The Holy Kingdom, Northern Province of Qualia
The wind blows, and the snow flutters.
Her breath gleams white, and the freezing cold air mercilessly steals her body heat.
She hears strange voices from afar overlaps and resounds, screams, yells, curses, and mockery.
While listening to the madness's riot sound far away from this land with her superhuman hearing.
Soarena, the Flower Burial Saintess, asked in a low voice.
"Any movement on the witch Elacino?"
"She has been stationed in the city that was dropped the other day and has not moved since."
A senior holy knight who guards her answered the question.
The Northern provinces cardinal, who was previously nagging about her actions, has fled far away.
The sobbing witch Elacino attack grows more intense by the day.
And now she has to deal with the blessed people.
Soarena was behind to deal with the demonic beasts and demons attack scattered throughout the Northern provinces. That scattered attack as if it's meant to disrupt the army movement. She received the holy knight's report while gritting her teeth.
The face-down Saintess is on the front line. It seems the Saintess and the Witches having a good match; the stalemate has continued for some time now.
The Saintess's image always covered her face with a veil and kept her face downcast as if she were nodding off, was recalled in Soarena's mind.
It was someone she hadn't spoken too much, someone she didn't even know her identity.
But as a fellow saint, Soarena felt closer to her than anyone else.
She gives thanks and words of encouragement in her heart because she is still safe and holding back the witch.
But a saintess is only an individual. There is a limit to what they can do.
And it's too late for them to move.
"Have you been able to estimate the impact?"
"As for the two cities, villages and small towns in Northern Province, it's uncountable. About 30,000 soldiers in the Northern Province were destroyed by witches. The amount of civilian casualties is too great to calculate..."
Soarena quietly closed her eyes and apologized to those she couldn't save.
No matter how much she apologized, she couldn't get them back.
She became a saintess because she wanted to save everyone and everything. Still, everyone let go of her hands and disappeared.
Soarena's face grew gloomy again.
"What about the Southern Continent disasters — no, I don't have time to worry about that."
Regarding The oracle's investigation at the Southern Continent's Daijukai, she had received the news that everything was fine with the results.
She was slightly distrustful of the cardinal's attitude, which was trying to evade when she asked for details, but right now, it's not the time for that.
Even if something goes wrong, there are still two remaining Saintess in the capital.
Soarena focused on the problem at hand and decided to do her duty.
''Regarding the defeat of the demonic beasts and demi-humans scattered in the vicinity, I'd like to leave the rest to the holy knights. I will head to the front line and support the face down Saintess. Even if we can't defeat the witches, let's push them out from this land."
The holy knight rushed to stop Soarena, who was about to take a step forward.
The saintess physical abilities exceed those of a senior holy knight.
If she alone, she could run to the front line in a few moments if she wanted to.
Of course, no one can follow her.
"Please wait, Soarena-sama! Cardinal's permission is required for front line surprise attacks ..."
"No need. I am the one who decide."
Strong gusts of wind rolled in.
A strong wind blew away the snow and blocked the holy knight's view.
When he opened his eyes as he shook his face, the saintess figure was already gone.
◇ ◇ ◇
[El-Nar Spiritual Alliance, Tetralucia council conference hall]
In the place where the elves ruled, the Alliance Nation, its highest decision-making committee, each tribe's head was sitting around the table with a mysterious look on their faces.
Reporting to them was one of the young elves.
He was the incoming chief of one of the clans.
He's a promising guy who has been allowed to join on this occasion to gain experience.
He read the contents of the document with a mysterious look on his face.
"We lost contact with the Weiss-Nah capital of the Tuwais clan. It has been ascertained that the last notification from that city was the same as for the other fallen cities. They have changed sides."
The head of the clan, famous for his bloodlust, slams the table and shouts out in anger.
But even if he doesn't act like the others, he seems to have the same thing on his mind.
It was clear from the way they each groaned and crossed their arms with a complicated expression on their faces.
"May the spirits bless all the clan leaders who present. May I ask why don't we ask Holy Kingdom Qualia for help? I don't have enough experience yet but I think this problem is too big for us to handle alone ..."
"That's stupid! This kind of pathetic story cannot be said even if Qualia has been our longtime friend! "
"Rather, it's because we've been a longtime friend ... With the spirits blessing and our pride as elves, we have to deal with this problem on our own."
The words of the respective clan leaders are absolute.
Even if they were kind enough to hear his opinion, they wouldn't change their minds.
The other elders seem to have the same opinion.
As the elves age, their wisdom and power increase. This usually contributes to the safety of their companions. Still, sometimes their pride grows so great that they lose sight of the big picture.
The young man calmly lowered his head and stopped speaking.
"Beyond that, Qualia also still busy with the witch who appeared in the Northern provinces. Rather, we, El-Nar, must solve this crap problem quickly and head for their rescue. Either way, your opinion will be difficult to realize. "
"So true! Let's just try to reveal this problem to other countries! Later historians will be happy to write books full of mockery of our country. Damn it! Wicked people.... Aah! Even only talking about it's annoying. "
"Send out the Saintess! Also the Spirit Fighters! Quickly get rid of this crap problem! "
In a noisy atmosphere, this parliament is coming to an end.
Finally, it was decided that the saintesses possessed by El-Nar would be sent out. If she was a saint with the power to exceed an army by herself.
Maybe she could reverse the condition of the fallen clan.
But why......
The man who will be the next chief feel worried that this problem is a harbinger of something bigger.
◇ ◇ ◇
[South pole Sea, Reef and sea country, Sutherland]
The southern continent of Hydragia. A land that is mostly uncivilized and whose entire extent has yet to be explored.
The Sutherland is a maritime nation that has its eastern coast as its territory.
It is mainly a neutral nation of humans with a high degree of trade and fisheries, but one of its cities is experiencing a strange change on that day.
"Hmm? Fog ...?"
A sailor working in the harbor looked suspiciously at the haze coming from across the ocean as he groped for his caravel mooring rope.
Fog is a sailor's natural enemy.
If visibility is low, it is naturally hard to determine the position at sea. Depending on the situation, one may encounter sea monsters or sea beasts.
Fortunately, there is no danger of shipwreck as the ships are all still preparing to leave port, but even so, it is still a problem.
The fog thickens. Come to think of it, the mist was rare at this time of year.
Is there such a thing as a fog that can cover the harbor in the first place?
There is a lot of noise around.
"What is that? Whose ship is that?"
A colleague who was also working next to him shouted out, pointing out across the ocean.
As the man squinted his eyes and turned his vision to the fog's depths, he saw what appeared to be a ship, indeed, swaying.
"Isn't that Qualia? Our ships are all here, and it doesn't look like they belong to any other port..."
"Is that a qualia ship? But I feel that the decoration is not enough ..."
With a suspicious feeling, he straps on the mooring rope.
Though he is curious, he's got work to do first, especially in this fog. So he'll just have to get it over with and have a drink.
That man thought so and turned his eyes to the ground, which separated his fate with his colleague's fate.
"No, wait, it's different! That's not a ship! Oh, NO, DON'T, DON"T LOOK!!"
"HE, HEY!"
When he turns around in a hurry, his colleague is lying on the ground, foaming, and white-eyed.
The man quickly realizes that this is a spiritual attack by the sea demons he occasionally encounters at sea.
"Damn! Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Quick Warn the army about this--! Remember guys don't you dare to straightly look at that thing!"
Without looking directly at it, he caught the ship at the edge of his vision.
He tried to confirm it while enduring the discomfort that nearly tainted his mind. Obviously, it wasn't a ship.
◇ ◇ ◇
[Great Curse Sea Mynoghra Royal Palace Construction Site]
Various construction projects have been steadily underway in the Daijukai.
Currently, they are building the Royal Palace building.
It's not good for the national image if the palace remains to look like a temporary shack.
Besides, the construction of a royal palace is an urgent task from state management, as it can produce various effects.
Most of the foundations had already been assembled and were in some form.
The colorful rugs and woven on the wall made by the dark elf women were also displayed here and there. It was expected that the place would be magnificent when it was completed.
In the throne room, Takuto sits on a stone pedestal, quietly humming a tune as he enjoys the night's silence and the warm glow of the torchlight.
"... By the way, Takuto-sama"
Suddenly, a voice came out from his side.
When she glanced at him, there was Atou. The person he truly trusted stood up with eyes filled with confidence.
Because that girl is always by his side then, he can be like now.
Because of Atou's presence, the nation was able to thrive so far without any significant troubles.
With a thousand emotions, Takuto smiles back.
"Hmm? What?"
"Takuto-sama was an ordinary people before coming here ..."
"That's normal! Well, it seems that my parents' house was a little rich, but it's still normal! Why suddenly? It's unusual for Atou to ask such things."
As he said, Takuto's origins were ordinary.
He has ordinary people's tastes and also has a general sense of ethics.
Suddenly he comes to a different world and is hit by a shocking fate to run the country like a game. But in truth, he is just an ordinary person from the modern safe.
Takuto judged himself like that.
This situation would be confusing to an average person.
In such a situation, ordinary people would be confused.
Under such circumstances, wouldn't it be surprising that he continued to act as a powerful king? He evaluates himself so much and entrusts himself to the faint joy and excitement that springs from within.
However, is there any part of him that is not like a king that makes Atou asks that?
Takuto quietly stares at Atou's eyes as if to ask a question.
Atou resolved herself to ask a question she couldn't say the other day.
"Oh no! It doesn't mean that ... it just that, I wonder if Takuto-sama will be angry when you know that I killed those holy knights ..."
"Angry? Why?"
Atou didn't have the answer to that question.
She hadn't expected to be able to say those questions.
Takuto knew all the details of the battle through Atou.
Everything, even her about action ripping flesh, crushing bone, and playfully taking their life.
Atou had prepared some excuses for herself for playing too much in the battle. She had prepared words of apology for being accused of outrageous behavior.
But why does she care about that? That is an unexpected question.
Takuto was an ordinary person before he came to this world.
If that was the case, then he should have ordinary people ethic code.
Atou believes that she has inherited some of that.
That's why she is proud that she can still be with Takuto even though she is an evil being.
In a situation like this, ordinary people will feel disturbed or feel sorry. Why?
That's the question.
Atou felt herself being stared at as if she was being licked all over by some unpleasant presence.
She's began to lose track of what is wrong and what is right.
She was tormented by an inexplicable fear that Takuto's arrival in this world had changed his nature.
A horrible thought crossed her mind. Takuto, who had been kind and always called out to her, had disappeared somewhere after becoming a leader of Mynoghra.
"You act weird, Atou"
"Oh no! I'm so sorry ..."
But Atou realizes that even that concern was her own mistake.
She remembered that she didn't know anything about Ira Takuto, except through the game.
There was no way she could expose her doubts anymore.
"Is there anything you worried about? If it's possible I will help you, so tell me."
"It's okay. It seems that I made a mistake ..."
"Well ... well, are you depressed? I don't want to see that Atou. I want you to be more energetic as usual. "
Gently, Atou's hand is grasped and wrapped around it as if a father were warming his child's cold hand.
The warmth of the hand that is touched is warm. The smile on Takuto's face is also full of compassion.
But only the words that are spoken make her feel something absolute.....
"Come on, smile."
"Ye, yes."
Atou quickly responds in a hurry.
She feels incredibly frightened and smiles awkwardly, forgetting that she is even a hero who can destroy the world by herself.
It was a smile that wasn't nearly as good as it could be, but Takuto seemed satisfied with it.
Atou patted her chest in relief.
Trying to suppress the unexpressed fear that bubbles up inside her mind.
Gently, a hand was placed on her head and pet her softly.
Of course, that is Takuto.
He looked at Atou with a compassionate and kind expression.
Takuto's kindness, Takuto's thoughts, and everything else is conveyed to her.
Happiness comes over her as if the anxiety she had been feeling has flown away somewhere, and relief and trust fill her whole body.
The next thing she knew, Atou was nestled in Takuto's chest, quietly indulging in her peace.
The night has fallen, and the torches crackling sound is the only sound that drifts through the air in silence.
Atou thinks that the relationship between Takuto and herself will have to be settled someday.
Why Takuto came to this world? And why is she here with him when she is supposed to be a character in the game?
The answer to that question has yet to show even a hint of it.
But hopefully, for now.
"There are many things, but I believe I can do it with Atou. So please continue to support me."
"I have the same feelings as Takuto-sama."
She hoped this moment would last forever.
Forever and ever.
With Takuto whom she respected and loved.
Without end, she hopes it's just the two of them.
"Somehow it's getting interesting. Let's have fun!"
"Yes, my king, as your wish ..."
That's cheerful and encouraging words from her beloved King.
However, for Atou now,
Takuto's appearance looked like someone enveloped in pitch-black darkness.
Chapter 1: End
=Message = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =.
The chain event [The Coming of the End] has begun.
■■■■■■■■■■■ on the map.
～Good civilizations, believe in God and resist the apocalypse.
～Evil civilizations, trample down the world as you desire.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = =