Chapter 31: Ex-Knights

Part 02-II

Adonis: Eternal Bliss

Part 1

This winter was extremely cold and unsettling.

Wildlife huddled inside their dens as the white snow covered the earth and frozen winds danced in the air, and silenced enveloped the world. But life had no choice but to figure out new means of survival, unable to hibernate, because the black snake from the North had thrown the world into chaos.

They had to turn around and gather their own forces, find a powerful leader to serve, or run away to somewhere so far away that the monsters could not find them. They watched the silver eagle, the black snake’s rival, spread his wings and felt the great flow of history as they each rode out to sea on the boats they had chosen. A dangerous era was closing in on them like a tsunami, and they would not leave even a trace of themselves behind if they drowned.

This winter was frozen in anxiety and uproarious with confusion.

Various flags from a multitude of different forces flew together in one jumbled mess in between the crevasse left between the two largest powers.

One of those many flags had begun fluttering seriously in the wind.

It had been planted in the heart of the East.

Semastair.

It had originally been an ordinary frontier village, but it had started maturing several years prior, and, as of six years ago, it was now a large city that had swallowed up not only all of the villages around it but also entire kingdoms.

The peerage associated with the land had been bought with money a few years back, when the Kingdom of Woodruff, wherein the Semastair lands were situated,  had been in chaos due to the war waged by the Bahamut Empire and a civil war that had encompassed her royal family. The Semastair lands had been considered a humble territory at best back then, and the royal who had owned it had sold it and the title of viscount to an unidentified man for a large sum of money.

The man had been wearing a showy mask to hide his face, a wide-brimmed hat to hide the mask, and a mantle to hide his figure, but the royal who had sold him the territory couldn’t have cared any less. All the royal had cared about was the money.

Who could have known that the Semastair lands, which had been sold all too readily, had been hiding an incredibly rich vein of mana stones? Or that the man who had bought it was a young man who toyed with the entire political world as he pleased?

The man who had become the Viscount of Semastair quickly expanded his territory and accomplished many feats while participating in the conflict against Bahamut. He used his invisible hand to puppeteer the civil war and was elevated to a count after placing the prince on the throne.

Semastair had become the heart of Woodruff in just a few years, and her liege lord had become a big shot whom no one could dare lay a hand against.

But no one knew who he was, what he looked like, or how old he was —not even the king of Woodruff. He always kept his appearance concealed and hardly ever left his lands. He had grown too dangerous to investigate, so all that the powerful figures of the East could do was be openly wary on him in public, where he was not generally active, and they never tried to dig into him.

It had only been about a year ago when the people in power started to grow mad in their curiosity about this man.

Early last year, the real people in power, who actually knew how to read the world’s state of affairs, had felt a slight but ominous change in the East. It was difficult to pinpoint exactly what the omen they were sensing was, but if they had to put it to words, they would have said that something was ‘quickening.’ A colossal monster was developing in the womb of the East, and the people in power grew nervous when they felt like it was about to be born and tripped over themselves as they tried to find the monster’s heart.

And then the monster Gates had opened later that spring.

The continent had been overturned, and the Kingdom of Woodruff had fallen so badly that it was barely able to continue functioning as a country. The feeble king gave up on the kingdom, and the greater nobles declared their independence. The liege lord of Semastair had been one of them.

He had abandoned his title as a count and had simply become the lord of a city, and it wasn’t long before he gathered everything in his possession that he had kept in hiding until now around Semastair, the heart.

Many of the greatest cities in the East, which he managed from the shadows through his devoted retainers, publicly began pledging their allegiances to him. The cities were already tightly connected by the distribution routes laid down by every major company in the East, of which he was the majority shareholder. And his powerful army, which had been training in the mysterious lands inside the Great Forest of Shaob, returned to protect the cities.

It was like the birth of a giant.

Sturdy bones were shaped, powerful muscles were attached, thick nerves and blood vessels were connected, and a tough layer of skin was overlaid on top —and it had all happened so quickly that the other forces in the East did not even have the time to grow hostile. All they could do was stare in mute amazement.

Semastair was a monster.

Just who on earth was her liege lord?

Who was he that he had been able to plan for all of this?

And why was he still acting only through his close aides instead of stepping out into the public eye?

Monsters were running rampant in the shadowed spring, and countless powers rose and fell. The liege lords of Semastair and his territories were temporarily being called the Semastair Union because he hadn’t announced the founding of a new kingdom yet, and Semastair was only growing stronger as she continued to swallow up other fallen powers one after another.

Those powers that had survived the Gates grew wary about how large Semastair had grown, and the mysterious liege lord of Semastair grew incredibly active, as if he had never been hiding in the shadows to begin with, after Bahamut had declared war that summer. He had spent all autumn driving back powerful monsters and stabilizing his lands with his dazzling military might, and it needn’t even be said that the other powers in the East were envious of his achievements.

The nameless giant who had been slumbering in the East.

The people of the East were waiting eagerly for his awakening.

Boom……. Boom…….

Semastair, the giant’s heart, was flushed red with heat as it continued developing day and night. The city was so overflowing with vitality that it put the winter to shame, and it was like an ever-growing bulb.

The castle located in the bulb’s core eventually became as the fuse that lit the wick of Semastair’s growth.

The liege lord of Semastair, a personification of the night sky, was standing hand in hand with a fiery knight in front of a certain door in the deepest depths of the castle.

“These are your chambers.”

The knight walked inside the door the liege lord had opened for her. He continued,

“Welcome, Ianna.”

Ianna placed the bag she had been carrying down on the table as she took in the view around her. The room’s luxurious interior was decorated to be incredibly neat and tidy and yet not humble.

‘This is my room.’

She had always lived while being adrift like a dandelion seed, unable to lay her roots down anywhere. The mountain at the back of the Roberstein lands had been her place of refuge, but it had never been her home, and the Institution dormitories had only been a temporary place of residence.

But this place was the land, home, and room in which Ianna would live for the rest of her days. This was her new starting point. Her flame-like lashes blinked over the possessive desire glimmering in her eyes.

“I decorated it myself —do you like it?”

“I like it very much.”

She had taken to it at first sight. Arhad knew her tastes so well. Arhad, who had been touching at his mouth behind her, smiled like the crescent moon. He seemed impressed with himself as he snuck glances at Ianna while she slowly toured her chambers.

Ianna exited her chambers and took Arhad’s hand again as they strolled down the corridor. The castle’s interior had been finished, and everything was tidy and without any unnecessary superfluidity —which was precisely to its master’s preferences.

“Don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything you don’t like. I’ll redo everything for you in accordance to your wishes.”

His whispers in the smug corridor washed over her like warm bathwater. Arhad was the master of this castle, and that one reason alone was enough for Ianna to already consider it home.

‘This is my castle.’

She breathed alongside the castle with every step she took, and she eventually arrived at one of the smaller halls inside the castle.

Those gathered inside where important personnel from Semastair who had been loyal to Arhad for a long time and whom Ianna would bicker with and live alongside for the rest of her life.

‘My people.’

Arhad’s retainers bowed deeply before Ianna and Arhad as they stood by the long red carpet stretched out in front them. Ianna looked back at them one by one, and she knelt before Arhad when he walked up to the stage and turned around.

“Swordswoman Ianna,”

Arhad called her name quietly. Ianna looked up and into the light in his golden eyes.

He was standing before her not as the Institution student who was hiding his skills, the leader of an underground organization, or even as the mysterious liege lord who had concealed his powers, but simply as himself. He had shed his cocoon now, and he was both unfamiliar and captivating as he emerged.

And it wasn’t only Ianna who felt this way. The retainers’ eyes trembled ever so slightly as they stole glances at Arhad. They had served their liege for years, but it was only recently that they were able to get rare glances at him while he wasn’t in disguise.

He was much younger and more beautiful than they had ever imagined. They had always known that he carried a powerful might within, but they could not help but surge with excitement, from the bottom of their hearts, about the future that they would share together now that he was putting his might on full display.

The sword that had been waiting at their liege’s waist was now resting above Ianna’s shoulder.

“Ianna. I, Arhad, take thee as my knight.”

Arhad stripped away all the trivial formalities and stated only his name. It was almost as if he meant to bind Ianna directly to his side. And Ianna was fully prepared to be as his sword.

“I hear and obey.”

Arhad’s eyes lingered on Ianna’s crimson hair, flowing down like lava, before Ianna looked up and they locked eyes again. Her liege’s sword rested upon her shoulder.

“From this moment forth, you are mine and a citizen of my lands. I grant you the surname, Rise.”

“I, Ianna Rise, your knight, shall slay your enemies and protect what is yours as your faithful sword until the day that the flames of my life are extinguished.”

Her oath was calm, without a hint of excitement, and carried her steadfast sincerity within. The heat coming from the flames of her heart travelled through the blade and reached the glowing golden moons that wavered like reflections upon a lake’s surface.

‘My king.’

Ianna took the hand that Arhad had extended to her and kissed the back of his hand with everything in her heart.

Arhad bit down hard on his tongue so that no one could see the intense satisfaction that had crawled all the way up to his chin. He pulled Ianna up to her feet with his trembling hand as he said to his retainers,

“Today was only a simplified ceremony, as I’d already told you beforehand, and Dame Ianna Rise will be formally knighted on the day our kingdom is established.”

A ‘knight’ would be more ideologically abstract in their new kingdom, and thus, a ‘knighting ceremony’ would also take on more cultural significance.

Today’s knighting ceremony was only temporary so that Arhad could introduce Ianna to his retainers and confer her authority, and her official knighting ceremony was planned to take place on the day that their kingdom was formally established.

This was because the first knighting ceremony conducted by the ruler of a kingdom held significant meaning. Though, there was also Arhad’s personal desire to announce Ianna as his knight and his alone in a completely public setting.

“Dame Ianna Rise will be a knight directly under my personal command, she will share with me everything that I own, and her authority will be equal to mine. She will also be carrying out special missions to support me.”

“We hear and obey.”

The Semastair retainers bowed from their waists as one. Their eyes were filled with a positive curiosity as they snuck glances at Ianna. Ianna’s renown had reached even Semastair. Which was nothing to say of the fact that she had single-handedly eliminated Wiffheimer, the Archmage of Terror —an overwhelming feat. They were expectant as they wondered —what sorts of legends the incredible swordswoman would build alongside them?

Ianna and Arhad made their way over to the dense forest, and the small mountain it led up to, behind the castle once the ceremony was concluded. Ianna opened her eyes wide and walked forward once they had climbed halfway up the mountain.

“These are your training grounds.”

Ianna’s training grounds was a large, levelled field halfway up the mountain. Clear and cool winds breezed in from the trees surrounding the training grounds, and a refreshing brook was flowing nearby —it was truly the ideal. Arhad continued,

“This entire mountain is yours.”

Arhad had given Ianna an entire mountain so she could focus on her training. All sorts of training equipment had been installed throughout the mountain so she could train to her heart’s content. Ianna circled around the training grounds, and her face was flush with excitement as she came back to Arhad and grabbed his hands.

“I truly like this.”

“I worked hard just to prepare for this moment. Come over here.”

They walked a short distance from the training grounds and arrived at a cliff from which they could see the whole of Semastair in a refreshing view. The winter sky was a chilly grey and the cold white snow was falling silently to the earth, but the view was still warm and dynamic because of the stacks of smoke coming up from here and there and because of the hammering that was echoing in the distance. Arhad continued,

“I’ve been working hard, but there’s still so much left to do.”

Semastair was not complete as a city quite yet, just as Arhad had suggested. It was still crude and unsophisticated in comparison to Theodore, the capital of Roanne.

But even this humble view was ever so endearing to Ianna. She liked it so much more than the glamor of Theodore. She would always love the view of the city from here just as much as she loved seeing it today.

“I’ll have to work even harder now that you’re here. I’ll work so hard that I even forego sleep.”

“I’ll also do my best.”

“So, about that…”

Arhad put his hand inside his pocket. Something crinkled before he produced a familiar piece of paper. It was Ianna’s life plans, which included her marriage-proposal-but-not-really. Ianna tried to take it away from him as she suddenly felt her face grow hot, but Arhad raised his hand high up in the air and said,

“What are you doing? This is mine —why are you trying to take it from me?”

“What are you doing? Those are my plans. Please give it here.”

“You already gave it to me first. This is my third most precious treasure now.”

“Your third? Then, what are the first and second?”

“The first is the necklace you gave me. And the second is our rings. I’m going to make them national treasures someday.”

Goodness. Ianna forced a laugh and put her hands down, but Arhad still put the sheet back inside his pocket lest she tried to take it again. He continued,

“Anyway, about our wedding…”

Ianna looked to Arhad. They hadn’t discussed it at all after Ianna had proposed to him like she had dropped a bomb at him and he had been so happy that he hadn’t been able to anything else besides nodding back.

“If I could have things my way, I’d marry you right here and now and officially……become a couple with you.”

A couple, Arhad repeated to himself as his cheeks flushed red. I see. We’ll be a couple once we’re wed. Ianna lowered her eyes because the term, which she had never thought would ever apply to her in life, was so unfamiliar to her, and Arhad hesitantly continued,

“But I’m thinking of holding our wedding alongside your knighting ceremony and our kingdom’s founding ceremony. Is that all right with you?”

“Why is that?”

“I haven’t finished preparing my wedding gift to you just yet.”

“Your wedding gift? A ring?”

“We already have rings.”

The rings on Ianna’s and Arhad’s ring fingers had been improved so much that they were now priceless accessories that couldn’t be bought for even a thousand gold. Aesthetically, ability-wise, or meaning-wise —it would be difficult to find any ring that was possible worth more.

But then, what else could it be? Ianna stared quietly back at Arhad, and Arhad firmly took her hardened hands and brought them up.

“Ianna Rise.”

A trembling voice uttered Ianna’s new name.

His voice reached Ianna with the clear and cool winds. Ianna’s heart raced, as if she had been pieced with a sword, as she looked up at Arhad.

She had seen him so many times on their way here, but there was still something unfamiliar about him as he stood with his back to the winds. The flush of his face indicated that he liked her so much he didn’t know what to do with himself. Arhad was bare and had nothing left to hide.

It was peculiar. All he had done was to say her name, and yet the world suddenly began to sparkle dazzlingly.

“I want to give you my everything. So…….”

My country, the culmination of everything I’ll have gathered and completed in my life.

My true surname —one that’s neither Roygen, Bahamut, Callisto, nor Semastair.

“Please marry me when I can finally attach my true surname behind yours.”

He was squeezing her hands so hard that it hurt, and his every quiver was conveyed directly to her.

Ianna looked up at Arhad for a moment before she walked up to him and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

“Very well.”

A heated breath fell upon her nape as soon as she answered. Ianna looked out at the view beyond his shoulder as she felt his thick arms pull her in roughly.

She didn’t think she would ever forget this moment until the day she died. Everything about this moment called itself affection as it coiled around her soul.

This place.

The light in her eyes waned.

My country.

Ianna placed her hands against Arhad’s chest and gently pushed away. His eyes, wavering with his deep affections for her, could not tear away from her face.

Ianna reached up and caressed his cheeks. His flesh, as pale as the snow, melted at her touch and took in a gentle glow. Ianna suddenly thought that the change was ever so beautiful.

His chilly lips burrowed into her palm. His gaze, filled to the brim with love, was like a tall wave that she could not evade. Arhad pulled Ianna in by the hand and roughly swallowed up her lips.

……My love.

Ianna deeply took in Arhad’s breath.

My everything…….

~~*~~

The next day.

Ruff! Ruff! Ruff!

Ianna woke up slowly as she heard the alarm, which she had set on her ring, sound.

“…….”

Normally, she would have opened her eyes immediately and jumped out of bed, but today she dawdled and stayed wrapped inside her comfortable covers.

Yesterday, from the moment she had first opened her eyes to the moment she had laid down in her bed, had felt like a dream even though she knew it was all real, and her mood had been in the clouds.

She knew that it hadn’t been a dream because she had woken up in the same bed that she had fallen asleep in last night, but she was still somewhat dazed. But everything was real, which meant she had to begin working.

Her eyes were still glazed as she blinked —she still felt like she was dreaming—, and she slowly got up, washed herself in her private bathroom, and changed her clothes. She could see the door to Arhad’s chambers as soon as she opened her own door and walked outside.

Ianna knocked on his door.

It opened immediately.

And there was Arhad. The light streaming in from his window reached his back and cast shadows over his face. He was ready to go out, but he still looked somewhat rough for some reason, perhaps because of the shadows.

“Did you sleep well?”

“……Yeah. How about you?”

“I slept very well. The bedding is wonderful.”

“I’m glad you like it. I had it custom-made with only the best materials.”

“No wonder. I feel like it might last for the rest of my life,”

Ianna said before she abruptly grabbed Arhad by the wrist. Arhad’s gaze plummeted down to his wrist, but Ianna had already turned around by then and did not notice. She continued,

“Let’s go. Don’t we have a lot of work to do today?”

Arhad made a face that seemed somewhat perplexed, somewhat displeased, and extremely tormented for a moment as Ianna, who was being as diligent as she always was, dragged him away. But he ultimately couldn’t decide what it was, so he simply concealed whatever it was that he was feeling and began moving about as usual just like Ianna was doing.

~~*~~

Part 2

Ianna Rise.

This was Ianna’s new name.

The name that Arhad had christened her sword had become her new surname, the name of her new house.

She did not have a peerage.

Everyone beneath the liege lord was equal in Arhad’s vast lands. Nobles and commoners, elves, dwarves, and beastmen —they were all ‘Arhad’s people’ who would live in ‘Arhad’s lands’ regardless of who they were or what they did.

They planned to use this as the foundation to introduce a new system of ‘offices’ based on personal ability rather than a system of ‘peerage’ dictated by blood. Ranks would be established purely by one’s office. This system would be like a food chain where one could climb higher up the ladder so long as they had the desire, effort, and talent to do so, and the system would be flexible.

Arhad had begun applying this system to his villages little by little ever since he had decided to establish a new country altogether.

Had anyone rebelled against it?

No. They could not even if they wanted to.

Arhad was holding his sovereignty over his territories tightly in his hands. The leaders governing each village were only nobles for show, and they were actually all loyal to Arhad’s commands.

Those who had been Arhad’s faithful subordinate since the very beginning, good people whom Arhad had coaxed over to his side, and those with talent who had risen to their current stations because Arhad had supported them —they were all fiercely loyal to him. They had laid down guidelines that keep the villages running smoothly, and the people rallied their support for their leaders and for Arhad, who stood above them.

Moreover, Arhad, the liege lord of Semastair, was a giant who had cleaved through the turbulent storms of this turbulent age and possessed military might, wealth, and power, and the people regarded him with awe and exalted his name.

Arhad’s forces were like a colossal household in which Arhad wielded absolute power as the head of the house. In other words, Arhad was the law, and if he said that there would be no more peerages, then there would be no more peerages.

That being said, there was still only one of him even if he wielded absolute power, and it was impossible for the head of the house to do everything on his own. He must not do everything alone even if he could, because then the entire house would fall if something happened to the head.

The head of the house’s sovereignty was largely divided into three branches —the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The three branches would keep each other in check, and they would deal with most of the work and keep the colossal household running.

The head’s role was to represent the house and focus on the big picture while watching over his people as they painted they own, smaller pictures. And if something big happened, he would take back the reins of power and lead everyone from the vanguard.

This was the system that would govern their new country.

And so, Arhad had already decided on the general shape and direction. But there were still many details that needed to be ironed out, and they also had to increase their military might at the same time. After all, they only had a future if they succeeded in felling Bahamut, their greatest enemy.

“These are the first training grounds.”

Arhad took Ianna to visit the greatest of the many training grounds in Semastair the next day. Even core members of the army came here periodically to train.

Ianna followed behind Arhad as they toured the fortress-shaped training grounds. People were training so hard that hot steam was coming out from their nostrils despite the cold air and snow both inside and outside the fortress. Even the heavy snowfall could not cool the heat from the friction created by their shoes.

Ianna noticed something special.

“There are several women here too.”

“Biological sex isn’t a deterrent to one’s desire to grow stronger. The only thing that was stopping them before was prejudice.”

People had always been able to do what they wanted, regardless of their sex, among Arhad’s forces. Both men and women were required to undergo basic training in preparation for war, and one’s sex did not matter when it came to volunteering to join the army.

“You are right.”

Arhad was overjoyed and felt rewarded for his efforts as Ianna evaluated them highly.

They stopped walking once they had reached an open field in the middle of the training grounds. There were thirty men lined up evenly with a middle-aged man with an exceptional air about him waiting for Ianna and Arhad in the field.

“This is Kyle Nocturn, the army’s current commander-in-chief.”

“Kyle Nocturn, at your service. It is an honor to be working with someone with such high renown such as yourself, Dame Rise.”

Kyle placed a fist at the left side of his chest as he saluted them. His hefty frame was tightly packed with muscles, and he had countless scars crisscrossing his skin.

Kyle Nocturn…….

Ianna knew this man. He had been the vanguard of the Bahamut army under Arhad’s command in the past, and he had been one of the top ten strongest people on the continent —someone who could easily crush the Roanne army in his palms if neither Ianna nor Schneider were present.

‘So he was on Arhad’s side from the very beginning.’

Ianna didn’t let her thoughts show as she, too, placed her hand over the left side of her chest to return the greeting.

“I am Ianna Rise. I look forward to working with you.”

She surveyed the other people who were lined up once she had finished greeting Kyle. Several pairs of eyes, each bubbling with curiosity and competitive spirit, prodded at Ianna at once.

“They’re all knights who’ve been touring the four corners and living alongside high-class monsters for a while now, and they’ll be assigned to spearhead different units on the frontlines to help us control the flow of warfare. They also have prior experience fighting against Bahamut.”

Arhad briefly introduced his subordinates to Ianna before he began explaining why he had brought her over here. He continued,

“Dame Ianna Rise, who was made a knight under my direct command effective as of today, will be stationed at the first training grounds and will conduct training here. Dame Rise’s training regimen is both dreadfully rigorous and high-level, so it will prove extremely helpful for you to come and train on her schedule whenever you have the time.”

There were two things that Ianna would begin focusing on as of today.

First, was to improve their military might. Ianna was charged with not only increasing her own strength but also that of others until the war was over.

She would use her personal training grounds when she needed some time alone, and she would spend most of her time training publicly in the first training grounds. Ianna’s extremely intense training regimen would surely prove beneficial to all the other high-class knights around her.

“Dame Rise will also regularly give you pointers on your swordsmanship.”

War was fundamentally a battle of numbers, but other elements such as geography, strategy, weaponry, and individual prowess also helped decide the outcome. Experts who specialized in the first three elements were already training the army to be as effective as possible, so there was nothing more to be done on those fronts. But special training was imperative to improve individual prowess, because those seeking to grow stronger needed to either put in their blood, sweat, and tears or receive training from someone of skill who had already reached higher heights.

This was not something that could be achieved half-heartedly, and it was these such special wasps who would lead the flow of battle from the midst of the swarm of ants. Such individuals were precious human resources who silently fought in single combat against skilled individuals from the enemy army, and their allies would suffer tremendous losses if they had fewer of them than the enemy did or if they were defeated, so it was imperative that they diligently increased their numbers and bettered their quality.

Accordingly, Ianna and Arhad were best suited to advise them, but Arhad was so busy that there could be ten of him and he still wouldn’t have enough manpower, so Ianna, who now needed to dedicate all of her time to training, had decided to shoulder the role.

She had decided to start off with thirty swordsmen among the higher-ranking knights because this was her first time doing something like this, and she planned on increasing the number of people she trained and also call over people who used different weapons as time progressed. Ianna was well-versed enough that she could pinpoint what any warrior needed to work on improving after observing them a few times no matter what weapon they wielded.

This method would then yield double results because the higher-ranking knights whom Ianna trained would later go back and train the lower-ranking knights under their command.

“This is a precious opportunity for you to reach the next level, so be sure not to let it slip from your grasp.”

“Yessir!”

They had already accepted this order in advance, so the knights had no complaints about it. They were simply curious about the young knight who was rife with rumors and how she would pull up their skills to the next level.

Kyle clapped his hands and drew everyone’s attention.

“We will begin Dame Rise’s hazing-cum-training immediately.”

Ianna straightened herself out comfortably and walked past the knights and into the center of the field, and the knights broke their lines to chase after her with their eyes. She drew a small circle on the ground around her.

“I will reward a 100 gold to anyone who can make me step outside this circle. That reward will be increased to 10,000 gold if you manage to hurt me, and 1,000,000 gold if you somehow manage to force me to drop my sword.”

“Oho…….,”

Someone expressed their quiet wonder as the air suddenly grew heavy.

The small footsteps that began scuttling atop the ground were like those of vicious, savage beasts centering on their prey. The sounds of friction scraping across the ground came together and unleashed tension in the air.

Everyone gulped. But it wasn’t because they were drawn to the outrageous reward. It was because Ianna’s arrogant words had stirred the very foundations of their pride.

Everyone who dedicated their lives to the martial arts was at least a little insane. Higher, and higher, and higher. The competitive desire to take down someone stronger! And everyone gathered here today were especially crazy. They would not have been able to eliminate their countless competitors just to stand here had they been in their right minds. They were flush with a pleasant excitement now that someone so powerful had presented herself right before them and had set such an astronomical sum on her pride.

The knights observed Ianna quietly, as if they meant to dissent her with their eyes. They were like butchers who were carefully analyzing where to make just the right cut.

“I would like to witness your greatest attacks. Please come at me.”

“Move!”

someone shouted no sooner than the words had left Ianna’s mouth.

“Move, move —get outa my way!”

Someone pushed aside the knights who were carefully observing Ianna and rushed toward her like lightning before taking to the skies like a hawk.

Her golden ponytail fluttered in the wind as she stubbornly brought down her sword upon Ianna. Ianna confirmed the woman’s face before she accepted her as the first challenger and drew her sword horizontally. Yellow-white electric shocks erupted blindingly right before Ianna’s eyes as their blades collided.

Crackle crackle!

The electric current was so vicious that any normal person would have immediately dropped dead from the shock. Ianna’s hands, shoulders, arms, legs, and the tips of her hair all tingled even though she had created herself a protective wall with her fortification. The electricity floundered like a fish out of water, making the challenger’s face darken several dozens of times right in front of Ianna in just the span of a blink.

A magical fortification —a combination of magic and fortification. It was a technique that was difficult to use even with incredible focus.

Ianna shaped her fortification like pointed thorns as she wielded it. The electricity was shredded to pieces and scattered away like hundreds of squiggling worms as she ripped apart the arrangement of mana making up the magical fortification.

The attack was decent in that it created a wide area-of-effect attack if it was forcibly burst open.

“I, Benita Falcon, will happily be Dame Rise’s first opponent since these turtles are too slow!”

she shouted dynamically as she flew away with a thump.

Ianna could see the other knights stomping over the yet undispersed electricity with their boots as they charged at her. There was a chilling light in their eyes, like they were tigers hunting their prey in the dead of night.

Someone with a massive frame came running from behind, scattering the lingering electricity away, and brandished a giant claymore at Ianna’s flank. Ianna grabbed her sword’s hilt and the tip of her blade as she pushed it against the oncoming assault.

Craaash!

She felt enough strength to topple a tall mountain from the impact. The crude fortification she clashed against was extraordinarily solid and simple. Ianna cast a quick glance and saw that the arm wielding the claymore was as thick as her waist.

‘He’s reinforced his body to the extreme with mana. No —is he using divine power too?’

It was so strong that even Ianna’s extremely dense fortification caved in a little.

But even the sturdiest of stones was finished when flung aside with a pliable net. Ianna’s disrupted fortification bounced into place with twice the strength from before and sent the boulder flying.

Immediately after that giant attack, dozens of swords flew in toward her, each from a different angle. The arcs they drew never overlapped with each other and aimed only for Ianna.

Clang clang clang clang clang clang!

Ianna controlled her speed perfectly and parried the blows faster than the eye could see. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like the swords had bounced off an invisible curtain.

Ianna was a little surprised. To think that individuals of such skill had been hiding in the four corners. It was likely because they had been guarding the rear that Arhad had been able to conquer the entire continent in the past.

‘They’re accustomed to coordination.’

At first, she had thought that they would be attacking her individually. But then their attacks began tightening up, like they were trying to slowly squeeze the breath out of her, and now she felt like she was fighting one single monster with dozens of arms. They had not only battled high-class monsters in the four corners but had also periodically trained their coordination, and their ability to work with each other was still top-class even though they were now dispersed across different units.

Ianna rather liked the way they were practically salivating like starved fighting dogs in their rabid desire to win and the way they were coming at her like they meant to kill even though this was only supposed to be a simple hazing ritual.

Ianna snuck a glance at her ankles. Someone’s fortifications had been flying around her like a haphazard dance before, but now they were warping around her ankles. Surprisingly, every fortification had been created from divine power, and she could even feel the spirits’ powers mixed into them. Ianna had been kicking them away with her reinforced legs, but they had managed to tie her feet down at some point.

Her fingers and arms started tingling at exactly the perfect time. Benita Falcon’s electric fortifications were emitting currents just as Ianna parried them away.

They had tied down her feet and paralyzed her.

And next?

Ianna stopped moving for just one instant, and her field of vision suddenly turned blue like she was sinking in water. A deep navy fortification rushed toward her like an ocean current and crashed against her sword with a boom.

But it wasn’t over. Boom, boom, boom —the boulder-like fortification crashed against her sword repeatedly and so hard that her blade was trembling. The fortification exploded like a bomb with each impact and transformed into thousands of fortification bubbles, disrupting Ianna’s focus and vision.

This was Commander Kyle Nocturn’s fortification explosion.

But this was simply a trick to deceive the eyes —the true attack lay elsewhere.

A lone shark cut through the waters and rushed toward her almost recklessly. A longsword, enshrouded in a deep navy fortification, violently stabbed at Ianna’s abdomen.

‘Was Sir Nocturn able to fortify his sword with divine power in the past too?’

And yet, he still hadn’t been able to defeat Ianna’s fortification of mana.

For just a moment, Ianna’s eyes grew dim as the past washed over her.

Mana’s love.

Arhad’s affection for her in the past had been ever so firm.

And, and…….

The present Arhad had simply forgotten about it.

She was still in the middle of a pressing battle, but Ianna grit her teeth as her sudden realization of the truth made her surge with dreadful affection.

And once again, Ianna fell in love with her beloved Arhad anew. She considered her current life all the more precious. And she focused solely on the present.

Oh…….

Growth came upon her, simultaneously with her newfound realization, without any warning.

A spark of fire flashed from deep within her pupils.

The vivacity returned to her eyes, like they had never dimmed to begin with, as she looked directly at her special world. All of her senses were sharpened to the extreme in this world, and her fiery eyes could capture countless lines and dots. Everything in this world was comprised of tiny particles jumbled together, and everything had Lines and Cores.

It wasn’t difficult for Ianna to grasp the line and dot that could destroy the deep navy fortification and its medium, the sword.

Since he’s approached me, I’m sure he’s already prepared to be broken.

Ianna thrust her sword back at Kyle.

“……!”

Their blades collided precisely at the tip, and Kyle’s fortification screamed and ripped apart as Ianna’s crimson fortification penetrated his sword, its medium, and began tearing it down from one end to the other.

Pachang!

Hundreds of sword fragments were scattered into the air like shattered glass. They glistened like beautiful rubies, dyed in crimson divine power, but each fragment was actually a dagger that wrought death.

Moreover, Ianna’s sword had never lost its velocity even as she destroyed Kyle’s. It continued onward toward Kyle’s face as the fragments of death surrounded him.

Ianna’s sword stopped directly before the tip of his nose as if everything had simply been a lie. But the winds brought on by the momentum of her sword did not stop with it and sent Kyle flying as they continued to rush forward.

“Aaack!”

The other knights, who had stepped aside so Kyle could attack, saw how the hundreds of shards wrapped in Ianna’s crimson aura were flying toward them at speeds so terrifying they could not react in time and steeled themselves for serious injury.

“…….”

“…….”

But the fragments never reached them. They stilled, like a carriage that had suddenly come to a stop, and floated suspended in the air like ghostly flames.

Pitter patter.

“Whoaaa.”

The knights sprawled out on the ground as the fragments dropped like hail. They were drenched in sweat as they gasped for breath.

“We trained so hard —how did we not land a single hit on her? I’m starting to doubt myself…….”

“No wonder she’s our liege’s favorite. It was like fighting our liege himself. The world really is vast and littered with monsters.”

“I used to think that Wiffheimer, that piece of shit, was all bark no bite because he was done in so easily, but now I know better.”

The knights babbled crudely amongst each other, abandoning their initial dignity now that the tension had left them. They sat up once they had gathered their breaths and looked to Ianna, who had showed them a display of skill beyond their imagination, but —what the hell?— she had vanished from within the circle.

They looked around only to find that she had somehow made her way over to Arhad, who had been sitting quietly in his seat, and was grabbing him by the collar as she stole his lips.

Arhad was bewildered because Ianna had flown over to him and kissed him roughly out of completely nowhere. It was not a sensual kiss, but the emotions that exploded from her as she used her immense strength to press her lips against his threw his mind into a frenzy.

When Ianna finally drew her lips away, Arhad dumbly asked,

“Why did you so suddenly……?”

Ianna’s eyes were blazing as she looked down at him.

You don’t know, do you?

You don’t know just how much you wanted me, how much you loathed me.

‘Thank goodness.’

After all, it wasn’t as if the past’s time had disappeared completely.

Ianna loved this fact so much.

She was the only person who remembered the past, so it wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that it had all been just her delusion. But, while others might ask her if she was joking and regard the past as a mere, foolish dream, it was all too real for Ianna.

Ianna recalled the past Arhad from time to time.

Ianna loved Arhad now, but she had always been uncomfortable about the fact that the past Arhad might have been erased for all eternity in his misfortune……. She pretended otherwise, but the memories of the past that was buried inside her brain had remained eternally as a guilt that could never be resolved and had kept her from focusing solely on the present.

But, what if the that Arhad and this Arhad are one and the same?

Arhad —the one who was so blissful even as he was being held up by the collar— had actually lived the past just as Ianna had and simply could not remember it. The fact that their past, in which they had resented each other, still remained etched into his soul instead of being completely erased made her ecstatic.

I was such a fool.

There was only ever one of you —I never needed to consider you as two separate beings.

If you’re happy now, then you’re happy —who cares about the past? It’s the same for me.

Naturally, Ianna was still afraid of the possibility that Arhad might begin loathing her all over again if he remembered how foolish she had been in the past, even if her fears were unsubstantiated.

But you won’t be able to do anything about it even if you do end up loathing me because you love me too much. I’m sure you’ll love me enough to transcend your loathing.

She would tell him about their past lives —no, the past time that he had forgotten— once she had confirmed his dreadful love beyond all doubt.

“Ia—mph.”

Ianna sealed Arhad’s lips with yet another kiss before he could manage to say anything.

The soft sensation of their lips pressing deeply against each other was the ‘present’ that she and Arhad shared. Ianna loved the present dreadfully.

I love you, I love you, I love you.

My king. My everything.

My lover.

The fleeting and illusionary past extended into the present, and the present completely embraced the past. And Ianna felt herself settle completely inside the present.

The feeling soon became as pleasure and toppled over her sturdy sense of reason.

“…….”

But her ability to reason slowly returned to her as she hungrily devoured Arhad’s lips like a starving beast.

Have I lost my mind?

Ianna thought as she regained her senses and quietly drew her lips away.

“……I’m sorry.”

“…….”

Ianna flushed red in her bewilderment and began mumbling, unsure of what to do with herself. She was the complete opposite of how she had been just this morning, when she had been acting so normal to the point of apathy. Arhad, who was sitting absentmindedly in his absolute daze, witnessed the unfamiliar look on her face from up so close that their noses nearly touched.

Ianna bit her lip as she turned around. The knights were looking in every direction but hers as they feigned ignorance.

‘Why did I do that?’

She simply hadn’t been able to hold herself back.

The knights kept their silence, unsure of what to say, even after Ianna walked back to them.

There was no use crying over spilt milk. Ianna decided to conceal her bewilderment and shamelessly act like nothing had happened.

“I asked for a group battle today because I wanted to get a general grasp of your skills, and I am thinking of conducting individual duels next. First, Dame Benita Falcon.”

“What? Yes ma’am!”

Benita, who had been the first to attack Ianna and had then immediately taken to the skies and periodically sent down her electric fortification to try and create openings, opened her eyes wide and straightened up when her name was suddenly called.

“I commend you for having the courage to attack first and for having great timing when you created openings for the others. Your fortification had a good attribute, but it felt a little weak. You should focus on making the special characteristics of your fortification stronger. Next, Sir Valka Hubers.”

“Yes ma’am!”

“You seem to prefer large and powerful attacks, and you also have an aptitude for them; however, you have too many openings. Your training should focus on familiarizing yourself with defensive techniques and eliminating your weak spots. I will oversee your training personally.”

Valka’s, who had tried to cleave Ianna’s flank after Benita had created him an opening with her electric fortification, bear-like frame flinched.

“And next…….”

Ianna remembered the knights’ every attack because of her unusually good memory, and she continued to recite personally tailored training instructions. The knights’ visages grew stiffer the longer she talked.

“Dame Ishulience.”

She can’t possibly have remembered everyone, can she? —but their doubts evaporated when she called the final knight present.

Uniquely, Ishulience was a female elf with pointed ears.

“You were shooting off fortifications that warped around my ankles throughout the battle —is this an elven technique?”

“Yes. It’s a ranged attack called the Reed Dance. It was named after the way that reeds sway and dance in the wind.”

“Your every fortification veered off in irregular directions, just as the name suggests.”

“The skill doesn’t have a definite shape or level of strength. It’s difficult to block because it weaponizes irregularity —you truly are remarkable.”

“I also felt the spirits’ powers from your fortification.”

Ishulience thought that Ianna was truly every bit as remarkable as she had heard as she shrugged.

“You are correct. I was using both swordsmanship and spiritual arts. My swordplay and fortification are my main methods of attacking, and I asked a small wind spirit to support me.”

“It’s a wonderful technique. But it does bother me that it consumes a lot of ‘divine power.’ I am hesitant to instruct you on how to train because this was my first time seeing elven swordsmanship and there is much about it that I don’t know. Let us research this together.”

“Yes ma’am! I look forward to working with you!”

Ishulience replied merrily and laughed. She was delighted by the way that Ianna did not make a big deal about the fact that an elf was mingling in with the humans.

Ianna turned to Kyle last after giving the other thirty knights guidance on how they should train. He was standing firmly while cradling his right arm.

“Are you all right?”

“I thought the bones in my arm were going to shatter, but fortunately, I’ve only torn my muscles a bit. But that last attack of yours at the end……what was that?”

“I cut through the Lines of your fortification and stabbed the Core of your sword.”

Normal people would not have understood what Ianna was saying, but Kyle understood her perfectly. His mouth squirmed for some time as he was unable to speak out hastily until finally, he gingerly asked,

“You can see that clearly?”

“To an extent.”

The strength left Kyle’s body, and he plopped down on the ground.

“That’s amazing.”

Ianna recalled the exact moment she had destroyed his sword.

She had grown yet again just as the shackles of the past had fallen away from her. The ‘Lines’ and dot-like ‘Cores,’ which could only be grasped in just one momentary instant of the present, had become clearer and more visible to her now that she was able to focus solely on the present.

Anyone could swing around a blade.

Using that blade to cut something required a moment of concentration and resolve, cutting something with precision required the blood of sweat of effort, and cutting down one’s enemies required lots of actual experience.

Grasping the true nature of a physical object and seeing its Lines and Core required transcendental senses, and actually bringing one’s sword against those Lines and Cores required a body that was tempered to the extreme.

This was the level that Ianna had currently reached, and she was working with everything she had in order to climb even higher. Her progress had been slow, but Ianna felt like she had grown drastically stronger today.

‘I was able to rend apart Sir Nocturn’s fortification of divine power with just my sword.’

More simply put, what she had accomplished had been akin to using a tree branch to break a sword. She had needed to exert herself a bit back when she had been sparring against Konya, the lion beastwoman, and the other beastmen, but now she could do this readily.

‘I feel like I might even be able to guide the Lines and Cores to where I want them to go.’

In other words, she would not only be able to pierce precisely at her opponent’s weak spots, but she would also be able to force their weak spots into moving where she wanted them to go —she had truly reached an extremely high level.

If she reached the ultimate peak, would she then be able to transcend space and create Lines and Cores wherever she wanted? —would she be able to rend through things that normally couldn’t be cut? Today, Ianna had vaguely felt where it was that she needed to go.

“Your swordplay surprised me, Sir. I was also able to learn something new through our battle today. Thank you.”

“Was I helpful to you? It’s an honor.”

When everything was said and done, Ianna had a rather high evaluation of Kyle Nocturn. It would be difficult to find anyone who could rival him in this world.

“I’m sure you must be busy, Sir Nocturn, but please spar with me every day so you can grow accustomed to fighting powerful opponents. You will need to be able to buy time if a powerful enemy whom the other knights can’t even touch appears while neither our liege nor I are present.”

“Not just any ordinary powerful enemy —you’re worried about extremely powerful enemies like the Bahamut imperial family, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Ianna nodded when Kyle smiled, and she continued,

“I also recommend you take the time to separately bolster the fluidity of your fortification. It’s good to have a sturdy fortification, but it’ll break apart when you suffer a powerful attack if sturdiness is the only thing you have.”

“You’ve precisely pointed out the one thing that I’ve been working hard to improve as of late. I felt it keenly when you parried Sir Huber’s attack and when you destroyed my sword. I will do as you say.”

Kyle stood back up and saluted. Then, he asked,

“But how did you already know everyone’s names?”

“I received documentation about you in advance and memorized everyone’s files.”

Half the knights she had met today had been renowned knights of Bahamut in the past. She had only met the other half for the first time today, and the thought that this was because they had died early in the past left a bitter taste in her mouth. Ianna continued,

“You are my colleagues whom I will be walking into the world with.”

They were people whom she would always be brushing against so long as nobody died.

It was Ianna’s duty to protect them.

“I wish to protect all of you. Helping you grow stronger is one way for me to accomplish that.”

Memorizing their names had only been the first step.

“So, please grow stronger with me, and let us all emerge from this war victorious and alive. Our liege and I will deal with the Bahamut imperial family, so please support us firmly from behind.”

“Wow!”

“Such cool confidence!”

The knights, who had grown sober and galvanized as Ianna called their names one after another, burst out in laughter.

Benita, the impatient one, raised her hand up high.

“Sounds good. We’ll work our asses off until we finally kill those damned pieces of shit at Bahamut and our liege becomes the strongest! Fuck, let’s do this!”

“Ack…….”

The knights stole glances at Ianna as they clamored amongst each other to lessen the weight of death looming over them like they always did. Were they being a bit too rude? But Ianna looked back at them for a moment before she also raised her hand and drily said, “Let’s do this.” The knights opened their eyes wide as they guffawed.

“I thought you’d be scary, but you’re actually pretty fun to be around.”

“Passionate too, right?”

“We’ll be in your care!”

The initial awkwardness vanished now that they’d fought and joked around. Everyone was laughing about how fun it had been. They may have been high-ranking knights, but they had all been utterly trampled by Arhad so many times now that they didn’t even feel bad about being defeated, much less grow competitive.

“…….”

Arhad, who was watching quietly as Ianna fit right in with his subordinates without even straightening out his crumpled collar, smiled. His wintry eyes loosened as all the tension left his visage, and he was the very picture of a young man fallen hopelessly in love.

“……!”

The knights barely managed to contain their utter shock when they saw the smile on their liege’s face purely by chance. It hadn’t been very long since they had first seen his actual face. But his lips, the one thing they had always been able to see beneath his mask, had never curled up like that before unless he was sneering at someone.

Which was why they had been so certain that their terribly composed and emotionless liege would never show them a genuine smile even after he had taken off his mask……but to think that he was capable of smiling so unguardedly. The knights were completely mystified by his smile, and they also thought that it suited his already attractive features.

Even Ianna was stealing glances at him —it was almost like it was her first time seeing him smile like that too. Ianna walked up to him awkwardly, and she reached out toward him when he betrayed no intention of getting up.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Why did you kiss me earlier?”

“……Because I wanted do. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Me too —I’m smiling because I want to.”

I love it so much. The fact that you’re here right now.

The fact that you lost your ability to reason because you wanted to kiss me so badly.

The fact that you’re my lover.

Arhad looked so happy he could die, like a young boy sick with the fever of his first love.

‘You’re adorable……,’

Ianna thought subconsciously, and she was about to kiss him again before she realized just how uncontrollable she was when it came to Arhad and cleared her throat.

Arhad took Ianna’s hand just then and pulled her palm toward him. He planted his lips against her palm as he looked up at her with dewy eyes.

Her heart thumped loudly, and she felt like it had fallen to the floor.

Ianna immediately wanted to take back her hand and run away, but she could not. Instead, she barely managed to keep her expression from crumbling and feigned ignorance as she pinched Arhad on the cheek.

“We…have a lot of work to do today. Let’s get going.”

“Sure. Let’s get going.”

Arhad laced his fingers into hers as he stood up.

“Wow,”

someone exclaimed.

“Please be sure to give our scary and stern liege plenty of counsel and guidance, Dame Rise!”

Arhad was an extremely cold supervisor, as if he had cut his emotions cleanly away from him, but a few people still liked to fool around with him as if it was their last day on earth. And it had only grown worse now that they had seen Arhad act so differently, as if he had been hit on the head.

But Arhad didn’t react and simply made his way outside the training grounds.

“…….”

Ianna, who was holding hands with Arhad and following his lead, felt the heat rising all the way up to the nape of her neck. Ianna had looked completely normal in the past two days since she had confessed, but the truth was that everything still felt surreal to her and she felt like she was walking through a dream as she tried to digest everything that was happening.

She had proposed to him, had departed Roanne, had come to a new land and met new people, had sworn her knight’s oath, and had been proposed to.

She acted like she had finished organizing all the good things that had happened to her in her mind, but the truth was that none of it felt real to her. It was only today, when she had felt herself settling completely inside the past, that it had finally hit her that this was, in fact, very real.

She squeezed Arhad’s hand.

Everything was unfamiliar and made her embarrassed now that she had sobered from her dreams. Time would resolve her unfamiliarity with her surroundings, but the embarrassment, like a spring breeze, was so new to her that she didn’t quite know what to do about it.

She and Arhad……were lovers now.

When she had asked him what she was supposed to do as his lover because she didn’t know anything about the topic, Arhad had said that nothing would change.

But Arhad had been mistaken.

‘It feels different.’

Her heart felt different.

Her love for Arhad had been unstable and shadowed over until she had finally put her raw emotions to words. Destructive desire and obsession had even mixed into her heart, as if something was growing terribly twisted about her.

But everything had cleared clean away once she had finally confessed honestly, and her terrifying love had become so sweet and pure that it almost felt foreign to her.

This wasn’t her first time holding his hand, but she felt bashful and her heart tickled as if it was. No, that wasn’t quite right. This was the first time he had taken her hand so naturally as if it had only been the obvious thing to do.

What was she supposed to call the contradictory feeling where she both wanted to pull her hand away from the unfamiliarity of it all while also squeezing him back because she like him so much? What string of logic had brought about this feeling, which warmed her like a spring breeze even though it was currently the middle of winter?

Ianna stole a glance at Arhad’s back as she entertained the idea that someone else might look at her and say that this was normal, and it was her previous state of mind that had been abnormal.

‘Do you not feel anything?’

But her question vanished as soon as she spotted the redness of Arhad’s ears. Ianna grew even more embarrassed, and she was at such a loss for what to do that she felt like an amateur who was holding a sword for the first time in her life.

Part 3

Ianna purposefully asked all sorts of questions to hide what she was feeling, and Arhad answered her sincerely as he pretended to be more mature and tactful than he really was.

On the outside, the two of them, who had only just become an official couple, were exchanging valuable conversation, but their emotions were floundering so much on the inside that they could hardly tell that time was passing. Eventually, they suddenly found themselves at training grounds’ exit.

“This is the mock battlefield.”

The earth next to the fortress-like training grounds was messy and neglected, as if a huge battle had broken out there. Arhad continued,

“There’s a mock battle here once every two weeks —you should try participating if you have the time, since every soldier in the army will be gathered here for it.”

Next, they headed into the city. Today was the day for Arhad to show off everything he had been preparing as Ianna had been fighting in Roanne alone.

Their surroundings were boisterous with the noise of people hammering into stone and wooden planks, but there was also an addictive song woven into the noisy mix.

Construction workers were busily moving materials into unfinished buildings, artists were painting beautiful murals or carving beautiful statues into newly built and empty walls, and gardeners were digging deep into the earth with large shovels to plant trees and flowers.

“It’s time to eat!”

People, people, and more people.

The whole world was in despair because of Bahamut, but only this place was filled with blinding hope.

The East had also suffered much because of the monster Gates. All the monsters had fled clean away once Arhad had settled down here, but that was only after much of the existing facilities had already been destroyed.

But Arhad decided to use this crisis as the golden opportunity to rebuild everything from the ground up with stronger foundations.

Their new country would only be able to rely on Arhad’s and Ianna’s absolute power for so long. They were human too, so they were destined to die one day.

Since he had already started anyway, Arhad wanted to build not a flashy country that could only be maintained by their presence but a durable one that would leave its long mark on the history to come even after they were gone.

This meant that he had to do everything properly from the very beginning. The foundations needed to be strong. The only time when it was possible to do everything properly from the beginning, was the beginning. And that beginning was now.

Originally, he would have had to fix everything that was old and weak against waves of opposition, but he was able to easily rebuild everything sturdier from the ground up because Bahamut had spread fear and destroyed everything. Whether that be laws, buildings, or what have you.

“I need more nails!”

“Hammers steady, everyone.”

The people, who would soon become the citizens of a new kingdom, worked hard to do everything properly from the very beginning and strive for a better future.

They remembered the frustration they had felt when the monster waves had destroyed their cities and Bahamut had declared war against the entire world. But they also remembered the hope they had found when their great liege had chased away the monsters in one fell swoop, unified the territories in the East, and announced his plans to establish a new kingdom.

Their hope was made manifest as they faithfully carried out their orders and worked diligently. The winds of construction were blowing throughout the entire city, just as their liege so wished.

“I see many elves here.”

The strange part was the fact that there were many elves with pointed ears mixed amongst the humans.

Arhad had consulted frequently with Lumiere, the ruler of the elves, and the elven elders once he had decided to establish a new country. The elves understood that they had no choice but to assist Arhad in the upcoming great war if they wanted to survive, and they unanimously agreed that they would have to leave the forest if they didn’t want to be left behind by the winds of change.

And so, the elven taboo that had forbidden them from leaving the forest had shattered. The more curious elves had started snooping around human villages half a year ago, and their numbers had only grown since.

The interesting part was that the humans had already grown so accustomed to the elves even though it had only been half a year. People sometimes snuck glances at the elves, but no one was rude or stared openly. Several people were even chatting happily with the elves as they worked together.

“I made it a rule that everyone has to take classes on why discrimination is bad once a week. The classes use different methods, like roleplay and vicarious experience, but it all boils down to the same thing. People begin to understand that discrimination is bad once they’ve attended regular classes over a long period time —I think it’s almost like they’re being brainwashed. They’ll think discrimination is bad even if only because they’re so sick and tired of hearing about it.”

Not only did people have to take classes, but they were also subject to warnings, sanctions, penalties, banishment, and execution. Arhad had prepared many things so that the different races could co-exist in harmony. Their powerful liege’s exhaustive legal sanctions made it so that the people could not be rash in their actions.

In any event, it was quite remarkable.

“I never thought I’d ever see something like this in my life.”

Arhad smiled when Ianna failed to conceal her wonder.

“It’ll get even better when the beastmen come too.”

“I’m excited —I feel like I’ll be able to see something amazing that no one has ever seen before sometime very soon.”

“And you’ll also develop quite a few headaches as you sort out all the many accidents that are bound to occur.”

There hadn’t been much trouble yet because the elves were naturally quiet and friendly and the humans found their mysteriousness a bit difficult to deal with. But the beastmen were a coalition of different and various subraces, so it was almost certain that some of them would ignore the law and stir up a fuss once they entered the fray.

“It’s only natural that problems will occur, since ours will be the first country ever to incorporate peoples from multiple races. But we have no choice but to grit our teeth and bear with it, since it’s only by solving those problems that we’ll be able to make progress.”

“You’re right. We have to consider this in the long term.”

Their goal was to establish a country where all races could stand equal with humanity and lived in harmony. It was imperative that every race had a seat at the table and had the chance adapt to their new environment right from the very start.

A sturdy foundation.

The integration of all the races.

Arhad had won over city planning professionals in order to tackle these two issues as soon as he had decided to establish a new country.

Ianna and Arhad continued walking for some time before they finally arrived at a large building located in Semastair’s eastern district. There was a sign that read, ‘Taryll Cartner Research Institute” at the entrance to the building.

“You’re here, Master! I’ll call over the director at once!”

An employee in the lobby immediately jumped up to greet them and proceeded to run deeper inside the building.

“Master!”

It didn’t take long before a certain middle-aged woman, followed by a flock of other people, quickly walked into the lobby.

Ianna detected the scent of ink and oil coming from the woman leading the group. The short and wispy woman was wearing a black apron and bandana that was caked in oil. But her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and the solid muscles packed into her wiry arms gave her a very firm impression overall.

The woman stopped and wiped her hands off on a handkerchief before she briefly greeted Arhad, and then she turned to look at Ianna as if she was pulling her in from the other side of her flashing glasses.

“We met briefly at the knighting ceremony yesterday.”

Ianna nodded. The woman continued,

“Please allow me to introduce myself formally. I am Taryll Cartner.”

The woman —Taryll Cartner— extended a hand to Ianna. Her hand was covered with muscle and scars, just like that of a blacksmith’s.

“I am a mage who knows nothing but magical engineering.”

Taryll Cartner of Magical Engineering.

She was the ninth archmage whom Ianna had met.

Magical engineering was a field of study that related to creating artefacts with mana, but it was also a broad field that researched natural techniques that had nothing to do with mana.

Taryll didn’t have very outstanding magical skills, but she was a unique mage who was without peer when it came to magical engineering. House Cartner had been producing high-grade artefacts for generations, and many of their private techniques had blossomed in Taryll Cartner’s generation —she was, after all, a rare breed of genius. It was said that most of the greatest artefacts of this generation had been created by the hands of Taryll Cartner and her disciples.

She was both one of the greatest craftsmen on the continent and the highest authority on magical engineering.

And she was a major talent even among the people whom Arhad had won over in order to establish their new country.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Ianna Rise.”

Ianna took Taryll’s hand and looked her directly in the eyes. She continued,

“I’ve heard much of your renown, Ms. Cartner. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is mine, Dame Ianna Rise. I’m sure we’ll be meeting frequently moving forward, so please feel free to simply call me Taryll.”

Arhad was truly remarkable. Taryll Cartner was infamous for being particular. How had he managed to appease a haughty mage who turned down orders worth millions of gold and only created a very few artefacts of her liking? What kind of enormous reward had he promised that she had even moved to Semastair?

Arhad had informed Ianna that he had managed to recruit Taryll last year, but Ianna had been so busy dealing with Roanne’s issues that she hadn’t been able to ask him for the details. She was planning to gradually learn what Arhad had been up to in Semastair in the near future.

“Show Dame Rise the ‘schematics,’ Taryll.”

“I already have them prepared.”

Taryll led Ianna and Arhad down to the lowest floor of the basement. There was only one room on that floor, and it was so heavily armed with all sorts of artefacts that it was practically impregnable. Taryll quickly moved her hands in an intricate pattern, and door opened while sounding like metal grating against metal.

Rumble.

The tremendous flow of mana made Ianna hesitant to step inside, so she simply peered in from the doorway.

“What is this place?”

An endless space stretched out before her on the other side of the door. There was a labyrinth of pathways that laced intricately around each other in a tangled mess mixed together with a hodgepodge of stairways, and there were several Gates shaped like doors here and there as well.

“These are the ‘Gate Roads,’ a perpetual magical space that Taryll and I are researching together. The Gates connect every place of importance in my lands together. And only those who have my permission may use it.”

“There are also secret spaces that can only be accessed through the Gates. The place where we’re about to go to is one such place.”

Taryll sauntered inside.

They didn’t have to walk for long before they arrived before a set of greyish iron doors.

Clunk!

Ianna could feel the presence of several dozen people from the other side of the doors that Taryll had flung open without a moment’s hesitation. The people inside the room the doors led to greeted them briefly before throwing themselves back in their work.

There was one group of people crowded tightly around a table each drawing complex diagrams and scribbling complicated formulas down on the blueprints before them. Another group was busy creating uniquely shaped artefacts by hand —but Ianna didn’t know what they were for.

One of the walls was entirely covered by gigantic floor plan that made Ianna feel like she was looking down at an entire region from the sky. There were several people debating in front of it with serious looks on their faces.

The entire dim room itself was one colossal artefact. Extremely complicated magic circles and formulas that no intruder could possibly ever comprehend were scrawled down densely around a map, and there were tiny jewels embedded at the center of each circle and formula. There were easily at least dozens of them, but a closer inspection suggested that there was still room for more such jewels.

Finally, there was a fist-sized crystal ball resting on the pillar standing at the center of the room.

The crystal ball was the room’s core.

“This is the national planning room. All of the city planning is conducted here. And the people here are some of the highest-ranking authorities in their respective fields on the continent.”

According to Arhad, all the city scaping, the construction of every important public facility, and the organization and maintenance of the roads was planned in this dim room. He continued,

“Taryll is in charge of all of our city scaping. She’s consulting with several professionals to reorganize Semastair, our soon-to-be capital.”

“Semastair is changing according to plan. Currently, we are trying to figure out if anything needs to be altered just in case.”

Taryll’s eyes sparkled as she guided Ianna to the crystal ball. She continued,

“You can see the ‘schematics’ of our completed kingdom using this.”

“Place your hand on the crystal ball.”

Ianna felt magic permeating through her body as soon as she placed her hand on the crystal ball as instructed, and her vision gradually dyed white. Then, the world before her turned blue and transformed into the sky.

[Look down,]

a ringing voice instructed her, and Ianna looked down without much thought. She could not stop the marvel from escaping her lips when she saw. The completed city was so beautiful that the hairs prickled on the back of her neck.

[Focus on anything you want to see in greater detail.]

Ianna wanted to see the Central Office Castle first.

Her vision changed no later than she had thought that. She was welcomed by the completed Central Office Castle, which was still under construction in the real world.

The lone castle standing tall at the heart of Semastair’s central district was glimmering proudly in a profound and mysterious light.

It was almost like it had been created from the sky itself.

The architects had labored hard to build the castle, and it was stunning even through a layperson’s eyes. Ianna was enthralled as she stared at the castle.

[What are you looking at?]

“……The Central Office Castle.”

[Do you like it?]

“Yes. It’s incredible.”

[It’s your home.]

His words managed to move even Ianna.

Ianna freely viewed the entire city. Semastair was created with a harmony between buildings and nature, and the views it offered could not be seen in any other city in the world. The city did not feel like it was divided into economic classes, and the abundance of nature gave it a very natural atmosphere.

A library, a clocktower, a magic tower, a research laboratory, parks, etc. Every building or facility both gave off a similar image as the royal castle but also carried its own uniqueness.

[It’s the result of sparing no expense to support the architects of each facility. And most of the buildings have magical engineering techniques grafted into them.]

Each and every building inside Semastair was an artefact, and Semastair was practically one giant artefact in and of itself.

Ianna turned her mind to the city outskirts. The eastern district was comprised of stone and vegetation, she could see hints of the West in the western district, and there were mines, branching off from the Lotso Mountains, and forges prepared in the southern district —each district had a unique aesthetic.

[Each district was planned after reflecting on the opinions of the mythical races. The races will be living together in residential area in the heart of the city, but we needed separate residential areas for each respective race too.]

“Is the street filled with forges in the south meant for the dwarves?”

[Yes.]

“The dwarves never expressed their intent to migrate here.”

[But we never know. The elves and the beastmen will be migrating to the center of the continent —do you really think the dwarves will remain silent? Besides, the greatest masterpiece they’ve ever created will be here too.]

Then, Arhad meaningfully whispered,

[Ask Chendelf about it on the sly when you meet with him later this afternoon. Besides, we can also use the street for weapons production if they don’t end up moving here.]

Ianna explored outside of Semastair once she had finished sightseeing the city outskirts.

[Try thinking about looking down from a high vantage.]

Her field of vision elevated just as she thought about it. She saw the city scape of Semastair once more.

[Go higher.]

Ianna went higher and higher.

And Semastair grew smaller and smaller.

Then, she saw the many large and small roads branching out from Semastair, and the various other cities that they connected to.

[We’re developing the other cities too, but, with the times being what they are, I’ve decided to focus on reorganizing the important ones first. We’ll be focusing on the mid-sized and smaller cities next.]

Arhad and Taryll stepped away after telling Ianna to sightsee at her leisure. Ianna lost track of time as her vision changed one place after another.

Eventually, she reached the edge of the schematics.

The busy cities grew rarer the farther out into the frontier she went, and the natural and rugged castles that nature had gifted to the world caught her eye. Ramparts designed to guard against enemy invasions were lined up behind each other like the layers of an onion.

Ianna then reached the westernmost reaches of the schematics.

This was the border, the end of Arhad’s territory.

The world outside the colossal ramparts that circled the border was obscured by fog.

Bahamut was waiting on the other side of the border.

Ianna stared at the white fog for a moment before she moved her field of vision back up to the skies.

Arhad’s territory, which spanned across the entire East, perfectly overlaid the floor plan mural she had seen in the planning room. Ianna burned the vast and beautiful lands into her eyes.

‘I’ll protect it.’

I’ll protect everything on this land until my dying breath.

Ianna closed her eyes as she cut off the flow of mana, and the world had returned to normal by the time she slowly opened them again.

Her gaze was pulled almost magnetically to a certain man’s figure. Arhad was sincerely discussing work matters with the people crowded around him.

Ianna simply watched him instead of walking over.

She had thought him adorable earlier, but she could only find him cool now.

Her thoughts absorbed her before she ever realized it. Ianna’s eyes were filled with affection, her visage was as warm as the spring sun, and there was a roundish curve gracing her lips by the time Arhad noticed her.

‘Goodness.’

Arhad closed his eyes for a moment because he thought his heart might stop. Ianna had been so indifferent in the morning that he had almost regretted letting his thoughts run wild and keep him up at night, but now her affection was too much for him to handle.

He had thought his heart might burst open so many times today —he really might end up dead at this rate. His breath caught and his body froze stiff even though all Ianna was doing was to smile back at him with overflowing affection.

“How was it?”

It was only after Taryll had spoken to Ianna that Arhad snapped back to his senses.

“It was amazing.”

“I’m the person in charge, you know?”

Taryll threw her shoulders back in a dignified manner as Ianna praised her highly.

“My heart flutters when I think about how our kingdom will be shaped in accordance to the schematics. I’m so glad you’re here, Ms. Taryll. Thank you.”

“It’s I who’s grateful to be here.”

Taryll crinkled her nose as she smiled. She continued,

“It was always my life’s dream to construct a city of magical engineering.”

There was overlap between designing an artefact and constructing a city. And building a city of magical engineering was no different from creating the greatest artefact in the world.

Taryll had clung to this dream ever since she was young, and she had personally sought out city planning professionals to learn from them. She had drawn up city schematics night after night. She had brought her schematics to acquaintances in other fields of study and had asked them to critique them honestly.

But she had realized that she would need more resources to build a city than she had ever imagined as she grew older.

Loads of money, vast lands, laws to govern the city, and the people to live in them. This was not a dream she could achieve just by creating an artefact.

Her dream had grown even more distant because of the disturbance that Bahamut had caused, but then Arhad had bribed her with three separate things: his final blueprints for the Gate Road, his offer to let her construct his new kingdom, and his incredible power and wealth. Taryll had agreed to be Arhad’s subordinate because Arhad’s three bribes had thrown her mind into chaos.

She would have been grateful enough just to be allowed to construct a city, but to think that he was offering to let her construct an entire kingdom!

Taryll had never been particularly attached to her motherland, so she promptly migrated the entirety of House Cartner over to Semastair. Every last one of her disciples had followed her too.

“It is thanks to Master that I will finally be able to make my dream come true.”

Taryll credited Arhad, who had walked up to them at some point.

Arhad had supported Taryll with everything.

His surprising depth of knowledge, his vast wealth, and even his brains, with which he pondered over problems alongside her. Taryll had worked so hard that she bled in her efforts to reward Arhad’s support, and, after using even divine arts belonging uniquely to the mythical races on top of her magical engineering, she had managed to complete the schematics.

“It’s because everyone worked hard.”

Arhad passed the credit he was given to everyone involved.

“Indeed. And I am grateful to everyone. I am also grateful to you, Dame Rise.”

And the credit was passed to Ianna too. Ianna was puzzled, because she hadn’t done anything yet, but Taryll simply smiled and continued,

“It’s true that Master’s blueprints and the plan to establish a new kingdom was appealing to me, but I wouldn’t have agreed to settle down in Semastair if that was all there was to it. Even the greatest of cities aren’t worth building in the first place if they’re doomed to fall anyway because no one was there to protect them.”

Her gleaming eyes took in Ianna’s figure.

“I have a new dream now. My new dream is to be able to contribute to establishing the greatest country in the world.”

Taryll reached out her hand toward Ianna.

“I want to see my dream fulfilled here. I will offer up the rest of my life to make that happen. So, what about you, Dame Rise?”

“I will protect it.”

Ianna steadily took Taryll’s hand a breath later. She continued,

“I will protect everything on this land.”

“How very reassuring.”

Her hand was met with callouses of a different making.

Ianna and Arhad entered the Gate Road once they had bid farewell to Taryll.

“It seems easy to get lost in here.”

The Gate Road was a very narrow labyrinth. Anyone who intruded into it would find themselves trapped and unable to move because Arhad had not only forbidden anyone other than himself from using magic inside but had also cast confusion spells all throughout.

“That’s why those who use the Gate Road will need artefacts that guide them to their intended door. But that doesn’t apply to you, since you’re also registered as its master alongside me, so all you have to do with think about which door you want to go to and the Road will lay itself out for you automatically.”

Then, Arhad touched the ring on Ianna’s left hand. He continued,

“This ring is the proof of that.”

Truly, the ring was monstrous.

And so, Ianna and Arhad, who had used the Gate Road to visit the outskirts of Semastair, slowly toured the city as they made their way back to the Central Office Castle.

“That colossal building over there will be the main national library. Saiwè said that he would fill it with books and appoint someone suitable as the chief librarian.”

Ianna now knew that Saiwè was ‘Van Frieders,’ a big investor in the cultural arts. His was the greatest authority in the field. She had high expectations for the library. Next, Arhad said,

“This street will be filled with fashion stores. Your roommate, Priscilla, said that she’d invite her friends from the Institution to run them. I hear that she and Saiwè are in the middle of working together to design ready-made clothes that are both inexpensive and of good make.”

“They’ll surely get married too, right?”

Priscilla and Saiwè were still back in Roanne. This was because Saiwè still had a lot of work matters to wrap up.

“I’m sure they’ll hold the ceremony when they decide the time is right. But that’s just the ceremony —they’ve already submitted their marriage registration documents, so they’re basically as good as officially married already.”

“What? When?”

“You didn’t know? Priscilla submitted them last year when she took refuge in Semastair after fleeing from Fernando. She and Saiwè came to my office hand-in-hand as soon as they arrived and pushed the documents on my desk.”

It was surprising. Weren’t they moving too quickly? Priscilla had nothing holding her back, but Ianna had thought that Saiwè might be different. Truly, the power of love was remarkable.

“Was I rash in telling you?”

Arhad had simply told Ianna something that he already knew because he didn’t want to keep any secrets from her, but now that he’d gone and said it, he realized that he might have ended up meddling with her friendships.

“It’s all right —I’d hate it more if you lied or kept secrets from me. I’ll apologize and ask them about it later.”

“…….”

Shouldn’t she be happy about it? Ianna noticed had Arhad’s mood had dropped a little.

“Does it bother you that I plan to apologize? I said it’s all right.”

“Is that so? Let’s see something else now.”

Arhad controlled his expression and returned to normal as he took Ianna’s hand and moved to the next street over. He continued,

“This is the second business district. A lot of money was invested into it, and it’ll be filled not only with companies where I’m a major shareholder but also other good companies, which I’ve hand-picked, that want to open shop here.”

It was incredibly difficult to be the best at something in a given region. It was difficult to enter into a market where the power players had already been established, especially if you also had to change your home territory on top of that. And it was even more difficult to become the best at something in any given country.

But, what if it was a new country?

Countless companies wanted a hand in establishing a great country that would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Bahamut and Roanne. But only those companies that Arhad had chosen had the opportunity to donate an exorbitant sum on money to the establishment of the kingdom to curry Arhad’s favor and earn a plot in the business district.

This was why the business district was already filled with sparkling new buildings. Niall Sabelix’s Circlesita Company already had a plot, and so did the Jabellon Company, which belonged to Jacquard Jabellon, whom Ianna had met in the South.

Mursi’s Paella Company had a plot too.

“I think the Paella Company will be the biggest hit here.”

The Circlesita Company specialized in weapons dealing and its owner, Niall Sabelix, was planning to leave all company matters to one of his subordinates as his proxy so that he could take up a state office. On the other hand, the Jabellon Company was too deeply entrenched in its fatherland and could not move its main headquarters here.

But Mursi was planning make the East his new base of operations. Moreover, he was already trusted by both the beastmen and the elves. He was even trusted by Chendelf, who was to become the greatest craftsman in Ex-knights¹.

“Do you want the Paella Company to do well? Want me to give them a push?”

“I’m sure Mr. Mursi can do just fine on his own. But it’d be nice if you could help with some small matters.”

He was also good friends with the leaders of their new country —so the deal was already as good as sealed.

“This is Central Park. It’s a nice place for a stroll because many of the trees planted here have good air purification properties.

“And this is the grand theater. We should come see the opening performance together.”

Arhad provided detailed explanations as they walked leisurely. Ianna had thought that the buildings looked great when she saw them in the schematics, but she hadn’t known what they were for, and it was nice to learn through Arhad’s voice.

Ianna stole a glance at Arhad’s visage. Arhad had been smiling this entire time, so he looked like he was enjoying himself greatly.

This made Ianna even happier. She had grown accustomed to how their hands, clasped together, had been stuck together all day long, and now it thrilled her instead of making her feel awkward. Was the same true for Arhad?

The sun steadily sank into the horizon, evidencing that the promised time was near, so they happily made their way back to the castle.

“There’s still a lot I haven’t shown you yet, but let’s take the time to see everything slowly, like we did today, when we have the time instead of rushing to see it all at once.”

“That sounds good.”

They would always be together moving forward, so they had was plenty of time.

They made their way to the conference room to wrap up their last item on the agenda for the day. Equipped at the center of the room was a short, hexagonal pillar —the latest communications device.

Ianna sat down in the chair that Arhad had pulled out for her and watched as he poured mana into the communications device. After being supplied with mana, the image of a certain someone’s upper body was projected from the crystal ball at the center of the artefact.

It was Chendelf, the dwarf, and his beard had grown bushier from before.

[Ianna! It’s been too long!]

“Have you been well, Chendelf?”

[I’ve been so busy getting ready to move that I barely notice how time’s just flying by.]

“I’ve only just arrived in the East yesterday, and I already have so much work to do. I’m hoping you’ll come join me soon to help since you’re so capable, Chendelf.”

Chendelf nodded vigorously in his excitement.

[I finished preparing, and I’ve just been waiting for you to call me. Oh, but…]

Ianna raised a brow as Chendelf faltered.

“Is something wrong?”

[Well, that’s…]

Other dwarves stuck their heads into the projection from behind Chendelf. He continued,

[There’s a bunch of punks here who want to move with me. Will……that be okay?]

Arhad, who was standing next to Ianna, shrugged as if to say, ‘See, what did I tell you?’

“How many?”

[Our entire village wants to come, and there are a few more from other villages who also decided they want to move after hearing the rumors.]

There were at least a few hundred dwarves in just Chendelf’s village alone, but dwarves from other villages too? Chendelf continued,

[They’ll all be helpful to your kingdom —they’ll never be harmful! Please don’t say no,]

Chendelf said urgently before Ianna could reply.

[We want to make cool weapons just like Chendelf!]

[Karankell’s rich in minerals, but we can’t experience the world from here.]

[Weapons that aren’t used are no better than lumps of steel.]

[We want the weapons we forge to have worth.]

[Please take us in! Please don’t say no!]

A chorus of tearful voices clamored from behind Chendelf.

Say no? What nonsense is that? Dwarves were truly remarkable craftsmen. If they wanted to come, then Ianna would welcome them with open arms.

“Of course you can come. Please let everyone know.”

She said yes! Let’s go! The other side of the artefact grew boisterous.

[Phew. Thank goodness. But, won’t there be too many of us? Is there enough land for all of us to live there together?]

“I had a separate residential district for the dwarves prepared just in case, and there’s still a lot of open land even after that, so it won’t be a problem even if the entire dwarven population decided to move here,”

Arhad replied in Ianna’s stead.

[I’d like us to be able to keep trading with the other villages even if they don’t decide to move there. Will that be possible?]

“I’m planning to connect a Gate to the Tower of Fire, so you should be able to visit whenever you please. Let any dwarves who wish to move here know that they may use it.”

Arhad’s plans included installing long-distance Gate facilities in every principal region on the continent back to Semastair. He still needed to do something about its stabilization and security, but he had managed to create the Gate Road, so making long-distance Gate facilities wouldn’t take him very long.

“That sounds useful.”

Gate facilities could be maintained forever as long as they weren’t destroyed. Arhad was planning to let the mythical races use them for free when they initially migrated over, but he was planning to charge a fee for their use after things had settled down, so the facilities would ultimately help the kingdom’s coffers too. The Gate facilities would also be useful to the people in that they would help save travel time. Arhad smiled in return when Ianna looked pleased.

“I told myself I’d make it happen without fail because you said it would make things convenient.”

“Me? When did I say that?”

“Before, back when we were travelling down to the Karankell Rocky Mountains alone together —you said that you wished that there was a way to imbue Teleport into an artefact.”

Had she said that? Arhad continued,

“Gate requires people to walk through the spell one by one but can be maintained indefinitely without a separate supply of mana once the spell’s been cast, whereas Teleport can teleport multiple people at once but would require an astronomical sum of money to maintain as a facility because it requires a large amount of mana with every use. Gate is the more practical spell when it comes to ordinary, everyday use. But I’m also planning to create teleportation facilities that can teleport entire groups at a time, like what you mentioned before, one day, so look forward to it.”

When had she said something like that? Ianna didn’t even remember. Evidently, Arhad had taken to heart something she had only said in passing.

‘Surely it’s not that he remembers every single thing I’ve ever said, right?’

But Ianna couldn’t brush off the feeling that he actually did. ……How endearing.

[Thank you!]

Chendelf, whose every concern had been resolved by Arhad’s no-frills explanation, grinned so broadly that his beard couldn’t conceal his smile. He continued,

[Then, I’ll tell the others to clean up the village and get ready to move come spring. And I’ll head over to Semastair first once I’ve told them the news.]

“Very well.”

Ianna organized the situation in her head as she heard the thrill in Chendelf’s voice. The beastmen were cleaning up their own villages as they spoke, and the dwarves would get ready to move come spring. There were only a few elves who had expressed the intent to move and had left the forests, but more would likely follow them once the other mythical races also began settling down.

Everyone would be moving in in the spring, when the days began growing warmer.

‘It’ll be busy.’

The establishment of the country would progress quickly, like a large ship sailing in favorable winds, once the dwarves, elves, and beastmen all joined them. Their respective unique characteristics would aid in establishing their kingdom.

Ianna was done with work for today.

She and Arhad made their way to their private dining room now that they were done with work.

The dining room, which was extravagant yet tidy inside, was decorated with all sorts of props and plants, and it did not feel empty even though there were only two people using it.

The square table was just the right size for two people to dine luxuriously. It was a table that Arhad had prepared specifically so he could eat with Ianna.

The employees began bringing out the dishes once Ianna and Arhad had settled down opposite of each other.

Warm wheat bread, a variety of jams and white butter, a salad consisting of vegetables cut to just the right sizes with a gentle layer of dressing on top, a platter of various fruits, and a main dish consisting of chicken that was boiled or baked in just the right way in accordance to each part of the meat.

They were both warriors who took great care of their bodies, and they both enjoyed nutritious meals and were not very picky about what they ate. They were simply eating lightly today because they had snacked often while they were outside.

“What were your thoughts after seeing everything you saw today?”

“My heart was racing all day long because everything was so incredible.”

Ianna was a bit excited as she freely told Arhad everything she had thought and felt about what she had seen today. She grew only more enthusiastic, detailed, and breathless as her audience nodded back in his delight. She continued,

“The elven village felt like it was right in the middle of a forest. The way they did as little damage to the trees as possible to build their homes was very unique.

“The clocktower at the heart of the city was so large and tall that I’ve sure that you could check the time from anywhere inside Semastair. You said that you’d build a clocktower in each village and match the time to the clocktower in Semastair, so it’ll be imperative that the clocktower’s time is maintained well.”

Arhad had simply looked pleased at first, but the expression on his face gradually began changing as Ianna continued speaking.

His expression was sincere, happy, restless, vague, shocked, troubled, bewildered, conflicted —he expressed a variety of emotions.

Was he realigning his plans for the country as he listened to her impressions? Ianna did her best to say more for Arhad’s sake.

Their conversation didn’t end even after they had finished eating and continued as they made their way back to their rooms, only concluding once they were finally at their respective doors.

“I like the fact that I can assist in establishing the country in which I will be spending the rest of my life.”

Ianna wore a smile on her face and said what she had been wanting to say all day now that it was time to call it a night. She continued,

“And I like it even more because I get to watch the creation of our country with you. I predict that I’ll enjoy myself every day.”

She truly meant it. The sights she had seen today, which she would have simply passed over and forgotten had she seen them alone, were still vivid in her eyes even now that she had returned home. Her arms quivered every time she recalled how they had been holding hands, and her heart trembled every time she recalled the fact that they were now actually lovers —was it strange for her to think that even the trembling delighted her?

“I shouldn’t have been so stubborn.”

She enjoyed this honest love, which she had never experienced before in her life, so much that she was actually a little wistful.

“I should have acknowledged the fact that I love you a little earlier. I like you so much.”

Ianna startled just as she was about to express her feelings without holding anything back. Arhad had caressed her face with an urgent touch and had pressed his lips against her forehead.

“Oh.”

The sudden kiss migrated to her lips before Ianna even had the chance to blink. The lips that roughly drew her own inside and bit her were unskilled and clumsy. It gave her a sense of innocent thrill, as if this was their first kiss ever.

Their playful lips parted with only a sliver of space between them. Arhad’s rather open excitement was reflected vividly in Ianna’s crimson eyes. Arhad’s golden pair was heavy with a wavering shadow. Ianna’s heart was racing loudly.

“We’ll…be resuming our normal lives tomorrow,”

she said hesitantly.

How did they usually part ways after kissing again? Ianna felt like she had suddenly become a fool all day long.

“…….”

“Shall we…return to our own respective rooms now?”

But then Arhad closed his eyes.

“Sure. It’s fine, since I’m still so happy that I’m not in my right mind. Though I don’t know how long that’ll last.”

It seemed like he had come to some kind of conclusion, though Ianna did not know what that conclusion was.

Normally, the gears in her brain would be working fiercely to figure out the answer, but her head seemed to have stopped working today. So, like the fool she was, Ianna asked,

“What’s……fine?”

“It’s all right if you don’t know. Actually, I prefer that you remain ignorant about it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Arhad hugged Ianna before turning his back toward her. Ianna grabbed his hand before she could stop herself.

“Is it a serious problem? Is it truly all right that I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“It’s a serious problem in one sense, and it’s not serious at all in another. A part of me wants you to figure it out, and another part of me hopes that you never will.”

Arhad kissed Ianna’s cheek with his love. He continued,

“Good night.”

Arhad slipped away inside his chambers once he had bid goodbye.

“…….”

Ianna stared at his door for a while before she returned to her own chambers. She went to bed once she had finished washing up.

She had enjoyed today so much.

And she would enjoy tomorrow too.

But Arhad’s attitude at the end and her own uncomfortable emotions bothered her a little.

‘Why do I feel so wistful?’

Her ability to reason returned to her now that she was alone.

‘What more should I have done back there?’

Ianna had stiffened up like a fool, but she was no fool. Nor was she an idiot who didn’t know anything, so she found her answer quickly enough.

“Would you hold me in contempt if I said that I desired you?”

“Am I strange for wanting more every time we kiss?”

“I haven’t laid a finger on you. I love you like crazy, but I don’t want to do anything to you when you’re passed out drunk. Though I’d be singing a different tune if you’d been in your right mind last night.”

Her breathing grew ragged and her face flushed red.

‘How did I forget?’

So many big things had happened so quickly that she had hardly had the time to catch her breath, and his words had been flung to the far side of her memory as a result. Ianna buried her face under her covers.

‘If Arhad wants…….’

She was embarrassed to admit it, but she felt like she could accept him. No, she would accept him. Though she would be at a loss for what to do because it would be her first time.

‘But then, why he did tell me to remain ignorant?’

She couldn’t read Arhad’s reaction. And it would be too awkward to simply go up to him and ask at this point. She was already so embarrassed just to hold his hand, already reduced to quivers just from kissing him —so how could she possibly go and ask him why he was holding back?

It’d be nice if Arhad figured something out on his own.

But, is there a reason why he’s holding back?

Ianna wracked her brains for an answer.

She didn’t think she’d be able to fall asleep tonight.

~~*~~

Part 4

The winter, which had frozen the cold and stiff earth, had departed, and the warm spring had come.

Flowers blossomed even on the lands where the chaotic stench of death lingered, and the gentle breeze soothed the exhausted mind and body.

It had been three months since Ianna had settled down in her new home in the East. She was standing inside her private training grounds.

“Whew…….”

She took a deep breath as she slowly drew her sword down in a vertical line.

Swish.

It was a slow slash. There was no whisper of wind. And yet, that single slash precisely bisected a single leaf that was dozens of paces in front of it, as if it had cut through space itself. Physically speaking, this should have been impossible.

Ianna walked over to where the bisected leaf was and confirmed its state.

Her extreme focus brought her body toward the ultimate peak, and her swordplay now bordered miracles. All creation, even the laws of nature, bowed before her as she neared her ultimate. Ianna could even stand atop a spider’s fine tread as she was now.

Beep beep.

Ianna checked the time when her ring began flashing.

She took a deep breath and sat down.

“…….”

She stared fretfully at her ring when it began flashing, asking her to connect. Ianna complied immediately.

[My lady.]

It was Karnitz.

He had only been able to contact her once a month, so this was their third conversation thus far. They had agreed that Karnitz would initiate their calls on pre-determined dates and times, but Ianna always found herself growing nervous whenever the time drew near.

“How are you, Karnitz?”

[I am perfectly well now, my lady.]

Karnitz, who had been hospitalized for a while after being attacked by Ianna, had been extremely busy recovering, getting rehabilitated, making reports, undergoing interviews, returning to his normal life, and training.

He had barely had any time to be alone because every last knight in the imperial castle had been forced to train to the point where they weren’t even allowed to return home, almost as if to punish them, after the castle’s defenses had been breached. Karnitz had always been tense during their previous calls, and they had only been able to exchange minimal greetings.

But there was an extra measure of peace in his voice today.

[The extra training ended a few days ago. I’m currently on a mountain outside the imperial capital. We can speak at leisure today.]

Ianna had a mountain of things she wanted to ask him.

How had he ended up in Bahamut, how had he ended up becoming an imperial knight, when had he married Isphee and had a child with her, was their child all right, when would they be able to escape from Bahamut?

But no —more importantly…

“You’ll be coming to me once your child is better, right?”

Did they plan to leave Bahamut?

“I will stay behind and do my best to be a source of intelligence for you.”

The things that Karnitz had said to her when they had met inside the Bahamut imperial castle continued to weigh down her heart.

[Before I answer, my lady, may I ask how you’ve been doing, what your current situation is, and what your plans are for the future? Are you planning to stay in Roanne?]

They truly hadn’t been able to talk properly until now, considering that Karnitz was bringing up Roanne of all places.

Ianna discussed things slowly. She explained how she had diligently attended the Institution after parting ways with him, how she had met the man whom she had thought she would meet in Bahamut in the Institution instead, and how she had followed him to the East after graduating. She told him that they were planning to establish a country in the East.

She would not be going to Bahamut.

Ianna wanted to punch her past self for running her mouth anew as she spoke.

[So that’s what happened.]

“Yes. So you and Isphee should come and join me once your child is better. I will go and get you out of there in person if you need my assistance.”

[My lady.]

His tone was grave. He continued,

[Are you planning to fight the Bahamut Empire?]

“I am. My goal is to fight and eliminate the empire.”

Her declaration was so bold that a third party listening might have asked her if she was crazy. Karnitz, however, did not doubt her.

[You once spoke about walking a bloody path —were you referring to the path in which you followed your master to destroy the Bahamut Empire back then?]

“No. I was planning to become an agent of the Bahamut Empire back then.”

Ianna was worried that Karnitz would begin blaming himself for misunderstanding her, so she quickly added,

“The person I chose to follow is the bastard of Bahamut imperial family. Back then, I was planning to help him usurp the Bahamut throne.”

She confessed honestly. This was the minimum courtesy she had to show Karnitz, who had gone all the way to Bahamut because of her.

“But our plans changed, and now we’ll be abandoning Bahamut to build a new country in the East. And once our new country is established, we will be fighting the Bahamut imperial family to the death.”

[I understand,]

Karnitz replied. He calmly continued,

[And I’ve made my decision. I will remain in Bahamut and act as your spy until your fight is over, my lady.]

Had he truly understood anything?

“Absolutely not!”

[This is my will. I want to help you.]

“You can help me from here,”

Ianna spat out while doing her best to suppress her boiling emotions inside, prompting a quiet chuckle from Karnitz.

[I think I’ll be better able to help you from here, my lady. The imperial palace is closed off, so it’s difficult for any information to leak outside.]

This was true. It was nigh impossible to get any intelligence on the imperial palace no matter how much Eiji struggled. But Ianna still hated the idea.

“Make your decision again after consulting with Isphee.”

[Actually, Isphee and I put a lot of thought into this after I met you again, my lady. We wondered what we should do, since you probably considered Bahamut your enemy. It was Isphee who suggested that we stayed in Bahamut. She said that we’d be more helpful to you if we stayed here.]

Isphee had suggested it first? Ianna’s timid nanny?

“……Tell me more about you two. How have you been living until now, and what kind of position are you in to help me?”

[Hmm, I can tell you the details later once we meet in person, so I’ll only give you a brief summary for now.]

Quietly, Karnitz began his tale.

They had settled down in Bahamut with the help of Karnitz’s longtime friend. Bahamut was vast, and people of many different ethnicities lived scattered throughout the land, so they had not stood out too much even though they were foreigners.

Karnitz had begun working honestly as soon as he had settled down. He was blindingly skilled because he had been personally trained by Ianna. Bahamut was a meritocracy where strength was a target of interest in and of itself.

Karnitz had adjusted to Bahamut rather easily, and he had been quickly recruited into third imperial knight order. He got along with the people around him too, as he was never envious of others and always focused quietly on his own work.

He had made a good number of useful connections after a few years. And the same was true of his wife, Isphee.

[I have many useful connections here in Bahamut, so please let me know if you need anything.]

Ianna fell silent once Karnitz had finished his story. He had given her a truly brief summary —one that omitted all the hardships and setbacks that had surely faced along the way. But Ianna swallowed back her desire to pry because Karnitz didn’t seem to want to talk about those at the moment.

“So, do you truly intend to stay there?”

[Yes.]

Ianna clutched her forehead when Karnitz calmly replied.

“That’s not something you should decide so readily.”

[I’d like to stay here, my lady.]

Karnitz hesitated for a moment and spoke up again with new resolve when Ianna didn’t permit it even though he had asserted himself so strongly. He continued,

[Imperial knights don’t get dismissed from duty unless they’ve been wounded beyond all recovery. And all of our friends here will be tortured if we were to suddenly disappear because Bahamut has a guilt-by-association system. I don’t wish for that to happen.]

“…….”

[And, I have no choice but to stay here.]

There was something strange in his tone.

“Explain yourself.”

[I periodically take a drug called Life.]

Ianna gasped.

[Are you aware of something called divine power, perchance?]

“……I am.”

[As expected of you. The amount of divine power you have increases exponentially if you take Life. But in return, you suffer from horrible cravings and pain if you don’t take it regularly, and I hear you can even die in the worst cases. I can take brief leaves of absences from my post, but I’ll always have to come back.]

Originally, only the highest knight order, the Knights of Pakalatua, were given Life, but Bahamut had also started giving it to the rest of the top five knight orders recently. It had been given to the ever honest and faithful Karnitz too.

“Life…….”

Ianna grit her teeth.

It was possible to treat a body ruined by its addiction. Eiji was being periodically treated by the spirits, and he had recovered a lot. Saki was developing a cure too, so they would be able to cure the physical body whenever they so pleased. The problem, however…

“Has nothing about your mind changed after you started taking the drug, Karnitz?”

[Are you familiar with it?]

“Yes. I once blew up a factory in the West and pocketed several samples. A friend of mine is developing a cure, and I also have another special way to treat you.”

[That’s good news —I was originally planning to take as much Life with me as I could when I left Bahamut.]

His calm voice was colored with laughter. Why was he laughing in this situation? Ianna held back her surging anger.

“The problem is that the drug changes your personality.”

[That won’t be a problem. I’ve managed to get over Life’s malice. I’ll explain it to you in detail when we meet in person.]

It was good that he was able to get over it. Karnitz was honest to a fault, so he was undoubtably telling the truth. Still, Ianna wanted to confirm how he was doing in person.

“And when will that be?”

[I’m planning to take an extended leave. I was planning to apply for just one extended leave of absence since it’s difficult to apply because we’re at war —can you please tell me when you plan to formally establish your kingdom?]

The plan was to establish the kingdom in April next year.

[In that case, I will see you then. I’ll contact you through this artefact often, like we have been, until that time.]

“Very well. And one more thing…”

Ianna made a decision. She continued,

“Do as you wish until you truly find yourself in danger. Help me like you said you will.”

Karnitz was very capable. He was someone who had aided her without dying until the bitter end even in the past. He was honest to a fault and was the stubborn kind of person who had gone all the way to Bahamut and had become a high-ranking knight there just to stand beside her even though she had so coldly cast him aside.

Whom else could she trust if not a subordinate like him?

‘Even someone as obsessive as Arhad sends me on dangerous missions all over the place because he trusts me.’

Ianna hardened her heart as she thought about Arhad.

Ianna and Karnitz were liege and knight, much like how Arhad and Ianna were the same. Ianna tried to put herself in Karnitz’s shoes. She would hate it if Arhad didn’t assign her a mission just because it was dangerous even when she was confident in her skills and her ability to accomplish it.

‘I’ll trust Karnitz.’

He’ll surely do well.

Yes —I’ve made my decision, and now I should follow through with it.

“I’ll trust you to conduct yourself accordingly. I’m certain that you’ll be of great assistance.”

[I will do my best.]

Karnitz’s tone grew a hint lighter when Ianna cleanly granted him her permission.

‘Right. He was always like this.’

She began recalling things from the past one after another now that she had removed the shell of worry from her heart.

Karnitz was an objective person who had a good grasp of his own skills and never rushed into action. He was also decisive, and he would decline a mission outright if he truly thought that he was unable to succeed.

But he was also rather special in that he always gave it his all if he decided that he was able to complete a mission, and he would do anything in his power to accomplish a mission once he accepted it. Ianna remembered assigning him to all sorts of dangerous missions because she had trusted in his ability to successfully accomplish them.

She laughed as she recalled all this and felt her apprehensions vanish. Karnitz was asking her to allow this only because he truly believed that he could do it. Even though they were talking about an opponent as terrifying as Bahamut.

[I’ll connect you with Isphee soon too.]

Karnitz ended their call.

Ianna’s heart was lighter after having made her decision. Her buoyant heart blazed with fighting spirit in her desire to end the war quickly and bring Karnitz and Isphee back to her soon.

Beep beep.

A small alarm rang from Ianna’s ring just as she was increasing the intensity of her training in her newfound motivation.

She had come here at dawn, and now it was already daytime. Ianna trained so hard she didn’t notice time passing, and she habitually forgot to eat. She would have to go back soon because Arhad always wanted to eat together.

Ianna could have returned to the castle immediately using the Gate Road, but she decided to climb down the mountain at her leisure today because she was in the mood for a stroll.

The guards at the city gates stiffened up and saluted her once she arrived. The boisterous city spread out before her once she greeted them back and stepped inside the gates.

‘This is nice.’

The still unfamiliar view entered her line of sight. It wasn’t only humans and elves who made up the noisy people of Semastair. There were beastmen and dwarves here too.

The beastmen and dwarves had begun to migrate here.

Arhad had informed her that he had succeeded in connecting the four corners of the world, where the mythical races lived, to Semastair with large, semi-permanent Gates, and the mythical races could freely traverse between their homelands and the East without having to cross the rest of the continent.

And so, Semastair had taken her first step forward in building the greatest mixed-race country in history.

‘It’s still a little messy, though.’

The beastmen with the beastmen, the dwarves with the dwarves —everyone generally kept to themselves.

Arhad’s policy was to use regular festivals, associations, and employment to naturally guide the different races into living in harmony in order to resolve the incongruity.

There would undoubtedly be many more problems cropping up in the future, but everyone would surely be able to live in harmony, just like how the elves had mixed into human society, if they worked hard to resolve those problems as they came up. The prospects looked good, considering that Ianna could already see a few brave individuals trying to reach out and speak to the other races.

Ianna stood there for a moment to take in the scenery before she looked up at the recently completed clocktower high up in the sky, checked the time, and resumed her walk.

“Dame Rise!”

someone called out to her as soon as she had crossed the castle gates.

“Hello!”

They were knights from the knight order that Ianna was training. Ianna returned their respectful greetings before she continued on her way. Several knights and soldiers greeted her on her way back to the castle.

“How are you today?!”

“Dame Rise, Dame Rise!”

The people bowed before her one after another.

It wasn’t because Ianna was their master’s beloved woman that they gazed at her retreating figure in admiration. She was the swordswoman who had killed Wiffheimer Potestas, the terrifying archmage. The powerful woman who had beat up a castle’s worth of skilled and competitive warriors and immediately established herself as the strongest. How could any warrior possibly not envy her?

Ianna returned to her chambers to wash up before her meal. But a familiar presence embraced her from behind just as she opened her door and was about to step inside.

She was pulled both inside her room and inside his embrace, and the door closed behind them.

Her back hit against the wall, and her lips were swallowed.

“Oh.”

Spring was warm.

No, perhaps she should say it was ‘hot?’

“Mmph…….”

She clutched tightly to Arhad’s clothes as he kissed her like he was about to devour her whole. His once-smooth shirt was crumpled inside Ianna’s grasp. The breaths coming out from his nose, so sharp it could have been sculpted, were steamy. His slippery lips quickly grew heated.

Her head was forced back by the hand he had placed at the nape of her neck, and her lips parted wider as his tongue dug its way between the gap. Their lips were pressed so close together that Ianna never had the chance to speak, and he dug so deep inside her that Ianna thought he might uproot her soul out from her mouth.

“Gasp.”

Ianna opened her eyes for a moment as she gasped for air, but she closed them tightly once again. Arhad’s eyes were moist with dark desire, and Ianna felt like her entire being would be drenched if she looked into them directly.

She did not flee. She didn’t even consider fleeing. The flames simply grew bigger deep inside her very bones. She slowly unclasped the hands she was clutching to his clothes with and gradually spread her hands across his back. She could feel his pulse in the solid muscles under her fingers.

The breathtaking strength swallowing her lips grew stronger as she brushed against the narrow lines in between the firmly sculpted muscles of his back. Closer, and closer. So close that she could feel no more distance between them.

And, as always, Arhad drew away just as Ianna grew parched from the heat and began craving for something more. Their lips parted just as the hand around her waist seemed to squeeze her roughly. His turbid voice said something completely ill-befitting of the situation as their ragged breaths mixed into the space around them.

“How…was your training?”

“…….”

Arhad avoided Ianna’s gaze when she glared at him.

It had been three months since he had started clinging to her like he couldn’t hold back any longer only to say something ill-timed right at the very end. Indeed. It had already been three months since Arhad had told Ianna to remain ignorant.

Three months was a longer stretch of time than one would think. Neither of them were amateurs who writhed in awkwardness just because they were holding hands anymore. Besides, holding hands, embracing, kissing deeply —hadn’t they already experienced physical affection? They had both grown considerably adept at it, though they certainly also enjoyed it more and grew more restless now.

Was she simply mistaken?

He would kiss her like he meant to devour her whole, unable to hold himself back, once they started kissing, so why did it feel like he was initiating the kisses less and less?

Ianna rested her cheek against Arhad’s shoulder.

You want me too. So, why are you being like this?

‘What are you thinking?’

Why did you tell me to remain ignorant? Should I just ask?

But a wave of embarrassment that asked her how she should even go about asking something so awkward beat down at her again and again. The question, which was only growing bigger inside of her, was pulverized into a fine powder.

She occasionally entertained the idea of simply going ahead and doing it. She was growing more and more curious about the intimacy that she had never once cared even the slightest about until she had fallen in love with this man.

“…….”

Ianna squeezed Arhad tighter and stared up at him when he tried to slip away. His large frame stiffened inside her arms. He looked remorseful, as if he wanted to run away.

‘I’m sure he has his reasons. I should wait and see for a little while longer.’

Eventually, Ianna let him go. She felt like something was twisting inside her as Arhad, who had been holding his breath until then, stepped back, but she endured it and changed the topic as Arhad so wished.

“I spoke with Karnitz today.”

She told Arhad about the things she had discussed with Karnitz but remembered to omit certain important information. Arhad expressed his astonishment sometimes and voiced his doubts at other times. Ianna feigned ignorance about his doubts and told Arhad about the next course of action she had decided to take after speaking with Karnitz today. She said,

“Let’s visit the Great Forest of Shaob.”

~~*~~

“Mistress.”

Ianna’s aide, who assisted her with trivial tasks, bowed before Ianna and called out to her just as Ianna had finished washing up after training and was about to head down to the dining room four days later. Her aide continued,

“The Lord asked me to bring you to the second dining room.”

Ianna confirmed receipt of the message and changed direction. The second dining room was used when guests were visiting.

‘They’re here.’

She had a good idea as to who today’s guests were. Surely, it was the guest whom Ianna had personally invited and the same guest who had immediately accepted Ianna’s invitation. Ianna looked to Arhad, who was seated at the seat of honor, first when she entered the dining room before she turned around to see another welcome face.

“Lady Ianna!”

“It’s been a while, Saki.”

Ianna shook Saki’s hand.

“Finally…….”

“Yes. Let’s pay a visit to the Great Forest of Shaob.”

It was time to fulfil their longstanding promise.

“Ahh! I’ve been waiting for this. The time has finally come.”

“Why don’t we all take a seat for now?”

Ianna looked to the middle-aged woman, whom she had never met before, standing next to Saki as she sat down at Arhad’s urging, and Saki eagerly followed suit.

“Who is the person sitting next to you?”

“Oh, will it be possible for my friend here to visit the Great Forest of Shaob with us? She is also a longtime friend of Vita’s and mine.”

The woman, who had ordinary brown hair and brown eyes and had an overall gentle impression about her, bowed to Ianna from her waist.

“Hello, Lady Ianna. My name is Lindsay.”

“Oh…….”

Ianna was already familiar with her name. It was a rather common name, but she could immediately guess who Lindsay was because Saki had called her a friend. Lindsay was also Taryll’s friend, as well as someone who had given Taryll much counsel as she created the kingdom’s schematics. Ianna continued,

“You must be the Archmage of Earth.”

Lindsay.

Among the Ten Archmages, she was known as the Archmage of Earth because of her profound knowledge about magics that had to do with the earth, where all flora lay their roots. Lindsay mainly researched plants, and she specialized in a wide variety of natural magic that could help make the land easier to live off of. She was unrivaled when it came to her knowledge regarding plants.

Even dead lands revived and were covered in green under her care. She could turn dead lands into healthy lands where life could grow. The earth under her care had no choice but to become magnificent because she would uncover the peculiarities of various plants, plant only those plants that were suited to the environment, and not only use magic but also a plethora of other methods to cultivate them.

A good land for people to live on —one that was neither too wild nor too artificial. Ianna had heard that there were many nobles in search of Lindsay to help them restore their ruined territories. This was also why Arhad, too, had roped Lindsay into helping devise the kingdom’s schematics.

“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Lindsay. What brings you over to the Great Forest of Shaob? Is your purpose the same as Saki’s?”

“Yes. I know I’m being shameless, but may I please accompany you?”

The Great Forest of Shaob was the origin of all flora. It was also elven territory, which made it difficult for humans to visit without good reason. It was only natural for Lindsay to be interested. Neither was her request unreasonable, since she was also a friend of Saki’s and Vita’s.

“Of course. Please feel free to enjoy a comfortable stay in Semastair even after we’ve returned.”

“Thank you.”

Lindsay giggled gently.

They shared an amicable meal after that.

“So many surprising things have happened ever since I got to know you, Lady Ianna. I’d heard the news, but I was still so surprised when I arrived at Semastair. Humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen —to think that all peoples could live amongst each other in the same country.”

“It truly was a surprise. This will be a kingdom without precedent.”

Saki and Lindsay sang praises of Semastair. It was nice to know that the city had made such a good impression on such good people. It was time to discuss important matters now that they had finished introductions and exchanging news.

“How goes your research in finding a treatment for Life, Saki?”

“I’m seeing good results. I’m hoping to have a prototype ready for clinical trials made soon.”

“That’s wonderful.”

Ianna nodded. She continued,

“A precious subordinate of mine is currently in Bahamut, and he is addicted to Life. I could use the spirits to treat him, but I’d also like to help if any of his friends are addicted too. Which is why I’d like to support your research in any way I can. Please let me know anytime if there’s anything you need.”

This was something that Ianna had thought as she heard Karnitz’s story, and Arhad had also given her his permission. She had never thought that she would get so deeply involved when she had first helped Saki in Sidian —truly, you could never know what might happen when it came to personal relationships. Saki’s research was important to Ianna now.

“Oh, there was actually something I’ve been meaning to ask you when the time was right.”

Saki and Lindsay exchanged glances and nodded. She continued,

“May we move Shalino’s headquarters to Semastair, my Lord?”

Ianna opened her eyes wide.

“Why do you ask?”

“This will be the first mixed-race country in history, and we’ve determined that there is a lot that we’ll be able to research here. We at Shalino would like to settle down here, establish a research facility, and contribute to progressing the medical arts.”

It was something Ianna obviously welcomed with open arms. The doctors affiliated with Shalino typically wandered the world in search of patients to treat, but they would return to their headquarters and research a cure day in and day out if they ever discovered an illness that could threaten the entire world. It would be reassuring indeed if an organization like Shalino decided to settle down in Semastair.

“But of course. We will spare no expense in supporting you.”

“Thank you!”

Saki smiled as she placed a hand on Lindsay’s shoulder. She continued,

“Lindsay here is also a member of Shalino. If I’m the mage who treats immediate injuries, then Lindsay is the mage who takes care of a patient’s environment in the long term. And she is also a lead researcher in the development for a cure for Life. She and I are planning to take the lead in completing the research for a cure together once we’ve relocated our headquarters. And Lindsay……. You should say the rest.”

“Sure thing.”

Lindsay courteously brought her hands together. She continued,

“Lady Ianna…”

She addressed not Arhad but Ianna this time.

“Saki brought me over to Sidian, which had become a completely lawless state. I had the chance to visit ‘that place’ where you brought forth a miracle. I was deeply moved when I witnessed it.”

Her gaze was warm as she looked back at Ianna.

“I’ve been in search for a land where my talents can truly blossom. It was during the middle of my search that I was asked to help create the schematics for a country where every race could live together in harmony, and I heard from Saki that you were to be the leader of this country. I am currently nationless. But now, I would like to settle down in the kingdom that is to be yours.”

Ianna opened her eyes wide yet again.

“Would you please permit me to live in this land? I believe my knowledge will be of great use to you.”

Ianna had no reason to refuse. Lindsay was someone who had studied the symbiosis between man and nature, and she could help in fostering the incredible scene of everyone living together in harmony.

“I should be the one asking you. I welcome you with open arms.”

“Thank you!”

Lindsay was jubilant.

Ianna looked back at Saki and Lindsay as she thought,

‘So now I’ve met every archmage.’

Wiffheimer Potestas of Destruction, Heinrich of the Psychic, Dorcianni Demariposa of Lightning, Keigus Dimitri of Dolls, Maimayè Leviagè of Flames, Ensheila of Azure Skies, Shingardra Solsavier of Defense, Saki Celtz Shizenmore of Healing, Taryll Cartner of Magical Engineering, and Lindsay of Earth.

All of them were at least on friendly terms with Ianna, except for the two who were dead and Shingardra, who was affiliated with Roanne, and they all planned to lend their assistance to Ianna’s country.

Maimayè Leviagè had left the Tower of Fire behind to chase after Arhad and Ianna and had ultimately decided to stick with them, Ensheila had been a wanderer but had decided to settle down, and Dorcianni had betrayed Bahamut and had come completely over to their side.

Heinrich would be coming here soon, and now Lindsay would be settling down here as well. Their kingdom didn’t even have a name yet, and yet she was already the greatest kingdom in the world when it came to magic.²

“We’ll be leaving in two days’ time. Please be sure to get plenty of rest before then.”

~~*~~

Part 5

Two days later.

Ianna finally stepped foot inside the Great Forest of Shaob —a place that she had only ever heard of before.

The Great Forest of Shaob was the easternmost corner of the world with fertile soil and clean winds, and it was a land of plenty that every ruler wanted to exploit.

Strangely enough, all sorts of different climates existed inside Shaob. The environment would change at random as you continued down the same path —for instance, the temperature would suddenly drop or the air would get drier—, but it was thanks to this that every type plant in the world could flourish inside the Great Forest. It was the dream land of every botanist and king.

A forest overgrown with tall trees welcomed Ianna inside. Ianna looked up at the trees, whose branches were so lush that they covered even the heavens.

This was her first time inside the Great Forest of Shaob.

The war between the Allied Forces of the South and Bahamut, situated in the northeastern half of the continent, had still been ongoing at the time of Ianna’s death in her past life. And Ianna had never had the chance to step inside the Northeast, which had been Bahamut territory at the time.

“Look over there, Miss.”

Finn pulled Elly along by the hand and pointed somewhere. He was pointing at unique flowers in full bloom that could not be found in the West or in the heart of the continent.

“Wow, they’re so pretty. We’ve been studying a lot of illustrated books of plants, but there are still so many plants we’ve never seen before. Right?”

“Yeah. It’s really interesting.”

Finn forgot how nervous he had been earlier as he chatted happily with Elly.

“Meow.”

Nissi was walking next to the children as she cheerfully savored the sunlight.

Finn, Elly, and Nissi had arrived at Semastair with the beastmen a few days earlier. They were originally supposed to have come with Heinrich next spring, but they had come earlier than planned because Arhad’s territories were developing extraordinarily quickly and it was decided that it would be good for the children to watch that process. Besides, Ianna had also promised she would take Finn to the Great Forest.

“I’ve even managed to visit Shaob now.”

“You’ll be able to visit more often in the future, so take your time and look around.”

Saki and Lindsay were observing their surroundings as they walked behind Ianna.

Lindsay was deeply interested in the plant life, and Saki was stealing glances at Elly and Nissi. She had been curious about the two of them ever since she had first met them in Roanne.

Ianna had asked Saki if she had felt anything strange about Elly and Nissi. Saki had replied by saying that she wasn’t sure, and she had tilted her head to the side as she added that they simply felt nice and familiar.

“How mysterious.”

“How are there so few monsters around?”

The reason why the Great Forest of Shaob hadn’t been exploited yet was, obviously, because the forest was dangerous. The great forest was a good habitat for monsters too, and many powerful monsters lived here. It was strange that they had yet to see a single monster, even if many of them had left for the heart of the continent because of the Gates.

Naturally, this was because the monsters had fled after sensing Arhad’s presence. But Saki and Lindsay had no way of knowing this, so they simply expressed their marvel.

“How about around here, Ianna?”

Arhad proposed, and Ianna nodded and began rummaging around her pockets.

She pulled out the whistle that Vita had given her previously. She brought it to her lip and blew.

Fweeee…….

A clear and cool tone poured into the forest. It wasn’t long after the whistle’s sound had gone with the wind that yet another crosswind blew back toward them.

A familiar elf was standing before them by the time Ianna had blinked.

“You’re here! I’ve been waiting eagerly for you because our queen said you’d be visiting today.”

Vistomanta, the high elf, was smiling brightly. He continued,

“Saki! And Lindsay too. How long has it been?”

“I’m glad I got to see you again before I died.”

Finn was staring blankly up at Vita as the high elf happily greeted Saki and Lindsay. This was his first time meeting an elf other than Paella, his mother. He could not tear his eyes off of Vita, who gave off a similar air about him as Paella had once had. Vita felt his gaze and turned around.

“Hello there, Little One.”

Vita placed his hand on Finn’s head without a moment’s hesitation. He continued,

“You must be Finn —Paella’s and Mursi’s son.”

“You know my mom and dad?”

“Yes. They’re quite famous. Mursi is the only human merchant who trades with us, and Paella was the only elf who left the forest to live with a human.”

“She was the only one?”

“There are several elves who associate with humans, but Paella was the only one who left the forest altogether for one. I know about her even though she’s from another village.”

“Oh…….”

Vita pat Finn’s head when the child looked like he was about to cry.

“You were living in the West and in the heart of the continent, right? Then you probably never had the chance to meet other elves or half-elves. It must’ve been so hard and lonely. You don’t need to hide your identity while you’re here, and you can call upon your spirit friends whenever you want to.”

“Sniff…….”

Elly took Finn’s hand when Vita’s kind words made him cry. Finn squeezed her hand tight and sniffled as he stole a glance at Vita’s beautiful figure.

“You look a little different from my mom, Mister, but you feel just like her.”

“That’s only natural. We may have been from different sub-races, but both your mother and I are elves.”

“Elves have sub-races too?”

Vita nodded.

“But of course. It’s just like how there are tiger beastmen, cat beastmen, black foxes, and all other kinds of sub-races among the beastmen. We elves differentiate ourselves by village.”

Elves who took after the trees, elves who took after the sun, elves who took after the wind, elves who took after spring water, elves who took after the earth, and so on and so forth……. The blond Vita was from the sun elves’ village, and Paella, Finn’s mother, had been from the wood elves’ village.

“Most elves are wood elves. That is why humankind believes that all elves have green or brown colors. Oh, but now’s not the time for this. Let’s hurry this way.”

They arrived somewhere that was lined with rather unique trees shortly after they had begun following behind Vita.

There was a tree so large it could pierce the sky standing at the center of the area, and it was surrounded by many smaller trees. The roots of the giant tree, peeking out from the dirt, were so large and dense that it would probably hold the earth firmly in place even during a great flood or earthquake.

On the branches of the trees along the beautiful dirt path that led up to the giant tree were constructions that looked like dwellings, and softly glowing lights dangled from their trunks.

This was an elven village.

“Welcome!”

Lumiere, the elven queen, greeted Ianna’s party. Saki and Lindsay were captivated by Lumiere’s beauty, and Finn and Elly stared up at Lumiere in open excitement.

“They’re humans.”

“Humans have come to our village,”

whispered a group of elves who had come to sightsee because they had never met a human before as they stood behind their queen.

“They feel good and pure.”

“They all feel nice, except for that man with black colors.”

Sure enough, the elves were afraid of Arhad too. They were wary of him, as if they had suddenly encountered something that wasn’t supposed to be roaming about freely, unlike the dwarves, who had been terrified of him because they had seen into his true nature.

Ianna squeezed Arhad’s hand. She had always disliked the fact that he was often shunned by the mythical races even when he hadn’t done anything to warrant it. The members of the mythical races still flinched whenever they laid their eyes on him.

“It’s all right. This is only natural. I’m fine as long as you love me,”

Arhad whispered in good cheer.

“How is this only natural?”

Arhad grew happier when Ianna began glaring back at him.

“This is something I have to put up with.”

Don’t be ridiculous —why should you have to put up with this?

Ianna placed her hand on his arm and rested her cheek against his shoulder.

“One day soon, everyone will learn to recognize you as the person named Arhad, your true self, instead of the Demon. You are the most amazing person in the world.”

Arhad’s countenance surged with his endearment of her. It was not an emotion that he could possibly conceal.

He looked like he wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her right then and there. But he compromised and simply tilted his head to the side to nuzzle his cheek against her crimson hair instead because too many people were watching.

“That half-elf child is Paella’s son.”

An older elven couple, reminiscent of ancient trees, and several younger ones suddenly pushed their way through the crowd just then. They walked up to not Ianna and Arhad, but Finn.

“……?”

Finn frightened and began trembling because he didn’t understand why they had approached him, and one of the elves who were like ancient trees said,

“You take exactly after Paella.”

Finn opened his eyes wide. The elf continued,

“We are Paella’s, your mother’s, parents. I suppose that would make us your grandparents. The children here with us are Paella’s siblings. They are your uncles and aunts.”

“Oh…….”

The elves who had claimed to be Finn’s grandparents placed their hand on Finn’s head when the child grew bewildered.

“Don’t be uncomfortable around us. We are your family.”

“You feel strongly of Paella’s spirits —she must have loved you dearly.”

Ianna gave Finn a gentle push on his back in the middle of his confusion.

“M-Miss…ahh…”

Finn’s grandparents pulled their bewildered grandson into a warm embrace. The awkwardness only lasted for but a moment, and Finn teared up from the familiar scent and hugged his family back.

Ianna knew she had truly made the right call in bringing the child here with her.

“Shall we be off?”

Finn, Elly, and Nissi stayed with Paella’s family, Saki and Lindsay stayed with Vita, and Lumiere began leading Ianna and Arhad elsewhere.

“We must visit two separate places —the place where the Demon’s fragment is being kept, and the place where Phaemdra is located. I will leave the order up to the two of you. We can discuss the details as we travel.”

“You can choose where you want to go first.”

But Ianna had already made up her mind long ago.

“Let’s start with the Demon’s fragment first.”

Arhad came first. Besides, she had a lot to discuss with Phaemdra. She felt like it would be better to get the more difficult matter, absorbing a fragment, done and over with so that she could discuss at leisure.

She was also planning to bring Elly and Nissi with her when she visited Phaemdra. Would Phaemdra know who they really were?

Lumiere began to explain soberly as she led them to the place where the Demon’s fragment was kept.

“I’ve told you before, yes? The fragment sealed here is so large and powerful that it is able to manifest in the physical plane even without a medium, and it harbors many negative emotions. It absorbs an incredible amount of life from its surroundings and dyes everything with evil.”

If someone were to obtain this fragment, they would come to rule as an absolute being in the Age of Magic and become the greatest villain to have ever lived after they are swept away by the waves of evil. They would be driven to suicide after destroying the world, and then the fragment would roam the earth again in search of a new sacrifice.

“Laos commanded the mighty Black Prophet to safeguard the fragment in order to prevent this calamity. Then, before the two of them concealed their whereabouts, they sealed the fragment inside Phaemdra’s withered branches and commanded Lady Millanikonè and the elves to guard the seal. But the seal suddenly came undone twenty years ago.”

They could see a peculiar wall up ahead. Lumiere continued,

“We had no idea what to do. We searched desperately for God Laos, but he never answered our pleas. We tried to seal the fragment away with our power alone because we had no other choice, but we weren’t completely successful. And the seal has become unstable ever since Taylon Helkan Bahamut tried to invade.”

There was a tall wall was comprised of thorny vines entwinned tightly against each other. The vines made it impossible to see what was on the other side. The two sides of the wall were completely divided.

“The vines are a barrier to stave away the malice.”

Twenty powerful-looking elves were standing guard in front of the vines. They were tense as they turned to Ianna’s party and saluted them.

“Several dozen high elves must stay in this area at all times in order to maintain the fragment’s seal and the barrier. Ordinary elves are likewise unable to leave the forest because they too assist in maintaining them. The fragment is a fetter on our lives.”

The elves looked to Ianna and Arhad, who were standing behind Lumiere, with a strange light in their eyes as they mumbled amongst themselves.

“Will we finally be free?”

“What’s going to happen now?”

“Let’s trust our queen.”

Lumiere reached out toward the thorny vines.

Rumble rumble.

The vines began wriggling, as if they were alive, and scattered away from where her hand had touched them.

A path had been opened.

In a chapped voice, Lumiere said,

“Everything behind this barrier is under the fragment’s sphere of influence.”

She placed her hand on the vines and looked back. She continued,

“I will need to focus on maintaining the barrier so that none of the malice can seep outside. What will you do, Lady Ianna?”

“I will accompany Arhad.”

Lumiere smiled, as if she had expected Ianna’s answer, and gave Ianna and Arhad an upturned hourglass each. She continued,

“I will remove the seal once all the sand has run down.”

Arhad stepped inside the barrier first, and Ianna followed after him without a moment’s hesitation. Her breath caught as soon as she had stepped inside. Inside the barrier certainly felt different from outside.

“Please come back out once you have finished absorbing the fragment. I will not remove the barrier until you do.”

Lumiere bowed her head before them.

“I will leave this in your care.”

Rumble rumble.

The vines began stretching out before Lumiere’s bowed head. The thick vines twinned into each other and closed off the entrance.

Shhhh.

Arhad gauged the time as he watched the sand falling slowly down the hourglass as he reached out toward Ianna with his free hand.

“Let’s go.”

Ianna took his hand.

The forests around them gradually lost their light as they walked deeper inside. The once-fresh leaves withered and died away. Eventually, all they could see were withered leaves. Strangely shaped branches crisscrossed into the heavens like spiderwebs for a while, and even those were eventually reduced to rows of rotten trees.

Finally, the earth became barren and devoid of even a single weed, much less any trees. The ashen earth was cracked, like it was in the middle of a drought, and crumbled into fine powder as they walked.

The skies were dark even though they were hardly a single cloud to be seen. It was so dry that it was difficult to breathe. Was this what happened if all life was sucked away from a place? It reminded Ianna of the sky from when she had flown over the dragons’ barrier on Terranodin’s back. A crumbling world, and a sky of nothingness.

And her mood was fluctuating. Just like the time when she had been near the Demon’s heart inside Pandemonium.

“The fragment here is filled only with the most negative things,”

Arhad said to Ianna as she looked around. Ianna turned back to him, and Arhad continued,

“To be exact, this fragment is filled with the Demon’s memories of when he battled Roberstein and the emotions he felt back then.”

He looked a little nervous.

“I might turn a little strange once I absorb it.”

That was what had happened in his past life. Arhad had retrieved the fragment inside the Great Forest of Shaob while he had still been at war with Ianna, while he loved her but also despised her a little. He had started hating Ianna outright after being swept away by the Demon’s emotions. He continued,

“I’d wanted to absorb this particular fragment as slowly as possible because of this.”

Arhad squeezed Ianna’s hand in his.

“But don’t worry. I’ll be back to normal soon enough. It’ll only be a moment.”

Things were different now. He had been bewildered and had lost himself in the torrent of emotions that had heaped upon him back then, but now he was confident that he could suppress them now. After all, his beloved Ianna was right here with him.

“I’m not worried. Besides, I’ll simply bring you back to normal even if you do happen to lose yourself.”

“How?”

“It doesn’t matter how. Shall I give you a kiss?”

Arhad smirked.

“Sure. I’ll leave myself if your capable hands.”

“Please do. But anyway…”

Ianna had started questioning something as they spoke. She continued,

“Didn’t you say that you could only retrieve your memories after you absorbed the fragments?”

“I did.”

“I thought that you remembered so much about the Holy Age because you and the Bahamut imperial family had almost finished collecting all of the fragments. But if most of Roygen’s memories of battling Roberstein are here, in a fragment that hasn’t been absorbed yet, then how is it that you already remember these memories? And how do you already know that this particular fragment contains them?”

Arhad’s conscience stung, but he successfully concealed his uneasiness as he answered,

“I can recall bits and pieces of the Demon’s memories because I am the Demon.”

“I see.”

Ianna didn’t think much of it and simply accepted Arhad’s answer at its face because she acknowledged that there was much that she didn’t know about souls. She trusted Arhad at his word.

“…….”

Arhad felt incredibly guilty as Ianna gave him her innocent trust. The truth was that he had already obtained all of the Demon’s memories in his past life, but he had equivocated.

‘I can’t keep doing this. I don’t want to keep lying to Ianna.’

Arhad placed his hand over his eyes and looked forward again only after a chill had run down his spine.

“We’re here.”

Ianna looked forward as well.

The earth crumbled beneath their feet with every step. Even the ash-like earth was starting to extinguish into smoke every time it came into contact with the bottom of their shoes.

At the end of their gaze was a single large branch that had been stuck into the ground. The branch was rotten, and it emitted a strange aura like a heat haze that made them feel sluggish just by looking at it.

Arhad saw that time was almost up as he placed his hourglass on the ground.

“It’ll be soon.”

He slowly let go of Ianna’s hand.

Ianna watched as he took a deep breath.

Then, Arhad mumbled,

“It’s time.”

Shaaaaa!

Black smoke shot into the sky from the branch. The liberated fragment was blazing as it let out all the evil that had been crammed inside. Its eyes would have exploded had it been human.

Shaaa…….

The blackened soul quickly eroded the earth around it.

The forcefully created flow of mana disheveled Ianna’s hair and made it difficult to see. But she maintained her balance even atop the crumbling earth and never took her eyes off Arhad. Ianna’s perception jumbled into the astral plane as the soul before her eyes displayed its immense strength. It was almost like the physical and astral planes were overlapping.

The Demon’s soul was much blacker than what she had perceived with her physical vision. It was so black that it seemed like a blazing black flame. She felt like just touching it might drive her insane.

And Arhad was walking up to it. He took the form of a dragon who was blacker than even the fragment.

Shaaaaa!

The fragment grew even more erratic as it welcomed its master.

It was almost like it was screaming at him to hurry up and take it back.

Arhad stopped right in front of it.

“The soul of the lizard who was trapped inside the darkness was originally black,”

he said quietly just before he touched the fragment. He continued,

“But it was also gold, because he loved the sunlight that illuminated the moon inside the darkness.”

His gaze turned to Ianna. Dragon and man looked back at her as one.

“He was pure and could have become anything, but it was the gods who made him the Demon. He obsessed over the golden light, unable to return to what he once was, so the gods called him the Golden Demon and scorned him. Roberstein thrust the Demon completely inside the darkness, and that very darkness eventually brought about the End of the Holy Age.”

Stormily, Arhad continued,

“The Demon should have died back then. The darkness of the Holy Age, which he had absorbed, should have gone extinct alongside him. But he didn’t die, and my soul inherited all his karma.”

Arhad was staring directly into Ianna.

“I can suppress this darkness if it isn’t mine. But I choose instead to accept it all and turn it into my strength.”

Ianna did not look away from Arhad’s direct gaze.

“I will use all the strength that I have to create a world just for you. I will protect the world in which you live.”

Arhad smiled.

“Ianna, you’re……my guiding light.”

Arhad turned back around and looked directly ahead.

“I despised this karma once. But not anymore. This karma is one of the many things that support my present time with you. And moving forward, it will be the strength I can use to protect you.”

Arhad slowly reached out toward the black fragment.

“I suffered for countless months because of this karma, and perhaps I’ll continue to suffer because of it, but if that’s the price I must pay to obtain my light, then I’ll shoulder it until the day I die.”

He touched it.

Riiiing!

A sharp shrill shred through the heavens.

Shaaaaaa!

Crunch, crunch.

Countless veins turned red all across Arhad’s body. He began swallowing the gigantic soul whole.

Shaaa…….

It was finished.

The time it took to absorb his soul was short but intense.

“Hwooo…….”

Arhad sank down where he stood and took a deep breath.

Ianna silently continued watching over him.

His soul was very black as it reflected in her eyes. It was so dark and black that she felt like she was peering into a black swamp.

But she could also see a tiny golden light shining from within.

Ianna walked up to him. Arhad flinched and backed away.

His eyes were swirling with all sorts of emotions when their eyes met. Ianna was already familiar with them.

She felt like she had seen them before in the past……. She felt strange —as if his past and present selves were overlapping with each other.

“Wait. Don’t come any closer. I’m……a bit dangerous right now.”

Arhad tried to stay her, but Ianna bent down and embraced his blackness.

“You’re not dangerous. You have never been a danger to me.”

“…….”

“Didn’t you say that I was your light?”

“……You are.”

Arhad’s breathing was ragged as he hugged her back. Ianna squeezed him tighter. Ianna embraced that which was so precious and beloved to her as she observed the small light inside the black storm.

It was wavering precariously within the turbulent winds, but it was a powerful light that refused to extinguish.

……It was love.

Ianna was safe from any danger so long as she stayed by Arhad’s side because he loved her. Even now.

“You’re my light.”

He was her one and only refuge. Her night of peace. The moonlight that enshrouded her. Ianna continued,

“You’re my most precious light in the world.”

The light within the darkness grew stronger as if in response to her words.

Shaaaa…….

The divine power of nature that the fragment had been sucking in flowed into Arhad, who was now the fragment’s master. The mana rushed toward him as well, as if it was welcoming its master’s return. The winds of divine power and mana drew in all the malice that had been encroaching the surrounding area. All kinds of emotions jumbled into each other and dyed black, and, as usual, Arhad swallowed them whole.

‘How…?’

Ianna was currently inside the astral plane, and she could share some of Arhad’s emotions because she was in contact with his soul.

‘How does he manage to maintain his ability to reason inside all of these emotions?’

The dense emotions made her feel faint. Ianna herself had been seized by explosive emotions and had lost her ability to reason more than a few times in the past, but none of her emotions could even begin to compare to what Arhad was experiencing now.

She thought she might go insane. All of the emotions were so negative. And she understood that some of those emotions contained hatred that was directed to her —though she didn’t know if it was directed specifically to her or to Roberstein. The hatred targeted her and pricked her like needles.

‘Maybe it is directed toward me.’

If Arhad retained his memories and emotions from the past like Angelina had……. If Arhad’s completed soul had been ripped apart yet again as time was wound back……then it was entirely possible that the fragment resented her for having been so cruel to it.

But Ianna wasn’t shaken, and she hugged Arhad even tighter. She knew that a love brighter than the hatred lay deep inside his heart.

Her long hair swayed this way and that inside the storm. It sometimes wrapped around her and Arhad, and it sometimes fluttered like a flag. But Ianna wasn’t able to brush back the hair that was making her vision dizzy.

Arhad was squeezing her too tight as he hugged her back. Her body would have been crushed had she been any ordinary person.

But, while it was impossible for her to break free from Arhad’s embrace, Ianna never had the intention of doing so in the first place.

Ianna held Arhad close and steadied him like a rock as he floundered in the sea of his emotions. He may have to suffer this alone, but she didn’t want for him to have to take sole responsibility for everything too. She didn’t want to neglect him —not when he had been crushed by his emotions all alone for millennia.

She had accepted everything that Arhad was.

After all, she loved him.

And Ianna’s feelings were conveyed to Arhad.

How long had they been like this?

Curiously enough, the hatred began to fade away once they started sharing their feelings. And the light inside Arhad simultaneously grew brighter.

The dual-colored soul, both black and gold, gradually began to change. Light and darkness merged into one. The light turned the darkness into a background in which it could shine even brighter, and the darkness accepted the light.

Arhad’s altered soul was like the night sky itself. It felt mysterious, like the golden full moon glowing gently at the peak of the dark sky and the veil of sparkling stars surrounding it. Arhad’s new light was such a beautiful color.

Ianna watched over the beautiful change for a moment before she closed her eyes, unable to beat back the stirring of her heart.

They spent a long time together just like that.

The once-murky sky was now crystal-clear.

The sunlight started to reach the earth once more, and white clouds began rolling in from the distance. A clean breeze blew and wrapped itself around Phaemdra’s withered branch.

‘Is it over?’

Ianna blinked slowly.

She was forced out of the astral plane automatically as the soul’s influence retreated. She could not freely step inside it anymore.

“…….”

Ianna glanced at the man who was resting quietly inside her embrace. The inky blackness had disappeared. In her arms was Arhad in his normal human form.

‘Has he changed a bit?’

She might be mistaken, but she felt like his presence had grown stronger.

“Is it over?”

The strength left his arms as soon as the words had left her mouth. Ianna drew back a little to look down at him only to flinch.

Was it because he had been revitalized after recovering a fragment of his soul? He looked like his emotions were about to flare up and surge forth, like he was having great difficult reining them inside. Ianna grew embarrassed and quickly tried to brush down her disheveled hair when Arhad quietly said,

“Everything you said just now —it was all true, right?”

“Have I ever said anything to you that I didn’t mean?”

“No.”

“Then, why do you always keep doubting me?”

“It’s not your words that I doubt —it’s me. I wanted to confirm that I heard you properly, that I’m not dreaming.”

He was incorrigible.

But Ianna found herself incorrigible too, because she couldn’t help but think he was adorable. Was it because they were both incorrigible that they got along so well?

“So it’s all true, right?”

Arhad suddenly stole Ianna’s lips. Ianna stopped trying to brush her hair. Arhad continued,

“Why are you so endearing?”

Arhad had been at his wit’s end because he found Ianna so endearing as of late, and he did not bother to hide it. Ianna was in the middle of seeing new sides of him that she hadn’t been able to see before.

Calm composure, anxious obsession, and this foolish dumbness too. Were these the things that he had been working so hard to suppress all this time? Had he reached out to her only to bring his hand back down because he wanted to love her with all his heart but could not do so?

It was adorable. The word didn’t suit this large and chillingly handsome man at all, but Ianna still thought that he was so darn adorable.

She had used to wonder why on earth lovers would publicly display their affection on the streets, but now she understood that it just happened sometimes if you loved someone too much.

Not that she would ever do it herself, of course. She didn’t want anyone else to see this side of Arhad. She wanted to monopolize him.

Ianna stroked his hair without a word, and Arhad buried his face against her neck. The soft and moist touch and the ragged breathing she felt on her keen skin made Ianna even more sensitive. Why did he like to torture her so when he wasn’t even going to follow through with it?

“Ianna,”

Arhad brought his lips away from her neck and murmured while Ianna’s thoughts were veering off in the wrong direction entirely. He continued,

“I’m so happy that you came here with me instead of making me endure this alone.”

He swelled in pride as he recalled the emotions he had suffered just earlier. He loved her heart so much. It was thanks to her that even the hatred he had been suppressing had transformed into love. And he could feel it vividly.

And the change sent a shiver down his spine.

“And I love you all the more for it.”

Their eyes met. Ianna mumbled to herself.

The newfound darkness of his eyes was both provocative and exhilarating. She could not help but grow feverish.

He’s being so ardent, and yet he refuses to take me.

Does he intend to torture me?

Part 6

They returned to the wall of vines. The large vines shuddered and crumbled down once Arhad had knocked on them. The vines made quite the spectacle as they withdrew back into the ground from which they grew like time was turning back.

Lumiere looked exhausted.

“Good work. That was truly something else. It was so difficult to block.”

The nervous elves hesitantly placed their hands on their weapons as Lumiere carefully scrutinized Arhad. She continued,

“Are you all right?”

“Of course I am.”

Then, she turned to Ianna. Lumiere cheered up when Ianna nodded by Arhad’s side.

“And thus, we’ve finally concluded one of the elves’ divine mandates. I pray that this was all in accordance to God Laos’ will.”

The other elves began brightening up as well. Safeguarding the fragment had been the elves’ mission ever since their race was born. The fact that this mission had been concluded in their generation made them feel empty, and they were also afraid that they had been reckless in ending their god-given mission. But more than anything else, they felt relieved and refreshed.

Lumiere shared the sentiment, and she smiled as she said,

“I pray that you will not be swayed by the Demon’s power and that you will do much good for the world, Lord Arhad.”

Ianna thought,

This man is the Demon himself, Lumiere. But he’s Arhad now, and not the Demon, and the Demon’s power now belongs to him. There’s no way he’d be swayed by it.

But just then, Arhad abruptly said,

“Only if that’s what Ianna wants. You should be asking her.”

Lumiere realized that it was Ianna who was holding Arhad’s leash. He was almost like a puppy wagging his tail before his owner. If Arhad was a powerful, terrifying, and unpredictable dragon, then Ianna was the sole tamer capable of leashing and controlling him.

Lumiere had never imagined this could happen when she had first met Arhad. After all, he had been so bleak and cold.

Truly, the power of love was amazing.

“Then I will leave everything in your capable hands, Lady Ianna.”

Lumiere looked to the two of them warmly. Her gaze, filled with trust and delight, heated Ianna’s mien. Which was why Ianna replied,

“You also asked me to help restore the forest. Were you asking me to restore the forest here, where the Demon’s fragment was?”

“Yes. But I did not mean to ask you to do everything.”

Lumiere raised her slender hand. The wind curled around her finders for a while before it flowed down into the dead earth. She continued,

“The wind is blowing this way. It will take some time, but this place will return to its former glory one day under the providence of nature.”

It was as Lumiere had said. That which had been voraciously devouring life had disappeared. Nature was sending the winds, filled with pure life, in order to restore equilibrium. It was different from the unnatural flow that had resulted when life was being forcefully drained away.

Ianna suddenly grew curious. It was a question she had never thought of before.

Where did the divine power that maintained nature come from?

Did it come from Laos?

“We will plant new plants and tend to them. I was hoping to ask you to help us by secretly creating the foundation upon which we can restore the forest, Lady Ianna.”

But that would surely take a very long time. And why did it need to be a secret?

Lumiere had predicted Ianna’s questions and continued,

“It is not good for the world to know that miracles can be created by the sacrifice of one. It would make everyone start to depend on that one person whenever something difficult came up. I would ask you not to summon the spirit kings when people are watching, if at all possible.”

Ianna had concurred back when Saki had told her the same thing, as this was 100% true.

If the people ever learned that miracles could be man-made, then they would ask her to send the rain whenever there was a drought and to give them fertile soil whenever the earth was dry.

They would ask her to create a fire to warm up the air in cold winters, and they would ask her to send clean winds if the air was polluted.

By that point, she would no longer be a human but a god.

“The curse that Taylon Helkan Bahamut placed on the forest to prevent its restoration still remains, but Lord Arhad has promised to dispel it later. I’d like to ask for your help in restoring the region affected by the curse as well.”

Lumiere looked like she was on the verge of tears for some reason. Ianna firmly replied, “Very well,” to chase away the dark clouds.

They returned to the village.

“Elly, Nissi.”

The girl and the animal turned around when Ianna called out to them. Elly had been watering the plants with Finn, and Nissi had been gnawing at the grasses.

“Meow!”

Nissi ran up to Ianna. She avoided Arhad, perhaps because she was afraid of him, and clung to the outside of Ianna’s leg that was further away from him.

“Will the two of you come somewhere with me?”

“Where are we going?”

“To see the world tree. I want to ask if you the two of you have anything to do with God Laos,”

Ianna replied candidly as she studied Elly’s expression. Elly was composed.

“Okay. Let’s go.”

She didn’t seem surprised. Perhaps she was too young to understand just how incredible this all was.

“Meow,”

Nissi mewed gingerly.

Ianna, Arhad, Lumiere, Elly, and Nissi all went to visit Phaemdra.

“Lord Laos planted Phaemdra’s seed here in the East, and we elves have been tending to it with great care for millennia. Phaemdra finally woke up in my generation.”

They had finally reached the place after passing by several gigantic trees. They were several times larger than the trees at the center of the elven village.

Shhhhh…….

The branches and leaves swayed with the breeze. The brilliant light danced on the leaves like the most beautiful chandelier in the world. The wind made an unearthly, dream-like sound as it brushed past the branches. It was like mysterious song composed of hundreds and thousands of different notes tuned into one.

Countless leaves, each carrying its own power of nature, dangled from the thick branches, which themselves stretched out from a sturdy trunk.

‘It’s familiar.’

A strange sentiment washed over Ianna.

“Shall we go closer?”

Ianna hesitantly walked up and touched Phaemdra’s trunk.

Why was it?

It felt like the entire tree was swaying. Like it was waving at her in welcome and telling her to come closer.

The astral plane opened up to her again just then.

Phaemdra’s soul, the color of green and earth, was colossal. It was clear and cool, like a breezing zephyr, and it was soft and solid like gentle soil. It was clean and refreshing, like flowing water, and it was warm and cozy, like settled sunlight.

Ianna opened her mouth. But she didn’t express her thoughts aloud and instead conveyed them through their contact.

[Phaemdra.]

This was something she could only do inside the astral plane.

[……You know how to see the astral plane?]

She heard Phaemdra’s thoughts be conveyed to her through their souls. Phaemdra continued,

[Welcome, Ianna, my friend.]

Phaemdra did not call her by Roberstein’s name.

[This is my first time saying hello to you.]

[Why did you call me Ianna?]

Ianna asked, and Phaemdra’s branches wrapped themselves around her.

[Because you’re Ianna, and no one else,]

the tree answered articulately, as if it was only natural. Phaemdra continued,

[I’ve always been watching over you through my stump. When you were sad, when you were happy —always, always…….]

I see.

Phaemdra, Ianna’s friend and refuge, had always been silently watching over her, both in this life and her last. Ianna suddenly began to tear up.

[You’re amazing —not many beings know how to see the astral plane. Even Ro couldn’t do it.]

[Roberstein couldn’t see the astral plane?]

Now that Ianna thought about it, she had never seen the astral plane in Roberstein’s memories.

[Nope. You’ve managed to surpass even Roberstein in this aspect.]

[How is it possible for me to see the astral plane?]

[I hear that it’s sometimes possible, though highly unlikely, to see the astral plane when your spiritual power exceeds your physical power, when you’re using your spiritual powers, or when there’s something spiritual happening in front of you and your focus becomes transcendent.]

Ianna thought back to the first time she had been able to see the astral plane. It had been when she had touched the staff of the Temple of Jinzai —in other words, when she had made contact with Roberstein’s heart— and had fought Roberstein’s ego for dominance.

The second time had been when the fragment that Wiffheimer had possessed had moved, and the third had been when Arhad had absorbed a fragment.

Ianna thought she had a good idea about what this spiritual power or spiritual event that Phaemdra was referring to was.

[Hmmm, and as for now……you’ve seen the astral plane before, right, Ianna?]

[Yeah, thrice.]

[It’s easy to open the door to the astral plane after you’ve done it once. The reason why we’re able to talk like this right now is because your door got weaker and you met me —a powerful astral being.]

[An astral being?]

[A being that can maintain its ego without needing a physical body —one that exists completely inside the astral plane. There’s a limit to what I can do while borrowing a physical body. And my words can’t reach the physical plane.]

[But the spirits can talk just fine.]

[The spirits aren’t fully astral beings. The belong to the ‘spiritual plane,’ the stepping-stone between the astral plane and the physical plane.]

[Then, are there other astral beings besides you?]

[I told Roberstein about this before. It looks like you haven’t remembered all of her knowledge yet, right? There are. My children.]

Countless beings that were similar in color to Phaemdra shivered from around them as Phaemdra spoke. The tree continued,

[They can’t talk in the physical plane, but each and every plant has its own soul. They’re all my children. We live at the very bottom of the physical plane and grow flora to help maintain equilibrium.]

[Then, if a plant dies, does its soul die as well?]

[Hmm. Depending on the circumstances? We only die if we’re exhausted and aren’t able to maintain our egos anymore. It’s possible for us to die from shock when our physical bodies are completely extinguished, but we normally just fall asleep to recover our willpower. Once we wake up again, we settle into a newborn plant and help it grow. You can say we’re a bit like gardeners.]

Thank goodness.

[Do you understand what I am now? You’re quire scholarly.]

Phaemdra’s laughter sounded around her like leaves rustling in the wind. It continued,

[Only you and I can communicate with each other like this —is that okay with you?]

Of course Ianna was all right with it. After all, there were things that Ianna couldn’t ask aloud with everyone else present, things that she had meant to sneak back here alone to ask.

[There’s much I want to ask you.]

[I’m sure there is.]

First…….

[I came back in time. I’m living the same time once again.]

Ianna confessed to Phaemdra that she had been reborn.

She felt like it would be all right to tell Phaemdra.

[I know. I remember the past too.]

Ianna opened her eyes wide when she heard Phaemdra’s surprising reply. She had only wanted to ask if Phaemdra knew how this was possible, so this was an unexpected harvest.

[How are you able to remember it?]

[I wasn’t affected by the erasure of time.]

The erasure of time. The words felt strange to Ianna.

[What is the erasure of time? How did it happen?]

[There’s a place in the world called the ‘Akashic Records.’ It’s a place that records all the time that exists in the world.]

Ianna recalled the mysterious world she had found herself in right before she had gone to the Bahamut imperial palace. The chaotic world in which all time had been jumbled into each other. She had a feeling that this was the Akashic Records that Phaemdra was talking about. Phaemdra continued,

[One entire chunk of the records of time was erased from there.]

[How?]

[I don’t know. Arhad over there burned me to the ground before it happened. I either died or fell asleep —I don’t really know which— from the shock back then, so I don’t really remember much about what happened.]

To think that Arhad had committed such atrocity. Ianna resolved to make him apologize to Phaemdra someday after she had disclosed everything to him. Phaemdra continued,

[I only heard that time had been erased from Laos when he came to find me twenty years ago. He only told me briefly about the Akashic Records, so I don’t really know what kind of place it really is.]

[Then, do you know why you and I weren’t affected by the erasure of time?]

Even the spirits didn’t remember the past. So, why was it that she and Phaemdra could?

[I asked Laos, and he told me that it had to do with Roberstein’s heart, which my old body is sealing away. But he didn’t tell me the details, so I don’t know any more. You should ask that child yourself when you meet him.]

Ianna’s heart was racing. Gingerly, she asked,

[Do you know where Laos is?]

[I do……. But I can’t tell you.]

Phaemdra returned her the same exact answer that the dragons had. Ianna deflated, and Phaemdra quickly added,

[It’s because that child specifically asked me not to answer that question. He didn’t want me to tell anyone.]

[Then, can you tell me how Laos and I are related?]

[I can’t. He asked me not to say a word about that too.]

At this point, Ianna had a good idea about what Laos intended.

[Laos doesn’t want me to find him, right?]

[You’re right. That child didn’t want you to seek him out. He didn’t want you to know how you two were related either.]

[Why?]

[That’s something that the two of you will have to resolve privately. But I think that he’ll come to find you eventually. Will you wait for him?]

[Of course.]

Besides, what could she possibly even do if Laos refused to communicate with her? She had no choice but to wait. Ianna continued,

[Are you able to tell me how the girl and the cat behind me are related to Laos?]

[Hmm? Haha.]

Phaemdra laughed as if it had seen something rather amusing. Ianna turned around because she couldn’t understand why Phaemdra had reacted like that.

Behind her were Arhad, Lumiere, Elly, and Nissi in the physical plane. Arhad’s soul was the color of gold-tinted darkness, and Lumiere’s soul was like color of leaves basking under the sunlight.

Elly’s soul was an ordinary reddish brown. And Nissi……contrary to Ianna’s expectations, the cat’s soul wasn’t white. It was an unusual but pretty pink.

[Those two have a very deep connection with Laos,]

Phaemdra said quietly. It continued,

[But I can’t tell you what kind of connection that is.]

Ianna had figured as much. She resigned. Phaemdra continued,

[But I’ll at least tell you this. Those two also have a deep connection with you —‘Ianna.’]

‘But you can’t tell me how so, right?’

Ianna didn’t need to ask Phaemdra to know the answer to that question.

[Yeah.]

She actually felt a lot better after Phaemdra had confirmed her suspicions. Ianna decided to forget about finding Laos and determined to focus on her own work until he came to find her.

[Hmmm. I’m a bit drowsy.]

Phaemdra yawned. It continued,

[I’m sorry. My body hasn’t fully recovered quite yet.]

[By that, you mean…….]

[I was on the brink of death near the End of the Holy Age. I lost the will to live, and my soul flickered between being comatose and being dead. And I fell into the sleep of death just before the End happened.]

Ianna recalled the contents of the Black Prophet’s journal. There hadn’t actually been much that she had learned from it.

Most of it had already been repeated in the Holy Book, and a lot of it had been redacted. Only the small section that Pope Centir had pointed out to her had been helpful.

But Phaemdra was still comatose, and it was difficult for its dying body to maintain the seal.

At this rate, the seal would be shaken and possibly be undone.

…….

Burning it turned up a seed that carried Phaemdra’s soul within. He sent the seed over to where the cleanest winds blew.

[I really wanted to die back then, but I couldn’t because of the warm divine power somewhere inside my body and because of the elves’ tender care. Eventually, I figured that I must still have some duty to fulfil and found the will to live again, and I finally woke up. But my body’s still a little weak.]

[……You’ll keep on living, right?]

[Hmm?]

[You won’t die even if you don’t have any more duties to fulfil, right?]

She could not feel any thought coming from Phaemdra. Ianna’s nerves were about to stand on edge during that brief silence, but then Phaemdra slowly replied,

[Yeah. That’s the plan.]

[Why’s your recovery taking so long?]

[It’s because I don’t have enough divine power. I had a lot of divine power when I first grew up in this world with a body that was appropriate for my soul. It was possible for me to have a perfect body back then, but that isn’t possible anymore. It’ll take a very, very long time for my body to recover completely.]

[I’ll come find you and help whenever I have the time.]

[That’s all right. I’ll be happy if you come, but I know you’re busy. I’ll be fine as long as I don’t die. But more importantly, you’re planning to undo the seal on Roberstein’s heart, right?]

Ianna slowly nodded back. Phaemdra continued,

[In that case, you’ll have to bring my branch, vines, flower, and leaf to my roots in the Roberstein lands, and let me know when you do. My soul will need to be there with you when you undo the seal.]

Phaemdra told Ianna that it had two bodies: it’s current body, and the roots of its old body back in the Roberstein lands.

The body back in the Roberstein lands was just a soulless shell. Phaemdra had been with Ianna in the Roberstein lands back when she had still lived there, but it had transferred its soul over to this body after she had left.

[Is that everything you really wanted to talk about? I don’t think I’ll be able to talk for much longer right now because I’m too sleepy.]

[Okay.]

Ianna hadn’t found any answers, but she had found some clues and made some conclusions. She was satisfied with that.

Firmly, Ianna said,

[I’m so happy that you’re alive.]

[I’m happy too. You’re alive here, and so am I. Are you familiar with chapter 1 verse 1 of the Holy Book of Laos, by any chance?]

[I am.]

Phaemdra’s will became hazy, as if it was reminiscing about the distant past, when Ianna replied.

[That was Roberstein’s will, according to Laos. Ro was sad and sorry, and she blamed herself for breaking her promise to protect Roygen forever. She must have fallen into despair when I, her friend and the token of her promise, withered up and fell into a coma. I used to doubt my past actions when I thought about what she must have felt back then. Should I not have done that……? Something like that. But I don’t think that way anymore. After all, it’s what eventually led to your being born.]

Phaemdra was mumbling drowsily, as if it was intoxicated by a dream. It continued,

[I don’t want you to feel the things that Ro did back then, Ianna. I want you and Arhad to be happy. I will always be here praying for your happiness.]

Phaemdra’s consciousness was slowly growing fainter.

Perhaps that was why Ianna was cast out of the astral plane.

The world returned to the way it should be.

Ianna blinked and turned around. Everyone was staring at her.

“I’m sorry. That must have taken a while.”

Arhad asked,

“Were you in the astral plane, Ianna?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you what I discussed with Phaemdra later.”

Ianna felt bad because she felt like she had accidentally alienated Arhad. But they’d discuss later, so Ianna knelt down on one knee before Elly and Nissi instead. She continued,

“Elly, Nissi. I want to meet Laos. But I don’t think Laos wants to meet me.”

“…….”

“I’m going to wait for him. I’ll wait until he comes and finds me first. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.”

Ianna didn’t know how Elly and Nissi were related to Laos, but she was certain that her words would be conveyed to him nevertheless. Ianna continued,

“You guys should come closer to the world tree too.”

Ianna sent Elly and Nissi to Phaemdra.

Nissi mewed and scratched Phaemdra’s roots with her front paws. Phaemdra waved its branches at the cat like it was saying hello.

Then, Phaemdra waved its branches at Elly.

Shaaaa.

A heap of leaves fell on Elly’s head. Phaemdra seemed rather cross. Elly brushed off the pile of leaves on her head and spat out the leaves inside her mouth.

Ianna’s party returned to the village.

The elves had sensed the positive changes in the forest and were very excited. But, despite their excitement, they maintained their silence and kept to one corner of the village.

“What is it?”

Lumiere narrowed her eyes and looked to where the elves had gathered, only to be alarmed before she quickly made her way over. She asked,

“What brings you all the way out here?”

Ianna looked to the person whom Lumiere was addressing with such reverence in her voice.

It was a woman with green and brown hair that reached down to her waist. She seemed gentle, but she was also expressionless, as if she was devoid of any emotion.

The woman slowly sat up from the rock she had been sitting on. A clean wind lingered in the area.

She looked like the elves, and she looked like she was a part of the forest itself. She seemed gentle, but the overwhelming air about her and the reptilian slits of her pupils gave Ianna a good idea as to who she was.

“We have important guests over, so I came to greet them personally.”

Her vertical pupils turned to Ianna, pointed to Arhad, and finally lingered on Elly and Nissi. Lumiere introduced her.

“This is Lady Millanikonè, the Forest Dragon.”

This was the third dragon whom Ianna had met.

“It looks like you’ve safely finished absorbing the fragment.”

Millanikonè stopped staring at Elly and turned to look Arhad directly in the eyes. She continued,

“You haven’t been dyed in evil?”

“I’m not in a bad state.”

Millanikonè, who had been staring daggers into Arhad, slowly nodded back.

“Is that so? I’m glad we need not fight. In any event, I’d like for you to dispel Bahamut’s curse now —will that be possible?”

Originally, they had planned to come back and dispel Taylon’s curse at a later date after Lumiere had gone to Millanikonè’s lair to tell her the news, but it looked like they would be able to get it done as soon as today because Millanikonè had come to see them in person.

Elly and Nissi returned to where Finn and the elves were, and Ianna and Arhad followed Lumiere and Millanikonè back outside the village. A few more high elves were following after them.

“About a fifth of the Great Forest of Shaob was devastated when Taylon Helkan Bahamut and his army invaded. The entire forest would have been burnt to the ground had it not been for Lady Millanikonè.”

Each of the four corners was as large as the heart of the continent. The destruction that Taylon had caused was terrible, especially considering just how large the Great Forest of Shaob was.

“That young human was only barely weaker than me a decade or so ago. He simply decided to withdraw before we ended up destroying each other.”

Ianna grew nervous as she heard what Millanikonè had to say. If Taylon had been strong enough to threaten a dragon a decade ago, then just how powerful was he now?

“We’re here. Would you like to take a look around?”

Ianna’s mood dropped as she took Lumiere’s suggestion and slowly surveyed the forest.

There was an unpleasant aura of magic lingering in the forest. The sky was ashen, as if it was filled with dust, the plants had all withered, and the area was filled with monsters had that taken in the stench of evil.

It was likely the effects of a curse that had originated from a fragment of the Demon, considering that the forest was dying just like how the area under the fragment’s influence had been. But no, this almost felt even more vile than the fragment had. The fragment had been unconscious and had simply been draining life indiscriminately in order to maintain its existence, but Taylon’s magic was dreadfully faithful to its caster’s intent to actively destroy the forest and curse the life within.

“We are unable to dispel this wicked magic. We were able to erect a barrier with Lady Millanikonè’s help, but it isn’t perfect. His curse was only cast about a decade ago, but it’s managed to slowly kill off in real time the forest we elves have tended for millennia.”

The air around them felt worse the more they walked. It signaled that they were nearing the heart of the curse.

They eventually arrived at a large open field that was dead and black. The sky was dark and cut off the sunlight. It was most certainly daytime, but it was as dark as night.

Lumiere clenched her hands into fists in her fury.

“Taylon Helkan Bahamut invaded in the middle of the night while we were unaware. It was the day of the elven conference, and I, my family, and the other elven elders from our villages were gathered here to look up at the countless beautiful stars in the sky. But then, the field suddenly began burning black. A mountain of evil spells fell upon us before we could even react.”

Lumiere was pallid as she clutched her forehead. she continued,

“My beloved family, my precious friends, and my cherished subordinates —they all burned to death here. I can never forget it. I was the only one who survived that day.”

Small tears formed on Lumiere’s eyes.

“His magic covered the sky and stopped the heaven’s light from reaching the earth. He cast cold shadows over the earth and made everything wilt, drove out all life with a curse of illness, and made the monsters more ferocious with his terrible malice.”

She pointed up to the sky.

“I wish to restore this field to what it once was. I desperately wish for the starlight to reach this place once more, just as it had back then. I wish for everyone who died here that day to find repose. Please, help me.”

This was the wish carried within the star that Lumiere —Giselle— had drawn on her mask.

Ianna snuck a glance at Millanikonè.

“Even a dragon wasn’t able to dispel this?”

“The Bahamut imperial family is close to completing the Demon. We are no match for the Demon, who is the progenitor of all magic, so it has proven difficult to dispel.”

“Will you be able to do it, Arhad?”

“I won’t know until I try.”

Arhad stretched out his hand.

Mana began to swirl around his arm. Taylon’s spell clashed against Arhad’s control over mana. Arhad furrowed his brows as he followed the flow of magic and undid the arrangement of mana.

‘Taylon must have gathered a lot of fragments after searching through my memories of the past. And it looks like he’s made a lot of progress synchronizing with my fragments too. It might have been impossible for me to dispel this if I hadn’t absorbed the large fragment that was here first.’

The blood vessels on Arhad’s arm began bulging out. The bastard had realized that someone was dispelling his magic and was trying to assert his dominance here. The fact that the arrangement of magic was growing sturdier was proof of that.

Arhad’s battle for dominance against Taylon was so tight that he felt like this would take a very long time. And so, he decided to borrow Ianna’s help to catch the bastard off guard.

“Assist me, Ianna.”

“What should I do?”

“Put your hand on my arm and share your divine power with me.”

Ianna did as Arhad asked. Her fierce divine power surged as it poured into Arhad. Arhad sent all the crimson divine power he received straight into his fingertips, and he closed his hands into a fist once it was supersaturated.

Poow!

The crimson divine power mixed into the golden light of mana as it burst out. The light exploded.

“Ah!”

The explosion swept away the solid and sticky arrangement of magic and forced it to fall apart. Lumiere expressed her astonishment as she felt it happen.

The darkness withdrew from the sky, and sunlight kissed the earth once more.

“Phew.”

Arhad breathed out in good cheer as he pulled Ianna, who was still holding onto his arm, into his embrace.

He could do anything if he was with Ianna.

“Will Taylon come for us now that we’ve dispelled his magic?”

“His ego’s probably bruised, but likely not. The bastard has nothing to gain by coming here. And you and I are more than capable of fending him off as long as we’re together even if he does.”

Arhad assuaged Ianna’s worries first before he whispered,

“It’s your turn now.”

Ianna nodded.

She called forth all four spirits at once.

[Arghhh. What is this? I wanna go back.]

[The Demon! Is it the Demon?!]

[It hurts! It’s a fight!]

The spirits were startled and began writhing as soon as they were summoned. They weren’t unsummoned because Ianna was supplying them with a huge amount of divine power, but they were in distress. The nature that had assimilated with them became restless because of how agitated they were. Ianna just barely managed to calm them down, but they were still in distress.

[The mana here’s too dense…….]

[I can’t breathe.]

Arhad waved his hand. The mana was pushed aside, and his dominance over the area grew weaker. It was only then that the spirits breathed a sigh of relief and regained the composure to look around.

[Oh, this is the Great Forest of Shaob.]

[It’s a part of the forest that was destroyed by the Bahamut imperial family. We had no choice but to neglect it because there was nothing we could do.]

Shweia began fluttering his wings in discontent, and Ianna stroked them to soothe him.

“I want to restore this place. Will it be possible?”

[You’re going to help?!]

The spirits rushed into Ianna’s arms as they cried in delight.

[We can restore the foundations by using your divine power and our abilities. But it’ll take a lot of time and consume a lot of divine power to regrow all the flora. The area’s too vast, for one, and we’ll also have to pick out the seeds and trees to plant here.]

“We elves will take on the role of planting and cultivating new plants,”

Lumiere said earnestly. She continued,

“If you could just make it so that plants can grow on this land again…….”

[Right, this is elven territory! The elves can work together with us to help make the plants grow faster. In that case, Ianna, should we just restore the ruined land?]

Ianna gave the spirits a gentle push.

“Please do.”

[Okay!]

The spirits were in a great cheer as they melted into the nature.

It was not incorrect to call what happened next a cataclysmic change. The blackened earth was transformed into fertile soil that was rich with nutrients, and murky air became as a warm and clean spring breeze. White clouds gathered in the sky and sent rain down to the earth. And what traces of the evil magic that remained was cleansed by the fires of purification.

Giselle watched the entire process without missing a single thing.

‘I’ll be able to see the stars here tonight.’

Her eyes were brimming with tears.

Ianna went around and worked hard to restore several places that had been affected now that she had started. It would take a lot of time and effort, even for Ianna, because she needed to restore not just one location but an entire region.

There were many elven villages scattered throughout the Great Forest of Shaob. Many curious elves came out to see Ianna as she expanded the scope of her activities.

They didn’t know that it was the spirit kings themselves who were melted into the nature as they restored the land, but they did know that they were very high-ranking spirits. And the elves could not pinpoint who exactly had summoned the greater spirits because Ianna was traveling with Arhad, Lumiere, and Millanikonè. They were simply grateful all the same.

Thus, a day had passed.

Night had come to find them, and the moon and stars shined their light unto the earth.

Lumiere stopped Ianna from continuing to work because she was very obviously exhausted.

“This is enough.”

“But I haven’t managed to restore everything quite yet.”

“We elves can figure out the rest.”

“It will take too long with the elves’ power alone. We were planning to stay here for a few days anyway, so I will keep working to restore the forest in the meanwhile. Let’s call it a day for now and start again early tomorrow morning,”

Ianna said as she sent the spirits back.

“I am truly grateful you are willing to do this.”

Lumiere brought them back to the village. The elves’ eyes were shining warmly as they welcomed them back.

Lumiere guided Ianna’s party to their lodgings. She bowed her head in farewell at the door.

“Lady Ianna, Lord Arhad. Thank you so much, truly. I, Lumiere, will promise you my absolute cooperation in the future. I will stand with the two of you no matter what.”

Millanikonè, who had also accompanied them all day long and had watched as they worked to restore the forest, also bid them farewell.

“See you tomorrow.”

Ianna and Arhad had separate rooms.

They sat down at the living room table to share a warm cup of tea before they parted ways to sleep. Arhad stared quietly at Ianna for a while before he finally said,

“I think you should be king, no matter how much I think about it. Shall I proceed with that in mind moving forward?”

“What nonsense is this all of a sudden?”

“I’m not capable of giving my heart to others. And in turn, that will make it difficult for others to give their hearts to me. I could establish a country, but I’d still govern it with pure rationality in accordance to an extensive set of laws. But do you really think that would make for a good nation? Wouldn’t it be better if you ruled it instead?”

Arhad reached out and toyed with Ianna’s cheek as she remained silent, and he playfully continued,

“In that case, our relationship would be reversed. You’d be my liege.”

It was a tempting thought, but Ianna shook her head no.

“You’re the king here.”

Arhad was more suited to be king than any other.

Earning someone’s heart and governing others well were two separate issues. Ianna did not have the confidence to manage a country as well as Arhad could. Besides, there was something that she had realized as she assisted Arhad. Governing was not her role.

She would stand next to him, her king, and assist him by doing the things that he could not. That was enough for her.

“You’re my king.”

And more importantly, Ianna could not imagine Arhad as anything other than king. He had to be king. He was her king.

~~*~~

Part 7

Ianna worked hard to restore the forest the next day and then also the next day after that. The forest was growing greener by the day thanks to her efforts. The elves had already been strangely favorable to her to begin with, and their goodwill only grew stronger.

“What a remarkable human.”

“I’ve liked her ever since I first laid my eyes on her.”

Lumiere stopped accompanying Ianna once the forest’s restoration had made some progress because she had many orders to give to her people.

“How many more Demon’s fragments are left? Has Taylon made any movements yet……?”

“I’ll have to go look into that.”

Arhad was loath to part with Ianna, but he departed the forest ahead of her after a brief kiss. Now was not the time for leisure.

“…….”

Millanikonè, the Forest Dragon, quietly followed behind Ianna and watched as Ianna continued to restore the forest. Ianna turned to the dragon, who was expressionless day in and day out, and asked,

“There’s something I’ve been curious about.”

“What is it?”

“Do dragons not feel emotions?”

Every last dragon she had met had been expressionless, as if they were missing their emotions entirely. They each seemed to have slightly different temperaments, but she had hardly seen them express any emotion. It was to the point that Terranodin’s kicking out Absilot for being too loud seemed rather strange to her.

Millanikonè shook her head no.

“It’s not that we don’t feel any emotion at all. We are capable of feeling a faint sense of closeness to another. But we are unable to feel intense emotions. This is because we were born to prevent the collapse of the world, much like how the elven race was born to raise trees.”

Millanikonè tided Ianna’s disheveled hair —when had that happened?— with a gentle hand. She continued,

“We would not be able to fulfil our life’s mission if we were creatures as emotional as you. We would have died too early, driven insane by our near-eternal fetters, if we were.”

Ianna looked into Millanikonè’s dry eyes. She felt a bit of sorrow from them. The dragon brought down her hand, like a leaf was brushing past her, as if she had guessed at Ianna’s thoughts.

“There is no need to pity us. Our life’s mission is as natural to us as is breathing, and we are not bothered by our lack of emotion because it is only natural for us.”

“Lord Terranodin said that the world would stop collapsing once the Demon’s heart was destroyed. What will happen to you then?”

“I suppose we would be freed. We would be allowed to leave the four corners, and we would be allowed to multiply, as do the other races. I suppose we would also be allowed to roam the skies freely.”

Ianna tried to imagine the dragons soaring through the skies. It was scary, but it was an awesome scene nevertheless.

“Things would be a little noisy at first. You dragons are beings of legend. So many people were terrified and thought that the world was ending when there were rumors of a dragon showing up a while back.”

“The world ending? —how preposterous. We would maintain our neutrality even after we found freedom. After all, that is our life’s mission.”

It was fun talking to Millanikonè. Ianna was able to discuss things that she would not have been able to discuss had Arhad or Lumiere been present.

As if in passing, Ianna asked,

“Are you also unable to tell me anything about God Laos, Lady Millanikonè?”

“Indeed.”

“Then, are you able to tell me about the other dragons?”

Millanikonè fell into thought for a moment before she nodded.

“There is nothing I cannot tell you so long as it is allowed. What is it that you’re curious about?”

“How are dragons born? Did God Laos create you?”

“We were not created. We dragons are a part of Laos. We were born from his soul.”

Ianna became more certain about her theory that Laos was a dragon too.

“Laos is a dragon, isn’t he?”

“I cannot answer that, but you are free to assume.”

Millanikonè offhandedly passed over Ianna’s question.

“Kandemayon, the Chaos Dragon, was the first dragon to be born. Kandemayon is also on a different level from the rest of us dragons. We dragons of the four corners put Kandemayon on the same footing as Laos himself.”

Calmly, Millanikonè continued,

“We dragons of the four corners communicate with each other, but we know little about Kandemayon because the Chaos Dragon stopped talking to us after Laos hid himself from the world. But I will tell you that Kandemayon is a fearsome dragon.”

Millanikonè took in a breath of the forest.

“Kandemayon gives off not the fragrance of life, but the stench of death.”

Ianna immediately understood what Millanikonè was saying.

She recalled the unpleasantness she had felt when she had come across Kandemayon’s black scale in the Great Temple of Laos. It was an unpleasantness that destroyed all order and returned everything to nothingness……and pointed everything to death.

What kind of dragon was Kandemayon? Kandemayon was said to have black eyes and black scales —a bit like the Bahamut imperial family, perhaps?

“…….”

Millanikonè stared into Ianna as the latter imagined what Kandemayon must look like.

Phaemdra’s Prophecy was over.

This meant that the promised Revolution was soon to come.

The future depended on those who were to live it.

Quietly, Millanikonè said,

“The world will be overturned soon.”

Ianna’s gaze turned toward the dragon. Millanikonè continued,

“The world as you know it will be shaken, and an age where every law will be reversed is soon to come.”

What did the dragon mean? Did she mean that something would disturb the world order again like the monster waves had?

“It will be for the best that you are certain of the path you will walk before that time comes. For you will lose your way in the chaos if you are not.”

It was a dragon’s warning.

The change that was to come in the age that the dragon had referenced. Ianna’s instincts told her that it would be something much grander than the monster waves, which were a man-made phenomenon.

Nervously, Ianna asked,

“May I ask what you mean by that?”

Millanikonè smiled gently.

“I cannot tell you.”

Ianna swallowed back a sigh.

Ianna had finished everything she needed to do in the forest.

She visited Phaemdra one last time before she departed the Great Forest of Shaob. She hadn’t had much opportunity to speak with Phaemdra because the world tree was often asleep. And it wasn’t like the astral plane opened up for her every time they met, either.

[You’re here!]

But Phaemdra was awake today, and the astral plane opened. Ianna summoned the spirits.

[Phaemdra!]

[It’s been so long, you sleepyhead tree.]

The spirits babbled as they conversed with Phaemdra.

[I’m recovering faster because you guys are restoring the forest. And I’m sleeping less too. I’m sorry I’m always asleep when you visit, Ianna.]

Ianna could feel Phaemdra’s guilt. She shook her head no.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I’ll keep coming to visit you again.”

She placed her hand on Phaemdra’s body and transferred heaps of divine power from the sea inside her heart to it. She had since grown accustomed to the new amount of divine power she had after coming into contact with the third piece of Roberstein’s heart.

Phaemdra shook its branches, which were now fresh and green thanks to Ianna’s divine power.

[Thanks. Let’s talk a lot more the next time you visit!]

“Thank you!”

“Please come again!”

Ianna and the children departed the forest as the elves saw them off. Saki and Lindsay had decided to stay a little while longer with Vita to research herbs.

Finn sniffled,

“Thank you for bringing me here. This was the first time ever that I didn’t have to be mindful of the fact that I’m a half-elf.”

“Finn.”

Ianna sat down in front of the teary boy. She continued,

“I want to build a country where you can be open about the fact that you’re a half-elf, just like how you were able to do that here. There’ll be a lot of children like you from now on.”

There were many people who had distant ancestors of elven heritage, but half-elves were exceedingly rare because human and elven livelihoods were currently so starkly separated. But half-elves and other halves would become more common once all the races began living together.

“It’ll be awkward and uncomfortable at first, but I’m sure everyone will get used to it with time. I want for you to push through that awkwardness and help everyone else adjust, Finn.”

“I can help? How?”

“Don’t hide the fact that you’re a half. Introduce yourself honestly and be bold so that people come to think that your existence is only natural. Call the spirits whenever you want to. Don’t be afraid. My country and I will always protect you.”

Teardrops fell from Finn’s eyes.

“Those are all good things for me.”

He ran into Ianna’s arms. He continued,

“I want to get stronger —so strong that no one can touch me even if you’re not looking out for me, Miss. I wanna be good at the sword too.”

“I encourage you to learn how to defend yourself, but don’t force yourself to get stronger if it’s only because you’re scared. You can just do what you want to do.”

Ianna pat Finn across the back.

“…….”

Elly was watching over them contentedly from afar as she held Nissi in her arms.

~~*~~

It was summer.

The yellowish green new leaves that had grown in the spring were already dyed emerald. Arhad had left toward the end of spring, leaving his work to Ianna, only to return in early summer. He had gone to collect the fragments of the Demon that were scattered throughout the world.

“It won’t take long.”

Arhad handed a worried Ianna an organized document. It was filled with information pertaining to all current fragment owners. It was rather detailed, as Arhad had supplied the basic information such as the owners’ names and appearances and Eiji had sniffed out the rest of the information.

Ianna felt a moment of doubt wash over her.

Where had Arhad obtained these clues? Couldn’t Demon’s fragments only be felt from nearby? That was why Bahamut had spent centuries trying to find them.

But her doubts cleared away soon enough. Arhad was the Demon himself, so it was highly likely that he had some other means of easily finding the fragments, or perhaps he had found these valuable clues long ago.

Arhad had returned just as summer was growing hotter.

“Taylon already took over half of them.”

His expression was serious as he looked to Ianna. He continued,

“I did feel that the fragments of my soul started fusing together quickly a few years ago, but I didn’t think he’d managed to find this many.”

Ianna grew nervous.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“It’ll be all right. I still have the larger fragment by a significant margin. And that gap will only widen once I retrieve the fragments that remain.”

“Then you should get to it at once. We should hurry.”

“I gathered every fragment that was still out there in the world except for one —not including the fragments that Heinrich and Dorcianni possess, of course.”

“Except for one? Where is it?”

“In the Karankell Rocky Mountains to the South. Let’s go get it together, Ianna.”

Ianna was puzzled.

“The Karankell Rocky Mountains? Then why didn’t you retrieve it the last time we went?”

“It was the last fragment I wanted to retrieve.”

“Where in Karankell is it?”

“I think you already know. Roberstein’s sword pierced through the Demon’s heart. The last fragment is lingering around the fragment of the sword. It contains vivid memories of when he was stabbed and the sorrow he felt.”

“Oh…….”

Ianna recalled the first of Roberstein’s memories she had seen during her first visit to the South. She had seen Roberstein grow furious with Roygen when Arhad had burst open a monster’s heart.

Arhad had been afraid of Ianna finding out the truth back then. But now she understood why he had been so terrified.

Ianna also recalled the memories she had recollected when she had seen the sword fragment trust into the center of the dwarven cemetery. It was the memory of Roberstein apologizing as she stabbed the Demon in the heart. The Demon’s fragment containing memories of the same incident had apparently been lingering nearby.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

Ianna gingerly began to ask something she had been questioning ever since spring. She continued,

“Why did Taylon ignore the fragments in the East and South?”

It was strange. He had collected the other fragments just fine, so why hadn’t he touched the large fragment in the East and the fragment in the South?

“Either they were too difficult for him to collect, or he had some other schemes in mind.”

It was unlikely that Taylon, who had only been a little weaker than the dragons about a decade ago, would have abandoned the fragments just because they were too difficult to collect.

“Considering Taylon’s personality, do you think that he wanted you to grow as strong as himself before he defeated you?”

“It’s highly possible.”

Taylon hadn’t taken any measures even though he had probably known about Arhad’s existence for some time now. He and Arhad had encountered each other through a Gate when Ianna had invaded the Bahamut imperial castle, but he hadn’t tried to track Arhad down.

And he hadn’t reacted even though Arhad had been carefully exposing himself little by little all winter long and had been lowering his guard on purpose. And he had even kept his silence when Arhad had struggled against him to lift the curse on Shaob and had taken the fragment that had been sealed inside the forest.

It wasn’t difficult for Arhad to assume that the bastard was waiting for ‘something bigger.’

‘That’s probably his way of getting his greatest revenge against me. He probably means to wait until I have everything in my grasp before he kills me as miserably as possible.’

It was exactly what Arhad had done to Taylon in the past.

‘In that case, he’ll be setting down his traps as he sniffs out our location.’

It wasn’t difficult for Arhad to guess Taylon’s general intentions because he had done so much research on the bastard in the past in order to kill him. Taylon was likely being cautious in his want to overlay his humiliating defeat with victory. He would initiate small skirmishes, gauge his opponent’s situation, and carefully set his traps.

‘He’ll either enact his revenge when I’ve established my kingdom or when I’ve reached the Demon’s heart.’

Getting the time right would be half the battle. After all, that would allow them to prepare both an ironclad defense against the bastard’s surprise attack and a fatal countermeasure.

The problem, were the ‘variables’ of this life.

The bastard had secrets that Arhad had no way of uncovering. When had he gained Arhad’s memories of the past, which memories did he have, what sort of advantages had the memories given him, and how much stronger was he now?

And, what was ‘Bahamut’s’ true identity?

The bastards looked like human beings, but they were fundamentally different from the average human. Arhad was aware of this fact because he had inherited half their blood, but he hadn’t been able to learn the secrets behind their birth because he had always been at odds with Bahamut.

He could not get an accurate grasp on how strong Taylon was because of these variables. He had generally felt that they were about evenly matched, but it was entirely possible that Taylon was hiding his true strength. They could not be hasty in starting a full-scale war against Taylon just yet.

‘But the variables work in our favor too.’

Arhad possessed all of his memories, for one, and more importantly, there existed the variable called ‘Ianna.’ Arhad had monopolized all of his memories about Ianna in his past life, and Ianna had matured significantly in comparison to the past and now stood by his side. So, Taylon was surely just as bewildered as he was.

‘These variables will decide the victory.’

Arhad broke free from his thoughts as he looked to Ianna. Her eyes were glistening with her adamantine trust in him. Arhad smiled as he pushed aside the gravity of the situation.

“We can be certain that he’ll stay quiet until we establish our kingdom. We should just focus on our work until then.”

“Very well.”

Ianna agreed. If that was what Arhad said, then it surely must be so. But she would still do her best. Ianna tried to act as soon as she had made her resolve.

“Let’s go retrieve the fragment in Karankell right now.”

Arhad followed behind as Ianna grabbed him by the arm and pulled.

He had been more reluctant to retrieve the fragment in the South than he had been to retrieve the fragment in the East.

But now, he had found the courage.

Getting to the Karankell Rocky Mountains was quite simple. All they had to do was cross the long-distance Gate that Arhad had completed.

Ianna and Arhad crossed the Gate into Karankell.

“Hey! It’s Lady Ianna!”

“Hello!”

It was rather boisterous around the Gate, the center of cultural exchange. The dwarves welcomed them cheerfully when they saw them.

Chendelf guided them to the dwarven cemetery once again.

“Let’s go!”

Chendelf was still as terrified of Arhad as ever, but he didn’t dread Arhad as much as he used to. The fact that Arhad would be king in the country where the dwarves were to live and the fact that he was rather docile when he was with Ianna played a part in it, but more importantly…….

‘Something’s changed.’

Chendelf snuck a glance at Arhad.

Why was it? The darkness lurking inside Arhad no longer felt dreadful.

They reached the cemetery using the same exact path that Ianna had taken last time. Chendelf decided to wait by the tunnel that led into the cemetery.

The cemetery looked exactly the same as it had a few years prior, as if time had stopped inside it.

Badump, badump…….

Ianna’s heart raced as if it was resonating with the sword fragment standing at the center of the crater-like basin. She took hold of Arhad’s hand as he stared at the sword fragment in the distance and pulled him toward it.

The astral plane opened as she approached the sword fragment and overlapped with the physical plane. Ianna was standing at the boundary between the astral and physical planes.

She could now see things that she hadn’t seen before. A fragment of a black soul was circling around the sword fragment. The Demon could not leave Roberstein even after she had stabbed him in the heart.

“Roberstein felt sorry for Roygen.”

“I know.”

“She loved him even in that very moment.”

Arhad’s gaze turned to Ianna as she spoke. Ianna continued,

“I don’t know why she thought she had to kill Roygen yet because I haven’t completed her memories. But I’m certain of the fact that she loved Roygen even as she killed him.”

“…….”

Arhad reached out and touched the ghostly flame. The fragment convulsed and began absorbing into his hand. The retrieval process was rather simple.

Arhad took a deep breath as he organized the emotions and memories that flooded into him.

“Roygen resented Roberstein.”

“I know.”

“But he felt sorrow when he watched her cry.”

“Why……?”

It was the last thing Roygen had ever said.

Why are you crying?

These were the final words that he had been unable to say.

I was wrong. Don’t cry.

It was the last thought he had ever experienced while he was still conscious.

“The Demon resigned himself to his fate, regretted his actions, and accepted his death. He should have died back then. But he was ultimately unable to die, and he was trapped underground for an unfathomable stretch of time. He was buried for so long that he would have rather been dead, and he forgot his brief resignation and began ruminating over his incredible hatred and affection instead. And that’s how I was born.”

Ianna’s heart stirred as Arhad told his tale. She almost wanted to cry. Arhad continued,

“Roygen both loved and hated Roberstein, but I’m only grateful to her. It was because that woman killed him that I was able to meet you.”

Arhad pulled Ianna into his arms like he was embracing the most precious treasure in the world.

“I’m going to keep doing my best to protect the future that I can share with you. Things won’t end up the way they did back during the Holy Age. I’m going to kill off all my greed and stubbornness and match your pace.”

But Arhad was matching Ianna’s pace already.

“No. I wish you would be more human and greedier.”

“But I already am?”

“I mean that I want you to live your own life as well.”

“You are my life.”

Ianna simply hugged Arhad back because she didn’t think he’d return a different answer no matter what she said.

“But that’s not the only reason why I’m matching your pace,”

Arhad said playfully as Ianna quietly remained inside his arms. He continued,

“You’re a lot younger than I am.”

Ianna hardly ever felt the difference, but Arhad was technically five years her elder. There was nothing he could say in his own defense if someone called him a cradle snatcher.

Ianna recoiled as she thought about the recent past. Arhad always caved to her wishes, like an old man who had already seen his fair share of the world, no matter how stubborn she was being.

‘Surely this can’t be the reason why he refuses to sleep with me, right?’

Ianna was about to protest, I’m technically older than you, so why are you matching my pace? in her disgruntlement, but then she realized that her thoughts had veered off in a strange direction and clamped her mouth shut.

Her wandering thoughts came back to reason, and a work-related question came to mind once she had pushed her personal thoughts aside.

“Regarding the Demon’s heart…”

“Hmm?”

“Wasn’t the Bahamut imperial family’s goal to complete the Demon? Are they also after the Demon’s heart?”

“They are.”

“How do they plan to obtain the Demon’s heart? You’re already the master of both the heart and soul.”

“They’ll try to claim ownership over it, or at least share it.”

Two hearts needed to belong to the same soul before they could share with each other. Arhad had been able to connect the Demon’s heart to his own without needing any special magic because the Demon’s heart already belonged to his soul.

But magic could make the impossible possible. Heart Sharing magic could force two hearts belonging to two different souls into connecting to each other. Wiffheimer would have given his magnum opus, the Heart Sharing spell, to the Bahamut imperial family, and Taylon would be able to connect the Demon’s heart to his own if he ever encountered it in person.

“He might be able to own the heart too. Hearts from the Holy Age are capable of change, unlike human hearts, which have a fixed form. He could probably even transplant it inside his own body.”

“I see. Then, what happens if Taylon owns or shares the Demon’s heart?”

“The Demon will be split in half between him and me.”

It sounded rather frightening for some reason. Arhad continued,

“I technically own the fragments of my soul that aren’t currently in my possession, but they’re also distinct from me. To illustrate, they’re like locked objects that I dropped on the side of the road while I was still the Demon. The heart is the key.”

Taylon would essentially be obtaining the key if he obtained the heart, so he could freely use the memories and emotions recorded inside the soul as if it was his own.

“But the problem isn’t the Demon’s memories or emotions. The Demon’s fragment that Taylon owns will awaken its ego if Taylon manages to own or share the heart. In other words, two souls —the Demon’s soul and Taylon’s— will begin to clash inside his body.”

If two souls with completely different egos existed inside of one body, then they would battle against each other endlessly in order to take the initiative. Ultimately, one would be crushed completely.

But, what if the two souls had similar temperaments and were evenly matched?

“Take Saki Celtz for example. She’s so pious in the faith for Laos that her own soul and divine power was dyed white. If Saki were to obtain Laos soul, then she’d feel the difference between her soul and his at first, but that sense of difference would smooth over quickly and she’d be able to wield his powers while maintaining a balance between their souls.”

Taylon had assimilated almost completely with the Demon. It was possible that he’d feel like something was off when his Demon’s fragment first awoke its ego. But his soul and the Demon’s would eventually connect so closely as they shared memories and emotions between them, and it would grow harder and harder to distinguish between them. In essence, Taylon would become the Demon himself.

And so, the Demon would end up being split between Arhad and Taylon.

“I say this, but I’m only guessing. I’m not aware of every truth in the world, so it’s still possible that I’m wrong.”

Ianna grew anxious as she listened to Arhad’s explanation and asked,

“What if Taylon has already started sharing with the Demon’s heart?”

“He hasn’t. I would have felt it if that was the case. In any event, it’s impossible for anyone to connect to the Demon’s heart with ‘magic’ because the Roberstein’s sword, which exerts an absolute dominance over the space it takes up, is stuck through it and it’s inside Pandemonium, which has the characteristic of preventing anyone from handling magic inside it. Besides, the dragons would never allow him inside Pandemonium in the first place.”

“What happens if we destroy the Demon’s heart before Taylon has the chance to obtain it?”

Arhad placed his hand over the left side of his chest.

“Then it’ll be forever impossible for him to completely become the Demon unless he somehow manages to share my heart.”

Ianna pressed,

“Would it be all right for us to destroy the heart before you gather all of the fragments?”

“There……wouldn’t be anything stopping us from doing that.”

Arhad was about to say that there were reasons not to but changed his mind as a certain thought flashed across his head.

‘It would have been inadvisable in the past, but it doesn’t matter now.’

He would lose all means of obtaining the Demon’s knowledge if he destroyed the Demon’s heart preemptively. But Arhad had already replicated all of the Demon’s knowledge and retained everything.

Arhad had been a bit hesitant in his answer, but Ianna brightened up because Arhad had ultimately said that it would be fine.

“Then, let’s do that. Let’s destroy the Demon’s heart as quickly as possible.”

Arhad pointed out the reality of the situation.

“You need to be able to draw Roberstein’s sword for that.”

“I will work hard to become stronger as quickly as possible.”

Ianna decided that she wanted to go and at least touch Titanus, Phaemdra’s leaf, in the West even if she couldn’t bring it back with her immediately. She had adjusted to the amount of divine power produced by coming into contact with the third piece of Roberstein’s heart, and now it was time to come into contact with the fourth.

“Work hard.”

Even Arhad agreed that Ianna’s proposal was their best option.

“And Ianna…”

Firmly, he continued,

“I’m going to grow stronger.”

“You state the obvious.”

“To do that, I plan on accepting all that the Demon was instead of suppressing his power like I have been, like I told you back in the Great Forest of Shaob.”

“Then, until now……?”

“I’ve been suppressing most of it because I was afraid that the Demon’s memories and emotions would swallow me whole.”

Ianna accepted Roberstein’s memories and let them flow into the past as she inherited the crimson god’s knowledge and skills. She simply passed over the memories and thought, Right, that happened once. Now, it was Arhad’s turn to do the same.

He had ascertained it while retrieving the fragments in the Great Forest of Shaob and the Karankell Rocky Mountains. He would never find himself devoured by the Demon so long as Ianna loved him. As long as Ianna loved him, he could be the night sky instead of Abaddon.

“I’m going to start assertively using the Demon’s powers now.”

Ianna fell into a crisis. She had already been picking out the most useful parts of Roberstein’s knowledge and accepting them into herself. It shocked her to learn that Arhad hadn’t been doing the same. And, now that she thought about it, Arhad never really used mana while they sparred either.

Ianna clenched her hands into tight fists and resolved to work even harder. Then, she suddenly had another thought and gingerly asked,

“What will you do about the fragments in Lord Heinrich’s and Dorcianni’s possession?”

“The only way to retrieve a fragment in another’s possession is to kill them. But there’s another option now. Not that I like it, for the record.”

Ianna immediately knew what that other option was.

“My power.”

“Yes. You’ll have to consume a vast amount of divine power because it would go against the natural course of things where they would ‘have to die.’ But you’ll have to use your power if you want them to survive.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.”

She had disliked Dorcianni at first. But she didn’t despise the archmage as much as she had used to because Dorcianni was working hard to help establish their country. And she needn’t even say anything about Heinrich. Especially considering that this affected Herrace too.

“In that case, you’ll have to grow more accustomed to using your power. You should start practicing using it on small things first and work your way up. But, make sure you only practice when I’m here with you. Please.”

I’m begging you, he added. Ianna kicked at the ground because her conscience prickled.

“I understand. I promise.”

“Your power is a secret weapon that Taylon would never be able to even dream about, so let’s work hard on it.”

Ianna’s motivation surged as Arhad said that.

“But…….”

Ianna suddenly formed a new doubt. She continued,

“The Demon didn’t have a power, right?”

The Demon didn’t have a special power of his own in Roberstein’s memories. But that had never been a detriment to him. After all, magic was a great power in and of itself.

“He didn’t. Why do you ask?”

“What was the ability you used back when I first tried to activate my power? —that is, when you restored my arm?”

Arhad hesitated. Ianna continued,

“It wasn’t the spirits’ powers. Was it a type of divine art that recovers the body?”

There was an unreadable light in Arhad’s eyes as he watched Ianna wracking through her memories. His emotions eventually settled like the calm surface of a lake upon which no winds blew.

“Guess.”

Arhad flashed a grin. He continued,

“It’s your homework.”

Ianna tilted her head to the side.

“Why homework? Can’t you just tell me?”

“I’d like you to find the answer yourself. Or what —do you not have the confidence to find it?”

A bit of obstinacy and pride surged up from within Ianna.

“Isn’t the question too vague?”

“It is, but it’s not like you don’t have enough clues to figure it out. But I’ll tell you eventually, depending on how you do, if it stumps you for too long.”

Arhad then fanned the flames of her competitiveness when she still looked dissatisfied. He continued,

“Then, shall we make a bet?”

“What kind of bet?”

“A bet on whether you’ll be able to figure it out or not. The winner will have to grant to one of the loser’s wishes.”

Why the winner specifically? They already granted to each other’s wishes anyway, so the reward had no meaning. But the focus was on the bet itself.

Ianna began to blaze.

“I’ll figure it out without fail.”

~~*~~

Part 8

Midsummer.

“It’s been a while.”

Rikijen had finished wrapping up his life in Roanne and had moved to Semastair.

“I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Rikijen had matured a lot in half a year. He was the same age as Ianna, and Ianna had grown up together with him for three years since they were both sixteen. Ianna’s development had slowed down and she had hardly changed at all, but, on the other hand, Rikijen had grown so much that it was almost like something had pulled him up by the head and stretched him out.

The sharp and sensitive air about him had mellowed after the fall the House Owen, but he still carried himself in a way that made him difficult to approach. He was equipped with an intelligent and mature appearance and armed with his ample knowledge, and he had grown more adept in his businesslike expressions and speaking skills.

“Did you study a lot?”

“Of course. I thought my brain might burst into flames.”

Rikijen didn’t always exhibit his business skills when he was with Arhad or Ianna. He continued,

“I’d like to start working at once.”

“Without any rest?”

“I came here running because I wanted to work —why would I rest?”

His were welcomed words, as there were mountains of work to do.

Upon Arhad’s orders, Rikijen went on a week-long tour of the East after one day of rest. He had already familiarized himself with all the data pertaining to the East before his arrival, but it would be different to see everything with his own eyes.

“I was surprised because everything changed so drastically. It’s a good thing I took the time to see it for myself.”

Rikijen had been startled. He had visited the East with Arhad before in the past, but the region was so starkly different now.

He threw himself into his work as soon as he had returned from his tour. He could have started working in a high position right off the bat as Arhad’s support, but Rikijen wanted to work his way up from the very bottom. He asserted that he had to learn everything from the bottom up if he wanted to be able to lead the organization well once he became a high-ranking government official.

He began taking the initiative to take on a lot of work after a brief period of adjustment. He had amazing focus, which was befitting of the study bug who had spent so much of his life holed up inside the Institution library.

Political research, legislation, approving budget proposals from all across the region —Rikijen wasn’t picky about what fields he worked in. They were all things that required overtaxing the brain, but nothing was too difficult for Rikijen because he was not only highly intelligent but had also been educated thoroughly, and given practical experience, by Arhad. He was practically a one-man army.

The people working with Rikijen could have taken advantage of him, because he had appeared out of the blue, but they did not. Not only was he a good friend of Ianna and Arhad’s, but he was so good at his work that no one could find fault with him. They simply wagged their tongues and asked where on earth he had come from.

“It’s fun,”

Rikijen replied when Ianna asked him if work wasn’t too hard on him. He continued,

“It’s proof that there’s use for everything I’ve studied until now. Besides, it’s not unrelated to me either —I’m helping build the foundations of the country that I’ll be living in, no? I really like this kind of work. I feel rewarded for doing it.”

Rikijen had laid down his grudges and was looking only to the future. The young and capable elite wanted to make his country the greatest nation in the world. He wanted to create a strong rule of law that would treat everyone equally, and he wanted to create a society that would bring warmth to the weak.

Ianna and Arhad had promised to give him the power to change the world as he so wished.

“I’m going to work hard to create a better future instead of simply being satisfied by the status quo.”

Ianna saw a future workaholic in Rikijen.

The country began taking shape now that Rikijen, a core member of the talent that Arhad had gathered, and other talented individuals from the mythical races brought their heads together.

All of the mythical races had joined them by now.

Once ruined cities were reborn, and they developed with blinding speed. The elves from the forest worked with Lindsay to cultivate plants that were suitable for the area, the construction workers and the beastmen paved new roads or build new buildings and castles, and the dwarves and any skilled craftsmen decorated the city with their gorgeous techniques or worked to create a defense system.

“Are you done?!”

“What are you barking about? Go back to the boondocks you came from!”

Of course, there were also disputes.

Humans and beastmen, beastmen and dwarves, humans and elves. No race was exempt from the bickering. Dozens of quarrels broke out by the day and kept the police force busy.

“Kuhn Lindell —one hundred hours of unpaid construction work and thirty hours of education.”

“Siadelphi —sixty hours of unpaid labor in the iron mines.”

“Konya Lion —fifty hours of community service and a fine of seventy-four gold.”

The judges, who determined right from wrong, were especially heavy on quarrels that stemmed from racial discrimination as they worked to straighten out Semastair’s justice.

The punishments were moderate and, in accordance with the law, ranged from unpaid labor, community service in the offended race’s community, a thorough education, and fines.

The punishments were more severe for serious crimes. Execution and banishment were reserved for only the heaviest sentences, and most serious crimes were punished with floggings. It was both a humiliating and terribly painful punishment where a trained warrior would mercilessly beat your bare behind with a club.

There was always a doctor stationed nearby, but criminals would be treated only if they were about to die and would be sent back to complete their sentence once they were treated.

“Arrrgh!”

The first criminal, charged with abduction and confinement, was flogged in the city square to set an example. Crime dropped noticeably after he had wailed so loudly in the square that he had nearly shredded his throat and had passed out.

But rage that had been forcibly suppressed by the law could always ignore the law and erupt. Arhad rebuilt the arena, ‘Passio,’ that Ianna had once noted in her notebook as an outlet for that rage.

“It’s Passio! I’m going to be the first one to fight there.”

“Who’s up for a match with me?”

The beastmen were overjoyed to know that their culture had been acknowledged. Their competitive spirits were blazing because so many races were gathered together in one place, and Passio, their holy land of battle, continued its traditional legacy. They created a ranking system to keep track of who was the strongest person in the city.

Members of other races participated out of curiosity and fell for Passio’s charms.

“Come see me in Passio, you little bitch.”

People went to Passio if their moods soured to the point they felt the need to fight. Passio was the only place in Semastair where people could legally fight each other.

“Tada!”

Elly’s talents had begun blossoming in a completely random direction. She had begun creating useful tools that worked without mana and only in accordance to the laws of physics.

“Whose disciple are you?”

Taryll, who was a genius magical engineer skilled in both magic and science, showed a lot of interest in Elly.

“I’m Lord Heinrich’s disciple.”

“Why is a disciple of Mr. Heinrich creating things like these? You can already do everything with mana.”

“That’s true. But there are a lot of people in the world who can’t use mana, aren’t there? I want to create things that they can use comfortably even without mana stones.”

Taryll Cartner was deeply moved by Elly’s words.

Taryll had already finished drawing up detailed plans for constructing the cities, and it was other people who would be doing the actual construction, so she decided to assist Elly with her work. Elly was so sociable that she could even draw the most fastidious of mages over to her side.

Saiwè and Priscilla worked to advance the culture. Saiwè was in charge of literature, music, performance, and other similar fields, and Priscilla was in charge of fashion and accessories. Anything they created became the trend and swept through the city. And the trends naturally became as culture.

Even Priscilla’s family, who had been living in other countries, moved to the East. They were all very cheery and dexterous, just like Priscilla. Just one look at her family was enough to make it obvious how Priscilla had developed her personality.

And, just as summer ended and the clear winds of autumn began to blow.

Saiwè and Priscilla celebrated their wedding.

~~*~~

“Congratulations on your wedding.”

“Thank you, Little Ianna!”

The bride’s waiting room. Priscilla looked adorable and endearing in the white dress she had made for herself. She looked blissful as she hugged her bouquet in her arms.

“I was so surprised,”

Priscilla said as she pulled in Ianna, who was sitting next to her, into a hug. She continued,

“And here I’d thought that our liege would marry you as soon as he brought you here. We were planning to have our wedding after yours.”

“We thought about it, and we decided it would be best to have our own wedding on the day our kingdom is formally established.”

“That’s so meaningful. By the way, have you registered your marriage yet?”

Priscilla had registered her marriage early on. She had signed and stamped it as quickly as she could because she was afraid that someone might make passes at Saiwè if she waited too long. It had been for a trivial reason that she hadn’t told Ianna about it. It was because she hadn’t wanted to brag about her marriage when she knew that Ianna was anxious about her love life with Arhad.

“We haven’t.”

“Does he not want to make you officially his wife yet? But he’ll feel so much more relieved once he formally ties you down to him legally.”

“I’m sure he’s certain that I am his even without having to marry me.”

“My, oh my —but of course! Then again, I guess he has no reason to be anxious when he already ravages you every night and leaves traces of himself all over you.”

“……!”

“It’s not just once or twice that I’ve spied him looking at you with fire in his eyes like he wants to push you down right that instant. I almost thought you must be dying every night because he’s looking at you like that even after spending so many hot nights with you. But you like it, right? Our liege’s body must be as good as his face, so you must really like it, right?”

Ianna’s face flushed crimson as Priscilla poked her in the side while talking dirty. Priscilla gloated at first, thinking that Ianna was simply being embarrassed, until she realized that something was strange. She asked,

“……Did you guys not do it yet?”

Priscilla made a face when Ianna didn’t answer.

“My gosh! What’s he even doing when you’re so cute, lovely, and adorable, Little Ianna? H-he doesn’t —he doesn’t have any problems, does he?”

Ianna blocked Priscilla’s mouth.

“It’s not like that.”

“Then why?!”

“I don’t know either.”

“Ahhh! What do you mean you don’t know?”

Priscilla jumped up in her agitation before she sat back down. She continued,

“Tell your big sister the dating expert everything, Little Ianna. What’s going on?”

“It’s your wedding today…”

“My wedding will be fantastic no matter what —so spill. Do you want to see the bride faint from frustration on her own wedding? I’ll figure everything out for you, so just buy me something nice for my housewarming party later —now hurry up and tell me.”

“It just seems like he’s holding himself back, but I don’t know why. I haven’t asked him about it because he seems to have his reasons.”

“You should’ve asked him anyway.”

I know, right? Ianna wasn’t as embarrassed anymore as she had been in the spring, so why hadn’t she asked him yet? To be honest, she felt like she had grown accustomed to this ambiguous situation. Priscilla continued,

“Or, is it that you don’t want to do it yet, Little Ianna?”

“That’s not quite it…….”

“Enough. In that case, just pounce on him,”

Priscilla said calmly as she cut Ianna off. She continued,

“Just pounce on him, take your clothes off, and ask him if he doesn’t want to sleep with you. I’ll even give you and excuse. You can say that my wedding today provoked you.”

“That’s a bit…….”

“Hey! Why is my straightforward Little Ianna dawdling so much?! Fine, then. Tell him that you pounced on him because you wanted to. That way, he won’t be able to hold back from pouncing on you himself. I pushed my man down first myself.”

“I’ll figure things out on my own.”

Ianna did her best to calm Priscilla down. She took Ianna’s hand once she was calm.

“But at least ask him, Little Ianna. You’ll just keep feeling frustrated if you don’t know why he’s holding back. Why are you just letting yourself be frustrated?”

Ianna left the waiting room and met with Arhad once the ceremony was about to begin. She sat with Arhad, who was dressed in a suit for the occasion, near the front as she watched over the wedding.

“Woow!”

Priscilla, who looked so endearing you could practically smell the love she was exuding, deeply kissed Saiwè, who looked head over heels in love. They were the stars of the show today, and they were dreadfully deep in love. The people cheered and applauded loudly as they blessed the couple’s future.

“I’m throwing it now!”

Ianna felt like Priscilla had looked her in the eyes just before she threw her bouquet. It fell toward Ianna, as if Priscilla had aimed it there on purpose, and Ianna caught it in the heat of the moment. Priscilla winked when Ianna turned back to look at the bride. The people cheered yet again once they realized that it was Ianna who had caught the bouquet. Ianna awkwardly snuck a glance at Arhad before she could stop herself and ended up locking eyes with his wavering pupils. As always, he was flushing furiously.

“It’s not just once or twice that I’ve spied him looking at you with fire in his eyes like he wants to push you down right that instant.”

The question, which had become buried under the flow of time, reared its head once more.

But Ianna didn’t ask it.

Ianna hung up the bouquet so she could return it to Priscilla when it was dried once she had returned to her chambers and spent her time like she normally did. She spent the next day normally too, as well as the next day after that. She spent her day normally even after she had gifted the dried bouquet back to Priscilla and Priscilla had thrown a fit at her. And she spent the next day after that normally too.

As normal, she was sitting next to Arhad after dinner as they shared a drink. It was perfectly normal, except for the fact that Arhad, who had been refraining from touching her for a few days, suddenly came in for a kiss.

“Mmph.”

It was truly perfectly normal, except for the fact that Ianna blinked and then suddenly pulled Arhad in by the hair and began kissing him back like she meant to devour him whole.

Arhad parted his lips in the confusion of the moment when Ianna suddenly pulled his hair, and Ianna took the chance to pry her way inside and entangle her tongue thoroughly against his. His lips were moist with wine, and they were sweet. Ianna kissed him so ferociously that she stole away even the last drop of wine that had been lingering on his tongue.

And she wasn’t done yet. Ianna got up, grabbed Arhad by the shoulders, and pushed him. Arhad was forced onto his back, and Ianna placed her hand down next to his face and began kissing him like a wild beast.

She grabbed him by the collar and slowly began ripping away his clothes. His deep clavicle and firm chest were gradually exposed. Ianna began fingering the pendant necklace around Arhad’s neck once she could see it. It was the moon-shaped pendant that she had gifted to him once long ago.

Arhad had worn it every day since he had received it. He always kept it on his chest, as if it was the most precious object in the world. Ianna grabbed the necklace and pulled, as if the necklace was a collar and she was his master, and Arhad’s head was forced back.

Arhad’s gaze fell down to the buttons of his shirt, which were not completely undone, and climbed back up to Ianna, who was looking back at him without once closing her eyes.

Arhad’s eyes weren’t feverish. They were simply stilled.

Ianna parted her lips.

“Why are you holding back?”

she asked as if she was truly curious. She continued,

“Why won’t you sleep with me?”

It was such an easy question now that she had asked it.

Arhad wrapped his hands around Ianna’s face in the lieu of an answer.

“Ianna Rise.”

Ianna flinched as his melancholy whisper tickled her ear. Arhad continued,

“You’re my knight, my woman.”

Ianna always felt like she was plummeting whenever she heard him whisper like this —in a voice so quiet and raspy that it could extinguish at any moment.

“You are mine.”

Ianna had thought that his eyes weren’t feverish, but it was rather that they were so filled to the brim with desire that no heat managed to escape them. His clouded ability to reason was visible in his pupils. Arhad pulled Ianna in by the cheeks before she had the chance to reply and slowly brought his lips to hers.

The moistened flesh that swept past her teeth and the insides of her mouth wasn’t as hasty as it usually was. A strange thrill washed over her as he slowly slid down from the roof of her mouth all the way down to the base of her tongue as if he was savoring her.

One of his hands, which had used to be wrapped around her face, slid down to the nape of her neck, and the other slid down around her waist.

“……!”

And then, he suddenly tightened his grasp on her. His lips pressed against hers like he meant to devour them, and he hugged her so tightly she thought she might shatter as he lifted his upper body from the sofa.

Ianna found herself being suddenly forced back up. She was half-dragged backward until she suddenly felt a bed behind her knee. She collapsed onto the bed, which smelled gently of his chilly scent, as she lost her balance, and Arhad pressed over her firmly as he continued to kiss her.

Ianna couldn’t even close her eyes. All she could do was stare recklessly into the face of the man before her.

It was so erotic. She had no idea where on earth he had been hiding that attractive expression until now, but it was dying his aristocratic yet common features. His cool features were drenched with desire, and yet, quite to the contrary, there was something about it that was rather seductive. His charisma was rather destructive, especially because she knew that a love and desire deeper than the deepest Abaddon existed beneath his enticing visage.

“Ianna.”

The lips that had been kissing Ianna parted from her and graced her name. He continued,

“Ianna, Ianna…….”

His lips pressed against the tip of her chin, slid down the lines of her neck, and continued to leave a trail of tingling sensations as the continued traveling down. His heated breaths tickled her neck. His lips were dreadfully enticing as they drew her in and bit her.

His large hand, which used to only linger around the edges of her back or at her nape, held up her leg from behind the knee for a moment before sliding up to rest on the taut skin of her thigh.

Ianna swallowed back something lewd that was about to burst free from her as she wrapped her hands around Arhad’s head. It wasn’t his hands, arms, or face —his head, which she normally couldn’t reach, felt so unfamiliar to her touch. The way that their legs were twining as they lay down, the way that she could see the crown of his head below her face —it was all so new to her.

The sensations were so much more erotic than she had ever imagined, and it made all her hairs stand at edge. Shivers ran across her skin and her breathing grew ragged even though she wasn’t in a life-or-death situation.

“……!”

Her heart was racing.

It was because of the restless pair of lips that were resting on the left side of her chest —her restraints had all come undone at some point and her undergarments were peeking through.

Her heart was beating so hard she thought it might burst. It was thumping so ferociously that she thought it might actually touch her sternum. And its beating was conveyed directly to Arhad.

Smooch.

The moist and patient sounds of Arhad sucking in the skin above the left side of her chest and licking it resounded like thunder. Her heart felt like it was about to stop now. It was fluctuating between two extremes.

His lips remained on her chest for quite some time. Arhad squeezed Ianna’s thigh one last time before he got up just as Ianna thought he was about to let go.

“I’m begging you —stop provoking me.”

Contrary to his words, his face, which was practically melting in his burning passion, seemed to be desperately pleading something else. Like he was begging to have her. Ianna could not help but wonder what on earth the man was saying. His gaze was sticky as he looked down at Ianna, who was disheveled and flushed red, and his eyes stopped at the scattered marks on her neck.

“Sigh…….”

Arhad buried his face in his hands and rolled over in the bed. Ianna stared at the back of his black hair as he lay down with his back to her.

“I’ll never be able to stop once I finally have you,”

Arhad mumbled weakly before Ianna could ask him what he was doing. He continued,

“I’ll end up thinking about how much I want to have you all day long, and I’ll be unable to focus on my work. Work, Bahamut —I’ll want to push everything else aside because I’ll be too busy thinking about your body once I’ve slept with you.”

“How would that be any different from how you are now? You want me every day.”

“It’s different. I haven’t started seeking you out to strip you down yet.”

Ianna flipped over and leaned on her elbows as she rested her cheeks in her hands. Arhad continued,

“And I technically can’t imagine what it feels like to actually sleep with you because I haven’t even seen your body yet.”

Goodness.

Ianna had agonized over this question for roughly half a year, and the answer she finally found was rather comical.

“There’ll never be an end to it once I finally have you. But I can’t have you yet. I have too much work that I still need to do. Sigh……. I almost want to push aside building our country and what have you and drag you into the woods somewhere where we can live in seclusion, but I know I can’t do that. I shouldn’t. But, why can’t I? Can I really not?”

Ianna had never seen Arhad be so grave before. She watched in great fun as his craving surged up to the extreme without giving him any time to rest. He continued,

“I can’t. I really shouldn’t.”

“……Then…”

Arhad repeated to himself that he couldn’t and shouldn’t as if he was trying to steel himself, and Ianna posed him a question out of genuine curiosity. She continued,

“When are you planning to sleep with me?”

“Don’t say things like that. I might really stop caring about everything else.”

Can I not even ask?

Arhad stayed there with his shoulders heaving for some time as he composed himself before he finally turned around to look at Ianna. The fever in his eyes, as if he was looking at the most endearing thing in the world, made Ianna ticklish.

“Want me to tell you how I manage to endure it?”

She was curious. She had always thought this, but Arhad truly did have scary levels of endurance. He continued,

“I build up a wall, layer by layer, as if I’m trying to build an impregnable fortress. I pace my progress by choosing specific actions and setting specific time limits. It’s like how I decided that ‘I won’t say that I love you until you say it to me first.’ Right now, it’s ‘I’ll only hold back until the founding ceremony.’”

“Why the founding ceremony specifically?”

“Because I need to focus on building our country.”

“Then, what about after the founding ceremony?”

“I’ll sleep with you when I’m dying to. I might explode from frustration if I pull at my reins too tightly. But I’ll try to be moderate since we’ll still have to fight Bahamut. I suppose they’ll be the ones pulling at my reins even though I’ll want to sleep with you.”

“And what about after we’ve defeated Bahamut?”

“Do you really want to know?”

Ianna wondered if she had asked a pointless question when she saw the madness in his eyes for the first time in a long while, but there was also a part of her that was expectantly awaiting his answer. Arhad continued,

“You’ll be begging me for your life for the first time ever.”

“……You are such a fool.”

Ianna tried to sit up as her face flushed bright red.

But Arhad grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into his arms.

“You want me too, right, Ianna?”

“What do you think we were doing just now?”

Ianna chuckled, thinking that must be the strangest thing she had heard today, and Arhad squeezed her tight and smiled like he was empty and was starving, like he possessed the entire world and was satiated.

~~*~~

It was autumn, the once-green leaves were dyed in red and yellow.

It was impossible for disputes to disappear completely because so many different races were living in the same place, but the number of incidents had noticeably decreased. The law was impartial and did not discriminate between the races, thus allowing it to quickly resolve any disputes that arose, and religion also played a surprisingly large role.

All of the mythical races believed in Laos, and most humans also believed in Laos and followed the faith’s doctrine. The wariness between the races dissipated naturally as they prayed together in the large Temple of Laos that had been erected.

Besides, wasn’t it said that internal issues could be resolved by external ones? The people had no choice but to band together because there were always monsters lurking about awaiting their next delicious meal and Bahamut was howling at the entire world.

Military training was progressing smoothly as well.

Members of every mythical race joined the army voluntarily. The elves were skilled in archery and the spiritual arts, and the dwarves were sturdy and strong, making them adept at defensive arts and attacking with axes. Each subrace of the beastmen had their own unique quirks, but the beastmen were the best combatants overall.

Arhad organized the army and appointed commanders after consulting with Absilot, the chief of the beastmen, Lumiere, the queen of the elves, and Kanidelf, the representative of the dwarven warriors.

Then, the dwarves began crafting custom weapons for good warriors whom they had acknowledged. They had been terribly envious as they watched Chendelf forge Ianna’s sword and commune with her, and now it was finally their turn to shine.

And so, Arhad’s territory was creating the foundations of a country step by step. As for what was happening abroad?

Roanne and Bahamut were still at war. Bahamut invaded Roanne whenever Roanne was about to forget about the war, and Roanne always put up a thorough defense in response.

Ianna was receiving periodic letters about Roanne’s affairs from Angelina, and she was receiving reports about Bahamut from Karnitz.

According to Angelina, the lengthening war was difficult on the people of Roanne, but they were also devoting themselves to the war efforts in their desire to not be defeated.

Moreover, Schneider was growing stronger by the day. He had already grown blindingly strong after he had returned from killing the previous Bahamut emperor. Angelina was training with him, and she thought that he had grown even more impressive than before. Of note, he had even surpassed his teacher, Shingardra, when it came to defense magic. His power stemmed from the special qualifications that came from his being a spartoi and Guardian to Laos.

And Bahamut. According to Karnitz, Bahamut was focusing solely on her war against Roanne.

Or rather, she actually wasn’t focusing on the war in particular.

Shailince had waged the war as if she had truly meant to destroy the entire world. But ever since Taylon had returned, the imperial family had begun caring more about maintaining the tension of war and sending scouts to other countries to observe how they were doing instead of victory.

In addition, the imperial family had sequestered themselves in their own private space after ordering the army to invade only just enough that no one considered a ‘ceasefire.’ The knights, including Karnitz, had also been ordered to focus on their personal training.

Taylon Helkan Bahamut —what was the bastard planning?

~~*~~

Just as autumn was about to end.

Ianna was standing in the hot winds of the Girohai Desert. Titanus had once been the beastmen’s oasis, but now its facilities were empty save for the occasional sandy winds.

“Let’s go!”

Ianna followed Absilot’s lead as she slowly made her way to Mount Titanus, the heart of the oasis. She hadn’t felt anything too special from it when she had first seen it —was it because she now knew that a relic was hiding there? Her heart was racing now.

There were five rock towers standing around the mountain. They had looked small from afar, but they towered in their overwhelming stature from up close.

Absilot stepped inside the circle made by the five towers.

“It’s a barrier. No one can come inside without my permission.”

Ianna gingerly stepped forward. The barrier naturally allowed her inside without throwing her out because she had received Absilot’s permission.

They reached the mountain’s summit. There was an altar at the highest peak of the summit, and upon it rested a single large leaf that glittered with light. The altar looked like it was meant to keep the leaf from blowing away.

“Go ahead and touch it.”

Absilot crossed his arms and observed Ianna from afar.

Ianna was a little nervous as she reached out.

She touched the fourth seal on Roberstein’s heart —the leaf.

Buzzzzz!

It was the same as always. Heart and heart connected, and divine power flooded into her explosively. New memories and emotions supplemented what she already knew and rearranged themselves. The rampant emotions disturbed her soul.

Then, the astral plane opened up for her again.

Ianna sharpened her eyes and concentrated. She pushed and pulled against Roberstein’s ego until she made one final tug.

Ianna’s ego had won.

“Phewww.”

She sank down as she took a deep breath.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heart was racing, but she was all right. Her heart now readily accepted the divine power that flooded into her like a dam had burst, unlike what had happened the first time she had come into contact with a relic. And unlike the second time she had come into contact with a relic, she was easily able to emerge victorious in the tug-of-war of egos. Ianna was doing perfectly fine now, especially in comparison to her first two experiences. It simply meant that she had grown that much stronger.

“…….”

Ianna closed her eyes as she piled up Roberstein’s vast memories of the Holy Age inside her brain. She could not obtain all of Roberstein’s memories unless she retrieved the whole of the god’s heart. And the memories would gradually fade away the farther she was from the relic. Which was why Ianna used her outstanding memorization skills to summarize the contents of the memories and make them wholly hers.

Ianna rummaged through the new memories and emotions she had obtained. She had been supplemented with new memories that she hadn’t possessed before, and her once-jumbled memories gradually became organized and began putting themselves in order, but…….

Roberstein’s final memories were still missing, as if they had been cleanly cut out.

There was still an empty gap in her memories.

……And there was absolutely no information pertaining to Laos.

Ianna leaned her hand against the altar as she fell into thought.

‘I thought I would’ve seen them by now, but I haven’t.’

Laos didn’t want her to seek him out.

‘Did Laos do something to Roberstein’s memories?’

Perhaps he had done something so that Ianna could not obtain any of Roberstein’s memories that pertained to him.

She couldn’t explain how that was even possible, but she had no other explanation as for why she had absolutely no memories of Laos even though she had remembered most of everything else. But it was still too early to come to a conclusion.

‘There’s still the flower left.’

It was possible that the memories pertaining to Laos were inside the flower.

“Ya done?”

“Yes.”

Absilot walked up to her and pointed at the glittering leaf.

“Take it with ya.”

“May I?”

“Course ya can. No one needs Titanus’ power in the Desert no more.”

Absilot didn’t mind handing Titanus over to Ianna now because all of the beastmen who needed the leaf’s powers to survive in the Desert had moved and those who had decided to remain were those beastmen who had been suited to live in the deserts to begin with.

Ianna carefully picked up Phaemdra’s leaf.

It was the first relic she had obtained.

‘Things are proceeding smoothly.’

Saki had told her that she could borrow the Great Temple of Jinzai’s staff whenever she needed it. The pope of the Great Temple of Roanne, who had readily lent Ianna the Black Prophet’s journals, had also agreed to lend her the vines as long as she returned it after a few days. And now, Ianna was holding the leaf in her hands.

‘Is the Tower of Truth the only problem now?’

The flower, which the Tower of Truth was said to possess.

Ianna didn’t know what kind of organization the Tower of Truth was, but if it was a gathering of mages like Dorcianni…….

‘They might actually rip it out from its roots themselves just to give it to me.’

Ianna decided to stop worrying.

Part 9

“Congratulations,”

Arhad smiled and said when Ianna suddenly showed him a large leaf upon her return.

Ianna put it back inside her subspace because it made her nervous to have something so important out in the open. Arhad had Ianna sit down on the sofa, and then he sat down next to her and took her hand.

“I think my ego’s a little stronger than Roberstein’s now.”

It was something Ianna had felt as she retrieved the leaf. Her ego was stronger than Roberstein’s. It hadn’t been difficult for her to suppress Roberstein’s consciousness and let her flow into the past. Ianna continued,

“My swordplay too.”

She had made considerable success after working hard because she had felt threatened by Arhad. After rummaging through Roberstein’s memories, Ianna was certain that, at the very least, her swordplay was stronger than the god’s. Though she obviously still fell short when it came to controlling divine power or how much divine power she had.

“You’re doing well.”

Arhad found Ianna so lovely as she puffed up with pride that he couldn’t help but kiss her on the cheek.

Ianna’s heart tickled. Now she could feel Arhad’s love for her from not only his actions and expressions but also the light in his eyes, the temperature of his body, the tone of his voice —from his everything. Ianna leaned her head into his shoulder as if she hadn’t noticed.

“Things are going smoothly,”

Ianna said, but then she hesitated and gingerly continued,

“Aren’t things going a little too smoothly?”

She was starting to feel anxious.

Everything was going too smoothly.

Retrieving the Demon’s fragments, collecting Roberstein’s heart, and even establishing their country.

It was all the result of their hard work —they had been running around all over the place—, but things were going too smoothly even then. The world was like a set of scales, and everything came with a cost. If things were easy now, then didn’t that mean that there was dreadful hardship and adversity waiting for them in the future?

Arhad listened to Ianna’s worries.

“Your worries are valid.”

He opened his arms in her direction.

Ianna snuck a glance at his arms and fell into his embrace with practiced ease. He squeezed her tight.

“But all we have to do when the hard times come is to prepare thoroughly and emerge victorious. We can do it.”

“I’m sure we can.”

Her anxieties subsided somewhat as she listened to his calm voice while being held tightly in his warm embrace.

“I think things are going so smoothly right now because we’ve been working so hard. Or perhaps this is our reward because we faced too much hardships in our past lives.”

Is that how it is?

Ianna was about to be convinced as she recalled their past, but she exercised rigid control over her heart. She could not allow herself to be too optimistic and let down her guard. Arhad had only said that to soothe her worries. He was probably even more worried about the future than she was.

Only Bahamut could pose such a threat to them.

“I’m working hard.”

“Everyone in this castle knows that you’re working hard. Is your heart all right?”

“Of course it is.”

To think that there would come a day when Arhad was worried about Ianna’s heart.

Ianna periodically trained in using her power, but with every session she was made to realize that, unlike the gods’ hearts, human hearts were not made to grow accustomed to the rebound of using one’s power.

The gods’ hearts were fragments of ‘chaos,’ and, while they were usually transformed to best fit their respective bodies, they did not have a definite shape. They were both very malleable and powerful.

But human hearts were simple lumps of flesh. It hurt whenever Ianna used her power, like her heart was being ripped apart. It hurt even if she only used her power a little. And she could not grow accustomed to the pain. Rather, her heart screamed and begged her to stop every single time.

Arhad had even raised his voice and suggested they stopped the practice entirely because she had even vomited blood once. But Ianna absolutely refused to stop. The power of Judgment was her secret weapon, and it was also the only way for her to save her friends.

Aside from the pain, she did grow more skilled at using her power as a result of her efforts. She had even figured out how often she could use her power after consulting with Arhad and taking the pain and how long it took her to recover afterward into consideration.

If she was using only a little of her power, then she could use it once a week.

If she was using a lot of her power, then she could use it once a month.

And now, she was about to test her power’s ability to retrieve Demon’s fragments.

Arhad took Ianna’s hand and placed a thumb over her wrist. He could feel from her pulse that her heart was healthy and could easily withstand some pain.

“I wish you could live a comfortable and enjoyable life, so I’m a little sad that the circumstances don’t allow it. Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I am, truly. I’m not as weak as you are.”

“I know, but I still worry. It’s difficult to fix an injured heart.”

Arhad frequently felt Ianna’s wrist to check her pulse. Her pulse probably felt endlessly weak from her wrist —why was it that Arhad seemed so pitiful as he forced himself to only hold her wrist because of the ludicrous reason that he didn’t want to go any further with her until after they had founded their country?

‘It’s frustrating too.’

Ianna slipped out her hand and grabbed his wrist instead.

“Ianna?”

Embarrassment spread throughout him before he even had the chance to be puzzled.

It was because Ianna had pulled his hand up and had placed it against her neck. Her touch made him pause as she pressed his thumb against her carotid artery.

“Is it easier for you to feel how healthy I am now?”

“…….”

“Can’t you feel it?”

Ianna brought Arhad’s hand down little by little until it was resting over the left side of her chest. Arhad’s hand had grown rigid at some point. Ianna continued,

“What about now?”

He should be able to feel her heartbeat clearly because his hand was resting directly over her heart. He was trying to jerk his hand away, as if he was touching something scalding hot, but Ianna held his hand firmly in place.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Ianna hadn’t particularly been trying to tempt him, but there was a shadow cast over Arhad’s visage nonetheless. He had even kissed her lewdly on the chest once. Watching how Arhad tried to push her away because he had been aroused by merely placing his hand over her chest suddenly made her want to keep messing with them even though she fully understood what kind of situation they were in.

She had tried to ignore it, but her vulgar desires had been piling up little by little, and they all meshed into each other and cracked open the lid of her rationality.

“Isn’t it all right as long as we don’t go all the way?”

“What?”

Ianna brought his hand down even lower and clasped her hand over his. Arhad thought he might lose his mind.

~~*~~

Winter came, and the air itself was beginning to freeze blue. It was the season when the trees shed their old rustling leaves and slumbered while awaiting spring.

It was also nearing the one-year mark since Ianna have moved to the East.

She was helping the knights train, like she always did without fail.

“Not like that —try stepping out by about half a foot more.”

“Wow, this is much better. Thank you, Dame Rise.”

Ryan smirked when Ianna corrected his posture.

Ryan, the former department head of the Swordsmanship Department who had been good friends with both Ianna and Arhad during their days at the Institution, had also settled down in the East.

He had spent his days roaming the continent as a mercenary after graduating from the Institution.

“I actually don’t have a family. I grew up in an orphanage. I’d wanted to go back and repay the people who raised me once I became successful at life, but I lost contact with the orphanage while I was focusing on my studies, and the orphanage disappeared in the meanwhile. I thought about what I wanted to do moving forward, and then I decided to relax a little and go on a trip because I figured that it’d do me well to not be so diligent for once. I did mercenary work whenever I needed money. It wasn’t a bad life.”

This was how Ryan had replied, with a smirk, when Ianna asked him about what he had been up to. He had apparently been busy rescuing people once the monster waves had begun.

Ryan was kind. He had the same warm air about him that Herrace had. If Herrace felt kind and gentle, then Ryan felt kind and strong. He was very plainly a good person, especially considering how well-liked he was by children, and by Elly in particular. He had probably roamed around rescuing people quietly even in the past.

Ianna and Arhad had personally asked him to settle down in their territory. He had declined the offer at first. But he had taken to the unique charms of the multi-racial city after living in Semastair for a month and had suddenly felt the blazing desire to improve his own swordsmanship after witnessing Ianna’s, and so, he had ultimately decided to stay.

“Lady Ianna! Dame Rise! Please give me pointers too!”

“Please help me with my posture too —should I do it like this, or is it better to do this instead?”

The other knights who were training near Ryan began chirping at Ianna like baby birds vying for their mother’s attention.

They were all fellow alumni from the Swordsmanship Department.

Ianna’s whereabouts had been a heavy topic of interest last year in Roanne, and in the Swordsmanship Department in particular. And there had already been many Swordsmanship Department students who hailed from the East to begin with. They had been exchanging letters with their families back at home, and that was how they had learned that an absurdly powerful female knight with crimson hair who was sweeping through the monsters like a storm had appeared in Semastair to the East.

It was Ianna!

They circulated the rumors to their friends, who then circulated them to their friends, and that was how the news had spread. Some people abandoned the Institution entirely as soon as they heard the news, and there were even some who had given up the knighthoods they had received while they were serving in noble houses. They had all been captivated by Ianna’s might while she had still been living in Roanne.

They had made their way to Semastair in the East, where Ianna was. Upon their arrival, they learned that Arhad was the liege lord and that Ianna was both his knight and the head of the castle’s army. It was then that they finally realized that Arhad had more than just his face going for him —he was both incredible beyond their comprehension and someone worthy of being chosen by Ianna.

The castle periodically recruited more men, so they simply waited and took the exam to enlist. Ianna had told them in no uncertain terms during her last party in Roanne that they shouldn’t even dream of receiving preferential treatment because of their existing relationship with her, and they, too, were greedy and wanted to start from the very bottom and climb their way up to where Ianna was by the merit of their own strength.

Dozens of Swordsmanship Department alumni had already enlisted as soldiers, and most of them were knights by now.

Not only had they already been talented enough to complete the Swordsmanship Department’s dreadfully rigorous curriculum, but they had also participated in Ianna’s transcendental training. They had even gained immeasurable practical experience during the war. It was only natural that they were so skilled that the existing knights had felt threatened by their arrival.

The Swordsmanship Department alumni-turned-knights still chased Ianna around and obeyed her training like ducklings following their mother even though they were now in Semastair and no longer in the Institution. Their loyalty to her was also so great it could have pierced the heavens —as expected of people who had come all the way here solely because they were looking only to her.

“Little Ianna.”

Just then, Dorcianni appeared out of nowhere and attached herself tightly to Ianna. She seductively whispered,

“When will you visit the Tower of Truth? Everyone’s been waiting eagerly for you.”

In any event, Ianna had been meaning to visit.

She would be busy out of her wits come spring when their kingdom was to be formally established. Ianna had already been planning to visit the Tower of Truth with Arhad this winter, but Dorcianni had simply brought it up first.

“Let’s go. Right now.”

“Oh my.”

Dorcianni smiled jovially when she heard Ianna’s decision.

Knock, knock.

Dorcianni brought Ianna over to a certain man’s room.

“Come in……. Oh.”

Dorcianni slammed the door open as soon as she heard the words, “Come in.” Ensheila, who had been reading inside, opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Dorcianni leaned against the door frame.

“You’ve been so quiet lately that I almost thought you were dead —but I guess you’re still alive and kicking?”

“Is that how you should be speaking to someone fifty years your elder?”

“It’s because I’m not interested in you.”

“What does interest have anything to do with common courtesy?”

“I’m only courteous to someone if I’m interested in them. Didn’t you already know that? Or has the dementia already starting kicking in?”

Ensheila snapped his book shut.

Dorcianni had always been rather extreme ever since she was a child. She obsessed over the targets of her interest, and she was terribly indifferent and rude when she lost her interest.

Most mages tended to be like this, but Dorcianni’s case was still rather extreme. Was it because she had grown up in the exclusive Tower of Truth?

“You haven’t changed at all. So, what brings you here?”

“I’m about to visit the Tower of Truth. With Little Ianna here. Are you coming with?”

Ensheila’s brows twitched.

“Did you disclose the fact that I’m affiliated with the Tower of Truth?”

“Only to a few people. I’m really not liking your attitude right now, you know that? I was offering you a chance to get closer to the Truth. So are you coming or not?”

Ensheila turned to Ianna, who had been quietly listening in on their conversation.

Ianna Rise.

The woman who had once been a member of House Roberstein of Roanne but had become Arhad’s knight upon coming to the East.

The person whom Dorcianni had been obsessing over most recently.

Dorcianni had always been engrossed only with things that pertained to magic and the Truth ever since she had been young. Accordingly, those whom Dorcianni fixated upon tended to also pertain to those things.

She had learned about the origins of magic at a young age and had been affiliated with and working for Bahamut ever since. She had accepted the opportunity presented by a fragment of the Demon as soon as it had come to her without even a second thought.

It was partially because of Dorcianni that Ensheila had settled down in the East. He was curious to know why she had betrayed Bahamut, as terrifying as they were, and why she plainly observed Ianna and Arhad at every chance she got.

The reason was obvious. They had something to do with the Truth, or perhaps with magic.

It made sense for her to fixate over Arhad. He possessed a large fragment of the Demon. As Ensheila had expected, Arhad was the bastard child whom the Bahamut imperial family had been madly trying to locate. But it was clear to Ensheila that Arhad must carry yet another secret about him. When he looked at Arhad in passing, Arhad simply appeared as a handsome human man, but when he focused, Arhad terrified him, as if he was staring into a sea of night that swallowed up all light.

But why Ianna?

Ensheila blazed in his desire to do research because he couldn’t fathom why, so he had decided to settle down in the East to study her.

“You want me to accompany you to the Tower of Truth?”

“Why else would I be asking?”

“I thought you weren’t interested in me, no? Have you always been so kind as to look after someone you’re not even interested in?”

“Aren’t you still a colleague walking the same path as me? It’s always nice to learn together. Besides, you’ll probably start working even harder here if I do you this kindness. Unless you were shameless, that is.”

The latter must be your real reason.

To think that Dorcianni of all people was trying to butter up Ianna, the master of this land.

“You’re free to refuse.”

“I’ll go.”

Ensheila stood up and donned a set of blue robes.

He looked out the corridor window from which the light was filtering in as they made their way to Arhad’s office.

Soldiers and mages alike were training hard outside as if the cold didn’t even matter to them. Beyond them were the engineers creating new artefacts, the gardeners tending to the plants, and the architects building new buildings. He could feel that they were all brimming with vim and vigor, perhaps because they were building the foundations of the kingdom they were to spend the rest of their lives in.

It would have been nothing special if they had simply been a gathering of humans. But the fact that mankind and the mythical races were standing together inspired awe.

Ianna had been the starting point, but he was intrigued by the entire nation now.

The Truth was the world. The Truth was a broad topic that could be split into multiple smaller fields of study. This was why those who thirsted for the Truth each researched it in their own ways.

Dorcianni studied the laws of the world and worked her way backwards in time to research the Beginning. To the contrary, Ensheila observed the flow of time and researched the future. In other words, Dorcianni researched the Truth by studying the past, whereas Ensheila researched the Truth by studying the future.

Ensheila watched over the birth of a powerful new nation, and he was surprised to find how much he enjoyed lending its founders a hand. It pleased him to know that he was a part of something that would one day be written about as something important in the history books.

‘It’s nice already, and it’ll be nicer still if it lasts a long time.’

It hadn’t been long since Ensheila had settled down here that his worries had deepened greatly. For now, things would work out in some way or another because of Ianna and Arhad’s sheer charisma and popularity, but what would happened after they died? —would the entire country collapse immediately?

But he was absolutely amazed as he watched them slowly and carefully build up their country. They were building an impregnable fortress that would not easily fall. When completed, the fortress would be both sturdy and flexible.

If their country walked the path of ruin even still, then that would simply be the work of destiny. It would also be meaningful if this country came to ruin because that would mean that multiple races could not live together in the same kingdom.

Ianna knocked on the door once they arrived at Arhad’s office. They heard him calmly permit them to enter.

Swing.

“Ianna?”

Arhad’s once-expressionless visage visibly brightened up as soon as Ianna entered the room.

‘No wonder Mr. Heinrich said there was nothing to worry about.’

Ensheila had agonized for quite a long time about what would happen to the world once the Demon was complete. There wouldn’t be any issues as long as Ianna was here.

“Shouldn’t you be training right now? What brings you to my office? And with Dorcianni and Ensheila too.”

“Hello,”

Rikijen greeted them from his desk off to the side. Working as an advisor apparently hadn’t been enough for Rikijen, so he came to learn more from Arhad whenever he had the time to spare. Truly, he was such an insane workaholic that people wondered how on earth he kept it up.

Rikijen scanned the people who had entered the room, immediately determined that he had no place in whatever conversation they were about to have, and tried to leave the room. But he couldn’t because Arhad stayed him.

“Let’s visit the Tower of Truth, Arhad.”

“The Tower of Truth? Right now?”

“Dorcianni asked me when I was planning to visit, and I told her that we would go right now. Weren’t we planning to visit sometime this winter anyway? Are you busy right now?”

Ianna eyed at the mountain of documents sitting on Arhad’s desk. Hers had been a pointless question. The fact that the mountain was what was left over after his advisors had already gone through the pile terrified her.

Arhad trusted his advisors’ skill, and his advisors were loath to betray his trust, so they organized the documents so that all he had to do was sign and stamp them by the time they made it up to him.

But these documents were also awaiting the final approval for matters that were hugely important to the kingdom. Arhad only approved them after scrutinizing them thoroughly because it would spell trouble later if something went wrong right at the very beginning.

Rikijen spoke up and said,

“Please leave it to me. You can leave for a few days.”

“Very well. I’ll leave it to you.”

Arhad trusted Rikijen just as much now as he had in the past. Even Ianna could tell as much.

Rikijen had helped Arhad with his work ever since he was a child. His thought process and working style was similar to Arhad’s. He had Arhad’s complete trust to make important decisions.

Ianna and Rikijen exchanged greetings as Arhad got up to put on the coat that was hanging on his coatrack.

“Make sure you exercise to build up your stamina, and make sure to rest properly too. What will happen to the rest of us if you die of overwork? It’ll spell trouble for us if you died.”

Rikijen smirked when Ianna so grimly and abruptly expressed just how important he was while she was standing directly in front of him.

“I do make sure to get at least one hour of exercise in every day —it just so happens that you’ve only visited while I was working, Lady Ianna. I’ve also been making sure to rest, eat, and sleep properly.”

“What a surprise.”

“You can only work if you have the stamina, after all.”

“Do you even have any time for hobbies?”

“Working is my hobby. Just like how swordsmanship is yours.”

Ianna was both convinced and not convinced at all. Was this simply a difference in tastes? Ianna decided that she would respect his preferences.

“Please have a nice trip,”

Rikijen said and saw them off as they left the office in which the documents were beginning to pile up like small towers. Arhad asked the mages,

“How do we get to the Tower of Truth?”

“We can’t get there directly because the Tower’s coordinates change from time to time. We’ll have to teleport over to the center of the Himalapè Ice Fields and find our way from there.”

“Then I’ll take us to the Ice Fields right now.”

Mana began collecting by their feet as soon as Arhad had snapped his fingers. The magic circle for Teleport spread open beneath them like an umbrella.

The Himalapè Ice Fields.

It was the northernmost corner of the world, and its geographical features consisted only of ice and water.

It was under Innis’, the spirit king of water’s, absolute influence, and the side where it bordered the Girohai Desert, the spirit king of fire’s domain, was a sea, whereas the side where it bordered the Great Forest of Shaob, the spirit king of wind’s domain, was an icy field.

The sea was called the Demashon Sea, and it was only the icy field that was technically called the Himalapè Ice Fields, but they were more frequently called the Himalapè Ice Fields together.

The Himalapè Ice Fields consisted of all manner of icy geography, such as icebergs, glaciers, ice floes, and deep crevasses in the ice. There was plenty of land beneath the ice, but it was too dangerous to develop. Besides, it was so cold that the winds blowing from the Ice Fields vastly lowered the North’s temperature.

Fwooosh…….

Ianna shivered when the wind blew.

‘It’s cold.’

Ianna was able to regulate her body temperature because her body had been tempered to the extreme, and she was even layered up because it was winter in the East, but she was still cold.

She had hardly ever stepped foot in the North in both her past and current lives. She had been born and raised in the South, where it was significantly warmer, and she was accustomed to training so hard that she was often drenched in sweat. She adapted quickly to heat, but she was a little weak against the cold.

Brrr.

Arhad opened up his subspace and covered her in a thick set of robes, put gloves on her hands, and wrapped a scarf around her neck when she shivered again from the chill.

Ianna stood there patiently as Arhad took care of her, but then she saw that he was only wearing one black coat and asked,

“Are you not cold?”

“I’m pretty used to the cold.”

Arhad cast a spell over Ianna’s robes and gave her a hand warming artefact. He asked,

“Is it better now?”

“Yes.”

Ianna stared at Arhad’s pale and chilled cheeks.

Sometimes, she thought that she and Arhad were very similar, and at other times, she thought they were so different that they might as well be on opposite ends of two extremes. Their sex and appearance fell under the latter category, but it looked like their preference for the hot or cold fell under it too.

“Please wait just one moment,”

Ensheila said as he pulled out a compass-like artefact.

A rose-crimson needle was spinning around and around inside the artefact. It did not point to the pole.

“It’s an artefact that can locate the Tower. Please follow me.”

Ensheila and Dorcianni took the lead as they began walking.

“It’s been a while since I last visited the Tower.”

“I see. What have you been up to while you were away?”

“I was holed up in my laboratory doing research. What about you?”

“How stereotypical of you. I’ve been out seeing the world.”

“What a waste of time for an old fart who’s on death’s doorstep. It would have been a better use of your time to study the Truth nonstop.”

“How can anyone who stays in one place and never looks around them ever find the Truth? The world is the Truth.”

“The Truth started from one point. You can obtain the whole Truth as long as you find its core. You’ve only been scratching the surface.”

Dorcianni and Ensheila bickered like children even as they debated like mages. Listening in on their conversation gave Ianna and Arhad a pretty good idea as to what the Tower of Truth was like.

They walked, ran, and warped for quite some time before Dorcianni and Ensheila stopped.

“We’re here.”

They had reached an empty and completely white plain.

Buzz!

Ensheila raised his artefact up high and supplied it with divine power. The artefact began glowing azure.

Rumble rumble.

The earth began to tremble. The illusion of snow-covered fields scattered away and was filled with a surging blue sea. They were standing on a thick sheet of ice, and the deep sea was directly before them. They would have immediately fallen into the sea had they taken even one more step.

Fwooosh.

A blizzard was raging in the distance. A blue tower revealed itself like it was piercing the heavens against a white backdrop.

The Tower was standing atop a large island. The island, upon which the Tower had taken root, looked very different from the icy fields surrounding it. The island was covered by a field of colorful flowers.

‘That’s the final seal.’

The ‘divine art’ that concealed the Tower felt so natural and familiar that it could have been mistaken for a weed along the side of the road. The divine art was probably powered by the divine power that the flowers, with Phaemdra’s flower at their core, gave off. Which would mean that the flower was something incredibly important to the Tower…….

Ianna was conscious of how deeply she was entrenched into the Truth. If the rest of the Tower of Truth was as eager to approach the Truth as Dorcianni was, then they would surely give her the flower even if it meant pulling it out by its roots.

But their giving her the flower was predicated upon her explaining the Truth to them. It shouldn’t be a problem to tell them……but Ianna was worried about the fact that the Tower was working with Bahamut.

Crackle.

“Let’s go.”

Dorcianni summoned a wolf of lightning and climbed up on its back, and Ensheila used the Fly spell to the take to the air.

“There’s something I’d like to ask you, Dorcianni.”

Dorcianni paused just as she was about to leap.

“Hmm? What is it? Want a ride?”

“No, that’s all right. I know this is a bit late, but what is the Tower’s exact relationship with Bahamut? Do they conceal nothing from each other?”

Dorcianni tilted her head slightly to the side.

“It’s true that the Tower has been on Bahamut’s side for a long time. Bahamut supplies the Tower with funds and research materials, and the Tower shares the fruits of our research with Bahamut —so it’s a pretty intimate relationship. The Bahamut imperial family started visiting the Tower from time to time ever since one of the past emperors first forged the relationship between the two. Taylon’s visited a couple of times too.”

“…….”

“But we only give them the information they ask for —we don’t share everything with them. We’re all greedy and want to monopolize our knowledge, and we only share all of our knowledge amongst our own. Basically, it’s a simple relationship where we only share our research relating to the Demon and whatever else they specifically ask for. Well, I guess we’d tell Bahamut anything if they asked about it, but…….”

Did that mean that the Tower might ultimately tell Bahamut about their visit today? But Dorcianni quickly hit the nail on the head. She continued,

“Are you worried that the Tower will tell Bahamut about you? You don’t need to worry. ‘Ianna’ and ‘Arhad’ never visited the Tower today.”

She meant that their visit would be treated as if it had never happened.

“There’s nothing we can do if ‘someone’ infiltrates the Tower ‘in secret’ and steals ‘something.’ We’ll simply be upset that we were robbed by some powerful but unidentified thief. And it’ll only be natural that we say nothing about it as long as they don’t ask us first.”

Dorcianni knew that Ianna was heavily interested in the Tower of Truth’s ‘flower.’ Even if Bahamut learned that the flower had been stolen, the Tower would make sure that Bahamut thought that the culprit was an unidentified thief.

“We’re good at stuff like that. The Towermaster and I already agreed on the story too. That just how interested the Tower is in you.”

Dorcianni leapt across the sea after she had said her piece. Arhad took Ianna’s hand.

“We should get going too.”

“Can we trust the Tower of Truth?”

“Not completely. Someone who’s betrayed once can always betray twice.”

He was right. But then, what should they do? Arhad tapped against the back of Ianna’s hand as if to tell her not to worry. He continued,

“But we can still trust them. It’s true that we’re more interesting to them than Bahamut is, and, as Dorcianni’s said before, they won’t be able to betray us because they’re crazy for the Truth. I know Dorcianni spoke as if they were planning to simply feign ignorance about everything, but I’m sure they’ve already made thorough preparations to deceive Bahamut.”

“I see.”

Ianna relaxed after she had heard what Arhad had to say.

“I’ve brought a contract along with me too, just in case. Or, I could always hammer magic directly into their brains like I did with Dorcianni. But the best method…….”

Arhad trailed off, but Ianna knew what he was about to suggest even before he said it.

“That’s a bit…”

“I know.”

They warped across the sea using Arhad’s magic and stepped foot atop the island. It felt strange to feel the crunch of grass beneath their feet after stepping across white ice for so long.

Creak…….

The Tower’s doors opened, and Dorcianni and Ensheila leisurely walked their way inside.

“I was wondering why the two of you came here together, but now I see you’ve brought welcomed guests with you,”

called a clear voice from the top of the Tower.

“It’s been a while, Towermaster.”

“Indeed it has, Dorcianni.”

The voice belonged to a youthful woman with indigo hair that was wavy like water. The way her robes dragged across the floor, as if she was a child wearing an adult’s clothes, left quite the impression.

The Towermaster almost looked like a drop of water with her hyaline skin and eyes so blue they almost looked transparent. She jumped down from the stairs and landed on the ground. It almost sounded like water droplets hitting the ground when her feet touched down.

She looked to Ianna and Arhad in turns and beamed.

“Welcome. I am Silausa, the Towermaster of the Tower of Truth. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Ianna quietly observed Silausa. Silausa waved her hand as if she had read Ianna’s mind. She continued,

“I am a member of the mythical races. I’m several centuries old, despite my appearance.”

Ianna had thought that Silausa must be a member of the mythical races as soon as she had laid her eyes on the Towermaster. She had simply been trying to figure out which mythical race Silausa belonged to, because she looked different from the beastmen, dwarves, or elves —whom Ianna had grown accustomed to seeing.

The beastmen in the western corner of the world, the dwarves in the south, the elves in the east —and it was said that less populous races that didn’t quite belong to those three also lived alongside them. The most well-known of the minority races were the birdmen, who lived with the beastmen for convenience’s sake, the bugmen, and the fairies, who lived in the East but rarely showed themselves even to the elves.

But no known mythical races lived in the Himalapè Ice Fields. All Ianna could think of was that whichever race Silausa belonged to must have something to do with water, considering that the land here consisted entirely of ice and sea.

“Why don’t we take this inside? I will bring you up to my room.”

Part 10

Ianna and Arhad followed behind Silausa and the two mages as they walked slowly. They circled the tower but did not feel the presence of any other people. The tower was quiet, save for steady echoing of five sets of footsteps.

“The others…….”

“They’re all too busy holing themselves up in their rooms to conduct research that they don’t even know we have guests. They’re the kinds of people who won’t notice even if you screamed into their ear once they’ve begun concentrating on something. Though perhaps they would have been waiting for you outside had you given us notice of your visit.”

Click.

Silausa opened one of the very normal doors inside the tower. Masters of a magic tower usually resided on the top floor, which made Silausa, who lived on the first floor, very unique in that aspect.

Silausa’s room was very ordinary. There was a bookshelf crammed with thick books against the wall, and a bed, table, and a few sofas were assembled haphazardly inside the room as if the decorator had no idea what interior design was supposed to look like. A messy array of papers was scattered across the desk in the corner. All kinds of formulas and magic circles were scribbled on the papers.

It was the very picture of a mage’s room. With one exception, that is.

There was a hole in the middle of Silausa’s room. The floor had been carved out like a well, and seawater was sloshing inside it.

“Please have a seat.”

Silausa prepared some warm tea while the others sat down on the sofas and began taking off their thick coats. She continued,

“I welcome you to the Tower of Truth, Lady Ianna and Lord Arhad. Dorcianni has told me a little about you.”

“What did she tell you?”

“That Lord Arhad is ‘something’ superior to even the Bahamut imperial family. That you, Lady Ianna, possess a powerful ability that is neither magic nor divine art. And most importantly, that you had once visited the ‘Library of Truth.’”

Dorcianni had been excited, as if she had always known about the Akashic Records, when Ianna had told her about how she had managed to find herself in the Bahamut imperial castle during the incident with Wiffheimer.

Ensheila opened his eyes wide as soon as he heard what Silausa had said. He apparently knew about the Akashic Records too. Though perhaps they didn’t know that ‘Akashic Records’ was the proper name of that mysterious place, considering that they were calling it the ‘Library of Truth.’

“Does the Tower of Truth know about that place?”

“Not exactly, but we are vaguely aware that it exists. It is a library that contains all the knowledge and history in the world. We have only a few testimonies of those who had ever managed to visit it, namely from those who possessed sage-like levels of knowledge and rationality and those who were able to see the astral plane.”

Silausa brought her hands together and twinned her fingers. She continued,

“I may have lived for hundreds of years, but I am always thirsting for knowledge. And I have a feeling that the two of you will be able to satisfy my intellectual greed to the point that it overflows. This is why I invited you to the tower. If you have the time, would you please consider discussing the Truth with me?”

“There’s something that you need to promise us first,”

Arhad said instead of answering Silausa’s question. He continued,

“We would like to obtain Phaemdra’s ‘flower,’ which the tower is said to be cultivating. If you can’t give it to us, then we would at least like to borrow it for a set period of time.”

“Ahh. Right. That was the reason why you came to the tower in the first place.”

Silausa smiled deeply. The light of intelligence glistened in her eyes. She continued,

“I can give it to you, of course. But only if you tell me why you need the flower first. The flower is both the tower’s symbol and something that ensures the tower’s safety, so I can’t simply hand it over to you just because I’m the towermaster and we happen to be friends unless you tell me why you need it…….”

“Prick your thumb and stamp it here with your blood.”

Arhad opened up his subspace and presented a sheet of paper before Silausa. Ianna knew what it was. It was the same type of paper she had used when she had made a contract with Schneider. Truly, Arhad was thorough in his preparations.

“This is a very special paper.”

Silausa read the words that were written on the page and bit her thumb without any hesitation whatsoever. She placed the sheet of paper down on the table and stamped it with her thumb.

Ianna read what was written on the page in the meanwhile.

It proposed that Silausa was either give or lend Ianna and Arhad the flower if they shared their knowledge with her. It also prevented Silausa from informing anyone about the contents of the contract and about Ianna or Arhad.

The sheet of paper glowed for a moment after it had taken Silausa’s blood before it slowly dimmed.

“You stamped it so readily. Your life was on the line.”

“There is no reason for me to breach the contract. And more importantly, I have a feeling that the Tower of Truth will finally be able to fulfill its original purpose once you take the flower with you.”

“There is no belief more baseless than a mere feeling,”

Arhad said as he returned the contract to his subspace, prompting the edges of Silausa’s lips to curl up.

“One’s premonitions become as prophecies if you’re a sage of my caliber. My ‘feelings’ cover all of the world’s flow, history, and knowledge that I have in my possession.”

“Is that so? But all the flowers blooming in the Tower of Truth will wither away if we take Phaemdra’s flower from this place. That the flowers were able to blossom on a field of ice was a miracle only made possible because of Phaemdra’s flower in the first place.”

“I am sure you are correct.”

“Then everyone will know that the Tower of Truth is no longer in possession of the flower, and there’s the possibility that someone might leak information about us to Bahamut even if you, specifically, don’t. We don’t want that to happen. Are there any measures you can think of to prevent this?”

“We can simply make it so that the flowers don’t wilt. And we were already planning to say that someone stole the flower in the event that Bahamut asks for it.”

“How do you plan on keeping the flowers from wilting?”

“We will use a watering pot created by the high elves to the East. Lady Frillianu will also be assisting. Isn’t that right?”

Silausa asked someone. But she had not posed the question to anyone currently in the room.

Rumble rumble.

Suddenly, the floor they were standing on began to tremble like there was an earthquake. The seawater inside Silausa’s room began to slosh around.

The water level rose steadily until it began bulging out from the hole and climbed higher.

Shaaaa…….

The water lost its surface tension once it had reached its limit and burst down against the floor like an explosion. The water splashed as it threatened to cover the entire room, and water droplets went flying everywhere. Ianna wondered if she should dodge them, but she decided to stay still because everyone else had remained calm.

Craash!

The water crashed against an invisible wall, as if by magic, before it reached any of them. The water droplets slid down the wall as the giant wave returned to the hole in the floor as if its path had been obstructed by a rock.

The room returned to how it had originally looked like. The tremors stopped, and the water retreated back into the hole. The water was still, like it had initially been, once it had returned inside the hole.

Aside from the fact that there was now a blue woman staring openly at Ianna and Arhad from the hole with only her upper body peeking up from it.

Splash!

The woman reached out and climbed out from the sea. Her skin was translucent, like ice, and her long blue hair undulated like waves —her appearance gave off a strong impression of water. She had a similar air about her as did Silausa, the towermaster. But unlike Silausa, who was cute and petite, the woman was so beautiful it was almost surreal, as if a master artisan had poured out his heart and soul into sculpting a masterpiece. It was difficult to call out to her.

Strangely enough, the woman had a fish-like tail for her lower body instead of humanoid legs, but her tail split into two and transformed into legs as soon as she stepped foot on land.

“It has been a while, Dorcianni.”

“It has indeed. You’re still just as beautiful as ever.”

The woman greeted Dorcianni with a clear voice, and Dorcianni sat up from the sofa and pulled out a set of robes from her subspace. Then, she walked up to the woman and wrapped the robes around her.

Silausa introduced the woman.

“This is Lady Frillianu, the Dragon of Ice and Snow.”

Ianna, who had been trying to guess what race the woman belonged to, startled.

She was Frillianu, the last dragon of the four corners.

“She generally remains in the sea in her dragon form, but she takes my race’s form whenever she comes out to land.”

“By your race, you mean…….”

“I am a mermaid. Normally, I take the form like the one Lady Frillianu showed you earlier or I stay in the sea in the form of a fish. I take the form of a human when I’m on land, but I can’t stay in this form for long stretches of time.”

If beastmen were a race of people who were half-human half-beast, then mermaids were a race of people who were part human and part sea creature.

“Are there mermaids in the other seas as well?”

“No. The three seas of this world are all separated from one another. I can’t speak for the other races, but we mermaids only live in the Himalapè Ice Fields and the Demashon Sea. This is the best habitat for our people. All of us are living inside the sea even now, save for a very few of us.”

The seawater of the world was split into three bodies that existed only at the edges of the continent. The seas were unknown territory to mankind. There had been a few curious humans who had tried to reach the edges of the seas, but they had all failed in their endeavor and had drowned in despair upon their return. Others had tried to reach the bottoms of the seas, but they had been crushed by the incredible water pressure and had been forced to return to the surface lest they perished.

The mermaids lived in one such sea. It was no wonder that humanity wasn’t aware of their existence.

Ianna was thinking things through when she suddenly realized that it was probably because of the dragons’ barrier surrounding half the globe that people had never been able to venture to the edges of the seas.

The world was spherical, and there existed a point that could be called its ‘end’ on the opposite side of the heart of the Lotso Mountains. But the barrier clouded all living creatures’ sense of direction and forced them to turn back the way they had come. It was why people had no choice but to believe that the world had no end.

How would the world change if the Demon’s heart disappeared and the dragons withdrew their barrier? What would happen to the other half of the world where only earth, water, fire, wind, and darkness existed?

If the other hemisphere of the world became habitable, then it was likely that every tectonic plate in the world would shift.

“The world will be overturned soon.”

“The world as you know it will be shaken, and an age where every law will be reversed is soon to come.”

Perhaps Millanikonè’s warning had something to do with this.

“The geographical features that the flower has put in place for millennia will not be altered so quickly,”

a bright and clear voice reverberated throughout the room. Frillianu continued,

“The climate here will pose a problem, but the flowers can be revived so long as they are given divine power. In other words, it will be possible to maintain the flowers using an elven water pot, just as Silausa said.”

Frillianu put on the robes and tidied up her wet hair.

“I will raise the flowers with my own divine power while you are in possession of Phaemdra’s flower. I believe this should be fine, because Bahamut has never tried to take the flower for themselves, but if they demand that the tower give them flower or ask after its whereabouts, then we shall say that I took it. That will be more than enough to deceive Bahamut.”

It looked like Frillianu had been listening in on their conversation from the sea beneath the Tower of Truth. She gave a very explicit answer, which was very unlike a dragon. Ianna’s worries were washed away since a dragon was offering to do so much to help.

“Why are you helping us?”

Ianna asked, although she felt like she already knew the answer. Chilly eyes of ice and snow turned to her.

“My life’s mission is to maintain the world’s equilibrium. You must take the flower with you, if only so I may accomplish it. The other dragons have already told me what it is that you must do.”

I knew it.

Ianna had to obtain all that Roberstein was, surpass Roberstein, break the crimson god’s seal, and pull free her sword.

“I’ve never heard Lady Frillianu say anything like this before? You truly must be extraordinary.”

Silausa’s cheeks began to flush. She continued,

“Well, I think everything’s been settled nicely. You’ll discuss things with me now, yes?”

Silausa suddenly looked like she was about to go into combat as she stared at Ianna. Dorcianni, who had been standing next to Frillianu, and Ensheila, who had been seated this entire time, also looked passionately interested.

Only Arhad and Frillianu remained as uninterested onlookers.

Ianna felt a little burdened as she said,

“Why are you so fixated on the Truth? You can live just fine without it, no?”

“Greed is the driving force behind all life. Those without any greed may as well be dead. The reason why we dive so deeply into the Truth is because of our intellectual greed, of sorts. How we’re born, why we must breathe in order to live, the laws behind the very nature that we walk on, and so on and so forth……. We are so desperately curious to learn more about this world that we cannot help ourselves.”

Ianna understood. This greed of theirs was like a desire they wanted fulfilled.

Even Ianna had intellectual greed. For example, she was curious about Silausa, the first mermaid she had ever met.

“It looks like mermaids aren’t very hostile to humanity.”

“That is correct. The other races seem to have suffered much at the hands of mankind, but humans don’t even know that we exist. We bear no grudges against mankind either, as our lives do not have any overlap with yours. But we are wary of Bahamut, and we are hostile to them. Despite our hostility, however, we are still obedient to them. Bahamut is more a target of our fear than an enemy.”

“Did Bahamut persecute you?”

Ianna thought that the Bahamut bastards were truly something else. To think that the mermaids, who lived in the ocean and had never come into conflict with humanity, were so terrified of them.

“It’s more apt to say that they ate us. Many of us.”

“……They ate you?”

Bahamut had eaten mermaids, who looked so similar to humans?

Ianna suddenly grew nauseated.

“It happened a very long time ago, before I was even born. Do you know anything about the progenitor Bahamut by any chance, Little Ianna?”

It was a random question. But Ianna rummaged through her memories to answer it anyway.

“The Bahamut Empire did not exist at the dawn of the Age of Magic. Bahamut first emerged like a wild shark ripping through stormy waters while the other kingdoms were warring for supremacy after Lord Laos had hidden himself from the world. It was said that Bahamut’s imperial family, though smaller in number, was as strong as —no, stronger than— the Roanne royal family, which had been known as the strongest at the time. The Bahamut imperial family is thorough in the concealment of their history, so there is little opportunity for us to learn more about them. We have no way of learning where their power comes from or how they had managed to get so strong.”

Ianna recalled Professor Illut’s history lessons from her first year at the Institution. She also recalled everything she had read about Bahamut in books.

“I only know that he was a powerful human who lived in the North.”

There had been no information regarding him. There were no records about where he had been born or how he had lived. Some rumors claimed that he had been a part of a clan of wandering nomads in the North, and other claimed that he was a prince who had been pushed aside in a contest for the throne in one of the kingdoms in the South.

Arhad shook his head when Ianna looked to him.

“I only know the history of how the progenitor Bahamut, ‘Bahamut,’ began building his influence after he first appeared. I don’t know about anything before that.”

They were beginning to realize that something was strange when Silausa replied,

“Bahamut was not originally human.”

“Do you mean to say that he was originally from a different race?”

“No. He did not belong to a mythical race. Bahamut began as a microorganism living in the sea. A microorganism as small and weak as plankton, but with a will of his own.”

Ianna opened her eyes wide —she had never even imagined this. Silausa continued,

“Allow me to tell you a story from the distant past. This is a tale from when God Laos and the Black Prophet —the dragon Kandemayon, that is— still roamed the world while creating life.”

The mermaids had been born from the sea. The first mermaids had been too busy fighting against other sea creatures in order to make their homes in the sea that they had no idea about what kinds of life Laos and Kandemayon were creating or how the world outside was changing until they first encountered humans from the Tower of Truth.

Still, the mermaids knew about a special history that was yet unknown to mankind. It was the history of ‘Bahamut,’ a microorganism at the lowest ranks of the aquatic food chain.

“Unlike the other microorganisms, Bahamut possessed a powerful greed and endlessly ate other microorganisms to grow bigger. Eventually, he began eating fish, obtained their knowledge, and evolved into a little fish himself. He repeated the process over and over again and ate countless fish and mermaids as he evolved into a powerful sea creature, and then, he eventually clashed against Leviathan, the most powerful monster in the sea at the time. After countless battles over a very long stretch of time, Bahamut finally emerged victorious against Leviathan, ate the monster, and became a gigantic sea snake. He continued eating countless other creatures, obtaining their knowledge, and evolving until he finally became ‘Bahamut,’ the greatest monster in the sea and just his name alone was enough to terrify.”

“Bahamut attacked me after he became the strongest creature in the ocean,”

said Frillianu, who had been quiet until then. She continued,

“The bastard tried to eat me too, but failed. He wanted to grow stronger after he failed to eat me, but there was no way for him to grow any stronger in the sea. So, the bastard turned his eyes toward the land and walked out of the sea in the form of a man. Then, he began collecting the ‘Demon’s fragments.’”

“This is how Bahamut began. Bahamut was a symbol of terror for us mermaids until he decided to become human and left the sea to walk on land.”

It was a shocking tale that one could only learn from a mermaid.

“Then, the progenitor Bahamut must have lived for a very long time?”

“Yes. But he could not live forever because he was not a god. He left his descendants behind after cursing his fate for not being able to kill the dragons. This was the start of the Bahamut lineage, who engage in the practice of intermarriage so that the power they possess is never splintered.”

Silausa shuddered as if the mere thought was enough to terrify her. She continued,

“Bahamut only ever looks up. The first Bahamut erased the history of his origins because he was ashamed of how weak he had been originally, and even his descendants don’t know of it. It remains only within the legends passed down in the Tower of Truth and by the mermaids now.”

“To add my input regarding Bahamut’s origins…,”

Frillianu spoke up again. She continued,

“Laos and Kandemayon are antitheses of each other. If Laos is life, then Kandemayon is death. If Laos is rationality, then Kandemayon is greed. Back when many new being were being created in the world, the new lifeforms would fall randomly on a sliding scale with Laos and Kandemayon at the opposite ends.”

This was the first time Ianna had ever heard a dragon speak about Laos and Kandemayon. She leaned in closer. The dragon continued,

“This world maintains an equilibrium. Laos was stubborn, and he created ‘Roanne,’ the greatest being of all who was rational, elegant, and received the most of Laos’ influence and attention. And in order to maintain equilibrium, Kandemayon created ‘Bahamut,’ the lowliest being who was instinctive, greedy, was heavily influenced by Kandemayon, and received no attention from anyone. This is the true origin of Bahamut. And this is also why we dragons, who seek to maintain equilibrium, have never been able to kill them.”

Ianna felt uneasy as she heard more about Bahamut.

It may have been random, but to think that someone was forced to be born weak just because another had been born strong. It was completely reasonable for the former to want to know why things had happened this way. Was this also how the world currently worked?

No.

Ianna had understood the laws of the Akashic Records to some extent back when she had briefly encountered the souls there, and she had come to understand them well while she had been using her power with the ‘Balance’s’ help.

Some souls that went to the Akashic Records upon death were extinguished completely, whereas others were born again into the world. There were also some souls that looked like they were in agony, as if they were undergoing some kind of penitence.

The Balance measured the weight of a soul’s karma. A soul’s karma was comprised of the weight of the emotions that others had felt as a result of the soul’s actions from its most recent life and the weight of what the soul had killed or saved while it had been alive. The Balance did not differentiate between good and evil. It simply weighed karma against karma and returned whatever remained after the scales were offset against each other.

For example, a serial killer who had murdered countless innocent people for no reason would be subject to agony in accordance to the weight of the life he had killed before being sentenced to numerous deaths.

This sentence meant that the serial killer’s soul would be reincarnated into something from the bottom of the food chain, like bugs or small animals, and be forced to live short and meaningless lives while suffering death numerous times. Souls that couldn’t break free from this cycle would simply go extinct.

On the other hand, a mage who had saved more people than he had killed and had received more respect and love than hatred from his enemies would receive a lot of divine power from the Balance and be given the opportunity to be reincarnated into a race of his choosing.

But these were special cases, and most souls were reincarnated at random. The soul’s ego would simply assert a very small influence over the process. ‘Roanne’ and ‘Bahamut’ were likely very special exceptions.

Silausa suddenly looked to Frillianu.

“This is my first time hearing about this.”

“That is because I have never told anyone.”

Ianna asked,

“Is it all right for you to tell us about this when you’re a ‘dragon?’”

“I can, because you are here to retrieve the final relic.”

“In that case, can you tell us why Laos stubbornly decided to create Roanne?”

She had grown curious about this as she learned the secret tale of Bahamut’s origins. Did Roanne hold some special meaning for Laos?

Frillianu shook her head.

“That, I do not know. Only Laos and Kandemayon do.”

Ultimately, she would only be able to learn the full story after she had met Laos.

Frillianu turned to looked directly at Ianna and Arhad just then.

“What do you think Bahamut’s long-cherished wish is?”

“Isn’t it world domination?”

As far as Ianna knew, Bahamut had been waging the war with only that singular goal in mind. Frillianu shook her head no.

“That is but the ultimate goal that can be achieved by man. The long-cherished wish that they’ve passed down through the generations is something else.”

“Then…?”

“They want to gather all the Demon’s fragments, complete the Demon, and swallow the Demon’s power whole.”

Ianna flinched. The dragon continued,

“Then, they want to kill the dragons of the four corners, and finally, they want to kill even ‘Laos’ and ‘Kandemayon,’ who exist at the very peak, and enthroned themselves as the strongest beings in the world. And after that…….”

Frillianu muttered,

“I do not know. Perhaps they will want to devour the entire world itself.”

“That’s remarkable.”

Bahamut’s origins had been a surprise to Ianna, and she also found them incredible. They had crawled up from the very bottom and were now coveting the territory of the gods. She thought that it was wrong of them to deny their own history, but she could also see why they were ashamed of it and wanted to keep it hidden.

“In one sense, Bahamut emerged victorious against the unfair life they were born with and accomplished their goals with only the singular goal of growing stronger,”

Ianna mumbled, prompting Silausa to nod.

“I also believe that Bahamut is remarkable in that sense. But I still despise them otherwise. Their very existence is enough to threaten all life, so I would prefer it if they would please disappear from the world.”

This was something that anyone weaker on the food chain felt toward someone who was stronger. It was only natural for the strong to eat the weak in order to survive in this world, but it was also only natural for the weak to find this providence dreadful and unjust.

But even the weak could only live by eating something weaker than they. The fish that Silausa ate probably wished she could disappear from the world too, just as Silausa despised Bahamut.

Even vegetarians ate plants, which were living beings. If every single life in the world was considered equal, then no one had the right to bear a grudge against the strong.

Thus, what should be acknowledged, should be acknowledged.

All life was greedy.

Everyone thought that something that belonged to them was more important than something that belonged to another. Everyone harmed or sacrificed others in order to live or in order to live a better life.

And yet, everyone still needed to live together.

No one could live in this world alone, so either the weak had to hold back their grudges or the strong had to endure the weak’s grudges against them in order for everyone to co-exist. Everyone had to find a balance between their desires and their rationality, draw a line between them, and make sure to keep it.

‘But that’s difficult to do.’

The strong tended to care more about their desires than about coexisting, and they tended to want to exploit the weak. Just like how Bahamut had mercilessly destroyed the lives of others in their desire to grow stronger, or how wealthy nobles exploited the people of their lands in order to fill their own stomachs.

But the strong needed to understand. They would only become as monsters who needed to be slain if they allowed their desires to run rampant, and the blade of hatred would slit their throats if the grudges against them surpassed their critical point.

This was why the Bahamut imperial family had become the public enemy who must be killed instead of people whom others wanted to coexist with. Perhaps it was because they had once been the lowliest prey, but they did not know how to coexist with others even after becoming apex predators.

‘I wonder what the people of Bahamut are thinking as they go about their lives?’

Ianna began growing curious about the values of the people of the empire who were faithful to the Bahamut imperial family. She had once heard from Arhad that many of them were discontented with the imperial family, but discontent and disposition were two separate things. It was highly possible that they thought like Bahamut because they had revered the imperial family for so long and had been governed under Bahamut’s rule.

‘I hope that won’t happen to the people in our country.’

She began reconsidering the direction that her new country would take all over again.

The best-case scenario was for everyone to get along as equals, but that was an ideal that had never come true in the past and would never come true in the future. Everyone had different personalities, different skills, different things that they were born with —so how could a world in which all kinds of individuals gathered together ever possibly treat everyone equally? The food chain existed in civilization also, and not only in the wild.

Her country had to work hard and make the food chain more flexible.

It had to be possible for someone to climb up the food chain with hard work and skill. In order for that to happen, the laws must allow for those who desired to climb up and put in the effort to be able to do so. Simultaneously, the laws must also create a set of stairs so those who lost the right to remain in their positions due to avarice could climb down.

In other words, the food chain must ultimately be governed by the law.

If the country was run in such a way that its people knew how to devour others, then the people would also have no choice but to understand that they, too, could also be devoured in turn. Perhaps then, the people would be able to control their selfishness and their altruism and find a way to coexist.

……Such thoughts were the foundations behind the rationale as to why the law existed even above Arhad, the ruler. Arhad, the apex predator, had decided it thus. After all, he understood the sorrow of those at the bottom better than any other.

‘But even Arhad once pushed the world into an era of war just like what Bahamut is doing now.’

He changed because of me.

Ianna quietly grabbed Arhad’s hand. He grabbed her hand back. He grew curious as to why Ianna, who had looked like she was lost in thought, suddenly looked like she was about to cry as she took his hand.

Dorcianni, who had been listening quietly this entire time, brought her hand up to her lips and giggled.

“It’s always fun to hear more about Bahamut.”

“It is not an amusing story,”

Silausa scolded Dorcianni harshly before she turned to Ianna and Arhad. She continued,

“Bahamut was once the humblest creature in the world, but he rose to the top with his dreadful ambition alone. Sometimes, his means included wanton violence, and at other times, his spiderweb-like resourcefulness. Moreover, Taylon Helkan Bahamut is the most ‘Bahamut-like’ member of the imperial family that the Tower has ever known. Please be wary of Bahamut.”

Her warning was sincere. This was something that Ianna had already recognized, but she raised her wariness of Taylon by one more level anyway.

Part 11

“Where is the flower?”

“It’s located beneath the Tower,”

Silausa answered when Ianna asked. She continued,

“Are you planning to retrieve it immediately?”

“Yes.”

Silausa grew melancholy.

“That’s fine, and I also promised to give it to you, but I was hoping to hear more from you since you learned more about Bahamut from me too.”

She had a point.

The Tower of Truth had invited Ianna and Arhad inside because they wanted to hear their stories about the Truth. But Ianna and Arhad had simply squeezed the Tower’s knowledge from them without sharing any of their own secrets. No one could blame Silausa for finding it unfair.

Ianna shot a quick glance at Ensheila.

“Dorcianni is affiliated with our country, and Silausa, the towermaster, signed a contract with us, but…….”

Ensheila immediately understood what Ianna was worried about and swallowed down a sigh.

“So this is why you brought me here, Dorcianni.”

How could he possibly step away when a means to get closer to the Truth was right before his very eyes? He continued,

“I’d also like to hear your story, if at all possible.”

Ensheila made his decision and courteously said,

“If you would allow this to me, then I will faithfully devote myself to your kingdom until the day I die. Please cast the same spell on me that you cast on Dorcianni. Alternatively, I am willing to sign a contract like Lady Silausa did.”

“Oh my, how wonderful.”

Dorcianni put on a show of clapping her hands. She continued,

“Ensheila’s an amazing mage. I think pretty highly of him.”

“And yet you’re still so rude to me. You like to lure me into traps too.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Ensheila was glaring at her, but Dorcianni paid him no mind.

Ianna was inwardly surprised.

“Why would you go so far?”

“I, too, am a member of the Tower of Truth.”

That was all it took for Ianna to understand.

“In that case, we have no reason to refuse.”

Arhad raised his finger and pressed it against Ensheila’s forehead. Mana flowed in and wrapped itself around Ensheila’s head.

‘This is truly incredible.’

Ensheila was astonished as he felt the ultimate-level spell working on his brain when Arhad finished casting and said,

“I will dispel it once we’ve successfully eliminated Bahamut. It won’t be necessary to keep this a secret once those bastards are dead.”

Arhad sat back down, and Silausa looked excited as she stared only at Ianna’s lips.

Ianna said,

“How much do you know about the Library of Truth?”

“Only that every record since the beginning of time exists inside it and that it is a cradle inside which both life and death co-exist.”

“And how did you learn this information?”

“As I mentioned earlier, only a very few great sages from the ancient past who could see the astral plane were able to visit the Library as ‘souls.’ I am trying to train myself to be able to see the astral plane. I am desperate just to reach the Library. After all, I can obtain all the knowledge and history I want from there.”

Her words left a deep impression on Ianna. It was only after she had carved them deeply inside her that Ianna replied,

“What I know doesn’t differ all that much from what you already know, Lady Silausa. I only visited the place very briefly.”

Ianna turned to Arhad.

Arhad nodded. These were people they could trust. They were people who had helped them —they had never hurt them. Though she would still need to keep a few secrets, of course.

“There exists something called the ‘Balance of the World’ in this world.”

“By ‘Balance,’ are you referring to a set of scales?”

“Yes. The world uses the Balance’s power to maintain equilibrium. If life exists, then so does death; if there is a cause, then there is also an effect; if light exists, then so does darkness……. That is the Balance’s power.”

“How very impressionable. Does this Balance exist in physical form?”

“I don’t know if it has a physical form or not, but I am absolutely certain that its power exists. It exerts a powerful influence over the Library of Truth as well.”

“How are you so certain that it exists if you have not physically seen it?”

“I am certain because I can borrow a bit of its power.”

The three mages made difficult to describe faces. Ianna continued,

“Dorcianni.”

“Hmm?”

“You’ve already experienced it once. Back when we first met.”

Dorcianni’s eyes sparkled.

“Mm. It felt so absolute.”

“I wanted to subdue you, and the Balance tried to make it happen in exchange for a corresponding price from me.”

Ianna placed her hand on Arhad’s arm and continued,

“Though it failed because he interfered.”

“Is that what is was?”

“You also asked me how I was able to transport myself to the Bahamut imperial palace without using magic. This was also the result of using the Balance’s power. I wanted to kill Wiffheimer, and his second body was inside the imperial palace. But the Balance demanded too high a price for killing Wiffheimer while ignoring the laws of causality.”

As a result of her training, Ianna had learned that the Balance demanded the highest price whenever she tried to directly meddle with another’s life or death, their soul or consciousness, or with time. Meanwhile, it didn’t demand much to bring something a slight distance away closer. Ianna continued,

“Instead, the Balance transported me over a vast distance through the Library of Truth so that I could kill the bastard myself. It looked like the Library of Truth was connected to all space.”

“I see. How curious.”

Ianna looked into the engrossed look on Dorcianni’s face before she told her about her decision.

“I will give you the chance to experience the Truth today.”

“How so?”

Dorcianni’s eyes sparkled. Her normally turbid eyes were overflowing with vim.

“Transfer your Demon’s fragment to Arhad,”

Ianna said earnestly.

“Are you telling me to die?”

Dorcianni was not offended, but amused.

“You can transfer it without dying.”

“According to research, there are only three ways to transfer your fragment to someone else. Through shared blood, by having your heart destroyed, or by getting pregnant. The only way to do this without me dying is for me to sleep with that man and for him to get it transferred over to him from the resulting child…….”

Dorcianni shrugged when Ianna began glaring at her. She continued,

“I’m joking. Though I would’ve agreed to do it if it was you and not him we were talking about.”

“Enough with your jokes.”

“But I was being serious?”

And what sort of joke was that supposed to be?

Dorcianni took the initiative to speak before Ianna could get in another word and said,

“Will you be using the ‘power of the Balance’ you were referring to earlier?”

“Yes. If I wish for it to happen and can pay the price, then you’ll be able to transfer your fragment without dying.”

“How risky is it?”

“This will be my first time trying, but I believe the chances are good,”

Ianna replied as she felt the divine power surging inside her heart.

“But in any case, I guess our lives will still be on the line? Sure thing. What do I need to do?”

Dorcianni consented without a moment’s hesitation.

“You don’t mind losing your fragment?”

“I only accepted it because I wanted to research the theory behind it in the first place. I don’t mind handing it over if it means that you’ll be sharing what you know with me. I was already planning to hand it over soon, so this works out well for me.”

“You were planning to hand it over willingly?”

That was no different from suicide. Dorcianni shrugged.

“Isn’t it cooler for me to offer it first than to have it forcibly taken from me? That’d be easier on you guys too.”

What a strange woman.

“Aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“I have no reason to be —I was prepared to die the moment I accepted the fragment. Besides, I think that leaving for the afterlife after dying is romantic in its own way.”

“You’re insane.”

“I know. But, isn’t it weird?”

“What is?”

“I’m a little glad that I can keep living.”

“That’s only natural.”

“I’ll have to go and burn my will once we get back later.”

In any event, they were in agreement.

Everyone other than Dorcianni and Ianna stepped back. Silausa and Ensheila looked envious.

Frillianu had been acting as a bystander to begin with, and Arhad seemed worried.

Arhad was standing near Ianna so that he could collect the Demon’s fragment and so that he could halt Ianna’s power at any time should the need arise.

“I’ll start now.”

Ianna grabbed Dorcianni’s arm.

She could feel Dorcianni’s pulse from the other side of her fingers.

“Hwooo…….”

Ianna concentrated her divine power inside her heart, just as she had practiced. Time slowed, and a great volume of divine power began whirling furiously around her heart.

Her heart asked her what she would Judge.

Firmly, Ianna wished,

‘I want to take out the Demon’s fragment inside Dorcianni without causing her to die.’

The Balance began to move after it had heard her wish.

Claaang…….

The powerful beating of her heart and the echoes of her soul mixed into each other harmonious from the very center of both her heart and soul. The echoes reverberated deep inside her soul’s innermost depths.

This great power always made Ianna dizzy, but her training had borne fruit. She remained standing upright without losing her balance.

The Balance finished calculated the weight of Ianna’s wish and demanded a price from her. Ianna wished to make the impossible possible, so the Balance demanded a vast amount of divine power in exchange for keeping Dorcianni alive.

But it did not tell Ianna that her wish was impossible to grant like it had with Wiffheimer. This was because the only law Ianna had to ignore was Dorcianni’s death, as ‘bursting open Dorcianni’s heart right now and taking out the fragment’ was not in itself very difficult to accomplish.

Hwoo…….

Her breathing sounded as loud as thunder.

Hwoo, hwoo…….

Her breathing fell into rhythm with her heartbeat. All the divine power Ianna currently possessed swirled around her heart.

Take it!

Ianna shouted with her soul.

Shaaaa…….

Her divine power was sucked into the center of her heart all at once. And it was consumed. Ianna felt like she was about to pass out as she felt a vast amount of her lifeforce be drained away, but she used her steely concentration to keep her eyes open.

The astral plane opened up before her.

Dorcianni’s soul was an unsaturated navy. A blackish soul that seemed out of place was lingering inside her heart. The parts of Dorcianni’s soul around the fragment were also dark, as if it had been dyed.

Creeeeak…….

The Balance began exerting its force.

The outrageous power of the world ripped out the black soul from Dorcianni’s heart. The tiny soul that had been gnawing away at Dorcianni’s lifeforce startled and began to fluctuate. The fragment struggled as it desperately tried not to be torn away and clutched at Dorcianni’s heart, but it had no choice but to ultimately let go.

Shhhh.

The Demon’s fragment that Dorcianni had accepted when she had been very young and had thirsted for the Truth slipped out of her like black smoke. Arhad took hold of it as he stood next to Ianna.

The fragment, which had been fluttering from the injustice of being forcefully dragged out, quieted immediately upon coming into contact with its rightful owner. It was absorbed into Arhad’s hand like an obedient dog without even a trace of lingering regret for Dorcianni.

The fragment, which had finally returned to where it was meant to be, stabilized as it fused into the larger fragment that was Arhad’s soul.

“Whew!”

The astral plane closed as Ianna sighed heavily.

Arhad nodded when Ianna turned toward him. Her visage brightened. The strength left her legs as the tension left her.

“Ugh.”

But it was Dorcianni who sank down first as she grasped at her clothes above here heart and groaned. Her face was crumpled and pallid with pain. Every blood vessel in her body began to swell up, including the ones in the arm that Ianna was still holding.

“My…heart’s beating…too fast.”

Dorcianni had possessed her Demon’s fragment for a very long time, and it had practically been a part of her. The equilibrium of her body had been thrown into complete disarray as the thing that had been eating away at her divine power suddenly vanished from within her. The mana in the atmosphere was crushing her.

‘Did something go wrong?’

Frillianu approached them as Ianna forgot about her own pain and wondered what to do next.

The dragon placed her hand on Dorcianni’s shoulder and checked her condition before she said,

“She’s in temporary shock. She’ll get better with time. The spirits would be helpful too, of course.”

Ianna immediately summoned Innis.

[I’m here! Whoooooo!]

Innis jumped up as soon as he was summoned. He continued,

[I missed this feeling! It’s the Himalapè Ice Fields! But Ianna, what brings you……. Huh? Frillianu!]

Innis made his way over to Frillianu as soon as he saw her.

“It’s been a while.”

Innis and Frillianu exchanged a pleasant conversation. Ianna had previously been told that the spirits did not get along with the dragons, but these two seemed to get along just fine.

“You even summoned a spirit king…….”

Both Silausa and Ensheila were genuinely shocked. They had sobered when Ianna had used her power, but their eyes were sparkling as if they were looking at the specimen of their dreams now.

“Can you help her, Innis?”

[Okay!]

Innis spun circles around Dorcianni. He continued,

[Her blood’s circulating way too quickly. Her equilibrium shattered. Did something happen to her?]

“Can you bring her back to normal?”

[Of course!]

Innis pierced Dorcianni’s, whose eyes were glinting with curiosity despite the pain she was in, carotid artery and swam inside her.

“Kgh.”

Innis melted into Dorcianni’s blood and travelled through her blood vessels as he slowed down her circulation and stabilized her heart. It was only then that her breathing returned to normal.

Arhad, who had finished absorbing the Demon’s fragment that had been in Dorcianni’s possession, placed his hand on Ianna’s shoulder.

“Are you all right?”

“It was difficult, but I am well. It’s Dorcianni who’s the problem here.”

Innis popped back out of Dorcianni’s body as everyone watched over her.

[Done!]

Dorcianni checked herself all over as she found the sudden lightness curious.

[You look tired too, Ianna. I’ll rejuvenate you.]

Innis transformed himself into warm water droplets and enveloped Ianna. Ianna melted into the comfort as she savored his healing properties.

Innis loitered around Ianna’s face and sought her praise after he had finished rejuvenating her.

[How is it? How is it?]

“I feel a lot better. Thank you.”

[Teehee!]

Innis flapped his fins. Ianna asked,

“Has it been a long time since you’ve been in the Himalapè Ice Fields, Innis?”

[It’s been a while since I was here as my original self. That’s why I’m in such a good mood. I’m excited too.]

“Then why don’t play until you’re unsummoned?”

[Okay!]

Innis was thrilled as he jumped into the sea at the center of the room. The water swelled up, as if it was welcoming Innis inside, before it settled back down.

Dorcianni placed a hand over her heart.

“It’s really gone.”

She laid down backward right there. She stretched out her limbs as she closed her eyes. She continued,

“I feel like I’ve lost so much strength now that the fragment’s gone. I don’t feel like doing anything. Even the air feels heavy.”

“You are likely feeling sluggish because the Demon’s fragment incited your desires, and desires lead to motivation,”

Frillianu answered Dorcianni’s mumbling. The dragon continued,

“And it’s only natural that the air feels heavy. The mana in the air won’t obey you and assist you like you’re its master anymore.”

“I see.”

Dorcianni slowly raised a finger.

Previously, the mana would circle around her fingers flirtatiously even if she didn’t want it to, but now it simply passed by her leisurely as if it didn’t care.

“And the mana doesn’t move for me like it’s mine anymore.”

She smirked, and continued,

“It’s nice.”

“You don’t find it unpleasant?”

“It’s a bit unpleasant, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it soon. Besides, it feels more pleasant than it does unpleasant. It’s like I’ve been freed from my restraints. But more importantly…”

Dorcianni looked up at Ianna as she continued to lie on her back. She continued,

“That absolute power that crushed my entire being and made it impossible for the Demon’s fragment to even budge —that must’ve been the Balance’s power.”

“It was.”

“I was able to see the astral plane too.”

“The astral plane?”

Silausa was surprised. Ianna explained to her,

“I’m told that there’s a small probability that you’ll be able to see the astral plane if an astral phenomenon happens nearby. I’m sure Dorcianni was able to see it because she had a soul taken out of her.”

“I see.”

“I envy her.”

Silausa and Ensheila quietly gave Dorcianni a sidelong scowl as she spitefully raised her chin up like an arrogant king who had it all.

Ianna leaned into Arhad’s embrace.

“I’m exhausted even after Innis healed me.”

She had consumed nearly all of the divine power that had been piling up inside her. She would have died in just a few days had she been an ordinary person who was unable to produce more.

Arhad whispered to Ianna as she relaxed,

“Will you be able to obtain all the divine power stored up in the fifth piece of Roberstein’s heart once you recover it?”

“Yes.”

“Towermaster,”

Arhad called for Silausa. Silausa startled because he had been taciturn and had mostly only been listening until now and turned toward him. Arhad continued,

“We’d like the flower now.”

“Very well.”

Silausa looked like she still had a mountain of questions to ask. But they had already shown her a miracle, so she decided to give them what they wanted and put aside discussing for later.

They made their way down to the Tower’s basement. The lowest floor, which they reached only after a considerable walk, was connected to a cave.

They walked and walked again. Water began filing up the ground as they continued, and they finally saw an altar sitting where the light hit by the time the water reached their calves. There was a single flower resting on the altar. The warm feeling that the flower emitted climbed up the light and spread over the ground above.

Part 12

It was the final relic.

“The water will reach up to your waist. Would you like me to retrieve it for you?”

Ianna shook her head no. She wanted to collect it herself.

Splash, splash.

The water was very cold. The cold permeated all the way through to her marrow and made her shiver, but the excitement she felt about the relic made her forget how cold it was.

Ianna walked up to the altar.

She reached out and picked up the beautiful flower.

A divine power so hot it could even melt a glacier suddenly assaulted her. Roberstein’s knowledge, memories, thoughts, and emotions came over her like raging waves. But Ianna wasn’t swept away because she accepted it all like flowing water and let it flow away like water as well.

She obtained quite a lot of new information. The memories of Roberstein vanishing off to somewhere and coming back, of how terrifying Roygen had been as he demanded to know where she had been, of Roberstein’s emotions of resignation after repeating her cycles of anger and listlessness, and of Roygen destroying Paradise…….

The countless memories arranged themselves properly into the flow of time.

Ianna took a deep breath as she carefully rummaged through the world inside her memories.

And she was disappointed.

‘I knew it.’

All the places where she was sure there were supposed to be memories of Laos had been cut cleanly away. The only memory of Laos she had was Roberstein’s ‘final memory,’ in which Laos had clung to her in tears and begged her not to leave. Ianna had uncovered almost every other secret by now, but only Laos remained enshrouded in fog.

‘If I don’t have any memories about Laos even after undoing the seal, then it has to be one of two things —either Roberstein erased those memories herself, or Laos did.’

The seal would be undone if she gathered all five fragments in one place and connected them with divine power as if she was gluing them together. Of course, this would only be possible after Ianna had grown accustomed to the fifth piece of her heart and had made Roberstein’s memories and emotions fully hers.

But that wouldn’t take very long. Ianna decided to put off deciding what she wanted to do about Laos until then as she took her hand off the flower.

The ocean began to shake just then.

“Silausa!”

“Silausa!”

The waters were filled with high-pitched voices.

“Oh dear.”

Six mermaids of various shapes popped their heads out of the water as soon as Silausa placed a hand on her head. She began to explain as Ianna grew alarmed.

“The other side is connected to somewhere deep in the sea.”

Then, she approached her brethren and asked,

“Why did you decide to come up so suddenly?”

“Lord Innis is here!”

“Who summoned him? And why? Is Bahamut here?”

the agitated mermaids clamored. Then, they began bowing one after another upon seeing that Frillianu was also there.

“Did you call the spirit king here, Lady Dragon? But why so suddenly?”

The mermaids turned to Ianna once Frillianu pointed to her. The light in their eyes grew warm.

“That human feels nice.”

“But the human next to her is scary.”

“But he also feels reliable. What is this feeling?”

The mythical races’ reaction to Arhad had changed ever so slightly after their visit to the Great Forest of Shaob. Just like the mermaids here, the various members of the mythical races in the East were still afraid of Arhad, but they no longer shunned him. Ianna was rather happy for the change.

Silausa briefly introduced Ianna and Arhad to her brethren. She did not need to explain at length because the mermaids had lived only in the sea for so long that they knew little about the human world to begin with.

Silausa took one look at Ianna’s complexion before she calmly said,

“Lady Ianna is very tired. You’ll be able to meet her again next time. You guys should head back now.”

“Okay. We’re only here because we were so alarmed. But nothing’s wrong, right?”

“But, how was she able to summon a spirit king? What a curious human.”

“She looks super strong too. Don’t you think she might be able to beat Bahamut in a fight?”

The mermaids looked rather expectant as they waved at Ianna. Ianna awkwardly waved back.

“We’ll go back now. Come visit us again!”

The smiled brightly as they splashed back inside the ocean.

The group returned to the surface once they had sent the mermaids back.

Then, the mages exploded in a barrage of questions, and Ianna did her best to answer them. She told them about a lot of things, like how the proper name for the Library of Truth was the ‘Akashic Records’ and information about divine power. But she withheld information about her power of Judgment, which was her secret weapon.

The mages looked satiated, having felt that they had learned their fill of knowledge, once Ianna had told them everything she knew.

“Sigh. I’m so satisfied.”

But Silausa smacked her lips even as she said that. This was because Ianna had avoided Silausa’s questions about how she was able to borrow the Balance’s power, what the mechanisms behind that power were, and how much of a price she needed to pay to use it. Silausa studied Ianna carefully as she grabbed the latter’s hand tightly.

“Can’t you please tell us a little more about the Balance’s power, Lady Ianna?”

“I cannot. The only thing I can tell you currently is the fact that I am able to ‘borrow the Balance’s power,’”

Ianna refused her flatly. She continued,

“I can’t disclose that information readily until we’ve finished eliminating Bahamut. To be honest, I didn’t want to tell you about the Balance at all, but…….”

Silausa decided not to cross the line when she saw how reluctant Ianna was. Ianna was the one person who was closest to the Truth, so there would be no greater catastrophe than if Ianna decided she disliked the Tower of Truth.

“I understand.”

Ianna couldn’t tell them any more ‘currently,’ which meant that it was still possible that she would be more willing later. Silausa’s eyes sparkled as she squeezed Ianna’s hand tight. She continued,

“Lady Ianna, we at the Tower of Truth possess all sorts of knowledge and history that is unknown to the rest of the world, and we also conduct research regarding the world’s providences. I, Silausa, the Towermaster of the Tower of Truth, propose to conduct a collaborative research with you.”

“A collaborative research?”

Silausa nodded.

“I will begin to do research based on the information you gave me —the information regarding the Akashic Records, divine power, and the Balance. I would like you to share any new information you learn about any of these things with me. And I will share all the results of my research with you in return.”

Silausa gulped as she thirsted for more knowledge. She continued,

“I will share all the information that the Tower currently possesses with you too, if you’d like. If your kingdom possesses a research facility, then how about we arrange for a sisterly relationship between our organizations? Exchanging information with the Tower will surely be very useful to your kingdom as well. What do you think?”

“It sounds good to me.”

Ianna found nothing bad about the idea. Rather, she was rather liked it. The Tower of Truth was the oldest and greatest research institution in the world. It would surely be immensely helpful to her new country to exchange knowledge with the Tower of Truth.

No. Rather…….

‘Can we just absorb the Tower of Truth whole?’

Just like how the dwarves, elves, and beastmen had become citizens and each demonstrated their own specialties, just like how Shalino, Saki Celtz’s medical association, and Taryll Cartner’s magical engineering workshop had migrated to the East to assist the country, if perhaps the mermaids and the Tower of Truth could also…….

Things would work out so perfectly if they also followed suit. But the Tower of Truth could not migrate to the East until Bahamut was gone because they were currently collaborating with Bahamut. And Ianna was already drowning every day in how much work she had to do. Which was why she decided not to press the issue. For now.

“Thank you!”

Silausa beamed.

“I think we’re just about done here.”

Arhad pried Silausa’s hands off Ianna’s. He continued,

“I think members of the Tower are making their way over here, perhaps because they noticed the disturbance. It’s been getting gradually noisier.”

Silausa, who had been lost deeply in Ianna, returned to her senses and listened carefully. She could hear voices and footsteps from the distance.

“We’ll be heading back without meeting the others in order to keep our confidentiality. You may share any of the information we gave you with them, save for the fact that Ianna can borrow the Balance’s power.”

“The others also really wanted to meet the two of you.”

Silausa was about to suggest that they stayed a little longer, but she abandoned the idea. Arhad turned to Dorcianni and Ensheila.

“Will you also be leaving now?”

Ensheila told them to leave first because he had to pack his things.

“I’ll pack my things too and leave when he does. I still need to talk to Lady Frillianu too.”

Ianna’s eyes glistened with curiosity.

“How did you become a dragon’s Guardian?”

“Hmmm.”

Dorcianni rummaged through old memories and remembered something she had previously forgotten.

“The dragons’ Guardians protect the earth alongside the spartoi in exchange for the miracle of having a wish granted. I became a Guardian because I wanted to know how that worked. But Lady Frillianu wouldn’t tell me, so I decided, ‘I’ll just figure it out for myself!’ and became a Guardian without wishing for anything. Lady Frillianu said that I could decide on my wish later, but I’d nearly forgotten about it.”

Ianna’s eyes glistened conspicuously as she listened quietly.

“So, were you successful?”

“No. But I think I might be able to figure something out now after personally experiencing the ‘power of the Balance’ today…….”

Dorcianni snuck sidelong glances at Frillianu, and the brusque dragon finally moved her cold lips.

“The restrictions regarding that were lifted because you are able to use the Balance’s power now. Do you wish to know?”

Ianna startled and immediately nodded back.

Terranodin had been so adamant about not answering when Ianna had asked him about the Guardians that she had almost wanted to sock him. It had been so bad that the words, ‘I cannot tell you,’ almost made her neurotic.

“We fulfil our Guardians’ wishes using the power of the Balance. We measure the weight of their devoting their entire lives to maintaining equilibrium, and we grant them an appropriate wish.”

Her short explanation was more than enough to help Ianna understand the principles behind how Guardians worked.

But…….

“How are the dragons able to use the Balance?”

“I cannot tell you because any more than this would relate to Laos.”

The dragon sealed her mouth once more. But Ianna was so used to this by now that she was satisfied just to have obtained one more piece of information.

“Please be careful on your way back.”

Arhad started casting Teleport. Frillianu and the waving mages vanished from their view and were replaced by the forests near the East. It was still winter here too, but the coldness was completely different from what it had been in the Himalapè Ice Fields. Ianna felt like she was melting.

“Mm.”

She stretched to loosen her body, which had grown stiff from the cold.

She saw new leaves sprouting from the tree branches. It hit her anew.

‘It’s already been a year.’

It had been a year since she had left Roanne.

Ianna looked back on the last year of her life.

She had worked and trained so hard she barely had time to breathe, and she had travelled the world whenever she had the opportunity. She had gone to the Great Forest of Shaob in the spring, the Karankell Rocky Mountains in the summer, the Girohai Fiery Desert in the autumn, and the Himalapè Ice Fields in the winter.

Her body was weary because she had done so much this past year, but this much was nothing when she considered the future. Rather, she was satisfied to have lived each and every day so faithfully.

Arhad wrapped himself around Ianna’s shoulders and kissed her forehead.

“Congratulations. Roberstein’s heart is right under your nose now.”

Ianna nodded as she looked down at the flower she was holding in her hand. It was colorful and sparkled brilliantly, just like Phaemdra’s leaf.

She had found the final piece of the seal. The fragmented pieces of the heart’s seal connected with each other with Ianna’s heart at the center. She needed to grow accustomed to the last piece of the heart as quickly as possible so she could undo the seal completely.

‘I feel myself bursting with vigor because I’m holding the flower.’

There was clean divine power flowing from the flower, just like how the leaf had filled the desert to the brim with life. It was Laos’ divine power.

‘Laos…….’

Thinking about his name made her heart race for some reason.

~~*~~

The new year passed, and winter ended two months later.

“Wow. There are so many trees here in the East,”

Herrace expressed his astonishment as he surveyed his surroundings. The East’s forests were jam-packed with trees. There were a lot of forests too, so it almost felt like he couldn’t see anything but trees. He had lived in Roanne’s capital all his life, and this was his first time being somewhere with so many forests.

“The region was influenced by the Great Forest of Shaob,”

Heinrich replied to his grandson considerately. Lalatua, who was between them, grumbled,

“We could’ve simply teleported there in one go. You need to remember your age, Teacher.”

“I wanted to visit the other villages as well. Didn’t you all enjoy them too?”

Herrace nodded furiously as his face heated up. The villages they had visited en route were developing blindingly. The spectacles that the people created with their fiery passion were so cool that Herrace had been left dumbstruck multiple times. He was so glad they had decided to walk.

“But everything looks the same now, doesn’t it? Ugh, my legs hurt too. Aren’t you tired, Teacher?”

“I’m all right. The forest paths are nice too. Let’s continue slowly.”

“What if you get sick once we get there?”

Lalatua asked coyly. Taro, who was standing next to her, gingerly asked,

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“No. Teacher’s walking too.”

Herrace looked at Heinrich, who looked nervous for some reason, and looked back at the bickering pair behind him before he smiled.

He had graduated early from the Institution.

“I want to be independent,”

he had declared at the graduation party that House Bendham had hosted in his honor as soon as he had graduated.

Everyone had already known that this was what he wanted because he had been talking about wanting to be independent for so long. Travis, who had mollified his previously sharp temperament, was secure in his position as heir apparent, so no one had an excuse with which to hold Herrace back.

Torque, who had approved of Herrace’s independence a year prior, nodded quietly.

“Never forget that you are a son of House Bendham.”

“I won’t.”

“Young Master…….”

His graduation party had become a farewell party. The servants wiped their tears against the hems of their sleeves now that Herrace, whom they had watched over ever since he was a baby, was leaving the nest, but they could not hold him back.

Lalatua had graduated after attending her full six years, but Taro had dropped out of school. Taro had always disliked heavily physical classes. The Institution’s martial arts classes had never suited his tastes, and he had never liked studying in the first place, so he had slept through many of his classes. He forced himself to read whenever he was with Lalatua, but he absolutely meant it when he said that he forced himself to read.

He had become rather famous this past year because of his dazzling achievements in battle, but that was it. Taro had planned to leave Roanne anyway, so there was nothing he could gain from staying in school, and he wouldn’t feel rewarded for staying behind either.

Thus, he had no reason to stay in the Institution after all his friends had left, especially since Lalatua would be gone too. He preferred to leave with them and find something else to do. And most importantly,

“I’m dyin’ to know more about this kingdom where all kinds of races are livin’ together. And there’ll be more fun things to do there too!”

Herrace had concurred.

He had truly worked hard this past year so he could go to the country where Ianna was. He had trained furiously, even more so than he had back when Ianna was with him. He had been seriously injured while facing Wiffheimer, but his inability to protect the children had made him stubborn rather than making him feel powerless.

‘I won’t collapse next time.’

His determination lit his growth on fire, and Herrace had achieved blinding results. He wanted to show Ianna as quickly as possible.

“We’re here.”

Herrace stopped reminiscing as he looked forward.

It was Semastair, their destination.

He could see the colossal gates and ramparts. The ramparts looked terrifying, but they were also sturdy and beautiful.

Herrace grew excited.

‘I’m here.’

He had wanted to learn more ahead of time about the place where he was to settle down, but for some reason he could never learn anything of substance beyond the fact that it was ‘a city where many races live together,’ which he already knew.

He had contacted Eiji and told the latter about his predicament, but Eiji had told Herrace that he wouldn’t be able to obtain any real information because he was stopping that information from getting out. Herrace had then asked Eiji to provide him some documentation he could go over, but Eiji had only teasingly told him to come and experience it in person. And so, Herrace was practically a blank slate when he arrived at Semastair.

They walked up to the city gates. There was a strange group standing in front of them.

“Hey, ain’t that Taro?”

One of them even recognized Taro. Taro, too, was alarmed.

“Huh? Why’re you……? And why’re ya in yer beastmen form……?”

“That a human you know?”

“Oh.”

It had been a stout dwarf who was standing next to the beastman, who looked like a water buffalo, who had asked. The beastman continued,

“He’s Taro, a half-beastman. He’s Chief Absilot’s son.”

“Ack. He must be pretty strong.”

It was so strange to see a beastman and a dwarf standing guard together. Awkwardly, Taro asked,

“We can stay in that form?”

“Of course. Yer gonna have to get used to seein’ stuff like this. There’re elves up there too, ya know?”

The group looked up to where the beastman was pointing. Slender elves were looking down at them from atop the ramparts with curiosity in their eyes. The beastman continued,

“I’m openin’ the gates now.”

The gates opened. And the group could not help but opened their eyes wide in surprise at what they saw.

The city was truly a magnificent spectacle.

Neatly constructed roads of clean bricks with no gaps between them, towering buildings with a unique air about them, exquisite statues and murals that filled up any empty space along every corner, trees bursting with leaves and new shoots, the flowers that were beginning to bud now that spring had begun…….

Everything came together to complete the beautiful city.

But this alone wouldn’t have been enough to make the group drop their jaws. Semastair was a truly beautiful city, but Theodore, the greatest city of Roanne where they had come from, had also been just as beautiful.

The reason why they could not tear their eyes away from the city was because of the residents walking along the streets and the attitudes they displayed.

Heinrich forced a laugh.

“I’ve lived a long life, but never once did I think that I’d ever see so many races living together like this with my very own eyes.”

Humans and the mythical races alike were teeming the streets, and it was impossible to tell if there was any distinct majority.

Greedy humans had crushed the mythical races, of whom there were fewer, with their sheer numbers and had taken advantage of the mythical races’ naïveté during the era of warfare at the dawn of the Age of Magic, when it had been rob or be robbed. The mythical races had retreated to the four corners, having grown disillusioned with humanity, and that was how they had stopped living in harmony.

But that history had no place here. The people of this land got along with each other despite their respective races.

The clangs of hammers beating on steel coming from the forges, the melodious street music that graced their ears, the striking of weapons from the training grounds…….

The overflowing vitality, the happy smiles.

The fact that mankind and the mythical races were creating all these things together left a deep impression on them. It didn’t seem awkward or strange at all —rather, it looked natural, as if things had always been meant to be this way. The harmony was so heartwarming to see.

Perhaps this was how the world was supposed to be.

“Tada!”

Someone jovially jumped out at the group as they made their way toward the heart of the city while sightseeing busily. He continued,

“Welcome!”

It was Eiji.

“Eiji!”

“Sir Eiji!”

“You’re early. It’s been a year, right? How’ve you guys been?”

Eiji, Herrace, and Taro greeted each other in great cheer. Herrace studied Eiji’s complexion.

“Your face is practically glowing, Sir.”

“Aren’t I always? Ugh, woe is me for being so damn handsome. My light never fades even if I’m working so hard I might actually die.”

“Hey, ya can’t say stuff like that to this punk here. He’s just gonna start braggin’,”

Taro grumbled as Eiji thrust his nose up in the air, prompting a chuckle from Herrace.

“Putting your handsomeness aside, you look like you’re enjoying yourself a lot more than you were back while you were still attending the Institution.”

Herrace was good at observing others, and he was good at knowing how others were feeling too. Eiji was always playful and sunny, but Herrace had occasionally thought that he was too playful and sunny. He had never pointed it out because he hadn’t wanted to cross any lines, but Eiji had always seemed extremely depressed and exhausted whenever he tried too hard to appear otherwise.

“It’s true. Ya gained some weight, and ya look less pale too. Ya look healthy! I guess you’ve been eatin’, livin’, and sleepin’ pretty well here?”

“You think so? That shouldn’t be the case. Why would I gain weight while I’m being overworked? Ugh, kill me!”

Eiji lamented as he said things that he didn’t even mean before he broke into a grin. He continued,

“I’ll stop exaggerating now. You’re right. I’m living better than I’ve ever been. I’m busy as hell, but it’s work worth doing.”

Eiji had taken to the East like a fish to water. He had established an intelligence organization as large as the Black Fox’s had been in the East and the South, and he was also expanding his influence into the North. This was the result of his blazing determination to become number one in the world of information.

Herrace was happy to see that Eiji looked like he was genuinely enjoying himself.

“Let’s go.”

Eiji took the group on a guided tour of the city. Eiji, Taro, and Herrace did most of the talking while Lalatua and Heinrich observed the city quietly from behind them.

“I was so surprised. To think that there existed a place like this here in the East.”

“It didn’t exist before —we’re working to make sure it exists now. It’s only been a few years.”

Herrace was startled.

“You mean that this city was built only a few years ago?”

“Yeah. Semastair used to be a rural city in the middle of nowhere just a few years ago, you know? Then, our liege started working on it.”

“By liege, you’re referring to Sir Arhad, yes?”

“Yep.”

Eiji nodded and continued,

“Our liege plowed up all the bad stuff and replaced it with good stuff. He paved the way, and the developments he made became the foundations for the city’s revival. And the city’s been changing by the day ever since the mythical races started moving in a year ago. I’ve been here since the very beginning, but even I never thought it’d develop this much. You should’ve seen it for yourselves.”

“That’s possible?”

Herrace asked, unable to comprehend.

Eiji wagged his finger.

“It’s the result of the simple harmony between thorough plans, specialists from every field, and the people’s overflowing drive. Don’t ever doubt our liege’s abilities. He’s an incredible go-getter the likes of which normal people will never be able to understand, so just accept it for what it is.”

“I see.”

Herrace had always known that Arhad was someone extraordinary because he had witnessed Arhad sparring with Ianna every day. He had assumed that Arhad was someone great enough to have Ianna as his lover.

Herrace was even awed now that he had witnessed Arhad’s accomplishments firsthand. I’ll trust and follow your lover starting today, Little Ianna.

Eiji felt smug and cleared his throat loudly while wriggling his lips as Herrace’s eyes sparkled in astonishment.

“Ya said he’s an incredible go-getter, but this still goes beyond all common sense. There’re so many beastmen who hate humans……. It’s weird to me that such deep resentment could crumble down so easily.”

Taro snuck a glance at a beastman who was in half-human half-beast form while chatting with a human.

“He’s right. I never thought that humans and the mythical races could get along so well when it’s only been one year.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s not like all that resentment’s been bridged or that there aren’t any problems.”

Eiji stroked his chin and continued,

“It’s because everyone has their own nest, we all share the goal of overthrowing Bahamut, and the Faith of Laos uniting us that things are going smoothly all things despite. There’s also the fact that we established the laws right from the very beginning so no one could complain, and that the humans here trust our liege while the mythical races trust Little Ianna.”

A common goal, religion, and a powerful trust. The sense of morality that Arhad had planted in his people over the years, and the justice that had been dispersed to everyone in the past year. And the people’s own will to develop the land that they would live the rest of their lives in.

All of these things had come together to create a synergic effect.

“Keep this in mind. We might all come from different races here, but every last one of us here is a ‘person’ now.”

Semastair called all of her residents ‘people’ because there was still a need to group everyone together if they were going to live as one.

People were animals with the capacity for thought, who communicated using words, who created and used tools, and who built societies together. Beastmen, mermaids, elves, dwarves —they were all people. Humans had no monopoly over the term.

Eiji snapped his fingers.

“Oh, I’m sure you already know this, but Little Ianna’s full name is ‘Ianna Rise’ now, and officially, she’s our liege’s knight. You can still call her Little Ianna privately, but make sure you address her as Dame Ianna or Dame Rise when you’re in public.”

Herrace tilted his head to the side when Eiji had said that Ianna was simply a knight.

“She has no other station?”

“Mm. The justice of this land dictates that everyone is equal beneath our liege —Arhad, who’ll be our king soon.”

Semastair divided people not by their station of birth but by the offices they held. Their social positions were not fixed, and someone higher up the ladder and someone lower on the ladder could easily switch positions depending on their respective abilities. Moreover, everyone was respected equally regardless of their office.

Herrace failed to comprehend yet again.

“Is that truly possible? If Semastair was a county, then there should have been viscounties and baronies under the liege. Was the opposite not also true?”

“I told you before. Our liege plowed up all the bad stuff and replaced it with good stuff. All the bastards who grumbled because they wanted things their own way and the bastards who were incompetent were either purged or chased away, and the only people left under our liege’s banner are people of incredible skill would die immediately if he told them to.”

He must truly be incredible. Herrace found himself astonished yet again.

Part 13

The Central Office Castle was located in the inner sections of the city.

It was surrounded by a forest that stretched out from the Great Forest of Shaob. Clean waters —a river that flowed into the Himalapè Ice Field’s sea— meandered off to its side.

The castle was both beautiful and overbearing.

Its tall walls were built with greyish stones that were so light in color they were almost white, and the roofs were colored with a modest dark red and black.

The castle would have been rather drab had that been all there was to it, but the gold, which hadn’t been visible previously, began sparkling when the large cloud that had been casting a shadow over the castle passed by and the sunlight hit the roofs. The light drew paths along the rooftops and created beautiful patterns.

Seeing the castle instantly made Herrace think of the times when day met night. The sun that radiated light and the mood that took it in —dawn and dusk.

It naturally reminded him of Ianna and Arhad. The colors suited them perfectly.

“This castle was here originally, but it’s been through such extensive repairs that it might as well be a new building entirely. The spirits helped out a lot.”

As Eiji continued to explain in detail, Herrace learned that the castle, which reminded him so much of Ianna and Arhad, had been completed under Arhad’s direction.

‘What incredible love.’

Herrace was marveled, and Heinrich was awed for a different reason as he stood beside his grandson.

“There are so many high-levelled magic circles linked together like a chain. And they were carved into gold, which has a high conductivity for mana. You could never possibly put a price to this treasure.”

They walked up to the walls to see them up close. They had thought that the walls would be plain, but they were adorned with statues or murals that were each masterpieces in their own right. Eiji began snickering as Herrace grew dumbstruck while looking.

“Amazing, isn’t it? They were created by the best of the best artisans.”

The soldiers standing guard by the castle gates recognized Eiji when the group approached and opened the gates immediately.

Creak.

There was a straight road on the other side of the gates, and there were gardens installed on either side of the road.

“These gardens are under the elves’ care.”

The trees were well tended to and were ready to greet the coming spring, and the fountains, pieces of artwork in and of themselves, were gushing with water in marvelous fashion. The gardens had a quiet and comfortable air about them.

Two children and a cat, who had been playing in the gardens, jumped up as soon as they saw the group.

“It’s Mister Herrace and Teacher! Miss Lalatua and Mister Tiger’s here too!”

They were Finn, Elly, and Nissi.

Finn ran into Taro’s arms, and Elly stopped in front of Herrace.

“Have you been well, Elly?”

“Of course! What about you, Mister? Hmm, it looks like you’ve been well too. You look a lot stronger now.”

“Hmm? You can tell?”

Elly placed a hand over her mouth as she giggled with great fun.

“Sort of? But anyway, I’m really glad for you. Good people should always be happy.”

She picked Nissi up after saying her vague words. Then, she ran up to Heinrich and Lalatua and bowed to them with her hands over her belly button.

“Enough with the greetings. There’s somewhere we need to go.”

The group continued walking as Eiji lead them. They started hearing the sonorous sounds of people yelling as they continued down the winding roads.

“It’s the training grounds. I bet you’ll be surprised?”

What did Eiji mean by what?

They arrived at the training grounds. There were soldiers, who were likely affiliated with the castle, shouting vigorously as they trained hard.

“Haah!”

Herrace was shocked. Taro, who was standing beside him, was so surprised that he jumped up.

“Department Head Ryan!”

“Hey, if it isn’t Little Herrace and Little Taro?”

Ryan greeted them warmly.

But Ryan’s wasn’t the only familiar face they saw.

“It’s been a while!”

“Hey, how’s Roanne been?”

Their former colleagues from the Institution’s Swordsmanship Department were training in various places around the training grounds. They had all been top-tier students, and there were more than just a few of them.

“How did you all end up here?”

“I followed Dame Rise here from Roanne, and the others came of their own accord. And I recruited a few skilled people over too. This isn’t everyone. There are dozens of large training grounds all throughout Semastair, and the rest are scattered among them.”

“As expected of Little Ianna —I mean Dame Rise!”

There were sparkles in Herrace’s eyes. The envy in his eyes was sparkling so brightly that Ryan couldn’t help but say, You’re still the same as ever, I see, as he chuckled.

“So, where is Dame Rise anyway?”

Eiji asked Ryan.

“She left for a minute……. Oh, there she is.”

Herrace whipped his head around.

He saw Ianna, with her crimson hair tied up, walking over to them from the distance.

His eyes locked with her crimson ones, which he had so dearly missed.

Ianna smiled slightly.

“You’re here.”

It had been a year since he had seen her last. Ianna had matured, and she had grown stronger. The sun dwelt in her eyes, and they seemed so distant and piercing. She seemed to exude a noble and intense pressure even though she was simply walking.

But the way that her training clothes were falling apart and her training sword was dulled due her intense training was just the same as ever.

The soldiers stood at attention as soon as she approached as if it was only natural.

“Don’t mind me and continue your training.”

“Yes ma’am. Don’t get distracted and continue doing what you were doing, everyone!”

They started shouting again as they continued their training. But they continued sneaking respectful glances at Ianna as she slowly made her way to Herrace’s group.

Herrace’s chest puffed with pride as he watched the others give his long-time idol so much respect. But he also grew nervous. Ianna had become so great now that he didn’t know if he was allowed to treat her the same way he had before.

“What the hell happened to your sword?”

Eiji was shocked when he saw the state Ianna’s sword was in. He continued,

“You started this morning with a brand new one.”

“I was training with some particularly aggressive techniques, and this was the result.”

“Wow, I know it’s a training sword, but it was still forged by a dwarf. Just how much did you put it through? You’re terrible.”

But watching Eiji interacting with Ianna made Herrace feel like nothing had changed…….

“Let’s head inside the castle.”

The group left the training grounds and made their way to the castle.

“Damn, ya got even cooler. That aura yer givin’ off is something else!”

“He’s right. I want to run into your arms and act all cutesy with you. You seem so manly and trustworthy that I want to rely on you.”

“W-what about me?”

“Hmmm, you’re trustworthy too, I suppose. ……You’re a bit stupid, though.”

Neither Taro nor Lalatua treated Ianna too formally either. Ianna looked at them, greatly amused, before she then turned to Herrace, who was walking beside her.

“Have you been well, Herrace?”

“Yes, Little Ianna! I mean, Dame Rise.”

Herrace raised his voice a little due to his nerves. It had been so long since he had last shared a conversation with Ianna. Ianna smirked.

“You can address me normally when we’re among close friends. I’d be more comfortable with that too.”

“Oh, okay, Little Ianna!”

And so, all of Herrace’s anxieties were instantly resolved.

“I was getting worried because of the war between Roanne and Bahamut, so I’m glad you’re all safe.”

“Yes. You’re right. I was okay with exterminating monsters because I was fighting non-human creatures, but being mobilized for war was……. I watched so many people die. It made me realize that war is a calamity that should never happen. But I’m sure that it was inevitable.”

Herrace smiled wearily as he recalled what had happened in the past year. Ianna concurred.

“Warfare is just another form of fighting, and there will always be fights breaking out in places where people live. Peace is nice, but it’s also difficult, I think. And that’s why you need to have enough power to protect what is yours.”

“Yes. So…”

Herrace formed a tight fist. He continued,

“I’m going to work hard too!”

He had always been imagining what Ianna’s future would look like.

Would she become a renowned, top-class mercenary? A great teacher teaching her disciples at a large school of swordsmanship? The knight captain of an honorable knight order?

She would surely be the number one in her field no matter what occupation she chose. Herrace had always dreamt of becoming independent and working under her banner. And now, his dream was about to come true.

Semastair was now the land in which Herrace was to live. He would lay down his roots in this land. If he was to get married, then he would do it here; if he was to have children, he would have them here; and if his name was to become renowned, then it would become renowned here too.

This was the place he had to protect.

Ianna smiled.

“Right. Please do.”

“I will! Oh, and there’s something I have to tell you.”

Herrace’s heart had been racing all throughout his way here because he wanted to brag to Ianna about his accomplishments and receive her praise, but he grew a tad embarrassed now that he was actually about to tell her. He continued,

“I’m able to control both mana and divine power now.”

“Both?”

Ianna’s eyes took on a conspicuous color.

Herrace had trained up his physical abilities, spite, endurance, and concentration while doing hellish stamina and swordsmanship training with Ianna for nearly three years. But the situation had changed ever so slightly after the harvest festival last year —after he had fought Wiffheimer, that is.

He had destroyed and blocked Wiffheimer’s spells and had learned how to draw out his divine power when his life had been in danger.

He had been seriously injured because Wiffheimer had beaten him so badly. He had been sick from the aftereffects of controlling his divine power even after the spirits had healed him.

Herrace had started training how to control mana and divine power after he had fully recovered, but not only had Herrace not gotten a grasp for it at all but Ianna had been busy and their time training together had been short. Ianna had taught him the basics and the theory when they had initially started training, but she had been forced to leave before she could see Herrace make any real progress.

“How? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

They had been exchanging news with each other over the past year, but he had never written a word about how he had learned how to control mana and divine power all on his own…….

Herrace smiled.

“I kept it a secret because I wanted to tell you in person. I’ll show you sometime. Just like you said, my high affinity for mana became a blessing to me as soon as I was finally able to control it.”

Herrace actually thought that his high affinity for mana wasn’t the real blessing. But he decided to tell Ianna more about it later.

“…….”

There was a strange light in Ianna’s eyes as she looked back at him and replied,

“You’ve really worked hard. That’s amazing.”

Herrace tilted his head to the side when Ianna reacted strangely, but his visage brightened when Ianna praised him. Ianna continued,

“Be sure to keep this in mind, Herrace. Your talents, and the effort you’ve put into them, are still amazing regardless of your high affinity for mana.”

“I will!”

Herrace had no idea why Ianna was saying this, but he was happy anyway because it felt like Ianna was recognizing his hard work and was praising him for it.

They entered the castle. The interior decorations were so tidy that the group could not help but feel that the castle interior reminded them of Ianna too. But it was not drab. Was it because of the props and flowers placed here and there or the gorgeously cut light fixtures? The interior felt noble and sophisticated rather than dizzyingly fancy.

Rattle.

“We’re here, Arhad.”

Ianna opened a large door. Inside the room was Arhad, who was sitting at a desk, and Rikijen, who was standing with a bundle of documents in his arms.

“Come on in.”

Rikijen turned around and walked up to the group with warm welcome on his face.

“You’re here.”

Rikijen, Taro, and Herrace exchanged news about how they had been. Rikijen was just the same as ever. They could see the mix of slight fatigue and joy on his face, and they could feel how focused he was on his work as he carried his documents so preciously in his arms. Should they say that he had gone from being a study bug to being a workaholic?

Herrace snuck a glance at Arhad, who was holding Ianna’s hands as spoke to her tenderly.

‘So he’s going to be a king.’

It suited him. Herrace had always felt awkward whenever Arhad was insulted for only having his looks going for him back at the Institution. This was because he had always thought that Arhad was cool and amazing. When he had heard that Arhad was to be king, his first thought had been that Arhad was finally gaining the recognition he was due.

Arhad turned to look directly at Herrace just then. Herrace startled and stood at attention.

“Eiji, Rikijen. Show Taro and Lalatua around the castle.”

“Understood.”

Rikijen walked out first, and Taro and Lalatua followed behind them. Eiji left last after patting Herrace on the shoulder and closed the door behind them. Now, only Arhad, Ianna, Herrace, and Heinrich remained inside the room.

Silence resounded for a moment.

It was Heinrich who broke it.

“I heard that you retrieved Dorcianni’s fragment.”

Fragment?

Herrace tilted his head to the side when Arhad replied,

“I did. I trust that Dorcianni told you how it was done and explained the process to you? Were you convinced?”

Arhad had ordered Dorcianni to explain the process to Heinrich. Dorcianni had evidently carried out her orders faithfully, as Heinrich slowly nodded back. Arhad continued,

“Then I’ll be retrieving your fragment too, just as we planned. Yours is the last fragment other than Taylon’s. But before that…”

Then, Arhad pointed to Herrace and continued,

“Explain everything to your grandson first.”

A shadow fell over Heinrich’s visage.

Herrace grew anxious. He had noticed how his grandfather’s face had grown darker as they came closer to the city. He had thought that perhaps his grandfather wasn’t feeling well, but was it actually because of this ‘fragment?’

“Are you certain that Herrace will be safe?”

“It’s safe for shareholders. But he’ll still die if you do.”

Grandfather might die? I might die too? But why?

Herrace’s heart was palpitating.

“We’ll do it tonight. Don’t run away, and make sure you explain everything to Herrace properly. This might be the last opportunity you ever have to atone.”

Thump thump.

Heinrich and Herrace walked down the corridor.

“…….”

Herrace stared at Heinrich’s slumping back. He had long since noticed the long shadows over his grandfather, just like he had noticed Eiji’s darkness rather quickly too.

But Heinrich had always tried to hide his darkness from him and had always encouraged him and given him hope. Herrace respected his grandfather’s wish to appear reliable for him and had no choice but to feign ignorance.

And now, it was finally time.

His heart raced in his anxiety. The darkness had a vice grip on his grandfather’s life. But, what was it, exactly? Herrace could not help but feel afraid.

Rattle.

Grandfather and grandson stepped inside the room that had been assigned to Heinrich. Heinrich closed the door.

“Have a seat.”

Herrace was tense with nervousness as he sat down on the sofa. Heinrich also sat down quietly, looked into Herrace’s face, and finally opened his mouth as if he had come to a decision.

“Listen close to what your grandfather has to tell you, Herrace.”

Heinrich’s tale was very long.

It continued even after the sun had set beyond the window and until the moon was high in the sky.

A shadow fell over Herrace’s visage as the story came to a close.

The Demon’s existence, and his relation to Bahamut.

The Demon’s fragments and the deaths of Herrace’s family.

The blessing of divine power and the curse of mana.

The fact that Heinrich had been a Bahamut informant and a Camastros spy.

Herrace’s entire maternal family, excluding his mother, had perished because of the Demon’s fragment that Heinrich had accepted. Herrace’s mother had passed away after he was born because the fragment had weakened both her mind and body.

The terrible curse of mana, which Herrace had so dreaded, had started because he shared Heinrich’s fragment. It was his grandfather’s, whom he so respected, fault that he had suffered for twenty years.

Heinrich, who had always been a good grandfather to Herrace, had become a Bahamut mage, and, while it had been entirely against his will, had committed many atrocities as a Bahamut informant. He had done a lot of good as a member of Camastros and as the dean of the Institution, but that wasn’t enough to wash away his sins.

Heinrich had also betrayed Bahamut and had hidden Arhad, the bastard child of the Bahamut imperial family, away. Arhad, who was Ianna’s lover now, was the reincarnation of the ancient Demon, and he was standing against the Bahamut imperial family while gathering his fragments that had been scattered all over the world.

The fragment in Heinrich’s possession was the final fragment, and it was time for him to hand it over to Arhad now.

“…….”

The truth shocked Herrace.

Herrace had a difficult time understanding it and he didn’t even want to believe it was true, but he also knew that Heinrich wasn’t one to tell a lie like this.

Heinrich had finished explaining everything.

He stared into Herrace’s pallid visage.

“You would have been a blessed child if it hadn’t been for me.”

If only it hadn’t been for the Demon’s fragment, then Herrace, who had been born with a lot of clean divine power, would have walked a royal road with his blinding talents.

“I practically cursed you myself,”

he looked significantly older as he continued.

“But you beat back the curse of mana and turned it into a blessing instead…….”

Heinrich slowly lowered his head.

“Your affinity for mana and most of your ability to control it, which you’ve only just managed to make yours, will disappear once I relinquish my fragment to Little Arhad.”

It was a death sentence to the ability that had been a curse that had only recently become a blessing.

Herrace found himself unable to speak for a moment.

Was this why Ianna had reacted so strangely earlier during the day when he had described it as a blessing……?

But then, why was it?

Herrace felt so okay that even he found it peculiar.

“I am sorry.”

The area around Heinrich’s eyes turned red. He continued,

“A moment of greed made me turn your entire life into a lie. Don’t forgive me.”

Herrace took his grandfather’s wrinkled hands as Heinrich repeated his apologies over and over.

“I know you didn’t do it on purpose, but the mere fact that you didn’t know doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be forgiven.”

“Indeed.”

“I don’t have the right to forgive you for the deaths of our other family members, Grandfather. You might be punished one day for forcing our innocent family to die.”

“Yes. I’m sure I will be.”

“But I, I forgive you for all the trouble I went through and for all the lies, Grandfather. I know just how devoted you were to me.”

Herrace’s calm voice spoke of his forgiveness. Heinrich raised his quivering head as he met his grandson’s composed gaze. Herrace continued,

“Grandfather, you accepted the fragment because you were greedy for magic. But you put your magic behind you and dedicated your life to fixing your mistake.”

Heinrich had spent so much of his life creating medicine for Herrace and researching ways to take out his fragment.

Maimayè had always said that Heinrich would have overtaken Wiffheimer as the greatest mage in the world had it not been for his sickly grandson. And Heinrich had been able to defeat Wiffheimer even still, so how much more could he have accomplished had he dedicated his life to magic instead?

Heinrich had cast aside his greed in order to atone. And Herrace was calling that fact into attention.

“No, Herrace. I am not worth your forgiveness. My devotion was nothing more than my way of dealing with my own wrongdoings. You would have been able to run freely while only looking forward had I never accepted the fragment to begin with,”

Heinrich said as if he was coughing blood, and Herrace ruminated for a moment before he warmly took up his grandfather’s hands once more.

“Then I won’t cite your devotion as a reason to forgive you, in that case. But I still forgive you, Grandfather. I forgive you because of me.”

It was possible that Herrace, who had been born with surprising talent, would have never learned the value of working hard if he had never faced the tribulation that was the curse of mana. There were so many people around him who respected him, but he might have grown up to be haughty and unable to learn how to be kind and embrace those around him.

The curse was a part of Herrace’s life, and he would not be the person he was today had it not been for the curse.

But, more importantly…

“I was able to emerge victorious against the curse of mana, which I used to think was an incurable disease. You don’t understand just how much this victory means to me.”

The sheer amount of hardship he had suffered had brought him to his knees, but he had never given up, and he ultimately managed to rise up again and again until he finally succeeded. His success gave him an electrifying sense of accomplishment and pride, and the powerful will that had sprouted in his soul would become as a sturdy pillar that would never crumble and support him for the rest of his life.

That, was the true blessing.

“I would have never learned these valuable lessons if I had never experienced the curse of mana. So that’s why……I forgive you.”

Tears welled in Heinrich’s eyes. Herrace continued,

“And, I’ll be fine even if I lose the curse of mana —I mean, the mana’s blessing. I won’t feel sad or empty.”

But it wasn’t because he was accustomed to resignation.

“It just means that I’m going to lose something that was never mine to begin with.”

He looked directly back at Heinrich, who’s clean eyes were gushing with tears.

“I actually feel refreshed. I feel like I can go and find my real life now. So, it’s really okay, Grandfather. I’m happy.”

Heinrich’s grandson was a good person. He was ever so good and kind.

And that was why he hadn’t believed that Herrace would be able to control the power presented to him by the fragment, a lump of greed. But Heinrich had been proved wrong. His kindhearted grandson had grown up to be upright and strong.

In a trembling voice, Heinrich asked,

“You…don’t hate me?”

“Not at all. ……Oh.”

Herrace smiled awkwardly and continued,

“I might have hated you a little in the past. It’s probably only because things worked out for me that I’m able to say this.”

“You don’t despise me for ruining so many people’s lives?”

“Of course not. And, there are a lot of people whose lives ended up for the better, like me, because of you.”

It had been thanks to Heinrich that they had been able to stop Wiffheimer’s atrocities. He had saved so many lives. He was the reason why Arhad was born and was able to grow up to meet Ianna and fall in love with her. And that love was what had led to the birth of a new country. Herrace continued,

“But you’ll have to atone for the rest of your life for the people you’ve sacrificed along the way, of course.”

“Yes. Of course.”

Heinrich lowered his head. He continued,

“Thank you. Thank you for saying that.”

“I was only saying what I thought. So please, stop feeling sorry for me. I mean it.”

“Thank you, truly.”

Heinrich blinked his eyes that were blurry with tears. Some of the burdens in his heart, which he had carried with him throughout his entire life, were lessened.

But Herrace wasn’t done yet.

“If you’re so grateful, then can you please agree to a request of mine?”

“Ask me for anything. What do you want?”

Heinrich could do anything that his grandson asked of him. He had only said this because he trusted that Herrace would never ask for anything wicked, but…….

“Please transfer the Demon’s fragment to me.”

The chair that Heinrich was sitting in clattered against the floor.

“What are you talking about?”

“You said that handing the fragment over to someone else would put a huge burden on the owner’s heart. That might even kill you, right? I don’t want that. I’ll bear that burden, so please transfer it to me.”

“No. I can’t do that.”

Heinrich’s face stiffened as he withdrew his hands from Herrace’s. He continued,

“That’s my burden to bear. If I should die, then that is simply my fate. I’m grateful for your thoughts, Herrace, but…….”

Herrace pursed his lips when Heinrich grew stubborn.

“Then, can I ask you not to die instead?”

“…….”

“I want you to be here with me always, Grandfather. I want you to be able to live your own life now. But, if something goes wrong……. Then, you won’t be able to. Please promise me this, even if it’s only for my sake.”

Tears had begun welling in Herrace’s eyes too. He continued,

“I’d regret it every day if something went wrong. I’d blame myself for the rest of my life if I knew there was another way.”

Herrace grabbed Heinrich’s hands again and pulled.

“You said that you’d accept my request.”

“Herrace.”

This time, it was Heinrich who looked Herrace directly in the eyes as the latter quivered in fear. He continued,

“I am not that weak. This is something that I started, and that is why I must be the one to end it. Would you place your burden on a child’s shoulders —a child who has suffered all his life because of your mistake— if you were in my shoes?”

Herrace could not reply because he understood that there would be no compromise. But he was still so worried. There mere thought that Heinrich, who had always been his pillar of support and his precious family, might die was enough to make him dizzy.

Rattle.

“I’m sorry I can’t accept your request.”

Heinrich stood up and pulled Herrace into his embrace, and, with a powerful will in his voice, he whispered,

“But I’ll promise you this instead. I won’t die, I’ll officiate your children’s weddings, and I’ll live to be hale and hearty until your children’s children are born and I see them smiling. Trust me. I will never betray you.”

Eventually, Herrace had no choice but to hug Heinrich back and moisten the old man’s clothes with his tears.

Part 14

Heinrich’s and Herrace’s eyes were red when Ianna and Arhad met them later that night.

Ianna stared quietly at Herrace.

Why was it? —back when she had first heard that Herrace had the ‘curse of mana,’ she had thought that she would be able to do something about it even though she hadn’t known how to undo it or even what had caused it at the time.

She had trusted only her instincts as she had said to Herrace,

“Herrace, you have the courage to put your life on the line and the perseverance to keep you from giving up, and if you also have faith in your own talent on top of that…… then you can be the strongest swordsman in the world someday.”

She had been rather irresponsible, now that she thought about it. She had known neither about the Demon’s fragments nor of the fact that Herrace would have to die to retrieve the one that was affecting him back then.

She had simply been genuinely wistful at the time. She had regretted the fact that Herrace had not been able to move forward because of a curse that was like a blessing in disguise even though he had a love for and talent in the sword and even though he had persevered until then and was refusing to yield. The fact that someone kind and who saw her as simply Ianna was about to give up because he had run up against the wall called death. That was why she had trusted her instincts and had recklessly determined to help him.

She had instinctively felt that she could help Herrace turn his curse into a blessing as someone superhuman who had reached the pinnacle of controlling mana as she helped him improve the physical abilities that he lacked and helped him nurture his willpower.

But it was also possible that a part of her instinct had stemmed from her subconscious certainty that, as someone who wielded the ‘power of Judgment,’ she was able to resolve the roots of his problem.

After all, things had worked out well, had they not?

Herrace had grown to be able to control mana as if it was his own even despite the fragment. His ability to control divine power, which she had never expected of him at first, was only a bonus. Now, he would be able to soar freely once his fundamental problems were resolved.

Ianna placed a hand on Herrace’s shoulder.

“The things that the Demon’s fragment gave you aren’t your own talents. It was nothing but a double-edged sword that could turn against you at any time.”

“I know.”

Herrace was calm.

Ianna realized that he had finished organizing his thoughts while he had been conversing with Heinrich. Herrace was kind, but he was also tough.

Ianna grasped his shoulder firmly as she looked him directly in the eyes. Two pairs of unwavering eyes stared back against each other.

“Your innate talent is blinding. You continued to train hard even while you were suffering because of the curse of mana. You surpassed me and came first in the concentration exam while we were applying for the Institution. You accompanied me persistently through all my trainings. You stood your ground against someone as nefarious as Wiffheimer to protect the children. And now you’re even able to use divine power —something that only a very few people are able to do. You’re amazing. I mean it.”

Ianna was being truly sincere when she said she meant something. She was not the type of person to lie just to console someone.

It gave Herrace more confidence.

“Yes!”

He was truly, truly grateful to Ianna.

How would his future have turned out if it hadn’t been for her? He might have failed the Institution’s stamina exam, to begin with. And then, he would have given up. After all, he had practically abandoned himself to despair at that time.

But he had passed that exam because the way that Ianna had beaten back her biological limits and finished in first place had encouraged him. It had been the start of his miracle.

“Let’s meet up and have you try controlling mana once everything’s over.”

“All right.”

Arhad walked up to Heinrich.

“Shall we start, Ianna?”

Ianna nodded when he called to her.

Herrace squeezed Heinrich’s hand, which he had been holding. Her ragged breathing belied his fears.

“Little Ianna……. I know that asking this might place a burden on you, but please keep my grandfather safe……. Please…….”

Heinrich firmly squeezed his grandson’s hand back, as if to tell him not to worry. Ianna turned her eyes to their interlocking hands.

‘Will it be possible to use my power to lessen the pain?’

Ianna was not the same as she had been when she had retrieved Dorcianni’s fragment. She considered how much divine power she had consumed with Dorcianni and understood that she currently had more than enough to retrieve another fragment. It might be possible.

Crimson divine power seeped out from her body and wrapped around her. It glowed but also felt heavy as it whirled around her like she was standing in the eye of a storm.

Ooooo…….

Herrace’s expression went blank.

He understood just how incredible this was now that he knew about divine power and was able to control it. He could barely manage to control enough divine power to wrap around his sword.

He saw in Ianna a wall which he would never overcome. But this gave him a sense of awe, not despair. Herrace was enthralled as he watched Ianna exercise an iron grip over her sun-like divine power and control it.

Ianna said to herself,

‘I’ll take the fragment in Heinrich’s possession back out into the world. I don’t want him to die, and I want him to feel as little pain as possible.’

Thump! Thump!

The beating of her heart spread sharply into her fingers. Divine power poured out from her heart like dirt piling into a bottomless pit.

Her crimson eyes blazed, and an unfathomable power grasped the fragment inside Heinrich’s heart in that moment. Simultaneously, it wrapped around his heart gently and protected it. Then, it began to rip out his fragment.

‘Oh.’

A peculiar elation enveloped Heinrich. His fragment was being removed from him, just as Dorcianni had explained.

It felt strange as the fragment, which had taken root in his heart, was ripped out —just as Dorcianni had said. Dorcianni had also said that the process had been so painful that she had been unable to think straight, but that wasn’t the case for him. The unfathomable and absolute power was removing the fragment carefully, as if it was extracting the precious roots of a mandrake.

And then, just as the fragment was finally separated from him completely, Heinrich felt the mana, which had been like a part of his own body, distance itself from him.

His vision darkened for a moment, and he could only see the color of souls. The astral plane, the world that showed life’s true nature, was open to him.

‘So this is the world of souls…….’

He looked to Herrace first and foremost. Perhaps it was because this was the psychological world, but he could see Herrace’s worry being conveyed from their interlocking hands, and it touched his heart.

Herrace’s soul was a brown color that was both warm and sturdy. It looked both soft enough to crumble at a touch but firm enough to support someone from below —that sort of color.

‘You’ve really grown up well.’

Heinrich’s affection for his grandson lingered in his heart like an afterimage as he looked forward. And then he was mesmerized.

Before his very eyes was a radiant light as ferocious as the sun. And by its side was a soul that was darker than the darkness surrounding it but also carried the glow of golden lights within.

Heinrich found himself at a loss as he felt like he was looking at the sun and moon. They felt so distant, just like the heavens so high above.

Buzzzz…….

Heinrich watched as black smoke seeped out from his heart. The darkness standing next to the sun swallowed it whole. The fragment seemed to grumble and rebel against being dragged outside, but then it seemed to find its rightful place and quickly melted into the darkness.

“Cough!”

Heinrich had been staring absentmindedly at the view before him while feeling like he was floating aloft, and then he suddenly plummeted back down to his real world. Herrace squeezed his hand tightly when he coughed from surprise.

“It succeeded. Are you all right?”

Ianna asked while looking exhausted.

Heinrich fumbled around his heart and looked puzzled as he nodded back. He felt both strangely listless and liberated, as if he had finally been freed from a dark prison.

A calming stability had settled down in his soul now that the greedy existence that had been whipping it had vanished. He could focus solely on himself now that his was the only soul inside his body.

And the first emotion he experienced now that he was whole again was…….

‘I’m tired.’

It was exhaustion. He wanted to lie down and fall asleep where he stood. But his grandson came first.

“Are you all right, Herrace?”

Herrace was actually more than all right. He was in immensely high spirits.

‘Mana no longer cares about me.’

The mana around him, which had always seemed to sneak glances at him, was now simply passing him by as if he was any other ordinary person. It was as if he had been some kind of person of interest standing at the center of attention in a crowded plaza and had suddenly transformed into a random nobody.

Herrace had never thought favorably of mana, which had always seemed like it was eager to devour his life. Its attention had always been a burden to him, and that was why he was feeling so liberated.

‘I feel great.’

He wanted to try controlling mana in the state that he was in now. Herrace was excited and burning passionately in his defiance when Arhad, who had been quietly ruminating over his soul, opened his eyes.

“You did well.”

He hugged Ianna, who looked like she was struggling, tight. Arhad continued,

“Go get some rest, Ianna.”

“No……. I still have something to do. Herrace.”

Herrace snapped back to his senses when Ianna called for him. She continued,

“Follow me outside. Show me how you control mana and divine power.”

“Oh…….”

Herrace studied Ianna’s complexion. Ianna never looked tired no matter what kinds of hellish training she undertook. And yet, there was a hint of fatigue coloring her visage. It meant that she was beyond exhausted. He continued,

“You must be tired. It’s probably better for you to rest, like what our liege suggested.”

“It’s more important to me that we check on how you’re doing.”

Herrace was touched as he felt just how highly Ianna regarded him. She continued,

“Let’s go. I’ll see you later, Arhad.”

“Take it easy.”

There was a hint of disgruntlement about Arhad as he planted his lips against Ianna’s forehead. But his wistfulness over letting her go only oozed out from him for but a moment, and he quickly hid the emotion away as he turned back to Heinrich is a business-like manner. Then, he said,

“Let’s you and I talk for a bit. I’d like to hear, even if only briefly, about what you intend to do moving forward now that the issue that’s been monopolizing your life has been resolved. Or do you need some time to rest and think?”

Arhad no longer spoke up to Heinrich. But he maintained his courtesy because Heinrich was still his patron who had always been watching over him. Heinrich, too, accepted this as if it was only natural.

“No. I’ve been contemplating for the past two months, ever since you told me that it’s possible to take out my fragment without killing me, so I don’t need any additional time to think. Let’s talk now.”

Click.

Ianna and Herrace left the room.

Herrace continued clenching and releasing his fists as he followed behind Ianna. Divine power was racing throughout his body. He didn’t know what to do with the overflowing power. This strange elation, which he had never experienced before in his life, was both awkward and pleasant.

Dawn had broken at some point.

The sun had begun to rise by the time they left the castle. Herrace looked up at the sky that was being dyed with light.

The weather was so nice.

Spring was creeping closer. The season of quickening where the sun’s cozy rays kissed the earth and the winds were warm.

The difference between the temperature and the colors around them contrasted more sharply because it hadn’t been long since the cold and chilly winter had passed.

Herrace took in the spring fragrance as he took a proper look at the city before him —he had been too busy looking around everywhere when he first came to the castle. The city had been beautiful the first time he had seen it, and it was even lovelier still as it began to wake up. The sight of everything casting away the old yesterday and greeting the new today was so incredibly precious.

The world looked different. But this wasn’t because the time was different or because the city was beautiful. It was because he had been born anew today. These precious feelings etched themselves into Herrace’s heart.

They exited the castle walls and made their way into a forest. Herrace followed Ianna up a hill. The forest greens were clean and the wind was cool as it breezed past them.

Fweeee.

The wind tussled their light ocher and crimson hair respectively as it blew. Herrace watched Ianna’s hair billow as he recalled his memories from four years ago, which felt so hazy now.

The image of Ianna’s back as she asked him to trust her and challenged him to stand against his curse after their third entrance exam overlapped with the image of her back now. Her reliable figure, which he both wanted to chase after to grab and follow from behind, had never once changed.

Herrace had matured, and he was no longer the weak little boy who wanted to give up on everything and cry. He had grown strong enough to protect others now. But he always felt so endlessly small before Ianna. He only ever wanted to follow after her from behind.

“Aren’t you sad?”

“Sorry?”

Herrace, who had snapped back to his senses after staring at Ianna’s hair in a daze, blushed after accidentally raising his voice. He continued,

“Oh, I didn’t hear you. What did you say again?”

“Aren’t you sad? —the fragment is gone, and mana doesn’t rush toward you anymore.”

“No, not at all. I’m so happy. I mean it.”

Herrace told Ianna everything that Heinrich had told him as they made their way to Ianna’s personal training grounds. Being freed from the curse of mana was a blessing to him in and of itself. He was so glad to be free from the curse so he could find himself again. He was so grateful to her.

“Thank you so much, Little Ianna.”

Ianna was someone who always kept her promises.

She had found his solution, just as she had promised she would four years ago. She had figured out how to break his curse…….

Ianna shot a glance behind her and smirked when she saw how his eyes were sparkling with his trust in her, like he was a little puppy.

They arrived at the training grounds.

The layout of the training equipment and the traces that her sword had left behind felt ever so like Ianna.

“Now, start by trying to control mana.”

“Okay!”

Herrace raised his hand and concentrated on his fingertips.

The mana most definitely moved differently than it had before. Previously, it would rush over to him as soon as he thought, ‘Come here,’ like a trained dog, but now it seemed to only cast him sidelong glances.

‘Do as I say!’

But Herrace had beaten back even the curse of mana. The coercive force behind his will was incredible. The mana hurried over to him and obeyed his will.

Herrace’s heart was abundant with pleasant but latent divine power, so he had a very high affinity to mana even without the fragment’s presence.

Ianna watched carefully as Herrace controlled mana freely before she finally nodded.

“Congrats. You really beat it.”

Herrace’s visage brightened immediately. He felt like he could fly when Ianna acknowledged him. She continued,

“Now, let’s get to the real deal now.”

Ianna pulled out a live sword from a nearby container and gave it to Herrace as she also took one for herself. She took some distance from him before she nodded and said,

“Dye the mana in color.”

“Okay.”

Herrace carefully took a deep breath. Mana began wrapping around his sword like a tornado.

And then, it began to be dyed in the color of warm soil.

His growth was amazing. Who was capable of dying mana in color at his age? Even Gellonian Chaipan had only just been able to reach this stage. This was simply a show of how truly talented Herrace was.

Ianna held her sword upright.

“Now, come at me while controlling ‘divine power.’”

The expression on Herrace’s face grew sober. His vividly colored divine power pushed up from his fingertips, pushed aside the mana, and settled over his sword. The mana tried to run rampant after seeing his delectable divine power, but it could not defy Herrace’s will. Ultimately, all it could do was lick it’s chops as it added strength to Herrace’s fortification of divine power.

Herrace took a deep breath and rushed toward Ianna. Ianna covered her own sword with crimson divine power as she responded.

Clang!

Ianna felt Herrace’s matured strength through their swords’ first clash. She felt his remarkable skill through his follow up and the diverse trajectories of his attacks, and she felt the experience he had accumulated as his attacks grew unpredictable and tried to catch her off guard.

Herrace was a full-fledged swordsman now as he exchanged blows with Ianna. Ianna enjoyed herself as she tasted just how much he had grown. He had grown so much that Ianna was having fun as they sparred.

Clang! Clang!

Herrace was soaring in his liberation. The steel chains that had collared his wings and tied him to the ground had broken. He was flying freely, and he felt like he could do anything. And Ianna accepted his liberation for a long time.

“Hack, hack.”

Their sparring only ended once Herrace had worn himself out. He collapsed over the ground. He had truly done his best, but he still could not reach even the bottom of Ianna’s feet. Ianna slowly walked over to him and looked down.

“Thank you for believing me and not giving up.”

Herrace looked up at her.

She was like the sun itself.

“It was all thanks to you, Little Ianna. If you hadn’t reached out to me back then, I…….”

Tears welled in his eyes. He continued,

“……I’ll trust you and follow you for the rest of my life.”

Blind faith seized Herrace’s soul. It was almost as if he was bespelled. Was this how religious fanatics felt? He felt like he would go obediently even if Ianna ordered him to his death. After all, hers was undoubtedly the right call. He would trust and obey anything she told him.

“Sure.”

Ianna was happy for his trust, which was of a different variety than Arhad’s trust. His unbreakable faith would become as her adamantine support. It made her feel secure in a way that she hadn’t felt when she had been standing alone.

Herrace wiped away his tears as he got up.

“I want to be your fellow knight who can help you from beside you.”

His eyes were clear as he looked to her. He continued,

“I’m going to live the rest of my life in your land. You govern this land and I was reborn in it, and I’ll love it, devote myself to it, and protect it for the rest of my days. I’ll do everything in my power to protect my home.”

Herrace’s kind and powerful will was conveyed to Ianna.

“I’m sure there will be a day when even I can be of use to you.”

Ianna smiled.

“Very well. I’ll be in your care.”

Ianna reached out, and Herrace took her hand.

He recalled the times they had spent together in the Institution one after another.

He had truly thought that it would be his last chance when he had taken the entrance exam. He had met Ianna when his self-confidence had completely bottomed out, and then his life had changed completely. She had saved his soul when it was dying.

‘You gave me life as a swordsman.’

Ianna was practically a god to him.

‘I will devote this life of mine to your land.’

Herrace grew strong when he had something to protect. And he wanted to protect the things that were precious to Ianna.

He would protect this land for the rest of his days to repay the debt he owed. And he would stand strong so that he could always help Ianna immediately whenever she needed it. He didn’t know if there would ever come a day when she needed his help, but he would always help her without fail.

~~*~~

Roygen’s, the Demon, soul was split in two between Arhad and Taylon now that Arhad had retrieved Heinrich’s fragment. Taylon and Arhad also shared each other’s fragments because they were related by blood, so the Demon was practically whole again.

Ianna had also connected the five pieces of the imperfect seal to her heart. Having a medium gave a synergistic effect to the seal and it created explosive quantities of divine power for her.

All that divine power flooded furiously into Ianna’s heart. There was so much of it that she could not adapt to it readily. Even Ianna could not imagine just how much divine power would storm her once the seal was undone when it was already flooding her this badly.

Now, Ianna could gather the relics in one place and undo the seal once she had finally surpassed Roberstein. Then, all she had to do was to draw the sword from the Demon’s heart, destroy the heart, kill Bahamut, and take back their fragment of the Demon.

A time of true peace would greet her once the remnants of the Holy Age, which had made such a mess of her life, disappeared and every danger had been addressed.

But the one thing that still tugged at her heart was…….

“The world will be overturned soon.”

“The world as you know it will be shaken, and an age where every law will be reversed is soon to come.”

“It will be for the best that you are certain of the path you will walk before that time comes. For you will lose your way in the chaos if you are not.”

She did not know what exactly Millanikonè’s warning had meant.

Ianna guessed that it had something to do with the Demon. After all, wasn’t mana the universal law in this current Age of Magic?

And that was why Ianna asked Arhad,

“What will happen to mana once we eliminate the Demon’s heart?”

Arhad had answered by saying that nothing would change. He said that he would simply be able to regulate all the mana dispersed throughout the world once he had completed his soul. In other words, no one would be able to use mana if Arhad decided not to let them, and he would be capable of controlling the entire world.

That was a huge problem that could be called a cataclysm in and of itself.

But Arhad had said that he would do no such thing. He had also said that he would completely relinquish control over mana before he died.

“Then, mana will remain in the world as an infinite supply, just like it is now. After all, no one from the Age of Magic is capable of ‘consuming’ mana.”

Arhad’s words suggested that there would be no problems at all, but Ianna was still uneasy. And that was why she decided to prepare for anything and everything. Only those who were prepared would survive when danger struck.

Ianna expressed great interest in the items that Elly, Taryll, and several dwarves had been enjoying themselves while creating. Techniques and objects that were based off science instead of magic. Others saw these as the strange works of eccentrics, but Ianna focused on the fact it was none other than the mysterious Elly, who ‘had something to do with Laos,’ who had put this eccentricity in motion.

It was suspicious. Ianna trusted her instincts, and she made it publicly known that she both promoted and sponsored scientific research.

The people grew curious as to why Ianna was wasting time and money on such an insignificant field of study. Science was a field that only eccentrics with too much time on their hands took part in. Science, which was bound by the limitations of the laws of nature, was not a field on interest in the Age of Magic, where mana could make miracles possible.

But there was surely meaning in it because this was something that Ianna was trying to do. And so, the people who trusted this also began showing an interest in scientific research. They passionately threw themselves in research because they wanted her to look favorably upon them.

‘My choice now might be helpful in the future if, just if, people become unable to use mana in the future.’

It wasn’t a bad thing even if that future never came to pass either. They were already beginning to reach the upper limits of magical engineering technology, so they would only increase from 100 to 101 even if they researched more. On the other hand, scientific technology would develop quickly from 10 to 50. There was still meaning in creating new things for those who could not control mana and sponsoring a fringe field of study.

Additionally…

Ianna also focused on divine power. Ianna was now one of the best when it came to her ability to control and understanding of divine power. And there was something she had realized as she kept the relics that generated and released Laos’ divine power, Phaemdra’s branch and leaf, close by her side.

Laos’ divine power, which maintained nature, was being generated from somewhere in the world.

She had realized this while she had been observing how the divine power from the relics dispersed into the earth. Laos’ divine power was so indistinct and natural, like hazy fog, that it helped Ianna train her ability to handle divine power if she concentrated on observing it. And so, she had been studying the amount of divine power that was generated and watching its flow…….

And she had suddenly realized it. More divine power, aside from what was flowing out, consolidated into it and increased its total volume. That additional divine power was the divine power that existed in nature. It was a power that, ironically, no one had noticed before because it was so natural, like the light coming from the sun.

Ianna increased her concentration sharply once she had first noticed this and had perceived the divine power of nature that flowed around her ever so slowly. The divine power of nature circulated around the world. It flowed into the ground, into plants, into animals, into the sky, and back into the ground again. It was all so natural that she had never noticed it until now.

She began to wonder where the divine power was coming from once she had noticed it. And she also grew curious as to where the divine power that existed in the hearts of all life that was born in this world originated from as well.

“Divine power is generally transparent. It only changes color if a soul exerts control over it or if belongs completely to a soul. But newly born beings barely have any sense of identity. This means that their souls are weak. They still have divine power in their hearts because they’re alive, but the divine power is colorless, like mana, because their souls don’t exert any influence over it. And so, you can’t say that the divine power actually belongs to them.”

“It is the basis for all life. Every living creature is born with the God Laos’ holy power in their hearts. The power is pure white at first but takes on its own color as time passes, and it is consumed as the lifeforce that every living creature requires to live by. It exists in your heart as well, my friend.”

This was what Arhad and Saki had once told her about the color of divine power. Transparent or white —what exactly was the color of a newborn life’s divine power?

“It’s white,”

Arhad answered readily. He continued,

“The color is so faint that it normally looks transparent, which is why I said that, but it’s technically white. Saki’s divine power is white because the whiteness became more apparent as she refined it over and over again as a priest.”

“But isn’t divine power generally transparent? And it’s slightly white only because of Laos’ influence?”

“Most likely. But only Laos would know why that’s the case.”

Ianna visited Phaemdra with the sprits. Phaemdra, which had been dozing off, welcomed them cheerfully as the astral plane opened up.

Ianna asked Phaemdra,

[Did you know that divine power flows in nature?]

[Yeah. It’s because of that feeble divine power that nature is able to maintain itself.]

[Where does it come from?]

[From the sun over there!]

The sprits and Phaemdra exclaimed together.

[Divine power seeps out from the sun, which is a giant ball of divine power. The sun from the Holy Age disappeared during the End, so we created a new one with Laos’ divine power. We don’t know what exactly Laos did, but he said that it’d keep producing divine power forever.]

Ianna organized the new information she had learned before she asked,

[Do you know how divine power is put into the hearts of newly born life, by any chance? You said that you help Laos create everything?]

[It’s true that we’re the ones who create their bodies, but we don’t know much about their hearts either. The divine power kind of just pops up out of nowhere when the soul is born, or something like that? But it’s not nature’s divine power.]

Ianna fell into thought.

The gods of the Holy Age would have rather died than bear children, according to Roberstein’s memories. This was because new gods could only be born after taking half of their mother’s divine power and staying in their mother’s womb for a set gestational period.

‘Is the process of birth different from what it was like during the Holy Age?’

[Yeah. Humans only have a limited amount of divine power because they can’t produce any more, so if mothers had to share their own divine power with their offspring whenever they conceived, then they’d have really short lives because their divine power would keep decreasing, right? Mothers nowadays still consume some divine power when they’re pregnant, but things are completely different from what it used to be during the Holy Age.]

‘Why is the process of birth so different between gods and humans?’

[It probably has something to do with Laos’ power of Creation. The fact that divine power appears just as soon as a soul is born probably has something to do with Laos too.]

The power of Creation. Creating something meant bringing out something new that hadn’t existed before. Was Laos able to Create even new laws that regulated how life was born or determined the flow of divine power? If so, then it may even be a power even greater than the power of Judgment. And he would surely have to pay an enormous price whenever he used it.

And then, Ianna suddenly recalled the Akashic Records, the cradle of souls. Arhad had said that her existence itself had vanished when she had visited the Akashic Records. He had also said that she had suddenly reappeared in the Bahamut imperial castle without any warning when she had been drawn into the flow of time as she escaped the Akashic Records.

Ianna theorized.

A soul most definitely obtained divine power through some manner of law when it escaped the Akashic Records to be born.

It was not the power of the Balance.

The Balance only determined a price by measuring the weight of a soul’s karma, and it did not have anything to do with the process of birth itself except for rare cases involving those who were unusually good or unusually evil. Divine power was granted through a power that did not belong to the Balance.

That power was likely a Law of the World that Laos had Created.

In that case, did it mean that he used a law to share his own divine power with newly born life?

‘Just how much divine power is Laos capable of producing?’

If all the divine power that existed in the world came from Laos, then it meant that he alone was supporting the entire world.

Laos was ever the riddle.

Ianna really wanted to meet him soon.

She grew more certain that the changing of ages that the dragons had mentioned had something to do with either mana or divine power as she learned more about them. Perhaps it was for the best that she prepared for a change in divine power too, and not only mana. And that was why Ianna had recently started consuming divine power in different ways.

Ianna was, in all likelihood, the only person in the entire world other than Laos who could generate divine power. Her divine power never exhausted no matter how much of it she used. But she could only produce as much as she could withstand, and nothing more. And there was a limit to how much she could increase her limits in a day through training.

And so, she began sharing a lot of her divine power with her close aides because she thought it was such a waste. She did not differentiate between humans and members of the mythical races, and she truly did give them ‘a lot.’ After all, it was always better to have more divine power.

It was only natural for the humans to be deeply moved. Even the members of the mythical races, who had been born with a lot of divine power to begin with, were grateful to accept Ianna’s divine power and make it theirs because they could not produce any more once they had consumed their own. That they were awed by the warmth and strength of Ianna’s divine power was only a bonus.

Ianna gave a lot of divine power to Herrace in particular.

“N-no more.”

Herrace pleaded as he felt like his body was about to burst. He collapsed on the spot and began breathing raggedly, as if he was half-mad, once Ianna stopped her influx of divine power.

“Phew!”

Ianna felt refreshed. She had obtained so much divine power ever since she had recovered the final piece of the seal that it actually made her tired, and it was nice to consume it like this. Naturally, this was good for Herrace too.

“Make sure you put it away properly.”

“Yes……. I will…….”

Herrace was struggling so hard to get his breathing back in order that he couldn’t even respond properly. But this was something that Ianna was accustomed to seeing, so she simply walked out of the underground training hall and made her way to Arhad’s room.

Arhad’s gaze turned to Ianna, who was in great cheer, as he sat at his desk. Ianna missed the dissatisfaction in his eyes as she plopped down on the sofa.

The sofa in Arhad’s room was mainly occupied by Ianna. Ianna preferred Arhad’s sofa over her own bed because simply being by his side gave her rest. It was to the point that Arhad had brought over another sofa for her personal use so she wouldn’t have to use the one meant for general reception.

“Did you visit Herrace? You look like you’re in a good mood.”

“Yes. I feel very refreshed,”

Ianna murmured with her eyes closed, but she opened them slowly when she felt a presence. Arhad was sitting on the sofa by her head while looking down at her like a pitiful puppy.

“Aren’t you neglecting me a little too much lately?”

Neglecting him? It was true that she was giving divine power to Herrace and others, but the amount she gave them could not even begin to compare to how much she gave Arhad. The same could be said of the time and emotions she gave Arhad too.

Ianna pulled Arhad down by the neck for a kiss. Arhad brought his frame down lower and lower as she clung to him until they were stuck together.

Arhad slowly parted his lips as Ianna toyed with them like they were candy. His body began to burn as she filled the welcoming opening of his lips with her own and rolled her tongue inside. Arhad ended up grabbing her by the face as he coiled around her invading flesh and pressed it down.

Her body grew heavy and feverish as if poison was spreading through her system. Their kisses grew both more stealthy and denser. It was appropriate to call them a carnal pleasure. Their kisses were so dense they were sticky, and they were so hot that Ianna thought she was scalding.

Ianna pushed her divine power, dyed heavily in the color of her heart, into him through their locking lips as they exchanged their affection for each other. The thirst left Arhad’s visage as they exchanged breaths, and his eyes grew darker as if darkness was eating into them.

“Sigh.”

Their touches were extraordinarily suggestive as they rumpled each other’s clothes, toyed with each other’s skin, and grabbed each other’s flesh. Ianna’s face flushed bright red. Arhad had stopped holding back completely after that night in autumn when Ianna had brought his hand directly over her heart. His touch had been awkward at first, but now he knew her body well and touched her adeptly. And, just as he pulled sharply at the collar of her shirt.

Ianna broke away her lips from him and coyly said,

“You are the only person whom I do this with. I haven’t been neglecting you at all.”

“…….”

“Do you not agree?”

Arhad stared back at Ianna piercingly when she stroked the smooth lines of his cheek. His desire was on the brink of toppling over his ability to reason. The strength in his hands, as if he would rip off her clothes any moment now, was a testament to his current state of mind.

But Arhad clenched his teeth, got up, and turned away.

“I do.”

Ianna sat up as well and rested her chin in her hand as she stared quietly at his back.

‘So you’ll endure it to the bitter end even after I do this.’

She could not help but respect the man’s perseverance.

“…….”

Ianna stared at his black hair, the smooth lines of his neck, his broad shoulders, and solid muscles in turn. Her desires, curiosity, and anticipation —all which she was experiencing for the first time in her life— only continued to grow.

Their eyes locked when Arhad suddenly turned back around. Ianna did not avoid his gaze as he looked her up and down. She boldly made her sexual displeasure readily evident.

Arhad’s pupils shook. But although he was shaken —why was it? Ianna could see a starved satisfaction in him too.

Ianna furrowed her brows.

He had said that he was holding back because he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it all day long once they started……. But what if what Arhad truly wanted was for her to act like this? Ianna suddenly wanted to torment him out of spite like she was a demon herself once she considered this.

Should I bite him?

Arhad opened the windows to force their fever to cool just as Ianna’s thoughts began venturing into dangerous territory. The breeze was refreshing. Even the wind felt warm and clean now that spring was truly here.

“Don’t we need to decide our new country’s name soon?”

Their country’s name.

Names were incredibly important. It was both the easiest way to ascertain something’s identity and the firmest way to nail something down. Just like how people naturally thought of Ianna when they heard her name.

“We should. Is there one you like?”

Ianna, Arhad, and their advisors had been contemplating over several candidates for a fairly long time.

A country’s name could come from various things, like her geography or her people. The name could come from her very first king, or it could be something entirely new with a meaning of its own.

First things first, they did not intend to use the first king’s name like Roanne or Bahamut did. They wanted a comprehensive name that could bring the entire organization together as one even in the distant future after Arhad and Ianna were no longer here.

Their land was also too vast and encompassed too many regions to simply call the country Semastair. Neither could they take a name from their people. After all, so many different races lived together in Semastair.

And so, once they had dropped several candidates while everyone brought their heads together, they had finally narrowed it down to just one option. There was no better name than that one when they took their nation’s identity, image, system, values, ideology, justice, and the atmosphere in which the people carried themselves into consideration.

“It has to be that one, right?”

“I see no other alternative,”

Ianna immediately understood and replied as soon as Arhad had asked.

Ianna slowly made her way over to Arhad and looked out the window with him. The city continued to grow and develop at blinding speed. The other cities, which would be included in their country alongside Semastair, also knew the glory of prosperity.

The shape of their country grew more distinct as countless problems arose and were addressed.

The winds of founding were blowing.

And the day that everyone eagerly awaited crept ever closer.

~~*~~

Part 15

“…….”

Ianna was loitering before the castle gates. She was always so poised, so it was unusual for her to be so nervous.

There were many people seeking to find a new home in Semastair. But the city had very thorough security. People had to submit an application to register to stay in the city at least a week prior to their arrival, and they also had to go through a rigorous inspection at the city gates.

But the knights were currently unable to focus on doing inspections because they were distracted by Ianna’s presence. And other people naturally started paying more attention to her too. But Ianna was far too focused on the road stretched out before her at the moment to even notice.

Then, she walked outside the gates with big strides, as if her patience had finally bottomed out. She was like a salmon swimming upstream because, while there were many people trying to get into the city, there were only a few who were going out.

Two robed figures walking her way caught her eye just then. Ianna’s eyes opened wide as she practically flew to meet them. She had recognized them despite their robes.

And they, too, startled as they recognized her.

“Isphee, Karnitz.”

Ianna clutched tightly to their robes. Then, the smaller of the two pulled Ianna tightly into her embrace.

“Miss Ianna!”

Her familiar and emotional voice rang loudly. Her embrace had grown smaller since Ianna had seen her last, but her warmth remained unchanged.

“Isphee…….”

Ianna’s emotions surged visibly as she stared back at Isphee, who looked like she was about to burst out in tears, and she hugged Isphee back.

“I missed you so, so much, Miss.”

“Me too…….”

Ianna should have been holding Isphee in her embrace and not the other way around, due to their newfound difference in stature, but Ianna felt warm and safe when Isphee hugged her, as if she was a very young child in her mother’s loving arms.

“It has been a while, my lady.”

“Karnitz.”

Ianna gently pulled out from Isphee’s embrace to look at Karnitz.

“I’m glad you look well,”

Karnitz said with a faint smile. He sounded completely relaxed, unlike the anxiety that Ianna had heard in his voice when they had met at the Bahamut imperial castle or when they had been communicating with each other through their artefacts. Gingerly, Ianna asked,

“You didn’t run into any problems coming here, right?”

“No. I applied for a long-term leave of six months. Both Isphee and our child were sickly, so telling everyone that we were travelling so they could recuperate proved persuasive. And my leave was approved quite readily too, since I had never taken a break before. I can return at any time should you ever need my services in my capacity as a Bahamut knight, my lady, so please let me know.”

Karnitz was truly an amazing spy.

Even Bahamut’s own citizens did not have ready access to Takalon, the imperial capital. Takalon was an insular world where only the strongest in Bahamut, whether by skill or by the strength of their connections, could gather.

Eiji hadn’t been able to secure any intelligence on Takalon even when he was still the boss of the Black Fox’s intelligence operations. The imperial capital was filled with people who would stab you in the back for even the smallest of slights. Eiji could have faced an immediate public execution if he acted suspiciously because he was of Roygen descent, so he would have had to obtain any intelligence on the imperial capital that he wanted in person. Which was nothing to say of the imperial palace, where the security was even stricter. But Eiji could no longer act in Bahamut, so Karnitz was a terrific source of insider information from Bahamut.

“Thanks. You’ve been a truly big help.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Ianna was as proud of Karnitz and Isphee as she was worried for them. She felt the impulse to keep them safe inside her castle instead of sending them back to Bahamut and all the dangers that were lurking within the empire. She wasn’t usually the type of person to brag about all the talent she had at her side, but these two were special. Isphee and Karnitz had protected Ianna warmly as a child, and they were like Ianna’s parents, siblings, family, and friends all rolled into one. Karnitz continued,

“But there may be a Bahamut spy here.”

There almost definitely was. There was almost certainly a spy among the people who had been let inside the city, no matter how hard they had worked to filter them out. Especially since Payne, the boss of the Black Fox who had escaped their clutches and was now grinding his teeth somewhere in the South, was likely working furiously to make up for his previous mistakes.

Karnitz readjusted his robes and continued,

“So we’re planning to keep our identities hidden.”

“Yes, yes. He’s right.”

“Let’s head inside first.”

Ianna was about to drag Isphee and Karnitz along with her when she suddenly stopped. Then, she asked,

“……And your child?”

“You haven’t noticed her yet?”

Karnitz chuckled. Then, Ianna sensed something wriggling against Karnitz’s chest. Her gaze was drawn there at once.

Isphee gently grew back some of Karnitz’s robes.

“Oh…….”

Ianna lost the ability to breathe for a moment.

Hidden inside Karnitz’s robes was a small baby breathing softly. The baby wriggled, as if the robes were making her uncomfortable, before she turned her head to look at the person who was staring holes into her. Ianna flinched when the child’s innocent eyes met hers.

How in the world could anyone be so small?

This was the first time that Ianna had seen a baby from up so close. She had seen many from afar, in passing, but this was truly her first time ever, in both her past and present lives, that she had seen a friend’s baby from up so close.

Her skin looked so soft it might crumple at the slightest touch, and her face was smaller than the palm of Ianna’s hand. She looked so fragile that Ianna’s heart sank into her stomach. The smallest and weakest existence in the world made Ianna, one of the world’s strongest, hold her breath.

Isphee took her baby from Karnitz.

“Her name is Evelyn.”

Then, she planted a kiss on Evelyn’s forehead.

Evelyn looked like a cherub with her curly brown hair and milky white skin.

The journey must have been difficult for a baby, and it was a testament to Evelyn’s gentle personality that she was only looking around with her bright little eyes instead of bawling.

“Would you like to hold her?”

Isphee asked as she pushed Evelyn in Ianna’s direction.

Ianna took fright. She stepped back as she shook her head.

“No…….”

But Isphee was Ianna’s nanny, and she understood exactly what Ianna was feeling.

“Goodness, Miss. Are you frightened, by any chance?”

She was. Ianna would never forgive herself if she accidentally hurt the child by using too much strength.

“It’s okay. Babies are weak, but they’re not so weak that they’ll get hurt just because you’re holding them,”

Isphee continued as she took a step forward with a rosy flush on her cheeks.

“I’d like it if you tried holding her, Miss.”

Ianna hesitantly began reaching out to Evelyn at Isphee’s insistence, but then she stopped. She was worried that she might hurt the child because her hands were too rough.

“I’m telling you it’s okay!”

Isphee said as she stopped Ianna from putting on her gloves.

“But…….”

“Watch this.”

Isphee poked Evelyn hard against cheek. Ianna startled and tried to stop her, but the baby only giggled.

Finally, Ianna summoned the courage to reach out. Her finger touched the baby’s hand.

Squeeze.

Evelyn squeezed Ianna’s index finger tightly. Her hand was so tiny that she couldn’t even hold Ianna’s finger properly.

Why was it? Ianna’s heart was aching.

They ultimately returned to the castle before Ianna could bring herself to hold the baby.

Isphee retired, with Evelyn in her arms, to a room that had been prepared for them ahead of time, and Ianna and Karnitz met alone.

“Were you able to send your mother off well……?”

“Yes.”

Karnitz’s sickly mother had departed the world only half a year since Ianna had entered the academy. She had lived longer than expected because Ianna had always minded after her health.

How nice would it have been if Ianna had been able to summon the spirits back then? Would there have been anything more that she could have done?

“Is Evelyn all right now?”

“Hmm……. She’s not doing poorly, but she isn’t doing too great either.”

Ianna’s heart jolted.

“What do you mean?”

A shadow cast over Karnitz’s mien.

“She has a weak heart, like I told you previously.”

“Her heart…….”

“I’m already grateful that she was born. But I can’t deny the fact that I’m also in pain. I think her condition is the result of the drugs I’ve been taking.”

Ianna’s heart throbbed painfully.

It was more than possible. Life wasn’t normal divine power —it was an amalgamation of evil that would stain your soul black. It was possible that it could affect the process of conceiving pure life.

‘This is my fault.’

She had committed the sin of making too light of Karnitz’s and Isphee’s feelings. She had only cast them aside because they were so precious to her. No —perhaps she had let go of them because she had been too accustomed to being alone, because she could not imagine herself being together with the people she loved back then.

And that was why Isphee and Karnitz had gone to Bahamut.

All because they wanted to be helpful to her. All because of just one thing that Ianna had said to them —that she would go to Bahamut one day.

Ianna only barely managed to suppress the emotions that were boiling inside her as she mumbled,

“How have you been treating her?”

“Hmmm…….”

Ianna berated Karnitz and made him tell her the truth when he hesitated. Karnitz hadn’t wanted to tell her, but he caved eventually because there was no way he could beat Ianna. He said,

“Evelyn nearly died, to be honest. Her heart was weak on top of the fact that she was born prematurely, so we only managed to keep her breathing with the help of an artefact at first. All we could do was pray that our child would live because we couldn’t push ahead with any of the more intense treatments. It was hard on Isphee.”

The blood drained from Ianna’s face.

Just listening to the story was enough to make it difficult for her to breathe. How much pain had they suffered as they feared for Evelyn’s life while they had already been struggling to acclimate to life in Bahamut? Isphee had miscarried her first child when she had lost her first husband when she was twenty. What would have happened to her if something had happened to her second child too?

Karnitz squeezed Ianna’s hand tight when it began to tremble.

“She’s all right now. She’s a bit more sickly and somewhat slower than other children her age……. But she’s only a baby and we’ll have to wait and see before we’re certain of anything. Some children are sickly when they’re young but eventually become healthier as they grow up, no?”

He was right. And it was more than possible that Evelyn would grow up to be heartier than any other if Ianna used the Balance, the spirits, and her divine power to devise ways to safeguard her life.

“What about Isphee?”

“Isphee got a lot better as Evelyn got better. Don’t worry, my lady. Isphee is a tough woman who was able to adapt to the harsh life in Bahamut right there alongside me. She is so strong that she became as my roots while we lived in the North.”

“But why did you even go to Bahamut and put yourself through all that trouble in the first……?!”

Ianna raised her voice, unable to control herself, before she snapped her mouth shut. She was in no position to yell. She just barely managed to calm herself down by telling herself that she would need to share a private and honest conversation with Isphee sometime soon.

She turned her full attention to Karnitz, who was standing before her right now.

“And what about you?”

She placed her other hand on Karnitz’s as he continued to hold hers. She wanted to see his soul in the astral plane immediately, but the astral plane wasn’t something that she could open on command.

“I am all right.”

“No, your words aren’t enough. I need to confirm it with my own eyes. Karnitz, do you know how to handle divine power?”

“Yes.”

“Then show me.”

Karnitz drew out a drop of divine power at the tip of his index finger. Ianna scrutinized the color of his divine power before she nodded. It was a similar color to what his mana had looked like before they had parted in the Roberstein lands. It was slightly darker now, but not enough to pose a serious problem.

“I’m told that generally one of three things happen to you if you use Life for a long period of time. You either grow incredibly violent, become horribly cruel, or you don’t change at all.”

Karnitz bowed his head as if in confession. He continued,

“I know that I’ve changed, my lady.”

Ianna’s heart shook.

“I am now capable of slaying anyone so long as they are my enemy. Bahamut’s higher-ranking knight orders are known for leaving nothing alive in their wake, and I didn’t become a member just for show.”

Karnitz had told her over their calls that he was all right, that he had no problems, and that he would explain everything in detail when he had the time, but it turned out that he had indeed been influenced by Life. Ianna didn’t know what to say as she smelled the faint stench of blood from him, and she clenched her fists.

“But this isn’t because of Life, my lady. It was a choice that I made myself so I could survive in Bahamut while also protecting what is mine.”

But Karnitz wasn’t done speaking.

“My personal values have not changed despite the life I’ve lived in Bahamut. I was always tormented because Bahamut’s idea of justice clashed against my personal values, and I suffered from guilt every time I obeyed my orders.”

Firmly, he continued,

“I never abandoned my values even as I struggled against the whispers that told be to cast aside my guilty conscience. Wicked emotions poured into my heart and shook my values every time I drank more Life, but I always emerged the victor.”

And as for how he had managed that…

“The values I learned by spending time with you became my beacon, my unfading loyalty for you gave me the strength to push on, and the precious love I shared with Isphee became my pillar of support.”

The simple honesty in his eyes, which Ianna hadn’t seen since she had parted ways with him when she turned sixteen, had never changed and were looking directly back at her now.

“My personal values have not changed. But I, I have simply changed into someone who is capable of trampling over my own values if it means protecting what it mine. I will protect my family, and I will protect you, my lady. And that has never changed, both now and in the past.”

His desperate struggles against Life as it threatened to pollute everything he believed was right had ultimately served to make his creed sturdier and his loyalty stronger than ever before. After all, he had beaten back the crisis by trusting in that which he believed was right.

His creed and loyalty wracked him with guilt, but it was because of this that he had managed to survive without being swept into Bahamut’s madness.

“It is true that Life has tormented me, but I have made it my strength in the end.”

Karnitz laughed a sigh.

“It was all thanks to you that I was able to survive while staying true myself. You needn’t worry about me anymore, my lady.”

Karnitz slowly bowed down and kissed the back of Ianna’s hand. Ianna clenched her hands into tight fists. Ever since her past life, Karnitz had always been honest to a fault while walking down only one straight path, and he had an innocence about him that made it impossible for him to betray anyone. But now, he was so much more.

“What would you have done had I gone to Bahamut as I originally planned and ended up being even more wicked than they?”

“While I doubt that would have ever happened, I likely would have adjusted my values because you would have still been in the right regardless, my lady.”

Ianna had posed the question sarcastically to hide her shame, but she had been returned an insane response. Karnitz continued,

“I would have thrown away my guilty conscience and become your agent. That was why I went to Bahamut in the first place.”

You crazy fool.

“Even now, I could correct my values at once so long as you give the order.”

Ianna had thought he seemed fine, but she had apparently been wrong. He claimed to have bested the vices of Life, but it looked like he had gone a little crazy in the process, and in a bad kind of way. He had always been disjointedly blind in his faith. But now that blindness had turned into full-on fanaticism.

“Don’t you dare. Stay true to yourself.”

Ianna squeezed Karnitz’s hand back.

“I will.”

“You should prioritize Isphee and Evelyn before me.”

“All three of you are equally important to me.”

“Do what I tell you!”

“…….”

“And stop saying that it was only thanks to me that you were able to stay true to yourself.”

I didn’t do anything. All I did was push you out of a peaceful paradise and into the cruel fires of hell!

Karnitz shook his head to express that she was wrong.

“Not at all. Someone who’s satisfied to settle for peace won’t be equipped to handle crisis. My experiences at Bahamut have tempered me so that I am able to overcome any crisis. I was able to prepare you weapons that you can use in your fight against Bahamut. That is more than enough for me.”

“…….”

“Crisis will come calling soon. Bahamut is far more heinous and impulsive than you could ever imagine. Please be careful.”

Ianna had more that she wanted to say, but she forced herself to swallow her words. She was still seething on the inside, but she had learned just how stubborn Karnitz could be in her last life and she knew that there would be no end of it if she let herself be just as obstinate, so she instead said,

“You still don’t know what the emperor is planning, right?”

“He’s hardly stepped outside ever since you escaped the castle, my lady. He might be training, or he might be doing something else.”

Bahamut. The embodiment of greed that had started life as a microorganism in the ancient past and was trying to devour even the dragons and stand at the very top of the world. And Taylon, who was the closest to both Bahamut and the Demon. What on earth was the bastard doing?

But Ianna could not find an answer no matter how hard she pondered. She stood up from her seat.

“Let’s go to where Evelyn and Isphee are.”

First, she wanted to check Evelyn’s condition.

“Miss Ianna! I mean, Dame Rise!”

Isphee had been resting when she greeted Ianna with a warm welcome.

Ianna studied Isphee’s face, which seemed slightly thinner than she remembered. Was it because of all the heartbreak she had suffered? But Isphee’s personality was just as sunny as it had been back in the Roberstein lands.

Ianna turned her head and looked quietly down at Evelyn, who was squirming in her cradle.

“What an adorable little girl.”

“Isn’t she?! She’s my daughter, after all!”

Ianna smirked when Isphee stuck her nose into the air. Isphee was over forty now, but she was still so adorable.

“I will check her condition. I’m going to summon the spirits.”

Isphee and Karnitz gingerly nodded back.

Ianna had truly changed a lot since they had last seen her. It had only been natural that her swordsmanship had become renowned. But the fact that she could summon the spirits had been a surprise among many surprises.

[Ianna!]

Innis appeared in midair and rubbed himself against Ianna repeatedly.

“Innis. Can you check the baby’s condition for me? The condition of her heart in particular.”

Innis was the best doctor is existence, as far as Ianna was concerned.

[What a tiny child!]

Innis stopped making a fuss and made his way down to Evelyn carefully before pecking her hand with his nose. He assimilated a part of his body into Evelyn’s instead of going directly into her bloodstream like he had with Ianna.

[Mm!]

he sagged down once he pulled away from the baby. He continued,

[Her heartbeat’s really weak. It seems like a problem of both her heart and her soul……. It’ll be difficult for us to do anything about it.]

“…….”

Ianna decided to try her power next after sending Innis back.

She learned that it was possible to return a heart to normal if certain conditions were met. However, these conditions were impossible to satisfy at the moment.

There were three elements that even the Balance could not meddle with so readily.

Those elements were time, the soul, which guided time, and the heart, the soul’s foundation.

In other words, it was almost impossible for the Balance to manipulate time, force a change in a soul’s ‘personality or disposition,’ or fix a heart’s lifespan.

Removing the Demon’s fragments from Dorcianni and Heinrich had not involved any of these three elements. The death that normally resulted when removing a fragment didn’t occur because there was a problem with the heart but simply because the fragment itself was too powerful. The fragments’ power had been the root of the problem, and merely removing a soul that was leeching off another’s heart like a parasite did not oppose any laws too harshly.

But meddling with a ‘heart’ directly was crossing the law. Doing so would require paying an incredible price.

In other words, she could fix this so long as she paid the price.

But fixing someone’s heart required something else in addition to Ianna’s power. It required Evelyn, the owner of the soul that made her heart its foundation, to carry an incredible desire to live and a powerful ego. This was impossible right now because Evelyn was still just an innocent baby.

‘I want to save you.’

Ianna squeezed Evelyn’s tiny hand. Her clean divine power travelled up Evelyn’s blood vessels like a fine thread and wrapped around the baby’s heart. Evelyn’s cheeks blushed a rosy red.

“Oh my, she looks happy.”

Karnitz began playing with Evelyn after Isphee picked her up. Evelyn giggled. Ianna looked to the three of them with a distant look in her eyes.

“How did the two of you end up getting married?”

They hadn’t seemed that close when Ianna had left the Roberstein manor. The three of them had only shared a tight camaraderie because they had been ostracized in the Roberstein lands. Or had Ianna never noticed their love because she hadn’t been aware of what love was back then?

“Isphee took good care of my mother after you left for the Institution, my lady, even though I told her that she didn’t need to. That was when I learned just how warm she was.”

“That was also around when I learned just how cool Karnitz was. We were both considered nuisances when we were living in House Roberstein, remember? I’d already had a good impression of him because he was the only other person I could fully trust when you were still with us. It was inevitable that I fell in love with him when I finally started seeing him as a man.”

“But then…”

Ianna, who had been doing her best to suppress her boiling emotions, finally exploded. She continued,

“Then, why did you go to Bahamut? If you loved each other so much, then you should have forgotten about me and lived the rest of your lives together —I abandoned you!”

Karnitz and Isphee exchanged looks before they both turned to look directly back at Ianna.

“We couldn’t imagine what our love would look like if you weren’t in the picture, my lady. After all, you’re both our master and our family.”

Ianna’s breath caught.

“We might have never fallen in love with each other if we never went to Bahamut. Our feelings grew deeper and deeper because we were struggling together.”

Ianna began to quiver.

“……Don’t be ridiculous. Are you guys stupid? How could you just up and go to Bahamut all because you trusted some random words said by a young little girl?”

“Your eventual departure for Bahamut was as good as fact for us because we know that you aren’t the type of person who’d say something without meaning it, Miss.”

“That’s why we went to Bahamut. You told us not to follow you when you told us to find our own paths in life, but you never told us not to wait for you there. We had planned to go ahead of you, prepare a foothold for you, and meet you there when you finally came.”

Karnitz had once said to Ianna,

“Bahamut is a longtime enemy of Roanne. I am told that it is a land where the starving cry out only to lie down on the frozen earth and die. And I also heard that the Empire is a place filled with blood-crazed warriors and that the emperor is so terrifying that his own people call him a demon. Why would you go to a place like that……?”

That was how terrified of Bahamut Karnitz had been. Ianna didn’t even need to think twice how Isphee must have felt about it.

“You must’ve been so scared.”

“We were more afraid of the idea that you abandoned us. And we couldn’t bear how worried we were when you said that you’d venture into such a dangerous place all alone.”

Ianna wrapped her hands over her eyes.

“Why……?”

Tears welled in her eyes. Her gushing emotions transformed into tears. All the emotions she had been doing her best to suppress finally found a way out through her tears. She continued,

“Why would you do all that just for someone like me?”

Isphee raised an eyebrow because she found the question so preposterous.

“You’re my daughter too, Miss. How could I possibly sit still and do nothing when my daughter stubbornly insists on going somewhere dangerous?”

Ianna couldn’t breathe.

Isphee……. Isphee was Ianna’s nanny, the one and only person who had taken her side in her past life. And in this life, Isphee was the person who had taught Ianna just how warm human bonds could be by pouring out her affections to her without reserve —her precious family!

Karnitz knelt down on one knee before Ianna. He looked as simple and honest as ever as he bowed his head.

“You are eternally my master, my lady. I have been your faithful servant since the day I took my knight’s oath. I will always follow behind you no matter what path you take. All I want is the honor of walking with you until the day you stand in a place that is higher than any other.”

Ianna placed her hands over her mouth.

The breathing grew ragged as her tears streamed down her face.

Karnitz……. Karnitz had always been like this. He was her personal knight who had always been by her side and protected her from behind both now and in the past!

Just what am I to the both of you that you pour out your love to me, that you swear your loyalty to me both now and in the past?

I didn’t even do that much for you. So, why are you being so good to me?

Regret, guilt, gratitude……. Her groans crowded out her deafness.

“Isphee, Evelyn, and you —I will protect all three of you, my lady.”

“……I’ve said this to you before, Karnitz. That the person you need to protect is not me, but your mother and the woman who would one day become your wife. You even have a child to protect now.”

Ianna had made her decision. She continued,

“But I suppose there’s nothing I can do if you still insist on protecting me anyway.”

She wiped away her tears, and there was a powerful light in her eyes when she looked to them again.

“I will protect the two of you. And…”

She took Evelyn’s, who was still in her mother’s arms, hand.

“I will also protect this child.”

This was her vow.

Her tears had stopped, but Ianna’s emotions were still moist from the ripples as she looked at Evelyn.

The precious child of Isphee and Karnitz, who were so precious to her.

She wanted to protect this child.

“Kyaah!”

Evelyn grabbed Ianna’s hand, as if she had taken a liking to it, and beamed. Ianna’s heart felt full. The baby’s innocent laughter lingered in her affections. The baby’s tiny hand —the first she had ever taken— sent quiet ripples through her heart.

Children were weak and needed to be protected because even a slight squeeze could hurt them. And that was why adults, why society as a whole, needed to be strong. Ianna prayed that her country would become a place where weak and tiny children like Evelyn could grow up safely and comfortably.

My country and I will protect you,

Ianna vowed silently.

Tears were dangling from Isphee’s eyes.

“I haven’t seen you cry so much since you were a baby yourself, Miss.”

Ianna realized that tears had welled in her eyes yet again and quickly wiped them away.

“You’re right.”

Ianna had hardly ever shed tears in life.

Aside from the times when she had cried without knowing any better because she was a baby, she had only ever cried twice while she had lived in the Roberstein manor: once because she was indignant about having been reborn, and the single tear she had shed after killing Lebony. Neither Isphee nor Karnitz had been present to witness either.

“I was actually so worried. I worried that we were only being a bother to you.”

“Why would I ever think that?”

Isphee wiped away her tears and smiled gently when Ianna returned to her usual seriousness.

“I wonder why? I’m so happy to see you crying like this, Miss.”

“I must concur,”

Karnitz chimed in. Ianna furrowed her brows when they failed to hide their joy despite their surprise.

“What a terrible hobby the two of you share.”

“Hoho.”

Isphee planted a kiss on Evelyn’s cheek. She then continued,

“Isn’t our Miss Ianna just so lovely, Evelyn?”

Evelyn, who had never once taken her eyes off Ianna, replied with a smile that smelled strongly of milk. Isphee declared,

“She says you are.”

“How could she possibly reply when she didn’t even understand the question?”

“They say that babies instinctively like lovely people.”

“Kyaah!”

Evelyn reached out for Ianna. Isphee expressed her wistfulness when Ianna recoiled.

“It would be so nice if you would just hold her, Miss…”

“…….”

Ianna hesitated before she raised her hand. The way that Isphee had pressed her finger into Evelyn’s cheek earlier had left a deep impression on her.

Press.

She carefully poked Evelyn on the cheek with her thumb. It was soft and squishy. Warm and frail. Evelyn continued to beam as Ianna poked her cheek.

‘She’s adorable.’

Ianna’s own cheeks flushed ever so slightly red. Ianna liked cute things, and Evelyn had sniped at her heart. The baby might as well have shot a flaming arrow at Ianna’s icy heart.

“Give her here.”

Ianna extended her arms after she had made her decision. Isphee seemed to glow as she placed Evelyn in Ianna’s waiting embrace. Evelyn squirmed in discomfort because Ianna was standing so awkwardly. A shadow fell over Ianna’s face.

“Like this, Miss.”

Ianna was at her wits’ end, but Isphee helped correct her posture with great cheer. It was only then that Evelyn rested comfortably in Ianna’s solid and safe arms.

Ianna stared quietly into the warm and tiny child in her arms and squeezed ever so gently.

The baby was not as fragile as she had feared. Should she say that it felt similar to holding a small animal, like a cat or a dog?

But babies had neither sharp teeth nor swift agility and absolutely required another’s protection. Ianna found that powerlessness, the fact that babies couldn’t survive with an adult’s protection, both so worrisome and so endearing. Was this what they called protective instinct……?

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door. Ianna knew who it was just from the knocking alone. She warned Isphee and Karnitz in advance before she told him to come in.

“It’s the person whom I serve.”

Part 16

Isphee and Karnitz stiffened up in their nervousness. The person whom Ianna, their master, served. This was also the man whom Ianna, whom they had thought might actually marry her sword one day, was to wed. Just how impressive a man was he that he had managed to sweep Ianna off her feet? They could not help but grow nervous despite their curiosity.

“You can relax. Please, come in.”

The door opened as soon as Ianna voiced her permission.

“I heard that your personal knight and nanny were…….”

Arhad stopped mid-sentence as he walked inside. He looked alarmed as his gaze fixated on how preciously Ianna was holding Evelyn.

“Oh.”

Ianna wondered why he was making that face before she realized that she was still holding Evelyn. She continued,

“This is their child, Evelyn.”

“……I see,”

Arhad replied somewhat belatedly before he resumed walking over. Ianna returned Evelyn to Isphee after leaving a brief kiss on the baby’s forehead. Then, she touched her own arms. She wasn’t holding Evelyn anymore, but the soft sensation that lingered in her arms continued to tickle her for some reason. Arhad continued,

“Were you crying?”

His expression stiffened when he saw how red Ianna’s eyes were.

“Yes, a little.”

“Why?”

“Because I was happy…….”

“They really must be precious to you.”

Ianna nodded back despite her embarrassment.

“Yes —allow me to introduce them to you formally.”

Arhad gently touched her reddened eyes before he turned around to face them. Ianna continued,

“This is Isphee, my nanny, and this is Karnitz, my person knight. Isphee, Karnitz. This is Arhad, my master and my lover.”

And so, Isphee, Karnitz, and Arhad had finally met. Ianna felt awkward. She felt fidgety in a way that she hadn’t felt when she had introduced Arhad to Count and Countess Roberstein.

“I welcome you to my castle.”

Arhad turned to Isphee first, and then he moved his gaze to Karnitz when he saw that Isphee had smiled softly after staring piercingly into him first.

“…….”

Karnitz felt Arhad studying him and calmly studied him back. He had engraved the words that Ianna had said to him about four years ago, before they had parted, deep in his chest.

“I will go to the Bahamut Empire.”

“The Empire itself doesn’t matter to me. The person whom I wish to support simply happens to be there.”

This was the sole reason why he had gone to Bahamut, and he had been searching for someone good enough to serve as Ianna’s liege while he was there. But he hadn’t found anyone who fit the bill.

The Bahamut imperial family was remarkable and terrifying, of course, but he did not think that Ianna would throw everything else away and go to Bahamut just for them. After all, they did not have much in common with Ianna.

And then, Arhad had come into the picture out of nowhere.

The man who called himself the secret bastard son of the Bahamut emperor.

Karnitz trusted and obeyed Ianna unconditionally, but he could not help but have his doubts.

Just when exactly had Ianna met this man?

Ianna had said that she had met Arhad formally when she was sixteen, while she was attending the Institution, but she had somehow known that he was the bastard prince of Bahamut even before that.

How did you know that? He had only been returned silence. What made you want to follow him? She had changed the topic of their conversation. Ianna had simply avoided the topic instead of answering Karnitz’s questions.

‘Was it because she didn’t want to talk about it while he wasn’t also present?’

In that case, then it should be fine to ask her now.

“My lady, is the man whom you…….”

Karnitz began to pose his question, unable to best his curiosity, but Ianna instantly realized what he wanted to ask and physically stopped him at the speed of lightning.

“Let’s talk later.”

She only removed her hand from Karnitz’s mouth after she saw that he understood that she didn’t want him to bring it up.

“What?”

Ianna waved her hands, like nothing was wrong, when Arhad expressed his puzzlement.

‘I only said that because I didn’t think I’d ever meet Karnitz or Isphee ever again, but to think it’d come back to bite me like this.’

The situation was getting tangled. It had been for a long time, and she would have to confess everything in order to untangle it completely.

But Ianna had already decided on the date when she would confess about her past life.

She would do it after she had finally surpassed Roberstein, immediately after she had drawn Roberstein’s sword from the Demon’s heart. She would confess when she existed solely as Ianna, when Arhad existed solely as Arhad. She would explain everything to him.

And she would keep quiet until then.

Both Karnitz and Isphee knew how to read the room. Neither of them would bring this up again unless Ianna brought it up first, especially since she had physically stopped Karnitz from speaking.

“It’s nice to meet you,”

Arhad said to Isphee and Karnitz. He continued,

“I apologize for saying something like this as soon as we met, but I’m going to check to make sure that you don’t have any spells cast on you.”

“But of course.”

Arhad took their arms one at a time and checked the flow of mana once they had given their consent. He did not feel the presence of any magic or divine arts on them.

Arhad let go of Karnitz and said,

“My apologies for doubting you.”

“Not at all. It was only the natural thing to do.”

Arhad nodded.

“Please make yourselves comfortable for the remainder of your stay. Let me know anytime if anything troubles you.”

“That’s……. Would you please speak comfortably with us? You are our lady’s master, my liege, which makes you our master as well.”

“He’s right. And you’ll be her husband soon too.”

The edges of Arhad’s lips curled up when Isphee called him Ianna’s husband as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Ianna told me that you were more special to her than family. That would make you special to me as well.”

“But…”

Arhad turned to Ianna when Karnitz and Isphee seemed to be at a loss. Ianna was smiling because she was glad that Arhad was being so good to them.

“You are the king of this land. They’re my family, but it’s already more than enough for me to know that you respect them. Please speak comfortably. That’s fine, right?”

“Of course.”

“Is that so? Well, if you say so.”

Arhad nodded. Then, he continued,

“Karnitz.”

“Yes?”

Arhad stared piercingly into Karnitz, and Karnitz did not avoid his gaze.

He remembered Karnitz —the brusque aide who had always supported Ianna from behind in the past. He especially remembered Karnitz for the latter’s simple honesty and loyalty. Karnitz was even a member of one of Bahamut’s highest-ranking knight orders in this life, which made him infinitely more useful.

“You are someone of exceptional talent. I plan on entrusting a lot of work to you —will you be up to the task?”

“Thank you for acknowledging me. I will do my best.”

Then, Arhad turned to Isphee, who was looking smug.

“Isphee.”

“Yes?!”

Isphee startled. She had looked like she was evaluating Arhad ever since he had first stepped into the room. And Arhad had noticed it immediately.

“Am I a suitable husband for Ianna?”

“Yes? O-of course,”

Isphee said as she nodded vigorously. Of course he was suitable. He was rich, he was the highest authority here, he seemed like he had a nice personality, he was handsome, and he had a great figure. He was the greatest husband material in the world.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Arhad smiled with much satisfaction. So much so that even Ianna was surprised. He hardly ever smiled like that to anyone who wasn’t Ianna. He continued,

“I’d like for the both of you to keep serving Ianna by her side. I know she’s fully capable on her own, but she’ll need people to support her once she becomes my wife and queen in the future.”

“Wife……. Queen……,”

Isphee mumbled to herself in a daze before she snapped back to her senses and nodded.

“I will serve her with all my heart and soul.”

“Very well.”

Arhad then threw a glance at Ianna.

“Let’s continue this conversation later —I’m sure you’re both tired and need your rest. Ianna, let’s talk for a minute.”

Isphee grabbed Ianna by the hand just as Ianna was about to follow Arhad out the door and whispered,

“As expected of you, Miss! Who cares about counts or princes or all those other useless men out there? Where on earth did you catch yourself such a handsome and fit and kind and capable man?! All men fall short of you, of course, but I can give this one a pass.”

“…….”

“And more importantly, I can tell that you have him wrapped around your little finger. His love for you was pouring out from his eyes so obviously that it made my heart skip a beat. But you deserve all that love and more, naturally. Naturally.”

“……That’s enough.”

“But I’m not done yet! Let’s talk later, Miss.”

Slam!

Ianna slammed the door shut.

Arhad, who had heard the entire conversation while he was outside, sounded cheerful as he said,

“Your nanny has a great eye for people. And she’s right. You deserve all my love and more.”

“……Let’s just go.”

His tone was teasing, but he was being completely sincere. Ianna pushed Arhad from behind in her embarrassment.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“And what would that be?”

“Why on earth did they go to Bahamut?”

Ianna flinched. Arhad continued,

“They’re so passionate about you that I wouldn’t have been surprised to have seen them follow you to the Institution. I’d thought that they had gone to Bahamut out of despair because you cast them aside, but that didn’t seem to be the case.”

“……Who could say?”

Ianna equivocated.

“Well, I suppose you can never know since people are fickle creatures.”

Arhad passed over the issue readily. So much had already changed. Ianna, who had once hated him to the point of insanity, had sworn herself to him in this life, so he didn’t find it all that strange that her subordinates had become affiliated with Bahamut. It was impossible to predict the future perfectly, after all.

“But it’s remarkable that your knight still kept his loyalty for you even after entering one of the imperial palace’s knight orders.”

“Why is that?”

“Bahamut looks at a knight’s skills before appointing them to the palace, of course, but they interrogate them thoroughly too. That’s actually where most people drop out. Then, the knights are subject to powerful brainwashing after they’re appointed. Most people aren’t able to withstand it.”

“…….”

Ianna’s heart filled once more as she realized anew that she had been the only reason why Karnitz had been able to maintain his right mind despite everything.

“I wonder why Karnitz decided to become an imperial knight? He could’ve just lived a normal life.”

“Becoming an imperial knight is one of the greatest honors one can achieve in Bahamut. And it also means that your identity will never be questioned. Imperial knights only climb up to their position after overcoming numerous trials, so no one questions them. I think that might be why.”

Karnitz had been able to endure everything because he had believed that Ianna would work for Bahamut one day. And he had probably made a lot of friends in high places to help her in the future…….

“It’s truly strange for an imperial knight to come back for his previous master. To be honest, I’d been wondering whether Karnitz was actually Taylon’s spy.”

Ianna’s conscious stung.

Arhad did not know why Karnitz had gone to Bahamut or why he had come back to Ianna. That was why he doubted him.

“I suppose it’s simply one of your many virtues. In any event, it’s a good thing that Karnitz came back to you. We can obtain information about the inner workings of the imperial palace —something that even Bahamut nobles aren’t aware of— through him.”

Ianna looked reluctant.

“That’s going to be so dangerous.”

“Of course it’ll be dangerous.”

“What will happen if he doesn’t go back to Bahamut?”

Ianna had already decided to trust Karnitz and use him as a spy. The only reason why she was reconsidering her decision was because she had seen just how young Evelyn was.

“Imperial knights need to submit regular reports about where they are and what they’re doing even when they’re on leave. And they’ll become a target for assassination for the crime of desertion and disobeying orders if they don’t come back after their leave is over. There’s no explaining your way out of that. Bahamut is rather thorough when it comes to these things.”

“…….”

“Bahamut considers assassinating traitors a top priority. Karnitz will end up having to live in hiding if he doesn’t return and our fight against Bahamut gets dragged out. I’m sure it’ll be tedious.”

They arrived at Arhad’s room.

Ianna plopped down on the sofa.

“I don’t want to send them somewhere so dangerous.”

“I understand.”

Arhad stood behind Ianna as she sat absentmindedly in the sofa. He rested his arms on the back of the sofa and leaned over to peer into Ianna’s face as she contemplated.

“They even have a baby.”

“I know.”

“But it’s not right to force them to stay near me just because they’re my people. Even I would hate it if you tied me down like that.”

“I find that rather unfortunate.”

“It’s for the best that Karnitz returns to Bahamut, no matter how you look at it.”

“You’re right.”

“Bahamut is the place where Karnitz can shine the brightest right now.”

“You’re right about that too.”

“They want to be useful to me.”

“I’m sure they do.”

“Ugh…….”

Ianna put her face in her hands as she agonized over something like this for the first time ever.

“Think over it slowly. And don’t you dare feel guilty about it no matter what you end up deciding.”

Arhad pressed his lips against Ianna’s head. He continued,

“Let’s eliminate the Bahamut imperial family as quickly as possible. Even if it’s only for your people’s sake.”

“Yes.”

Ianna was working plenty hard already, but she resolved to train even harder. It had been a while, so she would have to train up Karnitz too. Karnitz needed the power to protect himself, Isphee, and Evelyn, regardless of whether Ianna sent him back to Bahamut or decided to force him to stay here.

“How about you focus on them and on the upcoming events for now? They came all the way here despite everything for the founding ceremony……and for our wedding, right?”

Arhad’s quiet voice ticked Ianna’s ear as he continued,

“I’m looking forward to our wedding too.”

His heated lips fell heavily on hers when she turned around to look at him on reflex. Disheveled black and crimson hair tangled into each other as their foreheads touched.

“…….”

Ianna closed her eyes with familiar ease. They continued savoring their languid kiss as she caressed Arhad’s cheek. By the time she came to, she realized that she was lying down and that he was biting at her collarbone, which was peeking out through her unbuttoned shirt.

But Arhad would stop, like he always did. Once again, she would find herself unattended after having been stimulated so.

Ianna always felt so dreadfully wistful and unfulfilled whenever that happened. The latter of the two emotions had been growing so powerful as of late that it almost made her want to cry.

Ianna pulled Arhad’s hair. Her deeply sculpted collarbone and the elasticity of her skin —his eyes grew dim as he drowned in the most alluring temptation in the world. But the light gradually returned to his eyes as he looked down at the disgruntlement on Ianna’s visage and her disheveled appearance.

“Sigh…….”

He sounded oddly remorseful. There was a contradictory look on his face —was he hungry or was he satiated?— as he brought their foreheads back together. Then, Arhad said,

“I tried to hold back from kissing you or touching you because my own endurance is about to reach its limits too……. But that was a mistake.”

Ianna’s endurance, which she had only just been managing to keep intact, snapped at his words.

Ianna pulled at Arhad’s clothes and clung to him. Her eyes were raging with fever as they approached Arhad’s like they would swallow him whole. Arhad’s Adam’s apple moved up. He had already been parched, and but his thirst was getting unbearable now.

“There’s only a few more days left —can’t we just do it now?”

Ianna ended up asking aloud because she had lost all patience. She continued,

“You want me, and I want you too.”

Snap snap snap.

The buttons of his shirt fell off when she pulled at it sharply from the collar. She dug her lips in between the string of Arhad’s pendant. Her crimson lips bit his neck and left their mark on him, and her fingers slid under his shirt and seductively caressed his firm chest. She could feel his heart pounding from the flesh beneath her fingers.

Arhad grabbed her hand and squeezed.

“I……no.”

He sounded like he was pleading. Ianna looked up from his neck. Arhad’s face was very obviously red. His flushed cheeks, his eyes, shaken with desire, and the heaving of his chest……. Ianna felt a little satisfied when she saw just how clearly his desires had stimulated him.

Ianna broke away from Arhad because she felt like she was doing something bad and pouted.

“Then why did you start kissing me in the first place? Idiot.”

“I am an idiot. But it truly was a mistake this time. I tried to hold back……. But I couldn’t.”

It sounded like he was making excuses. Arhad continued,

“I was a little nervous. The two of them are people you’ve accepted into your heart as family, unlike the Count and Countess Roberstein. I wanted to look good in front of them because they’re important to you. I want to be good to them.”

Was that why he had spoken so courteously to them?

“All the tension left my body when I realized that they evaluated me fairly well, and I couldn’t help but want to kiss you.”

He had looked perfectly composed, but his mind had apparently been racing.

Ianna shook her head clear as she stood back up. She felt like she’d go crazy if she stayed here. She might even rip Arhad’s clothes off him. Had she always been so suggestive and lustful?

Arhad trailed after her as she made her way to the door.

“……I’ll be leaving now.”

“I’m sorry.”

Ianna found Arhad both spiteful and adorable.

And she suddenly wanted to get revenge. She wanted to torment him.

Then, she abruptly recalled something that had happened long ago.

“Could you turn around for a moment?”

Arhad always did whatever she asked. He turned around, and Ianna slowly walked up behind him.

Then, she bit him hard on the ear when his guard was down.

“What……?!”

Ianna also startled when Arhad jumped and turned around in surprise. She had bitten him so hard that there were small droplets of blood where her teeth had left their mark.

But, why was it?

His ear, which she had bloodied, looked pitiful, but she could not tear her eyes off it. Ianna kissed his ear as if in consolation as she stole the droplets of his blood away.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

A peculiar sensation penetrated Arhad’s being and made him flush red, and Ianna shamelessly continued whispering,

“But it’s fine, right?”

Then, she smiled and quickly made herself scarce before Arhad could say anything. Arhad could not bring himself to follow her out.

~~*~~

Ianna visited Isphee’s room the next day. Karnitz was speaking with Arhad elsewhere. The cradle that had been prepared for Evelyn was rocking. Her arms and legs were in the air as she delighted in the toys that were circling above her cradle.

Ianna and Isphee where talking on the sofa.

“Evelyn’s so tiny.”

“Of course she is —she’s a baby.”

“When will she get bigger?”

“She’s very small, isn’t she? She can’t even walk yet even though she’s already one because she’s been so sickly on top of being born premature. But I’m sure she’ll start growing bigger and bigger soon.”

“I’ve never seen a child so tiny before.”

“You didn’t have many opportunities to see children in the first place, Miss……. And you wouldn’t have approached them even if you did.”

“I suppose.”

Isphee was probably right. She had always been afraid that she might hurt a child by accident because they were so weak, and she had also hated the fact that she grew weak before them.

“We’ll be going back to Bahamut shortly after your wedding.”

Isphee suddenly dropped a bomb on her.

“What?”

Isphee smiled when Ianna grew alarmed.

“Don’t you need Karnitz there?”

“……I…”

Ianna’s voice was simmering as she continued,

“I wish you could stay here and be happy. I don’t want to send you away.”

“Karnitz wouldn’t like that. And for the matter, neither would I.”

“Why not?”

“Miss, you always said something whenever you contacted Karnitz. You said that he was a huge help because you had no other source of information in Bahamut. Karnitz was always so happy to hear you say this that it would carry him through the rest of his day. We hugged each other in sheer joy when we learned that all our troubles in Bahamut weren’t for nothing.”

Ianna wanted to punch her own mouth. She had praised them even though she should have known better than to praise people so loyal to her. Isphee continued,

“We will return to your side once everything is over. That’s fine, yes?”

“…….”

“Miss!”

“Yeah.”

Indeed. Ianna would place her trust in Karnitz and Isphee.

What else could she do?

She had to use the help they were offering and kill Bahamut as quickly as possible.

Isphee began toying with Ianna’s hair as the latter sighed and tried to straighten out her heart from how shaken it had gotten recently.

“You used to always want to cut your hair, Miss. Why did you keep growing it out?”

Ianna’s hair fell just above her waist these days. It had grown a lot since she had lopped it off as if in self-torment, unable to stop herself, in her rage against Keigus Dimitri.

There wasn’t any special reason as to why she had let it grow out.

Ianna had learned shortly after the incident with Keigus that Priscilla had been keeping her chopped off hair like it was a treasure. It had sent shivers down Ianna’s spine, and Priscilla had thrown it away after Ianna had yelled at her, but Priscilla had been genuinely sad about it and, though she had later made a fuss about how Ianna was pretty with short hair too, had actually grieved for Ianna’s long hair for some time.

But more importantly, Ianna could not cut her hair again because of Isphee. Perhaps because Isphee’s persistence about not cutting her hair had brainwashed her, or perhaps it was simply due to Ianna’s recollections of her, but Ianna had never been able to bring herself to cut her hair again even if the idea cropped up.

“I couldn’t cut it because I was thinking of you.”

And so, Ianna had simply decided to grow it out again. Her hair didn’t really matter to her, after all. All she had to do was tie it up when she was in battle. Isphee looked touched, but she quickly shook her head no.

“I used to think that all ladies needed to have long hair. Gender roles are sharply divided in Roanne, and there’s a very firm standard of beauty too. But that wasn’t the case in the North. No one cares about gender roles in the face of survival, and the people groom themselves to their own personal tastes —within reason, of course. If someone picks a fight with you because you have unique tastes when it comes to your appearance, you fight them and shut them up. And the strangest thing is that your unique tastes would then become the trend for a little while after that. People look up to you for that sort of thing, and they start copying you because they think you’re cool, and eventually the people who used to curse you for being weird start coming around too.”

Isphee wrapped her hands tightly around Ianna’s hair. She continued,

“It made me realize that I was biased. Who cares about being beautiful when culture and beauty standards change so easily depending on the region, the society you live in, or the times? People should just live the way they want. I had to do some self-reflection. I used to nag you all the time for not being ‘ladylike’…….”

Ianna’s hair rustled as it slipped down from between Isphee’s fingers.

“You must’ve been so tired of hearing it. Weren’t you, Miss?”

“Not at all. It was bothersome……. But I would’ve chopped it off anyway if I truly hated it. I grew it out because it didn’t matter to me either way. Besides, you liked it long too. But I do admit that it’s easier when it’s short.”

“Do what you want, Miss. Your hair will look lovely no matter what.”

Ianna toyed with her hair.

“In that case, should I just cut it?”

~~*~~

Part 17

The founding preparations were progressing smoothly, and all that was left now was to add the final touches.

They had decided on a date for Founding Day.

It would be April 6^th —Arhad’s birthday.

It would also be the date that Arhad was to get married to Ianna. It wouldn’t be wrong to call that date Arhad’s special day.

Ianna did not rest just because founding preparations were almost over. Rather, she was busier than ever before because she was doing one final check to confirm that everything was in place.

She also made sure to try on the formal dress that Priscilla had designed for her long ago from time to time. Priscilla had devoted her heart and soul to make formal wear for Arhad and Ianna, and the recently completed clothes were so wonderful that they could even be called her magnum opus.

Arhad’s suit and Ianna’s dress came as a set, and they were made in a harmony of black, crimson, gold, and white —the colors that symbolized them. They looked like uniforms in design. Ianna rather liked how her dress looked strong and formal instead of frail and innocent.

Today was the day before Founding Day.

Ianna was sitting in front of a mirror.

She stared at her long hair without much thought.

Her hair was a very vivid and vibrant crimson. But it wasn’t one solid color either because it took on orange and yellowish hues under the sunlight. This was why her hair looked like lambent flames under the sun.

Ianna’s locks were also luscious and ample because Ianna herself was so healthy. Her hair was so lovely that it pulled at people’s gazes whenever she walked through the streets. Anyone who worked with hair professionally coveted her hair very much.

Snip.

And Priscilla was taking a scissor to Ianna’s lovely hair.

“Sooob.”

She looked like she was in anguish as she clutched at her chest. The weighted crimson hair reflected in her blue eyes. Her pupils were quivering pitifully. She continued,

“You look good with both long hair and short hair, Little Ianna, but this is such a waste. Uwaaah, what a waste.”

“You’ve already cut it.”

“I know, but still…”

Priscilla carefully stroked Ianna’s silky hair. Isphee let out a shaky breath next to her.

“I told you to do what you want, Miss, but this is still such a waste. I felt a chill run down my spine when it was cut.”

“How could you say you want to burn it this time too? You should just give it to me.”

“My word. You burned your hair after you cut it?”

“She did. She threw her beautiful hair right into the flames ever so calmly and without any hesitation whatsoever! It was so cruel!”

Ianna summoned Kagomyne while Priscilla tied together all the hair she had cut off as she grumbled.

[It’s so pretty! I’ll be sure to burn it really well!]

Priscilla raised her scissors again as Kagomyne barked and began burning Ianna’s hair bit by bit.

“Now, let’s clean this up, shall we?”

She had cut Ianna’s hair to Ianna’s requested length, so now it was time to make it look nice.

Snip, snip.

Short snippets of hair dropped to the floor. Kagomyne pranced about as he ate those snippets too, and Ianna’s hair was tidied up and fell just above her shoulders. Priscilla placed her hands on Ianna’s shoulders as she admired her work.

“What do you think?”

Ianna tried shaking her head gently. It was very comfortable. She tried combing through her hair, and it did not tangle. It would surely be easier to wash too.

“I like it. My head feels so light.”

“Of course it does. Not only do you have a lot of hair, Little Ianna, but it was really long too.”

Ianna studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked neater and tidier than she had thought she would. She didn’t look too tacky either, perhaps because her hair was slightly wavy.

Priscilla triumphantly put her hands at her waist.

“I knew it —you’re pretty with short hair too! Am I just that good?”

“You’re right. You really are good, Little Priscilla. I’m so happy that my lady has someone as skilled as you are by her side.”

Isphee brought her hands together because she was so deeply moved.

Isphee and Priscilla got along very well. But that was only natural, since they both loved Ianna and enjoyed dressing her up.

“Ahem.”

Priscilla still had her nose proudly in the air when she turned to Arhad.

“What do you think, my liege? Isn’t she pretty?”

Arhad, who had been watching quietly from beside the women, nodded as if she had only said that most obvious thing in the world.

“Very.”

“Right? Little Ianna’s just so pretty, cute, cool, and beautiful. You should be happy to have her as your life partner!”

“I know.”

Priscilla still found it difficult to deal with Arhad, but she was bold and confident whenever she was talking about Ianna. It helped that she knew Arhad always grew soft whenever Ianna was the topic of the conversation.

“Now then, you should go and take Little Ianna on a big date since she’s so pretty! Even better if you don’t bring her back tonight!”

Priscilla shouted as she pulled away the cloth around Ianna’s frame. Isphee applauded as she marveled at how Priscilla knew exactly what she was talking about.

Ianna and Arhad were walking down the streets hand-in-hand.

“It’s our liege and Dame Rise.”

“Hello!”

“I’m really excited for tomorrow.”

The people recognized Ianna and Arhad and scrambled to greet them, but they did not bother them by staying around for too long. Ianna and Arhad frequently stepped outside to tour the city, and it wasn’t uncommon to see them simply walking around like this.

But they could not help but stare at Ianna today because of her shocking transformation.

“Where did Dame Rise’s hair go? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?”

“Her epic hair just up and vanished.”

“I guess she cut it.”

The people could not hide their initial shock, but they accepted it eventually. They were even excited by her transformation. Ianna looked exceptionally good with shorter hair too. Actually, having short hair seemed to suit her personality better.

“Is it truly that big of a deal to cut your hair?”

Ianna muttered as she tugged at her short strands.

“Your hair had quite the presence. It’s only natural that people are shocked because it suddenly disappeared.”

“I understand that, but this is still far too big a fuss. Do I look strange?”

“Not at all. They’re making a fuss because you’re shockingly lovely.”

Ianna decided to ignore half of what Arhad had said. He was blinded by love, after all —when would he not say that she was lovely?

Ianna quietly surveyed the beautiful streets of Semastair.

“Time truly flies.”

Time flowed like a river. It always continued to flow no matter how far and vast its destination —the sea— appeared. You would find yourself out at sea before you knew it if you only focused on the lapping waves made by the current.

The city had been like a disorderly mess when Ianna had first settled here, but now things felt organized. It was all thanks to everyone’s hard and diligent work.

“Another beer!”

“Drink as much as you’d like. But remember that I’ll toss you out if you black out again.”

“No, you won’t. You’re too nice for that.”

It was a conversation between a human and a dwarf.

Humans and elves here, beastmen and dwarves there —people were living mingled amongst each other without regard for race.

“There were a lot of problems at first.”

“There’s a reason why they say that time solves all things.”

Arhad was right. Time was one of the strongest forces in the world.

Memories of hardship were eventually buried under time, and only the pleasant memories remained.

Shaaa…….

Ianna and Arhad walked inside the entrance to the Great Forest of Shaob. The yellowish-green sprouts rustled in the wind as they sang their welcome.

Thud thud thud!

They heard the monsters fleeing quickly. A lot of monsters inhabited the Great Forest of Shaob. But even the high-leveled monsters had taken fright after Arhad had settled down in the East and had declared the Forest as part of his territory, which was nothing so say of the lower-levelled monsters.

Arhad simply let the monsters be when they fought amongst each other. The monsters were also victims of hatred, if you considered how they were born. He found was no reason to go out of his way to slaughter them so long as they didn’t hurt anyone.

“I’ll have to mobilize them when we fight Bahamut later.”

This was actually Arhad’s true motive.

Shaaa…….

They arrived at where Phaemdra was.

Phaemdra’s branches were swaying, as if it was telling them to hurry on over.

The astral plane opened.

[Come here.]

The astral plane opened every time Ianna met Phaemdra now. Arhad couldn’t hear their conversation because he had yet to encounter the astral plane, but this didn’t frustrate him. After all, Ianna always relayed their conversation to him afterward.

[Tomorrow is Founding Day.]

[It’ll make its mark on history.]

[It’s also the day of Arhad’s and my wedding.]

[I’m so happy…….]

Ianna could feel Phaemdra’s delight. The tree continued,

[I’ll pray for your happiness. I’m certain you’ll both find bliss.]

Phaemdra seemed to be ruminated over something as it spoke, and Ianna realized that it was thinking about Roberstein and Roygen.

Ianna squeezed Arhad’s hand in hers.

[There’s something I want to tell you.]

[Hmm? What is it?]

There was something that Ianna wanted to convey to Phaemdra today.

[I’m not Roberstein.]

[No, you’re not.]

[I won’t try to take responsibility for everything alone like Roberstein did. Even if danger strikes, we’ll all work together to beat it back.]

[I see. I’m sure that’s what Laos wanted too.]

[You’re the token of Roberstein’s and Roygen’s promise. But that promise ultimately broke.]

[It did.]

[So, I want to make a new promise.]

[Huh?]

Phaemdra was puzzled, and Ianna vowed,

“I’m going to protect Arhad no matter what. I’m also going to do everything in my power to protect my people. I promise this.”

Her vow rippled through both the astral and physical planes. She continued,

“I want you to be the token of this promise. I will never abandon you to wither away.”

[…….]

“Let’s live on together.”

Phaemdra fell silent for a moment, as if it had been rendered speechless, before it joyously cheered,

[Okay! I’ll be a token again. I’ll watch over your life as the token of your promise.]

Ianna smiled when Phaemdra assented readily. She turned around to look at Arhad. Arhad’s soul was shining gold in his joy after hearing Ianna’s vow.

She took his hand and pulled.

She planted a kiss on his golden soul.

The world regained its color from the place where her love had touched.

~~*~~

Finally, the day that everyone had waited and waited for had come.

Founding Day. The birth of the kingdom that called the entire eastern side of the continent its territory.

Two weeks prior, the leaders of all the other nations in the world had received official notice from a kingdom which they had never heard of before. The missive declaring the birth of a new kingdom in the East had been penned with a neat and strong-willed hand. Every leader who read it thought the same thing.

‘It’s finally here!’

Rumors that an incredible new kingdom was about to be born in the East had already spread throughout the world.

They had begun with the merchants.

Merchants and those in charge of finances for their organizations had started feeling something strange in the flow of goods and money two years ago. They hadn’t noticed back when the flow had still been subtle and secret, but they realized it when it suddenly became open and concentrated.

They realized that about half of the largest distribution networks in the world, all of which they had thought impressive, belonged to just one power in the East and that an incredible amount of goods and money was pouring into the region.

‘There is something in the East!’

They had been keeping a wary eye on the East, and then they witnessed things changing about a year ago. The mythical races, who had hidden themselves around the dawn of the Age of Magic, had suddenly gathered there and began living amongst humanity. Sturdy and beautiful buildings climbed higher into the skies.

The archmages scattered throughout the continent gathered to the East as if they had arranged for it beforehand, and many normal mages had also followed behind them, unable to best their curiosity.

Skilled and powerful warriors had made their way to the East as well. This was because they had heard the rumors that an extremely powerful swordswoman, who had made her name known to the entire continent some time ago, was living there.

Ianna Rise.

The rumors that no one had yet to beat this young woman of only twenty provoked their competitive sprits and called them to the East.

They all challenged Ianna. But she ended each and every fight with her overwhelming victory. Some of the defeated tried challenging her again, but they were forced to their knees after every attempt.

Ianna’s military might grew exaggerated, like a living legend, and spread throughout the world with each successive victory. There were countless warriors who wanted to try and break her. But none could ever best her.

And so, it was only natural that many warriors began calling Semastair their home as well. Whether that was to challenge Ianna again or to become her subordinate after being inspired by her.

Other people heard the rumors from their acquaintances and made their way to the East either out of curiosity or out of hope. And there, they saw how great the public safety was and how much everything had developed so blindingly. The East was like a flame in the darkness.

Everyone who visited the East were captivated by that flame and wanted earnestly to be a part of it, but there was a very strict process for any outsiders who wanted to be accepted inside. Not only did they need solid identities, need to pass difficult exams and interviews, and need to memories all sorts of laws, but they also needed to pledge their absolute compliance with those laws. Still, those who made it through those hurdles until the bitter end were leading extremely satisfactory lives in Semastair.

And people brought over more people.

People were hesitant to try a restaurant that was famous but desolate but began burning with curiosity when they saw a restaurant that wasn’t famous but was packed to the brim with customers lined up outside.

The rumors about the East were growing gradually larger, but the number of people who wanted to visit Semastair were increasing exponentially. Especially this year.

Everyone knew that the liege of Semastair was dreaming of founding his own country.

And everyone was wary of and curious about how this new country would take shape.

Countless countries had raised their flags only to crumble down quickly throughout history. But no one could stop smaller kingdoms from forming, despite their humble origins, because so many people had been pushed out by the harsh bickering between Bahamut and Roanne.

Many kingdoms were currently walking the path toward ruin because of the monster waves and Bahamut’s invasion. Many small kingdoms had been born without proper foundations. They were a joke compared to the kingdoms that had already existed. And they were all fated to collapse in due time.

But this one was very different. The spies that had been sent to observe it had all returned astonished by how quickly the cities were developing, and many of them, who had been sent to cause problems to disrupt the new kingdom’s founding, were uncovered quickly on and never returned.

And that was around when the official notice of the kingdom’s founding had been sent to the other nations of the world.

It was not an invitation. Founding ceremonies were carried about by the people of the country being founded, so it didn’t matter if the leaders of other nations participated or not, but the details were included in a very formal yet arrogant manner anyway.

Still, every other country scrambled to send delegates over on Founding Day. Some countries even decided to send their royalty. And they all dropped their jaws when they saw how greatly Semastair, which was to be the capital city of the new kingdom, was prospering.

“Welcome.”

No one had technically been invited, but they weren’t received poorly either. But neither were they treated with excessive hospitability. They were simply welcomed as guests just to the extent that no etiquette was breached.

The delegates wanted to meet with and speak to Arhad, the unknown man who was to become the king of this new kingdom, and Ianna, who was to become queen and was an outstanding knight, but they could not. They had simply exchanged greetings exactly once when they first met. Arhad had Ianna had instructed the delegates to secure a formal appointment if they had something to say before leaving without another word.

“…….”

The delegates were baffled. They had never been treated like this before. But they did not raise a fuss about being ignored. Normally, at least a few of them would have been expected to say something about it, but no one did.

There was a reason for this, of course.

“Putting aside the fact that they must be busy, there is absolutely no reason for the either of them to cater to you. In much the same way that I need not cater to you either.”

It was because ‘Schneider Austin Roanne,’ who was visiting Semastair personally, had said this rather apathetically to one of the envoys who had been trying to butter up to him by speaking poorly of Ianna and Arhad.

The envoy had realized, from Schneider’s words, that they were about to witness the birth of a superpower.

And so, on the morning of Founding Day.

“This is truly amazing. Don’t you agree, Sister Lyxillia and Sister Lilith?”

Angelina chattered excitedly as she clung to Lyxillia and Lilith’s side. Lilith toured the inside of the royal castle and seemed to sulk a little as she mumbled,

“Well……. I loathe to admit it, but I must agree. Both the city and the castle’s interior are amazing.”

Then, Lilith caught a glimpse of the members of the mythical races who had crossed them in the corridor and added,

“And the way that they gathered the mythical races is amazing too. How on earth did they manage it?”

“I don’t know the details, but I’m certain it was all thanks to Little Ianna. She’s incredible, after all!”

Lyxillia, who had been listening quietly to Angelina’s excitement, said,

“I think very highly of the king. They way that the East, which had always lagged behind in these things, developed so much so quickly was undoubtedly his doing.”

She hid her face behind her fan and continued,

“I am ashamed of myself for belittling him in the past.”

There had once been a rumor saying that Angelina had fallen head over heels for Arhad. Lyxillia had scolded Angelina for it, and she had insulted Arhad because she had judged him for the lowly station of his public identity. Her face was warming up.

“Hoho.”

Angelina grinned after she realized what Lyxillia was thinking about.

The three of them stopped in front of a certain door.

Creaaak…….

They opened the door and walked inside.

Sitting inside was Ianna, who was being dressed up for once.

“Hello.”

Ianna greeted them after seeing them in the mirror.

“Wow…….”

Angelina ran up to Ianna and expressed her astonishment. She continued,

“You’re truly, truly so cool and beautiful, Little Ianna.”

“Am I, now? Thank you.”

Ianna was accustomed to Angelina’s praises now and didn’t think much of them. But her beauty merited more than the light exchange of praise they shared. Lilith and Lyxillia were so stunned that they froze on the spot and stared openly at Ianna from behind.

“Hohoho,”

Priscilla, who was dressing Ianna up, raised her nose and giggled when she noticed their staring.

Ianna’s black dress looked like the golden stars of the galaxy had been embroidered directly into night sky. But instead of looking like the faint glow would subside soon, the lights were strong, as if they had been condensed together.

The dress looked similar to a uniform, and it also gave off the impression of a powerful swordswoman. The coat it came with certainly helped. It was also just voluminous enough to look comfortable to move in.

“You look very cool.”

“It truly suits you well.”

Their praises were filled with their sincerity. And as they had extolled, the dress truly did suit Ianna well. But that was only natural, as it had been designed specifically for her. It would not give off the same impression if it was worn by any other.

Ianna thanked them for their praises.

“Congrats on founding your kingdom. And on your marriage too,”

Angelina celebrated as she smiled, prompting Ianna to nod.

“Little Ia……. No, I mean, Your Majestyyy! You’re so beautiful!”

Priscilla began writhing around, unable to do anything else about her ecstasy, shortly after they had left. Isphee, who had been watching the whole process from start to finish, wiped away the tears at her eyes with a handkerchief as she looked at Ianna.

“You seem to get better by the day, Little Priscilla. And you truly are the most beautiful woman in the world, Miss.”

“Ohohohohoho. Our lovely majesty’s always been pretty to begin with, but she’s even prettier under my touch.”

Priscilla held her head high and laughed triumphantly.

“Stop calling me ‘Your Majesty.’”

“Why? It’s true.”

Knock knock.

“It’s Eiji. Plus some bridesmaids.”

“Bridesmaids……?”

There was a cheerful knock followed by a merry voice, which in turn was followed by a voice that sounded somewhat sulky.

“Come in.”

“Yes ma’am!”

Swing.

Ianna’s friends poured into the room after Eiji swung the door open while grinning from ear to ear. They opened their eyes wide in shock when they spotted Ianna. Eiji gave her a thumbs up and said,

“Whoa, Little Ianna! You’re smoking hot today, you know that?”

“How could you say that when she’s about to be our queen starting today, Sir Ei……. Oof!”

Eiji wrapped his arm around Rikijen’s shoulders just as the latter was about to tell him off.

“I’m Little Ianna’s friend, you little rascal. Little Ianna’s Little Ianna, and she’s smoking hot today. Or would you rather I call you ‘Your Royal Majesty Ianna’ instead, Your Majesty?”

“Enough.”

“See?! We only need to grovel by her feet when we’re in public, right? Who cares what we call her behind closed doors?”

“Sigh…….”

“Congratulations, Little Ianna! You’re the prettiest woman in the world today.”

“You look so cool. I truly, sincerely, want to kidnap you right now.”

“Yer husband’s one lucky guy.”

Herrace, Lalatua, and Taro all pitched in after Rikijen’s sigh.

All of Ianna’s friends came to visit her in turns.

“Congrats!”

“Congratulations. I truly have a good eye for people, don’t I?”

“Congratulations, Miss.”

“My congratulations.”

Absilot, Mursi, with Finn in his arms, Lumiere, Chendelf, Silausa, the archmages…….

“Congratulations.”

“Congratulations.”

People from House Roberstein visited her as well. Cherno left quickly after congratulating Ianna, as if he was embarrassed, and Sarachè followed suit after wishing for Ianna’s happiness several times over.

“Congrats, Ianna.”

“Thank you. It must’ve been difficult to travel all this way.”

Harchen stayed behind instead of following his parents out, and then they heard a small knock at the door.

“Congratulations, Miss!”

“Meow.”

It was Elly and Nissi. Elly was grinning sunnily, and Nissi had tears in her eyes despite being a cat.

“I heard that cats only cry when they’re sick or hurt…….”

“Nissi’s a special cat. She’s crying because she’s so happy.”

“Meowwww!”

Nissi mewed loudly as if to declare it was so.

“This is a present —my wish for your happiness!”

Elly held out a single yellow flower.

It was a golden Adonis. It was exceptionally dazzling.

“It’s today’s birth flower. It symbolizes eternal bliss in the language of flowers.”

Elly squeezed the flower tight. She continued,

“You see… I want you to be really, really happy and find eternal bliss, just like what this flower means.”

“……Thank you.”

Ianna accepted both the flower and Elly’s sincere blessing. She stole a quick glance at Harchen because she suddenly recalled how he had once given her crimson Adonis flowers when she was younger. Harchen was smiling gently.

And finally, time passed and Ianna’s last visitor had come.

“Ianna.”

It was Arhad.

Their clothes were similar, as if to highlight the fact that they were a pair.

He reached out. His eyes were wavering with his unconcealable love.

“Let’s go.”

Ianna took his hand without a moment’s hesitation.

They stepped on the red carpet stretched out endlessly before them as soon as they exited the doorway. The people standing beside the carpet smiled at them, and they followed behind them once they had passed.

The carpet stretched all the way outside the castle.

Rumble…….

The heavy doors opened. There were more people outside who were watching over them with bright expressions on their faces.

Ianna and Arhad walked along the carpet as they stepped outside. Their gait was heavy and dignified, and it inspired the people’s trust. They accepted the people’s gazes as they made their way atop the giant ramparts.

They saw a sea of people stretching into the horizon as soon as they had climbed up to the ramparts. The sea was looking directly back at them. Everyone’s hearts were racing. Their heartbeats merged into one as it pushed its way to Ianna and Arhad like a wave.

Ianna looked up at the sky.

The weather was clear, and there was nary a cloud to be seen.

The promised time had come.

Arhad cast a sound amplifying spell when Ianna looked to him.

She stepped forward.

“Everyone.”

Her straightforward eyes turned to them. She continued,

“We each carry a single blade within our hearts.”

She unfastened the sword at her waist scabbard and all and struck it into the ground. Then, she placed her hand on the hilt.

“We use that sword to cut away the obstacles of our past, and we use it to prop us up and continue walking forward when we’re on the brink of collapse. Another name for this sword is ‘creed.’ And I dub anyone who walks their path with their creed in hand a ‘swordsman.’”

Ianna took a deep breath and continued,

“We live in a world where the law of the jungle is at play. The strong eat the weak, and the weak eat those who are even weaker than they. This applies not only to primitive hunger, but to relationships, wealth, authority, crime, and even to power struggles between nations……. This providence exists everywhere.”

The people began looking uneasy. This was something that everyone knew. Why was it that the mythical races had been pushed out of the continent and forced to live in the four corners? That they were suffering because of Bahamut and the monsters? That they were hurt, unable to resist, and trampled underfoot over the course of life?

“But a world where only the law of the jungle exists is nothing but a world of pure barbarism.”

It was a question that had never left Ianna’s head. What needed to be done in order to unite this unreasonable providence with the rest of the world? Her questions had clustered together until they had finally found a clue that led to the answer.

“And that is why this world needs ‘chivalry.’”

The masses below looked up at Ianna as she made her will known in a loud voice that did not waver.

“To never fight recklessly, but to struggle against the unreasonable and the unjust until the bitter end! To not only focus on your personal life and honor but to also respect that of others! To stand strong against those who have committed crimes, no matter who they are, but to allow yourself to be weak before the innocent! To live not by being dragged around by your desires but by grasping greed by the reins and wielding your creed!”

Ianna took another breath and squeezed the hilt of her blade.

“That is chivalry, and it is also my idea of justice.”

She drew her sword under the light of the sun. The chilling tones of her blade being drawn felt like it could cut everyone’s heart out. The people’s hearts races as they broke out in goosebumps all over.

Ripples stirred all throughout the crowd just then.

“Wait, that sword…….”

Some felt like they had seen the sword in Ianna’s hand before. Her sword was refined and beautiful. Others recalled the picture of the sword that they had been carrying around like it was protective charm.

‘Oh!’

Realization hit and spread like ink dissolving in water.

The Black Wind! The savior who had once swept through the entire world was none other than Ianna, who was standing tall as she explained the foundations of Ex-knights. Standing there was the person who would lead their kingdom alongside their king.

Ianna continued as the ripple only spread wider.

“Everyone. Each and every one of you will now become as knights.”

Night will quickly enshroud the world once twilight touches down, but let us have faith that light and joy will illuminate the world once more and press on.

With upright discernment and unwavering might.

Let us fight for righteousness and justice like flames ignited.

And let it be known that here, in this place, exist knights.³

“This is a land where knights live.”

Her creed melted into each and every word and blazed.

Aspiration began to color the people’s gazes as they looked to her.

Then, Arhad said,

“I hereby declare the founding of Ex-knights.”

The sound amplification spell carried his calm and composed voice all across the land.

This was the beginning of ‘Ex-knights.’

Multiple flags were erected around the castle simultaneously. The insignia was a heart that was being pierced by three swords.

Arhad stepped forward.

“I will govern this land from her highest seat. And I will also support this land from her lowest point.”

His words were firm and steady. He continued,

“I will exist as a ‘justice’ more thorough than any other.”

“We, the people who will live in this land, support you.”

Ianna knelt by Arhad’s feet.

“You are all my knights henceforth.”

“And you are our king.”

Arhad reached out, and Ianna grabbed his hand. She continued,

“We will protect you, protect this land, and protect our justice.”

She planted a kiss on the back of his hand.

Whoaaaaa!

The saturated aspiration in the air ultimate exploded into cheers. Fiery emotions resounded all throughout the land. Fireworks went off, flowers were thrown, and light showered upon all.

“Arhad, my king…….”

Ianna looked up at Arhad and smiled. She continued,

“You called yourself justice, but you are both my justice and my pillar of support. Please become as a pillar of support for everyone now, from the highest seat down to the lowest, just as you have been for me.”

Her words flowed like the melody of a beautiful song.

Arhad drew his sword and rested it atop Ianna’s shoulder.

“I hereby appoint you as my knight, Ianna Rise.”

“I will follow you until the end of my life.”

Whoaaaa!

And so, Ianna had formally been named Arhad’s knight before the crowd. Arhad’s visage was colored with delight. Everything he had so desperately wished for was finally being realized in this very moment.

“Stand.”

There was a smile gracing Ianna’s lips as she stood up.

Then, Arhad slowly got down on one knee before her. Ianna blinked from the unexpected change in their roles. This was not something they had planned.

“I love you, Ianna.”

His words carried all the love in his heart.

And, as if he, who stood above all others, and fallen to the lowliest of places, he pleaded,

“Will you please be my spouse?”

Ianna looked down at him and slowly caressed his cheek before she grinned brightly.

“Yes.”

Then, she pulled him by the cheek and kissed him heatedly and lovingly.

Joyous shrieks erupted around them, and the cheering grew louder.

Ianna opened her eyes as she drew her lips away.

She looked Arhad directly in the eyes as she said,

“I love you. And I will keep loving you. Until the end of my life. Forever.”

~~*~~

Part 18

There was a festival after the founding and wedding ceremonies had taken place.

Everyone was cheerful. After all, they now had a proper fatherland. They had been preparing for a long, long time, and the newly founded kingdom was important to them.

“For Ex-knights!”

“For Ex-knights!”

People were singing and dancing both inside the castle and out.

There were many people talking about Ianna.

“Damn, who would’ve thought that Dame Rise was the Black Wind? This kingdom feels even safer now.”

“How is that even possible when she’s still so young……?”

“Hey, stop thinking about things like age altogether when you’re talking about Dame Rise. It’ll make less sense the more you try to think about it.”

Everyone had imagined a brilliant future as they listened to Ianna’s passionate speech.

A kingdom in which the people carried the sword of their creed and protected the values of chivalry as they lived their lives. They would not have to turn a blind eye to injustice if they lived in this kingdom. It didn’t matter how strong the other party was. People stronger than the evildoers would come rushing to their aid, and an even stronger set of laws would punish all crime.

One person drunkenly said to their friend,

“I suddenly wanted to pick up a sword after listening to Dame Rise’s speech. As a symbol of sorts, even if I won’t actually be using it.”

“You too? So did I.”

“But I’d feel bad for the sword if I didn’t use it……. So it’ll have to be small, like a pendant. And I’ll engrave my name on it. I’m going to save up some money and ask a dwarf to make one exactly the way I want.”

The people around them tuned in to listen to their loud chattering. This was the start of the first trend that would sweep through Ex-knights, as well as the start of Ex-knight’s culture.

“Congratulations!”

Everyone inside the castle was extending their blessings to Ianna and Arhad.

“Thank you.”

Their faces were bright. Arhad wore a sincere smile on his face as he moistened his throat with wine. Schneider and Lilith approached them from afar.

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“I see now that you were so arrogant toward me previously because you were making plans to establish a kingdom like this.”

“And your thoughts?”

“It is impressive to the point I find it irritating. But I can’t seem to bring myself to lie.”

Schneider sighed as he acknowledged it honestly. He continued,

“It bites, too. This place is swarming with talent that I’ve had my eyes on everywhere I look. And then there’s the mythical races…….”

Schneider was truly feeling sore because he was always greedy for talent.

“And Dame Rise was also Black Wind. I’m surprised, but at the same time, it also feels so obvious. How about it, Dame Rise? Won’t you throw away the king of Ex-knights and come back to Roanne? I will give you the greatest hospitality I can offer.”

“Never.”

“I was only joking, and yet you refuse me so curtly.”

“Pft.”

Arhad pulled Ianna closer, intoxicated by his triumph. He returned her a smile filled to the brim with his love when she looked at him as if to ask what on earth he was doing.

Schneider wasn’t shaken as he watched, and he wrapped a firm arm around Lilith as well. Lilith smiled in satisfaction.

Then, Schneider held out a glass of wine.

“May the friendship between Roanne and Ex-knights last eternally.”

Their glasses resounded clearly when Arhad tapped his own glass to Schneider’s.

Ex-knights and Roanne had promised to trade freely and actively as a show of their friendship. After all, neither Ianna nor Arhad had any antipathy for Roanne in particular.

“I’m relieved, if I am to be honest. Bahamut’s military might feels greater the more I struggle against them.”

Arhad suddenly flinched. His gaze was drawn over to somewhere behind Schneider, and Ianna’s gaze followed quickly thereafter. Schneider continued,

“But we may be able to vanquish Bahamut in our generation yet with your aid.”

Schneider didn’t turn around, but his cheeks stiffened tensely.

He had spoken combatively while suppressing the anxiety he felt.

“Oh? —are you in the middle of planning how to get rid of us?”

A haughty and leisurely voice replied to him. A familiar yet disgusting feeling crawled up Schneider like a black snake. He slowly turned around.

Standing behind him was a couple wearing all-black attire.

“My sincere congratulations on the founding of Ex-knights.”

“May you prosper for the ages to come, I guess? Hoho.”

They were relaxed and arrogant even as they were surrounded by enemies who hated them.

Taylon and Isabella.

The rulers of Bahamut.

It was like an icy wind from a field of ice had swept through the hall like a blade. The harmonious mood rapidly froze over.

Their black clothes and surreal beauty, their arrogant attitudes and brazen speech, the breathtakingly dangerous air about them and their powerful aura —everything about them made their identities readily apparent. They were the Bahamut imperial family, whom the people had only heard rumors of before.

They were wearing black formal attire. If Ianna and Arhad’s uniforms were the boundary between day and night, then Bahamut’s attire was a bottomless abyss.

“Shall we make a toast?”

Taylon picked up a glass of wine from the table beside him. He continued,

“For Ex-knight’s future. Cheers.”

There was no tension in his voice at all as he brought the crimson wine to his lips.

“…….”

The Bahamut imperial family’s presence had felt as light as air when they were hiding. But now it was pressing down on the hall with incredible pressure as they made their presences known.

There was a merry glint in Taylon’s eyes as he asked,

“What’s with all of you? We’re only here to celebrate the founding of a new superpower and a royal wedding.”

“I knew there was a possibility that you might come, but I didn’t actually think you would,”

someone replied to Taylon just as it had seemed like his would be the only voice to resound in the hall. He continued,

“But I’ve known that you had crawled into my territory like a pair of filthy rats.”

His voice, as quiet as a still lake and as unwaveringly cold as ice, became as the key to liberate the prison. It was like he had slapped away the hand that was squeezing everyone’s throats. People began gasping from every corner of the hall.

“And to think that you’d actually sneak inside my castle?”

Arhad had vaguely felt something change around the castle just as the founding ceremony was formally concluded. He had realized that the Bahamut imperial family was here because of the resonance of his soul, which they could not hide no matter how hard they tried.

Today was that day that Arhad would obtain everything.

He had been wary about the fact that Bahamut might show up because he had recognized this fact. This was why he had activated all the defensive spells and divine arts artifacts in the castle and had prepared Ianna’s ability and other powerful spells ahead of time. He made stressed that everyone should be wary of Bahamut even on Founding Day and had completed his preparations for war.

But to think that they would actually come.

Arhad had immediately notified Ianna of the Bahamut imperial family’s presence. They had acted as if everything was normal and had been tracking the imperial family’s whereabouts while also paying attention to the flow of their power.

The imperial family had been waiting quietly outside the castle before they suddenly and silently breached the castle walls.

Arhad’s gaze clashed against Taylon’s.

This was their first meeting in this life.

Craaackle.

The space in between Arhad and Taylon made a strange sound as space warped and distorted where their auras collided. It crumpled and ripped apart. A bleak vacuum formed where space had torn apart and tried to swallow everything. It was a temporary phenomenon that resulted from their command over space and mana, which transcended common sense.

The torn space pulled in the space around it as it tried to close the gap. The people almost fell over as the strength left their legs. They felt like they would be sucked into the empty vacuum. A nauseating and strange sense of pressure told them that the vacuum must be filled.

Baaang!

The vacuum disrupted the balance of power. The mana immediately exploded, and it roared as it stirred up a storm. It was like the world itself was furious at this defiance of the laws of nature.

“Ahhh!”

People screamed as fragments of mana were ripped away and flung out like blades, but the devastation they feared did not follow. Arhad had cast a barrier and Ianna had simultaneously reinforced it with her divine power to absorb the shockwave.

Space had returned to normal in the blink of an eye —it was almost as if nothing had happened to begin with.

Taylon smirked.

“Goodness. I was being sincere in my blessings, you know?”

“Do you really expect me to believe that when your attack just now might have killed everyone here if I hadn’t blocked it?”

“But I knew you would block it. Not that it matters if everyone died because you couldn’t.”

Taylon gently shook his glass. The wine inside sloshed around frivolously. His tone had been lighthearted as he spat out his words. But the implications of what he had said was so rank with the stench of blood that it seemed to choke the people around them. He continued,

“Relax. I truly don’t intend to do anything today. I am only here to appreciate the emergence of a new kingdom that will disrupt the balance that has been maintained for so long.”

Thud!

Taylon placed his glass back down on the table.

“I’ll not repeat myself again. I was being sincere in my blessings. You say that you didn’t think we’d come, but did you really mean that? Isabella.”

Isabella pulled out a slip of paper from her subspace and waved it. It was the notice that Ex-knights had sent out to the other nations.

The edges of her lips curled into a smile.

“We also thought that there was a possibility that you might send us one of these, but we didn’t think you actually would —and so brazenly at that. It almost feels like you sent us a letter of challenge, so isn’t it only proper that we reply and give you our congratulations? And so, we very audaciously made our way here.”

Ianna and Arhad had naturally sent a letter to Bahamut as well because there was no reason for them to feel guilty about doing so. They had spent a long time preparing to do battle against Bahamut and had judged that they were ready now, so they had sent the notice in much the same way that one would slap someone in the face or declare war.

And yet…

“It wasn’t an invitation.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you invited us here or not.”

Who would dare block their path if they had decided to come? Ianna, who had been watching over the situation from the sidelines, stepped forward.

“Despite your audacity, you decided to stay in hiding like a pair of criminals.”

“It would have certainly been easier for us to not hide our presence. But we had no desire to break the festive mood by slaughtering all the fools who would try to challenge us.”

A brusque voice broke the tension in the air just as a bloody anxiety seemed to cover the hall.

“Is that so? Well, thanks for your blessings, and screw off if you’re done.”

The people’s fear was pushed aside and the strength returned to their eyes as they saw how Ianna was standing shoulder to shoulder against the Bahamut emperor without being pushed back in the slightest. Taylon narrowed his eyes as he smiled.

“You really are an amusing woman. But in any case, I’ll wish you prosperity once again. This really is an incredible country. It’s unfortunate that it’ll be reduced to a battlefield tomorrow and that it’ll meet its end in my generation.”

Taylon had declared war.

It was truly an extraordinary way to curse a new kingdom on the day of her founding.

But Ianna did not see it as a curse.

“I wonder which side it’ll be that meets its end?”

She smiled. They had already been prepared for war. She continued,

“But who says we need to wait until tomorrow? We can start today. I’m actually almost grateful, since you’re offering to become a sacrifice so we can go down in history as legends.”

Then, she gestured to her subordinates, who had been waiting on standby beside her.

“Take the people and go.”

They helped the people escape while keeping a close eye on the Bahamut imperial family as Ianna had ordered. Neither Taylon nor Isabella spared the people a second glance as they left the hall like an ebbing tide.

“Hmm…….”

Isabella had been staring only and openly at Ianna this entire time. Her greed, which she neither could nor wanted to hide, circled around Ianna like a cat’s tail. Taylon turned to Ianna as well. He was more decorous than was Isabella, but he was still abnormally interested in Ianna all the same.

It was only then that Arhad’s features, which had only been smooth until now, began to crack. The obsession, love, and hatred that stemmed from the Demon’s feelings for Roberstein, from his own feelings for Ianna. They were undoubtedly influencing the Bahamut imperial family.

His hands twitched with the impulse to murder them on the spot.

“It’s been a while. This is the first time we’ve met since I saw you at my castle.”

Taylon greeted Ianna formally in the meanwhile. Isabella caressed the scar on her throat as she added,

“And this is the first time we’ve met since I nearly lost my head.”

Swish.

Her sensuous black dress slid over the floor. She walked up to Ianna and reached out toward her. Arhad tried to pull Ianna away, but Ianna stayed him by raising her hand.

Ianna’s visage was cold, and Arhad’s was downright chilling. But Isabella ignored them both as she seductively stroked Ianna’s cheek.

“I missed you so much.”

Her black and sticky aura rubbed against Ianna like she was marking her territory. Arhad’s visage dyed dreadfully in bloodlust as the darkness tried to cover the sun. His patience, which was as vast as the sea, evaporated in but an instant.

Ianna’s crimson divine power melted away the black aura that had circled around her like a snake just before Arhad lost it completely. Then, she grabbed Isabella’s hand and said,

“The clothes you two are wearing suit you rather well.”

“Hmm?”

“Are they prison uniforms?”

Ianna drew her sword like a flash of light and thrust it into Isabella’s figure.

Her movements were impossible to track.

But Isabella’s body was already back by Taylon’s side, leaving only an afterimage behind. Her hand, which Ianna was still holding, had detached from the rest of her body and was dribbling with blood, but it vanished away like fog before long.

It was the hand she had made with mana after Ianna had sliced off her original one long ago. She reformed her hand as she laughed sharply.

“That’s the second time you’ve tried to kill me. Is that how you should be treating a guest who only came here to congratulate you?!”

“I already thanked you for your blessings. I’m sure the only reason you’re still here is because you’ve yet to give us gifts. I would be grateful if you could gift us your heads.”

It would be worth it to kill the Bahamut imperial family here and now even if it meant destroying the castle. Crimson divine power flared from Ianna’s body like flames.

“Sigh…….”

Isabella’s white cheeks flushed as if they had been dyed by the crimson color. Her breath, colored so densely by her greed, was almost erotic. Taylon appeared to have been equally swayed by the openly crimson aura. A dark shadow had cast over his face.

“You’re quite clever with your words.”

“I meant them.”

“Did you, now? Very well. If you want your gifts so badly, then come and take them yourself. Do you truly think you’ll be able to kill us?”

“I won’t know until I try.”

“Who can say? I think we should be evenly matched…….”

An ominous black aura began to shimmer around Taylon’s body. Ianna grasped her sword tightly.

She had felt it when Arhad had clashed against Taylon just earlier. Taylon had undoubtedly grown stronger than he had been before. And Isabella might have predicted Ianna’s surprise attack before she dodged it, but she, too, had also grown stronger.

Ianna wanted to gauge how powerful they were, but doing so would be impossible without actually fighting them. But she could still sense that they had matured, just like how she and Arhad had. After all, they were monsters who possessed the potential to start from the very bottom and climb their way up all the way to the very top of the world.

“And our surroundings will only be burnt to the ground if we’re evenly matched. Is that what you want on happy day like this when everyone is celebrating? We’ll not refuse if you want to have a go even still. But you should prepare to lose at least half of Ex-knights’ population on top of the chance that we’ll escape from your grasp. We didn’t come here unprepared, and I possess a card that neither of you will ever possibly be able to predict. Don’t you think there was a reason why I let you be as you matured so rapidly? So, what will it be? All of my enemies are already here.”

Everyone else except for Schneider, Lilith, and Angelina had already fled the hall.

Only the leaders of the three strongest countries in the world remained at the party. Lilith had stayed behind despite her terror because she remembered that she was the queen of Roanne, and Angelina had stayed with a grim expression on her face to protect Lilith.

“Do you truly think you’ll be able to stop us?”

Taylon smiled pointedly as he looked to them in turns. He continued,

“Don’t refuse my goodwill when I say that I won’t do anything today, since I’ll rob you all of everything you have one by one no matter how much you plead with me to stop starting tomorrow. I’m telling you to prepare thoroughly before you step out into the battlefield so that you won’t fall too quickly —that wouldn’t be fun at all.”

He was elegant as he deftly wagged his tongue, and his abnormal composure elicited anxiety. He had tried to incite chaos with his meaningful words, but Ianna was not shaken. But it was because she was standing firmly in place that she sensed that something was odd.

Why was it?

The arrogance in Taylon’s words as he told them to come to the battlefield only after their preparations were completed perfectly suited his personality, but it still struck Ianna as suspicious nonetheless. It almost felt like he was wagging his slickly oiled tongue on purpose because he had some other scheme in mind. It was also strange that he genuinely didn’t seem intent on fighting despite how much she had provoked him. She could not feel his fighting spirit at all.

“We’ll see ourselves out for now,”

Taylon declared before Ianna could ruminate over why she had felt that way. He continued,

“I seriously don’t plan on fighting today. We’re only here to congratulate the two of you and to see you again. And you, especially.”

His sticky gaze stuck to Ianna.

“I wanted to confirm just how badly we want you. And now, I’ve made my decision. I will destroy this land, kill your king, and make you mine.”

Booom!

An explosion burst across Taylon’s face.

“…….”

Arhad was terribly emotionless as he pulled Ianna closer to him. Ianna felt a chill run down her spine. This was the face that Arhad wore when he was so angry that his emotions were paralyzed.

All the mana in the world began to lament. Darkness began spreading out from beneath Arhad’s feet, and a golden storm like the stars had exploded. There was already a sword in his hands. He looked like he was ready to put his life on the line at a moment’s notice.

“I didn’t mean to settle things here and now —have I provoked you too much?”

Taylon, who had been turned sharply around, slowly turned back. His eyes, which had been the picture of composure earlier, were glistening with a bloodthirsty light. He continued,

“But I meant everything I said. I need to be sincere if I’m to avenge myself. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Taylon smiled as he languidly licked his bloodied lips.

“I’m sure you’re nervous. You’ve obtained everything. You’d best kill me before I take it from you.”

Riiip!

A tremendous power sundered the space where Taylon and Isabella were. The core of the mana that was crushing their bodies was so immensely powerful that even Taylon could not help but feel fear.

‘Is it because he’s the Demon? He’s certainly remarkable. I might actually be in danger if this continues…….’

Taylon had been gauging Arhad’s strength as they clashed when a dreary look crossed his face for a moment.

‘I’ll be sure to take everything from you.’

His lips twisted into a smile.

“We’ll really be going now. I’ll be waiting eagerly for the day we meet again.”

Black divine power surged from beneath their feet. They were casting Teleport.

Swish…….

A straight, crimson line was etched into the world just then. It split the black divine power apart as it sliced through, and half of Taylon’s bloodied face was visible through the resulting opening. His black eyes were staring directly at Ianna, who had shot out a fortification and forced a gap in his divine power. Ianna’s chilling visage reflected clearly across the surface of his glistening eyes.

“I need to pay you back for provoking my man. Do I not?”

Hahahahaha!

Taylon burst out in laughter.

Only his sharp laughter remained behind as the Bahamut imperial family vanished.

And so, they had left the castle.

Their encounter had been so intense, and yet their parting fell so flat.

The party hall was desolate now that the Bahamut imperial family was gone. The people had evacuated, and the royal family of Roanne had left quickly after a short farewell.

“……Let’s go.”

Arhad made to leave the party hall as well. Ianna trailed quietly after him.

They were able to confirm that no lives had been lost. The Bahamut imperial family had meant it when they said that they would do nothing before leaving today.

But that didn’t mean that they could let down their guard. Arhad summoned the knights and the government officials and began instructing them with order after order.

“Tell the people to standby where they are.”

His orders flowed naturally, like the organic flow of water, thoroughly, and rationally, like he had cut off all his emotions.

Thud, thud.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor. Ianna was staring at Arhad’s back as she quickly followed behind him.

Dusk had fallen outside the window.

The setting sun shined down upon Arhad. His shadow bobbed up and down.

“Arhad.”

Ianna, who had only been watching over him quietly until now, called his name. Arhad hesitated before he stopped and turned around to look at her. Ianna continued,

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

He was not.

Arhad looked extraordinarily cold and composed at the moment, and he was maintaining an emotionless facial expression as if he was not emotionally shaken. His subordinates were relieved by how unshaken he looked.

But he looked like a mess in Ianna’s eyes. He was so angry that he wasn’t able to control his emotions. In the end, he had decided to ignore his emotions entirely because he could not cope with them. It was like he had purposefully paralyzed his emotions because he could not withstand the pain.

Taylon had said that his objectives were to congratulate them for founding their kingdom and to see Ianna again, but provoking Arhad and grating on his nerves had probably been an objective too. And he had truly succeeded in that goal with flying colors.

‘He knows better than anyone else that Arhad cherishes me to the extreme. That’s why he provoked Arhad by saying that he’d make me his. Though he was probably still being sincere when he said that.’

But he probably hadn’t been fully sincere either. Roygen’s affection for Roberstein, originating from his Demon’s fragment, had probably melted into him. It was because of the Demon’s fragment that the Bahamut imperial family reacted to Ianna and grew greedy to have her. They would probably only have been fixated on her only slightly, if they were even fixated at all, had they not possessed the fragment.

Ianna was always being loved by the foundation of that fixation. That was why it didn’t disturb her in the slightest even when Isabella and Taylon obsessed over her.

But Arhad was shaken.

It was the only reason why Ianna had simply let Taylon leave. She had determined that they would not be able to beat Taylon if Arhad was not in his right mind.

Arhad grabbed Ianna by the chin and tilted her head up.

“You don’t need to worry. I’m perfectly fine. You’re right here with me right now, aren’t you?”

But the look in his eyes wasn’t fine at all when he said that. The light it was reflecting suggested that he wasn’t in his right mind. He continued,

“I don’t intend to let him rob me of anything. I’ll protect what’s mine with everything I have. Whether that be this kingdom, or you…….”

Arhad was normally rational, but he always grew extremely emotionally whenever anything had to do with Ianna. He may look perfectly fine on the outside, but he was an abyss of his love for Ianna, which he could not possibly hold back, on the inside.

He had stabilized a lot lately because Ianna hadn’t caused any recent mishaps and because she had been whispering her love to him without pause.

But the stability had only been a temporary farce.

Arhad was fundamentally a very anxious person. He no longer worried that Ianna might leave him of her own volition because she had practically brainwashed him by whispering so much of her love to him, but it looked like he hadn’t let go of the possibility yet that she could be taken from him against her will.

“Are you anxious?”

“……I just want to murder Bahamut.”

That was what Arhad said, but he did not deny that he was anxious. It was plainly obvious to Ianna that he was doing his best to appear fine. But the mana around them was clearly seething. It was simply a little difficult to see through to his true feelings because his anxiety had sublimated directly into bloodlust.

Arhad forced himself to smile.

“Let’s go. The bastards declared war on us, so we’ll have to return the favor.”

They needed to tell the people that they were about to go to war.

Arhad let go of Ianna and turned back around.

“…….”

Ianna pitied Arhad for being so enraged and fearful that she might be taken from him. Just when would he finally be able find true peace? Would he find peace once Bahamut was gone? But there could always be enemies hiding in the most unexpected of places even after they had eliminated Bahamut. Would Arhad grow anxious again every time a new enemy appeared?

His shadow began to wane once more.

Ianna’s mood faltered as she watched it.

‘I’ve truly become rather twisted.’

She found the way that Arhad grew anxious because of her so endearing. She was always like this. She always felt immensely satisfied inside whenever he grew crazy in his obsession for her. Her twisted emotions welcomed his anxiety with open arms because it made up for what she herself lacked.

Ianna acknowledged the fact that she was abnormal. She enjoyed the way that he grew jealous for her, she found relief in the fact that he grew terrified that she might abandon him, and she loved the way that he grew anxious at the thought of losing her —it was all a part of the egotistical satisfaction born from her twisted feelings.

She thought that it would surely be hellish if she and Arhad had swapped positions. She might ruin the other party completely if someone told her that they were planning to steal Arhad from her. Even the mere thought was enough to drive her insane with fury. Surely, Arhad was feeling the same thing.

The emotions that Ianna was currently experiencing were a one-sided pleasure that could only come into existence if Arhad was anxious. His was an anxious love that would always make her feel this way. But it was also the kind of love that would never allow him to be satisfied and force him to drown in an abyss forever.

Ianna did not want for that.

After all, it wasn’t true love.

Ianna wanted to find bliss for both herself and Arhad. True love required you to wish for the happiness of the person who loved you.

Heaven stood at the opposite end of hell.

Ianna hated the insecurity now. She wanted to lose herself in the kind of love where a couple knew no one but the other, where they had absolute trust in one another, and where they found happiness in one another. She wanted not the hell called anxiety but the brilliant heaven radiating with absolute trust.

So, what did she need to do about Arhad right now to achieve that?

‘Arhad only knows me.’

Arhad only knew Ianna, and she was his guidepost. He could grow both endlessly warm and tender and endlessly cold and frigid depending on her actions. He could grow both endlessly stable and endlessly insecure.

‘I’m Arhad’s knight.’

She had to protect him.

‘And Arhad is my man.’

She was already responsible for his happiness.

Ianna began to walk after Arhad.

She stuck close behind him as she whispered,

“Arhad.”

She pushed him against the corridor the very moment he turned around.

Bang!

It had hurt ever so slightly when he was slammed against the wall, but Arhad didn’t have the leisure to care. After all, Ianna was grabbing him by the jacket and kissing him passionately. Their noses touched, and there existed no space between their lips at all as they locked together. Ianna’s hot and mysterious hunger surged into him from beyond their locking lips.

Arhad remained still at first, but he eventually pulled Ianna in by the waist. He grabbed the back of her neck as he returned the hunger she gave him hundred-fold and thousand-fold with his own love and passion.

Ianna drank sweetly of his love, which was so overpowering as it was conveyed to her that she found it difficult to breathe. Their breaths coiled into each other like snakes, and their lips bit at each other like butterflies sucking on nectar. Ianna let out a soft breath and looked up just when she was starting to truly feel full.

“Ianna…….”

His voice was quiet and extremely suggestive as he called her name. Ianna’s face flushed furiously when she looked up at him. Ah, she truly loved Arhad’s face so much it drove her crazy. She loved that erotic face of his that was buried beneath his feelings and desires.

Ianna could not deny the fact that she found a vulgar pleasure in how agitated Arhad was.

Wouldn’t she be able to enjoy this all the time if only he had faith and composure in the fact that she wouldn’t be taken from him no matter what?

Ianna pulled her thoughts together as she clearly stated,

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“I trust that you won’t.”

“The Bahamut imperial family can neither take me nor have me even if they want me.”

“…….”

“I chose you. I’ve only allowed you. You are the one and only person who has the right to have me.”

Ianna’s word grabbed the emotions that Arhad had been trying to ignore and pulled them forward. His face was colored by his intense insecurity.

“That might be what you think, but who knows what those bastards might do…….”

But Ianna placed her finger on Arhad’s lips —they were smeared all over with her lipstick— before he could say anything else.

“You told me just moments ago that you would protect our kingdom and me with everything you have. I’ll return those words right back to you. I will protect myself, our kingdom, and you no matter what. So, please don’t be anxious. I will never go to them, even if I end up dying at your side.”

“…….”

“Have I ever broken a promise that I’ve spoken with my own mouth before?”

Slowly, Arhad shook his head no. Ianna continued,

“Please trust me. We are capable of overcoming any trial that comes our way. We will be victorious without fail.”

Ianna was bold in her promise. Her words never wavered, and they were reliable.

“You’re right.”

The anxiety and rage Arhad felt toward the imperial family vaporized immediately. The trust and confidence that they could do this settled in their place and calmed him down. He laughed drily because he found himself absurd for mellowing like a well-trained dog with just one word from Ianna. He continued,

“There’s no need to be anxious. We’ll win. You broke half the bastard’s face just because he provoked me, and I have you here with me, so what is there for me to be anxious about?”

Both the castle and the city were on high alert because the news that the Bahamut imperial family had made an appearance had spread quickly. Arhad made his way to the highest point in the castle and said to the people who were looking up at him,

“We are declaring war against the Bahamut Empire.”

He used an artefact to convey his voice all throughout the kingdom. He continued,

“We will begin preparing for war as of today.”

His articulate words, which carried no hint of anxiety in them, supported his people, who felt like they had been standing on thin ice.

“We will be victorious. I will lead you from the vanguard.”

The people were set ablaze.

“Yeah, let’s fight! Let’s fight them!”

“Those bastards have done so much harm.”

“We won’t let them hurt us any longer!”

They were blazing with the will to protect their homes and way of life. They had already been prepared to go to war against Bahamut. The army, which had already finished preparing for the war, picked up its weapons once more.

They were not afraid in the face of a war against Bahamut, the most terrifying thing in the world. After all, hadn’t they already prepared so much? Wasn’t their own king, who was terrifying in his own right, raising his standard?

Moreover, the knights who had been at the party had already spread the news. Dame Ianna Rise had not only stood her ground as she waged a battle of wills against the Bahamut emperor but had also taken a bite out of him.

We’ll be victorious as long as we follow them.

There’s no need for doubt.

Arhad turned around after he had finished declaring war. Ianna was grinning from behind him.

“Well done.”

Arhad pulled her in for a hug because she was too damn endearing.

His heart was racing violently.

The boiling anxiety had vanished, but his emotions hadn’t settled down quite yet. Ianna’s bold words had given him something to trust, but his eyes saw something else entirely.

Ianna had wiped away most of her lipstick that had been smeared as a result of their kissing, but faint traces of it still remained. There was something extraordinarily suggestive about her feverishly swollen lips. Her flush of her cheeks and the moisture around her eyes were so endearing that they squeezed at his heart.

His affection and desire for Ianna made him even more impatient than the anxiety that Bahamut had provoked him into had. The steel chains that had bound him from head to toe fell off with a clank. The patience that had been keeping his greed at bay shattered to pieces.

Arhad hesitated because he was in the habit of pushing Ianna away as he tried to hold himself back.

But did he still need to?

Ianna, too, was about to pull away out of habit. But she could not because Arhad had suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. He wrapped his arm around her waist as she stood there, baffled, and whispered directly into her ear,

“We’re married now, right?”

Ianna flushed furiously red as she instantly understood what he was getting at. She silently opened and closed her lips as she nodded back. Arhad swept her off her feet.

Ianna wrapped her arms around his neck and mumbled,

“What would you do if I said no today?”

“Absolutely not.”

You say that, but you’d still put me down while looking like you’re about to cry if I seriously said no.

Ianna smirked as she buried her cheek into the nape of his neck.

Just how many times had she grown petulant because of Arhad now?

There was a part of her that wanted to be devilishly cross with him. But Ianna didn’t have the gall to ignore all the time she had spent thirsting for him just to play coy with him now. And more importantly, she wasn’t able to hide her own desires because she was simply just too honest.

Their room was only a short distance away.

Arhad lowered Ianna onto the bed. He didn’t bother to hide his thirst as he kissed her forehead, nose, lips, and neck like crazy. The chains inside him were falling off one by one every time he pressed his lips against her flesh.

And so, his affections, which had been draped in his patience like clothes, were now fully bared. He didn’t have to hide it any longer. He didn’t need to hold back any longer either. The liberation he felt was ecstasy itself.

“I love you, Ianna,”

he whispered with all the love that was inside him. Ianna had already heard him say this hundreds and thousands of times, but it still tickled her heart each and every time.

“……I love you too,”

Ianna replied quietly, as if she was feeling bashful, and she pulled Arhad into a hug by the arms. She squeezed him tighter as she felt him fumbling around her body to slide her out of her dress.

Thud.

Arhad closed his eyes and opened them again when their gazes suddenly flipped. Ianna had climbed on top of him.

She took off her disheveled dress herself. Arhad was enshrouded with the fever of ecstasy as she slowly and seductively revealed her firmly trained and lithe figure.

“I don’t only want to be on the receiving end all the time.”

Ianna dropped her dress down on the floor as she looked down at him with an erotic light in her eyes. She placed her hands over Arhad’s chest and practically ripped off his buttons as she undid his shirt. She clung tightly to his solid frame.

Ianna kissed Arhad. She placed her hands over his heaving chest and traced over his heart as she whispered,

“I will love you until the very moment that I die.”

Arhad’s hands clasped over Ianna’s and pressed down harder. He allowed her to squeeze his very life, to stick to him so ardently that she might as well have been glued there.

“So please, love me,”

Ianna whispered to him —to his lips— quietly. She continued,

“Please love only me. Please love me for all eternity…….”

She repeated herself like crazy. She kissed him like crazy. She touched him like crazy. Ianna was a parched flower pleading pitifully with him to give her the water of love.

“Please love me always so that I never even have the chance to feel afraid. Please, love me.”

Because I’ll wither away and die without your love. The ground will give way beneath my feet. And I’ll find myself falling down and down…

You asked me to love you, but right now, I want you to love me more and more.

So please, love me.

Arhad looked so ecstatic that he almost wouldn’t have minded if Ianna ripped out his heart and he died right there and then.

Arhad’s heart was pounding like crazy beneath Ianna’s fingers. His feverish blood pitched as it flowed. His heart beat so explosively that he thought it might really burst open as their bodies changed positions yet again.

“Of course I will…….”

Ianna filled his eyes as he joyously panted for breath. His golden eyes devoured her crimson as they burned black with desire. He continued,

“I’ll keep loving you until you beg me to stop……. No, I’ll keep loving you even still. I’ll love you even if we die and are born again.”

It was only obvious that Arhad accepted Ianna’s request. Ianna blushed as she furrowed her brows. Arhad had never once responded negatively to any of her requests, but she was still so happy to hear him accept that her heart hurt considerably.

And the pain was pleasure itself.

The pain that continued was also pleasure.

And the psychological pleasure eventually turned into physical pleasure. Their moistened flesh licked each other as they exchanged their burning passion, and their touch, dyed with desire, left their mark on everything that the other was.

Their entangled limbs became as shackles to bind each other together, and their bodies stuck tightly together and became as a spiderweb to hold them in place as one.

Their love, so feverish that they didn’t have the chance to put it to words, touched each other’s hearts, and their saliva mingled like their mixing emotions.

Ianna let out a dizzy breath. Their respective heat touched against each other, and she loved their love, which seemed to steal away their whole hearts and souls, so much. She loved it all so much.

Her arms were drenched in sweat as she hugged Arhad tight.

Ianna loved Arhad.

“…….”

She liked Arhad so much she thought she might cry.

She was so grateful for her second chance at life because it had taught her about this love.

She couldn’t hold herself back.

“I love you.”

She confessed her love honestly.

“I love you.”

And, as always, he answered her with a greater love still.

Ianna smiled because she had been expecting it.

Her smile was so lovely that Arhad fell even deeper in love when he saw it.

—“Ex-knights” End

↑ It will be explained again much later in the chapter, but this is pronounced “Ignites” despite being canonically spelled “Ex-knights.”

↑ T/N: I’m guessing that the name drop earlier this chapter was mistake. Officially, the kingdom has yet to be named at this point in the story.

↑The Korean raws had a bunch of English words that were supposed to be used here. Unfortunately, their use was questionable in many instances (for example, the literal translation, with the questionably used English, was, “With upright insight and tight might. Let us fight like ignite for straight right.” …It was rough). The point is that everything was supposed to rhyme and end with “-ight.” This would then culminate into Ex-knights (here exist knights) also rhyming and being pronounced “Ignites” (because the “ex” in “to exist” is pronounced “ig”). Unfortunately, this really doesn’t work out too well in actual English.