Two days later.
"This time, what a huge mess."
Leon was back in his own castle.
He leaned against his chair, a faint smile on his lips as he rubbed his temple, eyes scanning through the latest reports. The expedition to the Holy Land had yielded plenty of rewards, yet the uproar it caused echoed across the world. News spread like wildfire.
The blonde elf resting in his arms also smiled softly. She reached out, cupping the cheek of the Black Prince, and spoke in a calm, affectionate tone:
"Yes, the world now moves because of you. Every action of yours is under their scrutiny. Countless people search desperately for your true identity. But the more they pursue you, the deeper the mysteries become. Do you enjoy this, Leon?"
"Well," Leon chuckled, "it's not exactly a bad feeling."
"It's fine if you enjoy it," Alpha replied, adjusting her position to glance over the reports, "but let's be honest—this time, our reputation has suffered."
Night Raid and its enigmatic leader, Midnight, had shaken the world during the so-called [Judgment of the Goddess]. They had killed the archbishop of the Holy Cult, reduced its headquarters to rubble, and branded themselves eternal heretics in the eyes of the church. From now on, every sacred faction would hunt them down.
"Bah, a trivial matter," Leon said dismissively. "It won't hinder us in the slightest. If anything, I'd say this wanted poster makes me look rather dashing."
He picked up another sheet of parchment from the desk.
It bore an illustration of him wearing his mask and slime armor. Beneath it, a bounty: 1 billion gold coins. Far too low for his taste. Aside from that small grievance, he had no complaints.
Alpha scratched her head, puzzled. She too was on the wanted list. Yet she wasn't dissatisfied—in truth, she was secretly delighted. Her wanted poster, showing her masked form in slime attire, matched Leon's perfectly.
Even if the whole world hunted her, she would gladly walk by his side. Whether the path led to heaven or to hell, Alpha had already chosen: wherever Leon went, she would follow.
"I only regret that they branded you a sinner," she said with bitter sarcasm. "This world is truly blind."
"Hah! Don't bother with the opinions of fools," Leon replied with a shrug. "They can't touch us. That's the very purpose of Midnight's existence—to shoulder all the accusations."
Indeed, no matter what crimes the world pinned on Midnight, that identity existed precisely to protect the true figure: Prince Leon, who could not act openly.
"Yes, but to us, you are a savior. All who believe in you… when they saw the world slandering you, they burned with fury."
"It's nice to have people angry on my behalf," Leon admitted, "but we do have other matters to handle, don't we?"
"I know," Alpha sighed. "We've already sent agents into Sumeru."
She tightened her grip on the wanted notice, eyes gleaming with determination. One day, the cult of Diablos would be annihilated, and this man—her master—would rule the world.
On that day, the truth hidden for centuries would come to light. The world would realize its ignorance… and finally understand the greatness of Leon. And she, Alpha, would ensure that day arrived.
"Gamma, Beta, Epsilon, and Zeta have infiltrated under different identities. Many of Sumeru's factions are already crawling with our spies."
"As expected of all of you," Leon said, clapping lightly, impressed. "You're always efficient. Have you prepared a backstory for me yet?"
Only two days had passed since the Sanctuary incident, yet the girls had already begun to infiltrate Sumeru. The speed of their work truly amazed him. In comparison, he had been lazing around—drinking, reading papers, and teasing Alpha. A flicker of guilt crossed his mind.
Alpha only shook her head with a faint smile.
"I'll prepare the script for you. No one here overestimates their abilities. You can act freely as you wish."
"As always, we'll set the stage. You only need to appear when it's ready."
And she was right.
With Leon's intellect, even without Night Raid's aid, he could easily take over the Kingdom of Sumeru. All it required was time. His strategies outstripped imagination; even from thousands of miles away, he could manipulate the people of a foreign land.
Alpha bit her lip. The truth was humbling. Even if Leon performed the simplest of tasks, she and the others might fail to replicate it, even with their utmost effort.
Sometimes, she questioned her very existence. Did she truly possess the strength to stand at his side?
But the orders had been given.
And they would follow them with all their might.
"I believe we can wrap everything up within a month. Until then, all we can do is wait patiently."
"Hmm… so no vacation for me then."
"Haha, I knew you'd say that. In that case, I brought you something interesting."
Alpha handed Leon a scroll.
Night Raid's intelligence network had grown tremendously. They now had informants scattered across the world, capable of digging up nearly anything. Especially relics of the past.
"Remember that fairy tale you used to tell us as kids? The story of the Holy Sword and the King."
"Of course I remember. Why?"
Back when the Seven Shadows were plagued by nightmares—especially Beta—Leon would comfort them with fairy tales from his previous life.
Of course, those tales had since been shamelessly plagiarized and published under the name of a certain unscrupulous elf.
"The girls of Night Raid discovered something. There may actually exist a legendary Holy Sword. Supposedly, it was the very blade that defeated a Demon King ages ago."
Alpha pointed at the scroll.
It recorded an ancient tale, long forgotten. A story resembling a myth: once, a Demon King sought to conquer the world, but was struck down by a hero wielding a Holy Sword.
According to legend, that sword carried the power to destroy all evil, to purge malice itself.
"Master, aren't you troubled by the lack of a proper weapon?"
"…And how did you figure that out?"
"Of course I knew. My eyes are always on you."
Alpha spoke naturally, without hesitation.
Leon smiled faintly, brushing a strand of her golden hair aside.
It was true—he had worried. His slime blades and magical trinkets were becoming increasingly insufficient against the unconventional might he wielded.
"If it interests you, then go seek out the Holy Sword."
"Fine. But I'm taking you with me."
"Then let's call it a date."
"A… a date?" Alpha's pointed ears twitched, her face betraying a mix of surprise and hidden excitement. "Well… that's not bad."
"By the way, do you know the sword's name?"
"From what was uncovered, it's called the Holy Sword of the Demon King Slayer."
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(End of Chapter)