Ren Kuroda left the royal palace of the Holy Kingdom with Yuri at his side.
Before he departed, the Holy Queen, Karja, made a point of entrusting all matters related to the demi-human conflict entirely to him. She even went so far as to say that any decisions he made could be carried out first and simply reported to her afterward.
"Ren-sama… the people of the Holy Kingdom seem to trust us quite a lot," Yuri said as they walked. "Under normal circumstances, even if we came in a personal capacity, they wouldn't hand military authority over to an outsider so easily, would they?"
She wasn't wrong.
No matter how inexperienced Karja might be in political maneuvering, and no matter how straightforward Remedios might be, entrusting a foreign knight—and the Empire's strongest at that—with command of their forces was undeniably strange.
After all, what if Ren suddenly turned on them and seized the kingdom outright?
"…It is suspicious," Ren muttered, his expression turning thoughtful. "Have Aura stay alert on her side. Don't let your guard down."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"This kingdom has stood strong for generations. There's no way they don't have hidden trump cards. And that Holy Queen… something about her feels off."
He recalled Karja's earlier attitude toward him—open, trusting… almost too warm.
"Is she pretending to be naïve on purpose? Trying to lower my guard… or testing me?"
"I think… the feelings she has toward you may be something else entirely," Yuri said carefully.
As a woman—and one who harbored feelings of her own—Yuri could sense it. What Karja displayed earlier didn't feel like an act. It felt genuine.
Ren snorted lightly.
"That's naïve thinking. That kind of assumption is exactly how people fall into traps."
He folded his arms, speaking with calm certainty.
"Think about it. I'm an Imperial knight. We've known each other for less than half a day. There's no way she'd develop feelings that quickly."
"She's the Holy Queen, not some lovestruck fool. Anyone capable of ruling a nation shouldn't be underestimated."
Yuri lowered her head obediently.
"My apologies."
But in truth… her intuition wasn't far off.
Just like Evileye—the centuries-old "Witch of Calamity"—had fallen for Ainz at first sight…
Karja, too, had felt something stir in her heart the moment she saw Ren.
And unlike blind infatuation, her feelings had reasons.
When the Holy Kingdom stood on the brink of collapse, both the Kingdom and the Empire had refused aid.
Only Ren had come—alone.
That alone had already moved her deeply.
For someone like Karja, who had always been the one protecting others like a saint… this was the first time she had been protected in return.
Then came the battlefield.
Ren had turned the tide with overwhelming strength, saving the capital like a hero out of legend. That image struck her heart even harder.
And finally… his appearance.
When he removed his mask, his otherworldly, almost supernatural beauty perfectly matched her aesthetic ideals.
Karja had long been troubled by the fact that she had reached marriageable age without finding a suitable partner.
And now, suddenly, someone who excelled in character, strength, and appearance had appeared before her.
If she didn't feel something… that would be stranger.
Back in the palace, Karja and Remedios were already deep in conversation.
"I told you in my letter, didn't I?" Remedios said proudly. "Ren is one of the finest men I've ever met—in personality, strength, and appearance."
"Compared to him, the Baharuth Emperor is just an arrogant man."
She puffed her chest slightly.
"To be honest, when Ren defeated me so easily, I even thought about pursuing him myself. But since you're my best friend, I gave him up for you."
"So you'd better give it your all, Karja. Once the war with the demi-humans ends, he'll probably return to the Empire."
Her tone turned serious.
"You need to seize this opportunity. Use your national-treasure-level beauty and your 'Pure Holy Queen' aura to win him over. Make him stay in the Holy Kingdom!"
Even for close friends, Remedios's bluntness made Karja blush bright red.
Still… she couldn't deny the logic.
She had always struggled to find a suitable match within the Holy Kingdom. She had even considered candidates from the Kingdom and the Empire.
But the Kingdom's princes were useless.
The Emperor of the Empire was impressive—but overly ambitious… and, more importantly, he disliked that she was older than him.
"…But Ren seemed rather distant toward me," Karja said hesitantly.
"And… that woman by his side—Yuri—she's incredibly beautiful too. What if they're already in a relationship?"
No matter how wise a woman might be—whether a "Pure Holy Queen" or a "Calamity Witch"—once love entered the picture, logic tended to collapse.
Karja was no exception.
Compared to Yuri, who had spent time fighting alongside Ren, she felt she had little advantage.
"As for that, I already looked into it for you," Remedios replied confidently.
"Yuri Alpha is a top-tier martial artist—probably even stronger than me. But her relationship with Ren isn't romantic. They're simply comrades from their adventurer days."
She paused, then added thoughtfully:
"Of course, she chose to follow him even after he became the Empire's Knight Commander. So it's possible she has feelings for him."
"Well, that's only natural. Just like beautiful women attract attention, outstanding men do too."
Then Remedios leaned forward, her tone turning encouraging.
"But you're not inferior to anyone, Karja."
"I've never seen a woman more beautiful than you."
"Compared to Yuri, who's just an adventurer, you are the Holy Queen. Have some confidence!"
"You are the ideal partner most men in the world dream of."
"Your talent? You were already casting fourth-tier divine magic at fifteen."
"Your looks? You're literally called a national treasure."
"And your status?"
She smiled.
"Anyone who marries you practically becomes the Holy King of the Holy Kingdom."
Blunt as ever—but undeniably convincing.
A woman like Karja, if placed in Ren's original world, would be the definition of a top-tier elite:
wealth, beauty, power—the whole package.
Marrying her wouldn't just save twenty years of effort…
And more importantly—
She wasn't some distant, untouchable figure.
She was a stunning, kind, and gentle woman—
the kind almost no man could refuse.
...
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