Chapter 48

Punitto Moe blinked and moved around the flower sprouts that served as his numerous eyes. He found himself standing in a green field. A moment ago, a brain eater claiming to be Tabula had asked him to make a choice.

His decision was an obvious one. On earth, his body was starting to give out, and he had maybe a year or two to live. Luckily, the brain eater was happy to answer all his questions and give him enough information on what to expect after the 'rebirth'.

'So this is the world our old guild rule over? How bizarre. Where is everyone?'

His attention immediately snapped to the gate appearing in the distance. He froze up, trying to be invisible in the tall grass. Two figures stepped through. First was a boy in his mid to late teens, dressed in a fancy robe with a book floating next to him. After him, a girl in partly plated chainmail arrived through the gate.

Punitto was surprised that he could see the pair, who had not noticed him yet, from far away with such ease. Not knowing where he was, he decided to not randomly teleport away for now. That option was reserved in case the two humans turned out to be hostile, although from what Tabula explained, there were a lot of humans in their empire.

His efforts to remain unnoticed were not fruitful. The boy turned his head towards him and stared intently.

'I can either run or try diplomacy. As I understand, even if I'm without gear, there shouldn't be a human in this world that could defeat me easily. The boy is a tier ten caster. Hmm, interesting that I can sense it instinctively. No matter, I will try talking with them, if nothing else, I can retreat afterward. My stun should still work as intended.'

Punitto adopted a more appropriate posture as the boy carefully approached him. Giving a more thorough look at the incoming figure, he realized who the boy was.

"Say, are you Tabula's apprentice?"

"Yes, Lord Punitto Moe."

"How did you find me so fast?" Punito asked. 'Have they developed a new kind of tracking spell? I doubt any sort of UI with a mapping feature and friend list still exists.'

"We were not tracking you. My wife and I are on a different task here. If I'm correct, Emperor Ainz would come to collect you personally."

'So Momonga did request me. I will have to thank him. But first I will need to see how they are doing military-wise.'

Nfirea waved for Enri to come closer. She cautiously approached the Death Vine and bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Lord Punitto Moe."

"Likewise, young lady. But Punitto will do just fine. I am not officially part of the empire yet, so there is no need to exercise a proper communication protocol."

Another gate opened beside them. Punito turned his head, preparing to blend in again, but the rather casual reactions from the two youngsters meant that they were not expecting hostility.

First came an angel with metallic wings, making Punito freeze up.

'Rubedo! What the hell!? Teleportation blocker is not activated yet, I can… Oh, she is not hostile.' Punito exhaled as Rubedo bowed and the next figure came through.

'A freaking metatron angel. Are they just fucking with me? I will ram a vine up his bony ass.'

Finally, after a moment of tension, a familiar, skeletal player stepped through the gate as well.

"Punitto…"

"You think this is freakin funny!?" Punitto screeched at him as he flailed his vine-like arm at the two angels.

"Huh?"

"First you send through Rubedo, out of all possible NPCs, and then a metatron! Who set you up? Pero?! Ulbert!? I bet it was that goat-headed bastard!" The death vine raged at a very confused Ainz. "I almost had a heart attack!"

"Sorry…Rubedo, and Eleleth are my bodyguards." Ainz said, cautiously observing his enraged friend."

"Bodyguards, huh. Has your brain rotten away? I can understand Rubedo, as tactically unwise it is, but an angel near you? Do you have a death wish?"

"Eleleth has proved her loyalty through great effort and sacrifice on her part. Besides, she was the one who helped me gain near immunity from holy magic." Ainz said as he noticed that Eleleth scowled at his friend for a moment.

The angel's reaction didn't pass Punito's notice either. He quickly bowed towards her, saying. "I do apologize for my reaction, Miss Eleleth."

Making enemies on the first day was unwise, to say the least. To his relief, the angel seemed to accept his apology. "I do understand your reaction, Lord Punitto Moe. But rest assured I have nothing but devotion and loyalty towards my master." Eleleth responded with a bow of her own.

"I have to apologize to you as well for overreacting, Ainz."

"Do not worry about it. Your reaction was understandable. If you are up for it, we can witness something interesting." Ainz said and motioned for the young couple to rise, as they had been kneeling all this time.

"What do you have in mind?" Punitto asked curiously.

"You'll see." Ainz said with a knowing chuckle. "Enri, you can start."

"O-of course, Emperor Ainz." Enri said and quickly took the Horn of Goblin General from her husband.

"Mo…Ainz, that is a low-tier item right?" Punito asked.

"Just watch."

Enri put the horn to her lips and gently blew into it. With a familiar sound of a horn being blown, an army of goblins appeared. A cleanly shaven goblin in a luxurious robe stepped forward saying.

"Honorable General Enri, we await your orders."

Even being one of the first citizens of the empire and being married to one of the Apostles did nothing to lessen her stage fright. The emperor himself was watching after all. With a gulp, she straightened out and said in the most authoritative voice she could muster,

"This location is strategically important for the empire. I will task you with building a fortification and guarding this area. The schematics and materials will be provided."

"We will defend the empire in your name, honorable General Enri" the goblin responded.

Punitto, composing himself after the shocking turn of events, turned to Ainz and asked. "What just happened?"

"Enri has either a special talent or she has met some hidden requirements needed to use the horn's full potential. Instead of a dozen low-level goblins, an army of five thousand is summoned, with part of it going into mid-tier."

There was no way he would just question Ainz in front of this girl, so a test if private messaging worked was an absolute necessity.

{ Does this work? }

{ Yes. I assume you have a thing or two to say about her performance? }

{ Are you sure about her loyalties? That army may not be that strong but can cause trouble if unchecked. }

{ Yes, she is loyal. Enri didn't even consider her worthy enough to take the position she is in. }

{ Have you tried to give her higher-level summoning items? }

{ Not yet, but we might do some tests soon. For now, we can summon armies large enough on our own. }

{ Tests need to be done as quickly as possible. You don't want to be busy with tests when the enemy is breathing on the back of your neck! }

{ I know, I know. Good to have our chief strategist back. We will discuss more with the others present. }

{ Typical, you all would be lost without me. } Punito sent a message, followed by a burst of laughter.

Ainz chuckled and then turned his attention to the young couple. "Good job Enri, Nfirea. Carry on."

With business concluded, Momonga guided Punito back to the imperial castle through the gate. Time was of the essence and the faster Punito and the others were up to speed, the more time they could spend devising strategies of how to defeat their enemy.

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

With all of their friends successfully summoned and brought up to speed, they had gathered in the large cavern under the imperial castle to perform another important ritual. Throughout the entire last day, Tabula had been drawing a magical circle like no other. Its complexity far surpassed everything he had done before. After all, summoning a part of an Infernal Lord into the physical realm was not a feat to be taken lightly.

The ten-meter wide circle had twelve spots for summoners to stand in, with lines going to the center. Considering the importance of the ritual, every single participant had to refrain from spending mana beforehand, and all the mana pools were pushed to their limits with previously charged mana crystals.

Ainz had taken the central spot, with Tabula on his left and Albedo on his right. The rest of the players had taken their spots as well. Besides them, only two observers stood a distance away. Rubedo held Splendora in her arms as a precaution while standing a safe distance away. The princess was far too curious to be left anywhere else and, despite numerous talks and threats of severe punishment, was assured to interrupt the ritual if left anywhere else besides the summoning chamber.

Ainz nodded, signaling for Tabula to start and began to pour magical energy into the circle, with everyone else following his example. Tabula floated half a meter above his spot on the circle and loudly chanted in a forgotten language.

A dark, tar-like substance started to accumulate in the center of the circle, slowly taking a vaguely humanoid form. As more and more energy was poured into the ritual, the figure in the middle gained more and more features, acquiring feminine proportions. Soon after, pale skin grew over it, with a black dress following. Luscious black hair followed soon after, with six horns sprouting out of her head, formed in a crown-like fashion.

For the first time in a while, even Ainz started to feel fatigued from spending too much mana. Thankfully, the ritual ended before the last of his mana reserves were spent. Lilith opened her pitch-black eyes and took an audible breath. "It's been a while since I walked the mortal realm."

Ainz took a light bow and said. "Let me be the first to welcome you to the Empire of Nazarick, Lady Lilith."

Lilith approached Ainz with a gracious, almost seductive movement and stopped two meters from him, mimicking his bow. "Thank you, Emperor Ainz. I will be in your care. If you don't mind, I would prefer the more informal attitude towards me from the ones who had achieved godhood and those you call players."

"I don't mind at all. If I understand it correctly, you would outrank us on the cosmic scale." Ainz said.

Lilith smiled. "One with a keen eye for rank and order. There are a few allies of mine who would be interested in tutoring you as the head of a new pantheon. A mutually beneficial relationship, I assure you."

"I'll keep it in mind. Would there be anything we should be aware of immediately?"

"Yes. First of all, I'm sure you already know who opened the path to godhood for you and your friends."

"We do know about the traveler." Ainz said, his voice betraying a faint annoyance. "It raises the question, should we contact him to uplift the four friends we summoned last?"

"He has meddled enough." Lilith practically spat out. "The way he enforced roles unto you and others goes against the all known rules. Uplifting anyone is a heavy responsibility. Should one choose a consciousness unprepared, it would lead to dire consequences. If one chooses to create a new God, the primal spark should be the one to make a choice, not the one who shows the way. The one who shows someone the path is responsible for mentoring the fledgling God as well. Regoz ignored it all for his...games."

Lilith closed her eyes, letting out a long breath. With a calmer tone, she continued. "Due to the dire circumstances, I can take on this burden and let the four newcomers make the choice. I will not be the one who mentors them unless their path is similar to mine, but I can help them with finding allies who could take this task upon themselves."

The more he found out about the traveler, the more he understood why everyone avoided them. He and his friends were made Gods on a whim, without any regard for consequences. Unsure as to how to continue the conversation, Ainz subtly motioned for Tabula to take over as he would be better versed in the topic at hand.

"I would suggest leaving it to individual choice." Tabula said. As much as he believed that being the God of Knowledge was the right path for him, that nagging feeling of what choice he would have made given the chance festered deep inside.

"Then, with everyone's permission, I would like to address each of you." Lilith said. With no one opposing she started with the leader.

"Ainz Ooal Gown, as the head of a new pantheon, the duty to keep the rest of the Gods in check would fall onto you. Should they fall off their chosen path, you must be the one to guide them back. There will be many ready to tutor you, but only you can decide whether to accept their wisdom or not."

She flashed a knowing smile and then moved to Albedo. The succubus looked at her with suspicion.

"Albedo, if not for the path forced upon you, I believe you would have followed my footsteps. Alas, it was not meant to be. Just as your husband takes the mantle of leader you must be his pillar to rely upon. Permit me to grant you this gift." Lilith said, putting two fingers on her heart.

Albedo instantly felt a connection with a demonic army, one that would be hers and hers only. The countless succubi and incubi were ready to serve her as their Goddess. Albedo tilted her head in mild confusion, not entirely sure why she had been gifted a legion of demonic followers but accepted the gift with a light bow nonetheless.

Lilith meanwhile moved to the next figure and stopped before Ulbert. With a sneer, she silently observed him.

The demon goat gulped facing her. 'Why does she look at me like a mother whose daughter I have defiled?'

"Ulbert Ooal Gown. You have taken many of my more foolish children. You have not treated them with respect! Should you wish no animosity between us in the future, you will not treat them with cruelty!"

"Wait a minute. All of them are willing…"

"They may have acted upon your summons willingly, but they have wills of their own, some have been punished unfairly harshly!"

"I-If there is a problem we can discuss it later and resolve any disagreements." Ulbert stammered a bit. The being's dark, angry gaze was too much for even him to bear.

"So be it. Considering your inexperience as a God, your misdeeds may be forgiven, but the wronged ones will be released from your service after being properly rewarded."

With Ulbert giving a weak nod as an answer, she moved on.

"Bukuma Ooal Gown, you have walked the path enforced to you with devotion. Do not let it consume you, the ones who embody war should always remember to keep their inner world in peace."

The next to be faced by Lilith was Ankoro, who looked down as the Infernal Lord gazed upon her. "Do not let your fears rule over you, young one. Even travelers could not force a different path upon you. Yours is one you will be ready to walk when your will overcomes your doubts. Permit me to grant you a gift."

Same as with Albedo, Lilith touched Ankoro's heart. The young werewolf tensed up, feeling all her self-doubt melt away.

Takemi shifted nervously, knowing that he would be next to face the beautiful creature that had practically taken over the room. With all the esoteric stuff being way over his head, he couldn't help but get increasingly anxious about the choice he would have to make.

With each moment feeling like hours, Lilith was finally in front of him. The two eyes, as dark black holes, looked into his very soul. "Warrior Takemikazuchi, the one who is always ready to charge in a battle no matter the odds, make your choice."

"Look lady, I don't know what to do." he said, shifting around once again.

"Look into your heart, the answer is already there. Tell me, do you wish to take the path of a God?"

'Look into my heart. What kind of fairy tale bullshit is this? Becoming a God would be neat though. Eh, what the hell, if others could do it, so can I."

"Yes, let's do it."

Lilith stretched her arm upwards, barely reaching the Nihilim's forehead and put her palm against it. "Sense the path you wish to travel, say it out loud."

A bit unsure, Takemi tried to frantically think of what he was supposed to say.

"Do not overthink it, sense the answer, and go with your intuition." Lilith said, giving him a motherly smile.

Trying to follow the advice he took a deep breath and emptied his mind. At first, he wanted to say that he lived for battle and conquest, but a deeper, more raw feeling overwrote it. No matter the opponent and circumstance, he always valued one thing above anything else. Honor. A battle won by cowardly methods would mean nothing to him. A victory against a much weaker opponent was a hollow one.

"Honor." Takemi finally said out loud.

"Be Takemikazuchi, the Warrior God of Honor."

Everyone present looked with worry at how Takemi dropped to one knee, panting heavily and straining to keep any sort of composure. After a moment he stood up again and remarked. "That surely was intense."

"Like all change should be." Lilith said and moved on to the next player.

"Blue Planet. There is not much for me to say, as you already know your path and know it well. There is a gift from another who wished to grant it to you, will you accept it?"

What little he had heard of Lilith from various earth mythologies made him wary of the 'gift' he would receive. She after all was called the Mother of Demons, the Queen of Hell, the first wife of Adam. His instincts, however, told him to trust her and accept the gift with grace.

She extended her palm as a small brown seed appeared in her hand. "A God of Nature should hold nature's primal seed within him."

Blue Planet gently picked up the seed and placed it in his own stone palm. The seed sunk in, becoming a part of him. It took a small moment to fully understand the importance of the gift but when he realized that he now held the key to creating life everywhere, even in a destroyed, hellish place like Earth, he bowed and said.

"Thank you."

"Your gratitude should go to Cerunnos, the Dweller of Wild Places. You will know how to find him when you need his advice."

The next was Touch Me. Lilith approached him with a somber expression. "You already know. That spark in you still burns. Not even the burdens of your life have snuffed it out. All you have to do is embrace it."

Of course, he knew what she was talking about.

'Justice. After all I have done, how could I become the embodiment of justice?"

"But I… I have turned a blind eye to heinous crimes, enjoyed a life of luxury for supporting the powers that didn't care about the people, and yet you tell me I could embody justice?"

"Helplessness is what kills the soul, kills the self. Do you see yourself helpless now?" Lilith asked, putting two fingers on his heart. "Have you given up, ready to sink down in streams of nothingness? Should this flame be set free?"

Was he ready to give up? Now that he had the power of a world champion, he could seek out justice for those who need it. Touch Me straightened his posture, saying. "I have not given up. I will stand for Justice."

"Then be Touch, the God of Justice." Lilith said. Touch bowed. The name he had chosen in Yggdrasil was a tad silly, but the way Lilith shortened and pronounced it felt just right. Same as Takemi, he too was overwhelmed for a moment, sensing the connection with something higher made.

Next to Touch stood another player that had yet to receive his title. Punitto had observed how Lilith interacted with his friends. Tabula had assured them she was an ally and a very powerful one at that. Her demeanor was friendly, but she carried herself with a certain amount of authority, like a Queen giving out advice to her vassals. Duplicity was surely possible and there was a need for being cautious about her.

Lilith gave him a knowing smile and said. "Punitto Moe, are you ready?"

His choice was not a hard one. If he was to embrace a higher path, it was one he had prepared for all his life. "Planning."

"Ah yes, the ones who think of all possibilities and prepare for them. You suspect me, yet are willing to work with me. Shaking hands with one hand and holding a knife in another just in case. Punitto Moe, be the God of Strategy and Planning."

Like the others, he went through the change barely keeping up any semblance of composure. After a moment the clarity of his mind returned, sharper than ever.

'She could see through me… A cunning woman for sure.'

Lilith stepped in front of Peros looking him up and down. "You are an interesting one. Walking such a dark path with such casual ease. My daughters, left in your care, speak highly of you. If only you had been given a chance to choose for yourself."

She then proceeded to walk past Lucifer and stop in front of Tabula. Lucifer looked at her confused for a moment and turned his gaze down.

'Did I offend her somehow? Why did she ignore me? Is it because of the name I have taken?' A plethora of various thoughts invaded his mind.

"Tabula Ooal Gown, because of you I stand here now. As you have grown, so has Mariposa. You will know when she is ready to take an equal place with you, and when she does, both of you will seek me out."

Lilith turned her head, sharply staring at Lucifer who had already taken a step back, ready to leave. The fallen angel froze on the spot as Lilith walked toward him. Suddenly her expression changed. She flashed him a warm, loving smile, saying "You carry a name very dear to me."

Lilith stepped closer, touching Lucifer's cheek. "Tell me, do you truly wish to walk where he has walked?"

'What should I say? She is touching me. Her hand is so soft.' He managed to calm down a bit to stammer out. "What…what does that…mean?"

"Your mind is so agitated. Always seeking to solve the puzzles of life. His thirst for knowledge and freedom led to paths of independence. One who illuminates the path for others, one who is the pride of self-achievement itself."

"I…I do. I…I… want that."

Lilith took his face with both hands pulling him close, locking his rotten lips with hers in a kiss. A faint light started to shine out of his dark corrupted form. The dark, tar-like substance, started to move upwards, starting from his feet, revealing a light skin. His shape slowly changed to that of a light-skinned, chiseled male body. The broken wing stretched out, getting larger as another one slowly sprouted out from his upper back. A mere moment later, both wings grew pitch-black feathers.

The tar had reached his face, still moving upwards and forming a dark halo above his head. Once the face had been revealed, he truly lived up to Lucifer's reputation as the most beautiful angel. The once bald head quickly sprouted out long golden hair.

Lilith pulled back looking into his now shining golden eyes. "Lucifer, the God of Pride, one who shows the path to personal fulfillment. Take your rightful place among your peers in this new pantheon."

His first true kiss. Lucifer felt his heart beating so fast that it threatened to burst out of his chest. Part of him that had changed sensed the deep connection this woman had with him and those who carried the same name and role. He knew something had changed in him but wasn't sure what exactly. He still couldn't articulate what he wanted to say to her, but she just gave him another loving smile and, with another light touch on his cheek, moved to face Ainz once again.

"I have done what I could. There will be time to plan our next steps, but for now, I would like to take a rest. Working in this realm is taxing and my new body is not fully formed yet."

"Of course. I already arranged servants and quarters for you."

"You have my gratitude." Lilith said with a slight bow of her head and extended her hand.

Ainz hesitated for a moment, but then put the ring of Ainz Ooal Gown in her outstretched palm. From what Tabula had explained, the agreement was made when her body had formed that she would be incapable of working against Nazarick while she was inhabiting it.

She quickly put on the ring and teleported away.

Before Ainz could even let out a breath, Pero was already next to Lucifer clapping his shoulder with a laugh "Who would have thought you would end up such a lady-killer."

The fallen angel looked at him confused. "What did I do?"

"Oh, nothing." Pero chuckled again and teleported away as well.

Lucifer looked around, hoping someone would provide an answer as to what had happened. Maybe he was changed physically and even mentally, but he was still himself, and social interactions were confusing and hard to understand. Yet the answer came in the form of newfound understanding from within.

Lilith was close to Lucifer, but not him directly. He was but one out of many who carried that name and role. Her kiss was the promise that he could draw from the greater whole when the need came.

The others departed one by one as Tabula started to remove the magical circle. Feeling tired from the whole experience, he teleported to his quarters to rest.

‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›‹x›

Today's meal was extra nice. Remedios vigorously devoured the pieces of dried meat and fruit together with a generous serving of fresh bread. Her best guess was that her sister had pulled some strings and arranged her better treatment.

Finishing the last bite, she put the plate on the small sill in the middle of the cell door. Even though there was no real point in exercising, she got on the floor and started doing push ups. It didn't matter that she would remain in prison, training made her mind and ease. With guilt eating away at her during every waking moment and even in her dreams, this was her way to feel at peace.

She wasn't even halfway through her afternoon routine when the cell door opened and a young man in paladin's armor stepped in, followed by four regular guards. She vaguely recalled the face. The young man was one of the squires who was about to become a paladin when she was still in charge of the order.

Remedios stood up, waiting to hear what he had to say. The young man quickly looked at a long list of names. "Remedios Custodio. Crime; high treason. Sentence; life in prison."

Before she could wonder why the young paladin stated what she already knew, he put the list aside and faced her.

"By Queen Calcas order, all prisoners have an option to redeem themselves by joining the special unit in the Kingdom's army."

"Did my sister send you? Or is this my beloved Queen's attempt at getting me out of prison without serving the sentence?" Remedios asked flatly.

"The Kingdom is in peril. Not only are we suffering increased attacks from sea monsters, but a few days ago the Slane Theocracy's forces invaded with unprecedented brutality."

Remedios stared at the paladin, expecting some kind of punchline following this poor attempt at a joke, but the man just went on. "Most of our brothers and sisters stationed on the wall were slain. Those few who survived reported that the Slane Theocracy is working together with Zurrernorn cultists and turning fallen paladins into undead. They are not sparing anybody. Everyone who is left alive is branded as a slave, even children."

"That…How could they stoop to such heresy!?"

'Those Nazarick monsters! It is because of them that this happened! Ever since they showed up the world has gotten so much worse.' Her first instinct was to grab a weapon and just head in the direction of the kingdom's eastern border. The guards would not stop her.

"That is why even criminals like you are given a second chance. We cannot rely only on help from Nazarick. We need to show our own resolve."

"Those monsters will help us?" she exclaimed with disgust.

"Watch your tongue prisoner! The volunteers from the Empire of Nazarick had valiantly fought by our side, protecting our home from the sea monsters."

Remedios snarled and bit her tongue to not make another remark. There was no more doubt in her heart that Roble was sold to the monster empire and their monstrous gods. Her duty still was to protect her people, no matter what. If this was her chance to save even a single soul she was not about to waste it.

"I apologize for my outburst." She said through clenched teeth. "I will serve my country once again."

The paladin nodded and marked her name on the list. "You will be sent to the barracks tomorrow. Any attempt at escape will be considered treason, with death as the punishment."

"Understood."

The remaining day flew by fast. With renewed determination, she pushed her body to its limits once again, training until her muscles gave out. This exhaustion prevented her from having nightmares, and Remedios found herself standing among other female prisoners in the prison's courtyard the next day.

The sight wasn't pretty. The women gathered here were thin, weak, and abused; most looked like they just took the chance to get out of the hell they were living in.

The male prisoners were not much better. Only a few among them had enough muscle to be on par with a regular soldier.

She could easily guess that most would not survive the first encounter with the enemy. Many would likely try to flee the moment they were not guarded.

The same paladin she saw yesterday walked in front of both groups. "Starting today you are soldiers in service of the Holy Kingdom of Roble. Anyone caught breaking the law or attempting to abandon your station will be tried as a heretic. You will receive one meal and standard-issue gear. Move!"

Together with the others, she joined an orderly row and waited to receive her food. The pitiful souls unfit for any sort of military life were nothing more than sacrificial lambs sent against fanatics.

'This must be my sister's work. The Queen is too soft to make such a decision.'

Quickly receiving her portion, she found herself among a group of young women who all ate their meals as if it was their last. Remedios ate at her usual fast pace in order to not waste any time, ignoring their hushed chatting.

Right after finishing her meal, she returned the plate and went to receive her armor and weapon. The rather simple, thick leather armor with basic plating over was nothing special, but it at least provided some protection without impairing her mobility. She knew beforehand that they would not give her the grandmasters armor or even a fully plated paladin's gear.

Same as with the armor, the spear and sword were passable. Roble tended to give its soldiers decent gear.

Finishing her own tasks, she stood in the next staging area alone, waiting for the others to catch up.

"As expected. Good to see that your legendary discipline is still there, Remedios Custodio."

That voice! She quickly turned to meet the eyes of her previous second in command. "Gustav! What do you want?"

"As you are not part of the order anymore. I will dismiss your lack of respect this time." he said with an indifferent tone. "Both the Queen and the High Priestess think your talents would be wasted among the regular criminal scum."

"I am criminal scum! You dragged me through the streets in chains like one!"

"And would do so again. In my opinion, you are getting off too easy, but it's not my job to judge you. This is your chance to rejoin the order as a squire under my direct supervision."

"A paladin who has sullied the order's good name is not to be admitted in it ever again. As a grandmaster, you should know this rule by heart!" Remedios said.

"Times change. If you want to go carry a brigade of common criminals on your shoulders, be my guest. I would be happier for it." Gustav said with a smirk.

'Bastard wants me to turn the offer down. Screw him.'

"I agree. I will rejoin the order and prove myself once again!"

"Then follow me, squire Custodio."

'Because of her stubbornness, she is far too easy to manipulate.' The refusal of his former superior was not an option, as some sort of deal was made between Roble and Nazarick.

Reluctantly, Remedios followed Gustav. If they wanted to humiliate her, so be it. She would once again be the best squire the order has ever seen.

The travel through the city reminded her of the freedom she lost because of her own hubris. Even at a first glance, it was clear as day that the kingdom was at war. There was a disturbing lack of young men on the streets. Women were protected from conscription but many joined anyway. To spill the blood for their beloved homeland was seen as honorable action, no matter the gender.

Finally, they arrived at the royal castle's courtyard. Gustav sent her to join the other squires and entered the castle. When she first joined the order she was only fourteen and stood out among her peers by merit, now it was her age. If a squire doesn't succeed by a certain time, they are thrown out of the order, so one in their twenties would stand out like a sore thumb.

The agonizing wait ended soon enough, with the courtyard filling up with nobles and paladins. The last to come were Gustav, Kelart, and Queen Calca with her angelic bodyguards, taking their spots on a small stage.

Once the noise died down Calca spoke. "My loyal subjects, our home is attacked by two forces wanting our destruction. Until now, we had stood alone, proud of our might, but that time has to end. As of today, we officially ally with the new Gods and their empire."

She took a pause to see the reaction of the crowd. Most already, or at least partly, knew it would happen, with the only shocked faces coming from the squires and some of the lower-ranked paladins. "Let's welcome the Apostles of our new allies!"

A dark void appeared behind the Queen, with familiar figures stepping through first. Neia stepped through the gate, closely followed by her father. After her came Acilia alongside the other paladins that were sent on a pilgrimage to Nazarick. Gustav announced them one by one.

"Lady Neia Baraja, the Apostle of Life and Death. Lady Acilia Baraja, the Apostle of Love and Family. Lady Zesshi Zetumei, the Apostle of War."

'Acilia joined them!' Remedios' knees almost gave in at the revelation. Her teacher, the one she looked up to the most, had switched sides and had become an Apostle nonetheless.

After them came a figure completely clad in platinum white armor, with a red cape over one shoulder.

"Lord Touch, the God of Justice."

'God!' A feeling unlike any other filled her heart. All her being knew it was a real God. Everyone on the small stage kneeled, even the Queen. The crowd soon followed suit.

God or not, she was not about to bend her knee to a monster. Remedios remained standing, defying the God, even if her entire body demanded to show this being her utmost respect. Only when her sister turned and glared at her with such a murderous gaze that her blood froze in her veins did Remedios reluctantly kneel as well.

"You all may rise." Touch said.

Calca rose and said. "Welcome to the Holy Kingdom of Roble, Lord Touch. We are grateful for your offer to help."

"It is only natural to help those in need." Touch said.

As she already knew, Remedios was assigned to be squire directly under Gustav, who in turn was assigned to assist the God. No matter how much she tried to deny it, there was something awe-inspiring about the white-clad knight who was supposed to be the embodiment of justice.

Bonus Story - Underhanded deal.

After another long day, Kelart could finally retire to her quarters. Her handmaidens had already prepared a bath for her. To soak in the hot, scented water and relax after a long and tiring day was just what she needed. The nation was in turmoil, thus her best friend needed her aid more than ever.

After what felt like a pleasant eternity she got out, dressed in her nightgown, and dismissed all her servants. Once everyone was gone, Kelart entered a small chamber in her private quarters. Not even her personal servants were allowed inside it. A small altar with a few statues depicting the New Gods waited for her there. She knelt praying to the Gods she now followed.

Unlike the old religion, she now actually felt their presence in the statues. As she prayed, she became aware of a figure standing behind her. She slowly rose back to her feet and turned around, it would be a shame to dispose of a servant who didn't know her place.

It wasn't one of her handmaidens that stood in the small altar area.

"L-lord Ulbert?" she asked.

The demon goat stepped into the candlelight looking her up and down. Even though the nightgown covered her well enough, she nervously gulped at the God's predatory gaze.

"I have a favor to ask of you, Kelart."

"Favor? I will carry out your will, my Lord." she quickly said.

"Let's drop the formalities. You already know that one of us will arrive soon to assist with the war effort."

"Yes, we were warned that Lord Touch will come personally."

"You see, Kelart, he and I have, let's just say different views on how things should go."

Kelart paled instantly. If she was forced into bickering between two Gods, there was little chance she would get out of it with her skin intact.

"Oh don't worry, all I will ask is a small favor."

"O-of course."

"You see Touch, as the God of Justice, can be annoying with his moralization. I want to give him a bit of his own medicine. There is one person that will annoy even him."

"My sister?"

"Yes. Get her close to him, make her be as annoying as she possibly can be and I have your back whenever you need it." Ulbert smirked.

"Is it wise to do so? Remedios can be… overly stubborn sometimes."

"The war is an easy excuse to set her free is it not?"

"I will get her out of prison then. But what if it backfires?" Kelart asked. Not that she didn't want for her sister to have a place in the new empire, but if her block-headed sister impressed the God of Justice enough to get into his service? To be on the receiving end of Lord Ulbert's wrath was the last thing she wanted.

"Do not worry, I will not blame you if it happens, but I seriously doubt it. After all, Gustav is the planned Apostle."

"Then I will carry out your will."

"Good." Ulbert said and disappeared back into the shadows.

Edited by Edgy

Additional proofreading by placid_void