Taming the Evil Saintess

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Princess Adelheit was not particularly outstanding among the candidates for the Empire’s heir.

Mediocre standing, mediocre talent, mediocre support base. When all this comes together, it ends up making a useless husk. Adelheit was that case. She was lacking in every aspect compared to the Crown Prince and her younger brother as well.

But that didn’t mean Adelheit was unintelligent. From a young age, she had picked up on the fact that if her bloodline were to ascend to the throne, her life would be in danger, whether she wanted it or not.

She had to harden her resolve. If she was going to put her life on the line, she wanted to do it in the heaviest possible state.

Perhaps luck was on her side. That year, a plague broke out in the royal family. The Crown Prince died. The following year, while hunting, the second prince died from a fall.

Adelheit had no involvement in these events. However, if there was a god, it was clear that there was some divine care for her.

Once might be a coincidence, but if two strokes of luck coincide, then it’s certainly fate. Adelheit gained confidence. It wasn’t arrogance; after all, she realized the reason behind the second prince’s death.

“I am a Possessor, from another world. I received the command to kill the Second Prince who went hunting from Hell Duke. Soon, the Demon King will be resurrected.”

The man who introduced himself as a Possessor brought news of the Demon King’s imminent resurrection. However, Adelheit found the words following that announcement far more intriguing.

“The continent will soon fall into chaos.”

She resolved that it was her role to take hold of the continent plunged into chaos.

The next year, the death of the eldest daughter was the result of Adelheit’s intervention. She had mixed arsenic into the wine. Nobody would have thought that the last princess, often perceived as weak, would commit such a bold act.

That poisoning incident triggered a power struggle within the royal family, and in the end, the last remaining heir became Adelheit. It was something she could achieve because nobody cared and nobody suspected.

Even the once-great and cold Emperor Bolazio III had no leeway to stop his daughter’s rampage. He could only look after his own health.

It seemed there was nothing that could stop Adelheit.

At least, not on a national level.

“Continental conquest.”

Once, the emperors of the Empire had made continental subjugation a non-negotiable priority, but as time passed and peaceful currents flowed, that spirit faded, and now Adelheit intended to carry it on.

It wasn’t out of a sense of duty as an emperor. Adelheit had grown quite confident, especially since the previous Archmage had just completed his research on the transplantation of the Mark.

It was well worth a shot; she had already succeeded more than halfway.

The altar on which Adelheit stood atop the palace roof was proof of that.

“…Wow, what a magnificent display, Archmage.”

The flames soaring in the banquet hall squirmed like snakes, sweeping through the surroundings. Just how advanced was that magic? However, she felt a twinge of pity for the black-clad assassins being swept away like autumn leaves.

In truth, she hadn’t thought that implanting the Hero’s Divine Mark into the Possessors and soldiers would allow them to kill the Hero’s party. It was merely a delay tactic. A distraction. That was the extent of Adelheit’s understanding.

The real essence would begin from now with the ritual.

Adelheit opened a small box and picked up a beating scarlet heart. Despite having been extracted just a day prior, the heart, infused with magic, continued to pulse.

“What would a demon look like?”

Adelheit murmured, filled with pure curiosity and a hint of wariness. She placed the heart on the altar.

High-ranking Demons usually referred to the Demon King’s army members and their subordinates, but in ancient times, the classification of demons was diverse.

In that age, there were demons from outer spaces like the Demon King, known as primordial evils, isolated by the Demon King’s schemes. Yet, they were like wolves, waiting for a chance to reach into the world of the living.

If there were humans who could summon them, they would be willing to offer most of their power.

“The Emperor of the Empire speaks. Demons from beyond, heed my command.”

There was no need for a grand ritual.

Just a few words warping the surrounding space like a burst of magic. Adelheit donned her gas mask.

There was a chance the demon might go berserk. Hence, she had prepared a collar to restrain it. The brand embedded in Derabilice’s heart lay within Adelheit’s control.

“Come forth, demon.”

At that moment, flesh began to swell from the heart of Hell Duke upon the altar. Instead of saying it swelled, it would be more accurate to say it formed. It was a grotesque sight.

In the end, a bare-skinned man with ashen skin stood atop the altar. The man, or rather the demon, grinned at Adelheit, seemingly intrigued by the sight of a human summoning him. Adelheit was relieved he didn’t appear to have any intentions of going berserk.

“You wish to remain in this world, don’t you? You would want to kill the Demon King who isolated you in that dark place. Then join me. I will help you become the new Demon King. I won’t care what you do in the Demon King’s Castle.”

At Adelheit’s words, the man waved his hand. His wrist split open, revealing a massive blade made of bone and flesh. Simultaneously, a crimson outfit wrapped around the demon’s body.

Finally, the demon extended his hand. A left-handed handshake. They say demons do everything in reverse. Adelheit chuckled and grasped his hand. It was a temporary but certain expression of their alliance.

“What’s your name?”

She figured she should know at least that, and the demon slowly opened his mouth.

[Abaddon.]

“That’s a nice name.”

She chuckled.

The contract was established. Adelheit would crown this demon as the new Demon King. The demon would make Adelheit the rightful ruler of the continent.

“…Hmm.”

Adelheit paused her thoughts and turned her ear to the surroundings.

Just then, a loud crack echoed as the massive door leading into the palace hallway split in two.

The rushing Heroes party frowned at the blood-stained altar and the demon Abaddon standing behind Adelheit. Adelheit smiled slyly.

“You’re perceptive. But it’s already too late.”

“You crazy girl….”

It wasn’t just the Hero who understood the situation. Abaddon, who had been listening from behind Adelheit, drew his sword and stepped forward. The long blade scraped against the ground, emitting a chilling metallic sound.

“Oh dear, aren’t you still in one piece? Are you sure you’re okay?”

In response to Adelheit’s words, Abaddon simply flexed his massive back muscles.

What a top-tier piece on the chessboard, Adelheit thought, grinning widely.

*

If one were to name the dirtiest boss in Sword & Chronicle, it would certainly be Geldmier and Derabilice or perhaps Elgore, but if one were to name the hardest-to-encounter boss, there would undeniably be two strong candidates.

One was the leader of the Red Dragon located in the northeastern volcano, and the other was the demon right in front of her. The reason being, both were purely challenge bosses. They were bizarre bosses resulting from the developers’ perverse imagination.

While the journey to find the Red Dragon was tough, it could be forgiven, but the unnamed boss could only be summoned after completing a difficult contract process, and compared to the struggles of summoning and battling, the rewards were practically non-existent, leading players to thoroughly ignore him. Until recently, many had forgotten that such a boss even existed.

Now, that boss had become a reality in front of her.

It was clear that something unusual had transpired.

“…Who taught you the summoning ritual?”

To my question, Adelheit shrugged her shoulders.

“Who could it be? Someone from your ranks, of course.”

“…Possessors.”

Well, it was nonsensical for a mere character like Adelheit to become an emperor and fulfill the summoning ritual of a challenge boss.

It was an impossible feat without the help of Possessors. Who had sent her? That was unknown. However, it was clear that the demon in front of her would follow Adelheit’s words.

“Sir Knight Elliot, that’s….”

“Well, they call it a demon in the world.”

“Ugh.”

Cecilia shook. She knew the extreme fear the residents of this world had towards beings called demons, but seeing Cecilia’s reaction, it seemed they were far more terrifying than she thought. After all, the Ice Palace was a neighborhood that dealt with demons. It was only natural to have an extreme fear of them.

But that wasn’t a demon. Just a long-lived demon. It should have been an object of hunting rather than fear.

I rested my hand on Cecilia’s shoulder and said, “It’s okay. That’s just a really strong demon.”

“Doesn’t that mean it’s not okay?”

Erwin mumbled something.

“Erwin.”

“What?”

“Has there ever been a time when we were okay?”

“…Haha.”

At my words, Erwin let out a dry laugh. He then summoned a bow from thin air.

“Yeah, we can’t afford to be choosy about food right now.”

At the signal of Erwin stringing his bow, the demon lunged forward. I raised my Holy Sword to block the attack.

Bang!

A chilling wind swept through, like flesh being cut.

*

Ophelia’s group realized something strange had happened the moment the sky turned ash gray. Ophelia sensed the pulsating magic from the highest levels of the palace and quickly rushed out of the Summer Palace. Bolazio III was being carried by Azar.

Then, Ophelia realized the banquet hall had completely burned down and collapsed. Furthermore, witnessing the surrounding buildings and garden on fire, Ophelia broke down in tears.

“My, my Empire!”

When had the Empire been Ophelia’s? That was something Albrecht decided not to comment on. It would only give him a headache.

“Saintess, we should gather the people in the banquet hall first….”

“It doesn’t seem necessary.”

Albrecht smirked as he saw a golden-haired girl, no, woman, trudging out of the banquet hall.

However, upon realizing Emily’s expression was sharper than ever, everyone stiffened.

“Emily, what happened?”

Emily replied in a cold voice to Azar’s question.

“Assassins rushed into the banquet hall. I defeated them all.”

“Both of you?”

“Alone.”

“….”

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at Emily.

“…Emily, you seem different….”

“My master passed away while protecting me.”

That simple statement caused Ophelia to instinctively take a step back. Only then did everyone realize the corpse of Archmage Eldarian Barried floating behind Emily and the massive staff she held.

Amidst the shock, Emily lowered Eldarian’s body she’d been levitating with telekinesis. Eldarian’s expression, with his eyes closed, remained a tragic smile.

“Where is the princess?”

“…That is….”

She likely wasn’t on the highest floor of the palace.

As soon as I conveyed that thought, Emily took flight. Perhaps turning despair into rage, her flying magic was violent. The surrounding grass was uprooted, and Ophelia’s bangs fluttered wildly.

However, Ophelia didn’t chastise Emily. She felt it would be catastrophic to treat her as usual.

“…Hmm.”

Ophelia scratched her cheek, gazing at Emily soaring into the sky before glancing at Azar.

“What happened?”

“Growth, I suppose.”

Emily’s aura was different from before. Albrecht and Azar instinctively realized that the young sorceress before them had finally undergone a transformation.

“That… I’ve grown too, you know.”

Ophelia’s sulky remark was ignored by everyone.