"Has Captain Bork reported Gareth Stronghold's death yet?"

  The Seventh Cardinal asked a man with brown hair and green robes, while signing some documents on the desk.

  "Unfortunately not yet, Cardinal! But it has surrounded the village where Captain Gareth is holed up! We're monitoring everything with observation spells, but..."

  The other answered him, then stopped towards the end of the sentence, as if fearing the Cardinal's reaction.

  "But what, priest?"

  He asked, looking sternly at his subordinate. The latter yielded to the pressure and replied in a trembling voice:

  "There…There's some noise in the signal! As soon as we try to focus on the village, it seems like something is distorting the images!"

  The Cardinal snorted at that response. He was visibly irritated by the situation.

  How will I gain the approval of the Twelfth Cardinal if my subordinates are so incompetent?

  He slowly moved his decrepit right hand up and down, as if to admonish the priest.

  "Is that all? Then we'll get it fixed! Urge the sorcerers to work harder. Are they among the best in the Theocracy or not? Now go and only come back when there's good news!"

  The priest nodded and left the room, while the Seventh Cardinal sighed and looked out of his office window.

  "We must maintain peace in our own land. If the only way to do so is by starting a war between the Empire and the Kingdom, eliminating Gareth Stronghold as the Twelfth Cardinal has requested, so be it!"

  His comment concealed his true thoughts. He didn't care much about peace, only about gaining the good graces of the Twelfth Cardinal. If he could curry favor with him, perhaps he could gain more political power. Once he became his equal, he would remove him.

  It's just a matter of time. Eventually, I will rise to power!

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Almodeus lowered his head to enter the village stable. There, Gareth approached him and began observing the situation outside through one of the small windows. He noticed numerous men in the distance, hidden by gray cloak-like clothing. Their faces were covered by masks, similar to those used in theaters. This particular one depicted a smiling face.

  Thanks to one of his skills, Almodeus was able to guess that those were magical items. Those were used to enhance passive mana regeneration, one of the many names for the energy sorcerer invested when casting any spell.

  "Who are those?"

  He asked Captain Gareth aloud.

  "From the way they're dressed, I'd say they're sorcerers from the Reia Theocracy. It's the only nation in the vicinity that can afford such a display of magical forces."

  He nodded. Unknowingly, Gareth had just given an him important information.

  Anyway, it's interesting to think that I was mistaken for a sorcerer like them. Who knows how magic works here... I suppose the usual ten base levels apply, plus higher ones like Divine, Void and Absolute.

  "Captain! Look!"

  A soldier beside Gareth shouted, pointing at the spellcasters. To each of their right hands, gray-winged humanoid creatures, about two meters tall, had appeared, armed with metal halberds and clad in heavy armor that covered their entire bodies.

  -They were angels.

  To the people of the Theocracy, angels were servants of the gods, while to the doctrines of the Empire and the Kingdom, they were considered ordinary summoned monsters. This, however, did not make their summoners any less of a threat. Summoning creatures was extremely difficult, and since the opponents seemed expert at doing just that, it was obvious that those were high-level enemies.

  So Gareth believed, at least. From his experience, he could say with certainty that of the most common types of summonable monsters—namely angels, demons and spirits—the second one were the most fearsome.

  Demons were said to be born in a place called "Hell" and could evolve based on their accumulated power. The pinnacle of this evolution was the rank of Archdemon or Archdevil, though he had heard tales of even higher-level demons, such as the legendary Ten Primordials.

  Although generally weaker than demons, angels were tough opponents. They could deal high magical damage and resist physical attacks. Simply put, a human was at a distinct disadvantage against an angel.

  "They summoned Exorcists. Typical..."

  Almodeus looked at Gareth, confused by the news.

  Did he really say Exorcists? They're very different from the ones in my world. They're bigger and more robust, but their weapons don't seem to be enchanted with holy magic. This place is full of surprises ...

  "I didn't think the Theocracy wanted me dead to this extent. The troops attacking the villages weren't from the Kingdom, but theirs!"

  He turned to the Captain and shook his head, watching the man smile at his own intuition. Almodeus could have kept the following information to himself, but he didn't see the point in doing that. It would be better to be helpful, thus increasing Gareth's trust in him.

  "Your reconstruction is partially incorrect. I've had some of the attackers questioned, and it seems the Theocracy wants you dead to strengthen its hold on the nobles of the Nexian Empire, allowing it to slowly transform it into a vassal or ally state through religion and bribery. The troops who destroyed the villages were in the pay of Marquis Reven, a small-time local lord with a small fiefdom; he was part of the Aristocratic faction."

  Gareth nodded. He didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, he probably already understood everything but didn't want to say it openly, lest he get involved in political matters at a tense time like this.

  For now, it's best to observe. The enemies don't seem as powerful as they might appear, but I don't want to risk endangering Almodea or the villagers. Trust is hard to build, but easy to break.

  "Lord Almodeus..."

  The Captain called to him, approaching with a serious look and interrupting his reasoning.

  "May I ask you if you'd be willing to work for me? For a conspicuous fee, of course..."

  Almodeus's eyes widened under his mask.

  Is he trying to recruit me? I don't know whether to accept. While I don't detect much power emanating from those spellcasters, I'd like to avoid alienating the supposedly strongest faction on this side of the continent .

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  He thought for a few minutes, then shook his head.

  "I'm sorry, but I can't do that..."

  "By Imperial law, I could compel you to act. Do you know that?"

  A laugh escaped Almodeus at that false threat.

  "Uh! Uh! That would be the worst decision you could make, Sir Gareth. Don't take my words as a threat, but if you were to use your authority to force me to fight for you, I think I'd have to put up a modicum of resistance."

  The two stared at each other, in what seemed like a staring contest. Gareth was the first to look away, sighing bitterly.

  "I see. It would be quite a problem, just as you say, Lord Almodeus. We would be eliminated before we even crossed swords with the sorcerers of the Theocracy."

  This statement made it clear that the Captain had understood the power of the man—actually a demon—before him. His instincts told him that antagonizing that sorcerer would be fatal. However, Gareth couldn't help but smile at the demon. This made Almodeus wonder why he was doing that.

  Is he smiling at me? Why? I just refused to help him, yet he doesn't seem to have lost a shred of composure. This human is strange…Or rather, strange isn't the right word. What was that word? Oh yes! Curious! This human is curious! He reminds me of Abadon in some ways.

  No matter how much they fought, no matter how many times he had easily defeated him, the Demon of Courage always returned for a rematch. Almodeus still felt a twinge of melancholy at the thought of never seeing his dear friend again. He tried to refocus his thoughts: his primary concern right now was Almodea's safety and happiness—nothing else mattered.

  I miss those times…

  Once again, it was Gareth's words that brought him back to reality.

  "Lord Almodeus. Thank you for everything you've done, truly! I'm afraid I can't find the words to express my gratitude!"

  The Captain shook the demon's right hand, surprising him once again.

  A handshake? Is that a sign of friendship here too? In my world, it is. But the fact remains that his actions continue to confuse me.

  "Can I just ask you one last favor?"

  The knight placed his left hand over Almodeus's, fixing him with a gaze that revealed trust and profound respect. He shouldn't have acted like this; it made no sense.

  Gareth was surrounded, short of men and weapons, without even a shred of a plan. His only hope was Almodeus, but he had turned his back on him. So…why was he smiling? Why did he seem confident in the possibility of seeing a tomorrow? This was what Almodeus couldn't explain.

  "Certainly. Go ahead and talk..."

  He respondend, eagerly awaiting the Captain's proposal, curious to know what the human wanted.

  "My men and I will breach the enemy lines to try to lure them away from the village. Could you help the villagers escape and protect them? That's all I ask, I beg you!"

  Gareth started to bow, visibly desperate for the other's help. Before he could finish his pose, Almodeus stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. The man's grip was strong, too strong for a sorcerer who supposedly spent his entire life studying. This was just one of many other oddities that led Gareth to believe he'd made the right choice in not antagonizing Almodeus.

  "There's no need to go that far. Maybe I'm getting too familiar, but I think a good friendship could develop between us. You remind me of...An old friend."

  Abadon, from rival and enemy to ally and friend, where are you? Were you brought here too? In any case, I hope you're well, old friend.

  Almodeus immersed himself in the memory of his old palll. Who would have ever imagined that two opposites like Fear and Courage would become acquaintances and friends?

  Gareth's eyes widened in surprise. The other's words made it clear how sincere he was at that moment. His tone was compassionate, the complete opposite of when he'd threatened to offer "a modicum of resistance".

  The Imperial Captain smiled at him, full of admiration and respect for the mage.

  "Thank you, Lord Almodeus!"

  "There's no need to thank me, on the contrary! I solemnly promise you, on the name of Almodeus, that I will protect anyone currently in this village."

  He placed his other hand on Gareth's shoulder, and unnoticed, his shadow merged with the man's. Unbeknownst to him, and from the way the promise had been worded, Gareth and his soldiers were now also under Almodeus's protection. And he wasn't someone who broke his word easily.

  "You can go ahead with your plan. Allow me to wish you good luck..."

  The Absolute Lord said, shaking the Captain's hand once more, leaving a red A inscribed within a red circle in his palm. The surprise in the man's eyes was profound; that A wasn't a symbol that meant much to him, after all.

  "What is it? A magic symbol? I've never seen one like that."

  The Captain commented, somewhat surprised. He was not an expert in magic. In the Nexia Empire, it was viewed by the nobles as mere conjuring tricks, so knowledge of the subject was scarce. There was a Mages' Guild, but few could join, and it was completely disconnected from state power, like the Adventurers' Guild.

  It's actually just the symbol I decided to use, I've always had a thing for the letter A.

  "No. Where I come from, this is a symbol of strength, power and absolute respect! Consider it a gift and a further wish for good luck."

  Gareth smiled at those words and nodded, turning to his men. The Captain raised his right hand, clenched into a fist to the sky, then shouted at the top of his lungs:

  "Men! Did you hear? Lord Almodeus has promised us the defense of the village! We are supposed to break through the enemy lines and ensure the villagers' escape! We must keep our word!"

  In response, Gareth's soldiers raised their weapons to the sky, joining in a chorus of support for their Captain.

  "LONG LIVE CAPTAIN GARETH! LONG LIVE LORD ALMODEUS! LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!"

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  After about ten minutes of preparation, the Captain and his soldiers mounted their horses and charged, united and compact, towards the abstract wall created by the sorcerers of the Theocracy.

  "Venerable Almodeus. Why is the Captain leaving?"

  The village chief asked, approaching with a worried expression. Almodeus understood his fear; after all, they had just seen a hero go.

  Everyone would think he was running away, but instead…

  "He was the real target of the enemy. The Captain is acting as bait for the enemy. We'll take advantage of this to escape when the time is right."

  The Village Chief nodded and went back to hide in the stable, informing the other villagers. Cries of apology could be heard coming from the hut. It was clear that, given the strong emotions they had recently experienced, many villagers had already cursed the group of soldiers. The mental exhaustion caused by a single day had led many to believe that the Captain was fleeing for his life, leaving them to die.

  "What are we doing, Dad? Shall we help him?"

  Almodea asked, standing beside her father and watching Captain Gareth ride off into the sunset with his men following.

  Very romantic...

  She thought, before being brought back to reality by the other demon, who answered her previous question, which she'd already forgotten that she had done it. Almodea never had a high attention span if the the topic wasn't about magic, girls and anime.

  "I don't know. For now, I'd say we'll see how things go, and I'll decide on the spot..."

  The Absolute Lord paused. He actually had a plan, but it required Gareth to be near death—which was likely, given the disparity in forces.

  "I have faith in Captain Gareth."

  Almodeus finished, then returned to the stable. Left alone, Almodea looked up at the sky.

  I wonder what month it is here...It's a bit chilly.

  She was immune to the cold, but the demoness could sense the weather around her. Even though the village was under siege, she wasn't worried at all. Almodea knew she was strong and that few could stand against her, not to mention that she was with her father, an invincible demon.

  She smiled slightly. The various stories he'd told her when she was little came flooding back. The ones she remembered most involved a guy with the ability to kill anything and another with countless divine protections, like immunity to damage or dead.

  Classic anime OP MCs…

  Despite their supposedly powerful nature, her father had eliminated them without much difficulty. This alone showed how dangerous Almodeus was, and how right Gareth had been not to antagonize him.

  Would I have been able to beat them?

  That question was eating away at her. She was powerful, sure, but not like her father. Between her and him lay an infinite gulf. It would take her millennia, perhaps a hundred times as long, to become as strong as Almodeus.

  This troubled Almodea. She always feared she wasn't good enough for her father's expectations, if he had any for her. She remembered when Hirashi had come to live with them at the tower. How envious she was of the pale woman! Not only because she was stronger than her, but hands down better at everything. She feared losing the love of her father, the person she admired the most.

  It's incredible…

  The smile that Almodea always wore collapsed for a moment. She could afford it; she was there alone, after all.

  He loves me, despite my thousand flaws…

  Almodea was many things: spoiled, sometimes unfair, hot-headed, a crybaby who cried whenever things didn't go her way and even a bit of a pervert. Despite all of that, her father always loved her with all his heart. He stood by her side during her teenage crises, after silly fights with her mother and never got angry when she made a mistake. Almodeus never made her feel inadequate or inferior to anyone else.

  I can't disappoint him…I don't want to!

  There she was, Almodea was about to burst into tears at the mere thought of doing something wrong in the near future.

  You're eighteen, Almodea! Get some fucking composure!

  She patted her cheek a few times and managed to calm down, even taking deep breaths. It was in those moments that Almodea wished she was more mature in spirit, to be able to handle the situation better, like a true adult. But she wasn’t. The demoness simply sighed again, before returning to the barn where her father and the others were still hiding.