That Day, at the Imperial Palace (2)
That Day, at the Imperial Palace (2)
Olivia had laid out a thoroughly meticulous plan to achieve genocide. The very first step was the Empire.
Because the Empire was the most powerful nation on the continent, it had to be the first to be brought down.
Every last noble of the Empire was capable. Some might have been corrupt, but none lacked ability.
A nation that ran on pure meritocracy. To destroy the Empire, therefore, the nobles had to be destroyed.
That was why the genocide's starting date had become the Imperial Princess's birthday.
The Empire's four great dukes, including Kiel, the most renowned high nobles, the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, the Emperor and Empress—
Every noble and member of the imperial family, save the Margraves who had to guard the borders, was present.
Olivia surveyed her surroundings. Kiel was preoccupied talking with his younger sister, and the other nobles were much the same.
The only person watching Olivia was Melina, and Melina alone.
"..."
Swirling her glass of red wine, Melina thought.
Today, Olivia was not herself. Her gaze, her voice, even the beat of her heart. Just one day ago, she had not been like this.
'Has she simply grown up?'
But putting it down to the mere passage of time was a stretch, because Melina had already seen Olivia's "outcome."
That child's original intent had been good, and it had not changed even after she reached the Truth.
'...Then why is she different now?'
Had she herself reached the Truth, she might have found the answer. But that was still a distant story—at least another ten years, by Melina's estimate.
Just then, Olivia stepped forward before the Emperor. Every gaze in the hall snapped to her at once.
The "Youngest Archmage," the "Strongest Mage on the Continent," and the one who had "made a Dragon Lord kneel."
When someone who did not have to bow to the Emperor inclined her head as though it were only natural, every gaze turned toward her.
On top of those, Olivia held dozens of other titles: friend of the Martial King, guide of the Saintess, and so on...
Those very titles kept Melina from entertaining the thought that this Olivia was a "different" Olivia.
If not her own disciple, who else in the world could have built such a record?
"I have a gift I wish to show His Majesty."
"A gift? What gift do you mean?"
Watching the scene from the terrace above, Melina froze.
An unfamiliar emotion.
It was fear.
Not the fear of loss she had felt when she lost "Olivia," but the most primal emotion known to humankind.
Terror.
"Your humble servant has newly realized a spell, and I ask: may I demonstrate it here?"
"You have my leave."
It felt as though a serpent were crawling up her throat. Amidst all those countless people, she alone felt afraid.
'Wh—why...'
Before she had a moment to grasp the cause, blue mana rippled around Olivia. Her mana devoured the entire Imperial Palace in an instant.
Her vision turned blue, and the air grew cold.
"It is rather chilly."
"It will be over soon, Your Majesty."
Melina was not the only one who sensed something was wrong. Kiel had already set down his glass, and the Night Crows moved busily through the shadows.
Under normal circumstances, wielding magical power before the Emperor was a grave crime in itself. But because the opponent was Olivia, the most anyone did was rest a hand on a scabbard.
"...It is done."
Her preparations complete, Olivia slowly opened her eyes.
The warmth of old was gone from those sapphire-bright pupils. They were filled only with coldness and scorn.
"..."
It felt as if his heart were freezing solid, the Emperor thought.
Olivia closed her fist.
With a dull squelch, something burst apart, and blood splattered across the Emperor's cheek.
"..."
Silence dyed the hall. With a thud, someone collapsed to the floor.
On the marble, only the upper body twitched.
The Emperor's eyes flew wide. It was a face he knew well.
"Y-Your Majesty... I beg you, preserve your royal person..."
It was Calliope, commander of the Night Crows.
The Emperor slowly turned his head. The shadows were steeped in blood. Shreds of flesh, chopped so fine their owners could not be guessed at, painted everything red in every direction.
"Th-the Archmage has gone mad!"
"Kyaaaaaaaak!"
"Out of my way, bastards! I said move!"
The horrified nobles rushed away in a frenzy. Escorted by knights and attendants, they threw open the doors—and froze on the spot.
Not in the sense that their bodies stiffened. Frozen. Literally.
Whoooosh!
Bitter cold seeped into the banquet hall. The nobles who touched that cold had their breath snuffed out in an instant. The knights could do no more than widen their eyes before they died.
"You—you wretch... how dare you do this...!"
Crack!
Those were the Emperor's last words. He froze solid without even realizing he had died. A painless death was the gift granted to him.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Stay calm! Sir Kaincel, escort the Empress to safety at once! Everyone else, rally here!"
The man keeping his head amidst the chaos was the Crown Prince.
No. He was now the Emperor.
Two knights stood at the new Emperor's sides. The captain of the Central Knight Order and the vice-captain.
They were known as the Empire's second sword and third sword.
"Duke Kiel! You as well!"
At the central captain's words, Kiel's body jerked.
"I... I..."
Kiel's hand shook as if in madness. In place of his greatsword, his hand held his younger sister.
Her lips, once so full of life, were blue with death.
Her heart, too, had stopped beating.
Her body had been far too frail to endure the biting cold.
Kiel slowly raised his head. His lungs burned fiercely.
But the place that hurt more was his heart.
'...Why?'
Kiel thought as he stared at Olivia, who stood in confrontation with the Central Knight Order.
'...Why?'
No words could come out. His vision blurred.
The Olivia he had known was not there.
"Duke Kiel."
Someone pulled him to his feet. A blonde woman who radiated a lustrous glow even through the cold.
"If we are to stop Livi, I shall need your help."
"..."
"So stand up this instant and take up your sword."
Kiel took up his greatsword.
His cheeks stung, and his eyebrows felt heavy. His tears had frozen midway as they fell.
"Gold Tower Lord, how can you..."
Kiel had meant to say "how can you be so composed," but he shut his mouth.
Melina's eyes were as hollow as a dead person's. Tears streamed in lines down her shadowed face.
A child who lost their parents was called an orphan, but there was no word for a parent who lost a child. The grief was too devastating to express in words.
If so, what state of heart must it be for a parent who must end her own child with her own hands?
Kiel could not even dare to guess.
"Graaaaaaagh!"
"Kkrrrrgh!"
The vice-captain fell, and before long the captain fell as well. The Crown Prince was next.
"..."
Melina looked around. Most of those present were frozen where they stood. The hundred knights of the Central Knight Order who had rushed in for support were like that, and so were the mages of the Gold Tower who had cherished Olivia like a niece.
Ninety-nine out of a hundred had died without knowing they were dead.
In a world frozen white, there were now only two humans who still drew breath.
Kiel and Aria.
'...The Princess?'
Melina's eyes flew wide. Astoundingly, the Princess was still alive. A thin barrier was spread around her.
A pendant radiating light from her chest. It seemed to be an ancient relic.
The last direct bloodline of the Imperial House.
Kiel and Melina's eyes met. The two of them were thinking the same thing.
The fall of the Imperial House meant the fall of the Empire.
"...Go."
Kiel turned his back.
With every noble dead, he could not care less now whether the Empire survived or fell.
"I will hold out as long as I can."
But the one who had wrought that destruction must not be Olivia.
They were people who had lost everything because of Olivia, yet at the same time they were people who had received everything from Olivia.
That was why, even until this moment, they could not let go of their attachment.
Kiel's greatsword slashed through space and advanced. Seizing the opening, Melina teleported to Aria.
"Princess."
Aria had been sobbing, curled up on herself. Her gaze was fixed on the ground, as though she could no longer bear to watch the scene before her.
Melina understood Aria's feelings at this moment with bone-deep acuity.
But Melina did not want to heap any more infamy onto Olivia.
"Princess!"
Only then did Aria raise her head.
"G-Gold Tower Lord..."
"I will send you to Machina, where the Dark Lord resides. Go and tell them the Gold Tower Lord sent you. He is in my debt, so he will not refuse my request."
"I... I..."
Melina took Aria's hand. She knew now. The fact that Princess Aria was no fool, but a genius who had played the fool.
The fact that, had Aria learned magic, she might well have rivaled Olivia.
The reason she had played the fool was simply because she had not wanted to vie with her brothers.
"Livi will not end things here. So you must, you absolutely must..."
From behind her came the sound of metal clashing.
"—!"
A human scream, a shriek, gradually died away.
With one fewer person to exhale warm breath, the air grew even colder than before.
Melina let out a breath.
"You absolutely must stop my disciple."
Before Aria could open her mouth, Melina activated the magic circle.
"W-wait! Gold Tower—!"
—Flash!
The next instant, Aria's form vanished somewhere.
Melina gazed for a long while at the spot where Aria had been, then slowly turned her head.
"..."
No words were needed.
Two remained, and only one would leave.
Melina grasped her staff firmly in both hands.
The next moment, master and disciple clashed.
*
[5 minutes until spectating ends.]