Luna jumps to the capital, strides briskly into the adventurer’s guild, and makes her way to the counter where Occho is standing.
“——Occho-san, I’m back.”
“Welcome back, Silver-san! You cleared the emergency quest safely!”
“Oh, news travels fast.”
“Nyngoran-san, the battalion captain, sent a to Berg-san just a little while ago, and……anyway, I hear it was an absolutely spectacular performance! Really, as expected of you!”
“No no, it was nothing special. (Ehehe……you could actually say a little more, you know?)”
Modest in words, inwardly delighted.
“Oh, that’s right, Silver-san——may I ask you something?”
“Of course, what is it?”
“I’ve been wondering about this for a while now……don’t you clear quests a little too quickly? Just getting to the Kueri Caves from here should take at least an hour, I’d think……”
“Well, I use Gate, so.”
“A Gate!? Do you mean the highest-class spatial magic , the one that teleports you instantly between two designated points!?”
Occho’s eyes go wide.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Th-that’s incredible! As expected of the Proxy of the Saint! You possess extraordinary magical ability!”
“W-well, perhaps so……(I’m actually not that good at magic though……)”
This was not modesty at all——Luna genuinely is not skilled at magic.
The power and effect of magic is determined by the formula ‘magical technique × magical energy consumed.’
And Luna’s magical technique is not good, to put it charitably.
Constructing magical formulas, precise manipulation of magical energy, specifying the range of spells——every evaluable aspect of technique is, simply put, bad.
Shasha, the mage who had once formed the Saint’s party, had been left speechless enough to say, “You have absolutely zero talent, do you know that……?”
Receiving advice from swordsman Zel and cleric Fiona, Luna agonized over the problem at length——and ultimately threw out ‘magical technique,’ considered the essence of magic, and instead increased her ‘magical energy consumption’ to more than a hundred times the normal amount.
Put simply, she went all-in on raw firepower.
This muscle-brain style, making the most of her bottomless reserves of magical energy, was a miraculous fit for the single-minded Saint, and allowed her to use any magic at an extremely high level.
(Still……why has magic in this era declined so much?)
Gate is indeed a high-level magic, and even in the world three hundred years ago, it was something with a limited number of users——but.
Being able to use it was not something worthy of this much admiration.
Gather ten mages at random, and two or three of them could probably use it. That was the difficulty level.
The world of magic advances by the day.
She had assumed that in the present day, three hundred years on, magic would have progressed to something extraordinary——but so far, it actually looks like it has gone backward.
(Maybe……something happened after I was executed? It’s a bit of a curiosity. I’ll look into it properly some other time.)
As Luna is thinking about this, Berg comes out from the back of the counter carrying a large leather pouch.
“Hey Silver, still working at that incredible speed I see! You really saved us this time! Here——this is your reward, one million gol!”
“Thank you. I’ll take it.”
Luna, entirely composed, stows the large quantity of gold coins away in .
(Hm……as expected of Silver. A small sum like a million gol doesn’t even make her flinch. Heh, now that’s someone who operates on a different scale.)
(If someone like me had their hands on that kind of money, I’d be in an absolute panic……. Silver-san really is something.)
As Berg and Occho’s respect deepens——
(Ahwah, ahwahwahwahwahwahwahwahwah……!?)
——inside the armor, our Saint is shaking uncontrollably.
(Hya, hyahyahya……one million, one million gol……!)
The staggering sum of money now in her possession has sent her reeling.
Three hundred years ago, when Luna was still active as the Saint, there were many occasions when she received rewards of one million gol or more from kingdoms and nobles——but.
She had never actually held onto that money, donating it all directly to orphanages and others in need.
Which means she has never in her life had this kind of money on her person, and her heart is about ready to leap out of her chest.
(I have……grasped it now. The core of the world. I have obtained……everything this world has to offer……)
Luna’s eyes are spinning as she thinks her usual incomprehensible thoughts——when Berg scratches his head, making a rather hard-to-read expression.
“Uhh, well……Silver. Sorry for the short notice, but could you spare a bit of time right now?”
“I don’t mind at all. Is something the matter?”
“The thing is, you’ve got a ‘visitor.'”
“A visitor……?”
“Yeah, an old friend of mine. Came barging in because they absolutely had to talk to you. Waiting in the back room with their neck stretched out. ——This way, come on.”
“Of course. (Berg-san’s friend……probably has a scary face, I expect……)”
Luna thinks something rather rude and follows Berg inside——arriving at the guild’s innermost room, the ‘Special Reception Chamber.’
(……Special Reception Chamber……? Wait, could the visitor be……someone important……?)
Just as Luna gets a faintly bad feeling——
“Hey, going in.”
Berg knocks the door roughly, doesn’t wait for a reply, and opens it with a click.
Inside the Special Reception Chamber: a heavy black sofa, a marble table, a fine chandelier, a stately sculptural figure, an intricately crafted vase——lavish furnishings throughout, making it feel nothing like a part of an adventurer’s guild.
Taking in the room and confirming the sumptuous interior, Luna goes stiff.
(Whoa……there’s so many things here that look expensive……. If I bump into something carelessly, it could be a disaster……)
She is currently in two meters of plate armor, making her body over a size larger than usual.
If she misjudges her reach and breaks something——she could be facing an enormous bill for damages.
As Luna sharply raises her level of caution toward her surroundings——
“——Oh! Silver-dono! What an honor to meet you!”
The man who had been seated on the sofa rises and comes toward Luna.
“I am Nilva Steindorf, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Elgia. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Nilva Steindorf, forty-two years old.
198 centimeters, a large man loaded with solid muscle on a big-boned frame.
Neatly kept brown mid-length hair, a rugged and sharp-featured face, a hawk-like piercing gaze, a large scar running across his left eyelid——everything about him fits the description of a ‘seasoned mercenary,’ clad in practical-looking noble attire.
(The Prime Minister……that’s an incredibly important person……)
The bad feeling was spot on.
Nilva holds real authority over military and political affairs——in name and reality alike, the Kingdom of Elgia’s No. 2, a figure of overwhelming stature.
“H-hello. Silver Glorious=El=Bloodfallenheart. ……Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise, the pleasure is mine.”
The two shake hands firmly as a gesture of goodwill——and take their seats on the sofa.
Having seen Silver and Nilva introduce themselves, Berg claps his hands together.
“——Right then, I’m getting back to work.”
“Yes, thank you, Berg. I’ll bring a good bottle over to yours one of these days.”
“Heh, something to look forward to.”
Berg turns on his heel, opens the door with a creak——
(Berg-san, don’t go……!)
——Luna pleads desperately in her heart, but the door closes behind him with merciless finality.
(Ugh, I let my guard down……that slippery assassin……)
She bites down and glares daggers at Berg, who is no longer here.
Whatever she may be——a Saint, a veteran of any number of life-or-death battles——her basic instincts are those of a girl in her teens.
Alone in a closed room with an unfamiliar large man——and at that, the second most important stern-faced man in the kingdom. This was not a comfortable situation by any measure.
(Phew……let’s stay calm. Can’t panic, I have to hold the ‘Silver’ character properly……. It’s alright, I’m currently in two meters of plate armor, so physically I’m not outmatched at all!)
The 158-centimeter Saint is trying to keep her nerve——when Nilva, not one for silence, begins with a bit of small talk.
“Ah, I do apologize for descending on you like this without warning. I have been wanting to speak with Silver-dono for some time, but the opportunity just never came around……. While I was racking my brain over how to arrange it, word came in that you had accepted an emergency quest. I couldn’t sit still, and rushed right over.”
“I see, that explains it.”
Having successfully broken the ice, he gives a small cough——and brings up the lightest of his three matters of business.
“——Silver-dono, first I must convey my gratitude.”
“Gratitude?”
“Yes. Thank you for your assistance in the subjugation of the demon Wise Burdahorn the other day. Without Silver-dono’s help, that city would surely have suffered devastating damage by now. I also carry a message from His Majesty the King: ‘please convey our thanks.'”
“Please think nothing of it. I was simply acting in accordance with the Saint’s wishes, as her Proxy.”
“I see. And the emergency quest as well……?”
“Of course, no thanks necessary for that either. I have already received an appropriate reward from the adventurer’s guild.”
At that, Nilva gives a small, impressed lean back in his seat.
“As expected of the Proxy of the Saint——what a magnanimous person.”
“Heh, flattery won’t get you anything, you know. (Nilva-san has quite a scary face, but he’s easy to talk to——he might actually be a good person……!)”
The same-as-always easily-swayed Saint relaxes her guard, and just as the atmosphere between them warms up nicely, Nilva decides to raise a slightly more pointed matter.
“By the way, Silver-dono——if I may ask something rather out of the blue……the sacred treasure of our nation taken by the demon——the ‘Red Book’——where is it now?”
“……That prophecy book has been returned to the Saint.”
“I see……it was the Saint’s property to begin with, so that is only natural. (Silver-dono’s wariness jumped considerably. The prophecy book is a loss, but this is not the place to push on it.)”
“Thank you for your understanding. (Phew……what a relief. I was worried about what to do if she said ‘give it back,’ but she backed off smoothly……)”
Introduction, light conversation, a pointed topic——from a gentle lead-in progressing gradually toward heavier content. And now, at last, ‘the final matter.’
“Well then……we are both busy people, so perhaps we should get to the main point.”
Nilva straightens in his seat and looks at Luna directly.
“The reason I came here today is to make Silver-dono ‘a certain request.'”
“What kind of request?”
“According to our kingdom’s intelligence agents, it appears the remnants of the ‘Leonard Theocracy’ have been scheming something unpleasant of late……I would like you to investigate.”
“The Leonard Theocracy……’remnants’? Wait, that country has been destroyed?”
The Leonard Theocracy is a gathering of devil-worshippers.
Three hundred years ago, during the age of conflict when demons and demi-humans ran rampant, the founder Leonard established Leonard’s Creed, a doctrine preaching ‘the unification of human and demon.’
Using the distortions of that era, they wormed their way skillfully into the anxieties of the masses, and expanded their influence with frightening speed——eventually growing large enough to constitute a nation.
When Luna was executed, they were at the very height of their power——but according to Nilva, they are apparently now in a state of collapse.
“Three hundred years ago, some months after the Saint’s execution, the Leonard Theocracy was defeated in a fierce ‘religious war’ against the rival Saint’s Church. The founder Leonard, together with the senior leadership and a portion of the most devoted fanatics, disappeared from public view. (……What is this? Why doesn’t Silver-dono know about the fall of the Leonard Theocracy? Wasn’t Silver a ‘servant of the Saint’ who has continued from three hundred years ago……?)”
Silver is a member of the Saint’s party who chose a path of service unmarked in history——an ‘unsung hero.’ This is the latest assessment of the Saint’s Academic Society, and a view that has gained wide acceptance.
As Nilva quietly deepens his analysis——
(Wow……I had no idea the Saint’s Church was a group with that kind of history and power……)
Luna, having learned that the ‘troublesome fans’ surrounding her are a more formidable presence than expected, feels profoundly deflated from the bottom of her heart.
“What I would like to ask of Silver-dono today comes down to two things. First, to infiltrate the Leonard Theocracy and investigate their plans. And if those plans prove to be of an evil nature——to crush them before they can be carried out.”
“I see……”
Having grasped the outline of the quest, Luna crosses her arms and thinks.
(……Hmm, this sounds like a lot of trouble……)
She came to the guild today in a very light-hearted frame of mind, and is not keen on taking on a troublesome request.
And more than anything, she has just finished a very adventurer-ish job in the form of the ’emergency quest,’ and her heart is already full to the brim with satisfaction.
(Yeah, I think I’ll pass on this one.)
That decision——is shaken significantly by Nilva’s next words.
“This is just between us, but……according to information our agents have obtained, the remnants of the Leonard Theocracy are said to be in possession of a relic from the legendary Saint’s party——a ‘Sacred Relic’……”
“Wh-whaaat!?”
She nearly rises off the sofa and leans sharply forward.
(Took the bait! So I was right——Silver’s standing orders from the Saint are to ‘recover the Sacred Relics’!)
Nilva’s deduction was ‘not far off the mark, if not quite on it.’
“Nilva-san, could this Sacred Relic happen to be the Saint’s prophecy book!?”
The Sacred Relics are the ultimate treasures left behind by the legendary Saint’s party, ones that have their place in the history of humanity.
Whether the relic in question is connected to the Saint herself, or belongs to another member of the Saint’s party——that distinction is what matters most to Luna.
“I’m afraid I don’t know that far, unfortunately. However, as Silver-dono knows, the Leonard Theocracy was once a major nation at the height of its power. Even if the Sacred Relic in their possession turned out to be the Saint’s prophecy book, there would be nothing strange about that.”
“……True enough……”
Nilva’s reasoning was coherent.
“If you would accept this request, we will provide Silver-dono with all the information on the Leonard Theocracy that we have gathered over the years. We also promise that if a Sacred Relic is discovered during your investigation of the Theocracy, it will be transferred to you.”
“Hmm……(The recovery of dark history is one of my top priorities. Given that my Sacred Relic might be there, I’ll have to visit the Theocracy at some point regardless……)”
Right now, Luna knows almost nothing about the Theocracy.
Where they are now, what they are doing, what the kingdom-worrying scheme actually is——investigating all of this from scratch would take an enormous amount of time.
But if she accepts Nilva’s request, she gets information from the kingdom, and any Sacred Relic discovered becomes hers.
(Yeah, this might actually be quite a good deal……)
Luna gives a meaningful nod as she senses the appeal of this one——and Nilva, judging ‘this is the moment to push,’ presents one more additional condition.
“This request carries a very high degree of danger. Therefore, we in the kingdom have also prepared a ‘full support structure.'”
“That’s reassuring. Could you be more specific……?”
“Yes. I intend to assign skilled Holy Knights to accompany Silver-dono as escort!”
“Ah, Holy Knights as escort……?”
A faint unease stirs in Luna at those words.
And with good reason——the Holy Knights she has seen in action have been, militarily speaking, a little……no, quite a bit unreliable.
Seeing a more lukewarm reaction than expected, Nilva hastily adds a correction.
“Ah, no, that was a slightly ill-chosen word. I am well aware of Silver-dono’s strength, so ‘escort’ isn’t quite right——’scouts’ would be more accurate. The Theocracy is located underground beneath a desert, so I intend to assign people for pathfinding, navigation through underground labyrinths, and detection of Sacred Relics——rear-support personnel of that kind.”
“I see……that would be a great help.”
This was genuine, not social courtesy.
Luna is extraordinarily poor at close-range detection, exploration, and searching.
Having scouts attached to handle exactly those tasks is genuinely encouraging.
“For this mission, I’ll assign three handpicked individuals from our Kingdom of Elgia. I described them as scouts for your sake, but in reality they are all quite capable fighters, every one of them.”
“Oh? Might I ask who will be coming along……?”
“Of course! First, Raios Reinhart, captain of the Third Holy Knight Platoon! Then his vice-captain, Curse Meref! And further, the ‘divinely gifted sword saint,’ Owl Rastia! The three finest soldiers our Kingdom of Elgia has to——”
“——I’m sorry, I’d like different ones.”
Luna answered immediately.