From the highest point of Daedalus Castle, the balcony offers a sweeping view of the sturdy and magnificent streets of Daedalus.
It is not the ominous city of demons that the people of the Republic expected, but rather a modern and sophisticated urban society that resembles their own human civilization.
Two figures stand on the balcony, gazing at the dusk over Daedalus.
One is a small girl, and the other is a tall young man, both possessing beautiful silver hair, appearing like siblings at first glance.
However, there is no blood relation between the two; the most appropriate way to describe their relationship in a word would be ‘work partners.’
The small girl is Seventh Apostle Sariel, and the tall young man is Second Apostle Abel, both transcendent beings endowed with the powerful blessing of the White God.
The formal reception as the envoy of the Papal Deputy has already been completed, and they have now dismissed everyone, revealing Abel’s sharp features without concealment.
Now, as the Second Apostle, Abel addresses Sariel, who stands quietly.
“I heard from Lady Misa; it seems you’ve had quite a lot to deal with.”
His voice is somewhat cold as usual, but it is undeniably a word of sympathy.
“No.”
Sariel simply responds and turns her crimson gaze towards Abel.
In response, his eyes reflect the colors of day and night: blue and black, as their gazes briefly cross.
“Her actions are clearly an overreach; I have given her a strict ‘warning.'”
Only another Apostle can issue a warning to an Apostle.
What kind of warning the ‘White Hero’ Second Apostle Abel has given is something Sariel could not even imagine.
She has always followed the duties assigned by the Church with unwavering loyalty, and since she has never received a warning before, it is even more surprising.
“I hope such things do not happen again, but considering her personality, it will likely be difficult.”
Sariel observes as Abel lets out a small sigh, as if to say, “What a hassle.”
Always calm and composed, maintaining an expressionless demeanor, Abel still possesses human emotions that differ from her own, and Sariel suddenly realizes this.
“I think you already know, but Lady Misa views you as a rival.
Although it may be annoying for you, given how she interacts with you unilaterally, I hope you won’t treat her too harshly, and that as Apostles, you both can push each other to excel.”
“Yes.”
Sariel feels nothing in particular toward Misa.
There are no negative feelings like annoyance or resentment; conversely, there are no positive feelings either.
“…Perhaps that was a needless piece of advice for you.”
“No, thank you for your advice, Lord Abel.”
His words likely stemmed from realizing that Sariel held no feelings regarding the matter, but she could only interpret it literally.
“If there is a problem, Ai is probably here too.”
“Yes, she visited on the fifteenth of the first month.”
Sariel conveys confirming words regarding information that Abel, likely not aware from reports by Misa, would not know.
Abel does not seem particularly surprised.
“If you call it ‘visiting’ when she appears right in front of you after slipping through the guards…”
It is as if he has witnessed Ai’s antics firsthand—noted, he must have had a similar experience as Sariel.
Whether one can truly infiltrate the Elysion Cathedral unnoticed, Sariel wonders, but concludes that if the Apostle is loved by God, they may succeed even more easily.
“What did she say?”
“She asked me to establish an Adventurer Guild in Daedalus.”
Abel murmurs, revealing no intent to hide his surprise at her unexpectedly rational request, but he had no way of knowing about her actions that followed immediately after as if he were forcefully demanding a kiss from Sariel.
“Has the guild started its activities?”
“Yes, currently only quests in the vicinity of Daedalus, but it will likely expand to all territories soon.”
The mercenary troops hired by the Republic are largely still under contract as the forces for the next invasion; however, with the pacification of Daedalus territory reaching a milestone, there have been times they were disbanded.
They have the choice to either remain on the Pandora Continent or return to the Republic, but it is expected they would prefer to stay in this land, which is likely to see conflict again soon.
Since such individuals exist, the potential number of Adventurers is considerable.
Once the Adventurer Guild activates, it is a natural consequence that people will gather quickly.
“I see, it seems to be going well, and I hear there are no particular problems; truly, it was the right decision to appoint you as Commander-in-Chief of the Crusaders.”
“Thank you.”
Among the Apostles, there are selfish individuals like Misa and Ai; Sariel, who silently observes without extra actions, can be considered a rare presence.
In that light, Abel’s praise cannot be dismissed outright as mere flattery.
“Now, shall we get to the main topic?”
By some natural flow, it seems these two would not come together otherwise.
The fact they have dismissed everyone and are alone here is undoubtedly due to a conversation they do not wish to have overheard.
“The purpose of my coming to the Pandora Continent, I intend to share it only with you, as a fellow Apostle, Lord Sariel; thus, I decided to convey it directly in person rather than through a letter.”
This means that the content should also be kept from his deputy, Lucrom.
Without Abel even having to say that revealing it is strictly forbidden, Sariel already understands it should remain solely within her heart.
“On the thirteenth of the first month, I received a divine revelation stating ‘a Demon King will be born.'”
The moment she heard those words, the face of a man appeared in Sariel’s mind.
A man with black hair and black eyes, sharp gaze—Experiment No. 49, Chrono Mao, that was his face.
Why Chrono came to her mind instantly, even she did not know the definitive reason.
Is it because his all-black attire resembled that of a Demon King? Or is it because he had made such an impact in Arz Village that he earned the infamous title of ‘demon’ for the numerous sacrifices imposed upon the Crusaders?
“I do not know the precise meaning, but I interpret it as a person appearing who will rule the Demon Race of the Pandora Continent, so I decided to scout myself.”
The divine revelation from the White God does not elegantly explain the meanings of words; deciphering what the God’s will intends is an important task of a Priest.
There is no guarantee that Abel’s interpretation is absolutely correct, but I quickly understood that it is the most likely feasible interpretation.
If that is the case, could this ‘person who will rule the Demon Race of the Pandora Continent’ be Chrono?
“However, I do not expect to meet this Demon King simply by wandering alone; it is very likely that the Demon King will be born as destined.
However, that Demon King will undoubtedly be an adversary to us; we should remain vigilant.”
If we speak of vigilance, it might not even lead to any significant awareness—rather, it truly is just a gut feeling, merely an image, but it may be wise to convey a word about the person named Chrono.
“…Yes.”
However, no further words finally came from Sariel’s mouth.
The slight hesitation and brief silence did not seem to give Abel any sense of discomfort, and he continued speaking in his calm tone.
“If a Demon King truly appears, it will be you, Lord Sariel, the Commander-in-Chief of the Crusaders, who will make the first contact; furthermore, that Demon King will surely be a powerful being, as foretold by divine revelation.
I thought we had overcome a significant hurdle by repelling the Daedalus Army, yet it seems the situation is becoming precarious; please be sure to handle this matter with care.”
“Yes.”
After a few more exchanges, Abel left the scene first.
“Chrono… Demon King.”
The image of the Demon King that Sariel holds is the same as that of an ordinary citizen of the Republic.
A dark cloud hanging overhead, a sinister castle rising in the darkness, and atop that cursed throne sits a malevolent-looking man shrouded in pitch-black garments, laughing maniacally as he awaits the hero—a vision she holds.
Once one reaches adulthood, such a Demon King would surely be dismissed as being only within fairy tales.
Yet, Sariel vividly imagines Chrono seated upon the throne, laughing loudly, commanding a dreadful army of demons to annihilate the Crusaders—a scene so real it becomes almost tangible.
Chapter 12 comes to a conclusion here.
After all, it’s been a while since Sariel’s appearance; I can’t help but worry that she might have been forgotten…
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