251 So please stay safe.

It took several days to cross the Ghanaian border and pass through the border with Mejlis. We headed straight for the royal capital of Meziz. I would have preferred to head straight for Serende, but I had kept the amount of supplies to a minimum in consideration of the burden on the horses, so resupplying was inevitable. If we didn't give the horses some time off, they wouldn't even have a way to get home.

After passing through the forests and mountains of Taize, and the plains of Gane, we arrived at Mejisu, which seemed to have less nature than the other countries. I've heard that the power of nature has deteriorated considerably, but this is the first time I've seen it like this. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

I'm sure you'll be able to see the capital by now. I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will work for you.

Yeah. I don't think it's a good idea to take Murasaki with us. Sorry.

I'm sure you'll be able to handle it, since I'm the one who sowed it.

The main reason for the persistence of the Yugra religion is that the birthplace of the religion, Mejlis, has suffered from disasters caused by the demon world. Many of the demons in the Mejis demon world are demons, and these demons are more intelligent than those in other demon worlds. On top of that, they even have a clear hostility towards humans, so they are of bad quality.

It is not in the best interest of either side to expose to the people of Mejisu the figure of Purple, the one who gave birth to the Mejisu demon world.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

That's right. ......

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea. In the event that you have any kind of questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

However, there are many people who have had their families and friends killed by demons in the past living here in Mejisu. It is unlikely that they will ever forgive Purple. If it was a problem that could be forgiven with an apology, we wouldn't have formed this relationship as the third force to deter each other.

After unloading Murasaki and Duvraeori from the carriage and leaving Ilias to steer the carriage for a few hours, two large buildings came into view. One was the castle of Mejis, the place where the king of Mejis resides. And standing taller than the castle was the Cathedral of Mejis, the headquarters of the Yugoslav religion. The structure is similar to that of the Yugra cult's facilities in other countries, but the scale is much larger than that of a holy place. It seems to be a mixture of the tastes of buildings on Earth, but I should think that this is the wisdom of Seiya Yukura.

"This is amazing.

It's much bigger than Maja's church!

As I had heard from Lakra before, walls are useless against demons that can fly in the sky, so there are no walls around the cathedral. Instead, there are huge wards that keep the demons out.

We're about to pass through the warding area. Have you taken care of Kutou yet?

Of course.

Even though he's possessed by a wooden sword, Kuto is still a demon. Even if you can avoid a simple search for enemies, you will quickly become exhausted if you are constantly in a ward. For this reason, I have covered Kuto's entire body with a custom-made cloth that I had Nora make in advance. This cloth is a useful item that will not be affected by wards and will make it difficult for more advanced search magic to reveal his true identity as a demon.

"Shoujikikurakute, Kyukutsu.

I had two choices, do this or leave it with the purple. You accepted, so don't complain.

"Joshi no meirei, kotowarenai. You can't do that.

That's right. It's a sad fact of life in a hierarchical relationship.

A similar cloth is wrapped around the right arm of Harkdock, who is riding in the wagon ahead of us. I thought about leaving him with the purple ones, but then I'd have to stick him in a barrel or a sack or have him pass out all the time. That would be too pitiful.

Compared to other countries, the streets of Mejis are more humble. This is probably due to the fact that it is the least affluent environment with the most demon damage, but I think it is also due to the fact that they are trying to make the cathedral more symbolic.

The knights of Tarz were to rest in the facilities of the castle of Mejlis, and they split off in that direction. I'm going to go to the cathedral to greet Pope Eupharo. If we could afford it, we should at least say hello to the king of Mejis, but in Mejis, where the holy land of the Yugra religion is located, Pope Eupalo has more power than the king of Mejis. If the times were different, a king seeking power might cause a religious crackdown, but the Yugra religion has many secret arts handed down by Seiya Yukura. No one would be foolish enough to make an enemy of such a power.

If I were the king, what would I do? Would I infiltrate with spies and steal the secret arts to close the technology gap and regain the equal position? But I'm not sure if the people would follow. In fact, a moderate puppet state might be more comfortable without the pressure of responsibility. Yeah, I'm not fit to stand on top of people.

As I was imagining such things as a high school student might do, I arrived at the entrance of the cathedral. The entrance to this huge, traditional building is overwhelming.

Welcome to Mejlis. We've been expecting you.

We were greeted at the entrance by several members of the clergy and the Pope's caretaker, Lilisa. Just like when I had met General Odysseus in Trinh, it was a relief to meet a familiar face in a place I had never been before. But I've hardly talked to this person directly. The first time I met him, he was Rahite inside. "Rahite inside" is a bit of a swear word, isn't it?

"Long time no see, Lisa. You've changed a bit.

Her hair is much shorter than it was when she visited Tarz. I had the impression that she took good care of her hair, and she is not the kind of person who would spare such trouble. If so, there's some kind of change of heart,......, and you've broken up with Yox,......, but it doesn't sound like you've lost your heart.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. ....... The Pope is waiting for you in the back, I'll show you.

"Yes, please.

I have a bad feeling about that reaction. No, not just a little. This reaction is different from that of someone who has had some misfortune in their past. It's the reaction of someone who owes something to the person in front of them. There is nothing bad that will happen to us if you cut your hair. That is to say, the reason why she cut her hair, there is something in it that is not good news for us.

We met up with the people in the other carriage and were led to a place that looked like a guest room. There I saw Archbishop Ucka and Pope Eupharo, whom I had not seen for a long time. Archbishop Ucka looked as friendly as ever, but Pope Eupharo seemed to be under a great deal of stress.

I'm glad you're here. How was your first visit to the cathedral?

"I've seen big castles all over the world, but I've never seen a religious building of this scale. I was overwhelmed. Thank you for helping us with the supplies.

"Stopping Nektokhar's ambitions is inevitable for the Yugra religion - and the world. I have no intention of sparing you anything.

Pope Eupharo is acting stranger than before. I had expected him to be mentally fatigued from the voice I heard in the transmission, but there is another reason for this lack of energy. It's the same as Lilisa's, something close to guilt. With so much material to work with, I can think of several guesses, but ...... I'll narrow it down.

"By the way, Your Holiness, how is Yokus doing?

"How is--

Oh, I don't even need to narrow it down anymore. That's the right answer. Not only Lilisa, but even His Holiness Eupharo has given us a clear response.

...... You're always so clever, aren't you?

It's because the Pope is letting his emotions show on his face more than usual. ...... Yokus went to Serendipity first, didn't he?

"What?

Ilias, who shouts in surprise, stops him and turns to face Pope Eupharo. He had no intention of hiding this. It wasn't something that could be hidden in the first place, though.

One of the archbishops, or someone with appropriate power, must have approached him. What the Pope couldn't control was that Yokus had already left by the time he received the report: ....... No, he kept it to himself until Yoxu left, didn't he? Lilisa.

"...... Yes.

The guilt she felt was closer to that of someone who shared her guilt than to that of someone who had committed it. This person is a close friend of yours, someone you know. That's why she was feeling sorry for me. Who was the person who made her share that guilt? Not Pope Eupharo, who was close to her. Of course not Archbishop Ucka, who has been the same since he entered the room and is now surprised by what he just said. Then, by process of elimination, there is a very high possibility that it is Yokus.

This is how it will play out. There is someone who doesn't like the idea of us taking the lead, and that person has made a plan to use the Holy Knights to invade Serende first. Yoxu, who cared about Pope Eupharo's feelings, would have refused, but he didn't because there was a possibility that another holy knight would be sent to Serende if Yoxu refused. Yox told his love interest, Lilisa, about the situation and asked her to delay her report to Pope Eupharo.

The goal is to get to Serraes before we do, right?

"Yes, that's what Lilitha said. Yox didn't tell her who gave the orders, but ...... the only person I can think of who can move the Holy Knight is ...... probably Archbishop Oomsam.

I've heard that Archbishop Omsam is the same person who was in charge of the Yugoslavian branch in Ghanaian as Maja in Tarz. In the event you're not sure what you're looking for, you'll be able to find a lot more information on the web.

When did Yokus leave Mejlis?

Three days ago. If he's already arranged for a fast horse, he should have arrived in Serendipity by now.

A fast horse is a means of traveling by changing horses at several points along the way. In this way, the horse does not need to rest, and can continue riding as long as the rider has the strength to do so. Normally, there are restrictions such as the rider's physical strength and the inability to travel at night when visibility is poor, so the travel time does not become much shorter just because the horse is fast. But if you are a holy knight, you will have the strength to continue riding during the day, and if you use magic to light your way, you can travel at night.

The Iliad. How long would it take you to catch up if you rode instead of riding in a carriage?

"Tarzan's warhorse is faster than normal, but it's not replaceable. They have to take breaks along the way, so they're about the same as fast horses.

I'm not sure if it's the same as a fast horse that can run day and night with breaks, but that's pretty much it. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at the web site. It's not only the loss of manpower, but the loss of Taze's backing could severely limit our activities in Serende.

We have to hurry as much as possible. ....... Rakra, contact Purple and tell them to have the Butler Army scout for Yokus on his way to Serende. Help me if you can.

"Yes, sir!

The two of them will be essential pieces in the fight against Raheit and the others, although Duvvleiori and Ekduik alone can go faster. This is the best we can do to help.

"Lilitha was only asked by Jox. This is my fault for choosing the wrong person to make the key.

"The Pope is doing well enough. Let's just dismiss it as an unfortunate accident and deal with it as best we can.

It's a blessing that he tolerates the existence of "me" cooperating with the demon king. If not for the efforts of His Holiness Eupharo, it is possible that we would have been subjected to even more vicious interference. If Pope Eupharo had acted in the same way as Ceraes, there would have been a war between humans. There are not many people who can get away with such a problem in the midst of the shifting public perception of the fact that the foundation of their religion has been proven to be overturned.

"Dear Star People of Yuggra: ....... I am well aware that I am not qualified to say such a thing. But please, Yox...

"No one has the right to say this but you. I'll do my best.

I'll just say a few sarcastic words to Yokus. You made me feel guilty for making my lover feel this way. A stiff like you deserves to be tongue-tied in the shadows for blabbing about your girlfriend in front of others.

It was my first visit to Mejis, but I was so busy preparing for my departure in the morning that I didn't have time to do any sightseeing before we left for Serende. The holy knights ahead of us would only be able to be in Serende for about three days, and considering that we had obtained information on Nektokhar's base and the key to get there, there would already be some commotion.