Published at 21st of June 2023 6:55 pm

Volume 12, Chapter 3 – Snake Queen, Part 4

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

The armies of the Vanir Three Kingdoms, which were marching through the Grand Duchy of Drall in three separate directions, joined forces to the west of Grantz, but while regrouping, they were hit hard by a night attack by Celia Estrella, the sixth princess of the Great Grantz Empire. Pope Vanir gave precise instructions to extinguish the fire but was unable to stop it from spreading, and the encampment was abandoned. A new encampment was established in the area known as Kolsche in the Grand Duchy of Drall.

It was a fort called Rehirn, located right next to the western border fort of the Great Grantz Empire, Zeltselt.

Around the fort, soldiers who could not enter the fort built tents, but compared to Grantz, the encampments in the Vanir Three Kingdoms were surrounded by a strange quietness.

This was probably due in no small part to the effects of the night attack. However, this did not mean that morale was low. It was probably due to the fact that the long-eared race were quiet by nature.

All over the encampment, there were people eating in silence, some training hard and others tending to their weapons in a casual manner.

However, for these people, who had been educated in this way from childhood, this was natural, and they could not understand why humans and beastmen consumed alcohol before war. Unlike the soldiers who were solemnly preparing for war, the commanders in the higher ranks of the Vanir Three Kingdoms―who had gathered in a room at Fort Rehirn―were fraught with anxiety.

This was because they had received information that the Six Kingdoms and the Grantz had signed a truce agreement.

“I didn’t expect a truce between Grantz and the Six Kingdoms, even though we’ve come this far.”

Originally, the plan had been for the Vanir Three Kingdoms to comfortably cut off the territory of Grantz while the Dix Kingdoms would pin down Grantz’s main army to the ground. The military discussions were more contentious than usual because of the disruption of that plan.

“We have also received word that the Sixth Princess, who had been out in the west, has joined up with the Grantz.”

“What… then, won’t they have more military strength than us?”

“No, it will probably be equal or even lower. It is indeed impossible for them to move more than 100,000 troops in such a short period.”

“The inability of the Six Kingdoms to hold their ground was nothing short of appalling, but it was still worth it to draw the Grantz to the west. Considering the fatigue of their soldiers and the time it took to prepare, they could not have brought all of them with them.”

“But the odds are against us, aren’t they? The night attack on our side resulted in an unexpectedly large number of wounded. Considering the number of reserves we have, I doubt we can march into the center of Grantz and still capture the Imperial Capital.”

“We won’t go to the Central. Once we have cut off the West, we will withdraw from Grantz.”

One of the commanders muttered to himself, then turned to Pope Vanir, who was also the commander-in-chief.

“Isn’t that right, Pope Vanir?”

“Yes, that’s all right, but for the time being, I’m reserving the decision to withdraw.”

The attention was focused on Pope Vanir―Stryer was deeply hooded to hide the burns, and only her mouth was visible. No one, however, questioned the fact that her face was not visible.

Only the “Fairy King” could see Pope Vanir’s figure, and the eyes of the lower classes were not allowed to tarnish the person loved by the “King.” Therefore, no one would object if she wore a deep hood or even hid her mouth if she wanted to.

In fact, if the area of skin exposed was increased, it would no longer be a matter of complaint. If they were to see the true face, the long-eared race would either have their eyes crushed out, or they would choose death themselves. The existence of Pope Vanir was that inviolable.

If they wanted to question the pope, they would have to obtain the approval of the cardinals. However, they were waiting for the good news of the collapse of the Grantz in their home country in the safe zone. In the first place, it was a miracle that Pope Vanir was even present on the battlefield. If they did something to provoke her wrath and went home, it would affect their morale. It was because of Pope Vanir that soldiers were honored to go to the battlefield and die without question.

Therefore, there was no one who had the “rank” to question the pope on this occasion.

“I just received a report that the “Spirit Wall” in the north has collapsed.”

The commanders were in an uproar when Stryer muttered that.

“What? Isn’t this place in danger as well?”

“This is no time to be attacking the Grantz. There is no sleep in a land overrun by barbarian tribes.”

Turning to the bubbling commanders, Stryer, who held out her hand to calm them down, spun a tale.

“The “barbarians”―a group of “monsters” led by the marked tribe―are said to have moved south and headed directly for the Central of the Grantz. It cannot be said that there is no danger of them coming here, but the likelihood is very low. If they do come across us, it will only be a stray ‘monster.'”

Stryer tried to dispel their fears, but this did not lighten the mood of the commanders. The fact that she could speak so eloquently in front of her followers left them dumbfounded and speechless. But if Stryer kept silent, it would be an obstacle to the future plan. She opened her mouth again with an air of annoyance.

“If the West is also in danger, it is only a land inhabited by infidels, and if we loot their property and return to our country, there will be no problem.”

While raising expectations, she soothed their fears and encouraged their greed. The words of the “Pope,” chosen by the “Fairy King,” were effective not only with believers but also with commanders. Even if it was a criminal act, if the pope said it, it was the same as an oracle.

“The central part of Grantz―the Great Imperial Capital―is impregnable. However, the opponent is a “monster” who has overcome the “Spirit Wall,” and no matter who wins, they will not go unscathed.”

First, she taught them the advantages of the situation and inspired their courage. Bind them with words so that they will not run away. Once they were on the battlefield, the rest was up to them. They couldn’t hesitate when they were on the brink of life or death.

“Whether the “monsters” or the “humans” win, it is certain that they will be exhausted. Then, if we can defeat the Grantz Army that stands in front of us now and kick out the victors of the battle for the Imperial Capital, it will be no problem to bring down the Imperial Capital, whose walls have become fragile. The situation is changing by the minute, and it is not too late to wait and see if we should retreat or not. Change your mindset, and instead of thinking for the worse, think for the better.”

The long-eared race, who were by nature quiet people, would listen to what was said if it was calmly explained to them. If she added some advantages, their greed would break through their uneasiness.

The humans and the long-eared race were no different in this respect. However, it was important to be careful how you treated them.

The long-eared race tends to have high self-esteem compared to other races. They considered themselves the oldest tribe and believed they were superior. Being compared to other races was a source of shame for them. Therefore, if they felt that they could not win a war, they simply chose to retreat and make excuses such as “I don’t want to lose valuable soldiers in a useless battle.” The public said that they are calm and collected, but when you opened the lid, it was easy to see that they were just stubborn. To get these long-eared races on the battlefield, you had to keep lifting them up.

As Stryer let out an unnoticeable sigh, one of the commanders began to speak triumphantly.

“Pope Vanir is right. Even if the Grantz collapsed, the group of “monsters” would be weakened. If we defeat them, we will win the admiration of many nations. Some of the Grantz may even ask us to convert them.”

Stryer nodded with a smile on her face as the commander showed a hint of excitement in his words.

“There is nothing to worry about. You have the blessing of the “Fairy King.” You will go forward without hesitation.”

Stryer stood up and spread her arms.

“This is all from the word of the “Fairy King”―the oracle.”

“Oh… let’s give it all up to the Fairy King.”

The commanders, who had been gazing dazzlingly at Stryer, bowed their heads in unison and began to pray solemnly. Stryer smiled with satisfaction at the sight of them. She had succeeded in igniting the hearts of the commanders. The morale of the soldiers was at a perfect level. All that remained was to destroy the Grantz forces and destroy the Imperial Capital.

“Then, as planned, may the blessings of the “Fairy King” be upon you all.”

“Yes, we will take care of the rest, and Pope Vanir, you may have a good night’s sleep.”

“Thank you very much.”

After saying this, Stryer left her seat and turned her back to them.

After sneaking through the door of the room, she headed for her room with her guards waiting in the corridor.

Naturally, no one spoke a word. It was partly because they were forbidden to speak but also because the soldiers respected the Pope. Even being there as an escort was extremely nerve-wracking for them, as they were afraid to speak to the pope. After being escorted by the soldiers to the room, Stryer entered the room without a word of thanks.

Then, there was a woman standing with her back against the wall.

She was neither a servant nor an escort on the lookout for assassins.

No one would let her into Pope Vanir’s room. It was not difficult to imagine that they knew each other from the fact that Stryer showed no signs of hostility. But she never showed any openings, never averted her gaze, and watched the intruder with vigilance.

“Verona…”

When Stryer called her name, the woman formed a slight smile.

The woman’s skin was as white as a long-eared race. But inside, she was a completely different person. But what she really was, was something else entirely, and her dainty appearance could be deceiving because she was a half-breed who was hated by the demon race and could not even become a long-eared race―a “fairy-ized” person. She was a demon that had been “elfinized,” but she was also one of the twelve demon lords that drove the central continent to the brink of despair a thousand years ago.

“I don’t remember calling for you… but did you come to take my life on the order of the Faceless King?

“No way, the king does not want a filthy vessel.”

Verona said provocatively, but Stryer’s eyes narrowed as if observing her.

But after a while, she relaxed her shoulders and sighed in dismay.

“I see. Are you always on a whim?”

After removing her hood, Stryer sat down in a chair, picked up a water bottle, and poured water into a silver cup.

Verona giggled and then answered Stryer’s words.

“I haven’t seen the Faceless King for a long time. He will never die, so I’m sure he’s doing well, but seeing as he hasn’t come looking for me, I think he may have abandoned me.”

Her words were sorrowful, but her voice was bubbly and joyful. Stryer snickered at her and gulped down her silver cup.

“How can he abandon the twelve demon lords who possess the Five Demon Emperor Swords? If he is that indifferent “king,” I can’t deny it, but he wouldn’t leave a man as powerful as you on the loose, would he?”

“You understand perfectly well that, unlike the other twelve demon lords, I do not listen to orders from the king, so maybe that’s why he lets me go free because he finds me endearing.”

“Are you saying that the other twelve demon lords are not endearing? They are all the children of the Faceless King, aren’t they?”

“They will never be loved. They were defeated by the God of War, deprived of their eyes, and even lost their power. The king does not love the weak. The king is too lazy to even throw away garbage, so he keeps them only by virtue.”

The point was not quite clear. And she also had no idea what Verona was doing here. If she was really just wasting her time, it really was a waste of time.

“I see―so you’re not leaving yet?”

Stryer, who had just dismissed the conversation as uninteresting, waved her hand as if to say, “Go home.”

“You are cold, aren’t you? I’m just bringing you information.”

“Information? It’s a little creepy that you are bringing me information.”

“Don’t be so tense; I don’t have any strange ideas.”

Verona’s mouth is tearing up in a funny way, and she spins out the requirements in a joyful voice.

“Do you know Meteor, the first guardian knight of the first princess shrine maiden Rei? I would like to get some information if you don’t mind.”

“I know about Meteor-sama, but…”

As the first guardian knight of the first princess shrine maiden Rey, it was so long ago that there are almost no references to her in literature.

Above all, Stryer, who had met her only once, could not forget her existence even if she wanted to. But that did not stop her from sharing her bitter memories with Verona.

“She was also one of the Five Black Heavenly Generals. Her term of service was short because it was at the end of the Great War, and she was killed soon after. So it’s not surprising that many people don’t know about her… Verona, if you want to know more about this person, you’ll have to go to the “Spirit King’s Temple” to find out more.”

“Oh… I remember now. Was she the one who provoked the wrath of the God of War?”

Meteor was the name of a general who was killed in a confrontation with the Faceless King at the end of the Great War.

At that time, the demon race, which had laid siege to the humans, began to invade Grantz from all sides.

At that time, the Krone family, which was one of the five great nobles, betrayed the humans, and the humans were put in a bad position. The “God of War” was able to suppress the invasion, but the Faceless King took advantage of his absence and led a large army into the territory of the “God of War.” The defenders at that time were the Five Black Heavenly Generals called Meteor―the battle was so fierce that the “God of War” hurried to turn back his army, but he could not reach her in time, and she was killed in battle with the Twelve Demon Lords Hydra. The story of her death was well known.

The story of what happened after that was well known.

The Twelve Demon Lords, who had been scorned by the “God of War,” fought hard but were all defeated, and when captured, they were tortured by having their “eyes” taken from them and their “magic stones” gouged out. As a result, the siege network collapsed, leading to the weakening of the demons.

“So, what is the matter with you that you suddenly brought up the subject of Meteor-sama?”

“Believe it or not, I saw her when I was conducting a night raid on Grantz. I don’t know if you knew about this or not, so I came to inform you.”

“…..Meteor-sama in Grantz?”

When Verona looked at her, whose expression was surprised, she lifted the edge of her mouth in a happy smile.

“As I thought, you can’t see. What happened to the clairvoyance you got from the Fairy King?”

“What are you…..”

By the time her eyes widened in surprise, it was already too late.

The look on Verona’s face was enough to convince her.

She should have realized this when she brought up the futility of the conversation and the past.

In the first place, Verona was the Twelve Demon Lords who had lived a thousand years ago, and she should have known more about Meteor than Stryer. For Verona, none of the conversations so far had been a waste of time. She had been checking to see if Stryer could use her clairvoyance ever since she had entered the room.

“So you really can’t see anymore?”

Verona asked again. Her face was so relaxed that it was almost hateful.

For a moment, Verona thought she was going to deceive her, but she had already gotten an answer.

The reason why she asked again was that she expected Stryer to deceive her. She wanted to ridicule Stryer’s denial. It was in bad taste, but she could not be fooled any longer. So Stryer cowered her shoulders and decided to answer honestly.

“…..Yes, it’s not like I’ve completely lost my “vision” yet, but.”

With a momentary look of disappointment on her face, Verona began to speak.

“As far as I have heard from the king, it was originally a forgery, and the real ‘eyes’ could not be passed on to the next generation after the death of the first princess shrine maiden, isn’t that right?”

With a breath of ecstasy, Verona recounted her old memories.

“Even if you tried to take it from the corpse, it seems to have been carefully protected by the “God of War.” Even the “Fairy King” couldn’t do anything about it because the “God of War” at that time was no match for even the king.”

Stryer did not know what happened to Verona in the past.

However, seeing her talk so passionately about the “God of War,” there must have been a close relationship between the two. However, she could not shake off a strange feeling of discomfort. The other twelve demon lords had hatred for the “God of War,” but Verona did not seem to have that kind of hatred.

“The “Fairy King” must have been very upset. He lost his own eyes, so he compensated by making a forgery, but recently the “real” one has appeared. Is it possible that their powers have interfered with each other, so you can no longer “see” anymore?”

Verona asked a question, to which Stryer replied silently. Verona’s smile deepened as if she took that as an answer.

“After all, it is only a forgery, and it will be crushed in the face of the real thing.”

Stryer gave her a sharp look and applauded as she finished.

“That’s right; you’ve done a great job….. If you’re satisfied with the answers you’ve gotten, can you leave now, Verona? I’m in a busy position.”

“Don’t be so rude to me. Do you have any idea how much I have helped you? Even with the reinforcements this time, it was I, of all people, who found you as a young child trapped in a desire for vengeance and helped you to reach the “Black Death Village” and the Vanir Three Kingdoms.”

Putting her hand on her chest, Verona said proudly. Stryer wrinkled her nose to show her annoyance at the condescension and drank the water from her silver cup in one gulp.

“I appreciate you are not bothering to explain everything, but I thought we had an agreement not to interfere too deeply with each other. You are going a little too deep.”

“I’m afraid I can’t say that about this one time, can I?”

“…..”

Stryer was silenced by the rebuttal without a moment’s pause.

Verona approaches her and puts her hand on her shoulder, and puts her face to her ear.

“I’ll give you Celia Estrella, and I’d like to have Meteor for me.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I want the anger… that he never directed at me before.”

Verona’s mouth hangs open with a grin, and she moves away from Stryer. She continued to look at Verona suspiciously as she moved away, and she looked back at her, huddled in the corner of the room.

“I want to be with the darkness.”

With these words, Verona disappeared into the darkness.

Silence fell over the room. The heavy atmosphere seems to have disappeared.

Sighing deeply as if to release the tension, Stryer leaned back in her chair and looked up at the ceiling.

“I….. Everything…”

Touching the burn on her face, she dropped a few words into the darkness.

――I want to be scorched by the sun.

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