Chapter 3: Returning to the Capital
At the capital, Seven Wall, the southern gate was unusually crowded.
“Kh... What is the meaning of this?” Diablo raised his voice in irritation.
“...The other gates must be overcrowded since the army is using the eastern gate.”
Many of the people lined up at the gate were traveling merchants. The ones leaving the capital were mostly entire families, fleeing west due to the coming conflict.
“...It does look like a war is going on,” Rem said as she looked on at the commotion. “People tend to stock up on oil and food supplies during wartime, so their prices spike. I assume some sharp-eared merchants are buying those things in bulk from remote regions, where word of the war hasn’t spread yet, and selling them for a profit here in the capital.”
“Hmph. Taking advantage of a war to trade...”
“I’m sorry...” Rilitana hung her head. “If I had gathered information correctly at the checkpoints, maybe I’d have heard that war had broken out...”
“...That’s not your fault,” Rem consoled her. “We’re the ones who needed to get past the checkpoints as fast as possible. You didn’t have time to gather information.”
She then turned to Diablo.
“...Diablo, maybe we should ask one of the merchants in line for information?”
Diablo almost nodded, but then shook his head.
“No, the High Priest should know more than any random merchant. Let’s hurry to the Grand Cathedral.”
“Understood.”
“Let’s go around the east gate and instead try the north one.” Rilitana pointed to a point across the wall. “There should be a gate to the twelfth district, where the Grand Cathedral is.”
“...I do hope we make it in time.”
It was nearly sunset, and the gates closed at nightfall. It would stay stubbornly shut no matter how many people came and demanded to be let through. Seven Wall was a massive city, larger than any city should be in such a medieval world. Even going halfway through it via carriage took a considerable amount of time. By the time they reached the twelfth district’s gate, it was already dark.
Much to their surprise, however, the gate was still open. There was a crowd of soldiers, and standing in the center was a girl clad in a red and white robe. The High Priest, Lumachina!
But what was the High Priest, who usually resided in the Inner Sanctum, doing here in front of a crowded gate?
Diablo looked over her three times, but it was definitely Lumachina, surrounded by believers. At both of her sides stood knights in blue armor — probably Paladins. Diablo couldn’t see their faces due to the wavering light of the torches.
“Lumachinaaaaaaaaaaa!” Shera waved her hand.
“Are you completely and utterly stupid, Shera?!” Rem hurriedly grabbed her by the ear and dragged her back.
“Ow, ouch! My ear! Not the ear!”
“...This is the main gate to the Grand Cathedral! If you call the High Priest by her name here, you’ll be arrested for irreverence!”
“Uuu...”
“...Besides, with things being this loud, she can’t hear you shouting at her from this far away.”
“Then let’s walk over to her.”
They didn’t have much of a choice. Diablo quickly adjusted his outfit. They might have to discard their carriage, but going forward without Rem, Shera, and Rilitana worried him. Rem looked down at her own appearance with an embarrassed face. Right now she looked like a Pantherian boy.
“...I’m not sure Lumachina will recognize us even if we do address her directly.”
“Ahaha, you’re right.” Shera, who stood next to her, looked like an Elf boy.
Diablo was in disguise too, of course. He was dressed like a somewhat thuggish lady.
Ugh... To think I have to see her again while looking like this.
“That’s what I’m here for,” Rilitana promised, “I’ll explain everything to her.”
Diablo decided to leave things to her, since she had many acquaintances in the upper echelons of the church.
†
Diablo and his group got off the carriage and approached the gate, weaving their way through the crowd. Apparently Lumachina was arguing with someone. The person opposing her was a man in fancy armor — apparently some sort of high-ranking military official.
“With all due respect, just what are you thinking, Your Eminence?! The gate should have been closed a long time ago already!”
“My apologies, but if only for just today...”
“I have a responsibility to keep the capital safe! You may be the highest official of the church, but I can’t allow you to do as you please!”
“But...”
“We have the Empire attacking us from the east, and that Demon revolting against us in the south! And to add to all that, there are rumors of a Demon Lord to the west! Even the capital cannot be considered safe at this point!”
A Demon revolting in the south? Does he mean me?!
Apparently the army had set out because some empire attacked Lyferia. Diablo thought back to Cross Reverie’s lore. An empire east of Lyferia’s...
The Gelmed Empire, right...?
It was mentioned in the game, but only a handful of times. That was mostly because the Gelmed Empire was actually the setting for another game made by the same developer as Cross Reverie — the simulated life game called Girls’ Arms.
And they’re the ones who’ve invaded Lyferia...?
The two games had a limited-time collaboration event, but nothing remotely like that happened in the game.
I did play Girls’ Arms for a while... But was there anything about them invading?
“...Aren’t those rumors about a Demon Lord to the west concerning? What if it’s Klem?”
“No way!” Shera exclaimed in a voice choked with tears.
Rilitana didn’t know about Klem and simply looked perplexed.
“It could be, but there’s no point worrying about that right now.”
They were close enough for their voices to reach Lumachina now. Still, yelling to greet the High Priest would be disrespectful. But since they hesitated, Lumachina’s guards noticed them first.
“You there! Who are you?!” A Human female guard. Her voice was somehow familiar, and indeed, she was someone they knew: Tria, the paladin. A nostalgic face, indeed; Rem had once received a key from Gewalt when he defected from the church, allowing her to free Tria from her prison in the confessional room. At the time, she was so weakened she couldn’t even stand on her own, but apparently she’d recovered since. She was once again standing as a dignified paladin.
“...It’s good to see she’s all better now.” Rem smiled with relief.
“Yep, yep! It’s great!” Shera grinned, too.
“Mmm? Who might you be...?”
Rem and Shera were disguised, after all, and the torch light was far back. Tria didn’t notice who they were in the darkness. Of course, Diablo was disguised, too.
I feel like using the paladin captain’s mark now would just complicate things.
Rilitana stepped forward. Diablo concluded that letting her handle things would make everything quicker.
“It’s been a long while, Miss Tria.”
“Oh... You’re Lady Rilitana! What brings you here?”
“I believe it was to lead the people Her Eminence was waiting for, and for whom she kept the gate open.”
Tria raised her brows in surprise.
“I, uhm, pardon me. We kept the gate open at the High Priest’s order, but we weren’t told why she wanted to keep it open...”
“My... Is that right?”
“To be more exact, the High Priest told us ‘we mustn’t close the gate,’ though she could not say why.”
So it was just intuition?
“...That does sound like Lumachina.” Rem shrugged.
“Ahaha... Yeah, she can be like that,” Shera said.
“Her Eminence would indeed do that. I’m sure God has guided her. I’m sure He’s told her of our coming arrival.”
“Understood!” Tria directed a single suspicious glance in Diablo’s direction and returned to Lumachina’s side. His disguise was too good, it seemed. No one realized who he was.
Lumachina was told of their arrival, and turned to look in their direction. Her gaze met with his. He was cross-dressing, and really well at that, so he felt pretty embarrassed.
How am I supposed to greet her like this, anyway...?
He had come to the High Priest for help, so would he be able to keep a low profile? Common sense stated he should, but between being a Demon Lord and the incarnation of God, Diablo had all sorts of airs to put on. Lowering his head would get in the way of his role playing!
Still, he couldn’t talk down to the High Priest when they were surrounded by believers. Lumachina had her own to dignity to keep, after all. And stating he was a Demon Lord when he was surrounded by soldiers would be... well, suicide!
Alright! Diablo steeled himself. I’ll leave everything to Rem and hang back quietly!
Diablo prided himself on this decision. Compared to back when he would have just declared himself a Demon Lord anyway and gotten them all into trouble, this was a feat of impressive character growth! No, this was even a show of social awareness! Did he just conquer his communication issues?!
But his master plan of having Rem smooth things over with Lumachina crumbled in an instant. Surprisingly, Lumachina pushed past the important-looking military official, turned to quiet her guards, and ran over to them with a desperate expression.
“Lumachina?!” Rem exclaimed in shock.
“Whaaa?!” Shera’s eyes widened in surprise, too.
Rilitana stepped back and lowered her head reverently. Lumachina ignored everyone and approached Diablo, jumping at him and catching him in an embrace.
“Lord Diablo!”
“Wha?!” Diablo exclaimed in surprise. He didn’t expect her to just cling to him like that... Plus, she was soft. A peculiar aroma wafted from her, mixed in with the slight scent of sweat. Lumachina’s body shivered slightly as she clung to him.
Everyone around them was dumbstruck. The High Priest had suddenly leapt onto and hugged someone. They were so stunned by what had happened that one might have suspected they’d been struck with a petrification spell.
Tria was the first to come to.
“The High Priest will now return to the Inner Sanctum!”
She was young, but also capable of making judgments on her own and acting on them. An unusual trait for a member of an organization.
Diablo picked up Lumachina, who still clung to him.
“It doesn’t look like you’re just happy to see me again...”
“I-I’m sorry... I lost my composure...”
“Stay as you are.”
Picking up on Diablo’s intent, Rem raised her voice.
“The High Priest is not feeling well! Please, clear the way!”
People had a tendency of seeing what they want to see. And so, when they were told that Lumachina had collapsed, it made more sense to them than her suddenly hugging someone.
The man who had argued with Lumachina earlier turned a suspicious look in their direction. Upon getting a look at the man’s face, Diablo very nearly let out an ‘ugh’ despite himself.
He had met and argued with this man during his audience with the king of Lyferia. If he recalled, he was a Major in the military. Of all the military officials it could be, it was the one who had interacted with Diablo the longest.
Dammit! If he exposes me, this is gonna become that much more annoying!
And that wasn’t even the worst part. If he found out Diablo was crossdressing, his Demon Lord-ly dignity would be ruined!
Diablo himself had completely forgotten his name, but it was Harold William. He was a thirty-year-old Major and a Human of a famous noble house. All things considered, he was a fairly accomplished man.
Except his talents were suited less for combat and more for behind-the-scenes work. His role in this campaign was defending the city and managing the supply line, so he was left behind in the capital.
Harold gave Diablo a long look, and then parted his lips to say...
“...Gorgeous.”
“Huh?” Diablo replied with his natural voice.
It didn’t reach Harold’s ears, though.
“Perfectly molded features, fair, white skin, a robust figure. Never have I laid eyes on such a lovely woman!”
“Hey, uhh, you’re...”
Incidentally, Diablo owed his ‘fair, white skin’ at this time to the vast amounts of powder applied to his face to hide his Demon tattoos.
“Please, marry me! Aaah, no, at least tell me your name!”
What in the absolute hell is this guy saying?!
As the Major stepped closer, Shera stepped in between them.
“Sowwy, sowwy! We’re carrying Lady Lumachina away right now! No getting in the way, bub!”
“Ugh... Right you are. I cannot believe myself...” Harold said.
He was a man of nobility, after all. He was thoroughly educated to prioritize caring for a woman that felt unwell.
“Your Eminence, do take care of yourself.” He stepped aside.
And while directing a rather fiery gaze at Diablo, he gave an exemplary salute, as one might expect of an officer.
As they walked away...
“...That one will come to the church looking for you,” Rem said coldly. “I would gamble my bottom frith on it.”
“Good grief...” Diablo winced. “This is an entirely different kind of annoying situation...”
†
Diablo, Rem, and Shera placed Lumachina in the large carriage that was prepared for her and climbed in. Rilitana and the Paladin Tria hurried after them and got on, as well.
“My apologies.” Lumachina bowed her head deeply.
The carriage took off, shaking and jolting lightly as it did.
“Give me a second,” Diablo said, removing his wig and dress.
He re-equipped his usual cloak, the ?Sojourn of Darkness?, and tried to wipe the white powder off of his face with his hand, though some of it still lingered.
Don’t joke around with me, I just got proposed to by a freaking guy!
Rem and Shera stayed in their male outfits. Diablo placed his disguise in his pouch, but the girls’ clothes stayed behind in their carriage. They’d have to go back to collect them later. Assuming it wasn’t taken away by someone, given that they’d left it outside the gate...
Having mostly gone back to his usual attire, Diablo crossed his arms and leaned his body against the back of his seat before finally regarding Lumachina’s words.
“Hmph... Carrying you is child’s play. Forget that, however. What happened?”
She wasn’t just overjoyed at their reunion. She had acted far too emotional for that.
“Yes... I don’t know what I should do...” Lumachina said with a shaking voice. “I prayed and prayed for someone to come and save me...”
Rem and Shera listened to her with severe expressions.
“So I prayed to be saved...” Lumachina continued, “And then the Lord extended his words upon me, and said a hand of salvation would be extended to me from the direction of the north gate...”
Had anyone else said they’d ‘heard God’s words’, no one would believe them. But in this girl’s case, it seemed to be true. And indeed, Diablo did arrive through the northern gate.
Though it’s actually us who came to her for help here...
“What happened? Could you start by explaining that?”
It would be much easier if it was just a quest with some clear objective like slaying a large monster or finding a rare item.
“I-I’ve seen a most horrifying dream.” Lumachina hung her head.
“Oh?”
“A dream of this capital being enveloped in flames...”
“I see.”
So she dreamt of the Gelmed Empire from the east attacking the capital...?
“...If that was a prophetic dream, then it’s a terrible thing to see.” Rem furrowed her brows. “But I don’t think this is a situation Diablo can resolve on his own, though...?”
“Yes.” Lumachina understood that much.
The Kingdom of Lyferia had sent out an army of over 100,000 men, along with the Palace Knights. And if the capital would still be set aflame, then that means...
A losing war? Okay, yeah, I don’t want any part in that!
He wasn’t in service to the Kingdom of Lyferia to begin with, and if he was associated with any place, it was Greenwood, since he was their king. He wanted to gather his comrades and leave as soon as possible, taking Lumachina along if it was necessary. Could that really be called ‘a hand of salvation’?
“I prioritize Her Eminence’s wellbeing over the safety of the capital,” Tria the paladin said. “If it is necessary, I am prepared to flee the city with her.”
It seemed she felt the same way as Diablo. Lumachina’s facial expression, however, didn’t seem very comfortable with this idea.
“We must see to it that it will not be necessary.”
“Of course, we all pray for the kingdom’s army to emerge victorious. But in case they don’t, the paladins have their duty to consider.”
Now that’s a real paladin.
All the other paladins he’d run into were corrupt villains, so Tria came across as all the more noble. Diablo almost wanted to applaud her.
“You still push yourself so hard, Lady Lumachina,” Rilitana said.
“That’s not true... This is hardly enough.”
“I think you’re fulfilling your role as High Priest perfectly well. The only things Priests like us can do is offer up prayers to God... Can you not let these people take care of the rest?”
She was like a mother chiding her daughter.
“Yes... You’re right.” Lumachina nodded.
†
The Inner Sanctum came into sight. On the ground level it was just a small chapel, but the actual Inner Sanctum was a structure floating in the sky above it. It was said God created it in the age of myths, meaning it had a history that predated the Kingdom of Lyferia.
Put another way, the Inner Sanctum wasn’t built in the capital, but rather the capital was built around the Inner Sanctum.
And Diablo had once fired several flashy attacks spells at a place with such worldwide significance, even if it was only for the sake of playing the part of Demon Lord. With that considered, visiting it again like this was actually kind of awkward...
Lumachina seemed to have calmed down a bit. Her expression was much softer than it was when they’d initially reunited.
“...Lumachina, I hate to ask this as soon as we’ve arrived, but could you do us a favor?” Rem said, going straight to the heart of the matter.
“Yes?”
“..Sylvie and Horn are here in the capital.”
“Yes, they are.”
Lumachina was familiar with both of them, especially with Horn. The two had adventured together once, and it was with Lumachina’s recommendation that Horn was admitted to the Sorcerer’s Academy. She was now technically Horn’s guardian.
“...Actually, we’ve broken away from the Kingdom of Lyferia. If possible, we would like to secure Horn and Sylvie’s safety.”
“So it is true... I’ve heard the rumors.”
“...This may end up compromising your position,” Rem said apologetically.
“That’s nonsense. You’ve all opposed the entirety of the church to help me once before, haven’t you?”
“...That’s true,but...”
“Right now, I’m not just a nominal decoration for the church. I am the High Priest. Even if His Majesty were to directly order it, I would never hand you over as criminals.”
“...Thank you.”
“I do think you’ll be relieved quite soon, Miss Rem.” Lumachina gave a small smile.
“Huh?”
Their carriage reached the area directly below the Inner Sanctum. This was a sector no one but those chosen by the church could enter. Diablo and his group followed Lumachina to the levitating platform and entered the floating Inner Sanctum.
†
“Boss?!”
Two people they didn’t expect to see were waiting for them in a large guest room; both of them Grasswalkers — Horn and Sylvie.
“How’s it hangin’, Diablo? ?” Sylvie asked, her rabbit ears moving to and fro. “Rem and Shera too, it’s such a relief to see you all made it to the capital.”
Grasswalkers were a race that retained a childlike appearance no matter how many years passed. However, Horn really was thirteen, while Sylvie’s age was... well... unknown.
Diablo did know she’d participated in the Great War 30 years ago, and was already a veteran adventurer at that time. She’d even hinted she was looking to retire as the guildmaster of the adventurer’s guild, so maybe she was that old.
Sylvie aside, Horn seemed quite taken aback by Rem and Shera’s crossdressing.
“Horn?! Sylvie?!” Rem’s eyes widened. “Why are you here...?!”
“She brought them here.” Lumachina gestured further into the room.
They looked that way, and their gaze fell on a red-headed girl sitting on one of the sofas. She rose to her feet briskly, an all-too-perfect smile on her lips, as usual. A flawless, borderline-artificial smile.
“Alicia?!” Shera exclaimed.
“Yes, it’s been quite some time, Miss Shera. Miss Rem as well, and of course — Sir Diablo.”
“...I didn’t think we’d find you here.” Rem rushed to her side.
“I would have liked to let you know, but after your battle in Caliture, I lost track of your whereabouts.”
Alicia wasn’t just an Imperial Knight, she was also a noble family’s daughter, and had her own independent intelligence network.
“Siding with Kobolds does feel like something you might do, Sir Diablo.”
“They were really nice!” Shera chimed in.
And indeed, they weren’t bad folk.
There was a knock on the guest room door. The paladin Tria strode over and opened the door. A pleasant scent wafted into the room.
“Lady Lumachina and her guests, please make yourselves at home... We’ve prepared supper. I’m sure you have plenty to discuss, so please, help yourselves.”
They gratefully accepted the offer. Many dishes were placed all over the table on top of wooden plates. After all the funds the former Cardinal Authority embezzled, the church had collapsed economically. They elected to sell its silverware, and other such expensive furnishings, to help ease their financial trouble.
Now even the High Priest was eating off of wooden plates, just like the commoners. They were served thin soup with some beans, steamed chicken with fruit sauce, grilled whitefish with mustard, black bread, mushrooms cooked in garlic oil... and the like.
It was a frugal meal, but there was plenty of effort and skill put into making it palatable. The flavor was richer than Diablo expected — apparently the salt was doing its job well. Diablo and his group had lived off of preserved food for the duration of their long journey, so they found the meal to be quite delectable.
Rem placed plenty of sauce on her steamed chicken and brought it to her mouth.
“...Alicia, you brought Sylvie and Horn here?” she asked after savoring the flavor for a long moment.
“It may have been impertinent of me, I admit.”
“It was prettttyyy dangerous,” Sylvie said without a trace of tension in her voice.
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