It Seems the Demon King Has Returned to a World Where Gender Roles Are Reversed - Chapter 45

 Chapter 45 : The Visit of the Saintess

Annerose Ristanok.

One of the saintesses of the Church and, at the same time, a woman who holds the position of Imperial Minister of State in the Kingdom of Shreid.

However, her most significant title lies elsewhere: she is the lover of the kingdom’s First Princess, Christine, and the only person capable of reining her in.

As a result, some factions worry that Annerose, being so close to Christine, might one day wield the kingdom’s authority recklessly, diverting national resources toward personal endeavors, such as the Church’s revival movement. These concerns have led to wary glances in her direction.

But such concerns are, to an extent, mere formalities.

In truth, the number of people genuinely worried about her seizing power is relatively small. Instead, the general populace fears and views her with suspicion for a more practical reason: she is a woman.

In this era of female dominance, relationships and affection between women are not particularly frowned upon such dynamics are fairly common. The issue lies with Christine.

Christine is the legitimate heir to the kingdom’s bloodline.

Yet, she shows no interest in men, focusing her affection solely on Annerose.

For this reason, Annerose is regarded with concern by those who worry about the kingdom’s future. However, eliminating her is not an option.

If Christine had other lovers, it might be different, but Annerose is the only one Christine considers her partner.

Moreover, Annerose is the only one capable of controlling Christine.

Thus, even those who initially opposed Annerose’s appointment as Minister of State have, over time, reluctantly accepted the situation, shaking their heads in resignation.

It might have been easier if she were incompetent.

But Annerose’s political acumen is so exceptional that even the empire’s most seasoned bureaucrats are left in awe.

This makes it impossible to discredit her.

As a result, noble families regard her with unease while simultaneously being forced to acknowledge her.

The Steiner family was no exception.

_________________

On a certain autumn day.

The sky was clearer than usual, shimmering with a jewel-like blue that was almost blindingly beautiful. Not only was the sunlight radiant, but a gentle, warm breeze also lightened the atmosphere.

However, the Steiner family’s mansion could hardly keep up with the world’s cheerful mood that day. And for good reason it was the day that the renowned Imperial Minister of State of the kingdom, Annerose Ristanok, was to visit.

“...You must absolutely avoid saying anything improper.”

“I know.”

“Your words will reflect on the Steiner family’s reputation. You must not say anything that could bring shame to our house.”

“I said I know.”

“Your behavior is just as important. Pay attention to every little gesture. You’re not dealing with ordinary noble girls but the Imperial Minister of State herself.”

“...”

Ragna let out a sigh in response to Karen’s endless nagging.

No matter how many times he answered, it seemed futile. But he had no intention of snapping back. There were far too many eyes watching him.

Besides, something else was weighing on Ragna’s mind.

Compared to that, the Steiner family’s honor or Karen’s concerns were of little consequence to him.

What truly bothered him was the reason why she, Annerose, insisted on meeting him.

Ragna recalled the brief explanation Karen had given him.

Annerose Ristanok.

The Imperial Minister of State of the Kingdom of Shreid and the lover of the current Queen, Christine.

That alone posed no issue. But she held another title.

The title of Saintess of the Church. The moment the word “Church” came to mind, Ragna’s expression soured.

It is often said that mages and priests are like water and oil.

Yet, upon closer inspection, the two are quite similar.

Whether mages or the Church, their ultimate goal is to uncover the principles governing the world.

What are the true laws of this world, and how should one live based on those truths?

From this pure pursuit of knowledge, the Mage Tower and the Church diverged. But as their separation implies, their philosophies differ starkly.

The Mage Tower’s philosophy was as follows:

By unraveling the principles of the world and reaching an ultimate monism, one might transcend the world and become an ascended being a Celestial Entity.

Thus, they do not hesitate to manipulate the world’s principles. In fact, they take pride in their ability to deceive the world and establish their own truths, viewing such feats as proof of excellence. To the Church, however, this was nothing short of heresy.

For the Church, the world’s principles are the ideal form of beauty created by a transcendent will from ages past.

The numerical beauty of the world, the principles that aid the growth of living creatures, and even the emotions of pain and sorrow all are seen as part of a grand masterpiece crafted by a skilled composer and the coincidences of fate.

Thus, artificially twisting the world’s principles using magic to disrupt the natural order was deemed utterly unacceptable.

Even so, the Church shares the same roots as the Mage Tower.

While they tried to maintain a conciliatory stance despite their opposition, tensions eventually erupted into a significant event.

The Great Anti-Magic War.

The exact trigger of the war remains unknown, even to the Mage Tower. However, according to oral traditions, the mages of that era had devised a plan to manipulate the world’s principles to lead all of humanity to ascension. The Church, having caught wind of this in advance, waged war against the mages.

The conflict ended in the mages’ decisive defeat.

There were many reasons for this outcome.

The holy magic wielded by the Church’s priests, the support of the kingdom’s exceptional knights, internal divisions among the mages, and countless other factors contributed. But the decisive blow came from a secret weapon created by the Church.

The Anti-Magic Artifact.

Also known as the Anti-Magic Weapon.

“...”

The moment he recalled it, Ragna’s brow twitched.

It was an unpleasant memory.

After the Anti-Magic War ended and the mages declared defeat, retreating into seclusion, the Anti-Magic Artifact gradually faded from existence. The weapon could only be activated by specific bloodlines and under specific conditions, making it nearly impossible to pass down through generations.

But by a twist of fate,

That sword, preserved as a family heirloom, fell into the hands of a so-called “hero” a mere rabble. And by sheer coincidence, that hero met the conditions to wield it.

The Anti-Magic Weapon was exactly what its name implied a blade that nullified magic.

Not only that, it could seal the very magic of its opponent.

Thus, no matter how world-shattering or genocidal a mage’s power might be, before the hero, the Demon King was reduced to a mere mortal, stripped even of the physical enhancements granted by dark magic.

And so, the Demon King Ragneight fell. That bitter memory still lingered in Ragna’s mind. Given this connection to the hero, it was only natural for Ragna to view the Church with suspicion.

His question was simple.

(Why?)

Why did she insist on meeting him? Why go out of her way to meet a mere boy even if he was a male knight, one of the dozens that appear in a kingdom?

“...It doesn’t make sense.”

If she were visiting as the Imperial Minister of State to meet the prestigious Steiner family, it wouldn’t be entirely incomprehensible.

The Steiner family held a status worthy of such a visit.

But Annerose Ristanok had specified that she was coming to meet Ragna personally.

“...”

Could she have sensed something? It’s possible. When Ragna was resurrected in the Dark Forest, a massive surge of magical energy must have erupted. And a child was found in that same forest. Perhaps she had pieced together some clue from that tenuous connection.

If so, could it be that Annerose suspected...

“No, that’s absurd.”

“What’s absurd?”

“...Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

His inner thoughts had slipped out unintentionally. Ragna quickly brushed it off, slightly flustered.

Karen frowned at his reaction, about to say something. But at that moment,

“Lady Annerose Ristanok has arrived!”

“...!”

The maid’s shout rang out. At her voice, both Karen and Ragna’s faces tensed. The sound of dry swallowing echoed in the reception room.

_____________

Annerose Ristanok’s arrival was nothing short of grand.

It felt almost like a parade.

With a somewhat weary expression, Annerose stepped down from the central carriage of the procession. She was greeted with a formal bow from Karen, the current head of the Steiner family, and entered the mansion.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency Annerose.”

“The honor is mine, Lady Karen.”

Unlike other nobles who harbored resentment toward Annerose, Karen held no particular feelings about her. To Karen, only one thing mattered: loyalty to the kingdom.

Questioning or disparaging the personal tastes of a ruler who governed justly was, in her view, overstepping one’s bounds.

With Karen’s courteous guidance, Annerose proceeded into the Steiner mansion. Behind her followed a group of women, presumably her entourage. The crowd moved noisily into the mansion. However, accommodating such a large group inside was no easy task.

The Steiner family’s influence was considerable.

But even so, their mansion wasn’t equipped to house over a hundred people at once. The head steward of the Steiner household wore a troubled expression. It was Annerose herself who resolved their dilemma.

“Except for ten guards, everyone else is to wait outside.”

“But, Lady Annerose... that would mean...”

“This is an order from the Imperial Minister of State. Five commanding officers and five adjutants ten in total will accompany me.”

“...”

Though she didn’t name anyone specifically, her clear designation left the knights trailing her speechless. As they began selecting their members, Annerose gave a slight bow to Karen.

“Please forgive the inconvenience. As this is an order from Her Highness Christine, they likely had no choice.”

“...No, I’m grateful for your consideration.”

Karen returned the bow, as did the surrounding servants, genuinely thankful for her resolution of the situation.

“...This way, please. Refreshments have been prepared in the reception room.”

“Thank you.”

The mention of prepared refreshments implied readiness for the meeting.

And that Ragna was waiting.

In such situations, a male of the family should not easily show his face. A man stepping forward carelessly is considered a breach of decorum that could tarnish the family’s dignity.

Both parties understood this, so no further words were needed. Karen silently led Annerose to the reception room.

The door to the reception room creaked open.

And there stood—

“Pleased to meet you. I am Ragna Steiner.”

Ragna, who had been waiting, bowed in greeting. Annerose responded with a smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Lord Ragna. I am Annerose Ristanok, a priestess of the Church.”

“...”

Hearing her introduction, Ragna, still bowing, twitched and frowned. The Church? Why did she bring up that title?

Surely, she held the position of Imperial Minister of State. For her to deliberately mention the Church was peculiar.

“...”

Ragna slowly raised his head to look at her face. But Annerose’s expression, still bearing a gentle smile, revealed nothing.

A bead of sweat trickled down Ragna’s back.

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Translated by Reversalnovel.web.id