Chapter 417 Triumphal Return ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
For a while after that, the Kingdom of Canarias was peaceful – at least on the surface. We had officially welcomed the Holy Presence¹, Loire-Rose, into our borders. However, seeing how Her Majesty’s maid, Muse, was constantly scurrying about, I suspected there was plenty of interference happening behind the scenes.
Fortunately, none of those shadow-plays turned into a crisis. Finally, the day arrived for Sister Amelia and her team to return. It had been over six months since they set out to stop the Stampede, and about three months since the final kill. It felt like it had been over in a flash, yet somehow, I felt like I’d been kept waiting forever.
At any rate, they were reportedly heading here from the neighboring town. We were all standing by, waiting for the big moment with bated breath.
Rumors had set the streets on fire; the city was in a total festival mood. This was the triumphal return of the heroes who had slain two Great Dragons. Add to that the fact that the Holy Presence had traveled all the way from the Holy City to personally perform the welcoming ceremony, and you couldn’t really blame the people for getting carried away.
The central thoroughfare piercing through the heart of the royal capital, Canarias, was the place to be. People were brawling just to stake out a spot to watch the parade, while a literal gauntlet of unlicensed food stalls lined the road to profit off the chaos. Naturally, none of them had permits, but you can’t exactly suppress a fever like this.
Still, thanks to the hard work of the Gendarmerie² and the army, they had managed to secure just enough space for the heroes to pass. The main street looked as if it had been tailor-made for this moment – or perhaps the kings of old used it every time they returned from pacifying a new territory.
Once they cleared the main street, the heroes were scheduled to head straight for Canarias Cathedral. That was where the ceremony by the Holy Presence would take place. Officially, it was being called a “Commemoration Gala,” but I doubted the onlookers cared what it was called as long as they got a show.
The road to the cathedral – and the grounds surrounding it – were packed to capacity. Even people who usually wouldn’t give the Church a second look were now shouldering their way through the throng. The path to the cathedral was much narrower than the main thoroughfare, and the Gendarmerie looked like they were having a hell of a time keeping the crowd back. Some enterprising locals were even renting out their windows for a steep price.
Basically? It’s an assassin’s dream. Total vulnerability from every angle. If I were the enemy, I’d have a sniper in every one of those rented rooms. Honestly, anyone with a brain would.
The Wielope Empire certainly wanted this ceremony to fail. They couldn’t afford to let the Holy Presence regain the support of the faithful, and they likely found the idea of Amelia being scouted by the Holy Presence completely unacceptable.
If they were going to strike, today was their last and best opportunity. I stood inside the cathedral, my stomach tied in knots as I played out every worst-case scenario. Suddenly, someone approached me.
”Well, well, if it isn’t Lord Harvest. It’s a festival day! Why the terrifying look on your face?”
It was the Archbishop, Trantestar. He looked as suspicious and oily as ever. I hated to admit it, but seeing his usual smirking face actually made me feel a wave of relief.
”…And you’re looking as unbothered as always,” I replied.
”Hardly! Believe it or not, I’m a bit of a wreck. I’ve been put in charge of emceeing this historic occasion, after all,” the Archbishop said, feigning a sigh.
”A ‘historic occasion,’ is it?” I asked.
”Oh, I think it’s fair to call it that. Since the casualties were low, it’s hard to wrap your head around the scale of it, but slaying those things is an achievement that will go down in human history. And they didn’t do it with some ‘Saint’ or ‘Holy Relic’ with powers that no one understands. They did it with Magic Ordnance,” he said.
”What do you mean ‘no one understands’? Is it really okay for a man in your position to say that?” I muttered.
”But it is beyond us, isn’t it? Relics aren’t reproducible; we don’t even know how to make them. Compared to that, Magic Ordnance represents technology we can actually build upon,”
Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is another story, the Archbishop continued. He still wore that same unreadable expression. I suppose that was exactly why this ceremony was being branded as the “welcoming of Sister Amelia.”
In fact, my own invention – the “Ddo-Buddy Cannon”³ – is supposed to be part of the parade to receive a blessing from the Holy Presence. Of course, we couldn’t just show it off in a place where Empire spies were likely lurking, so it was going to be covered in cloth to hide the details.
This whole arrangement likely reflected the delicate power balance within the Church. The factions that wanted to maintain or increase the Church’s influence were going out of their way to praise Amelia’s achievements. Meanwhile, those who wanted to strengthen ties with secular power – specifically the Kingdom of Canarias – wanted to focus on the contributions of the Royal Army and the court mages.
I really wanted to tell them all to take their internal politics somewhere else, but since both Amelia and I were now involved parties, I didn’t have that luxury. It was a massive pain.
”Kukuku, don’t look so miserable. It just means your skills as a magic toolmaker are finally being recognized,” the Archbishop said with a wry smile.
I guess my feelings were written all over my face. I gave him a non-committal “Is that so?” and turned to look around the cathedral.
The massive front doors were wide open, revealing the sea of humanity outside. Gendarmerie, soldiers, and the Archbishop’s subordinate monks were all frantic – rushing in and out, hauling heavy crates, and struggling to keep the civilians at bay.
Deep inside the sanctuary, Her Majesty the Queen and the Holy Presence had likely already arrived to finalize the plans for the ceremony. Personally, I just wanted the whole thing to be over with, but I had to admit that the energy of the place was starting to get to me. I suppose it’s just the inner party animal in me. If I weren’t an involved party and there weren’t so many red flags, I might have actually enjoyed this.
”That aside, didn’t you have a job to do with security? It’s a bit late to be asking, but should you really be idling here with me?” the Archbishop asked.
”My part of the job is already done. What am I supposed to do out there in a crowd that big?” I asked.
”Hahaha, fair point. I suppose you’ll just have to leave the rest to the others and wait as patiently as you can,” he replied.
He laughed without a moment’s hesitation, which irritated me for a second. He wasn’t wrong, but hearing it from this old man was grating.
Still, he seemed to be trying to put me at ease in his own way. His tone was unexpectedly kind – not his usual self at all. Perhaps he hadn’t been lying when he said he was nervous.
As he said, I had already made my move following the advice of the love-elf, Tania. It was a countermeasure to protect Amelia and the Holy Presence from the reach of the Wielope Empire. But as I told the Archbishop, I’d already handed that off to my collaborators. There was nothing left for me to do. That lack of control was probably why I couldn’t stop fidgeting.
Suddenly, a messenger came sprinting into the cathedral. Every eye in the room snapped to him.
”The subjugation force has arrived!” the messenger shouted. “The triumphal parade is beginning! Everyone, to your stations!”
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Trivia:
- The protagonist’s ‘Ddo-Buddy Cannon’ is officially being blessed during the parade.
- The Wielope Empire’s specific motive: preventing the Holy Presence from regaining religious authority.
- Harvest’s security measures were suggested by Tania, the love-elf, but are being executed by unnamed collaborators.
- The narrow streets near the cathedral are noted as the highest risk area for snipers
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Character Insight:
Harvest shows growth in his strategic thinking, evaluating the city layout like an assassin, but struggles with the ‘restlessness’ of having to trust his collaborators rather than acting himself. His begrudging reliance on the Archbishop shows a softening towards the older man’s experience.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses this chapter to ground the ‘adult goods’ theme into the serious political framework of the world, making the absurd weapon a point of technological progression.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Loire-Rose – The current Saintess, possessing a divine appearance yet a modern, playful, and irreverent attitude that clashes with Church tradition. She has white hair, pale skin, blue eyes, and wears clergy robes.
• Muse – Cecile’s trusted attendant and chief maid, Muse handles sensitive, discreet tasks like espionage and product acquisition. Have sharp, black eyes, wearing maid uniform, and have expressionless face.
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Trantestar – The middle-aged man Archbishop of Canarias and the initiator of the current trial. He is an alleged ally of Kento but remains suspiciously neutral.
• Tania – An Elf adventurer who, despite her race’s reputation for low sex drive, is secretly quite passionate. She initially seemed ‘wasted’ (emotionally dry) to her friend Raika, but was easily introduced to the pleasure-items sold at ‘Harvest.’ She is easily embarrassed and attempts to maintain a dignified facade, despite her recent, frequent purchases. She wears practical but light armor over a simple cloth tunic and short pants, highlighting her grace and agility. Her primary relationship is one of friendly senior-junior with Raika.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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