The Branded Female Fencer
Behind the Demon King Crusade, Part 1 - The Supreme Bishop of the Arnelian Church
The wind feels warm from between the buildings. The time is right from spring to summer. The sun is long this time of year and the sky is still luminous and bright, but the white moon has already risen heavenly, and the townships of Meesia are beginning to show the bustle of the night.
Meesia looks like a big city and can't cut people's waves at night. The stores are lit with brilliant lights, and the outdoor stores transform from shops selling travel gear and daily foods to shops that scratch a glass of shopping and liquor. In the street, sellers and guests speak to me and passers-by, and near the fountain of the square, I see many friends and lovers who meet. It is Miriazal who narrows his eyes to a sight that can yet be considered a symbol in the peaceful Middle Plains, but walks alone away from the hustle and bustle.
"People's fortunes have remained the same after hundreds of years... but have they certainly had more chances to see a smile than they did during the war"
Miriazal remembers a long time ago. When my mother as Arnelian had not yet established herself, and I was touring everywhere as I do now on pilgrimage, it was a trivial thing in this continent, such as the human sphere of life. People were frightened by the presence of demons, their journeys and migrations were not sparse, nor were they uncommon stories of villages and towns being attacked and devastated by a herd of demons. There may not have been a population or a current 1/10.
There were also far more beings called demon kings than there are today. There were six of them, a very powerful demon king, capable enough to even make the nation a drink. The mighty demon kings are called the Great Demon Kings, and the battle against them is actually 300 years old and the period in which a series of wars ensued is called the Great War Period. The war period ended roughly 350 years ago. From then on, there has been a lot of war and strife between humans, until they enter the current system of peacekeeping in each country, which they call the dawn. The dawn period ended about 20 years ago.
Miriazal began his pilgrimage before the war period. No, I have no doubt that her very existence was a cause of the war period. As she went around, she often carried out demonic crusades naturally, of which many appeared to act with her, and by the time 10 years had passed, she had become a major force. For this reason, the forces led by Miriazal became one of the banners of the Demon King's rebellion. This is the organization that has become the mother of Arnelianism.
It should also be remembered, of course, that during the same period there were many other heroic beings, as the legend tells us, who led the people in confronting the demon kings. Arnelianism, which could not move without being bound by borders, was much easier to move around than the country, although it could not be as small as they were.
Anyway, Miriazar helped those suffering from illness and injury, allowing villages and townships to stay in touch, and allowing safe people to get around. Then he cut open the land of demons and expanded the sphere of life of the humans. And only when, she became known as the Virgin and the Supreme Bishop. Recovery magic was originally taught by her to those who were qualified to help people more efficiently, but as a result many blossomed the abilities of sisters, clerics, and priests, making it much harder for humans to die than before. Many of my men have sworn to give their lives to themselves in it and have followed them, whether they live or die. That's how Arnelianism could be done.
There is their dedication and, with many sacrifices, Arnelianism today. Now is the time for much of Arnelian activity to be the salvation of needy people, but demonic crusades used to be the main content. In addition, he has given much power to the Great Demon King crusade in it, and Miriazal himself fought the demons. Many human beings were sacrificed, but more humans gave (only slightly) to the benefit. Although I do not boast of the achievements of human life on a scale with a few accounts, nor was the battle the purpose of Miriazal, Miriazal has never felt sorry for what he has done. If you regret it, she believes it is nothing more than an insult to those who have even risked their dreams, their hopes and their lives for what they have done. but.
"Don't get confused about whether what you did is right or not..."
As demonic forces diminished and human spheres of life expanded, this time human beings began to quarrel with each other. Arnelianism, centered in Miriazal, remained fundamentally neutral in wars between humans, but the wandering of demons in association with various countries led to a long period of wandering of demons in Arnelianism alone. Many knights and Sister Monks actually died in it. I have been criticized for that, and there have been many times when internal divisions have approached me.
Many also use the power of the expanding Church to work evil. Despite the group that makes charity and salvation its philosophy of activity, it is. I didn't have such evil intentions when I first knocked on Arnelian gates, and most of them should have encouraged me to work with noble ideals. Miriazal, who has sometimes ended civil strife with his own hands, was always trapped in grief. It is also certain that it was not of a clueless or half-merciful nature.
As Arnelianism grows, it is undeniable that it has begun to conceive darkness in it. Miriazar laughs at herself for not fixing it and wondering if it's because she's such a person herself. The group you make is like your own child. A child looks like a parent.
While Miriazal is delayed in his thoughts, the downtown area is already interrupted and in the back streets with lots of darkness. This is a rather insecure street amongst Meesia, with whorehouses, casinos and black markets lined up. The streets are filled with pathetic hookers and blind gorots. It also equates to lawless zones, such as pulling purses from those who get drunk and fall asleep on the side of the road, or the constant rage of fights from a slightly thin alley. At dawn, it's not uncommon for one of the bodies to roll.
But nowadays, no matter what town you go to, you can see these sights. Though not as good as the back street of the famous taram, Miriazal can't contain his own chest from being unexpectedly annoyed when he sees these sights.
"I didn't even try to save these people. You don't fail to work hard every day, you work hard to live, and you still lose your life by being boring. I just didn't want to overlook those things. But you can't choose who you want to save..."
I remember the villagers who used to do me good. They worked hard to live, didn't complain about working late every day, and still didn't do anything to abandon those in need, even though they weren't wealthy. Still, it was just one raid of a bunch of demons, and everything turned to ashes.
There are no more old couples who invited their unfamiliar self to serve dinner, no more close extended families who did the seeding together, no more twins of their best friends who ran around Noyama together. And that Sister who always spoke to me. At that time, I have something to grab the hem of my clothes. Probably like a beggar, a dirty man of his own.
"You're Sister. I haven't eaten anything in three days... please, God have mercy on me."
"... will do."
Take out the confectionery I bought earlier at the outdoor store. The shape was like a star, and I was looking forward to sneaking up on it later, but Miliazar thought that just because I would get rid of this would disqualify me from preaching what church beliefs were.
"This is the only thing I have right now."
"Huh! What. Isn't that candy? Are you making fun of me because I'm humble?
"Unfortunately, that's all I have in hand"
"Then give me the money! That's why I buy booze. I can live with alcohol."
"Unfortunately, I don't have any money with me either. It's the mountains that I want to grace."
"You're kidding!!
A man grabbed Miriazal's chest barn.
"Let go of this hand. Anyone who works for Arnelian Sisters will be punished accordingly, won't they?
"... chip."
Was the man also quite confident, guilty of working a wolf on a young Sister, and yet again Miriazal's eyes were sharper than he could have imagined? In any case, more than I thought, he pulled back slightly and vanished into the alley in a bad way. If we tried to do anything more than that, of course, Miriazar would have punished us first and foremost before the heavenly punishment.
"You don't even work for yourself, it takes one person to do it... no. It's typical of a human being. He used to survive. If we supported each other, it would have been difficult to survive."
One squeaks while fixing the queue (but not the queue).
"I really can't put my love into those guys. Well, if you're in a predicament, you can't help. But I guess the Lord would love those like him for nothing... ew, Arnelia..."
I remember Sister's face when she used to pick herself up. Too long ago, the depiction of her face is no longer but a vague image. But I don't forget every word of it.
Don't hate me. Don't hate me.
"Arnelia, I am not a Virgin or anything else, nor do I deserve a Bishop. It's just a matter of imitation. I still hate the people who killed you."
He mocked himself for being a provocateur and took care of me. The villagers also persuaded me to live in the village. If I had a fever, he would have taken care of me without going to sleep until it was healed. If the villagers were injured, they would fly away and help, and if there was a house with nothing to eat, they would sharpen what they ate but share the meal. The villagers, relieved of her kindness, decided to act as they did with Arnelia. In an age of demons, there would not have been such a peaceful village in the world at the time. Every time I think back, something warm creeps up in my chest.
"I want to see that sight again."
Hitting such a retrospective, Ha, and the crowd is gone. Though it's come pretty deep down the back street, on the contrary, it's odd that no one is there.
"Hmm... stay around, come on"
And the shadow shows up sooo, sooo. All five have come out, but they may still be lurking. Miriazal rattled the bits.
"Waiting for you, huh? Let me ask you where the hand is."
"Not really. Now that's funny..."
Before Miriazal could finish, the leading one signaled, and the others began to move without sound. Everyone takes the blade out of their nostalgia.
"Suddenly!
Miriazal avoids flickering the impending ones left and right. Sister clothes should make it difficult to move, but I don't think the lightness of that outfit is very Sister. And I grabbed the hand of one of them, and I slammed him against the wall once in a while.
The cockroach, and the bone sounded pretty dull that would have broken, but the man quickly regains his posture without screaming one. Seems like a pretty trained person to be able to repeat an attack in spite of pain. Half-breed doesn't stop.
"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna keep you motionless for a while, okay?
Miriazal tried to exercise simple captive witchcraft and realized that witchcraft could not be used.
"What!?
Moment after moment, Miriazal jumps up and squeezes something flying at him. He kicked the wall of the building as it was and ran up to the roof of the building where it was located up to the fourth floor.
"I see. I didn't expect you to simultaneously perform the pay-per-view sorcery and sorcery seal... Lord, Upper Shinobu"
I couldn't get my hair done and the five of them ran up to the roof. A ninja is a person from another continent to the east, the name of an assassin. The eastern continent is only about half the size of the continent where we are now, but the demons are on average stronger than this one, and there are many undeveloped lands, so there are plenty of opportunities to fight for them. Due to further scarcity of resources, since the opening of cross-ocean national traffic about 400 years ago, arms and human resources have been imported from the eastern continent instead of aid for food and clothing from the western continent. One of them is a ninja.
Their specialty is assassination, and they can use magic (called surgical or ninja) that is different from this continent. Direct attack witchcraft can also seem to be used, but it mainly focuses on witchcraft with indirect effects, mainly because it undertakes clandestine work. It will also be in its lineage that we are sealing the magic of Miriazal this time.
"(In addition, the time is night and the season is not compatible with sacred sorcery. As long as it's strong enough to seal the magic of the eagle, the effect will be short. I can't even curse if I don't know the lineage. If so, it's a flesh-bomb battle...)"
Miriazal glimpses the opportunity to set things up, but there are no gaps in the boulders for the enemy either. Besides, at some point, the men each have something in their hands.
"(Is that... a token? That means no summoning ceremonial god)"
There were considerably more Oriental rituals than on this continent, and they all called their servants in different ways. Something where the symbol grows as it is and the servant crawls out. Something that draws like a magic formation on the ground. What the token itself turns into a servant. Various indeed.
"(Monsters, ceremonial ghosts, ceremonial worms... they're so diverse)"
The total number of servants called in by the ninjas is 20. It could be a pretty dangerous situation for Miriazar, who can't use witchcraft. The ninjas also opened their mouths for the first time, quite convinced of their advantages.
"... be prepared, the High Episcopal Palace"
"What, did you talk? You know who hired you to set me up, don't you?
The ninjas stop moving for a moment to Miriazal, who speaks in total tranquillity.
"Not good again. Well, if your lords give you information about your employer, you can pay twice as much as your current reward, but what do you say?
"... go"
But the ninjas did not react in any way, and came under attack.
"They're really boring. I gave you a chance to live, but you shouldn't take care of your life, should you?
Miriazal has his hands on his hips and sighs, "Oh man," but in the meantime, a ceremonial ghost beats him to death to see if he has 2m. But Miriazal scratches his fist and grabs the face of the ceremonial ghost. Shortly thereafter...
Gusha!
Along with the bursting sound, as if to crush a palm-sized fruit, Miriazal crushed the head of a ceremonial ghost, more than five times the size of his own palm. Your brain plasma splashes all around you, and blood drips out of your hands.
Not only the attacked ceremonial ghosts, but also the upper ninjas breathe unexpectedly.
"Though ceremonial ghosts, it's actually been years since I've killed them. Well, and. There is no longer room for negotiation when I raise my hand to the eagle. Besides, every once in a while, I'm going to forget how to fight you. I'm sorry, but I need you to go along with my shoulder routine, risking your life."
"... enclosure"
Miriazal's face gradually enters a combat posture. They also found the ninjas to be the ones they were pushing so hard on themselves, but not a minute off guard. But they were already wrong at this stage. At this point, we should have run away with all the ceremonial gods, but it was 10 seconds late to realize. I don't know if I got away with it, even though I was most aware of it.
Continued