She remembered that her father had once said he did not understand the justice of a paladin. She had not given much thought to it during her days of training with the goal of becoming a paladin in mind. But perhaps her heart had become soft and weak because of the Holy Kingdom’s present state, since she had started thinking more and more about that subject recently.
Perhaps her doubts might be cleared up if she could ask her mother, but her mother was no longer among the living.
In the end, she could only rely on herself to find the answer.
As Neia continued pondering these things, the dialogue continued. A pair of paladins would go to the temples of the Four Gods, while two more groups of two would collect information in town. Remedios and the others would stay behind to take care of anything that might happen.
As expected, Neia was ordered to polish their armor.
After the meeting ended, Neia began working on everyone’s armor.
She wetted a cloth with cold water and then wiped the mud from the armor.
As one might expect of magic armor, there was no damage on its surface. If there were any dents, one would have to hammer them out from the inside, but if one’s fingers were clumsy, that would make the surface uneven and ugly. Since Neia had very little confidence in that field, the enchanted armor which the paladins wore was ideal for her.
She was very happy to bury her heart and mind in work. That way, she did not need to think of unnecessary things.
And so, her forehead beaded with sweat, Neia finished cleaning everyone’s armor.
Their audience with the Sorcerer King came earlier than expected. Neia could not hide her surprise. That was because it was set to take place the day after Gustavo had gone to plead his case.
The paladins of the Holy Kingdom — trailed by Neia — found that the residence of the Sorcerer King which they arrived at was quite shabby. Perhaps it might have been quite ostentatious for someone ruling a city of this grade, but it was entirely unfitting of someone who called himself a king. There was no sense of tranquility born of a rich history, no aura of stateliness, and it did not reflect the whims of one who held power. It seemed like a building constructed for practical purposes.
It was quite pitiful compared to the royal palaces of the Kingdom or the Holy Kingdom. Yet, this was the domicile of the Sorcerer King. Since this had once been a regional city of the Kingdom, he had probably decided to make use of the existing small palace after taking control of it.
As the paladins removed their helmets and surveyed the palace, faint traces of disdain appeared on their faces, which only Neia could pick up. Perhaps they were comparing their surroundings with the royal palace of their home country
Who could blame them for that?
And then, Neia recalled the Ghost Ship that they had previously encountered, as well as the undead walking along the streets.
Why would a king who held dominion over so many undead of that level choose to stay in such a shabby old palace?
I have the feeling that there’s some reason for it… if he wanted a luxurious palace, all he’d have to do is order craftsmen like those Dwarves to direct the untiring undead to build one…
As they passed through the gates of the palace, there were two facing rows of undead creatures, similar to the one they had first encountered upon coming to the city. Unlike the undead they had seen at the gate, they were slimmer and crossed their lances high in the air between them.
Flags hung from the tips of the crossed lances. On the right were the flags of the Sorcerous Kingdom, and on the left were the flags of the Holy Kingdom.
Below the flags was a passage that they could move through.
After that, music played. While it was a tune she had not heard before, it was probably best to accept this as part of the ceremony of the whole thing.
From the depths of her brain, Neia recalled a lecture she had received once.
The most important factor of resisting spells is to have a clear mind.
No, there was no way this music could be a magical attack. If this was a trap, there would be no need to raise the Holy Kingdom’s flag.
Neia walked in what she hoped was a proud and bold way, as she scanned her surroundings.
There was an honor guard and the flags of the Holy Kingdom. This was a clear sign that the Sorcerer King was welcoming their delegation as honored guests; in other words, he acknowledged Neia and the others as official ambassadors to the Sorcerous Kingdom, which meant Neia also had to uphold the reputation of the Holy Kingdom.
It delighted her, but at the same time it filled her with gut-cramping stress.
She walked along the path below the hanging flags, and at the end of the passage was — Neia sucked in a surprised breath.
A world-class beauty stood there.
She’s beautiful… she’s incredibly beautiful...
Her face was elegant and attractive.. Her incalculably expensive white dress was free of stains.
Her compassionate smile was enough to make her a woman who might have been mistaken for an angel. However, she was no angel. The proof lay in the pair of jet-black wings sprouting from her waist.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Kingdom. While this might be arrogance on my part, I am Albedo, and I have the honor of being the Guardian Overseer of the various Floor Guardians and Area Guardians throughout the Sorcerous Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown. To use a term that is more familiar to you, I hold the position of Prime Minister.”
“I, I am grateful for your warm welcome. I am the leader of the Holy Kingdom’s diplomatic party, Remedios Custodio, and I am very grateful that you have arranged to make arrangements to meet with us.”
“There is no need for thanks. His Majesty the Sorcerer King is deeply concerned over the developments within the Holy Kingdom. His Majesty has said that it is only proper that he make time for you.”
“We, we are very thankful for that.”
Albedo was all smiles, and her presence crushed Remedios’s words underfoot. Her preternatural beauty was such that even a member of the same sex — no, it was precisely because they were of the same sex — would be swallowed up by it. Albedo’s line of sight swiftly flickered over everyone, Neia included.
“Now then, His Majesty is waiting for you, so I shall guide you to the audience hall. Can I trouble you to follow behind me?”
“Y-Yes, of course. T-Then, how about our swords?”
“Ah, yes, there is the matter of those.”
Albedo smiled in amusement.
Why would she smile like that? Neia wondered. They could not possibly carry weapons into the presence of a king, so normally they would be asked to surrender their weapons. This was also a show of trust in the other party.
“Normally, we would hold onto them for safekeeping, but there is no need for that. You may bear your arms.”
Albedo said something which Neia could not comprehend.
Remedios was also going Why? Surely someone who had spent all her time by the Holy Queen’s side would have even more reason to question this.
Faced with their justified questions, Albedo smiled once more.
“Naturally, this is because we trust our honored guests from the Holy Kingdom, and also because we, as a nation that contains many undead, must seem like quite a bizarre country to you. Therefore, I feel that permitting you to keep your blades will place you at ease. Of course, we have no intention of harming any of you. But if you wish to leave them with us, we can certainly accommodate that request.”
“Then, our country shall graciously accept His Majesty’s goodwill… May I ask you to hold onto the swords of everyone apart from myself. I apologize, but I carry a national treasure of my country, so I hope you understand when I say I cannot leave it in your hands.”