Part One, Section Three: “And Then, the Sisters Sprang Into Action”
Chapter Thirty-one
“Sorry for summoning you out of the blue. My old man has insisted on meeting you no matter what, Miss Philia.”
I was summoned to the Royal Palace of Parnacota, and Prince Oswald, who came to greet me, said this. It seemed the king of this country, Eigelstein Parnacota, wanted to see me, but I wondered what he wanted from me.
“Have I done something wrong? I can’t move due to the effects of the Anti-Evil Magic Circle…”
My duties as a saint were significantly diminished, and on top of that, Prince Julius was causing trouble because of me. The king might have been angry.
Plus, lately, I had been preoccupied with worries about my homeland, so I couldn’t complain if he saw my behavior as negligent.
“No way. If my old man dares to complain to you, I’ll give him a solid punch.”
“Please don’t. Violence won’t solve anything.”
“I know that. But still, sometimes you just feel like letting your emotions take over. I can’t stand it when someone hurts your feelings, Miss Philia.”
When I asked Prince Oswald to refrain from making unsettling remarks, he expressed his desire to protect my feelings.
Prioritizing emotions… Could the urge to help Mia stem from such feelings? Until now, I’ve never been driven by such intense warmth in my heart, so it leaves me confused.
“Then I will do my utmost to stop you, Your Highness. I can’t bear the thought of my actions harming your position.”
“Is that stemming from your emotions? Or is it a product of rationality?”
“…I’m unsure. Judging by common sense, the idea of raising a hand against His Majesty is completely unacceptable… So, I think it’s more likely the latter.”
“Haha, that’s an answer befitting of you.”
Laughing cheerfully as if pleased, Prince Oswald entered the audience chamber with me. Before us stood a distinguished elderly man. This was Eigelstein, the king of this nation, and it was my first time meeting him face to face.
“Oh! Welcome, Saint! My apologies for the late greeting. I am Eigelstein Parnacota, King of Parnacota. On behalf of the country, I express our gratitude for the coming of the legendary Saint Philia to our land.”
Upon seeing my face, the king bestowed a smile upon me. The stern demeanor he had just moments ago had completely transformed into an amiable expression, which surprised me slightly. In that regard, he somewhat resembled Prince Oswald…
“I’ve heard about your actions from my sons. You were quick to perceive and implement the best strategy to address what could be described as a catastrophic event plaguing nations across the entire continent. Your accomplishments will undoubtedly be recounted for generations to come in this country, Saint Philia.”
The king showered me with praise. Just listening made me feel embarrassed.
I only did what was natural, but I never imagined I would receive this level of appreciation.
“If I did not reward those achievements, I would be a laughingstock as a king. Belated as it is, Miss Philia… I intend to fulfill your wishes as much as possible…”
The king said he would do his utmost to grant my wishes.
Wishes… I only have one that is not related to this country…
“…Do you want to save your younger sister left behind in the neighboring kingdom of Girtonia?”
“…?”
W-What are you saying, Your Majesty? Are you aware that I wish to help Mia? Did His Highness Oswald inform you?
If I was asked if I want to save her, I…
“I-I do want to save her. She is also working hard in her saintly duties, but the situation is so dire… Imagining the worst possibilities pains me beyond words.”
Darn it… Why did I say something like that to His Majesty the King…? I indeed want to help Mia. I’m determined to save her no matter what. However, to utter such words to a ruler of a nation…?
“I’m sorry. I’m unworthy of being a saint. I spoke of my wishes. My previous statement, please forget…”
“Don’t take it back! I’ve heard your sincere feelings loud and clear!”
“Huh…?”
Just as I was about to retract my words… the king stopped me in a powerful voice. His remarkable determination almost made me take a step back involuntarily.
“The root of the problem is that our country wanted a saint. Fulfilling your wish is an urgent task for the Parnacota Royal Family. Rest assured, we are ready to wholeheartedly respond to your feelings.”
“Wow, even my old man can say decent things occasionally.”
“Silence, you amusement-seeking son. Your only concern should be aiding Miss Philia. Make sure to relay the same message to Reinhardt.”
Was His Highness Oswald’s earlier comment, which could also be interpreted as a joke… could it have been because he trusts that his father will try to help me? Could it be that even His Majesty may be willing to aid me…?
“But you see, we’ve run into a bit of a problem. Their prince can’t accept the Parnacota Knights.”
“Hmm. I see… His Highness Julius judged our military force could pose disadvantages to his own country. Regrettably, we could not build trust between our nations…”
As I thought, Prince Julius indeed refused to accept the Parnacota Knights. He currently wanted to seize power in Girtonia amidst this turmoil. So of course he would see the knights as an obstacle.
However, Mia right now…
“Your Highness Oswald, please forgive my selfishness, but… is it possible to have the knights wait near the border of Girtonia?”
“Miss Philia? W-Well, uh, yeah, I guess that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“The political situation in Girtonia is sure to change soon. His Highness Julius will be deposed, and most likely, the King of Girtonia will accept the knights.”
Mia had resolved to remove Prince Julius from power. Even without any familial bias, considering her exceptional abilities… she would surely achieve that goal. If that was the case, my role was to believe in her success… and assist afterward.
“You seem to have a conviction about this. Leave it to me. I’ll gather the knights at a fortress near the kingdom of Girtonia shortly.”
Prince Oswald responded with a resolute answer and directed his cheerful smile at me. Seeing his confident expression, I couldn’t help but feel reassured myself.
“Thank you very much. This will save my homeland.”
“However, Miss Philia, I figure you’d know more about this demon business… But at this rate, even with the knights’ help, it may be uncertain if we can suppress them after a few days…”
As I expressed my gratitude to Prince Oswald, he assumed a serious expression and shared his perspective on the demons’ growth rate. His calculations were accurate. The deadline for Girtonia to maintain its status as a nation was fast approaching.
The number of demons was increasing exponentially…
Prince Julius and the civil officials around him most likely didn’t realize this and probably ignored Mia’s opinions.
“There is just one way left to save everyone. It depends on whether we can borrow Ms. Grace’s assistance, but…”
““…!?””
The solution I found after scouring through materials on ancient spells. Preparing for it now was quite risky, but… with Grace’s assistance, this method should be the optimal solution.
There were only a few days left until Girtonia faced its demise… The battle against time had begun.
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