Fled Without Realizing I Had Prevented the Apocalypse

Once Arlea made up her mind, the rest of the procedures progressed rapidly.

From the start, the Special Forces’ recommendation letter is an authority created to skip all sorts of troublesome procedures and make the superhuman in front of you a member of the Special Forces.
Therefore, those who enter with a recommendation letter should be superhumans outstanding enough to be thought worthy of receiving one, and they must show skills that justify the added benefits.
And in Princess Arlea’s case, she’s a superhuman so outstanding that there’s no need to even mention such achievements.
“The recommendation letter will be processed normally.”
That was the first thing Karla said when she came as soon as the sun rose the next day.
She looked quite tired, probably having dealt with many things even after organizing the superhumans who had gathered in response to the summons.
Originally, she was chosen as a capable aide to handle Scarlet’s aftermath, so she was very good at handling such matters, but today seemed particularly hard compared to usual.
“Before that, Princess Arlea of Raziel. Are you sure you accept being recommended to the Special Forces?”
Karla asked Arlea with a cautious expression.
“Yes, I accept.”
Arlea nodded without a moment’s hesitation.
Watching this, Karla heaved a sigh of relief and continued speaking.
“As you know, for a recommendation letter, the person writing it needs a reason for writing it. In the princess’s case, you have the merit of dealing with a contractor who offered their soul to an Outer God.”
“…That’s right.”
Her parents who offered their souls to an Outer God. Her relatives, and the nobles who once pledged loyalty.
Arlea made a bitter expression, perhaps recalling their faces.
Although she dealt with them, it’s unavoidable that they remain in her memory, making her feel uneasy.
Still, apart from that, such a merit should be enough to give Karla a reason to write a recommendation letter.
“This isn’t enough.”
Until Karla said that, I thought so too.
“It’s not enough with that?”
I reflexively questioned Karla’s words.
That’s because Arlea’s merit seemed sufficient to receive a recommendation letter.
Although the criteria for recommendation letters are strict, being one of the key figures who stopped an Outer God descent plan is a sufficient condition to enter the Special Forces.
Looking at Arlea’s usual reputation, accumulated achievements, and rank alone, the conditions for entering the Special Forces were certain.
Yet if they say the merit is insufficient, the reason must be…
“Is it because of the view from above?”
“Yes, you understand exactly.”
At the level of the Empire’s Special Forces, it’s already enough power to become a political entity within the Empire.
No matter how much they’re positioned directly under the Imperial Household, an organization like the Special Forces that holds all authority within the Empire can’t casually decide its personnel.
Just one move, just recruiting personnel, can catch the nobles’ eyes.
The Special Forces are the Imperial Household’s sword and the guillotine that can behead them at any time.
From the nobles’ perspective, it would be stranger not to be wary.
In an already troublesome situation, if a superhuman like Arlea enters the Special Forces using a recommendation letter, it will definitely be picked at.
That must be why Karla mentioned merit.
“Although she stopped the Outer God descent plan, it’s already been reported to those above that the scepter that came down with the princess when she fell in the south was the problem. Moreover, they would have already figured out that the ghosts connected to that scepter were the royals of the Kingdom of Raziel.”
“They might be checked if we give a recommendation letter based only on merit, leaving out the princess’s mistake?”
As if confirming my guess, Karla nodded.

Although it wasn’t Arlea’s wish to do so, it’s a clear fact that she brought the scepter into the Empire.
Moreover, since she was also one of the royals of the Kingdom of Raziel, they might even pick at whether she was involved in this incident.

Karla’s thought is probably to avoid giving any conditions for picking at as much as possible.
But…
“Then shouldn’t we have created appropriate merit and processed it, instead of submitting the recommendation letter right away? There’s no suitable merit right now.”
Karla clearly told us earlier that the recommendation letter would be processed normally.
That means that although it hasn’t been processed yet, the recommendation letter will soon go up to those above.
If she was going to say this, she shouldn’t have submitted the recommendation letter in the first place.
“What? There’s no suitable merit?”
At my question, Karla tilted her head as if wondering what on earth I was saying.
“There is merit.”
“What?”
“Subjugation of a criminal.”
Subjugation of a criminal?
Did I miss something?
Arlea fell in the south, and I immediately came here after receiving Scarlet’s request.

If she had done something before that, neither Beatrice nor Scarlet would have been unaware.
Especially if it was a level of merit that could act as a reason to write a Special Forces recommendation letter, they couldn’t possibly not know.
‘But they didn’t say anything.’
That means it must have happened after stopping the Outer God descent plan…
No, does it make sense to use the word subjugation for a criminal in the first place?
It’s not like raiding some organization.
Wait a minute.
Criminal subjugation.
Something that will happen after the Outer God descent plan.
Could it be…?
“That criminal subjugation, could it be…”
As I turned my gaze towards Karla with a suspicious heart, Karla’s eyes met mine.
With her characteristic smile on her lips, she narrowed her eyes and said,
“Wanted Order No. 1. Empire Criminal Classification: Special Class. Former First Star of the Empire and Special Forces Commander. Kyle Amillan. By the authority of the Special Forces, I designate you as a subjugation target.”
Simultaneously, a long sword drawn from her waist.
The sword, pouring out with a chilling killing intent, is filled with magic power that seems about to cut me down at any moment.
As I dodge her swinging sword here and there, I barely managed to open my mouth.
“No, why suddenly like this! Don’t tell me it’s because I made you do the cleanup and even use a recommendation letter…!”
“You criminal bastard with a long tongue! Just die!”
“Oh shit.”
Karla, with her eyes rolling wildly, made me realize whose aide she truly was.
It wasn’t just a simple show, she seemed to have feelings about me making her do other jobs as side work.
Karla already does a lot of work as Scarlet’s aide, and it seems she really exploded this time.
Even when I was in the Special Forces, she would occasionally throw such hysterics, and at those times, I used to call the person who exploded like that an idiot.
The problem is that now I’ve become that idiot.

Probably this state will continue for quite a while, so staying here is the worst plan.
I dodged her sword strikes that seemed possessed, then filled my feet with magic power and ran away straight.
Originally, avoiding the place was the best strategy for this kind of situation.

“Phew… He escapes well.”
Princess Arlea looked at the Special Forces agent staring at the distant mountain with a sword in hand, and her master disappearing far away.
The scene of suddenly drawing a sword and attacking her master on the pretext of needing merit, after talking casually.
For a moment, the sight of the Special Forces agent’s eyes rolling wildly was enough to give Arlea goosebumps.
“Um…”
“Ah, you were surprised because this situation came out without prior agreement, right?”
Seeing Karla showing a bright smile again with the previous appearance completely gone, Arlea made a sour expression.
“You must have a lot you want to say, but let’s start with proper introductions first. We haven’t done proper introductions yet.”
“Yes, well… You probably know already, but I’m Arlea de Raziel.”
“I’m Karla. No surname, commoner origin. Currently, I’m the aide of the Empire’s Second Star, Scarlet Frausia, and hold the position of Lieutenant Colonel.”
Lieutenant Colonel Karla.
Arlea remembered her name that she had vaguely heard through Kyle’s mouth and slowly opened her mouth.
“That, the situation just now…”
“Ah, as I explained just now, we need merit to recommend you to the Special Forces. And he’s the most suitable person to create that merit.”
“You clearly said subjugation earlier…”
At Arlea’s question, Karla waved her arms.

“Oh my, it’s called subjugation but it’s actually closer to pursuit. It’s impossible for me to actually catch that person. That guy, I mean, that person is good at going along with this kind of thing. As he sometimes says… Was it WWE?”
“WWE?”
“He sometimes mutters things. Anyway, the report will also include content about pursuing him while stopping the Outer God descent plan. If it includes content about you playing an active role there, it should be sufficient merit.”
Although she couldn’t understand exactly what the muttered words meant, she could understand that such things happened quite frequently in the Empire.
“Anyway, now that’s settled, shall we move?”
“Move? Do you mean going to the capital?”

At Arlea’s question, Karla tilted her head.
“Oh, didn’t he explain to you? Just because the recommendation letter is processed doesn’t mean you automatically become Special Forces. You need to have a private audience with His Majesty the Emperor once…”
“A private audience with His Majesty the Emperor?”
“Yes, especially since His Majesty has deep feelings about that person, the private audience will probably go smoothly…”
The explanation after that wasn’t heard.
Arlea, who had been listening to Karla’s explanation, quietly summoned her longbow.
Whoosh.
At the same time, an arrow is nocked on the bowstring.
Not an arrow containing the power of an Outer God that she had shot before, but an arrow created simply with her magic power.
However, as if to show why she was called the Divine Archer, her magic power naturally caused the wind to rise.
“Uh, um…”
Arlea, having gathered magic power like that, aimed at one enemy leaving far away.
Twang-!
She released the drawn bowstring.
Boom!
The arrow flies with an explosion.
Even for a superhuman, getting hit by such an arrow would cause at least serious injury.
Of course, Kyle, who directly taught her, would be able to dodge that arrow, but the sight of her calmly returning the summoned longbow as if nothing had happened…
“Oh… This is a bit.”
Karla, watching that chilling gaze, put away the long sword in her hand far away.