Hearthstone Tavern. Joshua’s study.
Sitting on his chair, Joshua did a stretch and tapped his aching shoulders.
“Miss Ciri, I think you should find another place to change your clothes,” Joshua looked at Ciri who was also in the room.
The mage lady immediately removed her mage robe and outer clothing the moment she entered the study. Wantonly, she was showing off her beautiful figure.
“Ynor is currently using the bathroom... I’ve been drenched by the rain today. Besides, it’s only my mage robe.”
Ciri ran her hands through her still damp hair. Suddenly, she turned to look at a crow standing by the window looking into the study with its head crooked.
“She... shouldn’t be able to take pictures in her crow form, right?” asked Ciri as she pointed to the crow.
The crowd flapped its wings and landed inside the study. Black light enveloped the crow. By the time the light disappeared, the dark elf was standing by the window.
“I won’t be able to use my camera without hands.”
The dark elf raised her hands to express her innocence to Ciri. Besides, there was nothing ‘outrageous’ with the mage lady’s figure. Even if she was to take pictures of her, she doubted there would be buyers.
“Should I... excuse myself?”
Ciri has gotten so close to Joshua that she could openly joke around with him when they’re alone.
But, the appearance of the dark elf meant that there was information for her to report to Joshua...
“No need. It’s nothing major.”
Joshua picked up a record book from his desk. All the contestants that passed the audition for World’s Singers were listed on it. The last person in the book was the contestant called Holme.
“Your Highness Joshua, I’ve investigated the identity of that Holme. He was born to an impoverished human family in Squirrel Street. After growing up, he has once entered Black Dove. However, his position in Black Dove was at the bottom. In other words, he was a dispensable pawn.”
An originium crystal appeared in the dark elf’s hand. After she imbued the originium crystal with her magic power, several pictures appeared before Joshua.
“The ‘underground prison’ he spoke of is a... special sort of ceremony... held in Squirrel Street. Most of the participants are orcs and goblins. That said, he has won the underground prison ceremony multiple times.”
Joshua roughly skimmed through the pictures on the originium crystal. Soon, he caught sight of an infant swaddled in shabby rags.
“What’s the deal with this infant?”
“It’s a baby girl Holme adopted. According to rumors from others in Squirrel Street, that infant girl was said to be tossed on the street by a demon girl,” said the dark elf.
“Demon?”
Joshua stared at the picture for a while. He discovered that there was a small protrusion at the forehead of the infant girl. That protrusion might turn into a horn in the future.
“A horn on the forehead? A Horned Demon?” Joshua skimmed through the memories of the Third Prince. But, he discovered the infant girl’s appearance does not resemble Horned Demons at all.
Horned demons had the sheep-like heads and lion-like bodies. In the Demon Realm, there were only two races of demon with outward appearances similar to humans. One was the Succubi whereas the other was...
“That infant girl couldn’t be a Chaos Demon, right?” Joshua thought of a terrifying possibility.
“Chaos Demon? Your Highness Joshua, do you need me to... bring her back to the Demon Realm?” asked Thousand Faces.
The Chaos Demons were a race that treasured their fellow kinsmen. If a Chaos Demon was to end up wandering through the human world, the Demon Realm’s Second Princess Cecily would go as far as to dispatch a small group of Sentinels to bring them back.
“For the time being, there’s no need for that. Dispatch people to ensure their safety. Besides, Squirrel Street is our territory.”
Joshua took out two letters from his desk. Then, together with the originium crystal, he handed the two letters to the dark elf.
“This is your second task. World’s Singers will officially begin the day after tomorrow. As there are contestants, there will naturally also be audiences. There are two admission tickets in these letters. Please deliver them to the two ‘friends’ that came from afar.”
Thousand Faces received the letter without a word and skimmed through the address written on them.
They were very clearly addressed to Norland’s Holy Light Chapel.
“Your Highness Joshua planned to invite the two legion commanders from the Nation of the Holy Church?” The dark elf couldn’t help herself from asking after reading the content on the letterheads.
“No, I only plan to invite one legion commander. The other invitee... shall be that bishop,” Joshua flipped the participant booklet to the page with Lia, “They’ve sent over a master singer to my competition. As such, I will naturally have to show my appreciation. Two tickets are a very minor gesture of my regards.”
“And here I thought Your Highness Joshua will order me to assassinate them,” Thousand Faces placed away the two letters.
She has observed the people from the Nation of the Holy Church for a long time now. Her hatred for the Heresy Tribunal has extended to the entire Nation of the Holy Church. If it wasn’t out of consideration for Joshua’s plan, she might’ve already acted to assassinate the envoys from the Nation of the Holy Church.
“You have my gratitude for controlling your hatred, Miss Thousand Faces. That said, I don’t believe killing an official or two would be able to destroy that nation as a whole,” said Joshua.
“Destroy...”
The dark elf quietly muttered Joshua’s word. Then, she turned into a crow and flew out into Norland’s night sky.
.........
In the shape of a crow, the dark elf descended outside the Holy Church’s chapel in Norland. When she was about to transform back into her elf form to leave the letters somewhere the legion commanders and bishops could see, the sound of dispute came from the chapel.
“Lady Lia, you must return to the Holy City at haste... This is an order from the Holy Light Parliament!”
“Parliament? Why must I listen to the orders from those youngins?”
Flapping her wings, the dark elf quietly landed by a window sill and began observing the situation inside the chapel.
The girl by the name of Lia was currently confronting a templar legion commander. That legion commander was holding a document emitting the aura of Holy Light.
“The Pope is already being extremely lenient in allowing you to journey here. But, after coming to Norland, you’ve decided to participate in a ceremony held by the demons...”
Thousand Faces quietly listened in on the argument. From the things spoken by that legion commander, that girl called Lia must’ve committed some sort of major crime enough to put her on trials.
“And what if I refuse?”
“Lady Lia, please forgive my rudeness. I would have to forcibly bring you back to the Holy City.”
The relationship between the grizzled-haired old legion commander and the nun called Lia seemed to not be like that of a master and her bodyguard. Instead, he seemed more like a jailer keeping a close watch on his prisoner so that she would not escape.
At least, that was how things appeared to the dark elf.
The nun could sense the threat in that legion commander’s words. Her expression turned somewhat dim.
“Kroger, it would appear that your loyalty toward the Pope has made you forget who helped you attain your current position,” said the nun with a low voice.
“I... am loyal only to the Nation of the Holy Church. You are already under the threat of that Chaos Demon by staying in Norland. If we are to lose Lady Lia, it will be a catastrophe for the entire nation.”
Right after the aged templar legion commander finished saying his words, a figure emerged from the shadow behind him.
Vulture... the other templar legion commander.
Even though Vulture had meticulously suppressed his aura, the aged legion commander still managed to detect motion from behind.
“Vulture! What are you trying to do?!”
“Rest assured, old fellow.”
The instant Vulture was discovered, he immediately rushed forth. He made a fist with his left hand and, with the sound of an explosive shockwave, struck at aged legion commander’s abdomen.
Although the aged legion commander had been half-kneeling before Herolia the entire time, he immediately reacted toward Vulture’s appearance and raised his hand to block Vulture’s attack.
By blocking Vulture’s attack, the ground beneath him cracked apart.
Suddenly, Vulture waved his other hand. A large quantity of purely white dust was thrown toward that aged legion commander. By the time the aged legion commander held his breath, it was already too late.
The moment he breathed in the dust, sleep overwhelmed him. When he attempted to gather the power of the Holy Light to disperse this sense of sleepiness, he discovered that, unbeknownst to him, his magic had been sealed.
“I am only trying to let you have a comfortable sleep,” Vulture’s voice sounded by his ears as he started falling unconscious. But, he still managed to keep his awareness with his overwhelming willpower. He looked to the Saintess Herolia.
“Lady Saintess...”
“Take a proper sleep, Kroger... When you’re awake, you will be able to return to the Holy City. I will also be returning with you,” said Herolia.
The aged legion commander still wanted to say something. Unfortunately, by the time his words reached his throat, he fell onto the ground, unconscious.
Light flashed through the Saintess Herolia’s hand. The sealed Holy Light element once again started to circulate through the chapel.
Vulture moved around his wrist. After sensing that his magic power has returned, he heaved a sigh of relief.
“Lady Lia, how am I to explain this to Bishop Darco and your guardian knight Messai?”
“Messai... she already knew. As for Darco, just find a random justification. As for Kroger, throw him in the underground teleportation formation ruins.”
After Herolia finished giving those orders, she turned to look at a window.
“Furthermore, go and greet the guest outside the window. She has witnessed everything.”
“Guest?!”
Vulture was shocked by Herolia’s words. He did not notice there being anyone outside the window at all.
But, as it was an order from the Saintess, he was fully convinced it to be true. Golden runes started gathering in Vulture’s hand. The runes turned into a radiating bow and arrow. The arrow shot out of the bow and smashed through the window into Norland’s night sky.
“Escaped?” The radiating bow disappeared from Vulture’s hand. He was prepared to chase after the eavesdropper.
“You can stop. That’s a guest. If she wanted to leave, there’s no need for us to urge her to stay.”
Herolia looked to the pitch-black feathers floating by the window. Two letters were mixed in with the feathers.
With a gentle wave of her hand, the letters flew into her hand.
“Audience invitation letters? Perhaps... that Chaos Demon is more friendly than I imagined. Or perhaps... he’s more cunning?”