I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess chapter 128

128 – Expedition (2)

Sirien and I first decided on one goal.

The most important thing to do is to punish the demon king Eligos.

Eligos was the starting point and culprit of the misfortune we experienced.

Even if the devil’s power was intact, we had no intention of stopping our revenge.

It was actually a good thing.

There was no reason to throw this opportunity to the ground.

Still, we failed to find the connection between Eligos and Count Roxen.

We didn’t want to hear Roxen’s lame excuses, and the Grand Duchy’s practitioners weren’t stupid enough to keep a record of their own misdeeds.

Now, it’s impossible to ask someone who couldn’t even leave a body behind.

The only thing I found was a cookie made with Lamurice petals?

Testimony emerged that he had consistently purchased the item, saying it was his favorite item, but had never actually worn it.

Lamuris petals are from the western part of the empire. Since it is a flower that grows at the edge, the main production area is adjacent to the Demon Territory.

I think the contact was exchanged under the pretext of buying those flowers…… It was a fact that made me laugh out loud.

It was something I half knew even when I was locked in the cabin.

– If I were to pick one piece of information that I know right now, it would be that Count Roxen likes cookies with lamuris petals.

– If you know this, how can you use it anywhere?

– No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know.

Even looking back, it was a fact that could not have been guessed based on that fragmentary fact alone.

Should this also be considered a trick of fate?

Anyhow, they were currently organizing an expeditionary force to put an end to Eligos.

Sirien would draw a rough picture and I would fill in the details.

My experience working on the northern front for a long time was helpful.

First of all, border defense. And the forces responsible for maintaining public order must be maintained.

In novels and heroic stories, they always say things like, ‘All troops will march forward, leaving only the minimum number of troops!’, But the Grand Duke of Ilencia was not a land that could be maintained by such a brute-force command.

Because what we were going to do was an expedition, not gambling.

It was impossible to risk everything on the success or failure of the expedition.

To minimize the aftereffects, we had to first draw in spare troops and establish a new organization and command system.

Although it may feel cumbersome now, such efforts were bound to be rewarded one day.

In the form of fewer corpses to be burned.

And what was supposed to come has arrived.

A knocking sound on Sirien’s office. The newly appointed head maid brought news.

We were more accustomed to calling her a nanny.

“Degradation. “This is a letter from the Pantheon.”

As if it were natural, the letter that arrived from the pantheon was the god of order. It was sent from the Church of Temes.

Nothing was different from what I expected. Proposal for reinforcements delivered through official channels.

If this is unexpected, does it mean that the content is quite unconventional?

– The commanding authority of the Crusade to be dispatched lies entirely with the Grand Duchy of Ilencia, and this commanding authority complies with the discipline of this church and therefore includes the right to life and death.

– In return for dispatch, this church may request a distribution of the spoils captured in the war and the interests gained from victory, enough to repair the damage to the temple.

– If the expedition ends in failure. This church does not hold the Grand Duchy of Ilencia responsible.

There are three provisions that we paid attention to.

In summary, the command was completely handed over and the spoils were virtually given up. There is no responsibility even in case of defeat.

In effect, it was the same as saying that the Temes Church would lend us troops for free.

Sirien said as if he was dumbfounded.

My impressions were not much different from hers.

“Is there any reason for the order to go this far? “Even when I’ve made up my mind, I still waver.”

If you think rationally, an offer that there is no reason to refuse.

Our emotions. And it was a story that made my intuition feel like stubbornness.

Moreover, the order’s justification for participating in the war was quite old-fashioned and close to the truth.

– This church, which worships Temes, the god of order, has the obligation to protect the rules of the imperial religious world represented by the pantheon.

– In order to impose discipline on others, it would be right to set an example yourself first.

– I was ready to draw the sword of judgment at the opportunity to subdue the demon king Eligos.

Moreover, it is not any other place, but a church of order.

A religious order with a vertical structure whose discipline is as strict as that of the Imperial Rangers.

It was famous for the absoluteness of top-down order, so much so that oppression was cited as the other side of order.

In other words, the Crusade of Temes. In particular, the ‘death squad’ led by the saint of order had no worries about causing unnecessary trouble.

By the way, since the Temes Church brought this cause, if we fail to punish Eligos, it will be entirely our responsibility. It was an unnecessary risk.

Sirien thought for a moment, but did not change her decision.

“Originally, it wasn’t a long-term proposal, but…… Is it because I heard you say it once? “I feel uncomfortable because the conditions are too good.”

“There is no need to be too conscious of what I say. “It is a condition that is difficult for me to refuse.”

“No. It’s okay because we definitely have the benefit. If we borrow the power of order this time, it is clear that all external credit will be passed over. Politically, it’s not a bad idea to refuse. The reason is…… “I’ll handle it appropriately.”

Once you have made a decision, act quickly.

There is no place for order in this expedition.

The day after Sirien revealed her rejection through her pantheon.

Ilencia’s expeditionary force, led by the Spear Point Knights, marched out.

* * *

From Noble mtl dot com

Basement of the main hall of the Imperial Pantheon.

Black mold grew in the humid gray basement.

The iron bars that had been abandoned for a long time were covered in reddish rust, and there was a sound of splashing water every time I took a step, as if groundwater was leaking somewhere.

It was a disgusting and unpleasant place to exist in the pantheon. But in this basement, no one was at all displeased.

Because some great fears prey on other emotions.

A caring voice said.

The prisoner trembled as if he had heard the cries of a monster.

“Repent of your sins.”

A deep room in the underground hall. The red-hot iron touches the skin.

Cheeek. The blindfolded prisoner screamed silently.

However, no matter how hard I struggled, nothing would change in my tied body.

There is no one here to help him.

The chair was fixed to the floor and did not even move, and he also had a thick cloth in his mouth.

Let alone asking for help, I didn’t know when and what kind of pain would come.

The sound of the door opening was heard in the prisoner’s ears.

The man who was torturing him smiled.

“I was waiting, brother. “Have you got any news?”

“Yes. “This is a reply from the Grand Duchy of Ilencia.”

“I see. “Then we will have to start preparing for departure soon.”

“Ah, saint. That is…… “

A guest who came to the room.

The white armored paladin trailed off.

Did you notice his scent?

The hand that was warming the iron in the flame suddenly stopped.

Acleon, the saint of order, asked without erasing his benevolent smile.

“It looks like something is wrong. Is there a problem?”

“Ilencia rejected my application. Demon King Eligos says he will handle it on his own.”

“Yes…… Okay. It’s an unexpected decision. “What do you say is the reason?”

“I will not provoke other demon lords. “They seem to be concerned that the war could escalate if excessive forces are deployed.”

“Oh my. If it comes out like that, there will be no other way to intervene. “It’s difficult.”

Cheeek.

Again, the iron burned human flesh.

There was no change in his expression, but I couldn’t help but get the impression that he looked unpleasant.

The saint was lost in thought in that state.

If the other person doesn’t accept it, that’s the end of it.

Nevertheless, the saint’s discomfort gradually rose to the point where it was visible on his face.

His thoughts stopped when the smell of grilling meat became burnt.

The saint, who smelled the acrid smell, smiled again.

“It’s a shame. The fate of not only the empire but all of humanity is at stake in the problem with the demons. “You can’t take big steps because of small fears.”

“That is a reasonable statement.”

“How did things get so complicated?”

It was that time.

A sound like a boiled egg being crushed with its shell.

When the saint’s hands became covered in red blood, the prisoner lost his light.

The Holy Knight closed his eyes for a moment as if he could not bear to see.

It was a long-standing habit of Acleon. None of the prisoners who rode his hand ever saw the light again.

If faith creates an army of fanatics, order treats prisoners as a punishment unit.

Among them, Acleon’s ‘death squad’ was so powerful that it was unprecedented throughout the history of the church.

However, the soldiers of the death squad did not need to see, and for some reason, Acleon was obsessed with ‘eyes’.

“What…… It’ll still be okay though. If Eligos can be punished without our help, it will be a happy day for everyone. Oh, brother, you can leave now.”

“Yes. “Then I will return to my mission.”

Akleon put down his iron.

“Ilencia…… “It keeps bothering me.”