It was around the time that a definitive cure for the plague spreading through the provincial capital of Amrita had finally been found that the report reached Imreis—the Inquisitor of Heresy and the person in charge of Renea's reconstruction.
If they could just finish rebuilding this city—the most populous and most severely damaged in the southern provinces—the remaining work would become somewhat more manageable.
It was an urgent report that arrived just as she had been catching her breath in that relief.
It concerned a matter that had long been feared: namely, a second invasion by the evil army.
Describing it as "being caught off guard" might sound more palatable, but in truth it was nothing more than a simple oversight.
Everyone was so overwhelmed with the work right in front of them that they assumed someone else must be keeping watch—a lapse born of that assumption.
Then again, expecting the clergy of Quolia—who had lived through such prolonged eras of peace—to know how to act in a crisis like this was perhaps asking too much.
Everyone had believed there would be no second invasion from Mynoghra.
At the very least, they thought... they would have some breathing room.
Now that debt was crashing down upon them with full force.
"Is the report accurate?"
"Yes. Throughout the entire south, including Seldoche, all contact with cities and settlements has been cut off."
It took Kree several seconds to grasp the implications of the soldier's report, delivered with a stiff expression on his face.
Delays in communication with cities were nothing unusual.
Messengers and scouts sent to investigate could be held up by unavoidable circumstances, negligence might rear its head, or incompetence might come to light—unpleasant as it was to admit, a variety of factors could cause things to deviate from the plan. That was simply the way of the world, and the way of Quolia.
But for all contact to be cut off simultaneously was unthinkable under normal circumstances—and concentrated in the southernmost regions of the southern provinces at that...
"That's... not good. Have any reports or rumors come in about unusual events in those cities?"
"No. There are no reports of fires breaking out, nor of people's lives being threatened. It seems the cities and villages are actively avoiding contact with us. Messengers are being turned away before they can even learn what's going on..."
It was a bizarre report.
No matter how thoroughly Amrita's civic functions had been paralyzed, and no matter how little control remained over the southern provinces, it wasn't as though the people living there would all rise up in rebellion at once.
The Curse of Oblivion cast by the King of Ruin had been limited to this city alone—other cities should not have been affected.
That was a fact established by the initial investigation, and precisely because of it, Kree had deliberately avoided scattering her forces, focusing instead on Amrita's recovery.
She had believed that the faithful of God stationed locally would each fulfill their duties and triumph over the plague...
"All communications to each region are being sent under the name of the Saint of the Diary, yes? Abandoning contact without reason constitutes betrayal of the Saint—and by extension, betrayal of God."
"Yes, of course that is correct, Inquisitor! However... well, I wouldn't know..."
"Ah, forgive me. I didn't mean to accuse you. This is merely... a confirmation. I'm a bit shaken myself."
She offered her apology to the visibly cowering soldier, then stopped the hand that had been moving her pen.
She tried to take a deep breath, but it wouldn't come—only shallow sighs escaped her.
She tried to assess the situation calmly and form hypotheses, but the chaos easily exceeded what she could contain.
Kree's beautiful, slender, pale fingers were trembling quietly.
(Word has it that the El-Na Spirit Covenant Union has also been losing contact with its constituent clans. This is not good. The situation is far too similar.)
The El-Na Spirit Covenant Union—a benevolent nation governed by elves—falling into demonic hands was now an openly known crisis that had gripped the world.
Currently, the Saint of the Vessel was working to address the crisis, but this event—so unprecedented that not a single comparable case could be found even in the annals of Quolia's history—showed no signs of resolution, even with God's miracles.
Quolia's strength had already been significantly sapped by the defection of two Saints in the southern provinces.
Driving out evil in God's name was indeed the sacred duty laid upon Quolia, but it was equally true that sheer willpower alone could not solve everything...
Some means was needed—some powerful measure strong enough to turn the tide...
"Summon the principal Holy Knights. I wish to discuss our course of action going forward."
Always preparing for the worst was a capacity demanded of those who held rank, bore responsibility, and carried the lives of others in their hands. Kree thought of the people living in those lands where all contact had been lost.
Ah, but... was there any worst-case scenario more terrible than what she could bear to imagine?
That holy nation, blessed by the Sacred God, radiant with divine light—yet the shadow falling over it was far too dark and far too vast.
"We will abandon this land and return to the capital."
Upon hearing Kree's declaration, the Holy Knights' faces displayed nothing but irrepressible bewilderment and confusion.
Aside from those who could not leave their posts or were engaged in critical work, every Holy Knight of the investigation party that had accompanied Kree was gathered there.
The number who had answered the summons could be counted on two hands, but as conference participants, it was still a respectable gathering.
Every single one of them needed a moment of blank silence before their thoughts could catch up with Kree's words.
What flashed through their minds were the agonized faces of those still stricken by illness, and the anxious expressions of the lost lambs who had forgotten their faith.
Here they were, at the stage where Amrita's reconstruction had finally settled down and the next steps were becoming visible, and now they were being told to withdraw.
The fact that none of them flew into a rage or threw dignity aside to press her with accusations spoke volumes about the high ethical standards and composure they possessed as Holy Knights.
"Inquisitor Imreis. What exactly is the intention behind this...? First, I would like a detailed explanation."
"Yes. The reason for this decision is clear. I received a report just hours ago that a similar phenomenon has been observed in the El-Na Spirit Covenant Union as well. We must assume that Seldoche and the surrounding villages have fallen into demonic hands, and restructure our plans accordingly. Our objective was investigation from the start. We had been making exceptions to provide reconstruction assistance, but going beyond this is now too heavy a burden—both in terms of duty and practical capacity."
"With all due respect, Holy Knights are here. We shall not bow to the dominion of darkness; through tireless effort, we will carry out the divine will."
A young Holy Knight spoke up, his voice firm with conviction. His fighting spirit was heartening.
The righteous heart within him and the compassion he extended toward others were exactly what a Holy Knight should aspire to.
But the fact that no one rallied to his side was itself a testament to the gravity of the situation.
Those with experience understood without needing to say it aloud: it was Kree's reasoning that held overwhelming weight.
And so they could do nothing but grit their teeth at their own powerlessness.
"That line of thinking is misguided. Yes, Holy Knights are formidable. But do you have any idea how many Holy Knights have died in this very city? The enemy is far too powerful. Regrettably, we must acknowledge the fact that our combat strength is insufficient. Confusing valor with recklessness will invite catastrophic consequences."
The Holy Knight who had been first to object now shrank back, suddenly ashamed of his own rashness.
But Kree, for her part, had no right to lecture him from on high.
After all, the person with the greatest responsibility here was the Saint of the Diary, and since she was too young to command, it had fallen to Kree—the one who held the special and exalted position of Inquisitor of Heresy—to serve as the unit's overall commander.
In other words, it was she—Kree—who should have been the first to notice this problem.
Had she realized the situation earlier, perhaps aid could have been summoned from Quolia and countermeasures put in place.
(We need to deploy the remaining Holy Knights, and have the Saint of the Vessel take the field as well. But... is that even possible? The forces of good are far too powerless... if this continues...)
Had the forces remaining in the capital and Quolia's three other provinces been mobilized, perhaps this situation could have been avoided.
Better yet, if the Saint of the Vessel had taken the field, the people could have been saved long ago.
But there were reasons why that could not be done.
At present, Quolia's homeland was fully occupied dealing with yet another demonic force that had taken control of the El-Na Spirit Covenant Union. In peacetime it might have been possible, but under these circumstances, expecting the level of reinforcement Kree wished for was difficult.
Of course, she had not simply been sitting idle.
She had invested her own private funds to hire mercenaries and laborers from the civilian sector to carry out various tasks.
But it was a drop in the bucket.
Just when the water she had painstakingly trickled onto the scorching stone seemed to finally be having an effect—this stroke of misfortune.
The trial God had bestowed was heavier and more grueling than even Kree had imagined.
(O God, please... show us the way.)
Even as Kree sat in silent contemplation, time slipped away uselessly.
The young Holy Knight who had initially spoken with such confidence now sat in silence, all the fire he had possessed just minutes ago having evaporated as though it had never existed.
His pallid expression made his inner turmoil easy to read.
He was not alone. Everyone present was being forced to confront the severity of the situation whether they wished to or not.
That if things continued as they were, another tragedy would unfold in this land.
"Of course. We will evacuate the residents to the fullest extent possible. At the same time, let us send an emergency appeal for aid to the capital. However, the number of people in need is simply too great. It is... more than we alone could ever hope to reach..."
She did not spell it out, but everyone understood the intent behind Kree's words with perfect clarity.
In other words, she was saying this:
That those who could not be saved would be abandoned...
An almost unbearably painful silence seized the conference room, dominated by words no one could bring themselves to accept.
Eventually, a single voice rose from among the assembled Holy Knights.
Its source was the most senior and experienced member of the order present.
"What you say is quite right, Inquisitor. That we, through our own shortcomings, have placed an undue burden upon the people—this is truly a mark of our inadequacy. We are ashamed, and have no excuse. Therefore, we must remain in this place."
She had anticipated that they would reach this decision. But it was the one prediction she had least wanted to come true.
Kree clenched her eyes shut, as though trying to crush the conflict raging within her.
"That is correct, Inquisitor. Even if we cannot prevail against the forces of darkness, so long as there are people here to protect, there is no path of retreat left to us. The resolve to give our lives for that purpose—we settled that when we received the Holy Knight's baptism."
Others began to echo his sentiment.
Once things reached this point, no amount of words would make persuasion easy.
And yet, Kree refused to give up.
"You Holy Knights are the pillars of the nation, the swords turned against darkness. You are not people who can be lost here. In the final battle against the evil that will surely come, you will be needed."
She knew this full well. The Holy Knights knew it too—they had all known it from the very beginning.
And yet they had chosen not to withdraw. Shaking such ironclad resolve was not an easy thing.
"As the Inquisitor of Heresy, I hold the authority to specially punish those who do not follow God's will. There are no exceptions to this, and should the need arise, you Holy Knights may also be sentenced."
"And even so, Inquisitor Imreis—we are convinced there is nothing to be ashamed of in our decision. Before God, we will accept any judgment. If only we had the time and the luxury... but we do not."
Even this—the brandishing of official authority and rank that she herself so deeply despised and should have restrained—failed to move them.
A faint shadow fell over Kree's iron composure.
Heroic self-sacrifice could sometimes lead to flawed judgment. Or was it she—the one who had pursued only rationality and sought to sacrifice people—whose judgment was truly flawed?
There was no one to share in Kree's anguish.
"The commander of the Southern Knights, Lord Fjord, was my sword instructor."
At this seemingly random remark, several Holy Knights tilted their heads in puzzlement.
But Kree, with her face cast downward, did not notice, nor did she pause to consider them as she continued speaking.
"I received many lessons from him. He was a great, courageous, and admirable man... beloved by many, he helped and guided countless others."
Everyone present knew of Fjord's death in the line of duty.
After all, they themselves had been the ones to recover his body and perform the funeral rites, however simple...
"Why can't you all... step back... from in front of me..."
No matter how lofty one's rank, no matter how faithfully one served God, in the end, a person was still only a person.
Just as the notion of a perfectly flawless human was an illusion, so too was the reputation of an unimpeachably cold and ruthless Inquisitor—nothing but a facade.
At last, the Holy Knights understood: she, too, was carrying the same suffering they were.
"Inquisitor. Please... send the Saint back—send Lord Ritrain back to the capital. We will remain here. We ask that you take charge of guiding the evacuees."
"I..."
She understood clearly that she was being shown mercy. She also understood that this decision was the optimal compromise between their irreconcilable positions.
She could not dismiss their resolve, but a burning anxiety—am I really doing the right thing?—settled over her heart like dark, cold snow.
"We ask for your sound judgment—Inquisitor Imreis."
Behind her composed and collected expression, nothing but grief existed in Kree's heart.
Ira=Takuto, the leader of Mynoghra who was called the King of Ruin. The colossal evil that had descended upon them without warning in an era of peace was far too powerful for them to face.