The brown-haired Holy Knight from the Light Sanctuary, seeing Albel and the other two appear out of nowhere, was slightly surprised but not overly shaken. After all, teleportation magic was fairly common—he’d used it himself before.
"I am the captain of the Light Sanctuary’s Enforcement Squad. By order of the Holy Maiden Contract violation, I hereby arrest Alicia."
"Contract?"
Albel frowned at the ill-intentioned intruder. "What contract?"
"Correct. When Alicia became the Holy Maiden, she signed a binding contract with the Light Sanctuary. Since she failed to fulfill her duties, she must return."
The brown-haired knight sneered at Albel. *Who is this guy? Alicia’s kept boy?*
"Moreover," he continued, "Alicia led the seventeenth Demon King expedition to total annihilation. She must answer for that failure."
"T-then I’ll just go back and be the Holy Maiden again," Alicia murmured, peeking out from behind Albel’s shoulder. To her, they were merely here to reinstate her. *No real danger now. Being Holy Maiden again might not be so bad...* she thought naively.
"The first Holy Maiden, Isharis, has returned to the Light Sanctuary. We no longer require your services. But your term isn’t over—you must return to face judgment. I heard the priestess in charge of ‘Sacrificial Duties’ at headquarters just resigned. Your former status should suit you perfectly."
The knight leered, eyes raking over Alicia’s figure.
"What’s a ‘Sacrificial Priestess’?" Alicia blinked. She’d never heard of such a position.
"A woman provided to Holy Knights with outstanding battle merits... for *release*."
His gaze drilled into her chest, as if stripping her clothes away. Alicia shrank back behind Albel, shuddering.
"So, a sex slave," Albel shrugged casually.
"You grasp it well," the knight nodded approvingly. *This one’s got potential.*
"Waaah! I won’t go back!" Alicia yelped. *Are these people insane? Why do they keep treating me like a sex slave?* She touched her cheek. *Do I have ‘sex slave’ written on my face? I’m just pretty, cute, and well-endowed—is that a crime?*
"You have no choice. During your contract term, you belong to the Light Sanctuary. This is also punishment for your defeat."
Seeing Alicia hide behind Albel, the knight stepped forward to grab her.
"Hold on. One question." Albel blocked him.
"What?" The knight narrowed his eyes. *This weakling—what could he possibly ask?*
"Previous Holy Maidens also failed. Why weren’t *they* dragged back as ‘Sacrificial Priestesses’?"
"Idiot! They were captured by the Demon King! We couldn’t retrieve them. They served the Sanctuary faithfully—unlike Alicia, who’s been living it up after her defeat!"
*He seemed sharp earlier. What a fool.*
"Or maybe you’re just too scared of the Demon King to try," Albel said flatly. "All that ‘duty’ talk? Empty. You’re just weak. For ten years, the Light Sanctuary’s been a joke—to demons *and* to me."
"Yeah! You only bully me!" Alicia clutched Albel’s sleeve, nodding fiercely, forgetting he was the one who bullied her most.
"Are you asking for death?" The knight drew his sword, pressing it to Albel’s throat. "The Enforcement Squad can’t harm innocents—but I’ll find a charge for you easily."
Other knights surrounded them, blades glinting. The room filled with the clash of steel and shouts. Floorboards groaned under stomping boots.
*Thump-thump-thump!*
Downstairs, a couple looked up.
"Damn, that guy’s got stamina," the man muttered.
"Honey, if only *you* were like that," his girlfriend sighed.
Two seconds later, Verdandi reappeared with Alicia. Albel stood untouched amid groaning knights sprawled across the floor.
"What *are* you?!" the brown-haired knight shrieked, pointing a trembling finger.
"Me? Alicia’s husband." Albel tapped his chest. *Isn’t it obvious?*
"I meant your *identity*!" The knight nearly choked on his rage.
"Ah. That." Albel’s status flickered before the knight’s eyes.
"D-Demon King Albel...?!" Recognition flooded the knight’s face. He knew the legends. *I’ve kicked a mountain of iron.*
"So," Albel cracked his knuckles, "anyone who touches my wife gets their skull smashed."
"Brother, shall I kill him?" Verdandi appeared beside Albel. A foul stench filled the air—the knight had wet himself.
*Demon King Albel... His sister who teleported twice in seconds...* The knight’s thoughts spiraled. *They weren’t bluffing. Only I was.* He slumped to the floor, broken.
"Not yet. Answer one question truthfully, and I’ll spare you." Albel waved Verdandi off. *A live captive’s worth more than a corpse.*
"Anything! I’ll tell you everything!" The knight nodded frantically, dignity forgotten.
"What contract did Alicia sign?"
"The Holy Maiden Contract. All Maidens pledge to lead humanity against the Demon King. In return, the Light Sanctuary obeys their commands."
"Just a contract? Tear it up." Albel relaxed. *Previous Maidens were captured—their contracts voided automatically.*
"Well... Alicia’s was different. An upgraded version." The knight hesitated. "To prevent demons from... *claiming* Holy Maidens, the goddess Freyja’s Divine Oracle enforces a clause: during the contract term, without Sanctuary permission, no one can... claim her body."
"What the hell?!" Albel froze. *How do I have marital bliss? How do we have kids?*
"You signed *that*?!" He whirled around. Alicia was tiptoeing toward the door, hugging her Fire Drake. She froze mid-step.
"Uh... lovely weather today," she chirped, avoiding his gaze.
"Where’s the contract?" Albel turned back, fists clenched. *Time to crush that chastity belt.*
"At Light Sanctuary headquarters in the Imperial Capital."
"Verdandi, teleport us there."
"Got it. Wait—what?!" Verdandi grabbed their hands, then paled. "I... I can’t teleport anymore."
What medium?
