Third Unofficial Meeting①

Pope's Perspective

"So, this is your oversight?"

I asked. Shiro nodded in silence.

I suppressed the urge to clutch my head and lowered my gaze to the documents before me.

They detailed the events of this incident with meticulous precision.

Including what Shiro had intended by his actions.

The large-scale invasion by the Demon Clan had just concluded. The aftermath was still being managed when the documents arrived unexpectedly.

I had a bad feeling the moment Ael, the puppet Talatect left behind by Ariel, handed them over.

And seeing the contents confirmed that feeling.

A report from Shiro.

It stated, without warning, that preparations to overthrow the Anareite Kingdom were well underway.

"Ah... sorry about that. Didn't expect things to get this bad. No, seriously, I'm shocked."

Ariel stares into the distance, offering an apology.

Is it merely my misinterpretation, or does her light tone carry an undercurrent of genuine regret?

“First, please undo that brainwashing.”

According to the records, one of the reincarnated individuals under our Divine Word Church—Yurien Uren—was studying at the Anareite Kingdom’s academy, along with several believers dispatched to the country for support. All are currently under brainwashing.

The perpetrator is Prince Yugo of the Lengzand Empire.

Prince Yugo had been operating as Shiro’s pawn, but due to leaving the matter to his own discretion, this error occurred.

I understand why Shiro did not disclose the secret pact with the Divine Word Church.

Even I have shared this secret with only a few individuals I trust completely.

Even among demons, the situation would likely be the same. And the target is not a demon, but a human—more specifically, a prince of the Empire.

It was impossible to predict where this information had leaked, or when it would lead to irreversible consequences.

Yet, saying "what is done cannot be undone" was difficult to accept.

Although outside the scope of the agreement, this was an undeniable, individual attack by a demon upon the Divine Word Church.

Even if the perpetrator was the Empire’s prince, if Shiro was behind him, it could reasonably be interpreted as an attack by demons.

An accident, yes—but "yes, of course" would not suffice.

"I will explain."

The words came not from Shiro, but from the girl seated beside her.

The girl, named Fermina, was clearly a demon with considerable power.

Strangely, among the members participating as demons, she was the only one who was a demon.

The sole demon present appeared to hold a subordinate position among the other participants.

"We wish to maintain the current state of mind control over Miss Yurīn and the others from your side."

A murmur spread among the members present.

He raised one hand to quiet them, then stared directly at Miss Fermina.

Miss Fermina met my gaze without showing more than a faint tension.

Despite likely being young even among demons, considerable composure.

Possibly due to regular exposure to high-ranking entities such as Lady Ariel and Lady Shiro.

"May I ask for your reasoning?"

Quietly, yet with unmistakable intent, the words carried firmness.

Miss Fermina swallowed once, as if suppressing tension, then began her explanation.

"Before that, there is something we must report. In this conflict, the previous Hero has perished. A replacement has been confirmed. Our investigation identifies the new Hero as Prince Schrein Zagan Anareit, fourth prince of the Anareit Kingdom."

A ripple passes through our ranks.

I suppress my internal disturbance.

The Demon Clan has already identified the new Hero—someone not yet detected by our divine language network.

We have lost the information war.

Terrifying.

"He was not anticipated as the new Hero. We generally aim to preserve reincarnated individuals. However, as you know, the Law of Causality grants Heroes the ability to defeat the Demon King regardless of tactical disparity. Given this, we must either keep Prince Schrein as far from the battlefield as possible—or ensure his death."

For Ariel, now Demon King, the Hero is a natural adversary.

Should Ariel fall, it would only be to a god who transcends system boundaries—or a Hero capable of slaying a Demon King regardless of status disparity.

It follows, then, that isolating the new Hero is imperative.

The demon race, with an information network far surpassing ours, could easily eliminate any newly emerged Hero.

Unless that Hero is a reincarnate.

Shiro, also a reincarnate, appears to follow a policy of sparing other reincarnates whenever possible.

Thus, we cannot interfere with Schrein, the newly risen Hero, in any reckless manner.

A peaceful resolution is expected.

We, too, would regret seeing a being capable of defeating Ariel perish needlessly.

Especially if that being is a reincarnate, already possessing high status prior to becoming a Hero.

Yet, one cannot simply accept the statements made by Lord Shiro at face value.

Prior to the outbreak of war, Lady Ariel explicitly stated that Lord Shiro and her direct involvement would not occur.

Yet, upon examination, Lord Shiro has taken action to assassinate Hero Julius.

This contradicts his earlier statement.

Since this is informal, one must recognize that statements made in this context are not necessarily binding.

Therefore, the claim to wish to preserve reincarnates whenever possible—how trustworthy is that?

In any case, if one were to believe that statement, the immediate liberation of the brainwashed Yurien would be required.

She, too, is a reincarnate.

"Thus, Mr. Schrein will be placed in a position with limited mobility."

"Hmm. And what of my brainwashed followers? What is their relation to this?"

My inquiry prompted Miss Fermina to hand me additional documents from her desk.

"Yes. Given the circumstances, I wish for the Divine Word Church to openly support the Empire—indeed, to back Prince Yugo directly."

The documents contained detailed plans for the kingdom's overthrow and outlined precisely what was required of the Divine Word Church.