Huh, huh?

The ground is crushed, trees are avoided, and Elfi's "demon legs" descend down the spiritual mountain.
　In the midst of the fast-changing landscape, we are on the lookout for pursuers from behind, but there is no sign of the selectors chasing us.
　Maybe they're wary of not being able to kill me with that falling star, so they've moved on to see what's going on.

　A few minutes later, they reached the base of Ling Shan without incident.

''Haha ...... haha ......''
''...... are you okay?''

　Elfi's breath is ragged as he seems to have exhausted a considerable amount of strength and magic power.
　I'm sweating like a waterfall.
　I'm going to take out a cloth from my pouch and scrub the sweat off.

'Haha ...... it was about three times harder than I imagined it would be.
Thank you for the help at ....... Thanks.

　I don't mean to underestimate you, but that attack was unexpected.
　That one falling star was something Elfie and I could have handled, but without mental magic, the second one would have been impossible to deal with.

　Nine out of ten, that was almost certainly an attack by Ryuzas.
　It was possible that there was a Liuzas-level competitor among the selectors, but he hadn't been caught up in gathering information when he was in the royal castle.
　It's reasonable to assume that it was the magic that that bastard used.　

''Huh. ......''

　After a while, Elfi's breathing calmed down.
　After giving him a drink of water, he began to talk about Liuzas.

I'm sure you've been thinking about the "magic disturber" and the loss of magic, so they must have made reasonable preparations. That has probably been used up to some extent in this attack.

　If they had left that falling star level hand, they would have made another move sooner rather than later.

If you're ......, does that mean there won't be another raid soon?
'Or, even if there's a raid soon, there's a good chance that that falling star class of magic won't be able to come in succession. ...... Either way, though, we can't be too careful.

　I look up at Ling Shan and bite my teeth.
　I can't go kill him right away, even though Ryuza is close by.
　It's never been so frustrating.

　But I can't even look at him if he's returning.
　Even in its current state, it can be killed by using psychic magic, but I want to be more careful and absorb another labyrinth core.
　It would be good if I could get close to it, but as long as they are at a distance like they were earlier, they will just aim at me one way or the other.

I'm sorry, but keep an eye on your surroundings for a while. I'll be scheming on my own, but Elfi's magic eye is more efficient.
'Mm, I'm in charge. Iori, you should feel like you're riding a dragon and figure out a way to get your revenge.
Yeah, I will.
......
...... and...

　Elfie's body staggered.
　As soon as he could, he reached out and hugged Elfie's body.

"Are you okay?
'Mm-hmm. I'm sure you'll be able to get a good idea of what's going on in the world. Huh. ...... This is definitely a muscle ache tomorrow. ......

　...... I didn't know the demon race had muscle pains and such.

Don't work too hard, okay?
Then I'll take that as a sign of appreciation. Iori, you can ride my coat to the Holy City.

　Even though his knees are shaking with a wobble, Elfi doesn't forget to puff his chest out nobly.
　I'm not sure.
　I'm sure it's somewhat of a problem that he looks more like a demon king when he's fighting than when he's doing this kind of 'king-like' thing.

...... I get it.
!　Really?!

　After saying it himself, Elfie looked terribly surprised.

''...... What's with that reaction?''
'At times like this, Iori doesn't always listen to me. Like nails and food.
'Of course!　No one says 'I understand' when someone says that to me like that. I mean, I'm the one who's cooking.
'Mu...... right. But since Iori won't do it for you, you're doing the nails yourself!　Look!　I did it properly yesterday and it looked weird!
'............'

　This woman is .......
　Ignoring her, she lifts up Elfie's body.

'Oh.'
All right, we're moving on. It's not safe to stay here too long.
Well, wait. I'm not done talking!
Shut up! Shut up!

　While saying that he was a former demon king or something, Elfi's body was suitably light for his appearance.
　With this, it's not much of a burden.

　It won't take more than a day to reach the Holy City from here.
　They should arrive this evening.

　You can also have a look at the following information

◆

　The Holy City of Schmerz.
　One of the holy cities of the Peterite nation, which is considered to be related to God.
　It is one of the largest and most populous of the holy cities.

'You're finally seeing it.
...... hmmm. I didn't sleep, I didn't sleep.
............

　We followed the road from the foot of Mt.
　When the sun was starting to set, we arrived at the holy city of Schmerz.

　We remained vigilant on the road, but there were no attacks from Liuzas and others.
　There was no sign of being watched either.
　Because of the openness of this surroundings, the other party must also be wary and keep their distance.

　The holy city of Schmelz exists in the middle of a lush grassland area.
　The city is glued to the pure white Great Sacred Gate, and the only way to enter is through the four entrances that exist in the north, south, east, and west.

　After regaining his strength, lower Elfie to the ground and proceed to the entrance of the Great Sacred Gate.
　Elfie's magic power granting item (magic item) was excellent and was not detected by the gate soldiers.
　Thus, we safely crossed the Great Sacred Gate and stepped into the city.

''It's been a long time since I've been here .......
Has Iori been here before?
Yeah. ....... Once before.

　If I had to describe this holy city in terms of color, it would definitely be white.
　It doesn't have the bravery of a royal or imperial city, but it has a cleanliness and beauty like no other.

''...... Hoho.''

　Elfie gasped as he looked at the pure white capital, dyed reddish-white.

'...... I've never seen this capital before, but it's a beautiful city.'
Yeah. I was surprised when I first came in, too.

　The streets of the Church State are basically made up of white.
　"It seems that the color that Melt, the Holy Light God, wore was white, and that's probably why he treasured it.
　For this reason, I can feel a sense of unity that cannot be produced in other countries.

　We proceeded through the city with an admiring Elfi.

　This city is divided into several sections.
　We are now in the section called the 'Commercial District'.
　As the name implies, there are lodgings and restaurants in the 'commercial district'.
　The majority of people who come from outside head to the 'Commercial District' first.

　The cathedral and churches that enshrine "Holy Light God" Melt, and the base of the Cathedral Knights are in the "Holy Light District".
　There are several other compartments, but it's none of our business.

　As long as we're here, we won't have to worry about the raids so much.
　If they raided the Holy City, the Cathedral Knights won't remain silent.
　Even Liuzas and his friends will avoid causing trouble with them.
　I'm sure they want to keep the summoning of brave men under wraps.

We should go to the inn for now. We'll wait until tomorrow to gather information.
I'm hungry. I'm going to get something from the stall.

　We had a reasonable dinner while soothing Elfi's momentum of buying all the goods from the stall, and we headed to the inn.


　The surroundings of the inn town was a chaotic atmosphere, even if it was the Holy City.
　It's not as much of a hot spring city, but it's lively and crowded.

I've been seeing sub-humans since a while ago, but is it safe to be in the city so openly?
''Thirty years ago, the Cathedral Knights would have flown in, but I hear they don't discriminate as harshly now as they used to.''

　There's even a faction called the "sub-human pandering faction".
　It's definitely not allowed to enter the 'Holy Light District', but it doesn't seem to be a problem if you can just walk around in other areas.
　Well, from the exclusionists' point of view, it would be extremely annoying.

　We walked around the inn town for a while and entered the inn that Elfi had chosen.
　It's called "Beautiful Blue Apple Pavilion".
　Naturally, the reason why Elfi chose it was because "it looks good".

　It is said that their specialty is to serve delicious food using green apples picked near the Holy City.
　It's a little expensive, but it's a clean place.

Do you guys need to get a room?
How about a room?
That's too much trouble. Just one.
Yeah.

　...... Well, it's more convenient for us to be in the same room, since we have to be on the lookout for raids by Liuzas and others.

　Then we enjoyed the green apple pie and other dishes and ended the day.

◆

　The next day, I went out of the inn early in the morning.

　Before I went to bed, I summarized what I had to do today.
　I have three things to do.

　One, to ask the blacksmith to make new equipment using the Demon Crystal of the High King Bandit (Kraken) that I got in the Dead Marsh Labyrinth, and two, to gather information on the target of my revenge.
　Two, collect information on the target of your revenge.
　Three, collect information on the "Labyrinth of Implosion" which is the labyrinth of five generals in the Land of Faith.　

　Even if you can use psychic magic, it will only last for a few seconds and the firm conditions for activating it are unclear.
　The combat ability is still far from perfect.
　It's not a bad idea to make your equipment as good as it can be.

　I'm going to gather information at a place called the Church Library, which is a combination of church and library.
　There will be a lot of material on God, but it would be nice to have information on vengeance targets and labyrinths.
　I want information on the orphanage and the Abominable Light Labyrinth, as well as information on the Cathedral Knights guarding the city.
　Because when they tortured Dionis in the Dead Swamp Labyrinth, they mentioned the name of one of the Cathedral Knights.

　With a picture in my mind of what to do, I take Elfi with me and act snappily.
　The first thing we head to is a weapons shop that is said to be located in the 'Commercial District'.
　I've heard from the owner of the inn that there is a good weapon shop that is under the purview of the Cathedral Knights.

It's a good thing that you're a member of ....... It reminds me of Zsoltz and his friends.
That pompous prick.
So don't tell me.
I was great!

　I chuckle at Elfi's fussing in the past tense and think back to the hot spring city.
　I wonder how Misha and Nyammer are doing.

'----, ...... haha'

　So I couldn't help but laugh.

　I just thought about something that reminded me of others and worried me.
　I mocked myself, wondering when I could afford to do that.

'...... a little too warm, huh?'

　He muttered softly, his voice just enough to blend in with the hustle and bustle.

　If you do this, you won't be able to move when the time comes.
　It's good to remember the mental image of wanting to help, but what I need to do is to take revenge.
　I don't have time to be emotionally attached to them.

I don't think that's a good idea.

　You heard me,
　Elfie said in a soothing tone.

'There is no contradiction between those feelings and vengeance, is there?

　No contradiction.
　There is no contradiction, is there?

　The desire to help someone and the desire to kill someone.
　Isn't that a contradiction: ......?

....... You can think about it until Iori can come up with an answer.
...... Yeah.

　Elfie said in a labored, gentle voice.
　Revenge is a decision, but you're worrying too much about the rest of it, I'm too worried about it, I am.
　I'm not saying it's stupid, but I have to make sure I don't lose sight of my original intentions.

　...... Totally, I really don't get this guy.
　He can look like just a big hungry demon king, or he can look like a dignified former demon king.
　He's not stable.

''Be that as it may, Iori, I'm hungry.
You just had breakfast.

　I know.
　I knew he was a hungry genie.

　Then we arrived at our destination weapon shop.
　In order not to spoil the view of the city, the white based sign is written in blue.
　The exterior of the store was solid, as it is the purveyor of the Cathedral Knights, the pride of the Church State's strongest fighting force.

''Welcome.''

　When I walked in, I was greeted by a clerk.
　This time the clerk was human.

'I'd say ......,'

　When he saw us, the clerk said apologetically, "We're out of stock.

'Sorry, but we're out of stock.
...... out of stock?
Yeah. The Knights of the Holy Hall have bought a lot of weapons and armor for us.

　Purchased by the Order of the Holy Hall, huh?
　If they're going to collect a large amount of weapons at this time of year, there's only so many uses for them.
　Well, I have an idea.
　It seems that they don't have the time to crawl around too much.

Can't you make a magic item?
Ah, ...... I can do that, but I don't have any more material to work with.

　Then I took out the magic crystal from the pouch.　
　The magic crystal of the High King Bandit (Kraken), which emits a thin blue light.
　The shopkeeper looked at the product and peeled his eyes away.

"Oh, oh ......?　What a great piece of art, man!　I'm sure you can make almost anything out of this, but ...... what do you want? Is it a sword or armor?　Or is it armor?
No, just the shoes.

　The sword and armor are already in place.
　What I need now is mobility.
　And for that, I'm going to need a top-shelf magic item for my shoes.

Yes, sir.

　Then I measured the feet and told them what I wanted.
　They said it would be completed in about three days.
　Let's come back to get them.

　I pulled Elfi, who was wobbling around inside the store, and went outside.

◆

　Next, walk towards the northern part of the Commercial District.
　The church library is located in the Commercial District, which is further north than the Holy Light District.
　It's about a 30-minute walk from the weapon shop.

　When I was walking, avoiding the crowds of people, I was able to see that the church library is in the commercial district.

......
'Kyah!'

　I collided with a girl who jumped out of the corner.
　She screamed and the girl fell on her buttocks on the ground.
　I'm not sure if it's an attack from Ryusas, so I reach for my jade sword.

''Yes! ......!''

　But the girl is still on her buttocks, tears in her eyes.
　There's no sign of any weapons.
　You will be able to find out the best way to get the most out of this article.

...... are you okay?

　Without letting down your guard, you call out to the girl.

You're already looking at where you're walking ......!

　The girl complains and gets up.
　You're the one who bumped into me, though.

　I turn my gaze to the girl, who is prurient and angry with tears in her eyes.

　She was a girl with a fancy hair color, pink.
　She was wearing a black tube top, a gray skirt, long boots that reached her knees and knee socks that covered her thighs.
　The girl is staring up at me with tears in her dark peach-colored eyes as she looks up at me.

'Are you hurt?'
''You know what!　You know what you're going to do if my beautiful body is hurt!　Oh, God!

　Looks like you're not gonna get hurt.

Let's go, Elfie.
Mm-hmm. ...... Is that okay?
Yeah.

　Time is limited.
　We've only accomplished one thing on the schedule for today.
　I need to start gathering information as soon as possible.

No!

　But the girl interrupted me as I was about to move on.

"...... still got anything to offer?
Yes!　It's a great idea!　I mean, I do!　Aren't you a little cold, after you let this cute girl fall down?

　This guy reminds me a bit of Elfi, doesn't he?
　The way he talks about how pretty she is and how cute he is.

...... What's with this woman? You're a funny guy, Iori.
You don't say.
Yeah, I can't figure out what the hell is going on at ......

　Anyway!　And the girl sticks her finger in the air.

'You hurt a pretty girl's body, so, like this, you have some more!　Or else you'll be punished!
Oh, right. Well, I'm sorry. I'll be more careful. You got it?
All right, all right.

　...... This guy really looks like Elfie.

'Well then, we're going to go now,'
'Yeah. So, bye bye. ...... for a second!

　She's f*cking persistent, isn't she?
　What are you up to, man?　
　She doesn't mean any harm, but she could be one of the people who are working with Liuzas, and that could be the person who's trying to nail us to the wall.
　No sign of them, but are they going to take a shot at us?

　Maybe we should take her out to the back alley and question her.

　With that in mind, I turn back to the girl.

'----'

　Her peach-colored twin eyes were looking at me.
　I didn't feel any intimidation, hostility, or malice like Elfie gives off.
　What there is is just a sense of having your mind looked into.
　Unconsciously, my hand reaches for the jade sword.

''...... what is it?''
No, it's nothing. But, yeah, I'll give you guys some advice.
...... advice?
You might want to get out of this place sooner rather than later.
Why?
'I'm taking it out on you a bit, I've been in this city too long. Well, there are other reasons, too.

　You don't get the point of what you're saying.

...... why is that a good reason to stay away?
The thing is,

　Take a breath.

I'm just going to invite bad luck.

　The girl said.

'----'

　To me, who froze, what the hell, the girl stuck out her tongue.
　I shut one eye and smiled with a mischievous look on my face.

See you later!

　He waved at us and ran off the same way he came.

"See you at ......?

　What the hell was that guy?

"Elfie. Just for the record, didn't you feel anything?
...... Mm-hmm. I'm sure you're not the only one with a lot of magic in your possession. She's just a strange woman.
Okay.

　I didn't feel any particular way about it either.
　It bothered me that he was saying something meaningful, though.

'Well, it doesn't bother me. Let's go, Elfi.
"Mm!
......?　You're in a bit of a good mood.
'Really?　Well, I just had a few thoughts about Iori's attitude to others.
............?

　I don't know about this guy.

Don't worry about it. Come on, let's move on.
Oh, yeah.

　I regain my composure and take a step toward the church library.
　As soon as possible, I have to gather and pick up the information I need today.

　Then, suddenly, my surroundings became dark.　
　For a moment I wondered if the sun was hiding in the clouds, but I quickly dismissed the idea.

'...... shadows?'

　Something big is flying through the air.

'What the hell? ......'
......

　When I looked up at the sky, I saw a pair of wyverns flying over the Holy City.
　Multiple pterosaurs had crossed the Great Sacred Gate and were flying over the Holy City.

'...... stupid. There shouldn't be any dragon species living around here.

　Pterodactyls are a small dragon species.
　It is known as a troublesome demon of someone who is not far behind the fire and cave dragons.

''--Giaaaaah!

　The high-pitched pterodactyl roars in the sky.

It's not a good idea.　It's a dragon!
"Oh no!　Why is there a pterosaur here?

　The people around me belatedly noticed the pterosaur.
　Some freeze looking up at the sky, others just scream and run away in a hurry.
　In an instant, the city was in a panic.

''It's him. ......?

　That girl said it was best to get away from here.
　Is that because she foresaw this attack?
　If that guy was related to the Demon King's Army, it's not surprising that he knew about it beforehand.

　I looked in the direction of the girl's departure, but of course that pink hair was no longer there.
　After all, should we have captured her?

'...... coming!'

　Elfi's shout that cuts through my thoughts.
　The pterodactyl that was in the sky above descended towards the ground all at once.
　With a roar that pierces the ears, they bare their fangs to bite into the fleeing humans.

''...... tch.''

　He drew his jade taiji and stepped between the dragon and the man.
　"Demon Sealing (Il Ataraxia)" to catch the pterodactyl's rush.
　A certain amount of magic power had returned, and the strengthened shield completely blocked the pterosaur's attack.

''Hey, run away quickly!''
''Ha, yes ......!''

　He lifted his huge claw and the pterosaur swung down.
　He missed the obstacle and caught it with his "soft sword".
　I missed the impact on the ground and immediately swung my jade sword.

''Giiiiiiiiiiiiii?!''

　The blade gouges out one eye and the pterosaur screams.

''-- Avoid to the side!''

　There, Elfi shot his magic eye at it.
　I'm not going to be able to duck or duck the pterodactyl that was writhing in pain, and it will scatter with great force.

It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with them.
''Giiiiiiiiii!''

　Seeing the death of their companions, the attention of the other pterodactyls turned to them.
　They roared and came towards us all at once.

''Elfie, use your magic eye to stop the movement. I'll take them all out.''
Okay.

　I nodded, and Elfi was about to release the Crushing of the Pressure.

"-You will pay for the crime of defiling the sacred city.

　With a voice, a sharp slash attacked the pterosaur.

◆

　The slash was unleashed by a man in blue and silver armor.
　One wing of the dragon was severed and fell to the ground.
　Then, countless magic rained down from behind the man in the armor like rain.

''That armor, the 'Cathedral Knight'?''

　The greatest fighting force in the land of the Church.
　They are skilled knights who eliminate those who avenge God and heresy.
　The blue-silver armor that represents being a Seido Knight is feared by the demon race as well.

　I noticed that here and there, people wearing blue and silver armor were fighting.
　Some used their magic to shoot down the dragons, while others shot slashes into them.　
　Each of them slaughtered the pterodactyl with coordinated movements, showing a high level of individual power.

　The man in the center of the group was the first to fire a slash.
　Leading the knights, the man fought while giving precise instructions here and there.

　These knights might be stronger than the A-ranked adventurers I saw in the labyrinth city.
　They're quite skilled.

''It looks like there's no way for us to get out of this one.
Yeah.

　Then, in the blink of an eye, the dragon was eradicated.


◆

"I am the vice-captain of the Second Squadron of the Order of the Cathedral, ......, and my name is Leo William Disfrender. I thank you for your help in the extermination of our dragon species.

　After all the dragons were eradicated, a man with indigo hair came over here and mouthed his thanks.
　A tall man in his mid-twenties, with a short cut.
　The azure silver armor he wears has a different coat of arms than the other knights.
　The William in between his name is probably his baptismal name.

'Hmph.'

　Leo thanked him and then gave a small sniff.

''But ...... this is the sacred holy city. It is not advisable for anyone other than us, the Cathedral Knights, to wield a sword. You are strangers, aren't you?　Next time you don't fight, leave it to us, the Cathedral Knights.
...... You, we are.
That's it. You're safe now, you can do what you want.

　When he wound up one way or the other, Leo left for his friends.
　We didn't even have time to open our mouths.

''What the hell is that guy. That's disrespectful!
' ...... I know you're mad, but you shouldn't deal with it. It's not a good idea to get involved with the Saint's Knights.

　If they find out that Elfi is a demon race, their swords will be pointed at us.
　If the demon tribe is involved, they will come at you without a care in the world.
　I don't think we're going to lose, but we're not going to get a free pass.

　We shouldn't get involved.
　With a few exceptions, though.

'But then again, this is a day when we're often interrupted.

　Is it a bad day for that girl, the dragon, or a bad day?
　I let out a sigh and turned my gaze towards the Cathedral Knights.
　Leo from earlier and the other man were giving instructions to the knights.

　From the fact that Leo had called himself the vice-captain, the other man was probably the captain.

''......?''

　I turned my gaze to the captain-like gaze and felt a sense of deja vu.
　Where have I seen that man ......?

　It's a man of mature age, in his fifties or so.
　Short, well-groomed yellow-green hair, grim blue eyes.
　He is well-trained and very large in stature.

　The more I look at him, the more I feel a sense of déjà vu.
　And I know this feeling of deja vu.
　Not long ago, I just experienced it.

　As soon as I was summoned, it was like seeing old Luzus ----.


...... so.
......?

　Thirty years ago, a man who was in charge of carrying supplies for the Order of the Cathedral.
　His name was Marcus Pietro Sandalphon.
　The name didn't appear in Liuzas' memory, but it came up when he tortured Dionysus.

　The man who was bribed by Dionis to give me the 'substitute protection' that was supposed to be given to me.

'I told you not to get involved with the ...... Cathedral Knights, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.
......?
One more thing to look up.

　It's possible, though, that it's someone else's fanciful vision, or Marx's brother or relative.
　That's something you'll find out soon enough if you look into it.

　Liuzas is coming to lead the selectmen.
　An elderly couple from an orphanage living near the Holy City.
　And a man who belongs to the Order of the Cathedral.

''How could you have come here?

　I can't help but burst out laughing.
　Apparently, I'm going to be able to get my revenge all at once in the teaching country.