The Sacred Sword Battalion: the direct guard unit of the Saintess. However, it’s not merely a guard; it's an elite combat, intelligence, and assassination squad that pledges absolute loyalty to the Holy Council. Under the Saintess's command, they can do anything from smuggling toys from distant lands to erasing an entire nation from the map.

The Chief of the Military Nation’s Public Security Bureau, feared for his ability to silence even crying children, was actually a member of the Holy Council’s Sacred Sword Battalion. Historia was so stunned by the revelation that she gaped in silence. Noticing her reaction, Hilde opened her eyes wide.

“Father? Historia’s making a ridiculously dumb face right now. What’s the story behind this?”

“Ah, Historia doesn’t know about the Saintess.”

“How odd. The Saintess explicitly told me it was fine to reveal this. Or maybe Historia is being left out?”

“I don’t think so, but it’s up to Lia to decide how she feels. Lia, do you feel left out?”

“…Yeah. Like usual.”

When did I ever leave you out? Lately, isn’t it the supposedly “excluded” ones becoming generals at headquarters, while those who exclude them are barely scraping by in the back alleys as pickpockets? If anything, I’ve been ostracized by society!

Still, I probably should give a brief explanation.

“Then, allow ‘me,’ Hilde, the Chief of the Public Security Bureau who handles all the military nation's secrets, to explain concisely.”

Hilde, now wearing glasses, pushed them up her nose. What is that? Did she cobble them together with gears she picked up in this short time? She really is skilled.

“The military nation is actually a country founded by the Saintess. End of story!”

That was brief. So brief it didn’t explain anything. Historia looked even more bewildered.

“Wait a minute, that’s too short! Isn’t there more to explain?”

“More to explain…? Oh! Our Saintess has abandoned her faith! So, even as the Saintess and the Sacred Sword Battalion Leader, we’re basically cut off! We’re actually more worried that a prophet from the Holy Council might show up one day to dismantle the military nation, so I live every day with a racing heart!”

“That’s just your personal problem.”

“Well, it can’t be helped, right? ‘My’ issues are the most important to ‘me’!”

“Point taken.”

“I got recognition!”

Hilde burst out laughing mid-sentence. Historia, her head spinning from the nonsensical conversation, rubbed her temples.

“Ugh. Wait, Zigrund…”

“No, no! Please call me Hilde with respect and admiration! Zigrund isn’t really ‘me.’ Keep calling me that, and my identity might twist!”

She said it with an adorable face, but the words were too terrifying to be considered a joke. Historia tried to comply with her request but hesitated, finding a middle ground.

“…Chief of Public Security. Whose side are you on?”

“Me? Right now, I’m on Father’s side!”

To demonstrate her words, she spread her arms and moved toward me. I tried to stop her as it felt a bit overwhelming, but suddenly, she wrapped her arms around my waist as if sinking into me.

…Oh, right. She’s a Hexastellar Officer.

Historia, watching Hilde cling to me, looked displeased.

“I understood the Sacred Sword Battalion as a fanatical unit that obeys only the orders of the Holy Council. So why are you clinging to… no, following Huey?”

“Hmm. There’s something you need to understand there, Historia. Do you know how the Sacred Sword Battalion is formed?”

“Isn’t it appointed by the Holy Council?”

Hilde covered her mouth with her hand, feigning surprise.

“Wow. You really only know the surface! You have no idea about the hidden layers! How will you survive in this harsh world, Father?”

“Right? I’ve been quite worried about that side of Lia too.”

“Shut up, Huey!”

Why am I the only one getting scolded? Historia shot me a sharp look and then turned to Hilde.

“…Chief of Public Security. Your behavior is very different. When I saw you in your official capacity, you seemed much stricter.”

“How can a strict person act? Only someone as flexible as jelly can contort themselves into different roles! Squishy, squishy!”

“Hold on, Hilde. That’s muscle, not fat. It’s not that I’m squishy; your hands are just rough. Stop squeezing it, or it’ll burst.”

If you’re going to use divine power, just touch me. Why the kneading? I’m recovering but also suffering at the same time!

“When people think of the Sacred Sword Battalion, they probably imagine dazzling holy knights first. But not everyone joins the Sacred Sword Battalion that way. In fact, most of us were chosen, like ‘me.’”

After brushing it off with a laugh, Hilde continued, her gaze vacant as if recalling a distant past.

“When there’s nothing you can trust, no direction to go, and you don’t even know who you are. That’s when an angel descends from the sky. Even though I was hiding my identity, changing my face, they found ‘me’ precisely. ‘This is your path,’ they said, and told me I must follow it.”

The Saintess can see everything in the world. No matter how much one tries to conceal their identity or alter their appearance, if the Saintess is watching, she’ll find them.

Those abandoned by fate are trapped by the fact that someone is watching them.

“And, well, you fall for it. Heaven’s been watching ‘me’ all along, and now they’re giving me a chance for a new life… Even a faithless person might start believing. Especially if they were already a devout believer like ‘me.’”

“Is that the essence of the Sacred Sword Battalion?”

“Yes. Fate rescues a worn-out ‘me’ and validates my life. Do you know what that leads to? You fall into fanaticism, like a drug. Especially when the Saintess personally calls you. There’s no way it’s wrong. My ruined life is restored, both in life and death!”

For a brief moment, her eyes gleamed with madness. Historia shivered at the sight of her fanatical gaze, but Hilde quickly regained her composure and sighed deeply.

“However, I’m… a bit unique. Due to my peculiarities, and perhaps because the Visionary Saintess, who chose me, has largely abandoned her faith, I’ve become more rational.”

Then, laughing brightly, she shook me again.

“And then, at the perfect time, the King of Humans appeared! As expected of the King of Humans, he restored my true self! There’s no going back now! Sorry to the Saintess, but I’m making a rational choice, just like she did!”

Then she abruptly stopped, staring into empty space. She blinked, her mouth slightly agape, as if hearing something, and let out a small groan.

“Uh. The Saintess is telling me to stop messing around and prepare. What should I do, Father?”

Though I hadn’t heard a thing, Hilde seemed to be reacting to something she’d ‘heard.’ She looked at me, as if seeking guidance with a troubled expression.

Is this the ‘Saintess’s Call’? They say that the Saintess can send a call to her followers no matter how far apart they are.

But I can’t pick up on the ‘call’ itself, even with my telepathy. Well, I can infer the content from Hilde’s thoughts.

Feigning ignorance, I asked.

“What should we be preparing for?”

With an even wider smile, Hilde replied.

“A peace conference!”

 

Meanwhile, the Progenitor Tircanzaka was entering the command headquarters with a golem on her shoulder. Vampires don’t tire. Perhaps that’s why, but a vampire’s movement speed isn’t particularly fast. Even at the height of vampire supremacy, they could not cross the blessed Enver Plains. Daily sunlight, flowing water, perishable food… these supposed weaknesses would have been less noticeable if they had advanced quickly.

So Shay had already wrapped himself in wind and sped off ahead. It would be hard to transport someone with Tircanzaka’s presence using Cheonaeng’s wind, so she took on another role. A much simpler one.

Not that she was particularly enthusiastic about it.

“What reason is there for me to follow your words?”

Tircanzaka spoke to the golem on her shoulder. Dark shadows rippled ominously, seemingly reflecting her displeasure, but the golem, not being her real self, didn’t notice.

[Compliance benefits both your homeland and yourself. At present, the inner circle of the military nation’s command is in considerable disarray due to an external incursion. The current inner circle headquarters is unaware of the agreement between yourself and this agency. Quickly resolving this chaos will reduce the risk to your other allies.]

“Can’t you use one of those dolls you boast so much about?”

[Due to Maximilien’s abilities, all golems within the headquarters are experiencing functional disruptions. This golem is the only unit capable of remote communication within the command center.]

At the mention of Maximilien, Tircanzaka recalled.

“The one reeking of rust that I saw on the road? How is he not your ally?”

[Maximilien has left the military nation. He is no longer working for the military nation’s interests.]

“Hmm. Unable to manage even their own subjects? It seems this nation, which appeared to be put together quite well, may not last much longer.”

[Partial confirmation. However, Maximilien has always pursued an independent path. The current situation was somewhat anticipated… though our response fell short. We never expected that he would install self-destruct gears in the communication golems he designed…]

Though the phrase “self-destruct gears” piqued Tircanzaka’s curiosity, a stray thought soon overshadowed it. Covering her mouth with her hand, she murmured.

“Yes, I heard before. He did say he was looking for the King of Humans… Hmm. The King of Humans…”

Tircanzaka fell silent, pondering. The King of Humans, a noble beast king who represented all humans back when they were still animals.

Legend says that the first Saintess, the greatest prophet, drove him away and brought civilization and order to this land.

And the Saintess who the Holy Council reveres, to whom Tircanzaka feels a hatred deep and old… she cannot help but see her as a sworn enemy. If only she could avenge herself.

“An enemy of my enemy… Surely, he must have called him that…”

Just as her thoughts deepened, the golem interrupted her contemplative silence.

[Tircanzaka. Although you agreed to cooperate with this agency, are you still not ready?]

“Impatience… typical of those with short lives.”

With a slight reprimand, Tircanzaka reached out, grasping the shadows.

The Holy Council wields light. Having fought them all her life, Tircanzaka has learned to conceal herself from the light. Cloaked in shadows, even the Saintess cannot ‘see’ her—a power the progenitor of those who opposed the Holy Council acquired.

And through her prolonged battle with the Holy Council, Tircanzaka mastered other techniques using the darkness.

“…Wait a moment. It takes longer since the sun is rising…”

Shadows spread along the square roads. The inner circle headquarters was vast, and though well-lit inside, there was enough darkness for her needs.

To carry a voice would be more than sufficient. In a voice sinking low, Tircanzaka spoke.

“It is ready. Speak your words. The shadows will carry your voice far and wide.”

The golem began to speak. Its voice, coming through its speaker, resonated within the darkness.

[To all personnel present at the inner circle headquarters, this is Captain AB of the Communications Corps transmitting to all communication officers.]

Though there was some commotion, it wasn’t significant. Announcements using the communication officers had become commonplace, and the soldiers, used to hearing voices echoing from everywhere, listened attentively. Some were alarmed upon realizing the source of the sound was darkness itself, but it had little impact on the overall response.

[At present, the general headquarters of the military nation has decided to hold a conference with the group that launched an attack on us. Chief of Public Security Zigrund will be observing this conference. All stationed forces should cease combat and focus on post-battle recovery. This concludes Captain AB’s transmission.]

The golem’s message was short and concise. Finishing, Tircanzaka released her grip on the darkness and muttered as she glared at the golem.

“Your tone has grown rather impudent.”

[…? Unclear. Meaning difficult to discern.]

“You no longer mention rules or principles. Back when you were in the Abyss, you seemed to need something to lean on. Now, that’s no longer apparent.”

The golem paused in thought. Unlike the golem, Tircanzaka was in no rush. She waited leisurely, observing the golem’s reaction as she walked.

[Partial… agreement.]

The voice was uncharacteristically expressive for a golem. Tircanzaka smirked slightly and replied.

“Good. Now, direct me. Where am I to go?”

[To the Joint Command. I will guide you; please follow.]

The shadow of the vampire stretched long like footsteps as she followed the golem’s guidance.