The Unraveling Covenant (1)

A place that could hardly be called a prison. Mirne was confined to a room that felt more like a run-down inn. There were no iron bars, nor was there any pressure from a jailer. 'That doesn't mean I can let my guard down.' She knew all too well that the very absence of those things was exactly why she had to be more vigilant. When someone treats you well, shouldn't you play along?

'...Once the black mage appears, and then the Demon King follows.' But the Demon King’s descent was a long way off. First, the academy had to be the priority. The characters from 'The Foolish Crown Prince' needed to gather at the academy in earnest. Of course, given the current situation, a few characters were missing, but the system seemed determined to maintain the flow of the novel somehow.

Ever since the Saint died, that message had been flaunting its presence in the corner of her vision. 'I know it’s better if it’s fixed, but what do you expect me to do?' The Empire was supposed to be weakening by now, but since the very first button was misaligned, she didn't even have a clue how to proceed. She’d even heard that an academy was being built in the Empire. If that happened, would there be two academies in the world? 'Maserin Academy and Bellos Academy... isn't it too obvious where everyone will go?' Maybe she should stop the construction of the academy now and just attend the Imperial Academy once it was completed. But the Empire was destined to fall.

'Ah, what do I do!' Feeling her head spinning, Mirne decided to open the window for some fresh air.

"It has been a while, Crown Princess Mirne."

Beyond the window— "Te, Teo?"

Teo, floating in mid-air, addressed her. "Yes, it is Teo. Have you been well?"

"Y-yes... but what brings you here? You haven't been answering my messages lately."

Was there some new hint? Was this what the system meant by fixing the story? As Mirne’s thoughts grew increasingly complex, "Yes, actually, I came here because I wanted to be clear about that."

Teo calmly spoke his mind. "I don't think I can keep in touch with you anymore, Crown Princess Mirne. It’s obvious that His Highness doesn't like it."

That was a development Mirne hadn't expected at all.

"Wh, what?"

"Of course, I won't retrieve or break the communication artifact I gave you. I was comforted by it during my lonely times of research."

"...Teo, what on earth are you saying?"

"I’m saying I’m cutting off contact. It can't be helped. You shouldn't have fallen out of His Highness's favor."

Teo straightened his clothes and brushed off his shoulders.

"From now on, I intend to remain the closest aide by His Highness's side. I don't want my first step to be hindered by past ties."

"So you came here just to say that? To really cut ties with me?"

"Yes, I was taught that it is polite to face someone directly for such matters, so I came to see you one last time." With that, he bowed to Mirne.

"...I, I see."

"Yes, there is no reason to talk further... I shall take my leave. It was a pleasure." As soon as he finished, Teo vanished as if he had never been there.

In the spot where Teo had stood, "Am... am I dumped? I didn't even confess!" Mirne stared at the empty space in a daze.

"What?!" She was faced with an unimaginable message. Had Teo really completely switched sides to the Crown Prince? '...What is this, then how will I... how am I supposed to handle this?' A series of shocks. All of Mirne's plans began to unravel in a tangled mess.

Black mages are scheduled to be active within the Empire. Places not properly marked on the map were their hideouts, and while their purpose wasn't clearly revealed, there was no need to be curious.

"Kill them all as soon as you find them. Interrogation would be nice, but your safety is the most important thing." As soon as I finished speaking, I could feel the knights' morale surging terrifyingly. "Loyalty!!!" The knights knelt, their eyes intensely revealing their will to kill the black mages, and I smiled with great satisfaction as I watched them.

"Ha, wonderful. You are the sword and the pillar of the Empire."

"...!"

"Go, my knights. Show the ignorant that the blade of the Empire has not rusted."

"We shall obey!"

Leaving behind only the bare minimum of troops, the Imperial Palace knights departed to hunt the black mages. This applied not only to the knights but also to the mages. All mages capable of combat magic above a certain level were attached to the knights, and the knights, together with the mages, would actively find and kill the black mages. 'Since the mages have left to inform each territory of this fact... the lords will ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠move soon enough.' I didn't even think that the lords wouldn't move. They all knew the consequences of refusal well, so there was no need to emphasize it.

'The one I'm most worried about is the North.' Honestly, while the East was recovering at a very fast pace, the North was in a position where they had to maintain the front lines while also dealing with the black mages, so there were bound to be many variables. It would be fine if they got along, but since they were in positions where it was hard for everyone to mix, I understood, but I couldn't help but worry. 'Of course, I know they'll do well... but I must visit them as quickly as possible.' I’ll gather them all in one place, hunt magic beasts together to build camaraderie, and feed them each a warm bowl of pork rice soup to thaw their bodies on a cold day. Thinking this, I recalled the work I had been doing until just a moment ago.

"Magic stone trains... was it difficult to make?" I had managed to clear the railroads through the 'Convenient Empire Status Window', but the problem was the train that ran on them. They could be made, but they took a long time. All the craftsmen were putting their heads together, but naturally, a train wasn't something that could just be whipped up, so there seemed to be many variables. 'In times like this, the fantasy cliché... I should ask the dwarves.' And naturally, this thought led to the Executioners. I thought there was a dwarf among the Executioners; I should deploy them immediately. Having concluded that, I moved my body to do what I truly had to do.

'If black mages are running wild, it will inevitably be related to curses.' Black mages always had a grimy side to them. They didn't die easily, and even if they really died, they had a way of resurrecting somehow. Moreover, they had a talent for making situations messy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the process. To use a metaphor, they were like a mosquito that forces you to wake up at 5:37 AM. The kind that wakes you up at that time when it's awkward to even go back to sleep. 'What if they have the power to strengthen existing curses?' And if the person they woke up happened to be holding a time bomb. They might get angry and impulsively detonate the bomb inside the house. Therefore, the task now is to remove that bomb in advance.

"You were all gathered, did I keep you waiting?"

"No, Your Highness. It is fine."

"...I am fine as well."

As soon as I arrived at the Execution Palace, the palace where the Executioners stayed, Rowena and Luminix welcomed me. Luminix’s covenant was to remove curses. The only one who could do this at this point was the Saintess.

"What happens when the covenant is fulfilled? Is the relationship still valid after that?"

"Yes, that is correct. If only the covenant... if only the covenant is resolved."

Luminix stared at me, clutching her collar tightly. If she, who had been a fairy, had been cursed and become what she was now, and if she felt it was humiliating to be called a fairy after seeing herself—it meant she had undergone a transformation.

"Let us begin immediately." There was no reason to delay. I had even received confirmation that she wouldn't leave once the covenant was fulfilled. Since the possibility of Luminix going to the Maserin side after being purified had vanished, I moved my body right next to Rowena.

"Focus only on the purification, and I will definitely block whatever happens, so you don't need to be anxious."

"Yes, I will keep that in mind."

I lingered my gaze on Rowena’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠black hair for a moment, then fixed my eyes on Luminix’s body. "I will begin." Rowena closed the distance slightly with Luminix, then slowly extended both hands, keeping about an arm's length away. A posture showing her palms to the opponent. And in that state, "Purify."

The purification work began immediately. Here, I realized how fraudulent the name 'Saintess' was. Rowena, who clearly had no confidence before becoming a Saintess, was now starting the purification work as if it were the most natural thing in the world. 'I didn't know it would be done immediately without any special ritual.' I thought there would need to be some holy ritual, but Rowena was performing miracles with one palm, as if to say what need there was for such unnecessary procedures.

Whoosh! As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠soon as the holy light emerged from Rowena’s hands and wrapped around Luminix’s body, "Kyaaaaaaaah!!!" Luminix screamed as if her ears were being torn apart, as if an unbearable pain was rushing in. Ssssss. I could see purple smoke slowly emerging from her body. At the same time, I could see her skin melting away. Because her very body was a curse, perhaps the body made of the curse was disappearing during the purification process. Luminix hugged herself tightly and continued to scream. 'The process was complex, but if you look only at the result, is it a covenant that can be resolved very easily?' I continued to observe the situation, preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.

'So... the Executioners destroy the Empire, go to Mirne, get one purification job done, and that's it?' Does the covenant that torments the Empire end this easily? Of course, the process of making Rowena the Saintess instead of Mirne was difficult, but if one of the five covenants, which were currently the highest possibility of the Empire's destruction, could be resolved like this, it was a bargain. But perhaps this complacent thought of mine was the problem.

"Ha." As if to say it would never be solved easily, Luminix’s body began to grow larger. I could see red eyes that were not writhing in pain, but crazy with rage. Is it saying that if I want to keep using her as an Imperial Executioner, I have to subdue her with force once? 'Easy.' There was nothing I couldn't do. When I was thinking that, - This time too, I don't know what the problem is. Why always.... Suddenly, the Crown Prince’s memories surfaced in my head.

The Crown Prince in the memory was looking at Luminix. But it was strangely different. Something that wasn't even from the past. '...Could it be?' Amidst various hypotheses, "How... did the Empire leave me in a cursed state?"

Luminix, who had the size of two containers stacked vertically, looked down at me. "Since you haven't bitten your master yet, I will heal you." I will personally handle your anger management.