“As I thought. I have also prepared an answer for this eventuality — which would be no.”
“May I ask the reason for that answer?”
“While this is something of a black mark on my nation, Momon is, for the time being, vital for the peace of my country. It is precisely because he is around that the people can live with their hearts at ease.”
“But do you not command legions of the undead, Your Majesty?”
“Huhuhu,” the Sorcerer King laughed quietly. “It would seem you ladies and gentlemen of the Holy Kingdom have seen my undead forces and deemed them quite satisfactory. Then, will you not accept a loan of these undead troops in place of Momon? I trust you have all seen that all the undead I command are quite potent. They ought to be able to eliminate mere demihumans.”
Remedios was left speechless.
She was probably imagining the sight of herself leading an undead army back to the Holy Kingdom. No, it was unimaginable. Commanding the undead was utterly antithetical to being a paladin.
It was true that the undead boasted many advantages as troops. They did not need to eat, they could lie in wait in the middle of primeval forest, and one could call them an ideal army.
However, enlisting the undead — the enemies of all living creatures — into their forces was more frightening than anything else. For starters, bringing another nation’s troops into one’s own country was a source of unease. After solving the Holy Kingdom’s problems, they might then proceed to conquer the Holy Kingdom.
“In, in that case…”
The Sorcerer King chuckled at Remedios’s perturbation.
“Indeed, Custodio-dono. There are those in my country who think the same way as you. Using the undead for agriculture, clearing land, and security are all applications which the people are growing to accept. But unfortunately, those among my citizens who have little contact with these activities have not come to fully accept them yet. Of course, the situation is much better than when I was just establishing my rule, but more time will be needed for that. Momon can listen to their concerns and allay them in many ways. If I send him out now, there is no telling how the discontent of the people might erupt.”
“In that case, surely we paladins can stay behind and complete the work of building trust in the undead, could we not? Many people know that paladins are the foes of the undead. Therefore, would it not be very effective to have us stay behind and declare that Your Majesty’s undead are trustworthy?”
“Muu… That is a proposal which is worthy of consideration.”
After a brief period of cogitation, the Sorcerer King turned his face to the hand which did not carry his staff.
“...Hm. It would seem having foreigners handle that is not quite appropriate, no. One can trust someone who has gone through the same joys and sorrows as themselves; surely there is no way for them to believe someone who appeared out of nowhere and said the undead were their friends, is there? As I thought, you will not be able to take the place of an adamantite ranked adventurer, who is already renowned throughout this city.”
His logic was faultless.
Therefore, she could not refute him with logic. This was particularly true for Remedios, who was the type that was driven by her emotions.
The Sorcerer King then asked the speechless Remedios:
“—Very well. Then let us change the topic. I wish to ask about some people you did not mention, Custodio-dono. In the past, Momon told me that Jaldabaoth commanded maids of considerable power. May I ask if you ladies and gentlemen have encountered people dressed like that in the Holy Kingdom?”
“We have not found anyone so dressed in the Holy Kingdom. In fact, we only learned about them for the first time when we engaged Blue Rose of the Kingdom in conversation.”
“I see… which means it is possible that the maids might be Jaldabaoth’s trump card, is it not? Or does that mean they are active in other locations?”
“We cannot be sure.”
“...I believe you mentioned that the south is still holding out. Are you maintaining secret communications with them?”
“To a certain extent, yes.”
“...So they have not yet infiltrated the south, then? Perhaps I was being too worried. Umu…”
The Sorcerer King suddenly looked up to the ceiling.
“Does Your Majesty feel that Jaldabaoth’s henchmen have infiltrated the south?”
“I did not say that. But I was thinking that if he possessed such powerful pawns, why has he not used them yet… and I believe I asked for full disclosure at the beginning, did I not? Therefore, let me get right to the point — what kind of remuneration can the Holy Kingdom offer me in exchange for the provision of my nation’s aid?”
This was a perfectly normal question and entirely to be expected. However, answering it was very difficult.
“We can offer my country’s friendship, trust, and respect.”
The Sorcerer King snorted at Remedios’s answer.
However, one could not conclude that Remedios’s answer had been wrong. There were times when that was all a paladin would need to rush into a life or death battle. For example, one who championed a poor village that could not afford to pay proper compensation and challenged a demihuman horde would be held up as an exemplar of paladinhood.
“That is very much what a paladin would say. Perhaps one of my past friends might well have been willing to take action based on that alone. But unfortunately, such words cannot move me. I have said before to dispense with meaningless flattery. Can you offer me any tangible benefits?”
Is he saying that Momon-dono is a friend of the Sorcerer King? Is he addressing him so familiarly because he is not just a subordinate?
As Neia pondered that question, Remedios remained silent.
No.
She could not speak. The truth was that Remedios Custodio was in no position to make any promises.
What would happen after they beat off Jaldabaoth?
Of course, they would need to name the next Holy King. However, the likelihood of such a person heeding the words of a paladin would be very low. If he was chosen from the southern nobles, who were unfriendly to her, Remedios and the others would probably be placed under house arrest for their inability to protect the Holy Queen.
In that case, even if they forged a pact with the Sorcerer King, there was no guarantee that said pact would actually be honored. No, before that, it was very dubious that this group even had the right to represent their nation. Ultimately, the true purpose of this ambassadorial delegation had been to build sympathy among the commoners who did not understand the situation.
For that reason, they had no ability to make any promises. No one person could represent an entire country by themselves; the only one who could do that was its king.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I am Vice-Captain Gustavo Montanjes, serving under Captain Custodio. Please permit me to speak on her behalf.”
The Sorcerer King lightly raised his chin, to indicate that the man should continue.
“Thank you very much. What Your Majesty asks for is something that we cannot guarantee. Even if we reclaim the Holy Kingdom’s territory, restoring the land that has been ravaged by Jaldabaoth will take a very long time. I do not believe we can offer you anything we promise here with any degree of haste. However, there is one thing I wish to tell Your Majesty, which is the danger of Jaldabaoth.”
“Hm… do go on.”
“Yes. The disorganized demihumans who threatened the Kingdom in the past are now under the thumb of Jaldabaoth. If he is not stopped now, and he is allowed to hide himself, there is no telling what sorts of preparations he can make and where he will show himself again.”