Chapter 38: A Mission from the Church

Honestly, I still couldn’t tell whether that trip to the southern lands was fun or not. But at the very least, we made it back safely to the royal capital.

And, well… as soon as we returned, Kamina’s so-called “training” — in reality, pure hellish drills — started up again. I’ll admit it now: that made me a little sad.

"The princess is gradually becoming tougher. Even this old body feels pleased to see it."

"Ahaha… th-thank you, Postov."

Postov, the former Captain of the Royal Guard and now our training instructor, gave me his usual warm, genuine smile. There was no deceit in that expression — he was always kind to me. Truly, Postov… you’re the only one who treats me like that.

"…"

Running beside me for nearly ten kilometers without even breaking a sweat, Kamina kept silent. Her sharp, raptor-like eyes said everything: not enough training yet, obviously.

Doing my best not to provoke her, I tried to stay hidden behind Postov’s broad back, hoping she wouldn’t notice me.

While resting in the shade, my mind drifted back to our time in the south.
The first image that came to mind was… the naked bodies of two people.

Come to think of it, that so-called Demon Lord’s little sister hasn’t shown up since then either. Still… she really did have a beautiful body.

In contrast, I’d rather erase the whole matter of the frontier marquis from my memory entirely. For the sake of my mental health, that’s absolutely necessary.

"Princess, it’s about time to return to the castle," Kamina announced.

Already?

"Phew… somehow, I managed to get through another day."

If this were a tactics game, all this relentless training would’ve leveled me up several times by now. My class would probably be “Princess,” specializing in magic. Surely, by this point, I’d have access to forbidden spells like Meteor Strike.

But reality’s cruel. I still can’t even use beginner spells like Fire or Energy Bolt.

Guess I really am just an eroge princess — no magical talent whatsoever. Which means my only option is to master swordsmanship and martial arts instead.

The road ahead is long…

"Lady Sonia, you have a guest waiting."

One of the butlers approached as soon as I returned to the castle.

"Huh? But I don’t think I had any meetings scheduled today."

"That’s true, but… an envoy from the Papal Headquarters has arrived."

An envoy from the Church? Right after I got back?

Apparently, they wanted to discuss an upcoming event — something like a “Preparatory Conference for Establishing a Unified Basic Policy Among Western Nations Against the Demon Lord’s Army.”

…What a ridiculously long name.
Sounds like something straight out of a bureaucrat’s mouth.

"I see. So they want to hold this… whatever-you-called-it meeting. But what does that have to do with me?"

Honestly, I couldn’t see the connection.

"The envoy said they would like a representative from the royal family to attend the conference."

Ah. So that’s it — they’re asking our kingdom to send a delegate.

But really, for something that important, there must be far more qualified royal candidates than me.

"Shouldn’t Father or one of my brothers be handling something this serious?"

Usually, the king himself would attend such a major political or military conference. If not him, then one of my capable brothers. There’s no way someone like me — Sonia, the family disappointment — would ever be chosen.

"On the contrary, Princess. His Majesty specifically instructed us to recommend you as the representative."

"…Eh… eeeeh!? M-me!?"

A total bolt from the blue.

"Yes. The envoy brought an official letter of recommendation from His Majesty himself. We confirmed the royal seal — it’s authentic beyond doubt."

"W-wait! Let me see that!"

I snatched the document and quickly skimmed through my father’s recommendation.

…

There it was — my father Merkuma’s signature, clear as day.

According to the letter, because of the whole mess with the false victory report the other day (see Episode 27), Father apparently believes that I, of all people, am the most suitable person to analyze a Church-led conference. His expectations are both excessive and — quite frankly — misplaced.

Haaah…

Good grief. What a pain.

And on top of that, representing the royal family? Ugh, that sounds like a massive responsibility — exactly the kind I hate.

"Then, Princess, we humbly entrust this duty to you."

"…Ugh, uuuh…"

With every possible escape route sealed off, there was no way to decline.

Cursing my misfortune under my breath, I steeled myself and made my way toward the guest room.

"My apologies for the wait, dear guest."

The visitor from the Church, seated on the sofa, rose as I entered the room.

He had short, ashen-blond hair cropped close and a sharp, intimidating gaze. Dressed entirely in black, he almost resembled the Demon Lord — though unlike him, this man had a heavily trained physique, easily a size larger.

"I am Sonia. I’ll be handling today’s audience on behalf of the royal family."

No motivation whatsoever, but I still put on my best smile. My specialty.

"Oh? So you are Princess Sonia. I’ve heard much about you."

"Heard about me? It’s hard to imagine people at the Church knowing much about someone like me."

"Heh heh heh… you’re too modest. To meet the jewel of the Sugarcreek royal family in person — it is truly an honor."

With that, the Church envoy knelt before me and kissed the back of my hand. His movements were smooth and practiced — almost theatrical in their elegance.

For a supposed clergyman, he seemed awfully comfortable around women. And his mannerisms… definitely had the polish of a noble.

"I am October. I serve as a bishop at the Papal Headquarters. I may be inexperienced, but I ask for your kind regard."

"Bishop October, then. The pleasure is mine."

…Hmm. A bishop.

From what I know about the Church — officially called the Western Unified Holy Church — the clerical hierarchy goes something like this: Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Bishop, Priest, and Deacon.

The organization forms a pyramid structure, with the Papal Headquarters at the top. Beneath it are the Archdioceses governed by Archbishops, and below those, the Dioceses overseen by Bishops — spreading like a web across the western nations.

Each Diocese is headed by a Bishop, supported by Priests, Deacons, and lay believers.
Since “the Church” has essentially become the only recognized religious institution on the continent, other faiths either don’t exist or are branded as heretical sects.

Naturally, the Kingdom of Sugarcreek also falls under the Church’s influence. The entire nation belongs to the Sugarcreek Archdiocese, which contains multiple Dioceses throughout the realm.

Incidentally, the royal capital, Torte, is home to the Torte Diocese.
And as a small bit of trivia — the Archiepiscopal Seat isn’t actually located in Torte, but in the Old Capital, where the Church’s influence remains much stronger.

Judging by all that, this man October, being a bishop, ranks as an executive-level cleric within Sugarcreek’s national context.
But considering his youth — probably only in his twenties — that’s an unusually fast rise. I can’t help but think his family must be high-ranking nobles and that he got in through connections.

Still… what bothers me most is his physique. October is seriously well-trained.

And the aura he gives off — that quiet, disciplined pressure — suggests he’s no stranger to rough situations.
Honestly, introducing him as a soldier rather than a clergyman would make more sense.

"Lord October, if I may, I’d like to go over some preliminary matters regarding the conference."

Because of his height, I had to look up at him.
Unlike the Demon Lord or Zex, my first impression was of a straightforward, solid, martial type — practical, no-nonsense, a soldier at heart.

"Indeed. What we are considering is…"

We exchanged practical details about the conference schedule and reviewed the publicly available analyses of the current political and military situation among the western kingdoms.

"…At present, the Gaikoku Fortress, part of our territory, remains occupied by the Demon Lord’s army. However, their further incursions have been prevented, and the damage to our nation is minor."

"Hmm. So, Princess Sonia, do you believe an offensive operation to eliminate the Demon Lord’s forces quickly is unnecessary?"

October’s gaze was sharp, filled with interest.

Hmm. How should I answer this…?

"…I cannot answer lightly, but since territory is the foundation of our nation, I believe some form of negotiation with the Demon Lord’s army is necessary. However—"

"However?"

"Domestically, we’ve been using guild loans to purchase supplies and equipment to counter the Demon Lord’s army, so the economy has been unusually active — almost like a special wartime boom. From that perspective, I could say that the economic impact is not entirely negative."

I said it with perhaps a bit too much confidence.
Hmm… maybe I should’ve said, in deference to the Church, that the Demon Lord must be eradicated? Well, too late now.

October nodded thoughtfully.

"Princess Sonia, your analysis is quite an interesting perspective… I see. I have noticed that the Kingdom of Sugarcreek has been revitalized recently. I see, I see…"

Then he paused, staring at me intently.

Huh? Did I say something wrong?

"…Well, well. Indeed, rumors about people are hardly reliable."

He said this with a faint smile, and our eyes met.

…Ugh. Please don’t look at me like that. It’s so embarrassing.

"I, Princess Sonia, find myself genuinely interested in you as an individual."

"Ah… um…"

No, please don’t be interested.

I couldn’t help but worry that the Church’s “interest” might take a very different turn — that I’d end up accused of witchcraft and sentenced to be burned at the stake.