The next morning.
I heard from a priest that the Hero had left.
When I relayed this news to Ariana...
"Humph! It's good that a person like that leaves quickly! For a Hero to try hurting a good person like Is!"
Ariana showed no sign of regret—in fact, she seemed delighted.
'My future looks bleak...'
To get Ariana to show that much favor toward him, the Hero needed rehabilitation for the world's safety.
In her current state, she'd warm up to me faster than to him.
'Well, as nothing more than his direct Holy Knight, that's unlikely for me.'
I brushed aside the idle thought and recited the schedule to Ariana.
"Thanks to the Hero returning to the Papal Palace, the dispatch faces no issues. We'll be heading outside the Holy Kingdom to the Empire, with a duration of about a month."
"Huh? So suddenly?... And the departure?"
"They want us to leave in two days."
"I've never had a dispatch come up so abruptly before... That means something serious has happened in the Empire, right?"
"Exactly. From what I heard, demons that only appeared in the Empire's north are now showing up in other territories as well."
"Demons?"
"Yes. It seems to be the work of Black Mages, so the Empire requested the Hero, the Saintess, and the Holy Knight order, but..."
"But?"
"For some reason, the negotiations with the higher-ups went strangely, and only the Saintess, thirty Holy Knights, and three high priests are heading to the Empire."
"What? Each demon can claim dozens of lives—how with fewer than forty people..."
"I feel the same, but... it's the Papal Palace's decision, so there's nothing we can do."
Yeah.
The Papal Palace at this time was rotten, just as I'd mentioned before.
Like in other fantasies, the higher-ups in the Holy Kingdom had long since degenerated into embracing the Seven Deadly Sins over the Seven Virtues, leaving only the true clerics below them to suffer.
Lib High Priest, whom I'd just met, was one of those victims.
Of course, a purge would happen later...
But unfortunately, it required the Saintess and the 'Hero's' power.
In the game, it came as a quest: Ariana and the player gathered evidence, boldly exposed their corruption in front of everyone, and a purge followed one way or another.
The problem was, once again, the Hero.
'With the Hero like this now, he'd probably just collude with the Papal Palace folks.'
This quest might take a long time to resolve.
"How could they make such a decision..."
"Saintess..."
Her genuine concern for people tugged at my heart too.
"...Still, the demons appearing outside the north are said to be infinitely weaker than those in the north, so let's believe the people can hold out until we arrive."
"...Sigh, Is. Couldn't we depart today?"
-Heh.
I'd been waiting for those words.
"Luckily, I asked them to pack my things a few days ago. We can leave right now without issue."
As someone who'd played the game and memorized all the events, and knowing Ariana's temperament well while holding the power of direct Holy Knight, how could I not prepare in advance?
"Is...!"
Ariana looked at me with shining eyes.
'Ugh, so dazzling...!'
With her goddess-sculpted beauty, those sparkling eyes were so bright I could barely keep mine open.
"Is?"
"Nothing! Let's go!"
Was it because her looks were such a cheat? Clutching my pounding heart, I guided her as prepared.
For this day, I'd asked for packing, requested a carriage, and handpicked the Holy Knights to stand by.
Such things were well within a direct Holy Knight's authority.
Normally, it would have been volunteers who got assigned, but knowing the future, I'd selected especially strong ones with sharp combat senses.
'I can't just let the seeds of hope die.'
Deaths described in just two lines of text in the game—but I had the power to prevent even those.
'You demon bastards, I'm bringing elites among elites, so hold the line.'
The Holy Kingdom had bishops handling the Seven Virtues, and thus Holy Knights for them too.
I'd picked two out of those seven.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"How is this..."
Ariana couldn't hide her astonishment at the Holy Knights already assembled and waiting.
'Feels good.'
Each of her cute reactions made me forget all my efforts.
Yes—for Ariana's sake alone, this world had to become happier.
With that thought, I scanned for the Seven Virtues Holy Knights.
'Mm. Already gone.'
Fortunately, the two had already departed for the Empire.
They were far stronger and more powerful than me, a freshly appointed direct Holy Knight of the Saintess, so I wasn't sure they'd listen...
'Virtues Holy Knights really are different.'
A satisfied smile formed naturally.
"Thank you all so much for gathering like this..."
Ariana offered her heartfelt thanks to the Holy Knights assembled before her for the people they would save, and their response was, of course, predictable.
""Swords and shields that cannot save people have no reason to exist!""
A passage from scripture that Holy Knights held dearest.
Ariana nodded, moved by their reply.
"Alright, everyone. We're setting off to rescue those threatened by the horde of evil!"
""Woooaaah!""
And so, Ariana and I boarded the carriage while the rest mounted horses, and we headed for the Empire.
During the journey, inside the carriage, I chatted with Ariana.
"So, Is, something I've been curious about since before..."
"Yes, ask away."
"How did Is live before the church took you in...?"
"Before the church... you mean?"
"Ah! You don't have to if you don't want! It's just... I keep thinking why I didn't find someone like you sooner..."
"Hm..."
Knowing Ariana's personality, those words were sincere.
Well, embarrassing as it was, a bit of backstory would pass the long travel time.
"Well, it's an embarrassing past, but..."
I chuckled and began.
"I was an orphan."
"Ah, a-ah..."
Guilt already clouded her eyes—cute, but it made me feel bad for no reason.
This was just one of the possession perks, after all.
"It wasn't that painful a memory, so please don't feel too sorry. Orphans are a dime a dozen in this world, right?"
"..."
Oh no, steering it this way wasn't good.
"Ahem! Anyway, when I opened my eyes, I'd been abandoned in the slums—the ones near the church I ended up in."
"Slums lived up to their name: I spent my days getting beaten, hitting back, extorting goods. Still, with a decent head among mostly orphans, I won often using strategy and tactics."
That was why I'd become the slums' 'Ace'.
"Lots happened. One day, two men twice my size cornered me, calling my face pretty and trying to rape me. A kid I'd beaten before ambushed me once and nearly killed me. Another time, a red-haired noble girl wandered into the slums clueless, so I shooed the kids away and got smacked."
Thinking back, all memories now.
"A-are you okay...?"
"Pardon? Haha, all fine now. Fond memories, even."
The two trying to rape me became 'hermaphrodite witches' after that day, mocked by all. The ambush kid turned good after I gave him the same treatment three times.
And the red-haired noble girl... apologized to me in the end before leaving.
So much for a kid's life.
"Then one day, strolling the streets as usual, I saw the hermaphrodite witches and another man cornering a nun with an unusual beauty against a wall."
"That was..."
"Stella Nun."
"Aha..."
"No way did I want to see a pure soul like a nun get filthy in those dirty slums, so I beat down—er, enlightened—them on the spot."
"And that's how Stella Nun took you in?"
"Yes."
"...I'm sorry, Is. If only I'd stepped up at a younger age—"
"No, Saintess."
"But..."
Here she goes with the self-blame again.
"The Saintess can save many people, but not 'everyone.' That's true not just for you, but the Pope and the Hero too."
Even Superman can't save them all.
How could this young girl?
"You can't save everyone, Saintess, but because you try to, your heart is all the more noble and worthy of respect. So please, don't blame yourself."
"Is..."
"And probably... those two Seven Virtues Holy Knights who left early are working hard to ensure no more kids like me go through that."
"Really...?"
"Yes. I guarantee it."
Those two were more than capable.
Well then...
"The mood's gotten too heavy—shall we talk about something else?"
"Ah, yes!"