“I think we need the power of the original saint.”

“You mean, the one who sealed the Demon King?”
Claude asked.

The king had been made aware of the existence of the original saint.

“Indeed.”

“I didn’t know such a person existed…  she sounds incredible…”

“The same goes for me. Much less for you who said that she should simply remain buried with the previous generation.”

“…! Stop mentioning that! It’s… I truly regret those words… Now, I no longer doubt your power.”

I giggled when I saw Claude’s awkwardly expression of discomfort.

Had he been able to make me laugh like that from the start, I wouldn’t have been divorced or banished.

But thanks to that, I was able to meet Nigel. I regretted nothing.

“I believe the original saint had great power. If I could acquire even the slightest bit of her power… Surely, we would be able to defeat the demons.”

“Then, how will we do that? We don’t even know if she truly existed. How are we to even look for her power?”

I nodded.

The original saint sealed the Demon King within that kingdom.

There was a barrier in that kingdom…

Then, the most appropriate assumption to believe was that a clue regarding the original saint resided within the kingdom.

However…

“…Will we succeed? Do you have any other methods?”

“In any case, this is our only option as of the present.”

“I see… but what if you fail to find it?”

“Hmm… at that time, I will have to remove the barrier enveloping Lynchgiham and re-establish the barrier on Verclaim.”

If the Demon King were to be resurrected, Lynchgiham would also be in peril.

As such, it was inevitable.

But, once the demons took notice of Lynchgiham, a case similar with Baldur’s could happened again.

I shouldn’t be as naïve as to think that such an opportunity would come again.

In the worst case, Lynchgiham might end up being taken hostage and held for ransom by the demons.

“With my current power, I can’t create two everlasting barriers. I need to reach the level of the original saint… that is the best solution I can come up with.”

“Well, that’s true. But, Eliane, you have the hardest role, here. Are you alright? Ever since we entered this kingdom, you have weakened.”

“Ara, are you worried?”

I glanced at Claude.

“D, don’t get me wrong! If you fail, this kingdom will end! That’d be disadvantageous for me!”

Claude, whose face was red, panicked.

Due to his childish gesture, a giggle spilled from my mouth again.

“Do not worry. Also, I want to ask for your help.”

“My help?”

Claude pointed to himself.

“First, please support Nigel. He alone will not be enough to persuade the king.”

“I, I understand. I will try to persuade my father. I won’t cause any trouble for you. I don’t know if I can do it, but I will do my best.”

“I am looking forward to it. Also, one more thing… Is there anyone knowledgeable about the original saint? Someone who familiar with native folklore…”

“If I wasn’t mistaken…”

Claude put his hand under his chin and thought hard.

“There’s a famous historian in the royal capital. That person might know something.”

“Is there such a person? Can you tell me the location?”

“The location is slightly confusing, so I’ll give you a map later. I’ll also prepare a letter of introduction… that will help you, right?”

“Yes, it will help a lot.”

Honestly, ever since I became the saint of the kingdom, I hadn’t been allowed to leave the castle. As such, I wasn’t too familiar with the geography of the royal capital.

I truly appreciated his help.

Now, that’s a start…

As I thought about that.

“What’s wrong, Claude? You look a little concerned…”

Claude looked at loss, therefore, I asked him such.

“No, I’m not concerned. Just, that guy is a little eccentric… I wonder if the discussion will go smoothly…”

“Eccentric, well, that is alright. I am familiar with dealing such people.”

“Should I be retorting?”

“Who knows?”

Claude turned to stare at me.

He seemed to be aware that I was referring to him. Should I be scared?

Could it be, the reason he realized that was also part of his growth?

“Well, Eliane should be fine. I shall prepare the map and letter of introduction right away.”

“By the way, what is that person’s name?”

To my question, Claude replied.

“It’s Sieghard.”

***

Before going to visit Sieghard, I discussed the future with Nigel.

“Eliane, I heard before you came here. Will it really work?”

He seemed to be worried.

“Yes, I will do something about it within two weeks.”

“Yes, but Eliane doesn’t have to shoulder everything alone. If you have any problems…”

“Of course, I will not act alone again. I will not end up like Baldur.”

I smiled bitterly.

“More importantly, Nigel, are you alright? You are dealing with the king. You have to exercise caution.”

“I’m the Prince of Lynchgiham. Of course, I will do my best.”

Nigel hit his chest.

The time limit was two weeks.

I couldn’t be lackluster about it.

Therefore, we decided to divide the roles, and moved to prevent the resurrection of the Demon King.

First of all, Adolf, the leader of the knights.

He seemed hard at work collaborating with the knights of Verclaim.

No matter how much pride he has a knight of Lynchgiham, fighting the demons alone would be difficult for him.

Klaus was also in charge of the knights. As such, I needn’t worry too much.

Next, was Douglas.

He was overseeing security within of the royal capital in places the turmoil hadn’t yet subsided. He even kept an eye on the city’s outskirts.

We wanted to prevent anything unexpected before the demons came.

He was also instructed to immediately report if anything happened within the royal capital.

Lastly… Nigel.

Nigel was having discussions with the king and his ministers.

Although his explanation was well-received, distrust still remained.

Verclaim was still afraid of being blindsided.

For the time being, there was Claude who had become our ally, but… he was inexperienced. I didn’t expect much of him.

However, he was still the first prince.

The king might be different, but the ministers couldn’t ignore Claude’s opinion.

“Then, let’s pray for each other’s luck.”

“Yes, I’ll aquire a clue about the original saint.”

Nigel and I exchanged such words and split up at once.

Alright.

I’ll be busy from now on!

---

***T/N: Deep down I already know how things would unfold…

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