Chapter 824 - Chapter 1: The Oracle Descends
Spring in the north of the White Island is late. Especially north of the Highlands in Finis, it can be said to finally arrive in May. Generally, the May Festival is to celebrate the arrival of spring, but for the central to southern parts of the White Island, it becomes a time that could be called the beginning of summer. There was a time when temperatures were lower than they are now. Of course, this is within the range recorded in human history. The May Festival at that time was the same as the current northern White Island, with various flowers blooming all at once, truly a festival to celebrate the arrival of spring. Even if the climate changes through the ages, human customs do not change.
At the time when a grand wedding reception banquet by three pairs of newlyweds was being held at Jeanne's farm, a black cat with a slightly swollen belly was cornering a rat that had entered to raid the temple's food storage.
"Ufufu. My belly has come out, but I can still catch rats without Charm."
A cornered rat bites the cat. It will surely jump at me in desperation. It might be a bit of a struggle, but it's the same as always. I'll punch it a few times to stop its movement. Then, I just need to pin it down with my right hand and bite its neck. It'll be over once I dislocate the tibia. I've been lacking exercise lately, so I have to hunt here and move my dull body. Now, how much will this one entertain me?
Suddenly, the door of the food storage that had been closed banged open. Light shone into the darkness.
"Poppy! Are you here? If you are, come out right now!"
The voice of the apprentice priestess echoed. From the line and the feel of the voice, she seems to be in a hurry. Perhaps royalty has come from the Royal Capital. Did this girl's father do something? If so, we might have to go to the Royal Capital.
"It can't be helped. Let's finish this quickly."
Poppy chanted Charm to put the rat into a hypnotic state and finished it in one breath.
"Nyaun."
She goes to the apprentice priestess who keeps calling her name while carrying the rat in her mouth. Since she had entered the food storage, she went to the door first and let out the rat outside the room before meowing. If she didn't, the apprentice priestess might leave the rat she caught and take Poppy away. It's not good to leave a corpse in the food storage.
"Poppy! You were here."
"Nyaun."
"You caught a rat for me. Thank you. But it's fine for now. Come, I'll take you to Obaba-sama."
As expected. The apprentice priestess squatted, picked up Poppy, and started running toward where the Priestess would be.
The Priestess was in the anteroom of the Oracle Room. All the apprentice priestesses were also gathered. No, saying all were gathered would be wrong. One was missing. She must be sleeping in the bed placed in the waiting room. A priestess who has obtained an oracle is always made to sleep like that after finishing conveying the so-called words of the Goddess.
It seems some oracle has descended.
The fact that everyone's faces are tense means it's something bad. No, it's not just bad. They are pale. It's quite bad. Recently, they were complaining that the water was getting murky because there was little rain. Could it be that this summer will be a drought? The area around the lake is fine, but what about other regions? Surely, it won't become a famine. Not just the temple priestesses, but everyone in the village is worried.
Obaba-sama took Poppy and held her to her chest. She goes straight to the temple's backyard. When she sat Poppy on the ground, one of the apprentice priestesses covered Poppy's head with a cloth mainly in green. The cloth swelled up and became a person wearing Green Marble. A human form of a low-level demon. The black cat, released from possession, was held by one of the apprentice priestesses just like that. It's always like this when Obaba-sama wants to converse with Poppy.
"Poppy. There is something I must tell you."
Obaba-sama has a solemn expression. Usually, she smiles with a calm expression no matter what happens, but now there is no smile. This is no ordinary matter.
"Our dear Poppy. I will tell you first. No matter what happens from now on, everyone in this temple is your family."
Poppy was taken aback by Obaba-sama's sudden words. Just what kind of oracle had descended?
"Just now, an oracle descended that the Demon Lord will be resurrected."
"T-the Demon Lord-sama?"
"Yes. What will you do?"
"What do you mean... I'm a low-level demon. I have nothing to do with the Demon Lord's army, so I'll stay here."
"I see... Yes. That's right! Good!"
Everyone took turns hugging Poppy, saying "Good, good." They wanted to rejoice in at least the happiness of their own family.
"Is it safe here?"
Poppy asked while pressing her belly. An average demon should be fine. There's the Water Dragon. If it comes to it, there's also the option of moving to the island and having the Water Dragon protect us.
"It's safe here. We have the Water Dragon, after all. There's no record of this temple ever being targeted. In fact, they don't even come near the lake. Neither the Demon Lord nor the Demon Lord's army."
"I see, that's good."
"I'm sure your husband will be fine too. The Demon Lord will not be resurrected in Finis."
"Where?"
"Medioland."
Medioland. I've heard of it. It's far to the south from here. This area is a mountainous region called Finis. There's a plain to the south, and it's a country called Northern Gram. I've heard those two countries are in the north, and Medioland is quite far south from there. As long as he doesn't get caught up in the actions of an independent army, he should be fine. If the Demon Lord-sama is resurrected, that demon who made a contract with me should also be resurrected. According to Obaba-sama, it's safe here, but I'll stay inside the temple as much as possible. That's right. I'll talk to the Water Dragon too.
Poppy summarized her thoughts and looked at the water surface.
"Now, everyone. We must inform the Royal Capital. Let's make a clean copy of the oracle we heard."
"Yes."
"Poppy, just in case, tell the Water Dragon about the Demon Lord's resurrection."
"Yeah. I understand."
Tension returned, but everyone was able to feel brighter through the interaction between Obaba-sama and Poppy.
◆◆◆◆
The news of the Demon Lord's resurrection was brought from the Temple of the Water Dragon to the Finis Royal Capital Grand Church, and from there through the Medioland Royal Capital Grand Church to the Royal Capital Grand Churches of each country, and then to the royal families of each country. The royal families who received the news are to immediately withdraw their troops even if they are in the middle of continuing acts of war, and prepare for battle with the Demon Lord's army. And they have been fighting the Demon Lord's army, which is organized by high-level demons centered on the various Demon Realms that become active along with the oracle of resurrection.
The resurrection of the Demon Lord, which has been unfolding since ancient times, had a simple pattern in a sense. And humans fought the Demon Lord's army according to that pattern.
There are several places where the Demon Lord is resurrected, but they are generally fixed. Therefore, humans make the place where he was resurrected part of their territory, or the lord adjacent to it becomes the Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Lord subjugation. The Commander-in-Chief remains in that position until the Demon Lord is subjugated, issuing instructions for the subjugation of the Demon Lord and the Demon Lord's army to each country and obtaining support.
In various parts of the White Island, there are places called Demon Realms where monsters are particularly numerous. Normally, high-level demons organize the Demon Lord's army in those lands. Then, they advance into human territory nearby. The human side sent in forces for the subjugation of the Demon Lord's army, centered on the kings of each country. As a result, fierce battles unfolded in various places, and many lives were lost.
"Then, Your Majesty. Are you saying that this resurrection of the Demon Lord is different from the conventional ones?"
In the audience chamber in a corner of the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Sertoria, Evans asked the King. On the throne in front sat the King and Queen Magdalena. Beside them were Henry and Eleanor, along with five members of the royal family, including two princes and one princess. The royal family was urgently summoned upon receiving the news of the Demon Lord's resurrection. The only ones not present were the King's brother Roberts, who leads the Eastern Plains Corps, and Gladys. The Cabinet members under State Chancellor Evans and the executives of the Royal Capital Grand Church who made it in time for the emergency summons were also present.
"Yeah. Due to the activities of the Henry Party and Bishop Jeanne, most of the executives should be weakened. And most of the Demon Realms in each country have already been conquered. It's even doubtful if the Demon Lord's army itself can be maintained."
As a result of the Northwest Coast Treaty and the conditional non-aggression pact with Engrio, there was no longer a need to be wary of war on the White Island, so each country proceeded to conquer the Demon Realms one after another.
"And one more thing. As you all know, in several Demon Realms, there are Demon Lord's armies that are organized. However, no movement of offensive against humans has been seen yet. Right? Grand Archbishop."
"There were instructions from the Grand Archbishop regarding that matter as well. As long as the opponent does not take the offensive, we are to only monitor and not actively fight."
There was someone who objected to the interaction between these two. It was General Victor. He was at the garrison of the unit in the eastern part of the Royal Capital area, waiting for instructions from the King to depart upon receiving the news of the Demon Lord's resurrection. He was urgently called back to the Royal Palace. He had no choice but to return to the Royal Palace by transferring through Teleportation Circles. Because of that, he arrived later than the others. However, as someone who had been waiting for instructions to depart, he couldn't help but say a word about the leisurely interaction between the two.
"However, Your Majesty. The Demon Lord's armies whose commanders have been confirmed at this point, as Your Majesty says, have indeed not taken active action last time or the time before, with one exception. However, that one exception is within our country's territory!"
Victor's statement was a fact. However, with one exception. The Demon Lord's armies in the Demon Realms that were acting in a somewhat organized state after the Demon Lord who was resurrected last time was subjugated were confirmed in the mountains on the border of Finis and Northern Gram, northern Morandine, east of the Engrio Royal Capital, and the Northeastern Forest of Sertoria across the entire White Island. Among these, the army that actively took the offensive toward human settlements and fortresses was said to be only the army in the Northeastern Forest of Sertoria. Actually, the army led by the Dullahan entrenched on the border of Finis and Northern Gram was acting to occupy the Dryad's Forest adjacent to its territory, so the target of attack was the Dryad's Forest. However, because the Northern Gram Royal Family had made the area around that forest a restricted area, human fortresses and settlements were just not attacked. In any case, the only army that actively engaged with humans was the army in the Northeastern Forest of Sertoria.
"That's right, Victor."
"If so, our army should quickly send reinforcements to the Eastern Plains Corps and have them prepare. Since the Royal Capital area and the Eastern Plains were connected by highway the year before last, units stationed in the eastern Royal Capital area will arrive at the Eastern Plains in less than three days!"
Victor took a step forward and pressed the King for instructions.
"Victor, calm down for a bit."
"How can I stay calm! That land was where the first offensive of the Demon Lord's army began when the Demon Lord was resurrected last time and the time before. Let's prepare quickly!"
"There is no need for that. We have signed a non-aggression contract."
"A non-aggression contract... That is..."
Victor almost said that was until the Demon Lord was resurrected, but he hurriedly swallowed those words. Setting aside the heretic King Seldic, it's not something that can be made public that the Sertoria Royal Family, who are followers of the Goddess, had a contract with a high-level demon.
"It's a contract with the spirit leading the remnants of the Demon Lord's army in that land."
"A contract with a spirit?"
"Yeah, a Cait Sith."
"A Cait Sith?"
Victor inadvertently let out a cracked voice.
Previously, Henry and Eleanor secretly signed a contract with the self-proclaimed Demon Lord army executive No. 6 entrenched in the Northeastern Forest. The second-in-command of that force is a Cait Sith. When signing the contract, Roberts had a duel with the Cait Sith, and the boundary line was determined based on the result. Since then, Eastern Plains Corps Commander Roberts and the Cait Sith have occasionally contacted each other through the Dryad Renata, who lives in the Northeastern Forest, and the Elf Prince, so that no conflict occurs between humans and the Demon Lord's army.
"It was just a short while ago. I received a message from Roberts."
"F-from Roberts-sama?"
Victor looked at the Grand Archbishop, and the Grand Archbishop also looked at Victor.
The proposal from the Cait Sith to the humans was a result of him having come to lead the Demon Lord's army in the Northeastern Forest. The demon who had been leading the unit until then was pulled out as a direct subordinate of the Demon Lord. This was because three of the four demons who had been leading the Demon Lord's army as the Four Heavenly Kings significantly lost their power. Only one was able to maintain the position of the Four Heavenly Kings. It's the one who was the fourth demon and was supervising the first layer of the Demon Lord's cave. As a result of the top three dropping out, the fifth to seventh were pulled up. And the unit remaining in the Northeastern Forest was entrusted to the second-in-command Cait Sith. That Cait Sith, after calmly observing his own and others' combat power, judged that they should maintain the non-aggression state with humans as they have until now. The Cait Sith is a spirit. That being the case, even if the Sertoria Royal Family signed a contract to avoid battle, the church shouldn't be able to complain.
"This matter has been conveyed to the Grand Archbishop through the Archbishop."
Since Victor arrived later than the others, he hadn't heard such a story.
"Is that so?"
When he looked at the Archbishop's face, he was given a light nod.
"I-I apologize for that. Your Majesty."
Like a serious soldier, Victor bowed his head to the King and apologized.
According to the King of Sertoria, although the oracle of the Demon Lord's resurrection had descended, the movements of the Demon Lord's armies in various places were reportedly very dull compared to previous resurrections of the Demon Lord.
In particular, in the Demon Realm of Engrio, a negotiation with a messenger dispatched by King Seldic was established, and a non-aggression pact was signed on the condition that the human side completely withdraws from the fortresses built for monitoring and does not lay a hand on the Demon Realm, including hunting, during the Demon Lord's resurrection. Of course, it is excluded if an instruction to actively invade is issued by the Demon Lord. However, it seems it hasn't been issued at this point. King Seldic made that public and was sending messengers to each country urging them to actively sign pacts with the Demon Lord's armies.
Other than that, although it's within the range not made public, a similar pact had been signed with the Dullahan who has a base in the production area near the border of Finis and Northern Gram.
"T-then, are we not going to do anything?"
"No, I have ordered monitoring centered on the Nakanohara Light Infantry Corps and the Eastern Plains Paratroop Jaegers. Do not lay a hand on them at all until the opponent breaks the pact."
"What about preparations for the departure of cavalry and heavy infantry?"
"It's fine for now. Stand by."
"S-stand by?"
"That's right. Please stand by at the garrison. If we move troops around the Demon Realm poorly, it might provoke the opponent and trigger a useless conflict."
"I-I see. Is that so."
Victor, who was completely let down, didn't know what to say and remained only to give a formal reply.