— Leon Greyrat —
After a very tumultuous night, I had found myself back in Ariel's capital residence, lying in bed with the pregnant princess to my left, and Sylphy on my right, both cuddled against me.
With such a stressful day put behind us, there was no better way to recuperate.
"Leon… I just want to thank you again," Sylphy whispered from my side, squeezing her arms that were wrapped around my torso. "We have been planning for this for so long… and you helped us so much with achieving our goal. So… thank you."
"Of course, Sylphy," I said, turning my head to kiss her forehead. "Besides, Ariel is my wife, or at least soon to be, so it was only obvious I would help."
I smiled at the way Ariel hummed happily at my side.
I guess she wasn't asleep, even if she tried pretending to be.
"Besides, even without helping you two, this had some benefits for me as well," I said, looking back up at the ceiling. "Not only will I be able to help make Asura a better place, but I also got a chance to get revenge for what was in the diary. Oh, and this goes against the Man-God as well."
Sylphy lightly shook her head, her silver locks tickling my neck.
"Still… I'm thankful regardless," she said softly as she laid her head to rest on my shoulder.
With her seemingly falling into a slumber, I then turned my head over to Ariel.
Right… there was one thing I was worried about ever since we came back from the royal palace.
"Uh… I know we agreed on it beforehand… but will there be any trouble with, well… what I did?" I asked.
The so-called 'Great Purge'… I was a bit worried about the implications that such a thing would bring with such a violent succession to the throne.
"Hm? No… it will be fine," she replied, seemingly abandoning her fake state of sleep. "In fact, this way I can reorganize the nobility and governmental positions with ease, granting the kingdom better efficiency, and my rule more legitimacy. Though, I would like to bring Aisha over for her aide before making too many decisions."
I guess so…
"Okay, but… won't you seem like a tyrant? Especially when I did it so openly…" I said, a bit of concern in my tone.
"If it was anyone else, perhaps that may be so. But don't you remember my original strength?" she said, lightly kissing my neck. "I am known for my charisma, especially concerning the general populace, so they will absolutely follow me in spite of that. And as for the remaining nobles… well, that purge will only benefit them, either morally or for greed, and since they are considered in my good graces, they will be sure to maintain their support. Especially with Perugius' influence now in play."
Ah… well, I should have expected Ariel to know that everything would be fine.
"Indeed… overall, everything went very well," she said, humming to herself. "It still feels like a dream, in some ways… but I should thank you once again for making it a reality, my dear Leon."
And with a kiss to my cheek, she also rested her head on my chest, her breaths slowing as she eventually fell asleep.
Yes… she was right, everything had gone well.
Almost… too well.
I had expected Luke to be an apostle, as I knew he could be influenced due to the diary, and he was also a vital part of Ariel's camp… but that didn't end up happening.
Considering the timing, the Man-God had to have known about the pregnancy and some of our moves, but perhaps that was just Darius using his information network?
I wasn't sure… but I did know one thing.
The Man-God… he was sloppy this time around.
Compared to the meticulous planning he used to take down Oldeus and his family, this was the work of a child throwing away his toys.
Even with the Water God's intervention, if I wasn't able to defeat her, then the Man-God should have known that Orsted was there to end her in my stead… so why was she the only real obstacle?
Was he not able to influence another powerful fighter?
But either way, with two of his apostles being Darius and the Water God, he still left the last one open rather than using it against us.
It was almost… almost as if he didn't care about the Asura Kingdom, even though it was vital for his future defeat.
Or, at least, was supposed to be.
While I was initially confused about what Orsted meant by the Man-God 'losing power' with Ariel on the throne, I could now somewhat understand the situation.
Before, Darius was under the Man-God's spell, which meant that he had access to essentially the entire kingdom, and that would have continued if the First Prince had won the battle for the throne.
But now, with Ariel not being able to be manipulated by him, the Man-God had no control over the most powerful nation in the world, and with our kids being so important to the Man-God's fated downfall, they must use their position as royalty in the future to their advantage.
So… why did it seem as if the Man-God was unconcerned with this?
No… thinking back, back to when the Man-God had first made his move against me with Darius' influence, the assassins had aimed for Ariel and me.
If my children were truly the cause of his defeat, then why didn't he aim for the house?
If the North Emperor Auber was keeping me busy in the meantime, it would have definitely been possible.
And then with him leading Rudy to convince me to fight the Dragon God, in the end, everything was aimed at…
"Me…" I voiced out, my neutral pondering expression shifting to a wide smirk.
Was that it?
Rather than seeing my kids killing him, maybe the Man-God had actually seen me killing him?
Well… if that was the case… then perhaps I really was acting according to this 'fate'.
But if the Man-God was not caring about the distant future… then he must be preparing for the near future instead.
I would have to be careful, and just as always, get stronger.
— Ariel Anemoi Asura —
A week had passed since the banquet of royal candidates, the so-called 'Great Purge of Asura', completed by my lovely Leon.
With the second prince, Halfaus Asura, having his faction destroyed, and him not having any desire to be king in the first place, he quickly fled the nation following that night, not having being seen since then for quite a while.
Meanwhile, my oldest brother, Grabell Zafin Asura, had fled the city following that terrifying night, only to unfortunately meet his end on the road, with a hole drilled through his torso.
I was planning on letting him run around so that the remaining rats could unite under one banner before wiping them out in one swift movement, but I suppose that someone had other plans.
But that wasn't important.
With my two brothers pulling out of the race for succession, and my father's illness becoming too debilitating to ignore, there was only one obvious solution for the stability of the kingdom.
"Now! Under the light of the sun, I hereby pronounce Ariel Anemoi Asura the Queen of Asura! May her everlasting reign lead us to continuous proper!"
"Long live the Queen!"
With the cheers of the crowd from below the ceremonial balcony where we stood echoing through the street, I felt the corner of my mouth lift as the crown was gently placed upon my head, signifying the final stage of my ascension.
Finally… after all that trouble… and all that pain… I had finally fulfilled my promise.
Those who had fallen before me… my dear mage Derrick who sacrificed his life for the stupid, unambitious me of the past… can you see me now?
I truly hope so.
Because now… I was truly the Queen of Asura, just as I had intended, and just as what those that had left me had died for.
Now… I could finally give their sacrifices meaning.
And that was all thanks to him…
Turning my head, I watched as Leon stepped forward, his hand stretched outward as our fingers intertwined.
Yes… with him, I felt like I could do anything.
He was my strength, my love, and my joy.
Past my ambition and past promises, he, along with Sylphy, Aria, Anna, Roxy… this wonderful family of mine… they were my everything.
To think that I of all people would attain such genuine love and happiness… if someone had told me this just five years ago, I would have laughed in their faces.
But this really was reality… and what a beautiful reality it was.
"And now! Along with the crowning of our new queen, we shall now introduce the new king, as the two bind themselves in marriage!"
With the announcer stating the next half of this ceremony, I then turned to face Leon, with the man himself staring at me as our hands held each other's, his expression as soft as the day that he married the other three.
Yes… this man, who had been my lover for nearly the past year, was now to be my husband.
Ah… it really was such a beautiful day.
With the sun shining overhead, the clouds peppering the blue sky, and a soft breeze brushing through my hair, it truly was the picturesque scene for a royal wedding.
I wonder… did he ensure it was this way?
I know magicians were cautioned not to affect the weather, but knowing Leon, he would absolutely not heed that warning if it was for the sake of my happiness.
The thought caused a warmth to blossom in my chest.
That striking gold hair with the streak of silver tucked behind his ear, his face that was so soft and gentle, a light stubble spread across the lower half of his face while his cheeks swelled up with his smile.
And those eyes… those damn brown eyes that were so warm, so genuine, so… so loving.
It was too much.
That loving gaze that I had always looked upon with envy… to see it directed at me… well, even with my difficult past, I couldn't help but feel I was the luckiest woman alive.
Indeed… I'd like to think I was.
While others would disagree, especially with the fact that Leon had three other wives, for me… well, that was just a bonus.
Such were the perks of enjoying the female body in bed.
But he… this man was to be my husband, and the life in my belly was to be our child… I nearly began to giggle happily at the thought.
I was so entranced with the spectacle of him, that I didn't even register the necklace of Millis being placed around my neck, nor the raucous cheers of the crowd as he recited his vows of love until it was eventually my turn.
"And you, Ariel Anemoi Asura, the Queen of the Asura Kingdom. Will you vow to love Leon Greyrat until his death, working together for the sake of the prosperity of the kingdom?"
The usual Millis speech of loving only each other had been cut out for… obvious reasons, but it was still an exciting thing to hear nonetheless.
Even if we didn't need to marry to confirm our love, it really did have quite the romantic feel to it.
"I do," I declared.
"Then, you may now perform the final act, binding you two in marriage, as he will then become Leon Anemoi Greyrat!"
Yes… there was that tradition as well.
'Anemoi' was the middle name for whoever were the members of the current royal family, and to be used as a last name once they lost the succession.
Not that it often happened, as losing would nearly always result in death.
But that would continue no longer.
My royal family would be happy and loving, just as I had always wished for, and 'Anemoi' will once again be used for it's intended purpose.
Well… perhaps not, as our children who did not take the crown will probably just take the Greyrat name… but that was beside the point.
Either way, nodding my head, I gently grabbed Leon's head as he leaned down, and performing the ceremonial kiss on his forehead, the marriage ceremony was complete, evidenced by the necklace hung around my neck and the cheers from below.
Haa… this felt amazing… the heat… the warmth… the love… the excitement…
Well, I was the Queen, right?
So even if it was considered improper… I should be able to do what I want, just like Eris did.
And so, reaching up to wrap my arms around his neck, I quickly pulled Leon's head back down as our lips connected in a deep kiss, his eyes widening in surprise until he relaxed, his hands wrapping around my white dress as we continued to passionately kiss.
Ah… and how his hands lowered to tease my rear… in front of all these people that respected me…
Well, I was certainly wet now.
Perhaps I could have him take me to the heights of pleasure tonight?
Haa… as good as that sounded, that might have to wait until later.
After all, there was something more important to discuss after this was finished.
Eventually separating from him, I planted a gentle kiss on his cheek before I whispered into his ear. "Leon… now that this is over, I would like to have a meeting with the Dragon God."
He was the one who my now husband would be fighting with, no?
And he was also the one who advised Leon to aid me in the throne, even if it was unneeded.
With our shared goal of finishing the Man-God… well, it was only right to greet him.
Leon nodded his head as I then rested my chin on his shoulder, the two of us embracing in a loving hug as the crowd continued to cheer from below, chanting both of our names with glee.
Yes… I was certainly the luckiest woman in the world.
— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —
"Ariel Anemoi Asura… to think you would come meet me," Orsted said, calm and composed as ever.
"Ah! Y-Yes… indeed… a pleasure to make your acquaintance," my newest wife said, bowing down in a curtsy.
"…Same to you," he returned.
Wow… the only other wife of mine to have met Orsted was Eris, albeit briefly, and even she was left shivering until I held her hand, but Ariel seemed nearly unaffected.
"D-Darling," she whispered, clutching my arm. "I believe I may have wetted myself. Can you help in changing me after this?"
…Never mind.
She was just good at hiding how affected she was.
And she was just as perverted as ever.
Well, I don't really mind anymore.
If anything, I simply found it endearing, even if it was a little… odd.
But unlike my queen here, I would unfortunately not feel a hint of arousal from her urine.
"A-Anyway, I believe you vouched for my cause, and even contributed in dealing with some other parties away from the banquet… in short, you supported my path to the throne," Ariel said, regaining her vigour. "So, Orsted the Dragon God… what is it that you want from me?"
Orsted looked at her calmly for a few moments.
"Nothing. I only ask that you remain as queen and rule as you see fit, though I do advise for you to focus on magical developments in the future, using your connections gained in Ranoa," he said. "Ah… and I believe Leon has already told you, but concerning the Man-God… be careful with his apostles. Especially now that you bear his child."
"Y-Yes… I will be sure to," she said.
And with that, an awkward silence descended on the room.
"Umm… so there is nothing else that is needed from me?" Ariel asked.
"No… especially if Leon's plan works, as dangerous as it may be… but there is nothing I specifically need from you, Ariel Anemoi Asura. And I would prefer if you left for the upcoming conversation," he said, looking at me.
…Oh.
"I see… well, don't take too long, Leon," she said, turning to the door.
I guess even if she wanted to meet the Dragon God, this was enough for her, seeing as the man had nothing to talk to her about.
Besides, the curse must have been quite frightening.
"Are you fine getting back?" I asked.
"Of course. Sylphy is waiting outside, so I will be fine," she said, smiling.
However… I could see the smallest bit of pain behind that smile, and it was obvious why.
Luke Notos Greyrat… he hadn't talked with us much since the banquet, and he had departed yesterday to his family home to take up the title of the Notos family head, leaving Ariel behind after rescinding his title as her knight.
She must have been sad to lose a friend, especially in such a way… but I think that things would calm down eventually.
Or at least I hope they would.
And so, with her giving me a chaste kiss, she then left out the door, her legs pressed together a bit tighter than usual, likely due to her little accident.
"Now that we are alone… I believe I should reveal something to you. Sit," Orsted said, motioning to the open chair in front of me.
Taking a hesitant seat, I watched as Orsted tapped his finger against the table a few times, seemingly pondering over his thoughts.
"I… cannot read fate," he suddenly said.
Well… that was quite a way to open the conversation.
So had he been lying all this time?
"Rather, using an ancient magic of my people, I regress back in time, resetting the world, and have already done so many times before. That is how I know so much, and where the deception of reading fate stems from," he said, looking at me. "Now that we will be working together, and on a path I am unfamiliar with, I find it privy to mention this to you. Do be sure to keep this a secret."
"Uhh… right," I said, nodding.
I was a little stunned.
To think there was such a technique…
But then again, Rudeus had found a way to reverse time with magic, even if it was a little… flimsy, so this wasn't entirely surprising.
And it also explained the oddly familiar tone he took with so many people, and how surprised he was with me being 'different' from what he had expected.
I wasn't someone different from what he read, but different from the person he had experienced countless times before.
"But then again, this world has been different for a while now, even without your fight against Laplace," he then said.
Huh?
"Different how?" I asked dumbly.
"The Displacement Incident," he said. "That never occurred in any of my past lives, nor did Nanahoshi and Rudeus Greyrat appear. And you… your path was different even before then, though I do not know why nor what had changed."
Huh… that was… surprising.
So that means that Oldeus' timeline from the diary was an entirely different from the world, or past worlds, that Orsted had lived through.
Interesting… I don't know if that's better or worse.
But more importantly…
"Can you… tell me about myself?" I asked, raising my head.
My family that I loved so much… he said that my path was different even before the Displacement Incident, so… was I with Mama and everyone else?
Or… was I abandoned, like what had likely happened in the diary that had no mention of my name.
Or… or even…
"My mother… do I live with her?" I asked.
Perhaps I live a normal life, with my birth mother… the life of a common villager.
Maybe I would be smarter due to my Miko powers, but other than that… would I still have a happy family?
"Hm? No. Your mother, Alice, is always fated to die," he said emotionlessly. "Sometimes it is earlier, due to bandits, or later, due to illness, and the time of her death dictates your path… but she is fated to die all the same."
My heart felt… odd.
I was of course upset that my dear mother was fated to die in every world that Orsted had seen and had never lived a normal life with her child, but another part of me… another part of me was glad.
Glad that I hadn't messed anything up with how I did things and somehow made her life end prematurely.
Was it bad to think that way?
Perhaps… but I couldn't stop myself.
And that led me to my other question.
"My paths… what are they?" I asked.
Orsted shifted in his seat.
"When she dies earlier… you are either kidnapped by bandits or taken to an orphanage by passing adventurers. Eventually, once you grow older, you escape or leave in the respective cases and become an adventurer," he said.
Oh… passing adventurers… that must be Mama and the others… but I was dropped off at an orphanage instead, huh?
I had expected it, but it still hurt.
I briefly wondered what had made it so that they took care of me instead, like in my life, but I decided to shelve those thoughts until later.
"In this path, you quickly become a Saint-rank swordsman, diving into labyrinths where you eventually meet Roxy Migurdia and Sylphiette Dragonroad, forming a party for a while before eventually leaving for the Strife Zone," he said. "It was… amusing, to see the three of you connected again. In fact… well, all four of your current wives are connected to you in some way in the past worlds."
My face lifted at that.
But wait.
If Rudy was an 'anomaly' like the Displacement Incident, then…
"R-Roxy and Sylphy… who did they eventually marry?" I asked.
Orsted lifted his eyebrow. "They… do not find a romantic partner. But in Roxy Migurdia's case, you had made… quite the impression, I suppose. Though her affections were not returned."
…I needed to find these other me's who decided to not be with Roxy and give them a stern talking to.
After all, she was much too expressive to be able to hide any of her love.
"Moving on, you go to the Strife Zone with the goal to destroy the chaos happening there and eventually establish the nation of Rakaz, leading it as you become a North King," he said. "After some time passes, you eventually die alone, while Rakaz crumbles in your absence due to you not leaving any children and the subsequent power vacuum of your death."
"I see… so that was the me you were referring to when we first met? 'Leon of Rakaz'?" I asked.
"Yes… I assumed as such due to you being away from the Asura Kingdom, as well as the rumours of the new stable nation being formed in the Strife Zone," he said. "But it seems that my assumptions were misplaced."
Ah… well, that explained it.
"Thank you for answering… and what of the other me? The one where my mother lives longer?" I asked, leaning forward on the table in interest.
A life where my mother lives a bit longer, not dying due to some bandit, but rather by something a bit more natural.
"Yes… as you know, she eventually dies of illness, and with the basic swordsmanship you had learned in your youth, you decide to leave for the capital," he said. "There, you join the Water God school where you quickly become a Water King, and around this time, you become Ariel Anemoi Asura's guard and eventual husband. Ironic, considering the current circumstances…"
Huh… wow, that was…
Well, needless to say, the seeds of doubt that had lingered after my wives' talk with me about the diary had been extinguished, knowing I was connected to them even in another timeline.
Wait… he did say I was connected to all of my wives, right?
"And what about Eris?" I asked.
"Ah, right… well, she eventually fell in love with Luke Notos Greyrat and became Ariel's guard alongside you," he said. "You two had an… interesting relationship. One of friendship and mutual understanding, as well as camaraderie."
…Well, that wasn't very nice to hear.
I had hoped for the best when he said I was connected to her, but to think she married Luke… yeah, that wasn't a pleasant thought at all.
So let's quickly move on from that.
"I see… thank you for the information," I said.
"No need. It was… intriguing, to see how different you are this time around. You were one of the few that could become an apostle of the Man-God and give me some trouble, so it was prudent for me to know your story and whereabouts," he said, before he lightly chuckled. "However, it is ironic how you ended up meeting Paul Greyrat, considering how you always wished to find your father in the past loops. While I could never confirm, I believe that information was the bait that the Man-God used to influence you."
I felt my mind come to a stop.
"Wait… Paul is my father? As in… my birth father?" I asked slowly.
"Hm? Why yes, that is true. I can only assume that is where your impressive talent with the sword comes from," he said.
I swallowed down my disbelief.
"How… how do you know?" I asked.
Actually, past my father, how did he know so much about my youth, when I was only a child that had no chance to trouble him?
Orsted's face formed an awkward frown. "Well… I had told you about looking into your story due to being a future enemy… so I needed to know of your origins… as well as experiment how much I could affect your existence with the minimal amount of effort."
Ah… I see.
I guess he tried to see if he could cut me out of the world before I could become a problem.
But Paul… he really was my father, huh?
Ironic… it really was damn ironic, just like Orsted had said, but I had somewhat expected it.
Ignoring the swordsmanship talent, as I had grown older and lost some of my softer features that were reminiscent of my mother, I had gained even more features that were similar to my father… to Paul.
But I had brushed aside the thought by thinking it would have been some passing Asuran nobility that was entranced by Alice, and that I would be related to Paul, but distantly so.
But alas… that wasn't the case.
I was actually his son.
I felt conflicted.
On one hand, I was happy to know that I was related to my family, even though their treatment had rarely, if ever, caused me to have doubts in our bond that shared no blood.
But on the other… I was pissed.
For him to have abandoned my mother like that… well, he would have been sixteen when he did so, and he was an idiot, so I doubt he even knew…
But still, it left a horrible taste in my mouth.
But one thing was for certain… I would need to have a long talk with him once I got back home.
"If you have no more questions, we should move on… Now that Ariel Anemoi Asura has ascended to the throne, it is only right to fulfill my promise," Orsted said, releasing a small sigh. "Now… I believe you mentioned needing to defeat a Divine-rank opponent for Perugius to lend his aid, correct?"
"Yes… at least I believe so," I said.
While Perugius' aid wasn't strictly necessary, every ally would be helpful, and he had told me directly that if he wasn't on board with my plan to unseal and fight Laplace, he would oppose me instead, so I didn't want to risk that.
Besides, if I couldn't defeat a Divine-rank opponent, then there was no chance in defeating Laplace.
"Hmm… then fighting someone on that level… I believe the current North God would be best," he said. "He's a formidable opponent, and with his goal, it would be easy to convince him to join the battle after achieving victory over him. But in order to defeat him… you will need training. I plan to do so, but it will be difficult."
"That's more than fine," I said. "Is that all you needed to talk about?"
"Yes… I do not know where the North God is at the current time, due to all the changes, but I shall leave to search for him, as well as completing some things of my own… so we will begin training once I return," he said, getting up. "For now… learn to use that attack you performed against the Water God with ease… it will be a good move against a magician like Laplace."
Ah… so he was watching.
With Orsted walking into the private room of the inn, I was then left alone, using the time to briefly think over everything.
Right… I would need to fight a Divine-rank combatant, convince them to join my side, and then gather Perugius, Ruijerd, and anyone else I could muster before unsealing Laplace with Rudy's help.
But first… I needed to ensure everything was settled with my family.
Ariel was now queen, but there was still some instability within the nation, especially with my actions at the banquet.
That would need to be fixed, and I didn't plan to leave her for a long while, especially with our first child still yet to be born.
So… have another child, ensure my family was safe and happy, and then bringing Asura to complete stability where Ariel can work her political magic… those were the goals for the near future.
But once they were completed… well, I suppose it was finally time for the Seven Great Powers to be changed, whether that be from me defeating the North God, or even the Demon God of legend.
Soon… it would be time to put an end to Laplace.
— End of Arc 6 - Asura Kingdom —