Periastol at night.

  Several silhouette of a person walking in the dark town has moved to one of the buildings.

  I control my breath, hide myself, lower my posture and move.

  The town was wrapped in deadly silence.

  When I was moving around this quiet town, I imagined that this has become a base. Looking at town will make you notice it.

  Although they are moving as careful as possible, I can hear a considerable number of people quietly moving around.

  Hearing those sounds and seeing those silhouettes, I decided to report this to Tiamoe.

  I could have just raised my voice and shout if there are a few of them but there must be a considerable number of people.

  I felt that the moisture in my mouth is disappearing due to tension. I moved to the mayor’s house where Tiamoe is resting.

  The mayor’s house. It’s a private two storey house but it is not very large. It looks elegant and was built quite good. Though that house now has part of its wall broken and door damaged.

  「Tiamoe-dono!」


  I called Tiamoe’s name. Thought my voice is not so loud, it is enough even though she might be sleeping.

  However, there is no reply.

  「…Excuse my impoliteness.」


  It can’t be helped so I decided to open the half-destroyed door by force.

  Since the door is broken, I was able to easily enter the house. If I’m seen by someone, I’ll be treated as a criminal.

  I felt signs of life on the second floor so I went ahead through the corridor of the house. I move as I tremble since I’m imagining something unpleasant.

  「Tiamoe-dono! Are you there?」


  I called so again. I looked up the stairs from the corridor and saw Tiamoe wearing a thin one-piece cloth going down on the stairs with a sleepy face.

  「Wh….」


  I averted my gaze from that scene and turned my face back to the corridor.

  Tiamoe is wearing a thin one piece cloth. It is still within tolerance level but she’s wearing something where the lower base of her arms and legs can be seen.

  We are like in a battlefield so I almost shout at her but I remember that she’s not a professional soldier. She’s someone that is called a saintess so I just swallowed my words.

  「Is there something wrong?」


  To her sleepy words, I opened my mouth without looking up.

  「Intruders. Several intruders entered the town from the outside. I don’t know their affiliation but seeing that they are moving around the town without making sounds, they are probably highly trained soldiers or military group.」


  When I reported so, Tiamoe laughed out loud. I instinctively raised my face and looked up at Tiamoe.

  Tiamoe smiled happily and narrowed her eyes.

  「Someone came……? Fufu, interesting.」


  「…What do you mean?」


  Hearing Tiamoe’s dialogue, I wrinkled my eyebrows. It looked like she had totally anticipated someone’s intrusion.

  Then, Tiamoe nods with a smile and responds.

  「The territories returned by the Rembrandt Kingdom…There were informations saying that it was a trap of the Rembrandt Kingdom.」


  Tiamoe said that like it was nothing, I opened my eyes wide doubting what I heard.

  「That’s impossible!」


  When the cease-fire was implemented, the Rembrandt Kingdom is numerically inferior. It is because the king, who was their commander in chief, rashly return to their capital.

  On the contrary, we were able to take over two towns and a fort among the territory we lost so we gained morale and momentum.

  About the cease-fire, we agreed to it with the condition of the Rembrandt Kingdom returning all of our former territory to us. Although it can be said as a unilateral condition, they accepted it although it was something strange.

  Moreover, immediately after the cease-fire, the Rembrandt Kingdom’s army and their hired mercenaries totally returned to their border.

  I’m totally sure of it since I was one of the commander in the front line just before the cease-fire.

  However, in response to my doubt, shook her head and shaped her eyebrows to a ハ character.

  「I understand your feeling of not wanting to believe but that is the fact. It is also based on that information that we organized our troop to get in this town at night.」


  「No, but….Isn’t this something done by some mercenaries who doesn’t have anything to do because there is no war?」


  I was admonished by Tiamoe but I still don’t want to believe it so I told her another possibility.

  However, Tiamoe turned a gaze of despise towards me.

  「Are you saying that because there is no war, the mercenaries who loses their job are doing this? Although there are just a few of them, isn’t the survey team sent by the empires to each town our elite? Are you saying that they are easily done in by mercenaries?」


  Tiamoe said words that I doesn’t understand well and looked at me as if looking a fool.

  I am irritated by her words and behavior. I feel like she’s treating me like a lower life form.

  I feel my face grimacing.

  「…If you know that the army of the Rembrandt Kingdom will attack us, why didn’t you prepare for battle? With the way things are going, there’s even a possibility of this town being set to fire…」


  When I was telling her that, there were silhouette of people that intrudes the entrance of the private house where we are.

  They are five soldiers who are wearing iron armor.

  The armor, helmet, shield, etc are familiar.

  They are soldiers of the Rembrandt Kingdom.

  「!」


  I pulled out my sword and dropped my waist.

  This is the worst.

  There is only one entrance. Also, Tiamoe is looking down from the stairway with just a thin one-piece cloth.

  The two of us will not be able to survive.

  The five soldiers who saw me setting up my sword and posture knitted their eyebrows.

  「….Cowards of the empire! The things you have done cannot be forgiven!」


  The frontmost soldier shouted so while pointing the tip of his sword to my face.

  「Wh-what are you saying!? You’re the one who made multiple surprise attack like this one!」


  When I shout so in response, the soldier makes an ugly face and has rushed to me.

  「Silence! You’re the first….」


  At that moment when me and the soldier will fight with our swords, a sword appeared from the wall and pierced the face of the soldier.

  The soldier was sewn on the wall on the other side and stopped moving. The other soldiers at the back set up their swords in a panic.

  「Wh-what…」


  I was confused for suddenly seeing a sword pierced from the wall in front of me. The wall suddenly breaks and a stern armor appeared.

  The saint army soldier.

  I was so startled that I can’t move. Tiamoe laughed happily again.

  「The saint army are waiting on standby on the other room while everyone sleeps. Didn’t you notice?」


  「Im-impossible! No sound…」


  When I looked at Tiamoes face, she showed a distorted smile.

  「They are wearing armor, holding their swords, and shields, and are waiting indoors all this time. Waiting for the enemies…」


  While saying so, Tiamoe covered her mouth and laughed.

  No human can do such a thing!

  I can’t imagine such a number of soldiers not moving and not making sounds.

  I wanted to shout that but no voice came out when I opened my mouth.

  Why? Because the way Tiamoe looks at me from the stairs is horrifying.

  I don’t know why but if feel like something is crawling over my skin. From my fingertips to my limbs, from my back to my neck.

  Tiamoe slowly opened her mouth to me, who can’t find words to say.

  「Now, the war begins. The enemy is the Rembrandt Kingdom army…and that fake apostle of god that created a funny thing called international alliance…」


  When Tiamoe muttered so, she raised her right hand to the height of her face and lifted the edge of her mouth.

  「Item box … staff of the dead …」


  Immediately after Tiamoe said so, a long white bone staff appeared on her hand.

  「Item box!? No way, you are…a royal…」


  I uttered those words but denied it from my heart.

  It’s different.

  If she’s from the royal family, she won’t be able to conceal it after taking the title of saintess.

  There is no way for a bastard to be taught of the secret art item box.

  Then, who is this woman?

  Though she looks like human, this woman doesn’t feel like one.

  The existence called Tiamoe, I feel that her threat is far more fearful than the Rembrandt Kingdom’s army.

  TN: Apostle vs. Saints/Saintesses, the strongest guild master vs. multiple transported individuals, who will win? The last war begins!

  ********************