Against a mere human of around level thirty, there was no way Ren Kuroda would use his full strength.
Even deliberately holding back—
The moment Remedios took that punch, the outcome was decided.
Clang—!
His fist struck the flat of her holy sword, producing a deep, bell-like resonance that echoed through the air.
The sheer force traveled through the blade, up her arms, and into her entire body.
In that instant, Remedios felt a violent shock surge through her, as if her very bones were being rattled apart. A mouthful of blood burst from her lips—
And her body was sent flying backward, the golden chains binding her snapping apart under the impact.
The young female knights who had accompanied her stood frozen in shock at the sight—before scrambling forward in panic to check on her condition.
"…I don't use divine healing magic," Ren said, scratching his cheek lightly, a hint of awkwardness in his voice. "But this recovery potion should help."
He swore to himself—he really had held back.
Sure, he'd put on a fiery, over-the-top front just now, but the punch he threw hadn't even reached five percent of his actual strength.
The problem was that his opponent was only around level thirty.
Trying to land a clean victory without accidentally killing her was far harder than it sounded.
It was supposed to be a simple spar—
And yet he'd still managed to leave her in such a battered state.
Feeling genuinely apologetic, Ren offered her a YGGDRASIL-grade healing potion.
After all, he'd previously explored the ruins of the Thirteen Heroes alongside the Azure Rose team. If anyone questioned where the potion came from, he had a perfectly reasonable explanation—unlike Momonga, who had to be far more cautious about revealing such things.
What he didn't expect, however—
Was that instead of accepting the potion, Remedios suddenly grabbed his arm.
"…Huh?"
Ren froze, completely caught off guard.
Wait… don't tell me the Holy Kingdom has some weird tradition where a female paladin has to marry a man who defeats her?
Sure, the knight in front of him had an impressive figure and striking looks—
But that didn't mean he wanted to get "claimed" like this!
"Ren Kuroda-dono… your strength is truly overwhelming. After that brief exchange, I fully understand the gap between us—it's insurmountable."
Her grip tightened slightly, her expression serious—almost desperate.
"So I have a selfish request. Please… lend your strength to the Holy Kingdom. If you can help us drive out the demi-humans invading our land—"
She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before continuing:
"—then even if the price is this body of mine, I will offer it willingly."
Remedios might not be the sharpest strategist, and her personality left much to be desired—
But there was no denying her unwavering loyalty to the Holy Kingdom.
And when it came to combat, her instincts were razor-sharp.
Even from that brief clash, she had clearly grasped just how vast the difference between them truly was.
At the same time, she finally understood—
The Golden Princess hadn't been exaggerating.
Top-tier adventurers like the "War Oni" Ren Kuroda and the jet-black warrior known as Fubuki were in a completely different league from everyone else.
She didn't yet know how strong Fubuki truly was.
But as for Ren Kuroda—
She was convinced he might actually be capable of saving the Holy Kingdom.
After all, according to rumors, Fubuki was a dual greatsword wielder. Against an army of tens of thousands of demi-humans, even overwhelming individual strength had its limits.
But Ren was different.
He was a magic caster—
And not just any caster, but one rumored to wield seventh-tier magic, a level beyond what ordinary humans could reach.
Compared to warriors, powerful spellcasters were akin to weapons of mass destruction on the battlefield.
Against ordinary soldiers, they were like exterminators.
One spell—
And entire swathes of enemies would be wiped out.
As a paladin, Remedios was prepared to sacrifice everything for her nation.
But as for what she could offer someone like Ren Kuroda…
She had nothing.
No wealth, no leverage—
Nothing but herself.
Even if her beauty didn't compare to Queen Calca—hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world—
She was still considered one of the finest in the Holy Kingdom.
"…Sorry, but I'm not interested in your body," Ren replied bluntly, though without malice. "And the Empire's about to go to war with the Kingdom. As the Knight Commander, I can't just leave my post."
He paused, then added more calmly:
"If you can wait until things are settled here, I wouldn't mind making a trip to the Holy Kingdom afterward."
In truth, Ren was quite concerned about the situation in the Holy Kingdom.
But with the Sorcerer King about to unleash devastation upon the Kingdom, there was no way he could step away right now.
The Great Tomb intended to establish its nation in E-Rantel—and the Kingdom had no intention of allowing it.
Not only had they gathered an army of hundreds of thousands on the plains outside the city, preparing for a decisive battle against both the Empire and the Sorcerer Kingdom—
They had even decided to wipe out Carne Village, which had ties to Ainz Ooal Gown.
The Kingdom's first prince had personally led a force of five thousand troops, intending to capture the villagers and use them as leverage against Momonga.
Upon receiving word, Ren had immediately volunteered.
Now, accompanied by Yuri Alpha and Lupusregina Beta, he stood on the outskirts of Carne Village.
"Ren-sama, if it's only to protect Enri and Nfirea, there's really no need for you to come all the way out here yourself," Lupusregina said with a playful tilt of her head. "Even I could handle this alone. Sure, the Kingdom sent five thousand troops—but to me, they're nothing more than low-level trash."
Nicknamed the "Wolf Girl," Lupusregina had long been tasked with overseeing Carne Village and protecting its residents.
It was also she who had reported the Kingdom's troop movements to Momonga.
What she hadn't expected, however, was just how much importance both Ainz-sama and Ren-sama placed on such a small village—
To the point that Ren himself had personally come.
"No, no," Ren waved a hand casually. "I'm just here to watch the show. What's about to happen is one of those legendary scenes that makes everyone stop and stare."
He grinned, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Lupusregina… want to bet? Even if we do absolutely nothing, the people of Carne Village will defeat those five thousand troops on their own."
Lupusregina blinked.
She didn't believe it.
Having monitored the village daily, she knew exactly what they were capable of.
Aside from a few dozen goblins and a handful of ogres, the villagers were mostly ordinary people—elderly, weak, or untrained.
Even with recent training, there was no way they could stand against five thousand regular soldiers.
But—
Ren was one of the Supreme Beings.
And a Supreme Being couldn't possibly be wrong.
For once, Lupusregina didn't know how to respond.
Ren simply chuckled.
"Go on—watch closely."
"This is where General Enri takes the stage."
"That prince from the Kingdom picked the worst possible target… He just had to mess with Momonga's precious 'daughter.'"
Ren's grin widened, almost wicked.
"Five thousand goblins charging straight at your face—"
"Tell me… wouldn't that be terrifying?"