CHAPTER 5: A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW

**Kuro**

“Ahem. And so, with that, our lesson concludes for today. Do you have questions, or anything you did not understand?”

A student near the back of the room raised his hand.

“Yes, Mister Phillips, what is it?”

“Uhm, Sir Kuro, it’s not actually about the lesson,” he admitted. “We’re just concerned about those paladins guards standing at the door. Did anything happen, sir?”

“Oh, that’s your question?”

“Yes, sir…”

My eyes immediately fell on the pair of paladins posted at the classroom door. Actually, they were the only ones who were visible to my students. As far as I know, there were six more paladins outside, standing guard at the hallway. Four were assigned to monitor me from the rooftops of the school buildings in front of the classroom windows, and a full squad surrounded the campus perimeter.

Those are just the ‘ground’ forces. I did not include the ‘cavalry’, stationed in a room near the faculty, as reinforcements.

“Lord Phillips, I believe it is not the duty of a student to ask about a paladin’s responsibility,” one of the pair guarding the door, Lady Hawthorne, told him. “We are only answerable to Her Holiness herself, thus we would only answer questions from her.”

Seeing that he was rebuffed, the student retreated to his seat, his face red in embarrassment and visibly dejected.

“…” I could only shake my head in exasperation. While the Human Saint’s paladins were a well-known and trusted ‘force of good’, their flamboyant armors and ornate weapons were enough to cause intimidation to our students, who were just coming to school expecting a ‘safe’ and ‘open’ environment and not a scene resembling an army camp. Not to mention, as they were disciplined and professional soldiers, their serious and grim faces especially while on guard duty wasn’t really something that could be used for a normal school setting.

“Haa…”

“Are you alright, milord?” Lady Hawthorne asked me while we were on our way to my next class.

“Yes, yes…I’m fine, Lady Hawthorne, thank you,” I tried to smile back at her. “It’s just that, it feels so restricting…”

The paladin stared at me, a bit bewildered by my admission.

“No! Don’t take it the wrong way, milady!” I quickly told her. “I do appreciate your presence, but well…how do I say this? Uh, do you really have to follow my every footstep?”

“I offer my apologies, milord,” the paladin leader bowed. “However, it’s Her Holiness’ orders.”

“Even in the classroom?”

“Lady Henristone’s orders.”

“And inside the male lavatory?”

“You know our sentiments, sire,” the paladin explained. “All of us at the Corps share the desire to protect our former captain, who led us to many glorious victories before. We will be your shield everywhere, even at the darkest corners of your bed.”

“Ah, yes, haha! Thank you for that…” Seriously though, do all the maidservants and guards of the Holy Palatial Gardens tend to overdo everything?

Man, whatever did I say to Maddie to make her act this way? Ever since our talk the morning of Sunday, I never saw her again until this morning, when she came with the other teachers to the faculty room. She even exchanged pleasantries with everyone, including me, leading me to conclude that she’s fine, and that episode in my room last ‘Sunday’ didn’t happen.

However, when I was about to go to my first class, Lady Hawthorne’s paladin squad appeared, carrying a written order signed by Maddie herself and tasking them to guard me ‘wherever I go’.

“…”

Of course, I was not informed about it before, so I went to Lady Henristone to confirm the validity of the written order. Much to my disbelief, the paladin captain added the ‘even in the classroom’ clause, simply because we ‘can’t be sure of your security, Sir Kuro. Your enemies are powerful’.

And so, I ended up being followed by the paladins everywhere I go.

I’m definitely going to raise this matter to Maddie once lunch break comes.

----------

“Oh! Hello, Sir Kuro!”

“!!!” At the other end of the hallway, I saw one of my students, Lady Noir Usarved, walking towards us. Unlike her other schoolmates, the demon girl seemed to be fine with the presence of armed paladins going around our campus. She went on as usual, greeting me with her casual smile, coupled with her energetic personality.

“Would you like me to help you with your things, Sir?”

“No, it’s okay,” I insisted. Even when the paladins offered to carry my teaching implements, I refused them. At least, while they already invaded my privacy, I won’t let these ladies take away the last ounce of my masculinity.

“Alright, see you later, Sir Kuro!” the demon girl waved her hand goodbye.

Just as she passed us, however, I remembered I wanted to ask her about something important. “Ah! Wait, Miss Usarved!”

She stopped in her tracks and turned around, “Sir?”

“Can I talk to you for a bit?” I asked. “There’s something I’d like to know from you.”

The demon girl’s eyes immediately went for the paladins, silently telling me that she didn’t want them to hear our conversation. Nevertheless, she answered, “What is it I can help you with, Sir Kuro?”

“Uhm…” I signaled for the paladins to keep their distance for a bit.

“Milord, we are to stay with you,” Lady Hawthorne reminded me of their orders.

“Look, we’re just going to talk at that spot over there, not too far from you,” I explained. “Besides, what can a mere student do to me?”

The squad leader pondered for a few seconds, and then relented. She called her paladins away from us, though I still pulled Lady Usarved some distance from them, just to ensure no one would overhear us.

“What is it, Sir?” Lady Usarved asked, though she could read the atmosphere and was talking in whispers. “Are those paladins threatening you?”

“Though they may look scary, they’re actually here to guard me,” I told her, whispering. “In any case, what can a student like you do against them? They’re professional soldiers, no matter how fancy they may look.”

“I’m a member of the demon race, and Prince Hurion is my half-brother,” she reiterated. “One word, and I can command his armies to rescue you.”

“Don’t do that; you’re my student! I’m supposed to keep you safe, not push you to violence. And fighting the paladins meant declaring war against the Human Saint, and in turn, against all of Chersea. I definitely don’t want that to happen.”

“If you say so, Sir…”

“Anyway, listen. You said you’re from Cherflammen before you came to enroll here, right?”

“Yes, Sir!”

“Then about that cult, ‘Knights of Cassandra David’, what do you know about them?”

Lady Usarved’s face was clearly shocked the moment I mentioned the cultists’ name. Her eyes went around, as if making sure that no one else was listening.

“…”

Well, save for the paladin squad of Lady Hawthorne, we’re the only ones in that corridor. Classes were in full swing, and it’s still two hours before lunch break.

“Sir, why do you know about them?”

“Your ambassador, Lady Kalen Gratianni, mentioned them to us before.”

“No, I mean…haa…let me rephrase my question,” the demon girl paused for a bit before continuing. “Why are you interesting in knowing them?”

“Err…is that a taboo topic among the demons?”

Lady Usarved nodded, “First rule of the ‘Knights’; never talk about the ‘Knights’.”

What is this, some sort of a ‘fight club’?

“But well, since I’m in Chersea, demon laws won’t apply to me. I can talk about them whenever I want,” she grinned.

Why did you even tell that to me?

“Anyway, the ‘Knights’ are originally a demon faction that has the goal of preserving the human hero, Cassandra David’s, legacy.”

“Hm? I thought Cassandra David fought against your people during the 11th Human-Demon War? Why would they try to preserve her memories?”

“Well, she did fight against us, initially…”

“And…?”

“However, she came to her senses, and realized that she’s fighting for a wrong cause.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“See, Lady Cassandra David was summoned to fight for that mad god, Gaius, who’s bent on annihilating our entire race.”

“Wha—”,

“I can tell that you’ve been fed lies, Sir Kuro,” Lady Usarved chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s expected. After all, human history books always show that they are the victims, instead of the otherwise.”

Whoa…this was something I didn’t expect. Mad God? Gaius? He mentioned nothing about it before, not even a slip of the tongue…

“Wait, but the battles of that last conflict happened here in Chersea, so it means your people are the ones who invaded. Of course, the humans would think they are at the short end of the stick in that setting.”

“You’re right, Sir Kuro, we did make the first move. But then, have you ever considered the reasons on why the demons would invade? Take note, it’s been eleven conflicts…all with the same results. Don’t you think that if it’s only a trivial matter, we demons would get tired of invading, and just let it go at the end?”

“Tell me.”

“Humans, the children of Gaius’ beloved daughter, Lady Ava. Ever since the first sin, ‘The Great Sundering of the Land’, the children of Lord Hanno—that is us, the demons, and the humans never truly got along. However, unlike you, we were cursed—or rather blessed, depending on the perspective—with adventurous minds. It is because of that curious mindset, with utter disregard for rules and limitations set by the heavens, that we children of the Lord Hanno progressed ahead of everyone else. Without Gaius’ loving guidance, we prospered in Chersea, earning the envy and ire of the other races.”

The book that I read back in Ruro’s Cave Palace in Cherwind came to my mind. I remember those names; ‘Hanno’ and ‘Ava’. I recall correctly, Hanno is Gaius’ child from someone else—I just couldn’t remember the exact name, while Ava is his youngest daughter from his wife, as well as his most beloved. However, what intrigued me more was, “Demons? Prospered in Chersea?”

“Ah yes, I often forgot that human history books won’t mention that the land of Undying Light, Chersea, was originally the demon realm.”

“What—”

Lady Usarved nodded, “And Gaius, in his hate for Lord Hanno and his offspring, combined with his favor towards Lady Ava and her descendants, sought to drive our people out of our own land. And so, the first of the Human-Demon Wars erupted.”

“Wow…” I’m having difficulty in processing all the information the demon girl was giving me. Is she saying all that I read in the books of humans and beastmen are lies?

“Blood was shed, cities became the centers of conflict. Compared to the stick-wielding, stone-throwing, shrieking human savages, our technology and culture is superior. However, because of our hubris, the demons were defeated. Can you imagine that?”

I remained in silent contemplation. Apparently, there were still a lot of things in this world that I was yet to learn…

“At the end of the first Human-Demon conflict, our people lost Chersea, and was thrown away to the dark, barren land we now call Cherflammen. The subsequent Human-Demon wars were always started by my race, for our goal of reclaiming what is ours never perished in our minds.”

“I…I understand.”

“Now, let’s move forward to the 11th Human-Demon War. As we all know, the demon lord back then was king Melqart Buvor, whose stated goal was to reclaim Chersea, and enslave the humans in an attempt to avenge the generation after generation of humiliating defeats of our armies.”

“That’s some sheer will and focus, eh?”

“Oh, there’s more to it than what is said in the books,” Lady Usarved was smiling, as if she’s expecting those reactions from me. “Did you know? The demons are never warlike, in the first place. We would kill for knowledge, yes, but that’s it. However, King Melqart Buvor was spurred to this violent course of action by the mad god’s spies, who’s bent on destroying us, once and for all.”

Damn…I didn’t know Jules had that kind of a dark past.

“Lady Cassandra David is the human hero summoned by Gaius to be the champion of Ava’s children. She fought valiantly at the front of the human armies, leading them to victory after victory, until she was confronted by the bitter truth about the mad god’s plans. As a result, she switched allegiances and defended our people from Gaius’ machinations,” Lady Usarved chuckled. “Now that I come to think of it, you can say we owe our survival to that unlikely demon hero.”

“And the ‘Knights’ wanted to preserve her memories?”

“Well, yes, it started as that. However, soon their group began to grow, and with it, came the fanatics. These people later ascended to higher ranks, thus twisting the ‘Knights’ original goal into ‘spreading Lady Cassandra’s message of demon supremacy in all corners of all the realms’.”

“That’s truly a huge difference, even from Cassandra David’s historical actions.”

“Indeed. However, only my brother, Prince Hurion, stood on their way. Before, those fools can’t even make bold moves, for the Demon Saint, Lady Natasha Bellingsen, and the Devil of the Grey Parka, supported my brother to stop any heretical teachings. But then, when they vanished, Prince Hurion’s forces weakened, thus emboldening the ‘Knights’ to take action.”

Goddammit, Loin! If you’re going to vanish, at least solve the problems first before leaving!

“I see…” Honestly, I don’t know what to say about those things I learned. A lot of those that were said conflicted to what I already knew, though I simply couldn’t disregard anything until I’m sure of the truth.

“Now where was I, Sir Kuro? I think I went on rambling about my people’s history,” Lady Noir asked nonchalantly.

“Ah, it’s fine. You already answered more than what I asked,” I took a pen and wrote something on a piece of paper. “Please head back to your class. Here’s a note; give it to your teacher to explain why you are late.”

“Oh, thank you Sir!”

“Ah, it’s me who should thank you,” I winked at her. “Anyway, go now.”

The demon girl bowed and went on her way.

----------

When lunch break came, I hurried back to the faculty room, hoping and expecting to see Maddie. However, instead of the Human Saint, what I saw was Her Majesty the Queen Jessica, sitting near my table as if waiting for me.

“Kuro!” she called out and waved at me the moment I appeared. “What happened? Why are the paladins following you? Did you do something perverted?”

“Ah…you really think I’d do something like peeping around the girls at Holy Palatial Gardens?”

Her Majesty laughed, “No, I know you won’t do it; you got no spine, after all.”

“I’m respecting my limits.”

“I’m joking, of course. Anyway, did something serious happen?”

“Err…it’s a long story, Your Majesty,” I threw a quick glance on Lady Hawthorne, who understood that I was telling her to keep a little distance. She and her girls retreated, and when they gave me a bit of privacy, I narrated to the Amaranthine monarch the events in which Ursura and I were caught up.

“I see…so Her Holiness got so worried about you, based on your story,” the queen commented the moment I finished my story. “Pretty understandable, I’d say.”

“Still, I think it’s not a good reason for my privacy to be violated,” I countered. “I mean, she’s already looking into my thoughts, and I’m just letting her. Plus, come on, I already survived fighting against hordes of zombies, Imperial legions, bloodthirsty beastmen, an army of ill-disciplined mercenaries, and even an assassination attempt. A group of deranged cultists are not enough to bring me down, you know?”

“Well, so you say, and I think you’re making a good argument,” she pointed out. “But, I can’t say the same for the people who loves you, as they are thinking the otherwise. See, when you got abducted to Cherwind, Her Holiness was inconsolable. The Head Maid was her immediate support, even though Lady von Leese was also shaken herself. Heck, even the Braunhauer brat was so different back then, desperate worrying about your safety.”

“I-I see…”

“If you ask me, I’m not that worried though,” the queen was grinning. “I know an idiot like you can always pull off a comeback.”

“Wow, thanks for the wonderful compliment,” I was sarcastic.

But the Queen of Amaranth turned serious once again, “Nevertheless, I don’t like the idea of me becoming a widow early on, so you should be more careful.”

“We’re not yet married, so there’s no commitment. You can always look for another lover.”

“You’re really an idiot; a dense idiot if you will. Can’t you see that what I’m trying to say is: ‘I don’t want someone else but you, so you have to stay alive for me’?”

“What a roundabout way of saying ‘I love you, so be careful’.”

“You said it yourself,” she was blushing, though she’s trying hard to hide by turning away from me. “Don’t make me repeat those words again.”

“Heh, Your Majesty, let me be clear that I understood what you’re trying to tell me,” I admitted to her, laughing a little. “However, I also learned not to assume things until I’m very sure of it.”

“Wow, I can tell you went through a lot of rejections with that.”

“Trust me, I’ve been through a lot shitty situations in my life, I still can’t believe why you and the others chose to be with me. I’m waiting for the time to come I’d wake up in this good dream, and everything is only a beautiful lie.”

Queen Jessica gave me a long stare, as if I said something outrageous. Of course, I returned her gesture, though the more she looked at me, the greater it became awkward for us to say anything. However, after some time, it was her who broke the ice…

“Kuro,” she was chuckling while shaking her head, “you’re poetically hopeless. You know what? Just accept our love, and be grateful for it. Don’t ask yourself for reasons, because when a girl falls in love, she doesn’t need reasons. We just do what we have to do.”

“Alright…?”

“You’re really hopeless.”

“Yes, I know; you don’t have to repeat that. Even my situation right now is hopeless.”

The Amaranthine royal then stopped laughing and leaned closer to me, whispering, “Which brings us to another topic…”

“What?”

“Do you need help?”

“Help? You mean about those paladins?”

Queen Jessica nodded, while making a sign that I lower my voice.

“Can you, please?” a spark of hope rose within me. Her Majesty the Queen of Amaranth was considerably closer to Her Holiness, perhaps she could do something—I don’t know, maybe talk to Maddie—about my situation? I mean, I could also talk to the Human Saint, but I guess it’s much more convincing if you had more people backing you up.

“Alright,” she suddenly stood up and fixed her clothes. “I’ll see what I can do.” Then the Amaranthine monarch winked at me, before heading to the door and leaving.

Oookay? Now what? I was bewildered by Queen Jessica’s actions. What is she trying to convey, anyway?

----------

Maddie finally appeared just as Her Majesty the Queen of Amaranth left. Upon her entrance to the faculty room, Lady Hawthorne and her paladins went outside.

What the heck? If it’s a different person talking to me, the paladins will stay?

“Ah, Kuro!” the Human Saint greeted me with the prettiest of smiles. She was humming happily too, as if everything was normal. “Have you eaten lunch?”

However, I did not answer her question. Instead, I focused on what I intend to ask her, “Just the right time, Maddie. We need to talk.” On a side note, I just noticed that the other teachers in the faculty were gone, including their servants, when it’s supposed to be lunch break. Maddie and I were alone together in that room.

“How’s your day going?” likewise, she never replied to what I just said. Her feigned ignorance on what’s happening felt awkward and kind of creepy, in a way. Nevertheless, I resolved to talk to her about the armed paladins’ presence on the campus as soon as possible.

“Maddie, drop the act,” I told her. “I know you can read what’s in my mind, and I think we should agree on something before the classes end today.”

At that moment, the smile on Maddie’s face vanished. She just silently went for a chair nearby, and stared at me.

“…”

I guess I said something harsh. Honestly, I didn’t like talking to her like this, but if this continued, we would only fight. And I don’t want that to happen. Well, in any case, I stood to get us some tea and remove the tension. And since the cupboard was near the window…

“Kuro!”

“!!!”

Maddie rushed towards me and grabbed me by my arm. Then, she pulled me away from the cupboard, “Please, don’t come near the windows.” Her voice was half-pleading and half-commanding.

“Err…I’m just grabbing us some snacks while we talk…?”

“Stay here; let me be the one to do it.”

“…” The scene was surreal; I couldn’t believe it. Between Maddie and I, she’s the one who needed more protecting than I do. She’s the Human Saint, the leader of all Chersea, for fuck’s sake!

“Hey!”

Maddie almost jumped when I tapped on her shoulder.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes…” she forced out a smile, determined to hide her feelings. “W-Why do you ask?”

“Well, you’re putting an entire bottle of tea on a single cup.”

“!!!” When she noticed her mistake, Maddie panicked and scrambled to hide and correct it.

However, I took hold of her hands, “Maddie, tell me honestly, are you alright?”

The Human Saint slowly nodded, and she tried her best to maintain eye contact with me. But then, a few moments later, tears welled up in her eyes, and she silently cried.

“You’re getting stressed, you know?” I told her, gently wiping her tears away. “I can tell you’re afraid of something. Is that about me?”

“Kuro…”

“You can tell me,” I winked at her. “You know I’ll always stand by your side, even when we’re far apart. So tell me what’s bothering you.”

“I…” she took a deep breath, as her face contorted in a vain attempt to control the out-pour of her emotions. “I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Of losing you again…this time, it’s forever.”

“Hm? Is this about those cultists?”

“Not only them…” Maddie’s tears were now falling uncontrollably, even though she was wiping it with her sleeves. “I saw my future, Kuro. It was a beautiful one…”

“Then why are you scared if it’s good?”

“It’s a future without you…”

I felt like I was punched in the gut when I heard that. Those tears, those fears in Maddie’s eyes, now I understood why she’s like that. “Where did you see it?”

“In a dream, Kuro…a dream where my mother’s spirit showed me my fate.”

Although I came from a world whose dreams and nightmares were now considered a product of an overly-active mind while sleeping; here in Chersea, superstitions and traditions still influence the thoughts and actions of the people, including the Human Saint. As such, I couldn’t blame Maddie for becoming like this.

Besides, it’s not like I didn’t experience something extraordinary here. I’ve already met gods, used magic, and sometimes, I’m also guided by dreams in this place…

“…”

However…

“I’m missing from that future? What happened to me?”

Maddie shook her head, “I don’t know, nor does my mother. The spirits can only show what lies ahead, not determine what caused it.”

So that’s why she tasked the paladin guards to follow my every step. She may had thought that this dream she had was also a premonition of things to come. And indeed, if one did look into our situation, there’s a high chance I end up dead, or missing.

Damn…while it’s suffocating, it’s not like I can’t understand where Maddie’s coming from. She has experienced a lot of traumas ever since she loved me.

“That’s why I’m willing to swallow the bitter pill to keep you safe,” I heard her say. “I don’t want you to disappear ever again.”

“Yes…I understand. As long as this issue with those demon cultists isn’t resolved, I’m willing to endure those paladins following my every move. Though if you can just please tell them not to be so intimidating, so as not to scare our students.”

The Human Saint sheepishly nodded, “I’ll see what I can do, Kuro. But your safety comes first.”

“Thank you.”

“And Kuro, can I request something from you?”

“Sure.”

“That man claiming to be Gaius, can you keep away from him?”

“Is this also connected to your dream?”

She nodded once again.

“Well, I admit that guy helped me a lot of times before, though I also have my reservations about him,” I revealed to her, especially after that conversation I had with Lady Usarved. “In any case, it’s not that I’m the one who’s coming to him. He just calls me whenever he deemed it necessary.”

“Oh…so you can’t control it?”

“Yep.”

“Alright…” then, saying nothing else, Maddie put her index finger on my forehead and uttered a spell. I think something happened on that spot, since I felt something warm for a moment, then it returned to normal.

“Hm? What happened?”

“I just cast a mind spell on you,” Maddie’s sadness vanished; another beautiful, happy smile appeared on her lips once more, though her eyes…something’s weird and scary about them. “From now on, I’ll always know what’s going on your thoughts, so that I can keep you away from that man.”