Chapter 31: Strongest vs. Strongest (1)
Remedios Custodio drank.
Originally, Remedios did not like alcohol. Kelart liked it, but every time she drank, Remedios wondered why anyone would willingly drink such a bitter liquid. Even a potion tasted better than this. But this time… she had to drink. The confusion clouding her mind was too much.
She had fought Argos—and defeated him. Caspond's successful rescue of Bassarez was proof enough of that.
Seeing her dark expression, Calca and Kelart worried for her, but Remedios sat alone like this. She had always left the difficult matters to others while she swung her sword.
She believed without a single doubt that justice lay in her blade. To the Roble Holy Kingdom, what she did was righteous—salvation, goodness.
If someone in the Roble Holy Kingdom were asked about Remedios, they would surely call her the strongest paladin, the hero of the Holy Kingdom. And they would not be wrong. Remedios had lived her entire life that way.
But Argos' words had seeped into her body—into her mind—into her very soul.
That overwhelming hatred mixed with the sorrow of losing something precious, with the grief of being unable to do anything, with the rage directed at her…
Remedios could not deny that hatred. From the kingdom's perspective, Argos was evil—she should have been able to grip her sword as she always had.
Killing Argos should have resolved everything. Her job should have been done. Hard decisions were never her role. Even if she did dwell on them, Remedios could not come up with any brilliant strategy or find relief in any answer.
Remedios, unfortunately, had talent with the sword—but not with her head. She knew this herself, so she left politics and complicated matters to Calca, Kelart, and Gustavo. She should have just celebrated defeating the enemy and rescuing the royal family, as she always did.
She should simply… move on.
Shouldn't she?
Remedios unconsciously gripped the sword at her waist. The holy sword had not judged Argos as evil. The fact that it had inflicted no harm on him was proof. Despite torturing and killing the people of the Holy Kingdom, Argos had not been evil.
It was Remedios who had created the Argos of today.
That realization had struck her only moments ago. Smarter people had surely realized it long before. Had they stayed silent for her sake?
"Your actions were evil to me."
Why should she even consider the feelings of an undead? The undead were evil—enemies who must be slain. Anyone who had lost loved ones in the war or fought for so long would agree. Whether simple or complex, short or long, the Holy Kingdom's hatred of the undead would not disappear. Remedios had become the kingdom's extreme hero precisely because she never questioned that hatred.
"My actions… weren't wrong."
As if vomiting blood, she whispered to convince herself, voice trembling. They couldn't have been wrong. No matter Argos' circumstances, he was the enemy—evil to the Holy Kingdom. And yet… why couldn't she forget those eyes? Why did that voice, filled with hatred, echo in her ears?
Undead never listened to reason. That's how it always was.
Perhaps… that was why.
This was the first time she had seen an undead who had once been good fall into evil.
She couldn't argue back. Not because words wouldn't reach him.
Simply because she could not speak.
She could not deny that hatred.
For someone who had never considered such things, this confusion was overwhelming.
Perhaps she would have called that hatred irrational in the past. But having seen it with her own eyes, Remedios found it impossible to deny. No—as a hero, she should deny it. Yet she couldn't. She had trouble solving even simple problems when there was a clear answer, so how could she solve a question with no answer?
"Thank you for today, Miss Remedios."
"…Ah, Arche."
Arche sat opposite her and ordered her food. The expressionless girl—so expressionless that one might mistake her for a doll—was someone Remedios had seen crying, hurting, and fighting with all her heart. This mission succeeded because of her. They had fought together, staking their lives. Naturally, Remedios had grown fond of her. Sharing life-and-death always created a warrior's bond.
Slightly drunk, Remedios spoke to Arche.
"Was I wrong? That bastard… he hated because of me… He tortured the people of the Holy Kingdom… because of me."
That was the most painful part. Surely, her actions had been right. Killing the undead who killed her comrades wasn't wrong. Yet her actions had ultimately killed even more innocent people she should have protected. That truth strangled Remedios' heart.
"That is Argos' sin. I sympathized with him because his situation was tragic—but that does not justify his actions. I understand his circumstances, but his deeds must never be forgiven."
That was why Arche, despite shedding tears and understanding his pain, had cut him down without hesitation. Argos himself had been grateful that he would no longer bring suffering to his tribe. Perhaps Argos wanted someone—whether Remedios or not—to stop him. If his vengeance disappeared after killing Remedios, the berserker armor would have consumed him completely, turning him into a mindless monster.
"You're strong, Arche… both your skill and your heart. I can't get that guy's words out of my head."
"It seems Argos' hatred shook you greatly, precisely because you had never thought about such things before."
It would have been easier to simply give up thinking. This kind of introspection was not Remedios' style.
Normally, she would leave useless worries to Kelart or Gustavo and solve everything with her sword. That was how things were supposed to be.
But Argos' words clung to her mind, refusing to let her escape.
"Struggle. If you are truly a knight, do not forget the value of life. Forget that, and you are not a hero—only a butcher."
Those words had cut off Remedios' path of retreat entirely. She truly felt trapped. She no longer knew which direction to go. So this is what they mean by being cornered, she thought with a bitter smile.
If she gave up this struggle now and returned to her usual self, her sword would no longer be one that protects people—it would become the sword of a killer, slaughtering undead without thought.
"Miss Remedios, you are upholding the justice of this Holy Kingdom. That much, you can state with confidence.…But you must also recognize that your actions can appear as evil to someone else. Saving someone is a beautiful act, but it is often inseparable from the cruel act of killing someone else. Even if the opponent is a heinous villain… even if they are undead whom we've fought for years… to the people who treasure them, none of that matters."
Revenge was simple.
It did not care whether the victim was a villain, or undead, or whether they "deserved" it.
Life is not so cheap.
Love is not so small.
"But if you never forget that truth, then no matter where you go, you will not lose your way."
"…You think so?"
"But do not abandon this struggle. Keep thinking. If you don't… only the empty shell of a so-called hero will remain, and you will lose yourself."
Arche spoke with a faint sadness.
Remedios, her vision slightly blurred from the alcohol, looked at Arche. For a magic caster, she had surprisingly well-trained arms, covered in scars.
Adventure carried hardships, and she must have endured many of them alone. Remedios believed that if she herself were told to carry out her duties as a knight alone, she would struggle greatly. Doing all that alone—Arche was impressive.
"…Come to think of it, Arche, how long do you plan to stay in the Holy Kingdom?"
"I haven't decided on a specific period. The person I traveled with hasn't returned yet… until they come back, I plan to remain here."
"In that case, if you ever need anything, say the word. After this mission, I owe you personally—and the kingdom owes you as well. Anything I can do, I will."
"Then… may I hear some stories about the Kaiser Legends? There are many legends here, so I wondered if there might be some I don't know. I mean, I could ask the man himself, but collecting stories like this has its own charm."
"Hmmm… Kaiser, huh…"
Remedios recalled her childhood.
From the moment she first held a sword, she had admired the legends of Kaiser. To her, he embodied the righteous protector she dreamed of becoming. Perhaps that was why she suddenly felt as if she had returned to the days of her youth.
"Right… I did hear that there were stories even before the 108 Demons. Want to hear it?"
"I'm interested."
In battle she was adamantite-level, but like this, she simply seemed like a girl her age.
....
A short time earlier.
The moment Kaiser told Arche that he had some business and stepped out, countless thoughts swirled in his mind.
How could he resolve this situation peacefully?
That alone mattered.
He had not heard the full story yet. They had only told him that everything would be explained once he arrived in Nazarick.
"Kaiser. Waiting. For you."
"Cocytus."
The one who came to greet him was none other than Cocytus.
Normally, a Pleiades maid would have been the ideal choice, but Cocytus had personally insisted on being the one to meet him. Though "guiding" was a loose word—once they used teleportation, they arrived at the inner chambers almost instantly.
Upon arrival, they entered the throne room.
The Guardians stood lined up on both sides. Some were missing—likely sent on various missions to gather information. Even Shalltear, who stood at the center of the recent incident, was absent. Being mentally dominated was one thing, but for the most intimidating Guardian of Nazarick to be controlled… truly unfortunate.
"Welcome, Kaiser. First, let me express my gratitude for coming so quickly on such short notice."
"I'm not especially busy. Rather than the introductions… may we proceed directly to the main point?"
"Very well. I do not enjoy wasting time either."
Ainz's crimson glow deepened.
"Regarding the one who used mind control on Shalltear… do you know anything?"
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