—An upscale residential district in northern Babel.
After the ceremony ended, the Hero's party returned to their mansion.
"What the hell was that?!"
The Great Sage Satoru's bewildered shout echoed through the mansion, yet not one of those who usually reined him in uttered a word. And understandably so. Not a single person present had composure to spare.
"Let us not run from reality. Prince Gilbert and his two knights are strong. Stronger than anyone who was in that hall."
At the words of Isaac Gizdoor—a white-haired young man with slit-like eyes—everyone grimaced as though they had chewed on bitter herbs. Every last one of them knew there was no falsehood in his assessment.
"Was Gil even that strong in the first place? No, not just Gil. The movements of those two knights were insane. If he had monsters like that at his side, he wouldn't have even needed to team up with us."
Mashiro finally broke her silence. The ghastly intensity in her expression was something rarely seen on her face.
"Gil's intimidation, huh... If his words hold true, that was likely a skill. Though it was the first time I've ever witnessed power so utterly overwhelming."
The Paladin Hijiri stroked his well-defined chin, murmuring to himself.
"What are you talking about?! That's Gil we're talking about! Stubborn, selfish, and completely, hopelessly weak! That's who he is!"
At Satoru's somewhat desperate protest, Hijiri offered a reasoned reply.
"Satoru, there isn't a soul here who still thinks the current Gil is weak. And it's not just about raw power. Right down to how he carries himself, he isn't the Gil of old anymore. He's an entirely different person."
"No! Gil is Gil!"
Satoru shrieked, his voice cracking, before storming out of the room.
"Lord Satoru!"
A female knight stepped forward to follow him with a look of worry.
"Leave him be for now," Hijiri instructed with an exhausted sigh.
"However, Lord Hijiri..."
As she hesitated, Isaac gave a gentle nod of assent.
"It is quite all right. Go on."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
With a quick bow, the female knight hurried out after him.
"Well, I'm taking off too, then. Best way to clear your head when you're down is to raise a little hell and drink."
"Don't you just want an excuse to party?"
"Could be that too."
Tossing lighthearted banter back and forth, two other knights saw themselves out.
"He seems to be quite well-liked."
At Isaac's quiet observation, Hijiri glanced toward Mashiro and gave a wistful reply.
"Yeah. Satoru has a foul mouth, but deep down, he's earnest, simple, and incapable of deceit."
"So, what is the meaning behind the strength of Brother Gil and Tetor?"
Edward's second princess, Louise, forcefully steered the derailed conversation back on track.
"The reason remains unknown. But just as Sir Isaac says, Gil and his companions are stronger than we are."
"Stronger... even compared to Lady Mashiro?"
A senior knight asked in a voice laced with anxiety.
"Yeah, stronger even than Mashiro," Hijiri answered. "To be completely honest, I couldn't even follow the movements of Prince Knut's two aides. Yet they were subdued without breaking a sweat. Even Mashiro couldn't pull off something like that. Isn't that right, Mashiro?"
"Yes. It most likely means the rumor that Gil and his two knights defeated Demon King Aldebaran is true. That is the only conclusion."
Mashiro's blunt affirmation sent a visible tremor of unease through the room. It was only natural. Her words were synonymous with declaring that a monster greater than a Demon King had been born into this world. Worse still, that very monster called himself the King of monsters and the demon race. For Mashiro and her party, this was an absolute worst-case scenario.
"Gil was undeniably weak right up until he was taken into custody for the attempted murder of Guardian Knight Somni and apprentice knight Tetor. Something must have happened afterward. And the one who took him into custody was—"
As Hijiri trailed off, Mashiro supplied the answer.
"That Prime Minister, right? Well, if that man is involved, it makes a certain kind of sense."
"So what ultimately happens to the Throne Succession War? Does it mean that strong brother of mine takes the whole thing?" Louise asked, voicing her greatest concern.
"No, that's unlikely," Hijiri said. "We haven't received word from the Prime Minister that his frozen right of throne succession has been reinstated. I think it's safe to assume that the moment Gil became the King of Fiesta, he effectively withdrew from the race."
At Hijiri's confident assessment, Louise let out a visible sigh of relief.
"Oh, then isn't there no problem at all? It just means Brother Gil dropped out and won't be coming back, right? Sister Rose and that useless boy weren't in attendance this time either. It looks like Brother Gil and Sister Rose aren't aligned, anyway."
"That may be, but the strength of Prince Knut's aides was abnormal as well," Hijiri countered. "Either way, there's no denying that our faction is sorely lacking in military might."
"I agree," Mashiro said, her expression hardening with venom. "Above all, losing to a nation of monsters and demons in raw power is entirely out of the question."
An elderly senior knight stepped forward to ask for guidance.
"On that note, the Central Church has just reached out requesting a meeting. How shall we proceed?"
"The Central Church has already pledged to join hands with us," Mashiro mused aloud. "If they are requesting a formal audience on top of that, it must be regarding the founding of Fiesta."
"Ten to one, yeah," Hijiri agreed. "Those folks must be panicking just as hard."
"To the Central Church, a nation of monsters and demons is nothing short of an enemy of the gods," Mashiro continued. "There is no way they could ever acknowledge it, so they are undoubtedly in an even greater frenzy than we are. At a time like this, we can secure the Church's maximum backing. The question is whether relying on the Church will even be enough to stand against them."
"That place was where we first gained our power, too," Hijiri said. "They likely have a trump card to turn the tables this time as well. But there's still a problem."
"Yes, I know. You mean what you told me before—not to trust them blindly, right?"
"Exactly. In the end, they will inevitably become our enemies."
"I agree on that front as well."
"If you understand that much, then I have nothing more to say."
With that, Hijiri closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and fell silent.
Mashiro rose from the sofa, swept her gaze across the assembled company, and thrust her right hand high into the air.
"We are the guardians of humanity! We have a sacred duty to protect mankind from the threat of the demon race and monsters! No matter how immense the foe may be, we will attain even greater power and utterly eradicate them without fail!"
Her declaration of resolve rang out clearly.
Immediately, a chorus of rousing cheers erupted from the knights. As if fighting to blow away their deep-seated dread, their voices shook the very foundations of the room.