142. Invitation and Demonkind [6]
Many senior Holy Knights had already gathered on the first floor of Ringard Palace.
「Allen!」Ria immediately ran up to me when she noticed me coming down the stairs.
「Ria, I’m glad you’re safe!」
「Yeah, I am also glad that Allen is sa–」she started saying with a smile on her face, but paused all of a sudden.
「…Excuse me for a bit.」she said, slowly approaching me, and she started to sniff me.
「W-What’s wrong?」
「Nee, Allen. I can smell Tenshi-sama’s scent from your body… What’s going on?」
「….!?」
When Tenshi-sama straddled on top me, her scent had rubbed onto me, apparently.
「W-Well, about that, you see…」
「What is it?」Ria tilted her head, with a very gentle smile.
Her expression was very gentle, but her eyes were dead serious.
(…What do I do!?)
If I were to answer honestly, I would have to say『I was attacked by Tenshi-sama』but…
I can’t say that in public, where anyone could be listening.
And above all, I’m sure that it will put Ria in a bad mood.
「…Tenshi-sama was wearing perfume, I think that scent just stuck to me.」
I tried to deflect with an extremely lame excuse.
「………Hmm, is that so?」she asked, looking me in the eyes.
She didn’t seem to be convinced at all, obviously.
As we both were talking about that, the senior Holy Knights knelt in front of Tenshi-sama.
「「「Tenshi-sama, we are most glad to see you safe!」」」
「Thank you very much. I am also glad that everyone is safe. Rodis, what’s the situation?」
After Tenshi-sama gently addressed everyone, she immediately glanced over to her trusted retainer, the president’s father, Rodis Arcstria.
「Yes! There were three bombs planted on the first floor of the palace that seems to have detonated. The fire has already been extinguished. Five people were injured in the explosion, but they have all been treated using recovery type soul dress. And, please take a look over there.」
After briefly reporting the current situation, Rodis-san pointed to a huge LCD panel on the wall. It displayed the flag of the Holy Ronelia Empire and a timer with 58 seconds remaining.
「That is a video message from the Holy Ronelia Empire. Right now, only the timer is displayed, but at the beginning, a mechanical audio was transmitted.」
「What was the content?」
「There were three main contents. First, this is a direct message from the Emperor of the Holy Ronelia Empire. Second, they have gifted a『boring present』. Third, they said that this transmission should be delivered to Tenshi-sama within five minutes. The『boring present』most likely refers to the previous explosions.」
Rodis-san, who finished reporting everything,
「Tenshi-sama, how should we proceed?」
He sought Tenshi-sama’s instructions.
「Let’s see… For now, let’s listen to the message and then decide what kind of action to take.」
「Understood.」
Then, everyone followed as Tenshi-sama said and quietly waited for the message to be played.
After that, at the exact moment when the timer reaches zero, a mechanical audio plays on the LCD.
「Five minutes have passed. Have the leaders of the Five Great Powers gathered? Let’s see then… I named myself at the beginning, but I shall name myself again. I am Emperor Barrel Ronelia of the Holy Ronelia Empire.」
Emperor Barrel Ronelia of the Holy Ronelia Empire.
He really hates to be in the eyes of the public and has never exposed himself to the public.
In addition, he is thoroughly secretive, and even hides his own voice, as it is now.
Rumor has it that he has never even appeared in front of his own citizens.
(Even so…the『Leaders of the Five Great Powers』, huh…)
Apparently, this message is sent not only to Ringard Imperial Kingdom, but also to the rest of the Five Great Powers.
「There are a lot of things I wish to say, but… I am sure we are all busy. So, let’s get straight down to business.」
Then, Barrel cleared his throat, and after a brief pause, stated his “business”.
「Our Holy Ronelia Empire has decided to conclude a friendship treaty with five『Demons』.」
「「「Wha…!?」」」
Ria, Tenshi-sama, the president, Rodis-san, and almost everyone in the palace turned white as a sheet.
「…Demons?」I murmured, not knowing what it meant.
「Demons are the superior race of『monsters』. They have highly developed intelligence and fearsome fighting power, and are also the enemies of humanity. Questions such as where they come from, why they are hostile towards humanity, are all shrouded in mystery. In all of history, only three demons were confirmed. The Seven Holy Swords of that era made a great sacrifice to subjugate them.」Ria quickly explained from the side.
(I see…)
A fearsomely strong race called the Demons, have joined forces with the Holy Ronelia Empire, a superpower country. Certainly, this is indeed information which instills hopelessness.
…It’s no wonder that Tenshi-sama’s expression is clouded.
「Kukuku… Well, the『Friendship Treaty』is not that big of a deal. After all, our cooperative relationship is as thin as ice. The only reason it exists is because our interests coincided. Well then, I think it’s about scheduled time, but… What do you think?」
The moment Barrel said that, the upper floors of Ringard Palace were literally blown away.
「「「KYAAAAAAAAAA!」」」
High pitched screams of the guests echoed, as Ringard Palace was consumed by panic.
(Damnit, what’s going on!?)
Piles of rubble raining down.
A sudden violent gust of wind.
Whirled up clouds of dust.
I immediately unsheathed my sword and cut down the rubble that was falling.
Ria, the president, and the senior Holy Knights were also quickly cutting down the falling objects with their swords.
「Ria, stay close to me!」
「Yeah, I know.」
A little while later, when the dust cleared, I saw a man, with wings on his back, floating in the air.
「Hou. So, there are individuals with decent spiritual power, for human beings who are an『inferior race』!」
The man bluntly asserted that humans were an inferior race, as if he were praising a child.
I sensed absolute confidence and mysterious power from his eyes.
(…There is no doubt.)
It’s one of the『Demons』that the Holy Ronelia Empire signed a friendship treaty with.
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