An ordinary profession creates the world's strongest

After Modo and his group left, Hajime and the others listened to Liliana's explanation in the Blije. Her expression was a mixture of anxiety and nervousness, which made Hajime's sense of foreboding rise rapidly. Then, Liliana finally spoke, and her first words were...

"Ms. Aiko... has been kidnapped."

The situation was worse than Hajime had anticipated.

Liliana's explanation is roughly as follows:

The atmosphere in the palace has been unusual lately, and Liliana has been feeling something is amiss.

His father, King Elisid, was more devoted to the Holy Church than before, and sometimes worshipped the "God Esid" like a madman. Perhaps influenced by him, the Prime Minister and other important officials also became more devout in their faith.

If that were all, Liliana could still barely convince herself that this was a side effect of the increasing cooperation with the Holy Church, as she received intelligence reports of demons plotting in various locations. But...

The strange feeling didn't stop there. More and more knights and soldiers were becoming less energetic, and in some cases, lifeless. Even when asked if knights they knew were feeling unwell, they would respond normally, but their voices were mechanical, devoid of their former vigor and vitality, practically as if they were ill.

Although she had wanted to consult with Meld, the most trusted Knight Captain among the knights, he had been missing for a while. Sometimes he would show up briefly during training with the Glory Knights, then leave in a hurry. As a result, Liliana had never seen him once.

At this time, Aiko returned to the capital and reported the details of what happened in the lakeside town of Ur.

Liliana was also present at this meeting, and the meeting forced a vote on an unexpected topic -

Despite Hajime's meritorious service in saving Ur Town and the heroes, and despite objections from his beloved son, known as the "Goddess of Fertility," these objections were ignored, and the meeting forced its decision.

Faced with such an unreasonable decision, Liliana naturally protested vehemently to her father, Elicid. But no matter what she said, the king remained convinced that Shi was an enemy of God, his obsessive-compulsive nature unwavering. In response to Liliana's protests, Elicid accused her of insufficient faith. As he looked at Liliana, he gradually began to see her not as his daughter but as an enemy.

Frightened, Liliana feigned a friendly exchange with her father and fled the scene. Desperate to discuss the unusual situation in the palace, she caught up with her beloved son, who had quietly left the table, and shared her concerns.

Aiko planned to tell her students at dinner about the information Hajime had learned about the gods at the bottom of the abyss and the purpose of his journey, and asked Liliana to attend.

Liliana left Aiko's room. In the evening, she was about to go to the students' dining room, but on her way, she heard Aiko arguing with someone around the corner of the corridor. Confused, Liliana hid behind the wall and peeked in, only to witness—

A silver-haired woman in a nun's uniform was carrying her beloved son who had been knocked unconscious.

Liliana felt an indescribable fear for the silver-haired woman. In a hurry, she entered the nearby guest room and hid in the secret passage known only to the royal family, holding her breath.

The silver-haired woman came looking for it, but the secret passage itself was concealed by a magical artifact that concealed auras, so it remained undetected. She left without finding her. Liliana, believing the silver-haired woman was either the mastermind or in collusion with them, stood up to tell the others.

However, since they were lying in wait for Aiko, it was reasonable to assume that the students were under surveillance, and the reliable Captain Meld was nowhere to be found.

After some distress, Liliana thought of the only friend who was not in the capital and whom she could rely on.

That was Kaori, and she had heard that Nanyun Hajime was also with her. They were the only ones Liliana could rely on. She then reached the capital through a secret passage and headed towards the Principality of Ankaji.

Because Liliana judged that if she were in Ankaji, she might be able to get help from Lord Jegan, who was not affected by the changes in the royal capital; in terms of timing, she had a high chance of meeting Hajime and others.

"As you all know, I asked the Yonkel Merchants' caravan to give me a ride. However, I didn't expect my identity to be discovered from the start. I never dreamed that I would not only be attacked by bandits along the way, but also be saved by Kaori... If it were not long ago, I might have thought it was 'divine protection'... But... now I'm... terrified of the church... What happened? That silver-haired nun... Father and the others..."

Liliana hugged herself tightly, trembling with fear. Now, she looked more like an ordinary girl than the princess hailed as a gifted woman. But it was no wonder, after all, her closest friends had been transformed without her noticing, taken away one by one.

In order to try to ease the fear that was gripping Liliana's heart, Kaori hugged her tightly.

Hajime looked at the two of them, his voice agape. The situation Liliana described was very similar to the "final stage" seen in the Melkine Undersea Ruins. The number of people deceived by the gods continued to increase, and the situation was extremely critical.

Even so, Hajime should have simply ignored him and allowed him to die. No, his first priority should have been to acquire the magic of the Age of Gods and find a way to leave this world as quickly as possible.

However, Hajime could guess why Aiko was captured, so he couldn't stand by and watch her die. Aiko was likely captured because she wanted to reveal the truth about God and the purpose of Hajime's journey. Perhaps Hajime believed that this would arouse suspicion among Kouki and the others, who were just pawns, and would have a negative impact.

It was Hajime's fault that Aiko fell into the hands of the enemy, who took advantage of her.

Since they had abducted her, it meant they had no intention of killing her immediately. However, having fallen into the hands of those who secretly manipulated people like puppets and indulged in pleasure, Aiko didn't know what kind of treatment she would receive.

Aiko is Shi's mentor. Her advice has improved Shi's way of life and even brought Shi this pretty good "present", so Shi cannot ignore it no matter what.

therefore……

"Anyway, I have to go save the teacher."

This was Shi's choice. He chose to save his beloved son instead of watching him die.

Liliana's head shot up at Hajime's words. Relief and surprise filled her face at Hajime's willingness to accompany her to the capital. She'd heard from Shizuku and the others that Hajime cared nothing for the world or his classmates. She'd expected convincing Hajime would be a struggle, but his willingness to lend a hand was completely unexpected.

"Would you like to help?"

Liliana confirmed with Hajime, who shrugged.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for the kingdom, I'm doing this for the teacher. It was my fault that she was captured, so I can't just ignore it."

"For Miss Aiko..."

Liliana was disappointed to learn that Hajime wasn't helping her purely for the sake of the kingdom, but she cheered up after seeing that Hajime was willing to go along.

However, she couldn't help but laugh when she heard what Hajime said next.

"But if the cause of the abnormality stands in the way while I'm rescuing the teacher, I will defeat him."

“You mean… hehe, I’m just looking forward to that happening. Please, Nagumo-san…”

The woman who abducted his beloved son was wearing the clothes of a church nun, and the king and others were unusually inclined towards the church. Based on the above circumstances, this incident is most likely related to the church.

In other words, saving his beloved son meant facing the unexpected, something Hajime should have known. So, Hajime was essentially declaring that he would be Liliana's helper.

Liliana and Kaori smiled at each other, and Hajime's lips curled up slightly.

In addition to rescuing his beloved son, Hajime has another purpose——

The Age of Gods magic existed in Mount God. According to Meredith, Mount God is one of the Seven Great Labyrinths, but it's also the headquarters of the Holy Church. Hajime had no idea where the entrance to the Great Labyrinth was located in Mount God, and even if he wanted to explore, the church's connections would be a nuisance and a hassle.

Hajime had originally decided to head for the easier Hartrina Sea of ​​Trees, but... this incident gave Hajime a reason to head for the Sacred Mountain, and rescuing his beloved son would likely lead to a conflict with the Church. In that case... he should proactively attack the Church's base and seize the Age of Gods magic. That's what Hajime thought.

The silver-haired woman Liliana mentioned… Hajime’s mind flashed to the figure standing beside King Aleister on the luxury liner in the Melkines Undersea Ruins, her face hidden by a hood. As that person entered the ship, Hajime vaguely saw that their hair was ‘silver’…

It's impossible to tell if the two are the same person, as the video's time period is very distant. However, Hajime has a premonition that a fight will ensue with the unknown silver-haired woman.

His fighting spirit began to ignite, and the ferocious beast in his body roared. No matter who the opponent was, as long as they blocked his way, he would kill them without mercy.

Hajime's eyes were bright and sharp, like a wild wolf, his canine teeth were exposed in his mouth, and a proud smile appeared on his face.

“… Hajime, so handsome.”

"Ah, Hajime-san has that expression again. My heart is fluttering."

"Mmm, Master, you have such a ferocious expression on your face...I'm going to get wet, huh?"

However, the atmosphere was indescribably delicate due to the blushing faces and eager looks of the female members.

Rewind time a little.

Let's go back a little further, from the day when Aizi was kidnapped and Liliana fled the capital.

A figure appeared in an open space far from the palace. The place was utterly quiet. It seemed as if only the gentle evening breeze was allowed to blow, while the bright moonlight shone in the sky. It was a peaceful place, yet a melancholy atmosphere permeated it.

That's no wonder, because in a sense, this is a cemetery.

Of course, as it was located within the palace grounds, it wasn't a burial site for the unspecified dead. Instead, there was a massive stone monument carved directly from the rock face of the sacred mountain. It resembled a so-called Chureito (a tower built to honor those who died in service to their country), and upon it were engraved the names of all those who had died in battle or in the line of duty while serving the kingdom.

The figure standing silently in front of the Chunrei Pagoda is none other than the leader of the Knights of the Heilig Kingdom, Meld Loggins.

Although his face was expressionless, his eyes contained an indescribable heavy emotion.

It was already late at night, and apart from the patrolling soldiers, no one in the palace would go out without reason; not to mention that it was such a lonely place, and generally no one would visit.

However, this quiet and seldom visited place has another purpose besides being a resting place for the dead.

"—Captain."

A man's voice rang out, nearly drowned out by the wind. Meld glanced in the direction of the voice, and the person he was waiting for appeared silently. His name was Jose Lancade, not only the Vice-Captain of the Kingdom's Knights, but also Meld's trusted confidant.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, although I wasn't seen by anyone, I couldn't stay for long."

"After all, two high-ranking members of the Knights' Order secretly met in a place like this late at night. Those in power would undoubtedly think we were up to something."

Meld smiled, and Jose responded with a wry smile.

"...What's the situation with the corps?"

Meld resumed his serious expression and asked. Jose's expression was not only sullen but even pale.

"...Including the legion commander, 60% of the captains are experiencing symptoms of 'emptiness'."

The "emptiness syndrome" José mentioned was a strange phenomenon that had recently spread throughout the palace. Initially appearing among lower-ranking soldiers and knights, it was, in short, burnout.

People who show symptoms have indeed completed their work and can have normal conversations, but they are obviously less energetic and less smiling than before. They only have the simplest communication with others and often hide in their rooms and do not go out.

This symptom gradually spread, and eventually, nobles with strong voices and members of the Knights' squadron leader rank also began to show the same symptoms.

Meld realized that something was wrong and felt a sense of crisis about the gradually spreading strange phenomena, so he began to investigate.

"It's so serious. I'm starting to think that more than 10% of the Knights are lucky. No, the fact that even the captains haven't shown any symptoms is already a stroke of luck."

"...But Captain, um, how should I put it... was this really an attack by someone? Or was it just that those people were too careless?"

After hearing the report, Meld's expression became more serious, while Jose asked hesitantly.

"The hero has been defeated, the elite knights have been lost, and the human side's numerical advantage is gradually being overturned by the demons. In this situation, will you still relax? Jose, I understand your feelings, but don't be too optimistic, otherwise you will also be in trouble."

"I am sorry for my impoliteness."

Jose wasn't genuinely optimistic about the situation. It was the deputy leader's responsibility to raise objections to the leader's ideas from other perspectives. Jose coughed and spoke again.

"Captain, have you discovered anything? Has His Majesty been affected in any way?"

"His Majesty is currently fine. He hasn't shown any signs of 'emptiness', and has become even more energetic. He even keeps saying, 'In the name of the Lord, I will never forgive the demon's atrocities'... but..."

"? What's wrong?"

Jose felt puzzled when he saw that Meld's speech was not as clear as usual.

Meld hesitated, unable to find the right words. He simply shook his head and said, "Nothing." He couldn't say His Majesty was a bit superstitious. Whether in his own beliefs or to his subordinates, he couldn't say such a thing.

"The Prime Minister doesn't seem to be in any trouble, but those in positions of power at the central government aren't optimistic."

Meld listed the nobles who had shown symptoms one by one, and hearing their names made Jose feel dizzy. Although the great nobles who truly controlled the core were still safe, a considerable number of powerful nobles from various factions had already fallen ill.

"I have reported this to His Majesty and have dispatched members of the Knights Templar to protect His Majesty. The situation with the Royal Guards and the Knights Templar remains uncertain. I have ordered that any unusual activity be reported immediately."

"What do you say about the 'Emptiness Symptoms', Your Majesty?"

King Elisid had of course also received the report—there might be an enemy of unknown origin launching a mental attack on the kingdom's core.

Even if it was just a lack of vitality, there were still a lot of them, and they had to be dealt with quickly. Meld, however, had a melancholy expression.

"...From the information we're secretly exchanging here, you should be able to understand the outcome, right?"

"Your Majesty, do you not agree to your investigation?"

That's right, in order to avoid the eyes and ears of others, they reported the current situation to each other in the corner of the palace late at night. On behalf of King Elisid, not only did he reject the request for a formal investigation, he even ordered Meld to stop interfering and concentrate on strengthening the armaments.

Even though he couldn't conduct an open investigation, Meld still believed in his sense of crisis, which was why he was having a secret meeting with his trusted subordinates to take every possible precaution.

"Given the current situation, the threat from demons is increasing. Your Majesty would find it difficult to make a judgment based solely on vague intelligence."

"Even so, Your Majesty usually listens to the captain's advice..."

Melde silenced Jose with a look. Even if King Elisid's current style was indeed overbearing, they could not easily complain about the monarch.

"That's why we need to gather enough information for His Majesty to make a judgment. Jose, gather those skilled in dark magic and have them investigate the cause of the 'Empty Symptoms' and find a way to combat them. Also, try to get someone to open the palace's treasury; there might be artifacts within that can counter psychic attacks. Ask the administration to show you a catalog of the collection."

"Understood. Where are Mr. Kouki and the others?"

"If I were to say so... they're in a precarious situation right now. I don't want to cause them any more anxiety, but... things don't always go as planned. I don't think I'm suited to educating others."

Meld sighed in self-mockery, and Jose said to him with a smile:

"They will definitely understand the leader's good intentions."

"That's putting the cart before the horse. I should be the one who wants to know what they're thinking, and that's what bothers me the most. Neither the way they swing their swords nor the way they fight bothers me this much."

"Even so, they'll definitely feel more at ease if the captain speaks up."

Newcomers to the Knights had already joined with a strong sense of purpose. Therefore, when faced with mental challenges, they could usually solve most problems by running, swinging their swords, and drinking until they collapsed. However, for ordinary students, who had been forced to leave their hometowns and could not return without fighting, that approach wouldn't work.

It's precisely because Captain Meld is not good at taking care of the mental well-being of the children in the non-athletic club that he is so distressed...

He was like a father worried about his child. Seeing this rare side of the captain, Jose couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Afterwards, Melde and Jose exchanged two or three pieces of information, discussed future strategies, and then returned to the palace under the cover of night.

Meld walked down the dimly lit corridor, careful not to be spotted by patrolling soldiers, as he headed towards his room. Even if he were spotted, as the Knight Commander, he wouldn't be blamed or questioned. However, someone might be curious about what he was doing so late at night, so Meld tried his best to avoid being seen.

However, thinking about his own sneaky activities in the palace late at night, which looked suspicious no matter how he looked at it, Meld couldn't help but smile at himself. But the next moment, he was about to taste the trembling taste of his heart stopping.

"Melder Group—"

Originally, there was no one around, and Meld was always paying attention to the surroundings, but someone suddenly appeared behind him, still close enough to touch his shoulder. At this distance, even if the other party wanted to take Meld's head, it would be easy -

“Drink!!”