Chapter 113
"Nice to meet you, Priest Gillman. My name is Romelia von Graham."
I gave him a slight bow, then made the sign of the cross before my chest with my right hand.
Regardless, I had to show proper respect when dealing with a clergyman.
Al and Ray followed me, as did Hardy, Sonea-san, and Carla-san, all making the sign of the cross.
"What do you think? Priest Gillman was serving at the cathedral in the royal capital until just recently. He heard of the frontier's plight and came here to help us."
Calus-san introduced Priest Gillman with great pride.
It was certainly unusual for a priest from the royal capital to come to the frontier. Working at the cathedral in the capital was proof that one was advancing along the Church's career path.
If Calus-san had managed to bring Priest Gillman here from the capital, his abilities were certainly impressive. Yet I did not miss the slight grimace that crossed Priest Gillman's face when Calus-san introduced him.
If working at the capital cathedral was a path to advancement, being sent to the provinces or the frontier meant falling off the ladder of promotion.
"Are you Romelia-sama?"
Priest Gillman looked at me with narrow eyes. It was the sort of gaze one might use to observe a bug.
"I have heard about you from Elizabeth-sama. She instructed me to give you her regards should we meet."
"Oh, what a nostalgic name."
Although I kept smiling, I felt something stirring uneasily inside me.
When I thought of Prince Henri and Elizabeth, feelings I could not even put into words stirred within my chest. Nearly a year had passed since I parted from the princes, yet I still had not come to terms with those feelings.
But if I let my emotions show on my face, people would take advantage of me. I had to keep smiling at all times.
"Elizabeth-sama and I often talked while traveling. I would like to meet her again and talk as we did back then."
I answered with an elegant smile. Separating one's inner feelings from one's expression was a basic but essential skill in high society.
When I answered with a formal smile I normally never showed, Priest Gillman's face tightened. Perhaps it was because this was not the same smile I had shown him earlier. He must have hoped to provoke an emotional reaction from me, but I was not that childish.
"Still, to have Elizabeth-sama, who is now married to a prince, speak to you—you must be someone she trusts."
I asked Priest Gillman.
Although Gillman had worked at the cathedral in the royal capital, he was merely a priest. The fact that Elizabeth-sama, now a prince's wife, had spoken to him made it seem as though she had taken notice of him. Yet that did not square with his present situation, having been sent to the provinces.
"...The Saint's mercy extends even to the people of the provinces. Elizabeth-sama personally instructed me to see the state of the provinces with my own eyes."
Although Priest Gillman's voice plainly betrayed his resentment at being sent to the provinces, Calus-san, who had heard him, beamed with a smile as bright as a flower.
"Did you hear that, Carla? The Saint is on our side."
It was certainly reassuring to have the Church as a backer.
Still, I was surprised that Priest Gillman had come at Elizabeth-sama's personal urging.
The fact that she was interested in politics was one thing, but trying to unite the provinces through the power of religion was not a bad idea.
"Oh, we're delighted you came, Gillman-dono. House Mikara has been loyal to the Church for generations. Everyone living around here is a devout believer as well."
Calus-san made it unmistakably clear that he and the people of the surrounding domains belonged to the Church faction.
The old noble houses in the provinces tended to have many devout believers.
The provinces were economically straitened and offered little entertainment, leaving people no choice but to turn to religion. Its influence there was far stronger than that of my own House Graham, for example.
My grandfather had tried and failed to strengthen our influence in the provinces by creating dependent noble houses like House Dostora all over the place.
Yet God's divine authority could unite them with ease.
"But Uncle, the Demon Army is already at our doorstep."
Sonea-san brought up the practical concern.
Having the Church's backing was all well and good, but only one priest had been sent. I had no intention of denying God's divine authority, but it could not stop the approaching Demon Army.
But when Sonea-san admonished him, Calus-san laughed, his white-flecked beard shifting.
"Don't worry, Sonea. This old man is not without a plan either. A fast rider arrived earlier. They'll be here any moment now. Come this way."
Calus-san declared this with absolute confidence and led us outside the manor.
Once outside, we could see the plain stretching across Mikara Domain.
It was a peaceful, empty landscape, but figures appeared in the distance beyond the plain. They wore old-fashioned Kingdom helmets and carried spears.
Just as I spotted one figure, about thirty more soldiers appeared behind it from beyond the plain.
Seeing the soldiers, Al and Ray reached for the blades at their waists and stepped forward.
"Easy, lads. They're allies. Hey, Leben, good to see you!"
When Calus-san shouted to the soldiers crossing the plain, the first figure waved back. They seemed to know one another.
"Look, that's my old comrade Balk, coming from over there."
When I shifted my gaze from the plain, I saw another group of soldiers approaching along a distant road.
And it did not stop there. Soldiers continued gathering here in Mikara Domain from all directions.
It seemed Calus-san had gathered soldiers from the neighboring domains.
"There you have it. This is our strength. We have no need to borrow the strength of some alliance cobbled together by some little girl. We will defend our own territories ourselves. Three hundred soldiers of the Roberk Alliance, here!"
Apparently, Calus-san had spoken with the neighboring lords and formed an independent alliance.
Even with the backing of the Church, gathering this many soldiers deserved credit. But when I looked at the three hundred soldiers he had assembled, I gave a small groan.
The assembled soldiers certainly numbered more than three hundred, but the army was far too shabby.
Their equipment was the first problem. Only a few had a full set of armor and a helmet. Some had helmets but no armor, while others carried wooden boards instead of shields. As for weapons, only about half carried swords or spears. Among the rest were spears made by tying kitchen knives to poles, and some even carried farm implements.
There were few young men who looked fit for combat among the soldiers, while many were children or old men who could hardly be called soldiers. They showed no sign of training, and their level of proficiency was extremely low.
As their commander, I looked to Hardy for his assessment. But Hardy lowered his eyes and shook his head slightly.
I agreed with him. If they faced the Demon Army, they would simply be slaughtered to the last man.
"Brother, you're not young anymore."
Carla-san tried to stop him, telling him he was too old for this, but an angry shout came in response.
"What are you talking about? The strength we displayed in the Five Kingdoms War thirty years ago has not diminished. We will scatter the Demon Army in an instant!"
Calus-san's face turned bright red as he blustered.
The Five Kingdoms War thirty years ago had been a great conflict involving five nations, with armies numbering tens of thousands competing for supremacy. Our own country had joined the war and gained a large amount of territory.
Those who had gone to war at the time spoke of their military exploits as the memories of a lifetime. Calus-san seemed to belong to that generation.
"Oh, we can't stand around like this. I must hold a council of war with my allies. Rest assured. We will defend this land without fail."
Calus-san confidently vowed to protect the land.
"Gillman-dono, this way, please. We are preparing a feast as well, so allow us to give you a wholehearted welcome."
Calus-san tried to welcome Priest Gillman, but the priest looked put out. He seemed to want nothing to do with such rustic hospitality, but he followed along reluctantly.
"Sigh..."
After the two of them left, someone sighed.
That sigh spoke for what everyone was feeling.