Anyway, the demons quickly accepted the decision to withdraw. Immediately, the demon army began to move back to the demon realm. The thunderous sound of footsteps was also brief. Soon after the army left, silence returned in the wilderness.

I looked back at the Gronel Plain, where the Knights of the Holy Land were located. It was quite far away, so I couldn’t see their faces, but it was clear that they were just looking at this side. Their vigilance was felt all the way here.

There’s only one thing left.

Negotiating a ceasefire with the Pope.

“But how are you going to send that letter?”

In Heath’s barracks, Heath asked when he saw me writing a letter to the Pope.

A postman will not deliver mail from the Demon Fortress to the temple. Even if you send a messenger, he will not be able to enter the temple. But there was a way to do it.

I kept looking at the dark dragon Coco, who had been raising his head from outside into the barracks. Coco kept trying to come into the barracks, maybe because he was bored being alone outside. However, with his large size, the inside of the barracks was full just by him putting his head in.

Kyuuuuuuuuuu

Coco was annoyed because I kept on not letting her in. He rubbed his head against the entrance of the barracks with a long cry.

“Coco, there’s something you need to do.”

Coco nodded.

On that day, a dark dragon appeared in the sky of the border village.

The villagers were stunned when they saw it hanging over the village. Some trembled, saying that the dragon would shoot its fiery breath and burn the village at any moment.

But instead of attacking the village, the Dark Dragon turned around in the air and headed for the temple. It dropped a bundle of letters in front of the main hall of the temple where the Pope lived and disappeared again on the other side of the sky.

Three days later, a ceasefire negotiation was held.

***

The northern part of the Gronel Plain

Just before the start of the full-fledged farming season, the plains had a lonely atmosphere. Negotiations for a ceasefire were held in this desolate field, where the Demon Realm is located in the back and the Human Realm in the front.

I took a deep breath. I believed it would work out, but I was nervous when the time came. Heath gently held my hand as he stood next to me.

I wore a white tunic symbolizing the saint and a thin veil on my head. Although it was modest attire, my entire white outfit stood out in the sun.

It was the formal dress of a saint worn only at official events. Standing next to me, Heath wore black clothing. It looked very flattering on him.

There were four participants on the side of the demons. Heath and I, Jeremy and Dale. When Heath sent all the demons back to the Demon Realm, there was no one else to call.

Dale pretended not to be nervous when he heard I was meeting the Pope, but he seemed very nervous. I patted him on the shoulder to relax.

Heath was wary of Jeremy’s sudden growth. I asked him impatiently as he kept me from even approaching Jeremy.

“Why do you hate Jeremy so much?”

Heath denied it in astonishment.

“It’s not that I don’t like him. I’m just….”

“Just?”

“…….”

Heath was speechless with a complex expression. Then Jeremy stepped in from the side.

“That’s all right. I understand, Lady Julia.”

Then, he widened our distance a few inches and moved to the back and stood. Well, Jeremy is still nice even if he changes his appearance.

During this conversation, the other party appeared across the street. The temple’s attendees were the Pope, Leo, and ten Holy Knights. The Pope, who didn’t want to get too close, led the group at the back and stood a short distance away from them.

Leo opened his eyes wide when he found me. His face was pale and his expression was grim. I wanted to say something to him, but I had to end this negotiation first.

The pope, who is already over 80 years old, wore a generous tunic and a crown of jewels. The Pope’s staff in hand meant that he officially represented the temple. The Pope slowly opened his mouth.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, Saintess Julia.”

“Long time no see, Holy Father.”

I was uncomfortable with the Pope. The old man, who had guarded the temple for more than a decade, had a ruthless and strict personality. He pretends to be caring on the outside, but acts like he knows everything. He was a player who twisted, talked, and asked his opponents questions. If this wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t want to talk to him as much as possible.

“You’ve had a hard time. I was worried since the saintess was kidnapped. I’m glad to see you again, but why didn’t you come back to the temple earlier and show this old man that you’re safe?”

In other words, he meant: If you woke up, you should have returned to the temple and worked. Why are you wandering around here?

“I wanted to visit you and reassure you, but I thought there was something more urgent than that. Please understand that I’m greeting you now.”

“I have received the saintess’s letter. Was it so urgent to hold hands with the demons?”

“War only weighs on the weak. I thought the Holy Father wouldn’t want it either.”

In other words, you know that you get nervous when there’s a real war, so if you’re nervous, it means to stop here.

“But isn’t it also the priest’s duty to properly guide those who violate the teachings of the Goddess Gremia?”

This means that if you claim that you made a pact with the demon, the prestige of the temple will be reduced, so you need a justification.

“Don’t worry. The Demon King, Heathcliff, was purified by my divine power. The one who is here now is nothing but a poor lamb who has returned to the arms of the Goddess Gremia.”

“……It’s not like that. Ugh!”

Heath then stepped in from the side. I nipped him at the waist and covered his mouth. Heath swallowed a groan of anguish. There must be something wrong with Heath being the Demon King and the incarnation of evil. The Pope’s imperious gaze reached Heath, but it was only for a moment. Soon the Pope agreed.

“The saintess is right. I don’t feel the power of evil. The blessing of the goddess was given to him through the saintess.”

The only thing I actually did was just that. Maybe saving Heath doesn’t mean this.

Since then, negotiations have proceeded smoothly. The pope just needed a proper excuse to persuade the temple’s mainstream, and was positive about the ceasefire negotiations from the beginning. The details were later agreed in writing, but both the Pope and Heath agreed to sign a mutual non-aggression treaty.

As the negotiations came to an end, the Pope suddenly asked.

“Saintess Julia, will you come back to the temple?”

➽──────────────❥

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