Spring had sprung.
The countries in this world didn't operate by conventional seasonal laws, so
nations that had all four seasons sometimes bordered nations with only one or
two.
Some people didn't enjoy seasonal shift, but there were many who did. The
people of Eashen, for example, enjoyed the changing of the seasons and all that
it brought.
It just so happened that the vast majority, about seventy percent, of
Brunhild's citizens were Eashenese. I was also particularly happy that Eashen
had four seasons.
I'd planted a row of sakura trees along the road from the castle to the town
itself. They were finally in full bloom, and that meant only one thing. We had to
have a grand celebration.
Adventurers loved celebrations, of course. And so, singers, performers, and
revelers had already gathered beneath the trees along the road already. They
weren't causing any problems or anything, so I saw no reason to move them
aside. They were noisy, but that was about it. The townsfolk actually seemed to
enjoy it, all things considered. Naturally, I'd harshly reprimand anyone that
actually caused any problems for the celebrating people, though.
Little stalls and such had sprouted up around the place as well. I was pleased,
as it seemed Brunhild had its own little cherry blossom festival going on.
The people living in my castle were among the revelers as well. Julio had
planted various immature sakura trees within the castle walls, and they were
blooming quite admirably. The sight of their petals fluttering into the castle
moat and waterways was far too breathtaking to describe.
I had prepared a speech to give to the alliance after our scheduled meeting.
Honestly, I had wanted to invite the leaders of Felsen and Ryle to the meeting
for that very reason, but they weren't formally members, so having them
celebrate alongside us would've been seen as a little strange.
Our grand celebration already had delegates from Belfast, Regulus, Refreese,
Lihnea, Mismede, Ramissh, Lestia, and Roadmare, after all... It was quite varied
enough.
We had a dining table in the courtyard, with a vast amount of magnificent
dishes that Crea had cooked up atop it.
As the host, I held up my cup and proposed a toast.
"It is my greatest hope that we all continue to prosper in the future, and I also
wish for us all to find happiness... Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The sake that everyone had was a gift from Ieyahsu. I was drinking juice,
though. I was a minor, after all. There was no need to overdo it. Though
apparently I was considered old enough to drink in this new world...
A lot of our knights were taking turns to come in and enjoy some of the
celebration as well. They were sitting at their own table, though. And naturally,
I'd forbidden the on-duty knights from partaking in the sake.
Several knights from each country, with the exception of the leaders' personal
guards, were eating along with us, actually. I had the ones that were drinking
hand over their weapons, however. I didn't want anything unfortunate
happening.
"If you'd told me a few years ago that we'd be doing something like this, I
wouldn't have believed a word..."
"I completely agree. The knights of Belfast and Regulus drinking together,
having fun... Mismede's beastmen and Ramissh's templars eating from the
same plate... Far too much in the status quo has changed since Touya showed
up... Rather, the status is no longer quo at all." The emperor of Regulus and the
king of Belfast talked amongst themselves. They were sitting next to their
daughters, who also spoke up.
"That's just normal for Touya, Father. Birthright, race, and national
boundaries are nothing to him."
"Touya is a wonderful mediator... He makes many people happy. That's why
Yumina, I, and the others are engaged to him, after all! He's amazing." Yumina
and Lu's comments made seemingly reluctant smiles rise to the faces of their
fathers. I was a little embarrassed, so I was glad they didn't go on any further.
"Touya, my lad! Could you maybe get out some of those Frame Units? I
wanna fight against the knight king!" Mismede's beastking merrily spoke up.
Luckily, I had installed a bunch of Frame Units into the courtyard just in case
people wanted to use them out here. All Frame Units were calibrated the same,
so victory entirely depended on the skill of the user. I guess weapon choice also
helped, though.
The knights began a tournament using the units, each one demonstrating
their own skills. The foreign soldiers had grown fairly accustomed to piloting,
surprisingly. That was only natural, though. They'd been fighting the Phrase en
masse lately.
Moroha was enjoying her sake, but gradually more and more requests came
from people wanting to challenge her. The challengers were all from other
nations. They wanted to test their mettle against the legendary swordswoman
from my country. The knights from our order saw their faces and could only
reply by somberly shaking their heads. It had been shattered. The foundation of
their self-confidence had been... completely annihilated...
The female knights weren't itching to fight, though. Instead they'd gone off to
visit Karen. They were probably hoping to get advice.
Hm... Wonder what they're... Oh. Isn't that Knight Commander Limitt from
Roadmare? She seems to be listening to Karen pretty intently... Guess even stoic
girls like her are full of passion.
Someone else was guarding Doge Audrey for the day. It seemed fair to me.
She needed some time to stretch her legs now and then, or something along
that line.
Doge Audrey wasn't drinking either, just like me. Neither was the pope. I
wondered if they were abstaining for any particular reason.
"Seeing the beautiful dance of these petals makes me wish for music... Come
to think of it, Your Highness... Does Brunhild not have an orchestra?" Doge
Audrey watched the cherry blossoms fall with a soft smile on her face.
"I'm afraid not. Even if we did, I doubt they'd see much use. Celebrations like
this are rather rare in these parts." Brunhild didn't have much in the way of
nobility. Unlike Regulus or Belfast, I couldn't think of any dukes, barons, or
counts. It would probably be a good idea to introduce some kind of social order,
though.
Employing an orchestra might have been a long shot... but that didn't mean
music wasn't on the table.
I conjured up a [Gate] and pulled a piano into the courtyard. The sudden
appearance of the huge black thing made Doge Audrey freeze up in surprise.
"Oh! Are you going to play that?!"
"Ooh, Touya! I love the way you play, I really do! What are you gonna play?"
Linze and Sue rushed over as I sat down at the piano. I pressed a few keys to
ensure it was still in tune. Doge Audrey seemed to recognize that the piano was
an instrument, but seemed rather curious about how it worked.
Sue quietly sat next to me, eagerly anticipating my tune. Hm... Let's see... How
about this one?
I began to play my tune. The melody began to flow along with the gentle
flutter of the cherry blossoms, and gradually everyone began to slow their
actions as they turned to hear what I was playing.
It was a famous song composed by Edward Elgar. Salut D'Amour, Love's
Greeting. The story goes that he gifted it to his fiancee.
His fiancee was around 9 years older than him, her social status and political
stance were different to his as well. Despite the objections of their families,
they were still happily wed. The tune carried that kind of powerful feeling.
He also composed the Pomp and Circumstance Marches that were partially
integrated into the British patriotic song, Land of Hope and Glory. I personally
liked Salut D'Amour more, though.
My performance came to an end, and I was met with applause. Sue grabbed
on to my arm all of a sudden, and I caught her before she bowled us both onto
the ground. Geez, did it move you that much?
"Incredible... Your performance was wonderful, but... this instrument is
magnificent. What is this, Touya?"
"It's called a Piano. You can press down on the different keys to make
different noises, see?"
I smiled at the pope as she questioned me, pressing down one of the keys to
illustrate my point. Wait... Don't churches have hymns and stuff? I set Sue down
and turned to the pope.
"What instruments do you use to accompany your church hymns?"
"Ah, we use basic instruments... However, none are quite as diverse as this
one."
"Then you can have this one as a gift. Any adept musician should be able to
pick it up."
"Wait, really...?" I had no problem with duplicating it in the workshop. I didn't
really want to bother teaching people about how to use it, though. Even that
felt a little much.
"Ah, Grand Duke...?"
"Hm? What's up, Sakura?" Sakura was already standing by the piano. Kohaku
was beside her.
"I'd like to sing. Could you play that song?"
"Oh? You mean the one I taught you earlier? I'm not really so sure if that
song's appropriate for the current season, though."
"I think it's fine. Play, please."
Geez, when'd you get so pushy? Fine, whatever... That piece is a little tough,
but I got it.
I would've liked to include some backup instruments like brass or drums, but
it was a situation I couldn't help. The song she wanted me to play was really
more of a disco tune, too.
I invoked the Null spell [Speaker], using it to create two magical soundprojecting constructs. One big, one small. The small one was Sakura's mic.
Then, I fixed my position on the chair and changed my posture. The sound of
my piano rang out across the room, all thanks to my speaker magic. It was a
pretty swinging tune, so everyone's bodies moved naturally to the rhythm. Even
Sakura started swinging a little bit as she prepared to sing.
Eventually, Sakura faced the small magic mic and began her part. Her voice
wasn't quiet, as it was coming right up from her depths.
Everyone moved to the invisible pull of the music. The lyrics were in clear
English, so the people of this world couldn't possibly know the meaning. Still,
good music had no borders.
The group known as Earth, Wind and Fire had been brought to this world
now, it seemed.
Sakura's surprisingly deep, soulful voice began to echo around the area.
Whoa... This is great, I'm really getting into it... Heh, it's fun.
Everyone began to sing along with Sakura, even if they didn't understand
what was being said. They all began to rhythmically clap their hands, too. It
almost felt like a live concert, with the amount of enthusiasm in the bustling
area.
The song finally came to an end, and it was met with a roar of applause.
Sakura looked extremely pleased with herself.
"That was incredible! Just who is she?"
"She's our household's main singer." I smiled at the pope, and Sakura's face
immediately fell to neutral. She bowed her head, and then hid herself behind
my back. She was definitely shy in front of strangers, which was amazing given
how brazenly she sang. Her bashfulness was a little endearing, though.
"Y-Your Highness!" I raised a brow as Spica the dark elf ran toward us. She
certainly stood out from the crowd due to her beauty. Even by elven standards,
she was stunning. She looked far better than she did when I first met her... That
wasting disease was truly awful.
"What's wrong?"
"L... Lady Sakura lost her memory, did she not?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
The dark elf looked at Sakura, who was still cowering, and then spoke up.
"L-Lady Farne... Is that you?"
"Mh?" Spica was staring over at Sakura as if she'd seen a ghost. I wondered
what was up.
"Who's this Farne person?"
"A-Ah, of course... Sorry. Back in Xenoahs, I served as the personal guard to a
beautiful girl. Her name was Lady Farnese Forneus... I... Please forgive me, it's
just... Lady Sakura's voice sounded much like hers... Please forgive me for
standing up. I was hit by a sudden wave of nostalgia, and I thought... for a
moment, that Lady Farne might still be alive... Her hair is so distinctively
different, her face too, but even so, I... I'm sorry." Spica forced out a quiet,
lonely chuckle. This Farne person must have meant a great deal to her. I
wondered if the death of Farne and Spica leaving Xenoahs were connected in
some form.
"When I looked at these beautiful sakura... Cherry blossoms, was it? They
reminded me of Lady Farne, because of her hair. It too was such a beautiful
pink." Spica's eyes followed the wandering sakura petals. I could almost feel the
pain in her heart.
I see... So she got confused by Sakura's voice, and the petals made her
nostalgic, huh... That's sad. Wait, hold on...
"Uh, Spica... Pink? This Farne person had pink hair?"
"Er, yes... Is that an issue?"
"No, but you said that Sakura's hair is different."
"Hm? Yes, for some reason I associated Lady Sakura with Lady Farne, despite
the fact that Lady Sakura has such beautiful black hair."
What? Black...? Is that how it looks to Spica? Pink, sakura, those two colors
are pretty damn distinct.
Is there some kind of magic at play here? Something preventing certain people
from seeing her real features? I don't think Sakura's using magic, though.
"What the...?"
"Is something... wrong?" Spica looked at me in confusion. I ignored that,
choosing to face Sue instead.
"Sue. What color is Sakura's hair?"
"Huh? Isn't it the same color as these cherry blossoms? You gave her that
name because of her hair, right?"
"Wha—?! N-No! I-Is it... p-possible that...? Your Highness! D-Did Lady Sakura
have a medallion or anything with her?!" Sue's response seemed to have
sparked something in Spica.
She had something like a medallion when I saved her, right...?
"...This?" Sakura took out her tiny silver medallion from her chest. It was
around ten centimeters in diameter.
"I... C-Could you... Could you please remove it...?" Spica called out to Sakura,
her tone desperate. Sakura did as she was told, though she looked confused.
She slowly removed the medallion from her person.
"A-Ah..." Spica began to cry, and the tears didn't stop coming. She knelt in
front of Sakura and reached out to take the girl's hand. Then, she lovingly
pressed the girl's medallion against her own forehead.
"L-Lady Farne... It was you... I-I knew it, I... I-It's you... Lady Farnese Forneus...
Y-You survived... You really survived..."
"F-Far... Ne?" Sakura looked tremendously confused as Spica continued to
weep.
◇ ◇ ◇
"So you're saying that Sakura and Farnese Forneus are one and the same?"
"Yes, I am. This girl is Lady Farne. I've watched over her since she was young,
and there's no mistaking it at all." I sat with Spica in the castle hallway. She
seemed pretty convinced. Even though she had no idea until now, she was
absolutely certain that Sakura was Farnese.
"It's the result of this medallion, the Protean Eye. Its power can distort the
perception of certain items, to specific species. From the looks of things, it was
made so demonkin wouldn't know who she was. It's likely that any other
demonkin like myself would see her hair as black." She looked down at the
medallion that Sakura was wearing.
Made enough sense to me. It was all because of the medallion she was
wearing, which was actually an ancient artifact the entire time... To humans she
looked normal, but to demonkin her appearance was altered.
"Sakura... Does the name mean anything to you? Farnese?" Sakura, who was
seated by me, shook her head firmly.
"Not at all. I can't remember a bit of my old life, not even Spica. My
apologies."
"This can't be... Gah, this is troublesome... Though, I suppose I should count
my blessings. You're actually alive, after all." Spica looked sad. That was only
natural, mind you.
That reminded me of something, though... Spica said she used to guard
Farnese, right? So that must mean...
"Hold on a sec. Spica, the Frennel family acts as guards for the Xenoahs'
overlord and his family, right? Wouldn't that make Sakura a princess?"
Spica averted her gaze, but she looked frustrated. I wondered if it was a
mistake to ask. Something like that was probably meant to be a secret.
After a short while, she let out a deep sigh and spoke up.
"...That is correct, yes. Sadly, I am no longer a citizen of Xenoahs, so I suppose
I can talk about this... Especially given the situation. Lady Farne is indeed the
illegitimate child of Overlord Zelgadi von Xenoahs." Sakura simply looked over
at me and tilted her head in quiet confusion. It made me wonder if she couldn't
understand her current situation.
"Illegitimate? You mean she was born out of wedlock or something? Is she
meant to be a secret?" I didn't have any idea of the social ramifications. Would
a person even hide away a child they've had from their family? I figured
Overlord Zelgadi's wife was probably terrifying.
"Only a few people know of Lady Farne. She didn't possess the overlord's
prongs, the proof of being the overlord's child. That was why she was... Taken
care of."
"The overlord's prongs?"
"Those who are born from the overlord's lineage have horns sprouting from
their foreheads. Gender is irrelevant. Lady Farne lacked them, however. Her
magical power was more than enough to prove her legitimacy as his child, but
she was still spurned. Lady Farne's official existence has been wiped away from
the records. As far as Xenoahs is concerned, she never existed in the first
place."
Wait, what?! Why are horns that important? That's your kid, man! You can't
just do that to your own kid! I frowned, and Spica continued. She probably knew
exactly what I was thinking.
"The overlord did this as a mercy. He believed that Lady Farne and her
mother, Lady Fiana, would be safer. There are many in the overlord's court that
see the lack of horns as an affront to our nation. The overlord likely thought
that Lady Farne would be happier living a normal human-like life, instead of
being a political bargaining chip."
"Human? Then... does that make Sak— Farnese's mother a human?"
"It does. Typically, a child born from the overlord's lineage and any other
species will always be a demonkin. However, it seems that Lady Farne is more
like her mother, which makes her pretty much entirely human. It's likely that
her mother's blood won out due to some freak incident, but still..." Spica
opened her mouth to continue before glancing over at Sakura and closing it
again. It seemed something was on her mind.
According to Spica, Sakura's mother didn't want to become a concubine.
Apparently if she had become one, she'd have been separated from her
daughter. The women that the overlord took as his had their formal records
erased, it seemed.
After that, Spica went to live with Sakura and her mother. Ostensibly, she was
a guest of the Frennel family, staying along with them. Apparently they lived a
quiet and peaceful life together.
However, things changed when Sakura turned ten years old. The overlord's
prongs had apparently been dormant within her, and they suddenly sprouted
from her head. This caused no end of trouble and surprise for the overlord and
the Frennel family alike. As Sakura's horns increased in length, her magical
power intensified as well.
Regardless of gender or age, the successor of the overlord's title in Xenoahs
was determined by magical power and potential. And eventually, Sakura's
magic grew to the point where it was greater than the crown prince's.
Sakura's mother didn't want her to become the new overlord, but the noble
houses were already plotting. Everyone looked at them with suspicious eyes,
certain they'd usurp the throne.
They all believed wholly that Sakura would succeed the title of overlord.
The first and second princes lost their mothers to illness, so their extended
families launched a very public support campaign. Sakura was considered a pest
to them, after all.
The overlord gave the Protean Eye to Sakura, so that she might protect
herself. The artifact absorbed the magic of its holder in order to project an
illusionary appearance around them. It was a temporary measure, until Sakura
could become powerful enough to shrink the horns by her own power.
But then one day, on a shopping trip, Sakura and Spica were attacked by a
group of masked men.
The men were skilled fighters and, although Spica had a blade, she didn't have
her shield on hand. From what I understood, she managed to acquire a
makeshift shield and stall for time. Sakura escaped in the confusion, but the
men launched a suicide attack and Spica fell unconscious.
"Wait, those masked attackers..."
"Indeed, I found out later that they were assassins from Yulong. I don't know
if they made a private deal, or if it was a government order."
I knew it... That reminds me, Sakura did help me that one time... Maybe that
means she had a small resurgence of memories. That means her memories
could come back someday... Yeah, I'd like that.
"I woke up in my childhood home, and my father informed me that Lady
Farne was dead. There were pieces of her body scattered across the courtyard.
The sheer horror I felt when I held her severed arm and leg? Honestly, I'll never
forget it."
After that, Spica left Xenoahs. She was burdened with the guilt of her failure,
it seemed. The Frennel family wasn't formally disgraced for the incident. After
all, Sakura wasn't formally recognized by the state, so failing to protect
someone who didn't exist wasn't a true failure.
Spica refused to follow that logic, however. She was completely unable to
forgive herself. That was why she abandoned her home.
Spica followed the trail of those that had murdered her charge. It didn't take
her long to identify the masked men as Yulongese, and she made her way into
the nation. As she headed toward the capital, the Phrase invasion began.
Yulong was completely annihilated, and the ones behind the attack likely died
without ever facing real justice. She then wandered aimlessly, without a master
or purpose, until finally she was stricken with the illness that brought her to
Brunhild. She apparently traveled to Brunhild in order to find a place to die.
"Uh, let me cut your story short a sec. I have a few issues with it."
"Like what?"
"Well, first of all... I found Sakura with missing limbs, dying. That much is true,
but... it wasn't in Xenoahs. It was in the mountains of Eashen. If the assassins
were from Yulong, then what reason would they have to kill her? And plus...
Sakura didn't have any horns or anything when I found her."
"Ah, uhm... Grand Duke? I, well... I can make them come out," Sakura said,
fidgeting as she quietly spoke up.
"Huh?"
She closed her eyes. Gradually, silvery horns began to sprout from her head.
Sure enough, they must have been the overlord's prongs.
"I thought so. You managed to hide them?" Spica seemed to be aware of the
phenomenon.
"Why didn't you mention this before, Sakura?"
"I... Well... I was scared... about being different... I-I learned later on that
there was no discrimination here, but... there was never a good moment to
bring it up..."
"Did you help heal Spica because she was a fellow demonkin?" Sakura nodded
slightly.
Wow... She even risked catching the disease? Ah, wait... Sakura didn't actually
touch her, did she? It was a Silver Moon employee that brought her to her room.
Either way, the evidence was pretty damning. Spica was right. Sakura was
Farnese Forneus, princess of Xenoahs.
"Well, now we know, Sakura... Or uh, Farne. What should we do?"
"Sakura is fine, thank you. It's the name you gave me, Grand Duke. I like it
quite a lot..."
Well, if you say so. If Sakura's fine with you, it's fine with me. Probably better
to keep using it anyway, just in case.
"I still don't have my memories, so my other name means little to me. I do not
wish to return to Xenoahs, and I do not wish to seek revenge on those that
attacked me... However..."
"Hm?"
"I wish to see my mother." Sakura quietly muttered as she stared me down.
"What about the overlord?"
"I do not feel any connection to him, so that doesn't matter."
Well... Okay. Her reaction made a bit of sense to me. Sounded like they
weren't terribly close, anyway. Sakura simply didn't feel a need to talk to him. It
didn't really sound like the guy was a bad person or anything, though...
"Where is Sakura's mother right now?"
"Likely still at our family home. After Lady Farne died, she collapsed out of
strain, and she's been bedridden since." That was completely understandable.
We definitely needed to show her that Sakura was alright. However, her
memories were lost, so that would be an issue.
"If only we had something that could restore memories... Even [Recovery]
was fruitless. But maybe if we take you to Xenoahs we could stir your memories
a bit."
If she walked around the place she grew up, then that might help. Seeing her
mother would likely stir something, at least.
Alright, guess I'll just use [Recall] to peek into Spica's mind, and then I'll use a
[Gate] to get to the Frennel... house from... Oh. Ohhh.
"AM I AN IDIOT?!"
"G-Grand Duke?!"
"Wh-What happened?" The two of them looked at me in surprise due to my
sudden outburst. Their glances were anxious, but I just felt like a total dumbass.
"What the hell?! I'm a complete moron! There's definitely a spell that can
bring back memories! I've been using it the whole damn time! I'm such an
idiot!"
I thwacked my head against the table.
Kill me now. Just kill me. I am such a dumbass. What the hell was I thinking
this whole time?
I had [Recall], which was a spell designed to delve into memories. The spell
opened up the memories of another person and allowed me to read them
freely. The memories I obtained from using it also allowed me to open up
portals to places from the other person's past.
What I didn't remember, however, was that the spell could also pull
memories up to the surface. I was a fool to forget that.
Think of it this way, an average person wouldn't remember the items they
saw on a lunch menu a week ago. Still, if I used [Recall] to peek into that
person's memories and see the menu, they'd also get that vision as well.
Hell, the word [Recall] meant to recover something and bring it back. I
couldn't believe I'd been so ignorant. I deserved to be smacked in the face.
Hard enough that I'd lose a couple teeth, even.
"...I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Sakura!"
"That's... okay. Really, I don't mind."
Even if she didn't care, I still felt like a dumbass.
Why didn't I think of this sooner?! Gaaah... I wish I could vanish right about
now...
◇ ◇ ◇
Someone's chasing me.
There's a man... or a woman, perhaps? Black clothes... Curved sword... Sliced
my back.
I've fallen, and I try to stand, but... my leg! Sliced beneath the knee, I can't get
up. I raise my arm, but he swings again. It bites into my wrist, and crimson blood
spills from the stump. I can only see red, it hurts.
I'm going to die. I don't want to die. Don't kill me. I need to get away. Away
from them. Away from this place. If I don't escape, I'll die...
Sakura suddenly muttered a word that came to her from nowhere.
"[Tele...port]!" In a flash, Sakura was submerged in cold water. She didn't
know what had happened. Her limbs flailed. She couldn't resist the water
current, lost her breath, and then fell unconscious.
I was holding Sakura's hands in mine, forehead pressed against hers. I had just
witnessed her memories through [Recall].
"I see... That's how it happened, huh?"
"...I remember. My name... Farnese... Farnese Forneus... I was attacked along
with Spica, and I..." Sakura quietly muttered as if confirming the truth to
herself.
I had a vague idea of how Sakura came to be in Eashen. The fear of death
likely forced her to acknowledge the dormant Null magic inside her, which
meant that [Teleport] was her spell, and it moved her from one place to
another. She teleported to Eashen and fell into the river there. Her horns
probably vanished for a while due to the magic power it took to teleport away.
"Are your... Are your memories back?" Spica quietly turned toward Sakura.
"They're vague, I'll admit. But I know you, Spica. And I remember my mother
as well. I remember... many things, now."
"Lady Farne..." Spica began to weep. Sakura saw this, and gently smiled
toward her. However, I could feel her hands trembling.
"Sakura... Are you scared of something?"
"A... A little... I didn't like remembering how... frightening it was." Her face
was pale, and she gave a small, forced smile. It wasn't exactly surprising. My
magic gave her vivid memories of being hunted down and nearly killed. She had
her memories back now, but those were memories anyone would want to
forget.
"It's okay, don't worry. I'll beat down anyone that tries to hurt you, Sakura, so
please don't be scared." I tried to comfort her by gently ruffling her hair. The
trauma she'd suffered was a harsh one, but I wanted to ease her burden in any
way I could.
"I-If... If it's you, Grand Duke, then... I feel safe." Sakura smiled, sniffled, and
held on to me.
A-Ah... Sakura? Y-You probably shouldn't do that kind of thing... Spica's giving
me a really bad look right now... M-Maybe... W-Wait, wha— E-Eek! Who's
staring at me?! I slowly turned my head toward the door. I heard it creak open,
slightly, then I could see the faces of eight girls lined up in a row. They stared in
a vertical line. What the hell kind of frightening totem pole is this?!
"The ninth... huh?" my fiancees muttered in unison.
P-Please stop... Don't act like that! Don't look at me like that! C-C'mon!
"Frankly speaking, [Teleport] is an unstable movement magic. Your [Gate] is a
lot more accurate." Leen was giving me a lecture as she sipped tea.
"What do you mean by unstable?"
"First of all, when you use [Gate] you're moving to a place that you
remember, right? But with [Teleport] you need to know its exact longitude and
latitude. You can't go anywhere already occupied by something tangible, and
you can only move yourself. You might be able to move two people if you hold
hands, but that'd be the absolute limit."
"So when she went to Eashen..."
"It was entirely random, direction-wise. And the distance she traveled was as
much as her magical power would allow her. If it had been another direction,
she might have ended up in the sea, or the desert."
Welp... That would've been bad. She could've ended up at the bottom of the
sea, or in a volcano, or a swamp. Seems like if you don't have an exact handle on
how this stuff works, you could end up in a dangerous place.
"That being said, [Teleport] has good merits for short-range use. You don't
have to physically move through something like your [Gate], so perhaps you
could use it to teleport behind an enemy as a surprise attack?" Makes sense.
"Nothing personnel kid," and all that, huh...? Guess it depends on how it's used,
though.
I decided to give it a go.
"[Teleport]." I immediately teleported from my chair to the corner of the
room.
Wow, this feels horrible. The sudden dissonance of visual change made me
nauseous. I couldn't imagine using it in battle unless I got really used to it. It
didn't really cause any physical strain, at least. Plus, there was always the
option of chaining the attack.
"What an absurdly powerful fiance we have... Goodness me..." Leen simply
stared at me and shook her head. I was used to this kind of reaction at this
point.
"So, Saku... Uh, Farne. C-Can Farne use this spell?"
"Sakura is fine, Linze. I can't really use it right now, since I don't exactly know
how it works..." Sakura smiled at Linze.
Hm... So she can't understand the spell herself? Did she only manage to use it
because of stress or something? Still, it managed to save her life, so it's all good.
I mean, she'll get the hang of it with practice, right?
"If she only awakened her Null magic, it means she doesn't have a good feel
for it. It'll only work if you manage to use it in a certain manner. Still, that
manner depends on the person, so it'll take her a bit." Elze butted in as she
munched on a cookie. Apparently it had taken a while for her to get used to
using [Boost], too.
"So, what are we going to do... Will Sakura return to Xenoahs?" Lu cut right to
the chase. That was definitely something we needed to address. Sakura's
feelings were important, but she was still the princess of Xenoahs. Illegitimate
or not. She was the successor to the throne, but not officially... I kind of figured
that if she stayed in Brunhild and we stayed quiet about it, nobody would
necessarily have to know.
Regardless of her choice, I figured she'd want to see her mother.
"...I wish to stay here instead of Xenoahs. I'd like to live in Brunhild, with Spica
and my mother."
"I-I feel the same, Lady Farne. I wish to serve Brunhild as I have been up until
now. My elder brother will succeed the Frennel house, so there are no issues
there." Spica made her intentions perfectly clear.
We couldn't just harbor them, though. At the very least, we needed to speak
to the Frennel family. And probably the overlord as well... Maybe. If he wasn't
married to Sakura's mother, then I didn't really think I needed permission. Even
that aside, the thing about the Yulong assassins was really rubbing me the
wrong way.
I didn't have any solid proof, but... I wondered if someone within Xenoahs had
made a deal with them. A deal to have Sakura killed. Though, there were a few
holes in that theory, like the actual involvement of Yulong. I didn't know if they
were paid off, or offered sensitive info... I didn't understand where Yulong fit
into the picture, really. Hell, Xenoahs was known for being closed off to dealing
with other nations, so it really might've just been an external attack.
Taking all that into account though, it was most likely that someone in
Xenoahs wanted Sakura dead. It'd have to be someone in a position of power,
as well.
Following logic, it'd be someone who wanted to keep her away from the line
of succession... The first or second prince, perhaps...
"Sakura, you don't want to be the overlord, right?"
"Absolutely not. Not even if it stopped the heavens and earth from switching
places. Not if it stopped hell freezing over."
That's pretty intense... I guess if she says that in public it might help? Wait, no,
that might just make things worse. It'd be better if the world still thinks she's
dead. Hell, it might be a case of people acting in the interests of the princes
without them even knowing. If they were even responsible to begin with,
anyway.
"Well, whatever the case, we have to go to Xenoahs... Or at least to Sakura's
mother. In other words, we need to go to the Frennel household."
"That's right. We must speak with Lady Fiana about how to proceed." Spica
nodded her head. I decided we should go sooner rather than later.
I took Sakura, Spica, and Kohaku along with me for the trip.
I used [Recall] on Spica to obtain the relevant memories and then opened up
a [Gate] to reach her family home.
Spica went through first, and we followed dutifully after.
The portal took us to the entrance of her family's mansion. Spica nodded as if
to confirm it was the Frennel family home. We didn't want Sakura to be seen
outside, so we ended up making the portal go directly into the building.
There was a luxurious red carpet decorating the floor, and a beautiful painting
caught my eye. It was an image of a man, a woman, three young boys, and a
little girl sitting on a chair. Seemed to be family portrait, which meant that the
girl was Spica. Her face looked pretty similar, at least.
"This is certainly nostalgic... Indeed, it's true... I've been here before." Sakura
muttered quietly. That was a good sign, though. Her memories were clearly
coming back stronger.
Sakura glanced around for a moment, and then began sprinting down one of
the corridors.
"L-Lady Farne?!" Spica hurriedly followed after her. Kohaku and I didn't really
understand, but we ran too.
A young-looking maid stood wide-eyed as she watched us run by, struggling
not to drop her washing basket.
"L-Lady Farne?! A-And M-Miss Spica?! Wh-What?!" Sakura completely
ignored the maid, and bolted into a specific room.
We finally caught up to her and looked inside. What we found was a large bed
surrounded by a soft white veil. There was a woman sitting up in the bed. She
looked to be about thirty. Her face was pale, and her hair was a pure white.
However, she bore a striking resemblance to a certain someone, which meant
she was...
"F-Farne...?"
"M-Mother?! Mother!" Sakura bounded toward the bed and threw herself
into her mother's arms. She pulled the woman into a tight embrace and began
to sob.
"Y-You... I-Is it really you, sweetheart? You're a-alive... You're alive!"
"Waaah..."
"Lady Fiana... It's true, Lady Farne is alive. She was saved from certain death,
by this man. The grand duke of Brunhild." Spica's words seemed to register in
the woman's mind, as she brought her arms around Sakura's body and began to
sob as well.
The daughter she believed to be dead was finally home. The relief and
happiness she must've been feeling were probably indescribable, so I decided
that I shouldn't butt in.
We just decided to watch the two of them hug it out for a while.
"Er... Who are you?" The maid turned to me with suspicious eyes. Well, that
was a fairly reasonable question.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Words alone could never be enough. Thank you so much for saving my
daughter."
"Don't worry about it. I just did what I thought was right." Sakura's mother,
Fiana, kept bowing her head toward me.
It looked like she was in a dire state, so I cast [Recovery] and [Refresh] on her,
which made her look a lot better.
I think seeing her daughter probably did more for her than my spells ever
could, though.
"You saved my daughter, as well. On behalf of our whole family, I thank you."
The next person to speak up was a dark elf sitting down on a chair. It was
Spica's mother, Swellra. She had dark brown skin, long silvery hair, and pointed
ears. She looked incredibly young, as well, almost around Spica's age. The two
of them could've been sisters at a glance.
Elves and dark elves lived exceptionally long lives, apparently. But unlike Leen
and the fairies, they did continue to age. Just slower. I was curious about how
old she actually was, but I knew better than to ask.
Her husband seemed to be absent for the time being, so it was just myself,
Kohaku, Sakura, Fiana, Spica, and Swellra sitting with some tea.
"I never thought there'd be someone who could cure that disease..."
"We're currently researching it in Brunhild. If we manage to make a medicine,
we'll pass it on to Xenoahs."
"Thank you," Swellra said, then bowed her head.
Flora had harvested some of the skin flakes that had fallen off Spica in order
to work on a cure. There were demonkin in our country, after all. Even if there
weren't all that many, I didn't want to run the risk.
Eventually, I decided to get straight to the point.
"So, then... Sakura... or, er, Farne... would like you to come and live in
Brunhild with her, Ms. Fiana."
"Me? In Brunhild?" Fiana raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I've done a small investigation about what happened. I don't wish to be
rude, but Sakura wouldn't be the only one at risk if she stayed here. As her
mother, it's certainly possible that you might be attacked as well. For now,
things are safe because everyone thinks she's dead, but we can't guarantee that
safety forever." I trusted the people in the Frennel household, but information
had a way of leaking out. Even if word got out though, they'd be well protected
if they lived in Brunhild. Our country was well known for slaughtering dragons
and wiping out Phrase, among other things.
Fiana turned to her daughter with an uneasy expression on her face.
"This is what you want?"
"It is, yes. Brunhild is a beautiful nation. Everyone lives together in harmony,
regardless of race or creed. I'm sure you'd enjoy it there too, Mother. Rather
certain of it, in fact."
"I see." Fiana gave her daughter a gentle smile, then turned back to me.
"Is there anything for me to do in Brunhild?"
"Do you have any particular talents?"
"Er, well... I'm a decent seamstress. I also used to teach children when I lived
in Felsen..."
Huh, you're from Felsen? The fact that she was a teacher definitely caught my
interest.
"As it so happens, I was thinking of opening up a school so the children of my
country could benefit. It'd be good if we had a professional like you working
there... Is that alright?"
"Unless it's a particular field, I should be fine giving general education..."
"Well I was thinking stuff like ethics, reading, writing, mathematics, and
history. Something like that, I guess. It wouldn't just be you teaching, either."
"In that case, I'd be happy to." I'd been meaning to build a school for a while,
so Fiana was a godsend for the future of Brunhild.
"There is one thing, Your Highness... My daughter and I have both relied on
the patronage of the overlord to continue living here... If we plan to leave his
charge, then I believe we should inform him."
"Ah, I was worried about that..."
"He'll be happy to know that Farne is alive, as well. It took a lot to restrain
him when he heard she died... H-He was about ready to go on a rampage."
Huh... So he cared about her after all, then? If my daughter was killed by
Yulong, I definitely would've waged war on them.
"How would I go about meeting the overlord?" I turned to Swellra and posed
the question.
"I will ask my husband when he returns. It shouldn't be a huge problem."
Swellra's husband was the personal guard to the overlord. They were childhood
friends, apparently, so they had a very close relationship.
Well, even if Brunhild is a little country, I'm still royalty. I doubt I'd be turned
away.
"Alright, that's settled. For the time being, then, I'll—" My words were cut off
by a sudden rumbling sound, and the ground itself quaked. The cups and plates
in the room clattered and fell to the ground, as if affected by some unseen
shockwave.
"Wh-What the?! An earthquake?!" I looked around, trying to determine what
was going on, when a maid suddenly barged into the room.
"M-Milady! Th-The castle! P-Pandemonium is...!" I dashed out into the
courtyard and invoked [Fly] quickly. Then, I looked down from the cloudy sky
and saw Pandemonium, the overlord's fortress, towering over the castle town.
However, something was amiss. It was aflame.
Why the hell is the right tower crumbling? What happened here?!
"Kohaku, keep everyone safe. I'll see what's happening at the castle." I sent a
telepathic message to Kohaku as I flew away.
"As you command. Be safe."
Looking down with my bird's-eye view, I noticed that there was smoke as far
as the eye could see. Corpses were strewn all over the place, too. They seemed
to be Xenoahs guardsmen.
I landed on the ground and tried to look for survivors, but I couldn't find any
at all. The corpses just kept piling up, and their lifeless bodies lay still around
me.
I went inside Pandemonium and followed the trail of the dead. It was
absolutely a one-sided slaughter. Each and every one of the dead men had been
pierced through the heart.
"Gyauuugh!" I heard a terrified shriek, so I ran toward the source without
thinking.
I came out into the courtyard and found someone surrounded by dozens of
demonkin knights.
It was humanoid in shape. Mostly covered in crystal materials. Sharp spines of
glassy phrasium jutted from its form.
It had piercing red eyes and spiked crystal 'hair,' so to speak.
"A Dominant Construct...!" What the hell... Why now, why here?!
Unlike the Dominant Construct I'd seen before, this one didn't have much
about the chest. It seemed more toned and muscular. In short, it was masculine
in form.
How did it slip by our sensors...? Wait... Shit, there isn't a guild branch in
Xenoahs! I looked over and saw him laughing. He continued his mockery as he
stretched out his arm. It took the form of a sharpened spear and stretched out
to kill the guardsmen. Oh no you don't!
"[Shield]!" A clanging sound rang out as the spear bounced off my invisible
force field. The laughing Phrase turned to me, his expression soured.
「#im＊@n+oh@o々m @〆ek@?」
"...I don't understand you. Use this world's language." He kicked off the
ground and charged toward me instantly. He's fast, but...
"[Teleport]." I teleported myself right behind the Dominant Construct.
"And then... [Power Rise]!" I boosted my natural power and slammed a kick
into his back. He shot away like a pinball and crashed into a nearby wall, which
crumbled on impact.
The Phrase stood up, unharmed, as the debris scattered around him. He was
only dirtied a little, but otherwise didn't have a single scratch. Welp. I tried.
「＊y@r€un#@,o×m=@〒e」
"I already said I don't understand you." The Phrase looked at me, clearly
annoyed. Then, it stabbed its right arm through the head of a nearby corpse,
immediately pulled its arm back, and stared at the body. After that, a beautiful
crystal flower began to bloom from the mangled mess of bone and brain on the
ground. The flower aged quickly, and nearly withered, but just before it
crumbled it bore an almond-shaped object. Is that a seed, or a fruit...? What?
The Dominant Construct plucked the object from the ground and tossed it
into its mouth, making loud crunching sounds as it munched.
「+no#domo÷t u々ku=rik%@ene△eto€i k〆e n＊eek@」 It then brought its
left hand to its own throat, and crushed a small area. The hell is this shit?
「# t€o,@,@... Ah... How's this?"
"I understand you now..."
"Oh. How fortuitous. The connection was made, hm? Seems even a being
such as you can bask in my full grace, now." He spoke with a masculine tone,
grinning like a madman as his red eyes locked on to me.
"You aren't bad... No, you aren't bad at all. Certainly a worthy adversary, I
must say. You are most interesting, little man."
"You're... a Dominant Construct, right? How'd you get here? What are you
doing here?"
"Oh, that? It's a trivial matter, I assure you. I simply plucked at the seams of
the boundary. I planned on killing as many as I can before the recoil hits me, but
this delay isn't too bad... You are most interesting, after all."
Recoil? What's he mean by that? The Phrase nonchalantly transformed his
spear-like arm into a thin blade. I followed his movements and plucked Brunhild
from my waist, activating Blade Mode in the process.
"Are you here looking for the Sovereign Core?"
"Ohoho. You know it? Indeed, I am. I, the magnificent Gila, will strike down all
the miserable wretches who stand in my path. And I ain't gonna let nobody
stand in my way! So, y'get it yet? Die fer me, trash." Gila came rocketing toward
me with a furious slash. Moroha was faster, though, which helped me out a
bunch. I just barely managed to dodge it thanks to her training. Then, I turned in
the air to slash at him, but he caught my weapon with his left hand. Even if
Brunhild could easily slash dragons, it was nothing compared to phrasium skin.
"Gun Mode!" I quickly transformed the weapon, allowing it to escape from his
grasp, then shot all six phrasium bullets point-blank into Gila's chest. After that,
I reloaded in under a second and fired the second barrage at his face.
Gila was knocked back, but did a flip in midair. As he landed, he grinned
broadly.
"Wahaha! Amazing, amazing! It's been a long time since someone actually
posed a threat, you know?! I must thank you for the gifts, but here, have them
back!" Gila pointed the fingers of his left hand toward me, and five small bullets
shot right out. I barely managed to dodge four of them, but the fifth caught my
shoulder and burrowed its way in deep.
Shit! I should've used [Teleport] there!
He regenerated the tips of his fingers and rushed forward again with another
slash.
"[Teleport]!" I teleported myself up to the castle rooftop, and used the period
of confusion to heal up my shoulder with magic.
By the time he found me, I'd already used [Storage] to pull out a massive
warhammer made of phrasium, which I raised above my head as I jumped down
from the rooftop.
"[Gravity]!" I poured a massive amount of magic into the hammer that came
down flat against Gila's body.
"Smash into pieces, you bastard!"
"Guh... Raaargh!" Gila crossed his arms together and braced against the
strike, pushing the hammer aside. The hammer hit the ground, denting the very
earth and whipping up a cloud of dirt and sand. His power was unlike anything
I'd ever fought before.
I deactivated the weight magic and leaped to the side. Upon inspection, I
noticed that both of Gila's arms were seriously damaged, and they had several
cracked lines running through them. But, in a matter of moments, those injuries
regenerated and he was fighting fit once more. Fuck... This guy is a Phrase, after
all...
"Vermin! You've really gone and done it now! To think that my beautiful arms
would splinter against you... I'm gonna kick yer ass, ya hear me?! I'll fuckin'
break you!" The sound of cracking glass echoed out into the air, and the very
space surrounding Gila opened up. Two Lesser Constructs, Cricket-types to be
specific, appeared from the holes in space.
He can summon them?! He grabbed the two creatures with his hands, and I
heard the grating sound of glass cracking against glass. He'd somehow fused his
body with theirs, effectively turning their two bodies into gigantic arms for
himself. I felt like I'd seen this on a TV show before, but I had bigger things to
worry about.
The Phrase Cores within the two Lesser Constructs began to glow brightly,
and he pointed both of his hulking arms toward me. Wait, no way...
"Perish now, ya rat bastard!"
"[Reflection]!" I deployed a reflective barrier at a forty-five degree angle.
In a flash, a horrific ray of light shot its way out from Gila's body, cracking the
two Cricket Phrase in the process. It struck the barrier, bounced off, and flew
high into the sky.
"Gh... Ghah... D-Damn it!" The barrier started weakening, so I had to pour
more magic power into it. The attack didn't even last ten seconds, but enduring
it felt like an eternity. I couldn't withstand the entire attack, and the barrier
broke. Part of the guard tower behind me was instantly vaporized.
After that, I stared Gila down with a scowl on my face. His arms rested by his
sides.
"You filth... Just who the hell are ya, huh?!"
"Mochizuki Touya. Touya's my given name. I'm a sworn enemy of the Phrase.
Make sure you remember me." The two Lesser Constructs fused to Gila's arms
finally shattered and broke off, falling to the ground. The smirk on his face was
long gone.
Then, a strange thing happened. His entire form shook, like an after-image.
"Gh... Recoil's hitting already? Shit... Welp, guess that's it then, huh...?
Touya... I'll remember you. Next time we meet, I'll paint the floor with your
carcass."
I wasn't sure why, but he clearly had to return back through the boundary.
Gila's body grew fuzzy, like a bad signal on TV, before he began to fade away.
No way! You don't get to just fade off all cool like that, I'm the hero here!
"[Slip]."
"Waugh?!" The fading image of Gila's body fell down on his ass.
Bwahaha, you dumbass! So long as you're touching the ground, even someone
like you can get slipped up!
"Gah!" I guffawed like an idiot, jeering at him as he faded away. He didn't
seem to appreciate the mockery at all.
"Y-You filth!" He charged toward me, but vanished before he managed to
make contact.
Only the dead Lesser Constructs remained.
"Whew..." I took a deep breath and rubbed my temples. I'm exhausted... This
is probably the first time I've used this much magic power. This guy was on a
whole other level. Honestly, if I didn't have [Teleport], I might've even been a
goner.
I sighed and looked around. The remaining knights were gathering in the area,
trying to determine whether I was friend or foe.
"Uh... Hi. I'm the grand duke of Brunhild, Mochizuki Touya. Any chance I could
speak with the overlord?"
Honestly I wouldn't have minded if they'd said no. I was so tired that I
would've been fine just going to sleep and talking to him a day later. I honestly
would've been fine collapsing in a heap on the ground.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Farneeeeeese!" We were in the Frennel family home when the door opened
with a thud, and the overlord of Xenoahs, Zelgadi von Xenoahs, cheered out in
abject joy at the sight of his daughter. He brought his arms out and attempted
to catch her in an embrace. Sakura responded by swiftly dodging, leading the
man to barrel head-first into a couch.
"Why?!"
"Frightening... And gross..."
Well, I could understand that angle. He was crying like a big idiot and had snot
flowing out of his nose.
Sakura quickly hid from her father, moving behind my back.
"Grand Duke, I appreciate you saving my little girl, but I have a problem with
this bodacious display of flirtation! I am her father, you know that?!"
"This isn't flirting..." Don't waggle your finger at me like that! What kind of
demonic overlord are you, anyway?! You're a seriously creepy doting dad!
The Overlord's Prongs sprouted from his head beneath a bed of bright red
hair. His skin was pale and his ears were pointed like knives. He was adorned in
a beautiful regal cape, colored red and gold. Indeed, this man was Sakura's
father... The overlord of Xenoahs.
After I fought against Gila, the Dominant Construct, I met up with him to
explain what had happened. I also met the patriarch of the Frennel household,
Sirius. He was the overlord's personal guard, as well as Spica's father.
The moment I explained the situation to the overlord, he dashed out of his
fortress at full speed. He was... insanely fast. But given the circumstances, that
was pretty understandable. I didn't think about using [Boost] or [Accel], since I
knew exactly where he'd be heading. That much was obvious, at least.
Anyway, that was how we both found ourselves at the Frennel household.
Spica and Swellra found themselves dumbfounded by his sudden entrance.
"Now now... Please calm yourself."
"H-Hmph. Are you siding with the grand duke here, Sirius?"
"In a sense, yes. Or perhaps I'm siding with Lady Farnese." A rather youthful
dark elf appeared from behind me. He was Spica's father, Sirius. His skin was
dark brown like the rest of his family's, and his hair was long and silver, tied up
in a small knot. He looked incredibly young, a trait common to his race... But
honestly, even the overlord looked young enough to be in his twenties. I
wondered if the overlord's lineage had long lasting lives. I also wondered if that
meant Sakura would stop aging at a certain point, too.
"If we look at the facts, the grand duke saved Lady Farnese, saved my
daughter, and saved Xenoahs itself. Would you not agree, Your Vileness?"
"Buh..." The overlord wrinkled his nose and sighed. I wondered if Xenoahs
would be alright with a guy like that at the helm...
Fiana moved before the overlord, crouched down on one knee, and began to
talk.
"Overlord Zelgadi... Our Farnese is an adult now, and she is capable of
choosing her own path in life. Our daughter wishes to return to Brunhild with
the grand duke, and live at his side. I would like to join my daughter as well. I
appreciate what you have done for us up until now, but I ask that you grant our
humble request."
The overlord froze up on the spot, his mouth hanging open in surprise. After a
brief delay, he suddenly started stammering and flailing his arms around.
"W-W-Wait a sec! Hold on! Fiana! Y-You and Farnese? In Brunhild?!
Absolutely not! I cannot allow it!"
"Dear Overlord... I am not your bride. I am my own woman. My life is my own
to dictate."
"I-I... I know that, but...!" The overlord faltered in the face of Fiana's icy
declaration.
S-Scary... Kind of reminds me of my own mother... She yelled a lot too. At any
rate, the overlord definitely looked like a child being scolded in this situation.
"Th-Then you shall become my queen! My first and second wives have long
since passed, so you'll simply..."
"I refuse."
"Really?!"
Fiana smiled gently and completely shot down the overlord's proposal. SSuper scary... I guess this is the power of a mother, huh...? Even so, she's being a
little too curt with a demonic overlord, isn't she?
I realized pretty fast that Fiana would be a perfect hire as a schoolteacher.
The ability to keep even the overlord in line would surely prevent students from
becoming unruly.
"If I marry you, then our Farnese would have to become the overlord upon
your passing. Neither her nor I wish that fate, so I must decline."
"Guh... But... Farnese is my daughter as well, no? That doesn't mean I control
her, but I still should have a say."
"Yes, you're right. She is your daughter, so please come and visit her more
often... In Brunhild, I mean."
"Gh... Buh..." Fiana's smile broadened as the overlord slumped his shoulders
in defeat. He took a deep breath, in and out, and then started walking toward
me. Then, he bowed his head. His spirit honestly looked crushed, so I felt a bit
sorry for him.
"Please... Please take good care of my daughter." In that moment, he wasn't
speaking to me as the overlord of Xenoahs. No, he was but a simple concerned
dad. And because of that, I wanted to reassure him.
"Absolutely. I'll do my best to protect the tw—" I was about to continue my
sentence when he suddenly placed both hands on my shoulders and raised his
head. His eyes glared into mine, and further beyond. The deathly stare
emanating from the demonic man pierced my very soul. Frankly, I thought I was
gonna poop my pants.
"I will never, ever forgive you if you make my little girl cry. Is that
understood?"
Wha... Is this a threat? Am I being threatened right now? Sakura, who was
hiding behind my back, suddenly came out and stared the overlord down.
"My happiness is contingent upon being in the grand duke's presence. I have
the permission of Linze and his other brides-to-be, so I shall join his family. Is
that understood? You bother me, Overlord. You are unsightly."
"Whuh?!"
"Ohoho... You're moving along that fast, Farnese? I can't wait to see what my
first grandchild looks like."
Wait. What?! Hold up! No way, she got permission?! When did that happen?!
Why'd they strike without me knowing?! Fiana looked on with a happy face as
the overlord slumped to his knees. He sniffled a little bit, too.
"B-Bother you...? U-Unsightly...? F-Farnese said I bothered her..."
Did it really hit you that hard? Geez... I ignored the sniffling overlord and
turned to face Sirius.
"By the way, your daughter is a member of my knight order." Spica moved to
face her father after I spoke.
"Father. I will stay in Brunhild and protect Lady Farnese with my life. I swear
upon our family name and honor."
"I understand, sweetheart. You walk your own path in life, after all. I pray for
your continued happiness. Your mother and I are proud."
"Father... Thank you." The two of them embraced. I could see tears forming
around their eyes. Frankly, their physical appearances threw me off. Without
any outside context, you'd assume they were lovers.
Sirius seemed to be a very understanding father, though. A stark contrast to a
certain overlord... I turned my gaze back towards Zelgadi. He was still
mumbling.
"I'm not a bother... am I? N-No way... I-I'm a good dad, right? It's only normal
to be worried... It's normal! Th-There's nothing wrong with my feelings." I
decided not to pay too much attention to him, and I doubly decided never to
become like him.
"So... were you able to determine exactly who orchestrated the plot to kill
Sakura... Er, Farne?"
"As troubling as it is to admit, we've found neither hide nor hair. If I did find
him, though, I'd rend the flesh from his bones."
Sakura held on to my arm as her father responded to my question. I could see
the bloodlust in his eyes as he thought about the mastermind.
"If you don't mind me saying, I think it was likely planned by someone who
would be troubled by Farne ascending as overlord."
"I realize what you're trying to say, Grand Duke. You believe one of my sons
may have been behind it, but I assure you that isn't the case."
"How can you be so sure?" The overlord slumped back into the armchair and
folded his arms. He was looking at me for the most part, but his gaze turned to
Sakura every now and then.
"Let's take First Prince Faron, for one. If I were to describe him positively, I'd
say that he has a one-track mind and is very goal oriented. If I were to describe
him negatively, I'd say that he's an idiot. He's a fair and just person, and I can't
possibly imagine him ever considering assassination. If someone came to him
with such an underhanded idea, he'd be more likely to kill that person on the
spot."
"And the second prince?"
"Second Prince Farese... He's a coward. Meek. The kind of person who'd
sooner just not become the overlord than go to the lengths of assassination. In
that boy's mind, there are only books, books, and more books. He hates danger,
and avoids trouble at every turn."
He certainly seemed quick to judge his own sons. It was far different from
how he treated Sakura. If I were to guess, I figured he was the kind of guy who
wanted to dote on his cute daughter, but wasn't too interested in lavishing
praise upon boys.
He probably wanted to announce her as the new overlord the moment that
her prongs appeared, but Fiana likely put a stop to that. Sakura didn't want to
rule, after all. That seemed reasonable to me, since it would've brought forth a
whole mess of problems.
Still, the situation seemed to be a mess enough regardless.
"So who could it be?"
"It may be my late first wife's family. The Ribbuck household... Or it could be
the Arnos household, which is the family of my late second wife. It's also
entirely possible that it could have just been greedy nobles, as well." It'd be
advantageous for the family related to the prince who ended up becoming the
overlord. That certainly made the Ribbuck and Arnos suspicious.
"Which of the two princes is currently in line for succession anyway?"
"I'm unsure. Both of them carry some modicum of magical might, but they
fluctuate by day, and are fairly evenly matched." This is getting more
annoying...
"Have either made any friends in Yulong?"
"Not that I know of. The Ribbuck estate is located along the border of Yulong
and Xenoahs, however. It wouldn't be impossible for them to make such ties.
Still, the Arnos are a family of traders. While we don't officially dabble in
international trade, we can't write them off. They could've easily made
mercantile connections with the outside."
Both of them sounded pretty suspicious to me. However, I was just getting
tired of it at this point. It would've been pretty easy if I could bring Her Holiness
the Pope over from Ramissh and use her mystic eye to quiz everyone about
whether or not they'd collaborated with Yulong. That sounded like a smart idea
to me, but I also couldn't realistically bring the pope over for something like
that. Bringing all the suspects over to Ramissh wasn't gonna cut it, either.
Maybe the storehouse has a lie detector in it or something... Well, even if
there is one, I can't really submit it as evidence.
Sakura's memories definitely confirmed that they were Yulong assassins, but
Yulong had been so thoroughly trashed that they were no longer traceable.
I wondered if they'd pipe down if it was officially announced that Sakura
wasn't going to ascend to the throne, but kind of doubted it. They'd probably
move to target the other prince, and then maybe some kind of pro-Farnese
faction would rise up. Things would get dangerous for Sakura in that case.
I wanted to take care of the situation thoroughly before taking her back to
Brunhild, but wasn't entirely sure where to start...
◇ ◇ ◇
A man slinked into a dark alley, heading toward his designated meeting point.
He was in the corner of a grimy looking warehouse street, somewhere on the
outskirts of the Demonic Capital, Xenoskull.
The particular warehouse was once owned by a powerful merchant family,
but it had long since been abandoned. It was never sold due to property
damage here and there, as the costs were simply too much to make it worth it.
The man, clad in a black hooded cape, opened up a heavy metal door and
entered the abandoned building.
Moonlight illuminated the room, shining in from a hole in the ceiling. The
place was empty. Still, the light of the moon guided the man toward his contact.
It was a man clad head to toe in black, one wearing an ornate mask.
"What's going on here. We agreed not to meet after you had taken care of
business, did we not? Or are you looking for work after what happened in
Yulong?"
"...Isn't there another target in the way?" The plump, hooded man waddled
over toward the black-clad man. He grinned at the muffled question and pulled
his hood down, exposing his fat face. He was a demonkin, or more specifically, a
creature known as a mephisto. The easiest way to tell was his blue-white hair
that glimmered in the dark.
"Well now... I'd certainly appreciate it if you removed the first prince, but
what would you demand in turn? You want us to move weapons through the
black market again?" After the man spoke, another voice bellowed out from
behind him.
"...That's it, huh? That was your deal? You gave Xenoahs weaponry to these
Yulongese men, and hired their assassins in exchange?"
The fat little man turned around in search of the voice. His eyes bulged wide
in horror when he realized who it came from.
"O-Overlord Zelgadi?!" The man staring him down was none other than the
overlord of Xenoahs. Zelgadi von Xenoahs. It was at that moment I canceled
[Mirage], revealing my true form.
"Wh-What the... You...?!"
"Eyes on me, devil boy. I arranged this. Now, let's see... Severus Arnos, right?
Seems your father is completely unaware of what you've been doing. When he
found the letter and the mask, he had no idea what they meant."
The plan was simple. I'd left two things near the possible suspects, in their
bedrooms. A letter with this address and a note saying, "We need to talk about
the last job," along with a black Yulongese mask. Then, I summoned various
mice to keep watch on the reactions.
Everyone except this man either threw the stuff away, didn't understand the
meaning, or yelled at people for pulling stupid pranks. Severus Arnos, on the
other hand, walked right into it.
He immediately stashed the mask in a drawer and crumpled the letter into his
pocket after reading it.
He was heir to the Arnos family. The merchant house that Second Prince
Farese descended from. In other words, he was Farese's uncle. And so, he
would eventually succeed the Arnos Merchant Corporation.
"Vermin... I cannot believe you were responsible. Your father is shamed by
you! Your company, your legacy! Disgraced! Just who do you think you are?"
"Y-Your Vileness! You're surely mistaken! I had nothing to do with the death
of the princess, I promise!"
"And who exactly mentioned death, I wonder? Who exactly mentioned the
princess?"
Severus completely froze in his tracks. He'd slipped up. Only a few people
knew about the situation with Sakura, and even fewer people knew about the
assassination.
Severus had a lot to gain by killing her and securing the second prince's
ascent. He'd be uncle to the overlord, after all. It'd be an enviable position, one
few merchants ever found themselves in. He'd have the ability to interfere with
political affairs. That was probably what he wanted, but there was no hope
now.
Sirius and his elite guards charged into the warehouse. The day of reckoning
had come.
"Arrest him. I'm fully entitled to pluck his eyes from his skull and skin him
alive... but we'll save the torture for when I question him."
"Yes, Your Vileness! Secure the criminal!"
Severus offered no resistance as he was surrounded by rope and hogtied.
Then, the soldiers dragged him off.
"So, we're settled now?"
"Don't be foolish, Grand Duke. Now the work truly begins. First, we need to
make Farnese's existence a matter of formal public record, lest the charges we
levy against Severus mean nothing. However, Fiana and Farnese refuse to have
anything to do with Xenoahs' royalty, which is why we must immediately
announce her divorce from my family as well."
"Uh... Then, you mean..."
"Naturally, Grand Duke, we shall formally announce your engagement." Sirius
cut right to the chase.
Well... Crap. I mean, it makes sense but... I had no way out of the situation at
all.
Touya used Escape Rope!
Professor Zelgadi: There's a time and place for everything, but not now.
It kind of felt like that sort of thing, honestly.
"Uhm, well... I-I have a few fiancees already, so..."
"Hm? So? That's not all that weird. I had two wives, myself. For men of status
like us, what's one or two brides?"
"Eight... I have eight others..."
"EIGHT?!" The overlord of Xenoahs froze in his tracks. Then, he suddenly
planted both of his hands on my shoulders and forced a smile in my direction.
His grip was... almost painful.
"My dear Grand Duke, let's have ourselves a very detailed discussion, yes? We
should be done by the morning. We're going to be seeing a lot of each other in
the future, so let's get some sake and have a nice. Long. Chat."
I was terrified. I tried to tell him I was a minor, but most countries treated
fifteen as an acceptable age to drink. He agreed not to make me drink anything,
but that didn't make me feel any better. His eyes were screaming for blood.
Touya (very frantically) used Escape Rope (again)!
Professor Zelgadi: There's a time and place for everything, but not now. Not
ever.
I was done for.
◇ ◇ ◇
Ultimately, Sakura's engagement to me was announced without a hitch. Her
existence was brought to public knowledge as well.
Severus' crimes were exposed at nearly the same time. The shock made the
second prince's grandfather, the head of the family, formally retire. He was
succeeded by his youngest daughter's husband.
In terms of Xenoahs' laws, the entire family could've been condemned for the
actions of the heir. However, the second prince took it upon himself to abandon
the throne, so the family was spared as a result.
The second prince had no interest in becoming overlord anyway, and that
might've actually been what spurred Severus into action. Speaking of him,
Severus himself was consigned to the guillotine.
I brought Fiana and Sakura with me to Brunhild afterward. It was a really long
trip, and I was really tired after talking things through with the overlord. I
swear, he was a real noisy drunk.
Yumina and the others happily accepted Sakura, and were relieved when we
all returned together.
"That means we've got all nine wives, huh? Guess there aren't any more
surprises to come."
"I am glad that every one of you is so pleasant, I am."
"Hm... But y'know, he could still take mistresses. Nothing was ever said about
that."
Elze, Yae, and Leen began chattering amongst themselves. Please don't talk
about weird crap...
Xenoahs was still isolationist, despite the engagement, but they did agree to
send individuals over to Brunhild as a show of good faith.
There was discrimination against demonkin all over the world, but the envoys
from Xenoahs would be able to work in Brunhild without any of that. I was a
little worried about the overlord using the agreement as a convenient excuse to
drop by whenever he wanted, though...
◇ ◇ ◇
"This is where I was planning on building the school."
"It's a good position. Not too far out of the town, so it'd be a good commute."
I was showing Fiana around the construction area. Old man Naito was there
too, overseeing affairs, and Kougyoku was here to keep the peace.
"We'll make a small schoolhouse to start, and then add to it from there. Ms.
Fiana, you're the sole teacher for the time being, so we don't need to start with
a large class in mind."
"That's fair. I'd like to start with around twenty students, though. I can handle
that much, at least."
Naito nodded toward Fiana while making note of the small details. This was a
crucial step in granting the children of Brunhild more freedom.
Honestly though, I already had another school in mind. Namely, an
Adventuring School. It was a facility where fledgling adventurers could come to
hone their skills. This kind of education was a matter of life or death, and I
definitely thought we should prioritize it.
I decided to talk with Guildmaster Relisha about establishing such a facility in
Brunhild.
I waved to Fiana and Naito, then took my leave. The guild was busy as ever,
since the dungeon conquest was still carrying on little by little. I was guided to
Relisha's office by the person working at the reception desk. And once there, I
explained my plan to Relisha, and she went quiet for a while. Eventually, she
spoke up.
"Sounds like an interesting idea... We'd need to think a bit more about what
would actually be taught there, but I like it in theory. It should reduce the
amount of pointless deaths, and retired veterans should be able to teach the
next generation."
"Plus, if a graduate from the school becomes a great adventurer, then that's a
solid endorsement of our effectiveness."
"You're right. Even if it's a little costly, the results should speak for
themselves. Shall we say a typical course runs between half a year and a year?"
Relisha began to scrawl notes down on a pad as she spoke. She was already
working out the overarching details, it seemed.
"We should divide the courses based on age and difficulty, as well. Let's say
one course is for people between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, one for
sixteen to twenty, and then one for twenty and up. We'd also need to teach
differently based on who's experienced in adventuring and who isn't."
"Makes sense. Let's go with that, then." I nodded in approval at Relisha's
suggestion. I mostly planned on the guild running the school anyway, so I wasn't
going to do much beyond being the idea guy. The teachers and staff would be
handled by the guild, too.
Only certain kinds of people would start adventuring after the age of twenty,
at least in my opinion. It was likely for knights or soldiers to try their hand after
retiring from army service, for example. Being an adventurer wasn't consistent
work, but had high potential for riches.
"Very well, then. I'll propose this idea at the next meeting."
"Thanks a lot. Speak to Naito when we enter the actual planning stage." I was
pretty relieved by how easily that had gone. There were a lot of things that
could be taught in an adventuring school. Effective ways to fight magic beasts,
standard things to take on an adventure, and so on.
Learning through experience was the norm in this world, but that meant a lot
of people died due to simple mistakes. Knowledge was power, and equipping
them with it before they ventured out would help humanity on a whole.
"Ah, that reminds me, Your Highness... You're engaged to a princess from
Xenoahs now?"
"Guh... Word travels fast, huh?"
Cut me some slack! Well, I guess the guild wouldn't be the guild without its
info network. This is crazy, though. I didn't think they'd have a source as far as
Xenoahs. Although Fiana never married the overlord, so Sakura technically isn't
a princess.
"Well, I have a small request."
"What do you need?"
Relisha was blunt. She wanted to open up a guild branch in Xenoahs. And she
wanted me to help arrange it somehow... I wasn't really a fan of having to meet
the overlord again, though.
That being said, if we could install a guild in Xenoahs, we'd have the ability to
detect the Phrase over there.
It wasn't like they would avoid attacking Xenoahs, so this would be beneficial
for all.
I accepted her request, but said to wait a bit, since I wanted to take Sakura
too.
Eventually, I ended up taking both Sakura and Relisha for an audience with
Overlord Zelgadi. It was approved easily, because I told Sakura to ask her dad
directly.
Then, the overlord started talking for a while, but Sakura cut him off by calling
him a bother, and he started sulking.
I looked at his depressed face and felt a little worried about having my own
daughter in the future. Thinking that the cowering man before me could be me
someday? Well... that was real terrifying.
I tried talking to Sakura about being a little nicer to him, but she just replied
with, "I'm being as nice as I can be."
Women, man... Women are terrifying.