Chapter 45: Demi-Human Alliance
Calca murmured, but then she suddenly regained her composure, reminding herself that she must not show such vulnerability to someone she had never met before.
She realized she shouldn't reveal this side of herself so easily, especially to a stranger.
Even as she glanced at the beautiful woman, Nabe, standing beside Aurelius, it seemed clear that his ideal type leaned towards sharp and cold women.
"So, what should we do from now on? Is it to subdue the Demi-Humans?" Aurelius inquired, breaking the silence and pulling Calca out of her deep thoughts.
"Yes? Oh, that, yes."
Calca uttered it, took a deep breath, and spoke again with a calm face.
"They are enemies that threaten the Holy Kingdom. However, our purpose is not to subdue them. It is enough to simply suppress them so that they do not pose a threat to us."
It wasn't about subjugation, but about giving those demi-humans a warning.
Upon hearing those words, Aurelius really couldn't help but question Calca's mentality.
Though he had heard she was overly gentle, he couldn't believe that she would resort to simply warning those who threatened her kingdom and had killed her people.
Even a passing mutt would laugh at her decision.
Aurelius instinctively realized that the rumors were true—Calca indeed lacked the qualities of a monarch.
Clearly, she needed somebody to teach her how to behave. After all, looking at her assets as a woman, she did have potential.
'She deserves to be called the 'Holy Queen of Purity.' She really values life.'
Aurelius thought, smiling inwardly. On the outside, though, he let out a sigh and continued speaking.
"I understand where you're coming from, but as a ruler who governs the people of a kingdom, you should never do this... What is a ruler? A ruler protects their kingdom and, through their decisions, determines the lives of their people... A single decision can bring a kingdom a hundred years of peace or lead it to the brink of catastrophe."
Upon hearing those words, Calca's eyes narrowed.
"What are you trying to say?"
"You still don't understand? Then let me be blunt... It's good to value life, but as a monarch, your thoughts are foolish."
"How dare you! Do you think you'll be safe after speaking so disrespectfully?"
Remedios gripped the scabbard at her waist, glaring intently at Aurelius.
The aristocrats around her were agitated at how the situation escalated in an instant.
Opinions were divided among the nobles—some were angry that a mere adventurer would speak such rude words to the Queen, while others silently agreed with his harsh assessment.
"Captain of the Knights, Remedios! Stand down!" Calca commanded sharply.
"But, Calca-sama!"
"It's an order!"
"Tsk!"
Remedios clicked her tongue, struggling to calm her anger.
"I'm sorry. She was rude," Calca said, bowing her head slightly.
"No. As a mere adventurer, I have treated the Queen of this country too carelessly. However, as a monarch, I hope you will further sharpen your qualities."
"I'll listen carefully," Calca responded.
With that exchange, the tense atmosphere began to dissipate, like a puzzle piece falling into place.
Unlike earlier times, when she would openly reject such suggestions, Queen Calca displayed a moment of contemplation at Aurelius's suggestion.
"What should we do about the demi-humans threatening the country?"
The audience room fell into a brief silence as everyone awaited her decision.
In such a situation, it wasn't Calca but Aurelius who opened his mouth and suggested.
"It seems difficult to decide. Then, let's do this. First of all, we will focus on suppresion."
"Okay. I accept your offer. Then, will the operation begin tomorrow?"
"No, it's starting right now. We don't have that much time. We have to hurry up and finish this mission and return to E-Rantel."
"Right now?" Calca turned her bewildered gaze to Aurelius.
"Yes, that's right. What's the problem? Isn't it urgent for you to escape from the threat of demihumans?"
"No, that's right, but..."
"Then there's no problem. Nabe, let's go immediately."
"Yes!" Narberal responded promptly.
Aurelius took Narberal and left the throne room without a backward glance.
Calca's heart fluttered at his ruthless demeanor, and she was captivated by his decisive nature.
"Calca-sama..." Remedios cast a worried look at Calca's dark expression.
"It's okay... It's still the first time..." Calca muttered.
"Does it really have to be that man?"
"I feel it. That man is my destiny. I can't imagine marrying anyone other than him… That man is the one and only husband of Calca Bessarez."
"Fu... If Calca-sama says so, I won't stop you. But I don't really want to recommend it."
"It doesn't matter. Even if it's a thorny road, I won't give up."
"That's right, Calca-sama was always like this."
Remedios glared at the door to the throne room. She resolved to work harder to earn Calca's favor.
*****
Abelion Hills.
This was where the Demi-Human Alliance resided.
The alliance was composed of 18 major sub-human species, with a combined army of approximately 100,000 troops, as estimated by the Roble Holy Kingdom. A powerful entity had subdued this enormous army, forming the Demi-Human Alliance.
When Aurelius Nova Lucifer arrived at the Roble Holy Kingdom, the powerful being paused the ongoing crossbreeding experiment and followed Aurelius' instructions to assist him.
The Roble Holy Kingdom didn't even know that he controlled the Demi-Human Alliance from the shadows, tightening his grip on the Holy Kingdom.
This being was Jaldabaoth, the Demon Emperor—a figure who would later be known as a calamity, second only to the god of calamity.
In reality, this entity was Demiurge, the guardian of the 7th floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
He forcibly integrated the 18 races, manipulating them to invade the Roble Holy Kingdom. Then he divided the 100,000 troops, leading about half of them.
"Now, let us prepare the footing for the Supreme Being," Demiurge commanded.
At his order, about 50,000 troops began to move under the cover of darkness, setting the stage for their invasion.
*****
On the other side, noticing the seemingly innumerable army from afar with his superhuman vision, Aurelius took out Excalibur from his waist.
But at that moment, Nabe, who also saw the army, couldn't help but comment.
"They're worse than worms. They're so weak," she scoffed.
"That's the limit of this world. The ones we consider threats do not exist here. The ones we need to be wary of are beings like the True Dragon Lords," Aurelius commented.
"Are we going to leave those fools who dare to call themselves Dragon Lords?"
"When the time comes, they will all be annihilated too. Right now, it's important to build a reputation as adventurers. To engrave the existence of Nazarick deep into the bones of this world, we must proceed slowly, very slowly, preparing a foothold in both the light and the darkness, tightening our hold," Aurelius replied.
"Forgive me for my rudeness, my lord, but with our strength, why do we need to be so careful? Can't we just start a full-fledged war?"
To Narberal's straightforward, innocent question, Aurelius simply shook his head, looking far into the horizon with a deep look in his eyes.
"You don't understand, Narberal. The world is filled with unknown mysteries. I'm not being overly cautious when I say this, so listen carefully... There are us, and there could be others too. Maybe they are hiding like us and planning something big, or maybe they are yet to come into this world like us. There is also that mysterious phenomenon that brought us here. Our advantage at the moment is that we are in the dark… Even if we did some crazy things recently, close to no one knows the existence of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. Of course, we won't always stay like this, but that time will come. Soon, but not yet."
He paused, then turned his gaze back toward Narberal.
"The moment you underestimate your enemies, consider your chances of winning lower by 50%. In our case, we don't even know who or how strong our enemies are, so we need to be even more careful and cautious. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my Lord. I can't even begin to comprehend how far you see, my Lord. I am in awe," Narberal exclaimed, her eyes filled with deep fanatic reverence. She was about to kneel, but Aurelius, expecting it, stopped her before she could and changed the topic to avoid suspicion.
"They are getting close. Get ready, Nabe."
"Yes!"
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