Arc 9, Interlude – "Katya Aurélie"
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――The defeat of the Witch, Sphinx, at the Imperial Capital of Lupugana spelled the ultimate downfall of the Great Disaster.
The large-scale implementation of forbidden arts devised by the Witch was interrupted, and the dead who had been brought back to life by that twisted magic were all forced to remain in the land with a limited lifespan.
Those who had been resurrected against their will and forced to submit to the Witch's plans took the opportunity to turn themselves to dust and return to the whereabouts of the soul, but naturally, there were many who did not choose to do so.
Even if they had lost their lives and had become undead, they were still people of the Empire who knew the law of iron and blood.
Even if they had been revived through means beyond reason, so long as they could once again wield their swords, there would be many determined to uphold their will, regardless of whether they had life or not; indeed, the same fighting spirit was present among the forces surrounding the Fortified City.
However, in reality, the battle surrounding the Fortified City of Garkla was settled almost simultaneously with the conclusion of the Great Disaster, and the undead who had narrowly escaped being destroyed were forced to scatter and flee.
Just why had the hosts of undead abandoned the fight and chosen to flee? ――It was due to the collapse of the front line caused by the absence of their commander, which led to the abandonment of the battle.
The people of the Empire, who did not fear death, would not deem it acceptable to squander their lives in a battle that was sure to be lost, even if they were members of an undead army.
As for why such a situation as the absence of a commander occurred――,
???: [How, how could such a ridiculous turn of events ever come to fruition…!?]
Palladio spat out as he pulled at his own green hair, turning his gaze away from the crumbling formation.
This should have never happened. It should have never happened, but it had. All due to the absurdity that was at work in everything surrounding Palladio.
Given the role of commander of the great army of undead that had been sent to the Fortified City, Palladio sought to fulfill his duties as a respected member of the Vollachian Imperial Family.
However, Palladio's strategies were constantly thwarted by the common people of the city, and the incompetence of the undead who did not follow orders properly compounded the difficulties, leading to a dire situation.
Of course, he had no intention of giving up. However, the liabilities accumulated through absurdity began to distort, and eventually, Palladio found himself in the unfortunate situation of having to flee.
――Nay, this was no matter of fleeing.
This was an honorable withdrawal, strategic preparation in order to achieve victory. Otherwise, it would not have made sense for someone of the Vollachian Imperial Family, who had borne the blood of the esteemed Evil Eye Tribe, to have been subjected to such a fate.
Palladio: [What the hell is the "Witch of Greed"…!? Is this the ultimate result of all the grandiloquence meant to impress me…!?]
What flashed through Palladio's mind was the loathsome entity who had first collapsed amidst the accumulated liabilities. It was the anger towards the white-haired Witch who, having joined under Palladio's command and nearly turning the tide of battle, had irresponsibly abandoned her role and then vanished.
Everything up until her unleashing a decisive move to annihilate the Fortified City by casting a spell to cause a star to fall from the sky had been fine.
However, that had been nullified by interference from the Imperial Capital, and to make matters worse, it was followed by a fierce counterattack from those harboring flames in their eyes.
As far as Palladio's Evil Eye could see, all the living who had been holed up in the Fortified City―― even the helpless refugees were imbued with flames, carrying weapons, and pushing back the undead.
It had occurred immediately after that. The Witch of Greed vanished into dust without even attempting to resolve the situation.
Witch: [――Ah, yes, that is right. I, am Sphinx…]
In the end, it was infuriating that the Witch, who had disappeared without even glancing back, had left those words behind. Why did the Witch leave with such a satisfied expression?
He could not understand a single thing. On top of that, Palladio was then left at a disadvantage.
Palladio: [Damn it, damn it, damnitdamnitdamnitdamnitdamniiit…!]
While spewing out curses as if he were vomiting blood, Palladio fled the plain and took refuge in the forest.
Around the time the Witch of Greed disappeared, Palladio understood that something unusual had happened to the undead―― they who ought to have been able to resurrect ad nauseum had lost their ability to resurrect, rendering the immortal army non-functional.
Battles had a certain flow to them.
This was true of any battle. Even more so for a major war that would determine the future of the Empire.
Therefore, Palladio, sensing the change in the flow of the battle, immediately abandoned his position, taking only a few attendants with him in order to withdraw from the battlefield and make the best decision to prepare for a second attack.
Therefore, this was not an escape; it was strategic preparation in order to secure victory.
Palladio: [Today, you can go ahead and think you've won. Vincent, Prisca…!]
However, that was naught more than a temporary, conceded victory.
In this manner, Palladio would make his getaway, make his comeback, and if he achieved an undeniable victory with his next move, one that could not be overturned by any means, without the help of the Witch, then this fleeting moment would be over.
Next time, next time for sure, he would place the Vollachian Empire under the rule of a rightful Emperor.
For that purpose, Palladio had his Evil Eye.
He, having been bestowed with this eye of the heavens, would definitely assume the seat of Emperor――,
Palladio: [――――]
With that conviction in his heart, Palladio attempted to use the power of his Evil Eye to ascertain the road he ought to take, and then he realized. ――Before he could notice, not even a single member of the entourage that ought to have been accompanying him could be found.
Palladio: [What? Oi, oi!? Where did you all go!? You bastards, did you leave me behind and――]
Disappear somewhere? That rage of Palladio's was immediately painted over by a sensation akin to being doused with cold water.
For a moment, Palladio had suspected that his entourage might have irreverently abandoned him and fled, but in that case, there was no explanation as to why Palladio's Evil Eye had not perceived their fleeing backs. In that case, the reason why they had disappeared was plain and simple―― they had died.
Palladio: [――Hk.]
Feeling the sensation of goosebumps on his bloodless, undead body, Palladio promptly drew his Yang Sword. Serving as proof of the Vollachian Imperial Family, it was the destiny of those who possessed the qualifications to become Emperor, manifested in the form of a sword――.
Palladio: [――Ah.]
――The arm that had grasped it was chopped off at the elbow, and Palladio collapsed onto the ground.
Palladio: [W-wh-wha…]
Unable to grasp just what had occurred, all three of his eyes widened.
Immediately after, a shock ran through his remaining arm, causing him to lose both arms that were necessary for holding a sword in an instant. That this was the result of a surprise attack brought about by an axe, Palladio understood.
But, that was the extent of his comprehension; that alone, and naught more.
Palladio: [Why…]
The Evil Eye that made Palladio special, the eye of the heavens, why had it not perceived that surprise attack?
He did not understand, did not understand, did not understand. ――That moment, a possibility suddenly flashed through his mind.
In the past, Palladio had once heard a story.
A story about a foolish race, one that had committed an irredeemable sin, provoking the wrath of the most fearsome Emperor of the Vollachian Empire, causing them to be engraved as beings treated as abhorrent within the law of iron and blood, their existence no longer acknowledged.
Within the Empire, the mere act of living was regarded as a crime warranting death for these repulsive beastpeople――,
Palladio: [――Wai…]
???: [I won't wait.]
That cold, ruthless impact removed Palladio Manesque from the stage for the rest of eternity.
――That was the decisive blow that caused the hosts of undead surrounding the Fortified City to lose their commander, beckoning the collapse of the front that resulted in the complete and utter defeat of the Great Disaster, hidden on the underside of history.
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Making the wheels of her wheelchair creak, Katya was overwhelmed by the vastness of the room she had been allotted.
Katya: [Nii-san did say that because he became a special General, even I, as his relative, would receive special treatment, but… this is just too much…]
Looking around the spacious room, Katya's shoulders slumped at the thought of what was to come.
She had heard that, due to the effects of the Great Disaster and whatnot, it would take a long time for the Imperial Capital, where she had originally resided, to be restored; so, for the time being, the refugees from the Imperial Capital were required to disperse and reside within the Fortified City and the surrounding towns and villages.
Among them, being treated much better than the others, was Katya, her own brother being Jamal who had, through various coincidences, gained a position at the side of the Emperor, Vincent.
However, Katya was not of a disposition that sought a luxurious lifestyle, and although all sorts of luxuries had been prepared for her, she was nothing more than a girl with weak legs and poor sociability, and thus did not possess the confidence to fully revel in them.
That was why, she altogether relinquished most of these privileges.
Katya: [That lot who keep creeping closer bit-by-bit are really annoying…]
To sum it up, the Aurélie family was more or less on the fringes of the Imperial Nobility, and Katya did hold the position of being the daughter of an aristocrat. Their household did employ servants, and she was not reluctant towards being cared for by them; however, unlike before when they were just a declining noble family, Jamal's current position was quite different.
Perhaps, because of this, many were trying to curry favor with Katya in order to get into Jamal's good graces.
Because she did not care in the slightest about such trivial assumptions or external factors, the sense of distance between her and Rem was indeed quite comfortable for Katya.
Katya: […Well, there's no point in talking about a girl who's no longer here.]
For Katya, who was aware of her own difficult and troublesome personality, Rem, who was surprisingly sharp-tongued and unhesitant to plainly state what people did not want spoken, was a good match. To put it bluntly, she was Katya's first friend.
Even so, Rem, along with the man and elder sister who had come to retrieve her, had ended up having to return to the Kingdom of Lugunica.
As the day of their parting drew near, unable to bear the sight of her looking so lonely, she had ended up promising to exchange letters with her, but she had not the slightest inkling of what to write in a letter.
Katya: [But, even so, my days don't have any prospects of changing for the better…]
Only recently had there been turbulence, but otherwise, Katya's day-to-day was fundamentally flat and monotonous, with nothing special taking place, just time that felt like a slow crawl towards death.
Even if she were to write a letter to Rem in such a situation, she felt like she would not be able to write anything worthwhile. Then, before she could pen down something appropriate, their affection would deplete, the frequency of the letters would diminish, and sooner or later they would completely stop.
Such a pessimistic future, this picture was vividly emergent within Katya's mind.
Katya: [I can't, take it anymore… really, I just want to die already…]
As soon as she was by herself, being tormented by an overwhelming feeling of loneliness, Katya's mood continued to sink.
By nature, Katya was pessimistic about everything, and had a strong tendency to blame herself. Only, she had had someone by her side to hold her back from dwelling upon such things.
Until yesterday, that was Rem, and before that――,
Katya: […Idiot. Truly a stupid, stupid, stupid idiot.]
Gripping the wheels of her wheelchair firmly, Katya softly muttered in detest.
He had rudely stepped into Katya's world against her wishes, and though she had refused to draw near to him, he had overbearingly pulled her close, and after whispering all sorts of intimacies she had not wanted to hear, had selfishly disappeared.
Being reminded of that complete and utter fool, had become extremely, extremely painful.
Katya: [Ah, no, no, I don't want to cry…]
Feeling the sensation of something hot slowly welling up behind her eyelids, Katya groaned.
Rather than having to experience such misery, she should have died protecting Rem in the midst of the turmoil of that Great Disaster. If that had happened, although Rem would surely have called her an idiot, she would have remained as a thorn deep within her heart, kept unforgotten.
She would have also averted being disliked even more through clumsily written letters.
Dead people were unfair. For, after death, there was nothing more that could be said against them.
Therefore, Katya refused to tolerate such unfairness, and spoke ill of the dead.
Katya: [Idiot, stupid idiot, stupid, stupid idiot, idiooot…!]
Such attempts at seeking revenge, or venting anger upon them, would only backfire.
To continue speaking ill of someone who had died, so long as one continued speaking ill of them, it would mean none other than the fact that they were continuing to think about that person.
As a result, not only did those tears well up, but even her nose had begun to feel irritated and sting.
Surely, if she were to look into the mirror, an unbelievably clumsy woman with a bad attitude sitting in a wheelchair would be visible.
Katya: [No more… I don't want to see anyone…]
Blurting that out, Katya spun her wheelchair around and steered it towards the bed.
Although it might have been bad manners, she wanted to collapse onto the bed without undoing the braids in her hair, or changing her clothes, and just lie there until she starved to death. Of course, she was not capable of starving to death. After all, once hungry, she would surely give up on starvation, and eat something while sniffing her runny nose the same as ever.
Even so, being in this kind of mood, the idea of wanting to sob while thinking about someone――,
Katya: [――? Who is it?]
Just as she was about to move her wheelchair towards the bed, there was a knock at the door from outside.
Although she felt like it was bad timing, she was hesitant to ignore it and head for the bed. Presently, everyone was in a difficult situation with delays in communication and problems arising in various places. Katya throwing a trivial tantrum here, might have prevented someone from getting something done on time.
Manifesting the earnestness that was at her core, Katya headed toward the door.
For a moment, she was unsure of what ought to be done, knowing that she must have had a terrible look on her face, but it was truly for just a moment. Not caring about what anyone might think, Katya reached for the door.
And then――,
Katya: [Yes, who is it…?]
Having said this, Katya slowly opened the door, and――,
Katya: [――Ah]
From her slender throat, a weak, raspy breath escaped.
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???: [――Thank you for your hard work, Escort General Jamal.]
Jamal: [Yeah, you too.]
The Imperial Soldier gave way with a firm salute, and Jamal's mouth twisted into a smile as he returned the gesture.
The title of "Escort General" that he had been addressed by referred to a special rank of General created specifically for Jamal, who had been recognized for his contributions fighting by the side of Emperor Vincent during the recent great battle. [1]
The role was a prestigious one, serving as Vincent's personal bodyguard. ――To Jamal, who originally aspired to be a General in pursuit of the Aurélie family's prosperity, this was a desired position.
Now, Jamal could prove himself superior to those who laughed at him for not knowing his place, and most importantly, he could provide a good life for Katya, who could not survive without the support of those around her.
Katya, who was passive about everything and did not recognize her own worth, would dislike such arrangements by Jamal, but she was still precious family to him, them being a lone brother and sister.
Despite what she might have said, he knew Katya would not be able to refuse.
Jamal: [Damn it, even though she said this kinda meddling from her older brother really wasn't needed.]
Expressing his frustration, which he had no outlet for, Jamal's footsteps moved towards Katya.
Ever since Jamal's promotion to Escort General, Katya, as his relative, had also received treatment that was different from that of ordinary imperial citizens.
For the time being, it was just a temporary residence until the reconstruction of the Imperial Capital progressed, but given the hardships they had been through, he wanted to make sure that Katya lived comfortably without any inconveniences.
The girl who was Katya's friend, who had been staying with her for a while, had ended up returning to the Kingdom.
Right about now would be a reasonable time for Katya to grieve.
Jamal: [And once she's done with that, I'll bring out the booze and meat I've been saving.]
With that said, Jamal shook the bottle of liquor and the bag of high-grade meat he had retrieved from the stockpile with his authority as a General, and thought about how to comfort Katya.
Slurping down first-rate alcohol while sinking his teeth into a perfectly grilled thick cut of meat.
That was Jamal's way of dealing with grief.
Jamal: [Katya, you there? It's me.]
Knocking on the door, Jamal called out to Katya, who was supposedly in her room.
Katya had a hard time going out on her own and thus spent most of her time holed up in her room unless she had something going on. So, she should have been doing the same at that moment.
However, there was no response from inside the room, and Jamal furrowed his brows in suspicion.
Jamal: [You sleeping or something? Oi, I'm coming in.]
Since it was not unusual for Katya to sulk and sleep like she was dead, Jamal opened the door without worrying and stepped into her room.
In the bedroom, which was still bare without much of a lived-in impression since she had just moved in, Jamal looked around, suspicious of the fact that there was no sign of anyone around.
Jamal: [Katya?]
Sure enough, there were no figures present in the bedroom as he peeked in.
As a matter of fact, Katya could not be found anywhere in the room. And, in the moment that Jamal wondered if he might have missed her going out, which was unusual.
――He noticed a letter that had been placed on the desk in the bedroom.
Jamal: [――――]
The letter, which had initially been outside of his awareness, intensely captured Jamal's attention. There was nothing strange about the letter itself. What was peculiar was what had been placed next to it.
Present there, still vivid in Jamal's memories, was a bandana worn by a certain man――.
Jamal: [――Hk.]
He eagerly reached for the letter, tore open the seal messily, and glanced over the contents.
Written there, was the fine handwriting of the weak Katya, accompanied by a strong, contrasting handwriting; a marriage registration.
Jamal: [――That, fucking bastard!]
The moment Jamal realized the intent of the marriage registration, such a curse escaped from his mouth.
Contrary to his harsh words, he could not hide the relief and joy he felt, as well as the complicated feelings of a brother who had his cherished younger sister taken away by an odious friend.
Jamal: [Ha, hahaha, HAAAHAHAHAHA!!]
To top it all off, Jamal put his palm to his face and started laughing hysterically in front of the letter. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed so much that tears streamed from the eye covered by his eyepatch.
That it was one of the few times tears of blessing were shed in an Empire that had seen so many tears of farewell, would not be recorded anywhere in the history books of the Empire.
However, it was a fact that here on this very day, a marriage had taken place. Between a vanished noblewoman and a scoundrel, who had taken her away. And to that, a lone General gave his blessing.
――After this, the whereabouts of Katya Aurélie became unknown.
However, the fact that this was not something to be pessimistic about was evidenced by the unceasing arrival of letters to her only friend, and by the absence of a single hint of sadness or unhappiness in the words therein written.
Translation Notes:
[1] – Jamal's title of Escort General (親将) is a pun on Divine General (神将) with both being read as shinshou. However, Jamal's title more refers to how he is close to Vincent as his personal guard.