The northern territories of the Holy Kingdom had all but completely fallen.
For Remedios and her party, the only viable destinations for aid were three nations: the Re-Estize Kingdom, the Slane Theocracy, and the Baharuth Empire.
It wasn't that there were no other countries surrounding the Holy Kingdom—but strictly speaking, these were the only ones from which they could realistically hope to receive assistance.
As for the others, either their populations weren't primarily human, or their overall strength was too weak to offer any meaningful help.
The internal situation of the Slane Theocracy was far too complex, and when it came to conflicts like internal rebellions, they typically chose not to intervene.
Which meant that Remedios and her group were, in truth, aiming mainly for the Kingdom and the Empire.
As long as they could secure reinforcements from either of those two, there was still hope of suppressing the Holy Kingdom's internal chaos.
Of course, seeking foreign aid to quell internal strife came with endless future complications—not to mention the massive price they would likely have to pay.
But compared to the royal capital falling into demi-human hands, it was a far better outcome.
Because the situation was so urgent, Remedios and her party traveled at breakneck speed, entering both the Kingdom's and the Empire's territories without even pausing to gather recent intelligence.
Their first destination was the Kingdom.
As an official delegation from the Holy Kingdom—and with Remedios herself being a figure of some renown—they were ultimately granted an audience with the King.
However, the moment they stated their purpose, the Kingdom rejected their request for aid without hesitation.
Even after Remedios made numerous concessions and promises, the King remained unmoved.
It wasn't until they were later received by the famed Golden Princess, Rana, that they finally learned the truth:
The Kingdom itself was in a crisis just as dire.
The Baharuth Empire had suddenly acknowledged the existence of a nation founded by the undead—and had even pledged to help this so-called "Sorcerer Kingdom" seize the city of E-Rantel from the Kingdom.
The moment the news broke, the Kingdom was naturally enraged.
Though they couldn't understand what the Empire was thinking—recognizing a nation ruled by the undead of all things—E-Rantel was one of the Kingdom's most important cities. There was no way they would simply hand it over.
Since the rise of the Blood Emperor, the Empire's national power had been steadily increasing.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom had suffered a severe blow to its prestige following the previous demon invasion.
The Empire, seemingly acting as a vanguard for the Sorcerer Kingdom, appeared to be biding its time—perhaps waiting for an opportunity to turn on them and restore its own standing.
As for the Kingdom, defending E-Rantel was only one part of the equation.
The other was reclaiming its lost honor by defeating both the Empire and this newly formed Sorcerer Kingdom.
At present, the Kingdom had already mobilized an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands, preparing to engage in a decisive battle on the plains outside E-Rantel.
Under such circumstances, with its own territory under threat and a massive war imminent, there was no way the Kingdom could spare troops for the Holy Kingdom.
"You may not need to go to the Empire either," Princess Rana had said calmly.
"After all, the Kingdom's opponent is the Empire. For the same reasons, they won't be able to lend you any forces."
She paused, then added thoughtfully:
"Rather than relying solely on other nations, you might consider seeking help from certain organizations or groups… for example, the Adventurer's Guild."
At those words, Remedios could only force an awkward smile.
They said the Golden Princess of the Kingdom possessed unparalleled intelligence and brilliance.
But hearing such a suggestion now, Remedios couldn't help but feel that perhaps her own thinking was more grounded.
This was a national crisis.
Hundreds of thousands of demi-human troops were relentlessly battering the Holy Kingdom's defenses. Even their elite forces were struggling to hold back the frenzied onslaught.
And she was supposed to rely on adventurers?
No matter how strong an adventurer might be—whether they could defeat a hundred enemies or even a thousand—could they truly stand against tens of thousands?
If such individuals really existed, then what did that make her, the strongest paladin of the Holy Kingdom?
As if seeing straight through Remedios's thoughts, Princess Rana took a delicate sip of her tea before speaking again, her expression composed.
"You mustn't underestimate adventurers. Among them are individuals who truly possess the strength to stand against an army."
She set her cup down gently.
"I trust you've heard of the demon invasion that once plunged the Kingdom into despair. The one who protected the capital and forced the Demon Emperor, Adabao, to retreat… was an adventurer."
Even after leaving the royal palace, Remedios remained deep in thought.
She hesitated over her next course of action—whether to continue on to the Empire, or to follow the Golden Princess's advice and seek out the powerful adventurer known as "Jet-Black Fubuki."
To be honest, the idea of an adventurer possessing power comparable to an entire nation was something Remedios found difficult to believe.
She herself had stepped into the realm of heroes, wielding a holy sword. Naturally, she carried a certain degree of pride.
She simply could not accept that any human could reach such an absurd level of strength.
"Lady Remedios, what should we do next?"
"First, we head to the Baharuth Empire," Remedios replied decisively.
"If we can secure their support, all the better. If not… then we'll take the opportunity to test the strength of the top-tier adventurers the Golden Princess mentioned."
She crossed her arms, thinking aloud.
"The 'War Oni' Ren Kuroda should also be an adamantite-ranked adventurer, correct? I've heard that while he may be slightly inferior to Jet-Black Fubuki, he's still considered one of the strongest."
"We'll test Ren Kuroda first. If his abilities prove unimpressive… then there's no need to seek out this 'Jet-Black Fubuki.'"
In truth, ever since learning from Princess Rana that the Empire had aligned itself with non-human forces, Remedios and her group had grown reluctant to even set foot there.
The Holy Kingdom's internal climate—combined with the current demi-human rebellion—had left Remedios with a deep-seated distrust of non-human races.
To her, they were all untrustworthy.
But in their current situation, they had no room to be selective.
Any form of assistance would be a blessing.
Thanks to their status as an official delegation of the Holy Kingdom, Remedios and her party were able to secure audiences with the highest authorities in both the Kingdom and the Empire with relative ease—even as war loomed on the horizon.
Compared to the aging King of the Kingdom, the Baharuth Empire's ruler—the Blood Emperor Jircniv—was clearly in the prime of his life.
He was eloquent, confident, and carried himself with an undeniable presence.
If memory served, Queen Calca of the Holy Kingdom had once considered Jircniv a highly suitable candidate for marriage.
The two were well-matched in both appearance and status, and a union between them would have greatly strengthened ties between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.
Of course, after Calca ascended the throne, Jircniv was removed from the list of potential consorts.
Now, any future partner for Queen Calca would have to marry into the Holy Kingdom.
And as the Emperor of the Baharuth Empire, Jircniv was hardly someone who could accept such an arrangement.
Moreover, there were concerns that if Calca were to marry him, the Holy Kingdom might ultimately be reduced to a mere vassal of the Empire.