The Holy Kingdom.
Located in the northwest corner of the continent, its territory occupies the peninsula southwest of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Surrounded by sea on three sides, it is a peninsular nation.
A massive bay divides the land into northern and southern regions, giving the country a U-shaped geography. The bay stretches roughly forty kilometers in length and up to two hundred kilometers across.
The lands separated by this bay are known as the Northern Holy Kingdom and the Southern Holy Kingdom.
Though the nation has existed for only around two hundred years, the Holy Kingdom is a strongly religious state. The Holy King stands at its pinnacle, ruling in cooperation with the temple authorities.
The city of Hoburns.
As the capital of the Holy Kingdom, located in the Northern Holy Kingdom, it serves as both the political center and the heart of the nation's faith.
Drawing closer, we enter the royal castle of Hoburns.
Inside the palace, seated upon the throne at the highest point, a young woman was issuing orders.
"Then I'll leave the rest to you."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The man who replied wore light leather armor.
His name was Pabel Baraja, one of the Nine Colors of the Holy Kingdom, bearing the title of Black.
The Nine Colors were titles corresponding to nine different colors granted by the Holy King.
Most recipients earned them through strength, though some were awarded for exceptional contributions to culture or the nation.
Anyone granted one of the Nine Colors was a talent recognized in their respective field within the Holy Kingdom.
Pabel fixed a steady gaze on the young woman seated upon the throne. After respectfully bowing, he slowly withdrew from the hall.
Only after confirming that he had left did the girl on the throne release a quiet sigh.
She was the current Ruler of the Holy Kingdom, the first Holy Queen: Calca Bessarez.
"The Sorcerer Kingdom… I wonder whether it will bring fortune or disaster to the Holy Kingdom…"
Looking across the now empty hall, the Holy Queen sighed again, worry clear on her face.
Not long ago, the Sorcerer Kingdom had announced that it would hold an enthronement ceremony.
Although she had long anticipated something like this, the Holy Queen still found herself troubled, unsure how she should respond.
Should she send envoys to offer congratulations?
Or should she simply ignore it?
If they chose to ignore it, the Sorcerer Kingdom's impression of the Holy Kingdom might worsen. In a more serious scenario, it could affect future diplomacy between the two nations and trigger a chain of political complications.
The Holy Kingdom had originally maintained close ties with the Kingdom. A major land trade route connected the two countries.
But according to recent intelligence, the Empire had already conquered the Kingdom. This effectively severed a large portion of the Holy Kingdom's trade.
At present, the only solution was to open negotiations with the Empire as soon as possible and establish a new trade route.
However, the Empire appeared to have a close relationship with the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Offending the Sorcerer Kingdom meant offending the Empire.
To make matters worse, due to differences in religious belief, the Holy Kingdom already had strained relations with the Slane Theocracy.
If this matter were mishandled, the Holy Kingdom might end up on the blacklist of all three nations.
But sending congratulations carried risks as well.
After all, the Sorcerer Kingdom was a nation ruled by an Undead.
Because of religious doctrine, the Holy Kingdom was not as extreme as the Slane Theocracy in its hatred of the Undead, but it certainly could not be called friendly either.
If they sent envoys to offer congratulations, the nobles of the Holy Kingdom might seize the opportunity to step forward and impeach the Holy Queen.
Even if they clearly understood the stakes involved, those nobles would not let such a chance slip by. The temple might also voice its dissatisfaction.
The Northern Holy Kingdom was governed by the Holy Queen.
The Southern Holy Kingdom was largely governed by the nobles.
Relations between the north and south of the Holy Kingdom were far from harmonious. Beneath the surface lay tensions and opposing factions that hinted at a potential split.
Because of this, the Holy Queen was under immense pressure.
"You need not worry, Your Majesty. Sending someone to the Sorcerer Kingdom this time is not only your decision, but also the will of Sea Dragon-sama."
"Besides, the Paladin Order and the Clerical Order will always support you. The nobles and the temple might complain a little, but it won't cause any real trouble."
A girl with long tea-colored hair slowly stepped out from behind the throne.
She was Kelart Custodio.
She served as the High Priestess of the Holy Kingdom and also held the position of leader of the Clerical Order.
"Sigh… I suppose that's the only option."
Hearing this, the Holy Queen let out another sigh. She knew this was already the best outcome they could hope for.
With the Sea Dragon involved, the nobles of the southern territories would at most make a few small moves behind the scenes.
The Sea Dragon was revered in the Holy Kingdom as the Guardian Deity of the Ocean.
Unlike ordinary dragons, its limbs and wings had degenerated, replaced by a long, powerful tail.
The Sea Dragon had a gentle temperament and would sometimes protect passing ships, which earned it deep admiration among the people of the Holy Kingdom.
At Lighthouse Cape within the Holy Kingdom, a massive statue of the Sea Dragon even stood as a symbol of that reverence.
Because of this connection, Sea Giants would occasionally come ashore as well, forming a simple trade relationship with the Holy Kingdom.
The decision to send representatives to the Sorcerer Kingdom also carried the Sea Dragon's approval.
After all, as a dragon itself, the Sea Dragon naturally paid attention to the Sorcerer Kingdom, a nation established upon the foundations of the Argland Council State.
Although the nobles of the Southern Holy Kingdom disliked the Holy Queen, they understood their limits when the Sea Dragon was involved.
Compared to the nobles of other nations, those of the Holy Kingdom were generally intelligent and capable. They understood the bigger picture and would not truly do anything foolish that might harm the nation's interests.
"Kelart, thank you for all your help lately."
The Holy Queen turned to the young woman beside her, a gentle smile on her face.
As a ruler, the Holy Queen was skilled in diplomacy and highly capable. However, she had one clear weakness: she refused to engage in ruthless or underhanded political maneuvering.
She understood this flaw herself, but it was simply part of her nature. There was little she could do about it.
Fortunately, she had two trusted friends who shared much of the burden and eased the pressures she faced.
Kelart and her elder sister Remedios were known throughout the Holy Kingdom as the Genius Sisters.
They were the Holy Queen's most trusted right and left hands.
"I don't really mind, but Your Majesty, even if it's just an act, you should at least learn how to put on a more intimidating expression."
"Those nobles push their luck because you're too easygoing. If you looked a little fiercer, even if they were unhappy, they wouldn't dare go so far."
Kelart shook her head and spoke earnestly.
Unlike her rather simple-minded older sister, Kelart herself was extremely intelligent and rational.
She held deep resentment toward the nobles of the Southern Holy Kingdom who constantly targeted the Holy Queen, and she had long been looking for a chance to bring them down.
But when faced with her friend's advice, the Holy Queen merely tilted her head and gave a compassionate smile.
Seeing this, Kelart could only stop talking.
She wasn't surprised. As one of the Holy Queen's closest companions, she knew her personality all too well.
The Holy Queen was gentle. Yet because she was too kind and soft-hearted to adopt a firm stance, she still hadn't managed to fully bring the Southern Holy Kingdom under her control.
"Alright, alright, Kelart, don't think about it so much. By the way, I recently developed a new beauty magic. Let's try it together."
The Holy Queen clapped her hands with a smile.
Seeing her deliberately change the subject, Kelart felt a little helpless but didn't refuse.
After pushing open the door, she nodded to the guards standing on both sides. The two women then walked down the corridor, chatting back and forth.
"My sister should be back soon..."
"Don't worry. I already sent word to Remedios. She should be waiting for us in the room."
"Really? Your Majesty seems quite enthusiastic about this sort of thing."
"Hehe, of course I am."
While they chatted, their figures gradually disappeared down the corridor.
The two guards exchanged glances. Thinking back on what they had just witnessed, a look of sudden understanding appeared in their eyes.
So they really do have that kind of relationship?
(PS: Since the Holy Queen and the two sisters are all still unmarried, and their daily interactions are unusually close, rumors have spread that the three of them share that kind of relationship. The Holy Queen herself is quite troubled by these rumors.)
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
Deep within a dense forest, the members of Blue Roses stood on high alert, staring warily at the figures before them.
"Who are you? Did the Bloody Emperor send you to capture us?"
Lakyus gripped her longsword tightly, her expression grave.
Thinking back to what had happened earlier still sent a chill down her spine.
The Kingdom had fallen far too quickly. Before any of them could even react, the Empire's army had already arrived.
Just a little more. They had almost been caught.
Gazef's frenzied figure still lingered vividly in her memory. If Renner had not secretly helped them at the time, Blue Roses would likely have already been captured.
She did not know the details, but Lakyus believed Renner must have paid a tremendous price to allow them to escape the Kingdom.
The thought filled her with both gratitude and pain.
She had already begun planning to sneak back into the Kingdom someday to rescue her dear friend.
Gagaran and the other three had not objected to the idea.
However, before Lakyus and the others could act, trouble found them first.
"Haha, have you forgotten me already, Lakyus-chan?"
Seeing the group's wary expressions, the two figures in black robes glanced at each other. One of them slowly lowered his hood.
"You're... Uncle!"
The familiar face stunned Lakyus for a moment before she quickly recognized him.
The man standing before them was none other than her uncle, the captain of the adamantite-ranked adventurer team Red Drop, Azuth Aindra.
"Haha, long time no see, Lakyus. You've grown up."
Seeing his niece again after so long, Azuth laughed heartily and gave her shoulder a firm pat.
"Well, didn't expect to run into someone we know here."
Gagaran lowered her war hammer and clicked her tongue.
The ninja twins also put away their daggers, though confusion still lingered in their eyes.
The adamantite-ranked adventurer team Red Drop.
They had been established even earlier than Blue Roses and were also affiliated with the Kingdom, though their base was located in the former capital of the Argland Council State.
Not long ago, the Council State had been conquered and renamed the Sorcerer Kingdom, after which Red Drop disappeared without a trace.
Everyone had assumed something had happened to them. No one expected to run into them here.
And why were there only two of them? Where were the rest of their teammates?
Facing the puzzled looks from Blue Roses, Azuth did not answer. Instead, he casually adjusted his hair and glanced toward the figure beside him.
"It's been a long time, everyone. I never expected we would meet again here."
An aged voice spoke up.
For a moment, not only Lakyus but even Gagaran and the others were stunned.
Beneath the hood appeared the face of a deeply wrinkled old woman.
Rigrit Bers Caurau.
One of the Thirteen Heroes, a former member of Blue Roses, and a necromancer who had lived for over 250 years.
"What exactly is going on? Why are you together with my uncle...?"
Lakyus hurriedly asked, unable to hold back her questions any longer.
"Well, it's a bit troublesome to explain everything. To keep it short, a new calamity has descended. The world is about to face an unprecedented crisis."
"Lakyus, Gagaran, Tina, and Tia. Would you be interested in acting together with us?"
"To save this world once again as the new generation of the Thirteen Heroes."
Rigrit extended her hand with a solemn expression.
At the same time, a platinum-colored dragon scale in her arms faintly glowed.
And on her back, the outline of a crystal-forged longsword could vaguely be seen.