What's the situation?

'Ha, General!　

　Surrounded by steep mountain ranges, the road is narrow.
　The barrier that was built as if to seal off the entire roadway is the final line of defense of the Empire, the barrier of Hydra. It is the most important stronghold for the Draukos Empire, as it is impossible to invade the empire unless the barrier is broken, and even if you try to bypass the barrier, the towering mountain range becomes a natural fortress.
　At the top of such a guan - where they could look down on the road, Ray Whitefield, the leader of Hydra's Guan Defense Knights, was back.

''Hmm........General, huh?''

Did you say something?

It's nothing. Any change?

Ha. We haven't received any reports.

　Hearing his aide's report, Ray let out a small sigh.
　Essentially, Ray is a second class knight.
　It is divided into first-class knights, second-class knights, third-class knights, and associate knights, which is equivalent to the status in the absolute knightly order. Only first-class knights can take office from the battalion commander on up, and second-class knights are only company commanders, no matter how hard they try. And while second class knights can be promoted with the fruits of battle, rewards, etc., first class knights can only be promoted to the higher ranks of nobility.
　They say that the knightly order is a meritocracy, but the reality is that its upper echelons are filled with upper-class aristocrats.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a good deal more than you think.
　Ray, a second class knight, was appointed by Emperor Alexis to be the general who guarded this Hydra's barrier.

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

　Why do I feel like I'm in this role - yes, I feel like lamenting it.
　The main reason why Ray was appointed as a general. It was because his own brother, Noah Whitefield, had bared his fangs to the Empire.
　Moreover, as the Demon King.
　He didn't want to believe that his brother had become the Demon King. Above all, the Noah in Ray's memory was a person who was far from being a Demon King. After all, it was a 'villager' that was given to him by his vocation. It is fresh in his mind that his father, Noel Whitefield, had cursed him, "You really are useless.
　And yet, Noah became the current Demon King.
　And Ray was sent to this Hydra's domain as a human pillar against Noah, named General.

''Excuse me, General!

M...?

The messenger from the Empire!

I'll see you.

　That's what the gatekeeper's soldier says. Ray is a general now, albeit one of too many statuses. At the very least, he will have to meet the messenger.
　However, from the Emperor's point of view, it may be a miscalculation that he is even alive here now.
　After all, he was my brother Noah, whom I met the other day. The reason why Ray told Noah several times to be rude is because the emperor instructed him to do so.

''Liberate this city now and kill all the demons. If you do that, I'll save you from yourself.
''You're going to let that dragon kill me?　Then do it.'
''If you're going to kill him, do what you want.''

　All of them are the instructions of the emperor - and his close vizier, Carmine, the "Wisdom of Draukos". Otherwise, all of Ray's words would sound like a suicidal person's.
　There is only one reason.
　Is the current Demon King Noah going to kill his own flesh and blood - to make sure of that.

''Where is the messenger leading us?

'Ha, ha!　I'm showing you the way here!

Hm?　Why. In the parlor....

'Ha!　I mean, you know, the messenger said it would be better this way...

"Hmm.

　You don't have to come all the way to such a high place.
　He was only a second class knight, Ray, and had no idea how to behave as a general, but it was still something he was formally approached for. No matter how noble the messenger from the imperial capital was, he had to deal with it as a general.
　Just thinking about it makes me feel sick to my stomach, but I still have to do it. As a knight.
　However, the person who appeared with the gatekeeper's guide was not at all what Ray expected.

'I am pleased to meet you for the first time. General Ray Whitefield.

Ha. Thank you for your time.

　It's three men and a woman.
　The one to the right of Ray is a young man, with a vaguely juvenile face. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. In addition, his long black hair, which seems to be partly dyed gold, gives the impression of youth, which is not typical for a priest.
　And the one on the left, this is a young woman. It's appropriate for a priestess to be wearing a clean and well-groomed priestly outfit with a well-groomed face. This one has good posture and a stern expression, and you can see that she is asserting with her whole body that she is indeed a servant of God.
　Finally, the center.
　This one was of unknown gender, with a white cloth covering the front of her face. From the hoarse voice, it was probably a man, but it had an impossibly eerie quality to it.

''This is His Eminence the Archbishop of the Müllerian Church, His Eminence Lucdia Linophallus.

-Oh!

I've been referred to an oracle.

Oh, my goodness, I beg your pardon!　My name is Ray Whitefield!

Good.

　Ray kneels and bows his head.
　If he was a messenger, he could act pompously as a general. But if the other party is the High Pope of the Mullerian religion, it's a different story.
　If he is the High Pope of the great religion of Mullerianism, which spreads across the continent, he is far more heavenly than the emperor of a country. At the very least, from the point of view of Lei, who, as an imperial citizen, is one of the followers of the Mullerian religion, he is a person who is equal to a god.
　Come to think of it, I've heard that the Archbishop is not allowed to show his face due to his doctrine, or something like that.

'Lift up your face. My dear Ray.

Ha, ha!

"I did not come here to make you kneel. An oracle has been ordained for that Demon King. "And I am confident that you will defeat him.

What... that's... that's not...?

It's a little bumpy. But it will save the country.

　The Archbishop's words made no sense, but he couldn't say no to Ray.
　The Archbishop glowered around him through the cloth and then gazed at one of the mountains. It was as if there were many spires standing on it, mountains with sharp spears standing on them.
　Then the Archbishop held out his white-gloved right hand toward such a mountain.

'From St. Muller, I have an oracle. Awake, Hydra.

　Such a short statement.
　But the words are an absolute oracle of God.
　I just held out my right hand and said the words - with just that act.
　The earth shook.

"--!

　The strong Hydra's guards sway from side to side.
　Unable to stand, he found that the men and women on either side of the Archbishop sat down. Even Ray, who has been kneeling from the beginning, was struggling to hold back his fall.
　However, the Archbishop was steadfast.
　He did not sit down, he did not fall down, but his eyes through the cloth looked at the shaking mountain.

''Ah, ah...!

　The mountain cracks.
　And with it, an earthy skin appears. A long undulating neck.
　Tyranny.

"I am so glad you are awake. Hydras, my son.

................

　The mountain crumbled and the tyranny of the many heads born there.
　It was as if it was showing its majesty against the demon king beyond - Noah.
　Yes, it roared.