excuse me?”
Dein momentarily thought that Seere was upset that their rank was lower than Nahun’s since they were the Demon King.
“Then does that mean Your Majesty has AA rank…”
“No, I’ll have the same as the Teacher.”
In truth, Seere didn’t care about the rank being lower or higher. They simply disliked that it was different from Nahun’s. As Dein flustered, Nahun persuaded Seere.
“Seere, this can’t be helped. I need to have a higher rank to gather information swiftly and return to the demon realm.”
“Umm… then I guess it can’t be helped.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Nahun turned to Dein and spoke.
“Dein, has there been any change from the reports and situation so far?”
“The Holy Kingdom is still searching every corner of the country to track down connections to demons. A slight change would be that the Holy Kingdom is spreading this behavior outward.”
“They’re calling for judgment from other nations as well?”
“Yes, it seems that due to their status among the human realm, they can’t be easily dismissed by other countries.”
As seen from its name, the Holy Kingdom was a religious nation. The Pope is both the head of the religion and the head of the state. Being a religious state, it was natural for this nation to uphold one particular religion as its only state religion—that being ‘Heavenism.’
As one of the most influential of the three nations in the human realm, this religion had a large following in other nations. Thus, when the Holy Kingdom requested something externally, other nations could not simply ignore it.
“That’s strange. Was the Pope of the Holy Kingdom such an authoritative and violent person?”
In response to Nahun’s question, Dein answered.
“No, I did operate in Soter City of the Holy Kingdom five years ago.”
“Right.”
“Back then, the common story about the Pope was that they were mostly gentle and sincere.”
If Dein’s words were true, then it meant the Pope had suddenly changed 180 degrees within the last five years. Nahun asked Dein if there were any suspicious stories or rumors about the Pope.
Dein then replied.
“Actually, there is indeed something odd. The credibility isn’t very high, but…”
“What is it?”
“There’s a rumor that the Pope brought a woman into his bedroom, and that it was due to this woman’s manipulation that the Pope changed. Honestly, it sounds like nonsense. There’s no way a woman could enter the Grand Cathedral, let alone the Pope’s chamber.”
All official clergy of the Heavenism, including the Pope himself, were forbidden from marriage. Naturally, they were also not to indulge in carnal desires, and if they broke this rule, they would be judged by the heresy judge of Heavenism immediately.
Of course, high-ranking clergymen would use their power to pursue women, but they wouldn’t dare do something like that within the temple.
The Pope was no exception. Although he was the leader of the Grand Cathedral and the Holy Kingdom, he also had conduct to uphold within the Grand Cathedral. Otherwise, the numerous citizens of the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t believe or follow him. Therefore, neither Dein nor the majority believed such slander.
“…That story needs further investigation.”
“Yes?”
“You’re right that an ordinary woman couldn’t enter the Pope’s chamber. If she did, the judges of the Grand Cathedral wouldn’t just sit by idly.”
“That’s right.”
“Then it suggests that someone was in contact with the Pope from the inside.”
“…What?”
“It’s likely that only someone who isn’t an ordinary human can do such a thing.”
Dein’s eyes widened in astonishment. Nahun’s words hinted at one critical fact.
“Are you saying… it’s the work of the demon realm?”
“Regardless of which Demon King it is, it looks like someone else is interfering in the human realm other than us.”
“Considering the demon race, it might be possible to sneak into the Pope’s chamber without the judges of Heavenism noticing…”
“That’s impossible.”
At that moment, a voice came in denial, and it was Cecili who spoke. She bowed her head cautiously and said.
“I apologize for interrupting, Nahun. But I was concerned that the conversation seemed to be going awry.”
“No, what is it that’s impossible?”
“The ways to cross over from the demon realm to the human realm are only two. Either through our ruling class on the 72nd floor or by using a special door that exists solely on the 1st floor.”
“I know that as well. That’s why I thought that it could be Belzebut moving on the 1st floor…”
“That still doesn’t make sense. The demon race cannot reach the Pope’s chamber.”
“…Because of the divine power?”
“Yes.”
This was the background behind the establishment of the enormous religious state known as the ‘Holy Kingdom.’ In the world of Ebel Queen Maker, gods truly existed. To be precise, they weren’t gods but beings closer to ‘angels’…
‘To humans, they likely appear as beings with abilities and status similar to that of gods.’
The ‘Divine Being’ that the Holy Kingdom worshipped referred to one of the members of the angelic race. This Divine Being gave powerful blessings to the capital city of the Holy Kingdom, Babylon, in return for the tribute offered by the worshipping humans.
And that was why Cecili stated that demons could not invade Babylon. The overwhelming divine power, which came as a result of the angel’s blessing, was fatal to the demons.
“No ordinary demon could withstand that place.”
“…I see, Cecili. I understand what you’re saying.”
However, Nahun knew that there existed a being that completely opposed the great angels living in the heavens.
“But even so, I still feel the need to investigate the rumors.”
Cecili didn’t say more. She thought challenging Nahun’s decision would be an act of disrespect toward her master, who had taken him as a mentor.
And Nahun wasn’t merely throwing things out without reason. There were demons capable of remaining unharmed even in the land blessed directly by angels. No, to be exact, it wasn’t demons but…
‘It could be possible for devils.’
Devils. Similar to various other games or stories, in Ebel Queen Maker, they were the counterparts to angelic beings. Yet the developers of the game assigned some peculiar settings to these devils.
Devils were an entirely different species from demons. While other games often included devils within the large category of demons, Ebel Queen Maker did not.
Instead, devils were a higher tier and more powerful beings that did not reside in the demon realm. These formidable entities lived in places beneath the first floor of the demon realm, known as ‘Hell.’
‘Though they may share some similarities with Demon Kings…’
Contrary to Demon Kings, whose existence was to rule over and dominate demons, devils had another purpose altogether. Their longing and reason for existence focused solely on one aim: the destruction of the ‘Heavens’ where the holy beings—including angels—reside.
If a devil were to approach the Pope, manipulating them for schemes against the heavens, it could very well lead to…
‘That would be quite feasible.’
It was a entirely probable scenario. During his time playing the game, Nahun had lost his build on several occasions due to devilish interventions causing the emergence of a Hero earlier than expected.
If Nahun’s speculation about devil involvement was correct, they needed to be halted beforehand. That way, the emergence of the Hero could be delayed, and he would have more time to fully expand Seere’s forces.
“First, we should head to the capital of the Holy Kingdom, Babylon.”
“Yes!”
“Seere, go to Chelinno City with Cecili and meet Eri. Find out how the demon hunting is actually being conducted.”
“…What? Can’t you come with me, Teacher?”
Seere showed a face that wanted to move with Nahun, but he shook his head.
“Seere, you’re a Demon King, and Cecili is a demon. The divine power that covers the area could become a significant issue for you.”
“But you’re coming too.”
Nahun paused for a moment before simply stating.
“I can at least use magic to protect my body. But I can’t afford to shield others.”
It was in fact a lie. Considering his identity, the divine power stemming solely from the blessing placed upon the earth could be easily disregarded. However, for still young Demon Kings and demons, that amount of divine power could be fatal.
When Seere pouted and appeared a bit disappointed, Nahun reached out and gently patted their head.
“Your mission is also important. You need to verify whether they really have a grasp on the information regarding the demon realm or if they are merely engaging in nonsense.”
That way, they could inform other nations in the human realm of the truth, but of course, he didn’t intend to make things sound pleasant.
“Got it? You must follow orders this time. I believe you understand that bringing you into the human realm is a significant risk, Seere.”
“Yes….”
“Stay close to Cecili, and do well with what I’ve asked. I trust you.”
Seere cherished the words that Nahun trusted them. Moments ago, they had looked sullen and lacking energy, but now they were nodding their head energetically.
Nod, nod.
“Okay. You should go now. Chelinno City is this way. You can find the path by looking at the map.”
“Yes, Teacher. Please be careful.”
Whether he truly needed to be cautious was a question even Nahun had. However, he could understand how Seere felt. He smiled gently and replied.
“Alright, you be careful too.”
After Seere and Cecili had left, Nahun spoke to the remaining Dein.
“Dein, you’re coming with me to Babylon.”
“Yes.”
“We need to issue concrete orders once we arrive.”
“Understood.”