In the Holy Principality of Ames

I had finally returned home to the Holy Principality of Ames.

My father, the current Duke, was currently staring at the air conditioner I had brought back. He was beyond simple moved; he was practically worshipping the Divine Tool, tears streaming down his face as he prayed before it.

"I never even dreamed that I would lay eyes upon a Divine Tool in my lifetime," he whispered.

"What is more, Father, the one who created this is still among us," I added.

He snapped his head toward me, eyes wide. "Where is this person now!?"

"He laments this world of constant conflict. He seeks to establish an Independent State to unify the entire world."

I knew Yuri would likely faint if he heard how I was framing his goals, but my father swallowed the story whole. Permanent global peace had always been the ultimate ambition of the Holy Principality of Ames. He didn't harbor a single shred of doubt that a God—the creator of Divine Tools—intended to achieve exactly that.

"In that case, we cannot afford to fall behind," Father declared, his voice trembling with resolve. "We must begin preparations to hand over the country immediately."

"Father, are you certain!?"

"It is only natural. This is a nation meant to be ruled by the divine. If God has appeared, the natural order dictates that He should lead us. So, where is He now?"

"He is currently traveling through other nations on business. However, I have received word that He plans to become engaged to the princess of the Beast Kingdom."

Father faltered for a moment, a shadow of hesitation crossing his face.

"We need to investigate the movements of the other powers," he mused. "I doubt any nation would leave such a figure alone, the Beast Kingdom notwithstanding."

"Understood," I replied. "I will dispatch a spy to look into the matter."

"I’m counting on you, Marina. Everything we do is for the sake of our God."

It wasn't long before the reports started trickling in. Every piece of information was more outrageous than the last.

"Father, I have gathered the intelligence on the other nations," I said, entering his study.

"And? What did you find?"

"It is exactly as you feared. Every major power has already begun to move."

"So, we really are late to the game..." Father’s expression darkened with frustration.

"The Empire's movements are the most blatant. In addition to offering up the Emperor's Grandson, they have apparently dispatched several of the Single Digits—the Ninth—to serve as His military force."

"For the meritocratic Empire to go that far... We cannot let them outmaneuver us. Marina."

I knew exactly what he was going to say before the words even left his lips.

"I have no objections, Father," I said firmly. "Should Lord Yuri desire it, I am prepared to marry into his house immediately."

"Good. I’m counting on you."

"However," I hesitated, "the intelligence regarding the other two nations is… problematic."

Father narrowed his eyes. "...In what way?"

"First, the Trismalis Demon Kingdom. With the Demon Lord currently missing, the Four Heavenly Kings have taken control of the Demon Race. They’ve concluded that a human from the Kingdom of Inraku kidnapped their leader. They are currently mobilizing for an invasion."

"And where exactly does the Demon Kingdom border?"

"Alf Town—the very heart of the land God currently rules."

The moment the words left my mouth, Father slammed his fist onto the desk, the wood groaning under the impact.

"They would dare attack God!?" he roared. "Such blasphemy cannot be overlooked! Prepare for war at once! This is a Holy War to protect our God!"

"Wait, Father! There is more! The situation is even more volatile than that!"

"What now!? Which country is it this time!?"

"The Kingdom of Inraku... the very nation where Lord Yuri currently resides."

"Fine! We’ll crush them too!"

"Please, wait! The information from Inraku is being tightly suppressed; nothing is confirmed yet. Since Lord Yuri is technically a subject there, any clumsy intervention on our part might cause Him to despise us."

Father went quiet, processing the risk. "...I see. Then we shall position our troops so they can respond the moment an emergency arises. No... I want you to go back there, Marina. Can you do that?"

"Of course. I’ll be ready to depart immediately. But what about you, Father?"

"I will lead the campaign against the Demon Kingdom. It is the only logical choice."

"Actually... for some reason, the Demon Lord himself is currently staying in Lord Yuri’s territory."

Father stared at me, his jaw dropping. "Hah!? What in the world are you talking about!?"

"I don't know," I admitted, feeling a headache coming on. "The situation is so convoluted that even I can't make sense of it anymore..."

"...I see. Then this has already escalated beyond our ability to manage. We have no choice but to leave it in God's hands."

Father stood up and grabbed his formal traveling coat.

"We will follow God’s lead. Prepare to depart for the Divine Kingdom immediately. And Marina? Make sure we have the finest tributes ready."

"Understood. I'll see to it at once."

I hurried from the room to begin my preparations. Of course, I made sure to mobilize a minimum tactical force—just in case we needed to act.

With this, Chapter Three comes to a close.

In Chapter Four, the stage returns once again to Alf Town.