"And if Ren truly ends up with you," Remedios continued without hesitation, "then there's no doubt he would become the Holy King of the Holy Kingdom."
"As the ruler of a nation, having multiple wives or concubines is perfectly normal."
She waved a hand dismissively, as if stating something obvious.
"Yuri Alpha is a capable and powerful woman in her own right. If necessary, you could make some concessions and allow her to stay in the Holy Kingdom as well. As long as your position as Holy Queen remains unshaken…"
Her voice softened slightly.
"And as long as your future children inherit the throne, everything else is negotiable."
This wasn't a modern world.
So while Remedios's words might sound outrageous to someone from a contemporary perspective, Karja herself didn't find them strange in the slightest.
In a world shaped by medieval values, political marriages were commonplace.
If making a few compromises ensured the prosperity of the nation—and the birth of strong heirs—then it was hardly considered a sacrifice at all.
Following Ren's plan, the magical equipment worn by the nearly ten thousand captured demi-humans was stripped away under Remedios's orders and redistributed among the Holy Kingdom's soldiers.
In truth, one of the primary reasons the Holy Kingdom had been steadily losing ground was precisely because of those magic-enhanced armaments.
Otherwise, a disorganized mob like the demi-human forces should never have been able to overwhelm the disciplined armies of the Holy Kingdom.
After testing the equipment themselves, even Remedios was stunned.
The enhancements and defensive capabilities of the demi-humans' gear were on par with the elite equipment used by the Holy Knights.
No wonder they had been losing.
The Holy Knights numbered only a few hundred—and not even all of them possessed such high-grade magical gear.
Meanwhile, on the enemy side…
Nearly a hundred thousand demi-humans were equipped with gear of this level.
And the tribal chieftains? Their equipment was even more advanced.
Realizing this, Remedios found herself caught between excitement and shock.
The sheer value of nearly one hundred thousand sets of magical equipment…
That level of wealth could buy the entire Holy Kingdom several times over.
Even after being stripped of their equipment, the captured demi-humans remained defiant.
They glared at Remedios with unyielding hatred, shouting that their "god" would surely punish these despicable humans of the Holy Kingdom.
For a moment, Remedios was tempted to execute them all on the spot.
But in the end, she restrained herself.
Thanks to Ren's negotiation skills, the demi-human side eventually agreed to an exchange.
In return for the ten thousand captured prisoners, they would release:
A previously conquered city
Prince Caspond Besares
The high priest, Aoi Rat Castradio
With magical equipment now bolstering their forces—and with Ren himself acting as a decisive trump card—the internal conflict of the Holy Kingdom was no longer one-sided.
The battlefield stabilized.
The human forces held the southern regions, while the demi-humans occupied the north.
And so, a grueling stalemate dragged on for an entire month.
Throughout that time, the overwhelming strength displayed by Ren and Yuri on the battlefield gradually gave Karja and the others a sense of hope.
However…
Ren and Yuri were still, officially, members of the Empire.
Taking a few days off wasn't an issue—the Emperor had that much tolerance.
But for the Empire's Knight Commander to disappear for an entire month…
That was pushing it.
Meanwhile, under the leadership of the Theocracy, a multi-nation alliance had begun forming—one aimed squarely at opposing the Sorcerer Kingdom.
The date for a secret summit was fast approaching.
And Emperor Jircniv, playing the role of a double agent, had been invited.
Being a double agent had its advantages.
You could play both sides.
But it was also the most dangerous position of all.
Jircniv knew full well—
There was a very real possibility he could be killed by both sides.
In the past, he had believed that the Empire's Four Imperial Knights represented the pinnacle of human strength—enough to ensure his safety.
But after his visit to Nazarick…
After learning about beings like "Certain Death" and the Platinum Dragon Lord…
His confidence shattered completely.
He had once thought the Empire possessed the strongest military and the greatest elite fighters among all nations.
Now he knew how laughably wrong he had been.
The so-called elite Imperial Knights he once relied on as trump cards…
Couldn't even defeat a high-level grunt from the Sorcerer Kingdom.
This upcoming summit carried enormous risk.
There was always the chance the Sorcerer Kingdom would discover it.
Even if the Empire tried to defect at the last moment, with monsters like those in play…
He might be killed before he even got the chance.
That's why Jircniv needed the most reliable bodyguard possible.
And in his mind, there was only one answer:
Ren Kuroda.
Ren had already proven his loyalty by standing up for him in Nazarick—a place that was essentially a den of monsters.
And beyond that…
Ren's overwhelming combat power made him the best possible shield—and a strong voice at the negotiating table.
Jircniv had no objections to Ren helping the Holy Kingdom.
In fact, earning their goodwill wasn't a bad thing.
And, as with the Four Knights, he had promised not to interfere too much in Ren and Yuri's freedom.
But now?
Ren had been gone for over a month.
And worse…
There were signs he was starting to enjoy staying there.
That made Jircniv anxious.
He couldn't afford to lose such a valuable asset.
And with the summit fast approaching, he desperately needed Ren back.
He had already sent messengers to the Holy Kingdom multiple times.
Every single one had vanished without a trace.
That left only two possibilities:
Either they had been killed by demi-humans…
Or the Holy Kingdom itself was deliberately preventing their return.
Given that the Holy Kingdom's current ability to hold its ground relied almost entirely on Ren…
The latter possibility wasn't far-fetched.
At this critical moment, they would naturally want to keep him there—
Even if it meant offending the Empire.
This time, determined to succeed, Jircniv dispatched three of the remaining Imperial Knights—along with tens of thousands of soldiers—under the pretense of reinforcing the Holy Kingdom.
No matter what the truth was…
He refused to believe that sending such a force would yield no information.
On a hill in the southern region of the Holy Kingdom—
Remedios stood at the head of tens of thousands of troops.
Among them, several thousand soldiers now wore the high-grade magical equipment taken from the demi-humans.
Blocking their path…
Was the army of the Empire.
"Lord Raikou Bajud," Remedios called out coolly, her voice carrying across the battlefield. "It's been quite some time since we last met in the Empire."
Her gaze sharpened.
"I wonder—what business do the famed Four Imperial Knights have, bringing such a large force into our Holy Kingdom?"
She didn't bother hiding the hostility in her tone.
"If I recall correctly, your Emperor refused to provide us aid when we needed it most."
Her sword tilted slightly downward, pointing toward the ground in silent warning.
"The Holy Kingdom does not welcome you."
"Kindly withdraw at once."