Chapter 26: Roble Holy Kingdom (4)
Arche.
The Holy Princess Calca Bessarez made sure to engrave that name in her mind.
Calca's temples throbbed with dull pain — the kind that comes from too many sleepless nights and unending crises. It was the result of stress she had long endured and never voiced. Everyone knew her as a saint — gentle, kind, and just — and that much was true. Her compassion was her greatest strength… and her greatest weakness.
As a ruler, her kindness often became a burden.
She hesitated to make ruthless decisions, the kind every monarch must sometimes make.
And that hesitation trapped her — between mercy and duty.
Now, with the kingdom divided between the north and south and political disputes escalating by the day, a new calamity had struck: A member of the royal family had been kidnapped by the Demi-Humans.
The moment Calca heard the report, her heart froze.
Questions swirled in her head — How did they infiltrate the palace? Why target the royal family? What are they after?
Even after consulting with Kelart Custodio, her most trusted aide, no clear answers had emerged.
But one thing was certain — action was needed.
....
"Your Highness, Lady Arche has arrived."
"Let her in."
The girl who entered the chamber was young — impossibly so.
A crimson cloak swayed behind her as she stepped forward, her wooden staff tapping softly against the marble.
Her expression was emotionless, her gaze calm — like a mask.
Despite her youth, there was an elegance about her posture, a quiet dignity that did not belong to a mere adventurer.
So this is the Adamantite adventurer from the Empire… Calca thought.
She remembered hearing that under the new Emperor, many nobles had been stripped of their titles — their power and privilege torn away.
Perhaps Arche's family had suffered the same fate, forcing her down this path.
But there was no trace of fragility in her eyes.
Those were not the eyes of a noble raised in luxury.
They were the eyes of a warrior — sharp, steady, and honed by battle.
Eyes like Remedios Custodio's, her knight commander.
"I am Arche. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Calca Bessarez."
"Please, raise your head. There's no need for formalities here."
"Then I'll be direct — it seems you've summoned me for urgent business."
"Indeed," Calca said, straightening her posture. "We need your strength, Lady Arche — the strength of an Adamantite adventurer."
Arche's golden eyes flicked over Calca from head to toe.
It was not a look of arrogance, but of silent evaluation.
Any other noble would have taken offense, but Calca didn't.
She could tell — Arche was simply measuring her, trying to understand the person making this request.
After a pause, Arche spoke again.
"I was told a member of the royal family has been abducted by Demi-Humans. I would like to hear the full details."
"Does that mean you're accepting the request?"
It was Kelart Custodio who spoke this time.
For a brief moment, Arche's eyes widened — surprise flickering across her face.
Calca noticed it but chose to let it go. There were more pressing matters to address.
"It means I'll listen first," Arche replied evenly.
Kelart nodded, and Remedios, who had been standing nearby, was about to interject — but Calca quickly raised a hand to stop her.
They couldn't afford a large-scale mobilization.
The matter demanded discretion.
Right now, Arche was their only Adamantite-ranked adventurer available within the Holy Kingdom.
If they failed to secure her help, their only options left would be public exposure — and that would bring political ruin.
"The abducted person is my elder brother — Caspond Bessarez," Calca said quietly.
Her voice trembled for a moment, but she steadied herself quickly.
"We discovered his disappearance this morning. At first, I assumed he had simply skipped a meal — he often does. But when there was still no response by evening, we forced open his door. Inside, we found a letter… and he was gone."
"When was his last confirmed meal?" Arche asked.
"Yesterday at lunch."
Arche clicked her tongue softly.
Kelart caught the tiny gesture. He knew it wasn't rudeness — it was irritation born from understanding how preventable this had been.
A royal disappearance overnight inside the most heavily guarded palace in the kingdom — it was a direct failure of security.
"We also found traces of feathers," Calca continued.
"We believe they were left intentionally — perhaps as a signature."
"A provocation, then," Arche murmured.
Calca nodded grimly.
"The letter demands an enormous amount of food in exchange for my brother's life. They gave us three days. Counting from yesterday, we have two left."
"That's… cutting it close," Arche said flatly.
She fell silent, deep in thought.
She knew Demi-Humans well enough to recognize that they weren't inherently evil.
Some were cruel, yes — but no more than humans could be.
If they had resorted to kidnapping, it meant one thing: desperation.
A starving tribe, cornered and dying.
A demand for food — not gold or weapons — spoke volumes.
"Then we'll have to move with a small team," Arche finally said. "Announcing the kidnapping would throw the kingdom into chaos — and give your political enemies ammunition. I've heard the Holy Kingdom's politics are… noisy."
"You dare speak that way to Her Highness—!"
Remedios's hand shot to her sword, but Calca intervened sharply.
"Remedios!"
At the same time, Kelart smacked the back of the knight's head with practiced ease.
Arche blinked. …Do they do this often?
Remedios winced, confused.
Meanwhile, Calca exhaled quietly.
If Arche refused them now, the only remaining option would be to expose the truth publicly — and that would destroy both her reputation and the unity of her order.
No, this was their only chance.
"I see," Arche said finally. "It's not a formal commission, and with the urgency, I doubt you can pay the standard rate. I assume whatever reward there is would have to be personal?"
Her tone wasn't greedy — merely realistic.
Calca nodded, her expression tense.
"Yes… I can offer you only what I personally possess."
The young mage crossed her arms, her sharp eyes glinting faintly.
"Then tell me everything. I'll decide after I hear the rest."
For the first time in hours, Calca felt a spark of hope — faint, fragile, but real.
Perhaps the Guardian's disciple had arrived at just the right time.
....
"So… are you saying you won't help us?"
Calca's voice trembled slightly despite her effort to remain calm.
The cost of hiring an Adamantite-ranked adventurer was enormous — far beyond the reach of personal finances. And this was an emergency request, with the highest possible difficulty. Even if she emptied her treasury, it would never be enough to match the price someone like Arche could demand.
Arche folded her arms, humming softly as if weighing the request.
Calca could already feel her hope slipping away.
She wasn't naive — she understood that this was a near-impossible request to accept. Appealing to patriotism would fail; Arche was from the Empire. Appealing to emotion would also fail; the young mage's expression was calm, cold, unreadable.
But then—
"...I'll help."
Calca blinked.
"Y-you'll… help us?"
"Yes," Arche said simply. "There are a few conditions, but none of them are unreasonable."
"Are you sure?" Calca asked quietly. "We can't offer you the payment you deserve."
Arche shrugged lightly.
"This isn't a commission for personal gain — it's a mission to save someone's life. That's enough reason for me to lend my strength this time."
Calca stared at her in silence.
The words were calm, but beneath them flowed a quiet compassion that caught Calca off guard.
The girl she'd taken for cold and distant was, in truth, someone who still understood kindness.
Despite all she'd suffered, despite reaching the summit of human power — despite losing everything once before — Arche still carried her humanity.
"If I refused to help someone in need," Arche said softly, "then I'd have no right to call myself my master's disciple."
Calca felt a pang of envy — for Jircniv, the Emperor of Baharuth.
To have such a person among his people… a prodigy with power, heart, and discipline.
Remedios and Kelart were capable, yes, but Calca knew true talent when she saw it.
For a fleeting moment, she even considered inviting Arche to defect — to bring her into the Holy Kingdom's service — but she quickly dismissed the thought.
"Then… what are your conditions?"
"First," Arche said, "the team will be small — that's a given. But I will act as the commander. Even if Your Highness insists on joining us, my orders must take priority. You've entrusted me with this mission, which means you must trust my command."
"Understood," Calca replied. "Is that all?"
"Not quite." Arche's tone sharpened slightly. "I want to know why Lord Caspond was kidnapped. Find the reason behind it."
Remedios frowned.
"Isn't it obvious? They want food."
"That may be true," Arche said, "but think about it — why go through all this trouble? Why a kidnapping and ransom note instead of a direct raid?Demi-humans usually attack, not negotiate. It doesn't make sense. Has there been any recent contact or conflict with them?"
No one answered.
The silence only deepened Arche's suspicion.
Something about this was wrong.
If they truly needed food, raiding a border village would've been easier — and safer.
Instead, they'd infiltrated the royal palace and taken a hostage.
It feels like a trap… one we're meant to walk into.
She crossed her arms, her brows furrowing.
"Even if this becomes public," Arche continued, "it'll cause political unrest — but not military collapse. When a nation's in danger, even civilians will pick up sticks and fight if they must. Humans are resilient like that."
Remedios tilted her head, confused.
"But aren't Demi-humans just… evil? Why look for a reason behind evil acts?"
Arche blinked. For a moment, she just stared at Remedios — then slowly turned her gaze toward Calca, Kelart, and finally Gustavo Montagnes, the vice-captain beside her.
Then she sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Demi-humans are not inherently evil," she said at last. "They fight for the same reasons humans do — to survive, to protect their people, to secure what they need. Sometimes their methods are cruel, yes… but so are ours."
Her calm, steady voice filled the chamber.
"Evil isn't decided by race. It's decided by choice. Remember that, before we call them monsters."
The room fell silent.
Even Calca — the kindest ruler the Holy Kingdom had ever known — found herself momentarily speechless.
For the first time, she realized just how different this young Adamantite truly was.
Not only in power — but in perspective.
And perhaps, Calca thought quietly, this was why the gods had sent Arche to them.
"You call that evil?"
Remedios's voice echoed sharply through the chamber.
Arche didn't flinch. Her tone remained calm — too calm, as if the knight's anger hadn't reached her at all.
"If that's your definition of evil," she said evenly, "then every kingdom in this world — including your Holy Kingdom — is evil. The moment a group becomes a nation, it prioritizes its own people over others. Sometimes that means killing outsiders to protect its own. Even this kingdom has slaughtered demi-humans before, hasn't it?"
Calca stiffened. That had indeed happened — before her coronation. She had read the reports herself, the ones they kept hidden deep in the archives.
"Killing demi-humans isn't a crime," Remedios snapped. "Our citizens have suffered for generations because of them!"
"And the demi-humans," Arche countered gently, "would say the same of humans. To them, killing us isn't evil — it's justice. When they see their people suffering, when they see their children starving, they think exactly as you do. 'If I don't kill, I can't protect them.'"
"Are you saying we're the same as them!?"
Arche sighed. She turned her golden eyes toward Remedios — not in mockery, but pity.
"Not the same," she said quietly, "but not so different either. Let's take an example. Your holy sword — it has a skill that inflicts great damage on the wicked, doesn't it?"
"W-what of it?"
"Has that ability ever failed against what you deemed 'evil' demi-humans?"
"That's…"
Remedios faltered.
She knew the answer.
There had been times — rare, but unforgettable — when the blade had not shone with divine light.
When it had judged its wielder's enemy as… not evil.
Everyone in the room understood. The holy sword's judgment was absolute, determined not by human morality but by the world's own unseen law — karma.
Undead, demons, and monsters usually bore negative karma from birth… but not all of them.
And not all humans were born pure.
"Enough."
It was Kelart who cut in, her voice firm but not hostile.
"Sister, calm yourself. And Lady Arche — please remember this is the Holy Kingdom. Your reasoning isn't wrong, but you must understand… for those who've lived through war, it's difficult to see demi-humans as anything but enemies."
"I don't ask you to forgive them," Arche replied, her tone softening. "I'm only asking for restraint. We'll be a small team — and Lady Remedios will be among us. If we encounter demi-humans, I need her to stay calm and not act on impulse. That's all."
Kelart let out a faint sigh.
She understood perfectly what Arche meant.
Her sister — brave, loyal, and infuriatingly simple-minded — had a tendency to charge forward the moment anger sparked.
It wasn't malice; it was purity.
But in battle, purity could be fatal.
Kelart glanced sideways at Gustavo Montagnes, the vice-captain standing beside Remedios.
The poor man looked like someone living with constant stomach pain — and given his daily stress, it might not have been far from the truth.
"This girl," Kelart thought, hiding a small smile, "has the same sharp tongue I do. She's ruthless — without even meaning to be."
....
"So," Arche said, folding her arms again, "a team of four. Will you be joining us, Lady Kelart?"
"Me? Ah… no. If both the head of the Paladins and the High Priest leave the capital, it would be disastrous. Unless… you'd prefer I go instead of my sister?"
Arche paused, visibly considering it.
It was clear she wasn't fond of the idea of working with Remedios — anyone could see that.
But after a moment's thought, she shook her head.
"No, please remain here, Lady Kelart. I'd rather you stay to manage the situation. As for Lady Remedios…"
Arche looked at her directly. "You're the captain. It may feel strange taking orders from me, but for this mission, my command must come first."
Remedios nodded stiffly.
"If that is Her Highness's will, I'll obey your orders."
The two clasped hands — a handshake that made everyone else in the room feel oddly nervous.
Calca, Kelart, and Gustavo exchanged silent thoughts almost at once:
'Will this really work…?'
'I have a bad feeling about this.'
'I'd better pack extra healing potions… and something for the stomach.'
And thus, the uneasy alliance between the Holy Kingdom's mightiest knight and the Empire's youngest Adamantite mage began —a partnership born not of trust, but of necessity.
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