Knight and Mage
The biting cold within the snow globe. In that place the giant had arranged as his own graveyard, Kairon had endured frozen years like a statue.
His sole companion was the giant.
The giant's consciousness, not yet fully asleep, occasionally tickled at Kairon, and in conversing with him, Kairon pondered humanity and the world. He sank into strange musings.
The immortal giant had delved into his own origins, but Kairon, whose life was finite, was certain of his purpose. There was no room for doubt.
──Sophien's guardian.
A calling from heaven, or a divine summons?
It was not a goal set from birth. His parents had not conceived him solely for Sophien.
It was Kairon's own choice.
The moment he first beheld Sophien, buried in ennui, the choice had descended upon him like a duty. Gazing at her small form traversing the palace, Kairon had decided his path.
──Humans live without knowing whence they came or whither they go.
The giant said. As an immortal, he discoursed on mortal life.
──Yet now, seeing you, I understand.
Seas churned in the giant's eyes. All the seas he had ever beheld.
──You are certain. You need not know your origins. The journey itself is your origin.
The giant looked up at the sky. Kairon's gaze followed.
──So many things come to mind. Humans seem different, yet they are much the same. Just peering into their eyes reveals so much.
The giant's eyes slowly descended, gazing upon Kairon.
He regarded this foolish human whose sole aim was "to protect another," with gentle benevolence.
──Human. The time granted you is insufficient to satisfy. You pursue all things yet shatter before reaching them. You strive, crave, seek, and die pointlessly. And yet, you desire as if you will never perish eternally.
Suddenly, a faint light flickered in his sunken eyes.
──......Now go back. Return and tell the world.
The giant closed his eyes.
──That the giant could never understand humanity. Thus, your pity for "you" who seeks a nonexistent end......
The solemn voice reached a quiet end. The giant's massive body hardened like stone. His final pulse throbbed as if lifting the world.
That was the moment Kairon's first step was taken.
'Kairon.'
Feeling the emperor's voice calling him, he advanced.
And as he advanced, he recited proudly.
"......My life, to you."
The palace garden, park, corridors, inner chambers, dining hall, training grounds, theater, underground prison, courtroom, throne room, annexes, secret rooms, flower garden, auditorium, military tents, outer walls—all the "knight statues" placed there began to move.
Appearance mattered not. Armored or barefaced, archer with bow, swordsman with blade, spearman with lance—so long as the object barely qualified as a "statue."
All moved under Kairon's control.
Nay, all acted as Kairon himself.
Duuuuuum......
The corridor where Sophien stood. Massive statues shed their plaster shells and stepped forward on two legs. They stood as if blocking the path, staring down the Altar horde attempting to retreat.
They raised the swords clutched in their hands.
Whoooosh── Colossal stone blades rising like menaces.
For those staring in horror, no other path remained.
"......You have no choice but to die."
In an instant, Sophien's command descended.
Kwaaaaaang──!
The statues swung their swords down.
─Charge! They're just statues!
They were no mere statues.
Towering three meters tall, yet they were not ponderous. Rather, like Kairon himself, they wielded swordsmanship with agility and precision.
Kraaaack......
Releasing demonic energy—Guhk!
Even if they fled this corridor, the palace held far more statues.
Those too were Kairon, and so long as the emperor's orders held, they would slaughter every intruder who dared invade the palace. They would massacre them all.
Kuuuung───!
Giant swords shattered Altar flesh. Torn limbs flew through the air. Violent fountains of blood stained the palace.
Through it all, Sophien walked.
Tap, tap.
Her footsteps echoed transparently. At the end of the crimson path the approaching emperor trod waited a knight kneeling before her.
"Hmph."
Sophien examined Kairon's "aura."
Mana surging brilliantly, proclaiming its purity with vivid intensity.
Proof he had ascended to the realm of knights, transcending himself.
"You did not arrive late for nothing. Zeit...... nay, beyond even that 'Winter King'?"
In the face of praise rivaling that king, Kairon bowed his head, awaiting her next words.
"Raise your head."
Kairon lifted his gaze. The blood-soaked emperor reflected in his translucent pupils.
"You enjoy theater so. Why tarry so long? There were many moments you were needed."
A rebuke. Kairon closed his eyes in apology.
Yet in this moment, silence was no virtue.
To his long-awaited liege, the knight delivered a knight's words.
"To become the palace itself."
"......"
Sophien quietly surveyed the surroundings.
Statues come alive in the palace. Countless colossi pulverizing the Altar like meat.
Even should the palace crumble, those statues would not vanish.
"......Hm."
Thus, Kairon declared.
The "emperor's palace" was no building of walls shielding all sides or ceilings blocking the sky.
"I see."
Sophien let out a faint smile.
The current Kairon harbored quite a bold resolve.
"Such was your intent."
For Kairon, the emperor's palace was all those "statues" scattered across the continent, watching over and guarding Sophien from any place......
"Now, I shall become Your Majesty's palace."
Himself.
From the old mansion, I gazed upon the palace.
Even through the window, it was perfectly visible. Incredibly clear.
As if I could open the door and step out at once.
"The palace matter is settled."
Kairon. Thanks to his timely arrival.
Moreover, his evident growth was profoundly significant. It would prove immensely helpful for the main quest itself, not far off.
"No, Professor! That's not the issue! We're trapped, I said?!"
Adrienne shrieked. I glanced at her.
As she said, whether the Altar's doing or Dikailen's scheme.
The door was shut.
"It won't open all of a sudden!"
In the old mansion's hall, Adrienne rattled the front door furiously, yelling. Ruina and Premien gathered here wore tense expressions.
"Why only me?! Just now, Ihelm, Julie, Gawain, and Izac all went out!"
Adrienne's story went like this.
About thirty minutes prior, Ihelm had carried Julie to escape. Gawain and Izac followed suit. But Adrienne, eager to hear the truth(?) about Julie from me, waited briefly.
By the time she tried to leave, the door wouldn't budge. All external communications severed.
"Self-inflicted."
"What?!"
Adrienne's hair stood on end. Her body trembled.
It wasn't her fiery temper; fairies simply had poor affinity with the underworld, ghosts, and the dead.
Just as I resonated with demonic energy, fairies reacted to the deceased and haunted spaces.
"Argh, really!"
"Endure it."
"Endure what?!"
"Yelling changes nothing."
"......"
Adrienne's face darkened chillingly, as if ready to erupt.
Ruina tugged my arm.
"What are you doing? If Lady Adrienne explodes, we're all dead. Don't you know?"
"I know."
I leaned close to Adrienne's ear and whispered softly.
—If you endure, I shall tell you. What happened between Julie and me.
"!"
Her eyes popped wide! Ears perked up! Forgetting her instinctive revulsion, she beamed up at me innocently.
"For real?!"
What a tremendous gossip.
"Yes. Truly."
"......What! Then let's find a way out!"
Adrienne shook the door with renewed vigor.
Then Premien stepped forward.
"But what now? We should request aid from outside, but how? The crystal orb link is cut."
An odd phrasing. I turned to her.
"First, the Altar—"
"Ah~ I'll say it upfront. Not our doing."
Suddenly, Syrio interrupted.
Clank clank— Metal armor clinking amid multiple footsteps approaching.
"......You lot are the Altar?! What are you doing?!"
Adrienne pointed accusingly. Syrio flashed a friendly smile.
"Haha. Nice to see you, Chairman."
"Nice my foot?!"
"......Anyway, we don't know what's happening either."
Ignoring Adrienne, Syrio strode up and peered right in my face. He grinned brightly, then gripped the door handle.
Naturally, it didn't open.
"Ah~ We're screwed."
"Screwed my ass! Don't jinx it!"
"Not jinxing. The solar eclipse is soon. Not much time left."
Syrio said with a sigh.
"Eclipse hits, everyone heads to the underworld. You know, right, Deculein?"
The sun-vanishing event. Worst case here.
Adrienne whipped her gaze between Syrio and me frantically.
"Then, then what?! When the eclipse comes?!"
To her frantic question, I replied calmly.
"We can still return. In six years and six months."
"......Six years! Are you mad?! I'd rather smash the door!"
Syrio placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Smash it, we all die. This space is interconnected. Nay, it lives and moves."
"......Lives and moves?!"
"Yeah. We only realized coming here."
He chuckled incredulously. Then muttered like a sigh.
"Someone magi-modified this old mansion."
"Magi-modified?!"
"Yep."
Magi-modification. Literal magical overhaul, but never used positively. For normal item upgrades, they said "enchant."
I said.
"Dikailen."
"Yeah. Who else? Ungh~"
Syrio stretched. Extended a hand to me.
"For now, let's cooperate. To get out. To survive the six years."
"......"
I ignored his hand. Brushed past with my shoulder.
In that instant, Syrio whispered in my ear.
—You know? Fail to fix this mansion, the emperor's in danger. Oh, and your disciple? Dikailen snatched her.
The voice flowed like wind.
I said nothing. Syrio, unperturbed, waved cheerfully at Ruina.
"Hahat. Hey, Ruina~ Long time no see."
"......Huh? Oh. Long, long time......"
Ruina replied with a vague expression.
"Man, gathering like this brings back memories. Back then, we—Gyak!"
Adrienne blasted Syrio away with a Whistle and declared.
"Then we need to find Dikailen first?!"
─No!
A booming shout echoed from the corridor's end. Two figures appeared triumphantly.
"No need to find him."
It was Ifrin. Lia stood beside her.
Truly, the more I saw that face, the more uncomfortable.
"I'll—we'll guide you. We just met Dikailen."
Ifrin said. Syrio, recovered quickly, approached.
"What? Thought you two were kidnapped."
"Kidnapped?! We escaped from you lot!"
Ifrin shot back sharply. Oddly, more favorable to Dikailen than Syrio.
Syrio blinked in confusion.
"Huh? What happened? Hey. You brainwashed by Dikailen? Deculein. Check her."
"What're you on about."
Ifrin approached, frowning. Thud thud— Her footsteps thunderously loud.
The brazenly approaching girl.
Suddenly.
Whoosh—!
Hugged me fiercely. Burrowed in like a wild beast.
"......"
"......"
"......"
Utterly unexpected. No one in the space uttered a word.
I looked down at my chest to pry her off.
Ifrin's eyes met mine first.
......Strangely, a sad light glimmered there.
I think I knew why.
"You delivered that myth stone."
"......"
Her tear-wet pupils quivered mournfully. Without a word, she clung tightly to my waist, exhaling trembling breaths.
"What! Scoop! Deculein, dating your disciple?!"
A voice rang out. Holding Ifrin, I glared at the fussing Adrienne.
"Gotta snap this! No! No camera!"
Adrienne flailed "Camera! Camera! Camera!", while Ruina stared at me in confusion.
"No, sketch the description first—"
I flicked Adrienne's forehead with Telekinesis.
"Ack!"
Ignoring her clutching her brow and staggering, I separated from Ifrin. She mumbled with head bowed.
......I'm sorry. I... I saw everything.