“Aaahh! Yes, indeed! These are all captured demons, now newly reborn! We have cut open their skulls, made adjustments to render them incapable of defying humanity, ingrained the teachings of the Gods into their bodies through prayer, and granted them new life as loyal soldiers of the Goddddssssss!”
His tongue was having trouble keeping up with his overenthusiastic explanation.
So they’d mutilated the demons’ brains, robbed them of independent thought, and oversaturated them with mana. I understood the underlying principles; I’d even heard rumors that the Church had divisions specializing in this sort of research. But I had no idea they’d taken it this far...
“I certainly can’t say it’s in good taste,” I said.
“Do you defy the will of the Gods?” he responded sharply.
Would you shut up already?
“I have no intention of meddling in your work, Your Excellency. It’s not my place to do so. However, it seems a touch self-centered to deny the mercenaries aid on account of this project, don’t you think? Even as we speak, the Demon Lord’s former armies continue their invasion, and the mercenaries are out there fighting back despite their small numbers.”
Last night, I’d hardly gotten any sleep in between tending to their injuries. I’d yelled at them over and over to shut up if they didn’t want to die, and they’d still kept up their inane chatter the entire time.
“I believe that as servants of the Gods, we have a duty to extend our support to those who risk their lives in battle,” I continued, glaring at the archbishop.
He was red-faced with anger, looking like he might start screaming at any moment. It wasn’t my place to speak...but I couldn’t stay silent either.
“If you wish to drive back the enemies of the Gods, then join forces with the mercenaries. While you await the completion of your divine soldiers, the casualties grow higher and higher. You have heard their voices, crying out for salvation from the Gods. Please, Your Excellency... I beg of you, lend us your aid.”
And I bowed my head.
I threw aside all my pride, all my reservations—all for the sake of those mercenaries.
But...
“This is what’s wrong with whores like you,” the archbishop spat. “You think that all you have to do is bow and beg, and people will give you everything you want. What an utterly repulsive creature.” He gripped my jaw in his hand and looked me in the eyes. “This is the will of the Gods. Is that clear? I shall complete these soldiers and wipe humanity’s foes from the face of the earth. That is the sacred mission the Gods have entrusted to me! Do not presume to know better, you stupid girl!”
“B-But right now, people are—”
“How dare you talk back to me, you little slut!”
He’s going to hit me.
I anticipated it and braced myself for the pain, but—
“Please stop. She’s done nothing wrong.”
—the blow didn’t come. Looking up, I saw Cion gripping the archbishop’s raised arm, holding it in place.
“Sir Hero,” he said simperingly. “This is an internal Church matter. I’d ask that you not interfere, please.”
“But she’s my companion. I have a duty to protect her,” Cion said. “Let’s not resort to violence...Your Excellency.”
The air prickled with a faint hint of impending death, and for a brief moment, silence spread across the room.
“Hmph,” the archbishop finally said. Even he wasn’t about to go against the Hero who’d killed the Demon Lord. He roughly shoved me away and glared down at me imperiously. “Are you enjoying neglecting your purpose and relaxing while others do all the work, bride? Next time, remember your place before you speak! Think carefully about exactly where you stand!”
Faced with his words, I belatedly realized just how precarious my position truly was. My direct superior was missing; I was here on the saint’s orders, but none of that was public knowledge. Officially, my job was still to guard the Hero. “Bride of the Gods” was a pretty-sounding title, but from the perspective of an archbishop—second in rank to a cardinal—I must’ve looked like nothing but a little girl who’d happened to catch Salamanrius’s bespectacled eye.
“Are you okay, Alicia?”
“Yes, I... Thank you...”
I took Cion’s hand, and she helped me up. The archbishop was still glaring at me.
“My apologies, Your Excellency. I was conceited, and I spoke out of turn.”
“Hmph. So long as you understand. You seem to be a girl of good character; if I were to become one of the Seven High Cardinals, I would be willing to retain you at my side. Remember—a bride is to be respectful and obedient.”
“Indeed...”
I answered as briefly as I could. Cion looked like she wanted to say something, but I shot her a look to warn her against it. Getting into a fight here wouldn’t improve our situation at all. If we killed this guy and let his second-in-command take over, we’d just end up with more chaos. The Holy Saint might have been able to take the place over herself, but I definitely wouldn’t be able to pull that off.
Using the Hero Elcyon’s name as leverage to push things through was still an option in theory, but...
“Cion. I’m going to protect your nobility.”
She looked back at me in confusion. I didn’t want to let this girl step any further into our world if I could avoid it.
I turned back to the archbishop. “While I remain aware of my place, there is something I wish to inquire of you. May I, Your Excellency?”
“Very well... Speak.”
I was used to dealing with pompous assholes who clung to their authority—the most important thing was to flatter them with style and protocol. I kept a lid on the rush of anger swelling up inside me and continued speaking with a practiced facade of calm.
“When do you expect that your divine soldiers will be complete, Your Excellency? There appears to still be a great deal of activity down here.”
“It will take a few days—a few weeks for them to be fully perfected.”
He delivered his estimate entirely matter-of-factly, but that was longer than we had left.
“If I may, Your Excellency—the demon forces’ objective is to recover prisoners of war. They were unable to find them at the cathedral in Arshelm, and so the invasion has progressed farther inward. This is merely speculation on my part, but...are the demon prisoners of war who were transferred from Arshelm being held here in this temple, by any chance?”
I’d even been wondering whether the demons being used as test subjects around us might be the prisoners in question. The archbishop remained completely unconcerned, though.