Kuro no Maou

Chapter 398: The Man Called Gregorius ( 2 )

Pegasus Knights. Airborne maidens who played the crucial role of a vigilant aerial combat force within the Second Battalion.

Head Priest Norz had once commanded one unit of the Pegasus Knight Corps in his mission to occupy western Daidalos.

Each member of this female exclusive corps were high level knights trained in both the martial and magical arts. They had been widely recognized as a force that distinguished themselves in any battlefield―― that is, before their encounter with the Devil of Alzas. Passing rumors of that battle dared to imply that the pegasus knights were not as infallible as they’re made out to be.

Their commander, Norz, had been severely demoted for his failure on that occasion, but the still able bodied pegasus knights hadn’t been laid off like their superior, they were much too valuable not to use.

These maidens had since been assigned under another commander, and were continuing to contribute to the occupation effort.

As of late, their duties consisted of suppressing the various rebel movements sprouting up all over Daidalos. These rebels were small in number but their guerrilla attacks were sudden and sporadic, making them a pain to deal with for the various occupying forces deployed all over the country.

And the pegasus knights, with their superior speed granted by air travel, had been perfect for the task. Day and night, they zoomed across the skies, monitoring the various villages and towns and subjugating poorly armed rebels as they found them. On paper, they had been keeping the peace, but those elite knights, trained for epic battle, felt that their current duties were but menial chores.

They could see no clear goal nor progress, they piled on more fatigue every day that this went on. Fatigue and frustration.

Even Estelle, still active as their official captain, needed an outlet.

“... Haah.” Estelle sighed a truly heavy sigh.

She combed back her long, currently disheveled, hair inside her tent that was in the middle of slowly cooling from the steamy heat that had been generated by its occupants.

To the side of her, on top of thin bed sheets, lay a slender and small boy, sleeping soundly. The boy was naked, like the day he was born. His skin, which Estelle noted was more supple than her own, shone with beads of sweat all over, and his fluffy chestnut hair looked markedly ruffled compared to his usual grooming.

The delicate figure laying with his back exposed gave the striking image of a pagan maiden who had been violated by a foot soldier.

“... Not again.” Estelle dismayed.

This questionable scene had been created by none other than Estelle herself. Though the roles may have been reversed, the fact remained that she had assailed one of the opposite sex.

Her tone indicated that she was in deep regret. Her mind had cleared now that she had expelled all her pent up desire, and she sounded like a girl who promised to maintain her diet plat right after having a three course meal.

“This is bad... I can’t keep doing this...”

Estelle had committed the first of such offenses on the night of the 2nd of First Fire, that is, at a time when the battle in Alzas was yet ongoing.

She had had her eyes on this boy for a long time, from her knights academy days in fact, and on that night, she had worked up the courage to invite him to her tent. Then she worked up her courage to take him then and there.

That being said, he had technically consented.

The first day on that grueling battle at Alzas had generated many losses on the Crusader’s front. They had ended up retreating under the fierce resistance put up by the demons, Estelle’s pegasus knight unit having also suffered harsh losses. Unbelievably, a single, monstrous fairy had eliminated their captain, vice captain, and many good women of the force.

Making use of their dismal situation, Estelle had straightforwardly invited him, ‘Let me get it over with before I die,’ and immediately pushed him down. She had wanted to do better, she really did. But once she had resolved herself to do it, those were the sort of words she said.

She had learned that she wasn’t one to properly convey a confession of love when under stress.

And the situation looking as dire as it was, he had consented even if confused. Really, he did. She remembered him doing so. She had clearly seen him nodding which meant that he consented. Meaning that what she did was certainly not rape, but love making.

All said and done, that was the night Estelle changed her class from maiden to woman.

It was all because of that god forsaken fairy that Estelle had dared to do what she had done. The glowing demon’s powerful telepathy had seeded those ideas into her mind. On the other hand, one could also say that it was thanks to that fairy that she was able to fulfill her love.

But now she had a new problem. In the end, she hadn’t been able to properly convey her feelings and every time she asked, demanded really, he would make a troubled face and oblige her. She knew she was taking advantage of him, using him.

After that one time, she had taken every opportunity... to mete that desire. With their tiresome, seemingly endless missions as of late, they’d been doing the deed almost each night. Actually, today, she had even dragged him into one of the empty village houses in broad daylight. She had to end it mid way though, as she heard her vice captain, Flan, calling after her and she couldn’t really neglect her duty.

She had yet to confess her feelings, and thus couldn’t know how her partner felt. It was like she only desired his body, day in and day out. They were neither lovers, nor friends. Was he not unlike a slave then? She even pondered if maybe hiring a prostitute would be better than the mess of a relationship she was in, at least then the man would get paid his due.

She had realized that this sort of relationship wouldn’t last long. But despite that, she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Perhaps someday, he’d simply run away from her.

Estelle was scared. She was scared of losing the happiness, the pleasure of having obtained the person she held dear. She was less scared of dying on the field than losing him. She was even less scared of facing that wretched fairy than the prospect of not having him anymore.

And yet, she could only think of forcefully detaining him if he were to try getting away. Really, at this point, how was she going to confess anyway? It was all too late to have the relationship she truly desired.

“Fuck... what was I supposed to do...” she muttered.

Having cooled off, Estelle languidly raised her body.

“Helloow there, paaardon my intrusion, Miss Captain Estelle.” said a nasal, clearly male voice; the man himself entering her tent while speaking.

“What! Bastard, you have some nerve――”

Estelle promptly covered her exposed upper body with a blanket, and took up her rapier that had been resting at her pillow side. In one swift motion, the tip of the blade had been brandished towards the sudden invader of her private tent.

If this man had been one of the foot soldiers who’d gotten drunk and had foolishly attempted to bed a pegasus knight, he would’ve had her mythril blade deep inside his heart right now.

However, Estelle’s blade didn’t move an inch towards her target.

“You’re―― Bishop Gregorius, my lord...”

“Oh my, did you know of me? Or was it these robes that tipped you off? Matters not, I guess. Captain Estelle, I realize it’s quite late, but I had an offer you might be――”

The man who had turned up all of a sudden and had started speaking to her similarly out of the blue was unmistakably Bishop Gregorius, her superior and commander of the army she and her girls had been currently stationed to.

She had seen him on multiple occasions and, though she wasn’t exactly a model student, she was still an academy graduate knight, meaning that she wouldn’t mistake a bishop’s vestment.

“Oho, would the boy sleeping over there happen to be Rudel-kun? Goodness, that sure saves me the trouble of calling him over.”

It was a small tent after all. One could easily make out the presence of the additional person sleeping inside, no matter how small he was.

Crap, this can’t be, before Estelle’s mind was able to process what was happening, Gregorius was already nudging Rudel on the shoulder to wake him. Rudel being the nude boy sleeping beside her, the boy she loved oh so dearly.

“Nh, uh... Estelle -san?” Rudel mumbled half asleep.

“Oh, apologies Rudel-kun.” the bishop said, “I am unfortunately not the woman who bedded you. But I’d like you to please wake up, I have something very important I’d like you to hear.”

Estelle was sweating bullets as she waited for Rudel to flutter open his large, sleepy eyes. He was so cute―― Not, the time. Things were getting out of hand.

“Hwa... uh, huh? Eh?”

Rudel blinked several times as he got a good look at the fox-faced man in front of him.

“And goood morning to you, Rudel-kun” Gregorius greeted, pulling on his words.

“Haa” Rudel yawned, “Good morn――!?”

Which is when he finally realized just who he’d been talking to. Rudel yelped like a little girl while simultaneously prostrating himself before his superior right then and there. Naked and sweaty.

“G-Gregorius-sama... w-what, do you need of me...” Rudel stammered fearfully.

Estelle couldn’t see his face as he was currently performing a stiff, naked dogeza on top of the bed sheets, but she could imagine it was much paler than her own.

Estelle was a knight but Rudel was a man of the cloth. He was currently serving the army as a Priest, in other words, a healer, but his original job was that of a priest who served the church. While Estelle was more on the military side of things, for Rudel the bishop was his superior in both jobs, which put him in a precarious position to say the least.

“Riight, this is a bit important, so I just had to tell you right away. I do apologize for intruding on your fun, but I’ll try not take up too much of your time. Please feel free to continue where you left off once I’m done, or rest up for tomorrow, whatever you want.”

The rather inappropriate joke on the bishop’s part had served to inform the couple that he was well aware of what had recently occurred inside the tent. Rather, they’d think him bizarre if he hadn’t come to that conclusion upon seeing a naked man and woman in bed together.

In other words, they could make no excuse.

Had this Gregorius come here to deal punishment to the pegasus knight and priest engaging in illicit acts? Everyone knew the church didn’t allow for carnal relationships out of marriage, and same-sex relationships were banned outright. Basically, obscenities were judged very harshly, and any perpetrators were sure to receive due punishment.

But that’s no business of a bishop. This sleazebag just wanted to get some kicks from this I’ll bet, Estelle cursed the man in her heart but kept her comments to herself.

She had meant to exercise caution when engaging in their nightly liaisons but now that it was so easily discovered, she supposed it’d spell the end of that. She’d accept whatever punishment came her way, but she had to at least try and lessen the punishment for her beloved Rudel, even if a little.

Rudel, in spite of his young age, had risen from deacon to priest. Estelle wasn’t very savvy on how promotions worked on the church’s side, but she at least knew that they didn’t make just anyone a priest, especially someone still in their teens. She wondered if Rudel had the potential to become even more elite than herself, one of the respected pegasus knights.

But that didn’t matter right now. She had to do everything in her power to not ruin Rudel’s clean record. She suspected that he hated her already, and she didn’t want that to escalate. If that kind boy rejected her outright after this, she couldn’t go on.

“W-wait...” She ventured.

But alas, Estelle wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and that facet had become her worst enemy at this moment. She could think up nothing, nothing at all to his defense.

Thus, while she had managed to stammer out a word, no others followed, and she went silent.

But, there has to be something, something―― as she kept drawing blanks, someone else took the initiative.

“M-my utmost apologies, lord bishop... I am to blame, for all of this.”

“Rudel!? What――”

Young Rudel’s bold confession caused Estelle to cry out shocked. The bishop, raising one hand, put on a lecherous grin as he tried to calm the two.

“Oho, so Rudel-kun, you say you’re to blame?” Gregorius questioned.

“Yes, I am the one who assaulted Captain Estelle.” Rudel claimed, his voice shaking as if he’d started crying already.

“So you say that you, a frail healer, managed to have your way with a pegasus knight, an elite warrior, and with their captain no less?”

“Yes.”

“Care to tell me how?”

“Well, I... uhm, I was... very forceful...”

If that were true, Rudel would have had no place being a Priest. If he truly had the muscle and mettle to take on Estelle, a knight adept in the usage of Force Boost and a number of other self-strengthening martial skills, he would’ve been designated a post among the Armored Knight Corps already.

But it didn’t matter how completely blatant a lie he had made up just now. The fact stood that he had lied of his own will. In other words, he had tried to defend Estelle’s honor.

“Right, of course you did” Gregorius said, nonplussed.

“Yes I have. So I beseech you, lord bishop, captain Estelle has done nothing wro――”

“Alright, sure, sure.” Gregorius quickly waved off, “Now, onto the main topic. I actually came here to prospect a new mission for the two of you――”

“Eh?” shot both Estelle and Rudel at the abrupt change in topic.

“What’s the matter? Did you not understand something?”

“No, not that...” Estelle began, “Was that really all you had to say seeing us like this?”

Rudel looked alarmingly depressed as his courageous plea in favor of Estelle had been so swiftly ignored, so the pegasus knight queried the bishop as to his intentions.

“Hahaa,” laughed said bishop, “I’ve seen the sort happening countless times in our army! Oh, and of course, I can swear to God to keep this matter a secret, please be at ease.”

“What in the world...” Estelle was frankly bewildered at the easygoing answer.

Gregorius put on a smile as if to say that he completely understood and sympathized with their happenstances, and although she still saw him as suspicious, she nonetheless understood that he was seriously saying he’d overlook the matter.

“U-uhm, lord bishop...” Rudel ventured timidly, “would you do that...?”

Gregorius put on his clergyman smile and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder as he still sat there prostrated.

“Of course I will, Rudel-kun,” said the bishop, “After all, it is the duty of priests of the Cross to tend to the fatigued knights after their day’s battles.”

Faith may be different depending on the individual, but all present here were adherents of the Cross faith. So the bishop acted to appease the worrying priest that yes, according to their Lord, it was well within their duties to ease the hearts of tired soldiers.

“Depending on the circumstances, one may also need to use their body to perform this duty.” Gregorius sermoned, “Well, not many would go that far... but if you’ve done it with love, I’m certain the Lord will give you His blessing.”

“Lord Bishop...” Rudel was stunned, “Thank you, lord bishop!”

“Rudel-kun, you are truly blessed,” Gregorius continued, “Be sure to thank the Lord for the bond you’re able to share with such a beautiful lady. Why back in my day, I had to spend the nights accompanying the armored knights you know? They were not gentle let me tell you.”

“Uhh, too much information...” Estelle cringed at having been revealed to the bishop’s somewhat sodomistic past.

She had no interest to learn of such things and sincerely wished that it remained a private affair.

“Now then, I believe that should soothe your worries. Can I get to what I came here for then?”

Estelle wanted to get dressed first, but she abstained from needlessly prodding the situation even more. She didn’t want to dig up a settled matter.

It might’ve been rude to face a bishop with nothing but a blanket covering her privates, but since he didn’t look bothered by it, she decided to do the same.

“Yes sir, lord bishop” Estelle said in a serious tone, formally addressing the highest rank officer in all the occupation forces deployed over Daidalos.

“At ease, soldier.” Gregorius said carefreely, “This is a strictly voluntary mission I should add. If possible I’d like you to recommend yourself for the post.”

Estelle guessed that it must be an especially challenging mission if people hadn’t gathered to a bishop’s call to arms. Why else would he have come here to this remote region she’d been deployed to?

“So you say I have the right to refuse?” Estelle asked.

“Indeed you do,” Gregorius confirmed, “you may refuse if you wish.”

That made it simple. Her answer was of course: No. Her current happiness may be a fleeting, temporary thing, but she wanted remain bedding Rudel for as long as she possibly could.

“However, Captain Estelle,” Gregorius appealed, “I believe that accepting this mission will be of great merit to yourself.”

“I see...” Estelle said, not sure where this was going, “I suppose that means a bonus in my salary?”

“I will approve your engagement to Rudel-kun.” the sly bishop began “And once this mission is over, I’ll make it so that you two can return to Sinclair to have a grand ceremony. I’ll be sure to oversee your vows myself, of course. What do you think? Having your marriage done under a bishop is an experience usually only nobles can afford, no? I’m sure you find the prospect too appealing to resist.”

Estelle was perplexed. She couldn’t understand what this man was saying.

Glancing beside her, Rudel had a similar confusion to his face. She inferred that the bishop hadn’t said anything to him either.

“W-wait... what are you talking about?” Estelle quickly asked for clarification, confused yes, but also expectant.

“Rudel-kun here is an orphan you see. He’s grown up in the church all his life, in other words, I have the final say over who he’d to be engaged to.” Gregorius explained, “Well, it’s not as strict as with nobility and their arranged marriages, but he does have the position of priest now, so if I order it, he won’t be able to refuse that partner, whomever it may be―― oops, let me correct myself. The partner that I, a bishop, chooses for him will surely be the one he’s fated to be bonded to, is the fact of the matter.”

The Cross faith didn’t require celibacy for its nuns and clergymen. Though it was limited to monogamy, their Lord would surely give His blessings to two who are truly in love. God wanted his men of the cloth to live modest and frugal lives, but He had no issue with them making offspring.

‘Be fruitful and multiply,’ God has said. It was a well known line for churchgoers. Incidentally, this line continues, ‘and fill the earth and subdue it and vanquish any and all evil.’

This sort of line of scripture had had many interpretations from ancient times to present day, but for Estelle, right now, it meant that she had a chance to be bonded in holy matrimony with her beloved Rudel. It meant that even a despicable woman like her had a chance.

And the bishop before her had the power to enact it. And it was this control that gave her a guarantee that his promise was indeed a possibility.

“... Surely you jest, sir.” but Estelle couldn’t say Yes just yet. She had just barely held back the utterance.

Rudel had tried to defend her. Perhaps, perhaps he also held an affection for her as she did for him. She wanted to believe that, desperately.

If she so easily accepted this offer, she risked betraying that bond. That was something she had to avoid.

“Mmm,” Gregorius sighed, “and here I thought it was a good proposal. Looks like I was wrong. My sincerest apologies you two... anyway, since you don’t seem to be as close as I imagine, I suppose I’ll have to move along to the subject of reassignments.”

“W-wait,” Estelle stammered, “please wait, sir. By reassignment, you don’t mean――”

“I’m sure you’ve heard.” Gregorius detailed, “The Third Battalion will soon begin their advance towards Spada, and I was thinking I wanted to extend a friendly gesture to Count Belgrunt by sending in some reinforcements.”

Including Estelle and her unit of pegasus knights, Rudel and the other Priests in the recovery corps, and a large number of foot soldiers would be redeployed. However, while Estelle and her girls would surely be fighting at the front lines, to capture Galahad Fortress, Rudel would be stationed far back in the real along with the other healers.

This meant that, until they captured the fortress, she’d be separated from him.

“I’ll have you know, I take to assigning my human resources very diligently.” Gregorius stated, “I put people who get along together, and separate them if they’re the opposite. One must have synergy to work in an army after all.”

Estelle couldn’t give a damn about this bishop’s personal philosophy.

She had just learned that she might have to say farewell to Rudel as early as tomorrow. That, she couldn’t allow.

“But there’s a limit to what I can do for people not under my own command you see,” Gregorius said, apologetically, “so unfortunately, you two will be required to go to separate posts――”

“Please wait, sir,” Estelle cut him off, “if I were to accept your mission, I request Rudel be made my exclusive aide.”

“Done.” the bishop easily assented, “I trust that you two lovebirds will work much better if you’re together. I’m expecting good things, Captain.”

“... Fine, I accept.” Estelle said, and then corrected herself, “No, let me volunteer myself.”

This was the only path left to her. Gregorius held the leash to the man she so desperately wanted. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. If she performed well, things would go smoothly in the direction she desired. This prospect was better than any monetary reward. One couldn’t buy love after all.

“Oh! Excellent reply, Captain Estelle! I’m glad to have you.” Gregorius exclaimed needlessly, to which Estelle followed up with a “It’s my honor as a knight,” playing along for her part.

“Good on you, Rudel-kun,” Gregorius now addressed Rudel, “From here on, be sure to support your lovely Captain both in public and private matters.”

“Uh... um....” Rudel deliberated.

“You’re her fiance now, right?”

“Y-yes, lord bishop...”

He looked troubled with the sudden turn of events, but even with his delicate brows turned up, he consented to his superior. This clearly demonstrated the bishop’s influence over the boy, proving how he had the power to decide whom the young priest could love.

“As for you, Captain,” Gregorius returned to Estelle, “I need you to pick out 4 to 5 of your unit who will be accompanying us.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You are to head to Fort Alzas and await further orders from there.”

Bishop Gregorius gave her a few more miscellaneous directives, and after he was done, Estelle finally asked the most important question,

“Sir, if I may ask, what exactly is our objective for this mission?”

“Oops, dear me.” Gregorius cried, “I can’t believe I forgot, pardon me will you?”

Did he really forget? Estelle couldn’t tell since his fox-like face always seemed to be scheming something or other. But the bishop apparently had no reason to conceal the matter and he told her easily:

“While the Third Battalion is keeping Galahad occupied, we will be clandestinely invading the heart of Pandora: the city-state of Avalon――”

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