The Territory of the Elden Demon Kingdom.
Colonel Yakov Schwizen of the Kingdom Army’s Intelligence Division was driving his military four-wheeled vehicle down the main street, heading toward the designated meeting place.
The surroundings resembled the rural towns at the kingdom’s far borders.
The main road wasn’t paved, making it prone to puddles. Of course, there was no electricity, and the disorganized streets, mostly built from stone and brick, gave off a dreary impression.
“Hmph… For a major city, this is pathetic. Nothing but uncivilized brutes in these undeveloped lands.”
Indeed, humankind was superior, uniquely cherished by the divine, unlike other races. Visiting this place reminded him once again of that fact, one of the few benefits he could appreciate about his official duties.
… It is only natural that our advanced kingdom should soon govern and develop this land.
The war situation was heavily in the kingdom’s favor, and preparations for the next invasion were progressing smoothly. In his role as an envoy, Schwizen regularly gathered and exaggerated the opinions of officers eager for conflict.
“There are signs from the Demon Army. Now is the time to strike.”
This report was relayed to Brigadier General Solfege of the Intelligence Division, and it was now bearing fruit.
“Ah, there you are.”
The high, clear voice greeted Schwizen as his vehicle reached the central “detention facility” in the town of Elden.
Schwizen quickly parked, jumped out, and stood at attention to salute.
“My deepest apologies for the delay, Lady Saint Artemis!”
“Oh no, you’re still on time. I simply arrived early, so please don’t worry.”
Artemis responded with a refreshing smile.
She held the title of “Saint,” the highest rank among female clergy in the kingdom’s church, fourth in line. She was also a member of the hero unit assembled in Elden for the upcoming invasion.
She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, wearing a white priestess robe and a tiara shaped like a crown of thorns. She kept her expression soft but sighed lightly.
“Actually, our hero had me accompany him for a direct appeal to the brigadier general of the stationed forces from early this morning. I’m just on my way back now.”
“The hero? What could he have wanted…?”
“To speed up the invasion. It seems he’s become quite addicted to battling demons since the last conflict.”
“I… see…”
Schwizen had heard about the hero’s temperament.
Even before the war with the Demon Kingdom, he’d diligently trained with his sword, eagerly awaiting a chance to showcase his skills.
… If it were peacetime, such battle mania would be concerning, but right now, it’s reassuring.
“So, Colonel Schwizen, what is the purpose of calling me here today?”
“Oh, right. I’ll explain inside.”
Schwizen escorted Artemis into the facility.
“This way.”
“Oh…”
In the long, narrow room he led her to, Artemis covered her mouth and nose with her hand.
Schwizen instinctively closed his eyes as the stinging smell hit him.
In front of them was a room surrounded by iron bars—a prison.
Inside a cage barely large enough for six people to lie down, more than twenty demons of various ages and genders were crammed together.
And that was just one cage. Several more cages were lined up deep in the room, all packed with captured demons.
“These demons were caught here in Elden or apprehended while trying to escape. There are about two hundred in total.”
“Oh… that sounds like quite the cleaning challenge…”
Naturally, they didn’t provide detailed care for the captive demons. Food was thrown into the cages, and waste and dirt were washed off by pouring large amounts of water over them from outside. Only the passageways for the guards were kept clean.
“It must be hard for them to even breathe like this.”
Artemis took a small, notebook-sized holy scripture from her pocket and let it glow white. Using a purifying holy spell, she instantly transformed the surrounding air into something fresh and clean.
“I apologize for troubling you.”
“Not at all. But that’s not the reason you called me here, is it?”
“Yes, that’s right. I was hoping you could reinforce the holy barrier that’s currently suppressing the demons’ powers.”
“A stronger barrier?”
“Yes, well… we cannot afford another escape, like last time…”
“Ah, I understand. If that’s the case, leave it to me.”
Artemis smiled gently.
She didn’t mention Schwizen’s previous failure, only responded with a beautiful, compassionate smile.
“Then, let me cast ‘Saint Healing’ on the cages.”
“Healing…? Isn’t that a sustained recovery spell…?”
“Yes. But, depending on how it’s used, it can be quite handy, you see?”
Artemis placed her hand on the nearest cage. Her hand began to glow with a strong, white light—
…
…
…
…
“──Ha, ha…!?”
A foolish sound escaped Schwizen’s lips.
No one else dared to speak.
Schwizen, along with the Kingdom soldiers present, stood in stunned silence, while the captured demons in the other cages fell silent in terror.
The demons in the cage Artemis had touched… their bodies had suddenly begun to “burn” white, and within seconds, they had turned to human-shaped lumps of charcoal.
“… Fufufu… Oh dear, I just couldn’t help myself.”
Saint Artemis looked into the cage filled with ashes and charred remains, raising the corners of her mouth in a smirk.
“I cast the holy art on the demons instead of the cage. As a devout servant of God, I cannot stand for such beings to exist here.”
“Did you… use holy flame magic?”
“No, it was Saint Healing. When a demon receives the blessing of holy power, their bodies simply ignite. Do you know why that happens?”
Schwizen shook his head silently.
Artemis chuckled, “It’s simple.”
“The answer is that God does not permit the existence of demons. Thus, they are punished by the divine flame.”
Artemis continued walking, touching each cage with her white-glowing hand. As she passed, the terrified cries and soft sobs of the demons inside grew louder.
“Listen well, vile creatures of darkness.”
Artemis spoke clearly, her voice calm but resolute.
“Should you touch these cages, my holy art will incinerate you with ‘God’s Flame.’ If you value your lives… you understand, don’t you?”
After touching each cage, Artemis returned to Schwizen.
“With this, the barrier should be secure.”
“Thank you very much…”
Schwizen took a shaky breath, unable to look away from the charred remains of the demons.
Artemis’s hatred of demons was fierce, far more so than Schwizen’s, and he was left awestruck by it.
However…
“Ah, Lady Artemis, there is one more matter.”
Remembering the main reason for summoning Artemis, Schwizen spoke up.
“It’s about the ‘Dark Healer.’”
At those words, Artemis froze.
Though he sensed a shift, she didn’t stop him from speaking further.
“This barrier… could it possibly be breached by something like dark healing magic?”
“No, no, no, absolutely not. That’s impossible. Absolutely not.”
This time, Artemis interrupted him directly.
“While it’s true that holy and dark energies can cancel each other out, there’s no way a dark healer exists who could counter my healing arts.”
“Um, Lady Artemis…?”
“Colonel Schwizen, are you concerned about the incident involving ‘Kiwi Alaya’?”
Schwizen nodded.
Yes, it was because of his experience in that facility that he now took these measures so seriously.
“If that’s the case, rest assured. Someone of that level could never surpass my holy arts.”
“Well, of course, but… according to Kiwi Alaya’s research, some dark healing spells are classified as ‘mythical’ tier—”
Schwizen stopped himself mid-sentence.
Artemis’s expression had vanished from her face.
“Whatever the Kingdom Church might believe, I do not acknowledge it. I refuse to accept that someone like Kiwi Alaya could have succeeded in researching something beyond human reach, so-called ‘mythical’ magic.”
Her voice was flat, almost forcedly so.
“He’s nothing but a ‘demon child’ born with magical powers. His so-called research is not worth believing.”
“L-Lady Artemis? Do you… perhaps have some personal connection to Kiwi Alaya?”
“… Connection? Well, if you insist, we do have a ‘connection’ of sorts.”
Artemis chuckled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“After all, I was the one who had that heretic expelled from the Healers’ Guild.”
