Irene was the mom of our group.


    Her personality contrasted sharply with Grace, who was yful and took the lead in conversations, and Katie, who had boyish interests like swords and knights and fought aggressively as a knight herself.


    Quiet in nature, gentle in action, and overflowing with consideration. Like a true priestess, she devoted herself to supporting others from behind. A caring big sister who reliably supported party members in both daily life and battle. At best she was the ultimate support - at worst, her contributions often went unnoticed.


    Well, with one barrier cast from the rear, allies could wipe out enemies without taking damage.


    "The Demon Lord''s army approaches silently and viciously. As if mocking humanity''s inevitable defeat."


    "So I ask you all - do you desire a holy war? Do you wish to join in this most united and righteous crusade to halt evil''s advance?"


    But things were different now.


    The swirling pir of divine power resembled a spotlight on stage, and her golden hair billowing from her fallen nun''s hood made her look like a goddess incarnate.


    Some even bowed their heads slightly to Irene standing on the earthen tform Han Se-ah had hastily created. Though divine power differed from mana, it was still energy. In other words, 5★ level intangible force was swirling around, naturally overwhelming people bit by bit.No, the gathering crowd wasn''t being overwhelmed - they were being inspired.


    "Will you, by your personal faith and conviction, support the Goddess''s army, join the battle for justice, and dly take up arms until the day evil is driven from thisnd?"


    While mana could transform into various elements like iprehensible math forms to non-schrs and interfere with space like unstable dye, divine power bestowed by the Goddess had very basic properties.


    The divine power granted by the Life Goddess was pure life force itself.


    Whenever Graceined of shoulder pain from her chest, Irene would massage with holy-infused hands. She''d give healing massages loaded with divine power, saying "Mom''s hands are healing hands" - whether for hangovers, for me returning from tanking, or for Han Se-ah suffering mana exhaustion debuffs.


    "What''s going on?"


    "They say the Demon Army''s making their move."


    "Hmm. Those arrogant Imperial bastards, look where that got them."


    "North? Shit, that''s where Dolchen''s party went."


    But that alone wasn''t quite enough. Though divine power''s mild buff effect excited people like an energy drink making hearts race, one nun singing of holy war was far too little.


    A holy war meant total war by the temple and faithful, exterminating heretics without considering gains or losses. But the adventurers, mercenaries, and few Imperial traineemanders here were the type to carefully weigh every decision.


    Still, we''d definitely caught their attention. I wondered if we should put Han Se-ah up on that tform too, and whether Charlotte''s ogres would arrive by then--


    "Hahaha! I, I knew this would happen!"


    Just then, someone shouted loudly and nted a long gpole into the ground with a thud.


    "What are you doing, Olek?!"


    "The Demon Lord''s army creeping across the ins, a Goddess Faith nun singing of justice, the Goddess-chosen hero and the genius tragic knight who drew the holy sword!"


    It was Olek, ignoring both Alisa''s startled protests and questioning looks as he pulled out his family banner and the Ice Cross Knights'' g from his magic backpack.


    I''d thought he was just using expensive noble magical items since his pack somehow held tents, food and cooking gear despite being military sized, but I hadn''t expected him to pull out what looked like a 3-meter pole. The internal space must be bigger than expected, though not quite inventory level.


    Han Se-ah and I could only stare nkly, not grasping the situation. Han Se-ah was slow to react too, busy dealing with chat going crazy screaming "JA!JA!"


    ...More importantly, when did that bastard figure out I was "that" Rnd?


    "When bards sing of the first steps taken on these ins, they''ll praise how we followed without hesitation! In the name of the Empire''s Guardian Sibedev, as the hero party''spanion Ice Cross Knights!"


    "Yeah, that''s it Captain! Damn right, that''s it!"


    "Hey, Erik! You too?"!"


    Lost in such thoughts, I watched Olek raise the Sibedev family banner high and line up before Irene on the tform, while another man rushed out to take the knight order''s g.


    Erik - I remembered him getting along well with Katie. They often discussed romantic ideals like Imperial and Kingdom chivalry and military poetry. Chat used to tease him as "Kiddie MK.2" or "Imperial kid" due to his youthful appearance.


    And so the situation began flowing in aplex yet strange direction.


    The Demon Army beginning to move in earnest, the normally quiet Irene''s angry speech, the swirling divine1 power apanying it, the hero and holy sword''s owner silently supporting her (actually just spacing out), and a knight order dering participation without hesitation when all others wavered.


    One voice wasn''t enough


    Even five voices were uncertain


    ...But what if it became twenty, then thirty?


    "Oh, a quest popped up. The Demon Army is... character quest?!"


    They say three people together can create a tiger from nothing - what about nearly fifty?


    ※


    "So, what''s this situation?"


    "What else? A historic moment of holy war being dered."


    "Um, Rnd. I don''t think you''re good at jokes."


    "Jokes?"


    "...Is this really a holy war?"


    Charlotte, who had insisted oning to floor 60 with her mages to witness the rare spectacle of named monster berserk ogres fighting the Demon Army, emerged from the gate to find what could only be called utter chaos.


    "Tents! Tear up the tents to draw on!"


    "If we don''t have dye, use blood! We have priests here!"


    "Damn, House Ester can''t fall behind in this...!"


    The first thing visible was knights in splendid armor squatting or kneeling in the dirt, tearing apart tents.


    If no one had responded to Irene''s speech it would be different, but the second son of Margrave Sibedev had thrown his entire knight order''s support behind the hero party. Moreover, the Imperial traineemanders who''d climbed to the ins were all desperate for achievements.


    What greater merit could there be than participating in a holy war alongside the hero party?


    "Seeking adventurer parties skilled in groupbat!"


    "House Sapia will not forget your service!"


    So when Olek''s sudden organization caught the traineemanders off guard, they started throwing gold at the watching mercenaries and adventurers.


    They''d all hired simr numbers of mercenaries for testing purposes. And those peers with simr forces had been surrounded and wiped out by the Demon Army. Forgetting their original purpose of maintaining troop quality and learning strategy, their minds were filled only with thoughts of spreading their family''s fame.


    That''s the scene Charlotte witnessed - people hastily making family banners, others trying to increase their forces, and adventurers and mercenaries seeking to raise their reputation all mixed together like a chaotic marketce.


    But more important was Irene finally triggering a character quest.


    "What should we do now? Send someone to the temple for additional support?"


    "Probably should? We need to ask some people to... ah, shut up already! Yes I got a quest window, but Irene triggered it herself!"


    -JA!JA! Hail MAMA! Hail MAMA! JA!JA! Hail MAMA! Hail MAMA!


    -DoyouwanttotalwarDoyouwanttotalwarDoyouwanttotalwarDoyouwanttotalwarDoyouwanttotalwar


    -Hey you C2 bastards, Mom just triggered a character quest and that''s what you care about?


    -The quest is asking if we want holy war let''s go


    -Mama demands it! Holy war forever! Holy war forever!


    The cyber ghosts who went crazy at interesting events were no calmer than achievement-blinded traineemanders. All sorts of ASCII art and waving g icons instantly flooded chat.@@novelbin@@


    Even though Han Se-ah''s Earth-4 had VR games, its overall history hadn''t changed - no direct Hakenkreuz[1] appeared, but the intent was clear from the red gs flooding chat.


    So in-game there was 5★ ''Saint Candidate'' Irene steeling herself again amid the chaotic marketce, while outside were millions of raving cyber ghosts - a situation that perfectly embodied the word "pandemonium."


    ...Ah, now inte news articles are copying posts from the forum.


    [.1 raei: Hakenkreuz: "The Hakenkreuz is the German word for "hooked cross" or "twisted cross" and is the most well-known symbol of the Nazi party" - google]