War.
The weight of that word was too heavy.
"Who the hell are we going to war with?"
Elric quickly changed his clothes and hurried out of the room, with Sean following closely behind.
"I don't know. But the rumors say…!"
Sean, noticing the grim faces of King Velence and Prime Minister Norus trailing behind them, swiftly cast a message spell and whispered:
[Margrave Wynz.]
"...What?"
Elric's expression hardened, thinking he had misheard.
But Sean's serious face showed no signs of softening, and Elric soon realized it was the truth.
Margrave Wynz.
It was a place Elric was very familiar with.
In fact, it was impossible not to know it.
It was more famously known by another name.
The House of the Red Lion.
One of the four pillars that supported the Empire, the Lion Duchy. And now, one of its eight vassals was rebelling…?
Especially the Red Lion House, which governed the military colony (Mark, a border province), was renowned for its elite soldiers, responsible for defending the borders.
If such a place had risen in rebellion… this couldn't be taken lightly.
The problem was why such a loyal house would suddenly rebel.
No matter how much Elric thought about it, there seemed to be no reason at all.
However, there was nothing more to be learned here at the moment.
[The Imperial Family plans to officially declare Margrave Wynz an enemy of the Empire by today. They're also summoning the Hexagram of the Magic Tower.]
[So they think other lions might join forces, huh?]
[Probably. That's why they want us to handle it.]
[Something feels off.]
[I agree.]
As the power of the Magic Tower and the Lion Duchy had been growing, the Imperial Family's attempts to keep them in check were becoming more blatant.
When they had a common enemy called demons, they had worked together, but now that the demon threat had vanished, internal tensions had been festering.
So, even though the Magic Tower and the Lion Duchy officially supported the Imperial Family, they kept a certain distance, and the tension between them was rising.
In the midst of this, an incident occurred in a place that had previously been without trouble?
Naturally, suspicion was the first thing that came to mind.
Especially since neither Sean nor Elric held a particularly favorable view of the Imperial Family.
[What's their justification? Even the Imperial Family wouldn't declare someone an enemy without a reason.]
[They're accusing them of colluding with the demons.]
[What?]
Elric's steps halted suddenly.
[And the bigger issue is…]
[What else is there?]
[The one leading this move is the Crown Prince.]
[…Now it's not just suspicious, it stinks.]
Elric frowned deeply.
Given that the Crown Prince and the Fourth Inspection Bureau had been chasing Gregory, it was strange that such a proclamation was made now.
It seemed urgent for them to return to the Empire as quickly as possible.
***
The next day.
Elric and his group were ready to depart as soon as daylight broke.
"We haven't done anything for you yet… and now we must leave like this. Unlike you, we haven't done anything at all for you…"
The person most saddened by this was, of course, King Velence.
He clung to Elric and Heize' hands for a long time, unwilling to let go.
And understandably so. To him, Elric was a benefactor, and Heize was like an older sister.
Having lost his father early and taken the throne at a young age, King Velence had rarely met such people in his life.
And now, as the leader of the newly formed Beastmen Alliance, his opportunities to meet people like them would be even rarer.
Though he wanted to ask them to stay a few more days, he knew their circumstances and couldn't bring himself to say it.
"What are you talking about? And do you think you owe us a debt? If so, you don't have to pay it back right away."
Elric knelt down on one knee and looked into King Velence's eyes, which were brimming with tears.
He found the sight so endearing that he couldn't help but smile.
He thought the boy had matured, but it seemed he was still just a child.
But knowing it wouldn't be appropriate to show such a reaction in this atmosphere, Elric suppressed his laughter.
Instead, he met King Velence's gaze directly.
Though still young, the fierce gaze of Tiger King Yul, which had left a strong impression on Elric, was clearly present in this boy.
Tiger Eyes.
The eyes of a tiger could subdue all things and make them kneel.
Elric hoped those eyes would fully develop in time.
"In that case, repay me later. With plenty of interest. Will that do?"
King Velence, who had been about to speak, closed his lips and nodded heavily, his eyes resolute.
"Yes. I will. I'll make sure I can stand by your side, Elric. Is that enough?"
Elric smirked.
"Yes. That's the wise decision."
With that, Elric climbed into the carriage, promising to see King Velence again someday.
To have the ruler of the Black Snowfield as an ally for his family?
There could be no greater strength.
Elric thought of it as a long-term investment, a legacy passed down from his ancestors, including his grandfather.
Preserving and growing that legacy—that was his duty as the current head of the family.
And then.
"…Will we meet again?"
As he watched the carriage depart, King Velence turned to Prime Minister Norus, his voice trembling slightly.
Norus nodded calmly.
"The Melvinger family sought us out before. Next time, we will visit them. And by then, the Melvingers will have regained their place as one of the Empire's greatest houses, so we must ensure we are strong enough not to be left behind. There's much work ahead."
King Velence nodded firmly.
He, too, understood that he must work tirelessly from now on to stand beside Elric, who would rise to even greater heights.
Resolving to keep his emotions in check, King Velence turned away, biting his lip.
"Today's meeting for the reformation of the Beastmen Alliance is set. I was thinking of bringing this matter up there…."
Following behind him, Prime Minister Norus thought to himself.
This young king seems to have grown quite a bit overnight.
***
[Are you really leaving?]
[Already?]
[Stay and play a little longer.]
[Yeah, yeah! We didn't even finish saying goodbye, why are you leaving so soon?!]
King Velence wasn't the only one saying goodbye.
Elric had made a brief stop at the Temple of Flowers to return the God of Camellias, and upon hearing the news, the gods of the Winter Flowers clung to his sleeves, unwilling to let him go.
But it wasn't just the gods of the Winter Flowers.
Spring, Summer, Autumn… Elric had visited each of the greenhouses and dispelled the lingering cold that had kept the gods dormant. Awakened after centuries, they filled their temples with fragrant blooms.
To them, Elric wasn't just the one who freed them from their long slumber but the benefactor who had taken away the oppressive 'winter.'
Naturally, the gods of the Winter Flowers didn't want him to leave.
The God of Daffodils even had tears welling up like dewdrops in her eyes.
It took Elric quite some time to free himself from their grasp.
When did they regain so much strength? Despite their small forms, they had become remarkably strong. If he had stayed any longer, they might have turned him into a permanent fixture in the temple.
Luckily, it was the God of Camellias who saved him.
[I'll take care of these brats, so you should go on your way.]
"Will you be alright? That sounds like quite a task."
[I said I'd handle it. Who's going to object to that?]
The God of Camellias crossed her arms, snorted lightly, then smirked mischievously.
[But if you're worried, how about this: why don't you become my concubine? I told you before, I don't offer twice, but I'll make an exception this time. It's a great opportunity, you know?]
"Thank you for the offer, but I'll have to decline."
[Hmph! You'll regret that choice soon enough, mark my words.]
"Until next time, then."
With that, Elric managed to leave the Temple of Flowers safely, bidding farewell to the God of Camellias.
And then.
Thud!
He collapsed onto the carriage seat, utterly exhausted.
『Looks like the flower beggars really gave you a hard time.』
Mephistopheles chuckled, amused by Elric's worn-out appearance.
Elric, too tired to respond, let the laughter wash over him. Then something occurred to him, and he turned to Mephistopheles.
[Where were you last night? I looked everywhere, but you were nowhere to be found.]
『Do I need to report my every move to you now?』
[If you lose me and can't find me, it'll be your loss.]
『...I was out for a walk.』
Elric narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
[With the God of Camellias?]
『...It just happened that way.』
[Wait, you two are involved? Since when?]
『I knew I shouldn't have said anything! It's not like that, so stop jumping to conclusions!』
[You're getting defensive, which makes it even more suspicious.]
『I said it's not like that!』
[Alright, alright. Just tell me. When did it start? I didn't notice anything... Oh, was it while I was handling the arrangement? I heard a few days passed here while I was away. In that time, I guess it's possible to… Oh, but you two used to bicker all the time, when did it turn into romance so quickly…?]
『You! You never listen, do you?!』
Mephistopheles gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed by Elric's relentless teasing.
Sensing that pushing further might actually upset him, Elric backed off with a sly smile.
[So, there's really nothing going on?]
『How many times must I tell you?! I have no interest in those who sit on some divine throne!』
Elric didn't miss the intense anger and disdain in Mephistopheles' voice.
Anger, yes—but disdain?
Elric had an inkling of why.
'Come to think of it, wasn't the God of Camellias originally a Demon Queen who turned into a god? From Mephisto's perspective, she might seem like a traitor.'
Of course, there was no need to bring that up.
[Right. Like a guy who got rejected by the Ice Mountain King could charm a queen.]
『You little…!』
[So why were you walking with her, then?]
Though Mephistopheles was still clearly annoyed, he knew the matter at hand was important for both Elric and himself, so he couldn't avoid it.
『The celestial energy has shifted.』
[Celestial energy?]
A completely unexpected term.
Elric blinked, confused, then let out a chuckle.
[You're a fortune-teller now? What's this about…]
『Did you think the title of Demon King, or the Great Demon King, was something one could achieve easily? Even if I've lost my power, I still possess all the knowledge and insight I've accumulated over the years.』
[Alright, enough with the side stories. What's the main point?]
『A shooting star passed through the constellation of the Snake. As a result, the flow of celestial energy has been disrupted.』
[And this is bad, how?]
『The Snake symbolizes greed and desire, but because it sheds its skin, it also represents revival. When the snake bites its own tail, it becomes the symbol of natural cycles. So what do you think happens when a star falls on its head?』
[Revival and cycles… stop?]
『It signifies a severance. And also, the birth of something new.』
[Give me the short version.]
『…I believe that the flow of celestial energy is reversing.』
[Reversing?]
『In simpler terms… the great course of history has been altered.』
[...!]
Something suddenly clicked in Elric's mind.
The diary of Yul the Tiger King he had borrowed from King Velence.
『A great will seems to be at work, but I have no idea what it is.』
[….]
Elric pressed his lips together. He had a gut feeling that saying the wrong thing here could be dangerous.
A great will.
For some reason, that phrase weighed heavily on Elric.
『That's why we were discussing how this shift in celestial energy might affect the future. It took longer than expected, but that's all.』
[So what's the verdict? Is this fortune telling good or bad news for me?]
Elric tried to mask his tension with a playful tone as he waited for Mephistopheles' answer.
And Mephistopheles slowly began to speak.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]