Taming the Evil Saintess

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The escort to the Imperial Capital was never in my plans.

I had only hinted to my companions, including Albrecht, that I would be taking care of a simple request near Auriga. If I were to go missing along with Ophelia, they would surely come looking for us.

So, I left a message at the Adventurer Guild in a nearby city.

There shouldn’t be any issues.

“Will there really be none?”

Ophelia mocked me, and I fell silent.

To be honest, the last type of people I wanted to cross paths with in my second life were, of course, the Demon King’s Army, followed closely by the Imperial Family.

I had no particular reason to dislike the Imperial Family; rather, there was not a single reason to like them either, which fueled my baseless hatred.

Now, here I was being dragged toward that very Imperial Family, so things were definitely not looking good.

“Above all, the treasure chest we intended to steal has been confiscated.”

I sighed at Ophelia’s words.

Just moments ago, I had told the Imperial soldiers a half-truth mixed with lies. I claimed that I had caught a thief aiming for the treasure, and the commander didn’t seem to have any objections to that.

“It’s a matter for the Imperial Family to decide.”

He just parroted that line over and over.

And so, somewhat half-dragged by the Imperial convoy, we arrived at the Imperial Capital.

The capital was much the same as I remembered, but instead of the Grand Assembly Hall, we were headed to the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace. Of all places, this was the innermost sanctum, highly secure and so shrouded in secrecy that even Sword Saint Albrecht had only entered it a handful of times in his lifetime.

A lavish corridor was guided by a single attendant.

“Please enter.”

At last, we arrived at the door at the end of the corridor.

And this place was one we were not ignorant of; Ophelia and I were all too aware that it was not an ordinary location.

“Uh… this is….”

At my question, the butler merely nodded slightly.

“Yes. This is Princess Adelheit’s office.”

The owner of the treasure, Princess Adelheit.

The Empress of Death, as she was known, was waiting to meet me.

*

Princess Adelheit Septimus.

In the game, she was a character barely mentioned, only referenced in some item descriptions.

However, in this world, the Princess held immense power, enough for even Ophelia to show signs of nervousness.

“Ophelia, if you act up even inside there….”

“Hey, I-I know my life’s at stake….”

Right. Of course, she would be aware.

Ophelia wasn’t the type to completely lose her sense of reason.

The strong bow down to the strong. Ophelia would naturally lower her head to someone like Princess Adelheit, who was undoubtedly powerful.

We inhaled deeply together and turned the doorknob.

And….

“Uh….”

Inside was a grand bath, and a woman with golden hair was bathing, completely naked.

I hastily averted my gaze and sought help from the attendant outside, but he merely nodded, as if it were a normal occurrence.

At the same time, the woman bathing shot me a sly smile and beckoned me over.

“Come on in, Hero. You can see me. It’s allowed.”

“Um, uh….”

“There’s no need to be shy.”

With her teasing voice, I was at a loss. Sighing, I finally looked straight at Princess Adelheit. Unlike Ophelia, her figure was dangerously revealing, not holding anything back.

I wondered if high-ranking people like Nuar and this Princess had some kind of exposure complex.

“Gyaaah!”

By the way, Ophelia had broken down.

Why on earth was she the one feeling embarrassed?

*

“I’ve heard the story. You had the treasure that was meant to come to me.”

After a brief commotion, Adelheit walked towards me, draped in nothing but a towel, and spoke.

“That’s something the Hero should explain directly.”

I vaguely started understanding why she was called the Empress of Death.

Fearsome, slick, cunning—it couldn’t simply be described with such modifiers.

Despite not wearing a stitch more than a towel and not wielding a weapon, the pressure she exuded was staggering. She was no comparison to Ophelia, who was literally a precious gem.

Qualities befitting a king.

In a more colloquial sense, one could refer to it as the aura of a tyrant.

“Your Highness.”

“Enough of the petty formalities. Let’s get to the point. How did you and the Saintess end up on a train, and why did you have my relic?”

“It was a journey.”

I had prepared that explanation in advance.

“While heading to the capital by train, I encountered a thief in the cargo hold and subdued them.”

“And then the demons blew up the train?”

“It sounds unbelievable, but yes.”

It was such an absurd chain of events that even I couldn’t believe it.

However, Adelheit just nodded as if it were of little importance.

“According to the passengers, there are even claims that you were the bandit.”

“That’s probably because of my face.”

“My face?”

“As you can see, it’s this mess.”

Putting my pride aside, I noticed Ophelia trying hard to suppress a smile.

Adelheit tilted her head for a moment before stepping closer and lifting my chin.

It happened in an instant.

I almost lost my mind at the sight of her glistening chest visible between the robe and the enticing aroma surrounding her, but I managed to endure it by pinching my side.

In reality, it wasn’t me who did the pinching.

“Y-You crazy…!”

A furious Ophelia was tugging at my side.

What could I do? It was the princess who had suddenly come up and touched my face.

After a moment, Adelheit released her grip and nodded.

“Indeed, it seems there are aspects of you that seem rather vulgar for someone called the Hero.”

“Ha, haha….”

I never expected her to acknowledge it.

Regardless, the towel-clad princess sat on an opulent chair, crossing her legs with no hint of shame at the revealing sight.

“So.”

After a moment of silence, I gathered my thoughts and spoke.

“Is that all you wanted to ask me by calling me here?”

“Is that all? Do you need more?”

“I’ve already conveyed everything related to this matter to the Imperial Army. You could’ve just heard it from them through someone else, so there has to be another reason you want to meet face to face.”

“Let me ask in return. If I have the opportunity to see the face of a new saint rising from the continent, why would I refuse?”

That meant there really was no special reason.

I nodded and continued.

“Then can I ask you one thing?”

There was something I needed to ask.

At my bold inquiry, Adelheit’s expression turned intrigued, and she gestured for me to go on.

“Let me hear it.”

“I have seen the contents of that treasure chest.”

The air seemed to freeze the moment I spoke those words.

Adelheit narrowed her eyes at me, and the pressure made Ophelia hiccup.

Soon, with a small smile, Adelheit gestured again.

“Hmm. You saw it directly?”

“Yes.”

“You realize that mentioning it is an unspeakable crime, right?”

“I apologize for my ignorance, and I may not fully comprehend the implications, but there’s one thing I want to ask.”

Even though I hadn’t received her permission, I spoke without a care.

“The Human Body.”

What was inside that treasure chest, glaringly incongruous, were the withered remnants of human flesh.

On that flesh, a symbol was indelibly visible.

And that was….

“The Hero’s Divine Mark.”

It was the same mark that was on the back of my hand.

I frowned and shot a glare at Adelheit.

“Why in the world did you, Your Highness, go so far as to desecrate the body of a long-dead Hero to extract the mark?”

That act was akin to sacrilege.

Even Ophelia, who was filled with distrust towards the gods, gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

“…”

Adelheit remained unmoving, her expression unchanged after being struck by my words.

It wasn’t until several minutes later that she finally spoke.

“Hero, what do you think markings are?”

“Markings?”

“Do you believe them to be the blessings of the gods? Is it because you are one of the ‘haves’?”

I held my tongue.

I had plenty to say. However, I kept it to myself.

Seeing my silence, Adelheit seemed to make some inferences, glancing between Ophelia and me, before bursting into an uncharacteristic, hearty laughter.

“I think it’s a grotesque and twisted method of the gods.”

Her dignified demeanor had fallen, and Adelheit spoke as if she were simply a human named Adelheit.

“So, extracting the mark of the previous Hero was solely my own decision, not that of the Imperial Family.”

It was like she was cutting off her own tail.

“If you too have given it some thought, you would understand. The power bestowed by the mark is incredibly tempting, but the amount of misfortune that comes with it is far greater.”

“…”

Ophelia’s situation resonated with me as well; I was reluctant to embark on this unwanted search. Even the elf Mereba had struggled mightily to erase the mark that had appeared on Erwin’s body.

“The markings are using us as pawns. It’s a wicked manipulation of the gods. Of course, I don’t think it’s wrong. Moral concepts hold no value in the presence of divine majesty. Before the Demon King, we were like moths to a flame, ultimately compelled to worship the marks. This was how the previous Emperors lived, and it’s how I must live as well. However… I refuse to let it all slip by.”

Adelheit smiled wearily.

“I intend to use the markings, rather than allowing the gods to use us. I aim to reap the benefits the markings provide. The power they grant can be incredibly useful in many ways. To put it simply….”

She declared boldly.

“I will create an army implanted with divine marks. To drive out the Demon King.”

“…”

“And while I’m at it, I’ll unify the continent.”

Before my mouth dropped wide open, Adelheit cutely winked at me.

“Well, the latter part may be the main point.”

The princess had thrown a bombshell at me that could shake the continent.