Raon clicked his tongue briefly.
'What a pity.'
He had confirmed that there was a human who had made a pact with a demon, but since the demonic energy wasn't revealed, he couldn't be sure who it was.
The priests and Holy Knights didn't seem to notice what had happened either, since the demonic energy hadn't moved directly.
-W-What! How did you notice they were here?!
Wrath's jaw trembled as if he couldn't understand.
'You gave me a hint.'
Raon smirked as he looked at the flustered Wrath.
-What are you talking about! When did I ever give you a hint?!
Wrath shook his head vigorously, denying it completely.
'The holy power protecting the walls and the pact between humans and demons.'
Raon recited what Wrath had said before coming here and clicked his tongue.
-S-So what about that...
'This kingdom is a place with so many beings possessing holy power that they're tripping over each other. Not just people, but buildings and sculptures are also imbued with holy power.'
He walked towards the center of the audience chamber, lightly wiggling his finger.
'The only ones who could do something as crazy as making a contract with a demon in a place like this aren't the lower ranks, but the high officials.'
Lower-ranking priests and knights don't have enough holy power to perfectly conceal demonic energy.
No, even if they hide it, they'd be quickly discovered because of the Holy Artifacts and priests surrounded by holy power.
In this Suphren Holy Kingdom, only the high-ranking officials with overflowing holy power like the sea could perfectly conceal demonic energy.
-Ugh...
Wrath groaned while clutching his head. He seemed frustrated that he had unintentionally given a hint, even pounding his chest.
'As expected of the generous Demon King. Thank you.'
Raon smiled at Wrath and stood in the center of the audience chamber. After confirming that the Light Wind division had followed behind, he knelt on one knee towards the king.
"It is an honor to meet the sky of Suphren."
"Please do not kneel."
As he was about to bow his head in greeting, King Bauren of the Suphren Kingdom shook his head. His gentle voice seemed to make Raon's back straighten on its own.
"You saved our knights, so I should be the one greeting you."
King Bauren bowed politely with his hands clasped together.
"T-There's no need for that."
This time, Raon stepped forward in surprise, waving his hands.
'What's with this person?'
He had seen quite a few heads of houses and kings from his past life until now, but he had never seen someone like this. Even Derus didn't show this much courtesy.
"Are you crazy? Why is the king bowing so carelessly!"
The purple-haired girl next to Priest Piron frowned deeply.
"When expressing gratitude, how can there be any distinction between king and subject?"
King Bauren waved his hand, saying it was fine.
"It's embarrassing, so stand up! It's not like the head of Zieghart is here, why bow to kids like them!"
The girl said it was embarrassing and slapped her hand down.
"Saintess. We're not alone here, so please watch your language."
The golden-haired Holy Knight on the opposite side put a finger to his lips.
"It's my mouth. I'll say what I want, why are you making a fuss?"
The girl called Saintess wrinkled her nose.
"Saintess."
Priest Piron looked at the Saintess and smiled faintly.
"Ugh..."
The Saintess couldn't retort to Priest Piron and turned her head away sharply.
"Anyway, a king is not a straw mat. Even if the sun is hot and the wind is strong, he shouldn't bow easily."
She clicked her tongue, saying not to do that again.
"Our knights and soldiers have returned alive, so what's the problem with my back?"
King Bauren laughed, saying he didn't care about his status.
"I care! It's embarrassing!"
The Saintess screamed, begging him to stop.
"Hmm..."
Raon looked back and forth between the king and the Saintess, letting out a sigh.
'What a mess.'
It was like watching a guild of back-alley ruffians rather than a Holy Kingdom.
However, the biggest reason for this mess was that woman called the Saintess.
The Saintess was a beauty with cat-like upturned eyes, a sharp nose, and small lips in harmony, but it was hard to believe that such foul language came naturally from those pretty lips.
Moreover, her nun's habit was torn at the shoulders and thighs, revealing mysterious tattoos underneath, making her look more like a gangster boss than a Saintess.
However, the holy power possessed by the Saintess was exceptional even in this place. It was an overwhelming amount compared to other high-ranking priests.
"What are you looking at?"
The Saintess raised her chin provocatively as their eyes met.
-That thing is a Saintess?
'That thing is a Saintess?'
A dry laugh escaped him. It had been a while since he and Wrath had the same thought.
"She's similar to Miss Rakshasa."
Runaan raised her finger, pointing at Martha and the Saintess in turn.
"You little brat, who do you think you're mouthing off to!"
Martha stepped forward, twisting her mouth.
"Has this young bitch gone mad!"
"The Saintess is nuts. That's a real bitch!"
She went wild as if unleashed after a long time.
"Enough!"
"That's enough!"
Raon and the king waved their hands simultaneously.
"Please forgive us. The Saintess has a bit of a sharp tongue..."
The king bowed his head again, apologizing.
"We're sorry too. She has a bit of a foul temper..."
Raon glanced at Martha and bowed.
"You..."
"Grr..."
However, the two parties glared at each other with fierce eyes.
"Ahem, I heard that the monster king at the peak of Mount Devarn was a Twin-Headed Ogre. It must have been a truly dangerous situation. Thank you for your help."
King Bauren expressed his gratitude again to change the atmosphere.
"Not at all. We're grateful for the Holy Kingdom's consideration in dispatching Holy Knights to such a distant place for the sake of its residents."
Raon shook his head with a faint smile. While expressing gratitude, he examined the priests and knights in turn.
'I can't tell who it is.'
Since everyone was surrounded by holy power, not even a trace of demonic energy was leaking out.
It seemed impossible to find out unless he grabbed them one by one and pushed in Wrath's anger.
"It's not just this incident. Didn't you also save our knights during the attack in Barene?"
The king kept expressing his gratitude as if he regretted not being able to thank them enough before.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!"
The Saintess let out a deep sigh and turned her gaze away, as if displeased with the king's bowing.
The Holy Knight Commander and the Royal Guard Captain watched silently, while Priest Piron and other priests showed faint smiles.
"You've saved our knights twice now, so I'd like to offer a small token of our appreciation."
The king picked up a wooden box that was on the golden table and personally stepped down.
"These are Sacred Return Pills made by mixing spirit herbs and holy water. I'm confident they're better than any elixir in the world for strengthening internal organs and muscles."
He held out the wooden box, saying to at least accept this.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head as he received the wooden box containing the Sacred Return Pills.
"We've also prepared elixirs for the swordsmen of the Light Wind division. Please accept them."
At the king's gesture, young priests standing on the right came forward and began handing elixirs to the Light Wind division.
"You're giving them all away? Those precious things?"
The Saintess couldn't hold back and screamed.
"I made all those with blood, sweat, and tears! Even our own people can't have them! This is crazy!"
"Saintess."
"Ugh..."
At Priest Piron's call, the Saintess bit her lip hard.
"Two Grandmasters and four Masters in one martial force, that's impressive. As expected of Zieghart."
King Bauren let out a sigh as he watched the Light Wind division receiving the elixirs.
"Not all of Zieghart is like this. We're a bit of an unusual case."
Raon shook his head with an embarrassed expression. It wasn't humility; even in the current Zieghart, there weren't many martial forces that could defeat the Light Wind division.
"In times like these when the Five Demons are running rampant, one can't help but envy such a formidable force. However..."
King Bauren looked around at the knights and priests in the audience chamber with a solemn smile.
"I believe that the knights and clergy of our Suphren possess courage beyond mere martial prowess, and will protect this land no matter who attacks."
"Of course!"
At those words, pride swelled on the faces of the knights and priests. It was an ideal relationship where the king trusted his subordinates, and the subordinates supported their king.
"Your Majesty. Since the Light Wind division's visit might be the will of God, how about inviting them to participate in the Holy Assembly? It's less than a week away."
The golden-haired Holy Knight smiled as he looked up at the ceiling where sunlight was fading.
"Hmm..."
King Bauren stroked his chin as if unsure whether it would be alright.
"What's the Holy Assembly?"
"It's an event where we offer prayers to God. Unlike the publicly known holy festivals, it's just prayers, so it might not be very entertaining..."
"As he said, the Holy Assembly isn't a festival, it's a prayer event. It's just a sleeping pill for outsiders. Just go."
The Saintess shook her head, saying it was a day of nothing but prayers.
"You won't be able to swing a sword that day, so it will be boring."
The Royal Guard who had been silent until now closed his eyes while placing his hand on his sword.
"It will certainly be boring, but facing a world filled with holy power will be quite a spectacle in its own right."
Priest Piron said it was a rare sight to see and asked them to stay.
"Hmm, if it were a festival I was going to leave, but if it's that kind of event, I'd rather participate."
Raon smiled, saying it might be helpful for the impatient Light Wind division.
'A world filled with holy power, huh...'
It's perfect for finding demons.
* * *
Raon scooped up some mint chocolate ice cream topped with almond slices and put it in his mouth.
The nuttiness of the almonds and the sweet bitterness of the mint chocolate filled his mouth sharply. Honestly, he couldn't tell what flavor it was.
-Ahhhh!
In contrast, Wrath let out a long exclamation while staring into space.
-It feels like my mouth is alive and breathing! It was already the best, but with the almonds on top, the taste has plummeted to the underground!
He wiggled his finger, urging Raon to try the next one.
'Plummeting to the underground is a compliment, right?'
Raon sighed and ate the whitish ice cream. A sweet yet refreshing coolness wetted his tongue.
-Is this pear-flavored ice cream? Ahh! It's as cool as diving into the North Sea!
Wrath grinned, saying this was happiness and what living was all about.
'Hey.'
Raon put down the spoon and called out to Wrath.
'You know who made a pact with the demon, right?'
-Of course I know.
Wrath nodded, as if to say "why wouldn't I know that?"
-However, I have no intention of telling you.
He muttered that he wouldn't open his mouth even if the ice cream was taken away now.
'I wasn't going to ask that. Instead...'
-Instead?
'Do you know what the pact between the demon and the human is?'
-How would this king know that!
Wrath shook his head, saying even if he summoned a demon god, he wouldn't know about the contract.
'Then when will the pact between the demon and the human take effect?'
-Hmm, judging by the amount of demonic energy that has built up, it won't be long...
He clicked his tongue, saying it would be soon.
'As I thought.'
Raon nodded as if he had expected this.
-As you thought?
'You said it's a human who made a pact with a demon and that it's their own business, but I think differently. If a high-ranking official in the Suphren Holy Kingdom made a pact with a demon, it could never be a personal matter.'
The goals of lower-ranking people are very simple and clear. They want money. They want to buy a nice house. They want to become stronger. It's all direct.
But those with status and power are different. Since they already enjoy many things, they would surely make wishes that require great sacrifice and are complex.
'As you said, if the demonic energy has built up, there's a high chance that an incident will occur at the Holy Assembly that's about to be held.'
That's why the answer was somewhat visible.
It's not arrogance, but the Light Wind division and I are strong.
It wouldn't be good for the contractor to have me and the Light Wind division remain at the Holy Assembly where the pact with the demon might take place.
It was likely to be someone who opposed me staying.
'The king said it would be boring, and the Holy Knight Commander suggested the Holy Assembly itself. Priest Piron was close to recommending it. The opposition was...'
The Saintess and the Royal Guard Captain?
I thought the Saintess was too obviously thuggish to be the one, but looking at it this way, it seemed like she might have been acting completely opposite to erase suspicion.
'This is difficult...'
There was so little information that even with hints, it was hard to figure out.
"Sigh..."
As Raon let out a short sigh, a knock was heard at the door.
"Come in."
A moment later, the door opened and Hoppen entered, bowing his head.
"I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
Not understanding what he meant, Raon tilted his head.
"I lied."
"What do you mean, you lied..."
"Didn't His Majesty say he had prepared martial arts manuals and elixirs for you, Raon? The truth is, I was the one who prepared them..."
Hoppen apologized and bowed his head again.
"At that time, father was so saddened by the death of my third brother that he had no room to think of anything else. Not just Brother Byten, but my first and second brothers had already returned to the goddess's embrace, so he was having an even harder time."
"Ah..."
Raon swallowed dryly. He hadn't known that three out of four princes had died, and a heavy sigh escaped him involuntarily.
"Father and everyone else were so immersed in the sorrow of losing my brother that I had to prepare everything myself."
Hoppen held out a wooden box and a martial arts manual. The wooden box contained the same Sacred Return Pills received from King Bauren, and the book was titled "Brown Swordsmanship."
"It's a defensive-focused transcendent swordsmanship. I learned it too. It will be helpful to you."
Raon looked at Hoppen without taking the wooden box and martial arts manual.
"You must have been struggling too, Hoppen. Why..."
"My brother didn't just pass away. He pushed me and the other knights away from the grasp of the Leader of the White Blood Religion. Even as he was dying, he asked me to take care of father, so I must do my part."
Hoppen said this as he handed over the martial arts manual and wooden box.
"..."
Raon was about to refuse, but seeing Hoppen's calm gaze, he reached out and accepted his gifts.
"Thank you for accepting them."
Hoppen smiled as if he understood the meaning behind it.
'He's a warm person.'
Both Hoppen and his brother Byten, whom he had met before, were people who grew on you the more you saw them. They were knights worthy of the name Holy Kingdom.
'But...'
I can't dismiss my suspicions.
"Sir Hoppen. I'm sorry, but could I see your wrist?"
Raon raised his finger, pointing at Hoppen's right wrist.
"My wrist?"
"Your aura is unusual, so I'd like to check it out."
"By all means."
Thick mana circuits pass through the wrist, so most martial artists don't let others touch their wrists.
But Hoppen immediately offered his wrist, as if he truly trusted me.
"Thank you..."
Raon nodded slightly and grabbed Hoppen's wrist. He pushed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation and Wrath's anger into his mana circuits.
"Mmm..."
Though it wasn't demonic energy, it was a force imbued with the Demon King's nature, so a low groan escaped from Hoppen's lips.
'As expected, there's nothing.'
Even after examining it thoroughly, there was no trace of demonic energy or demons.
If a demon had possessed Hoppen, it would have been hard to trust people for a while, but fortunately, that wasn't the case.
"Did you find anything unusual?"
"No."
Raon shook his head as he looked at Hoppen.
"Your aura isn't unusual, Sir Hoppen."
"What? What do you mean..."
"Now I can be honest with you."
Raon's gaze softened as he looked into Hoppen's confused eyes.
"The truth is, as soon as I entered Suphren, I felt demonic energy. At the entrance..."
He told Hoppen everything that had happened so far.
"Ah, no, that's..."
Hoppen's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"Th-That's impossible! Even if it could happen in the capital, how could it be in the audience chamber where father, the Saintess, Holy Knights, and priests were present..."
"It was more like the breath of demonic energy, not actual demonic energy. It's natural that you wouldn't notice it."
Raon calmly shook his head and summoned his Divinity Born from Darkness.
"H-Holy power?"
Hoppen's lips trembled as he saw the holy power burning in Raon's hand.
"It's definitely holy power, but why is there a dark aura..."
"It's holy power extracted from demonic energy. Because of this ability, I can detect the presence of demons better than anyone."
Raon continued speaking as he looked into Hoppen's wavering eyes.
"The demon will reveal themselves soon. I believe that moment will be during the upcoming Holy Assembly."
"P-Please give me a moment to think."
Hoppen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After about a minute, he slowly opened his eyes.
"..."
Raon waited silently for Hoppen's response.
"I'll believe your words for now. If there are no demons, it's good. If there are, it's better to be prepared, so there's nothing to lose."
Hoppen sighed and rubbed his chin. He seemed to have made a cool-headed judgment in a short time.
"What should I do?"
"First, please tell me about the high-ranking officials who were in the audience chamber."
Raon bowed his head as he asked Hoppen to tell him about the high-ranking officials who were in the audience chamber.
"Hah..."
Hoppen took a deep breath and raised his fingers.
"Let's start with Priest Piron whom we met. He's the Acting Chief Priest, the highest position among the twelve high priests. He became a priest from a young age and rose to his current position through many good deeds. He's the most respected person among all priests and knights."
"I see."
Hearing this, Raon remembered how the wild woman... no, the Saintess had been cowed by Priest Piron.
"The knight on the opposite side is Sir Danief, the Royal Guard Captain. He's a Grandmaster and the kingdom's finest knight. He's a man of few words, but a reliable friend and bodyguard who steadfastly protects my father."
Hoppen shook his head, saying these two had been with the king since childhood and couldn't possibly be involved.
"The person next to Sir Danief is my direct superior, Sir Kinier. Despite receiving God's blessing, he didn't become arrogant but continued training, achieving the rank of Paladin at a young age, which is the aspiration of all Holy Knights. And the Saintess is..."
He swallowed dryly, as if finding it difficult.
"Her language may be a bit rough, but her heart is warmer than anyone's. She went to every battlefield to save people."
"Is that so..."
Raon shook his head, finding it hard to believe.
"She personally went to Barene when it was attacked by the Leader of the White Blood Religion and the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance, and she also went to Balkar during its war with the Black Tower to save people."
"Hmm..."
Raon scratched his head, still finding it hard to believe.
"I understand if it's hard to believe."
Hoppen smiled slightly and went on to explain about the other priests and knights.
"Hah..."
After finishing all the explanations, Hoppen let out a long sigh.
"The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it's none of them. But I know you wouldn't speak nonsense, Raon, so it's frustrating."
"I understand. But we still need to find them."
As Raon was taking a deep breath, the door opened and the three squad leaders, Rimmer, and Mark Goetun entered.
"Why did you call us at this hour... sir."
Martha frowned as she unwrapped the towel from her wet hair. She was about to speak informally but raised her speech when she saw Hoppen.
"This isn't a formal setting now. You don't need to use that awkward polite speech."
"Really? I've been annoyed since seeing that bitch earlier, so that's good."
Martha sighed as she sat on the bed.
"Miss Rakshasa and the bitch."
Runaan giggled behind her hand.
"You shut up!"
Martha yelled at Runaan.
"Why did you call us?"
Rimmer wiggled his finger while sitting on a chair.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly. I need to find a gambling den."
"I have something important to discuss."
Raon relayed everything he had told Hoppen to everyone.
"Demonic energy in the Holy Kingdom..."
"I-Is that really true?"
"Demons…."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan swallowed dryly.
"I'm certain."
Raon nodded.
"And there's a high chance that demon will act during the Holy Assembly."
"That makes sense. They said all the priests, Holy Knights, and citizens will be praying all day. There will be plenty of time."
Rimmer nodded, saying even he would make a move on that day.
"So that's why you said you'd stay."
Burren nodded in understanding.
"I was wondering what was going on."
"I thought it was weird that a training maniac like you would stay behind."
Martha smirked, sharing the same thought.
"No, this is training too."
Raon calmly shook his head.
"Fighting demons or monsters will give us much more than just training in a room."
"Ugh..."
"You monster..."
The two shook their heads as if disgusted.
"Besides, imagine the reward for saving the Holy Kingdom from the hands of demons."
Raon clicked his tongue at length.
"You're joking."
Martha chuckled and shook her head.
"You're not an elf, there's no way you'd hope for something like that."
She pointed at the dazed Rimmer and shook her head.
"Right. You don't care about things like that."
Burren also shook his head, saying there was no need for that.
"Unlike the sly one."
Runaan nodded.
"Why are you all ganging up on me when I didn't even say anything!"
Rimmer shook his head vigorously.
Hoppen also smiled silently.
"Anyway, from tomorrow we need to find out who made a pact with the demon. We'll pretend to be sightseeing while sticking close to the high-ranking officials."
Raon nodded as he gave instructions to the three squad leaders, Rimmer, and Mark Goetun.
"I'll help too."
Hoppen clenched his fist, saying he would narrow down to only the truly trustworthy people.
"Yes. Let's give it a try."
Raon nodded as he met everyone's eyes.