[No Title Provided]
“Have you heard the news?”
“What nonsense are you about to spout now?”
In a rural province of the Empire, two middle-aged men who had finished their day's work headed to a tavern and struck up a conversation.
The brown-haired man, who always brought intriguing gossip, started off in his usual tantalizing tone, while the redhead smacked his lips at the sight of his chilled mug of beer.
The redhead, a blacksmith by trade, felt the buzz of alcohol already hitting him after days cooped up in his workshop—this was his first taste in a while.
“Come on, when have I ever lied to you?”
“……”
“Well… okay, maybe once or twice… but this time it's for real!”
“Yeah, yeah. So what is it?”
The redhead downed his mug indifferently, and the brown-haired man, accustomed to his friend's apathy, launched into his story.
“An Aura Lord has appeared in our Empire! The second one of this era!”
“Huh?!”
Even he couldn't help snapping his head around at that.
The rumor spilling from his friend's mouth was just too unbelievable.
“You punk! Think I'm some naive kid just 'cause I've been stuck in the forge? Hah, what kind of ridiculous nonsense…”
“No, it's true! If you don't believe me, go to the nearest city and ask anyone! Everyone knows about it!”
“……Is it really true?”
“I swear! The whole Empire's in an uproar over it—what's with all the doubting? And get this: he's barely of age!”
The brown-haired man took a sip from his mug, cleared his throat, and continued.
“You heard about the Second Princess suddenly getting married a week or two ago, right?”
“Yeah, we did. That brilliant lady—they were basically shipping her off, so we cursed them out plenty.”
“Exactly! And her groom was that prince from Cretia way over there. But plot twist: turns out he was some heretic who'd gotten hold of a weird power!”
“A heretic?!”
“Yup! His body suddenly swelled up, arms turning into four, and he wrecked the whole wedding hall. Tried to kill the Princess and Saintess right there, no distinction! Ta-da! And our new Aura Lord saved them all!”
Bored by his friend flailing his arms like it was his own achievement—fueled by the booze, no doubt—but curiosity was starting to bubble up.
“How'd they prove he was an Aura Lord? Did Lord Helios test him personally or something?”
“Nah, the opposite. Word got out, and he immediately sent an official dispatch to the palace confirming the guy was a real Aura Lord. Rumor has it he's a direct disciple of Lord Helios himself.”
“An Aura Lord trained by an Aura Lord… Man, you see all kinds of things living long enough. Haven't heard the name yet, though. What's his name?”
“Hmm… It was—”
* * *
“—Mars Noctus.”
I'd never been dissatisfied with my new name before.
But today, more than ever, I desperately wanted to change it.
“I just got word from Count Helios. I knew you two were acquainted, but for his disciple to be a Lord… I didn't see that coming.”
The wedding the day before had been halted by the prince's rampage. I'd subdued him, averting disaster, and in front of everyone, I'd revealed my power as an Aura Lord. Now, summoned by the Emperor, I was being praised for my merits and officially recognized.
“This was meant to be the stage for you to prove your power, but with Count Helios's confirmation, no further proof is needed… And to our new Aura Lord: thank you for saving the Empire and the imperial family.”
Damn that master of mine—he'd seized the moment to shoot off that dispatch to the palace, affirming my status. Suddenly, this had turned from a verification into a celebration of a new Aura Lord's birth.
The nobles listening intently to the Emperor eyed me with burning ambition, like they wanted to claim me for their houses—the tension was thicker than when I'd fought Prince Taurus.
“First off, we've sent a formal protest to Cretia. Whether their king knew his son's true nature is unclear, but personally, he's not bold enough to use his son for such a brazen strike against the Empire. It's more likely the prince's solo act.”
The king of Cretia wasn't the type to pick fights with the continent's strongest nation. His ties to that shady group were probably the prince's personal connections. If the king had any brains upon hearing this, he'd launch a full investigation.
“They've replied that we should handle the interrogation. No solid evidence yet, but the prince seems to have committed inhuman acts back home, so protecting him would be tough for the kingdom. Executing him here makes more sense, both for justification and national strength.”
We could hand over the body, sure, but a prince branded a traitor in his own land wouldn't be welcomed back.
“We're interrogating him, but no key evidence yet. Did you pick up anything during the fight?”
“I've told the investigators everything already… But from the way he said 'That One,' I suspect it's a blind fanatic group devoted to a specific figure.”
“Fanatics… Yeah, that tracks…”
The Emperor sank into deep thought at my words.
Come to think of it, he'd seemed to notice something right as the fight kicked off. Did he know something?
“I sincerely congratulate the birth of a new Lord, but times being what they are, I hope you understand. We'll hold the official celebration banquet once the prince's fate is decided.”
“Ah, yes…”
No need, really—that'd be even better.
But oblivious to my thoughts, the Emperor made another proposal.
“A Lord at such a young age… Fascinating. I can trust you with this…”
“Pardon?”
“Ministers, you may withdraw. I wish to have a private word with the new Lord.”
The nobles filed out regretfully at his command.
“Prime Minister, summon Astraia von Kailum to my office at once.”
“……Understood.”
“Follow me.”
* * *
The Emperor led me to his private office—a place of opulent grandeur befitting the man.
Knock knock.
“Your Majesty, Astraia von Kailum seeks audience with the Sun of the Empire.”
“……Enter.”
The princess arrived at the Emperor's summons, her face a mix of joy and bewilderment at seeing me there after just a day.
As eyes turned to her—and me—the Emperor fiddled with something on his desk.
Click!
Rumble rumble rumble—
“……A secret room?”
“Step inside.”
Activating the hidden mechanism opened one wall of the office, revealing a modest, classically styled chamber. The intricate flows of mana revealed the office's formidable defensive spells.
Drawn in as if compelled, the princess and I entered. Soon, we sat facing each other across a small central table: me, her, and the Emperor.
“What is this place…?”
“No one can hear us here… Mars Noctus. Do you have a way to block our conversation from leaking outside?”
“Pardon? Well, nothing stopping me…”
“I ask you to do it.”
At the Emperor's request, I swung my sword, severing the space between the secret room and the outside world.
“It won't last long—thirty minutes at most. But as a completely separate space, nothing will leak.”
“……Impressive. I've trained in aura myself, but this delicate yet destructive control is nothing short of miraculous.”
He must have grasped just how advanced my technique was. A faint awe gleamed in the Emperor's eyes.
“Let's get to the point. Why did you call us here separately?”
The princess sat askew, clearly displeased with the Emperor's theatrics—her posture rude, devoid of respect. Yet he showed no reaction.
“You have words for her, not me. I brought you here because it was unfit for the ministers' ears.”
“……You knew.”
She must be utterly confused right now. Her fiancé a heretic with strange powers, the man before her an Aura Lord, and now her father—who'd treated her like she didn't exist—showing concern.
It was all a tangled mess in her head.
“Tell me. Why did you ask him to save me back there?”
“……You're my daughter. A father protecting his daughter is only natural.”
“Natural? Natural?! Ha!”
Yeah, even I had to admit that was a stretch.
The Emperor had discriminated against her so blatantly for so long. For him to play the protective parent now? Infuriating.
“Astraia.”
“……”
“You believe your mother left due to complications after your birth.”
“? What—”
“Your mother didn't die of illness. As a commoner from the countryside, her body was healthier than most.”
“Then—!”
“The one who killed her… was me.”
Crash!
Thud!
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the princess lunged at him.
I instinctively grabbed her from behind, but her rage-fueled strength was so fierce that without aura, I might not have held her.
“You… you—!”
“……To be precise.”
But his next words froze us both in place.
“It was I who killed Helena… when she tried to kill our child with her own hands.”