278. Echoes of Shade (2)
278. Echoes of Shade (2)
- 1 -
"Return to Dantalion, Wepar."
Libertas's words drove in like a wedge. The mermaid drew a breath and stared at her.
The mermaid's pitch-black pupils dilated in an instant.
Terror filled those eyes that gleamed like black pearls, and her white skin paled even further.
Her violet lips trembled as she spoke.
"He... would never accept me."
"He will accept you."
But Libertas remained serene.
"Because his suspicions had no basis."
Her eyes were as unruffled as a still lake, and her expression was gentle from start to finish.
With such an expression, she instructed Wepar to throw herself into danger.
"Without fail."
In truth, there was something Wepar did not know.
That Dantalion had not abandoned her.
His messenger had only been ordered to 'search for Wepar's whereabouts without revealing his true intentions.'
Libertas had already deduced this from the messenger's attitude, but she said not a single word of it to Wepar.
Concealing a story the person herself had never heard—that wasn't even a lie.
'Since he sought to keep secrets in accordance with his name, I merely kept them in turn.'
It was a simple stratagem, not even a lie, that exploited an enemy's weakness.
- 2 -
The central palace of the Haisen royal court, the Grand Conference Room.
It was not particularly large, but in this space filled with royal splendor and grandeur, a historic moment was unfolding.
Around the table adorned with beautiful decorations that attested to the status of those gathered, the representatives of five nations sat assembled.
It was the first official meeting of the Grakheisen Alliance.
"Welcome, everyone."
The voice of the girl-king, Yurena Haisen, rang out clearly.
All eyes focused on that voice, which carried a dignity belying her age.
"Let us now begin our discussions for the future."
She was the youngest, but the queen of the largest kingdom.
"Hoo..."
Amelia let out a small sigh.
'My stomach hurts... why am I...'
Until now, she had felt no sense of reality, even though she'd been praised for good governance since becoming the Archduchess of the Orbis Duchy.
Yet inside, she remained anxious. For she had originally only been the heir to a small fortress.
"To stand here as a representative of the nation... it stirs many emotions."
Adelaide whispered lowly to her younger sister and ally seated beside her.
Her usual cold expression was slightly discomposed.
"Do not worry, sister."
Elena took her hand lightly as she spoke.
Her touch, as both sister and ally, instantly steadied Adelaide.
"When it comes to an occasion like this, there is no one among us who compares to you, sister."
"Elena..."
The Archduchess of Leopere and the Commander of the General Knights, who commanded overwhelming knightly forces, let their gazes intertwine softly.
"Heh heh. You are all so young. I feel as though I am growing younger alongside you all."
Aiden Cromwell, who had passed through the great chaos of Kiza and was gradually stabilizing the political situation, having risen from Chancellor to Prime Minister, stroked his beard and laughed.
His wrinkled eyes brimmed with mirth.
"There seem to be quite a lot of women here..."
At Prince Edgar's grumbling, Serilia beside him swiftly pinched his arm.
"Your Highness. Such words..."
"Ah, I know."
The First Prince of the Kingdom of Hilsa, the last attendee, could not hide his dissatisfied expression.
Of course, everyone present, except two, knew that there was a de facto presiding authority elsewhere.
Their gazes repeatedly flicked toward the woman in the black dress standing behind them, then dispersed back to one another.
"Then, from this moment... I shall commence the first meeting of the Alliance."
The speaker, standing like a moderator, was Philia Elskopf—Libertas's human proxy.
The hem of her black dress swayed faintly in the windless space.
In truth, she was the presence exerting influence over every single national representative in this room.
In the eyes of those who truly understood, loyalty—or fear and wariness—was surfacing.
"First, we shall discuss the most urgent matter. The reactions of Norn, Kakia, and Zenota, and our countermeasures against them."
"As you all know, Norn has been silent since their army was defeated and driven from the Hilsa border."
Chancellor Cromwell's solemn voice carried a pleasant resonance.
His eyes scanned the representatives of each nation, observing their reactions.
"However, there is also intelligence that they are preparing a new army."
"That is correct."
Edgar, the representative of the Kingdom of Hilsa, and Serilia nodded.
"They intend to form a proper alliance with the Tailrand United Kingdom, which they have long supported. Likely, it is aimed at us."
Adelaide spoke in a cold voice. Her blue eyes held a faint hint of anger.
"Zenota is the same. They are massing troops at Leopere's southwestern border. Furthermore, they have already attempted multiple incursions upon our border."
"Your Highness. That is..."
Yurena listened to the words Libertas whispered into her ear, then spoke calmly.
"A natural outcome. The announcement of our Alliance must have greatly shocked the surrounding nations. Who would have thought that the recently divided states could reconcile so quickly?"
At her words, the eyes of those who knew the power behind the scenes briefly turned toward Libertas.
The reason these five nations had gathered was almost entirely thanks to her.
However, only a few among them knew that the very event that split the country apart in the first place had also been caused by her.
Receiving Libertas's gaze, Elena rose from her seat and approached the continental map hanging on the wall.
The hem of her dark gray uniform fluttered.
"We are already closely allied, both militarily and economically. What is now necessary is an effective defensive strategy."
Yurena raised her hand and asked.
"To what extent have the defensive preparations progressed?"
"They are progressing faster than initially anticipated."
Elena wore a confident expression.
Her finger traced along the borders of each nation.
"The border fortresses of Orbis in the south and Haisen in the north were reinforced long ago, and those of Leopere in the west and Kiza along the coastline are also largely completed. Hilsa has only just begun, but its progress is similarly swift."
Libertas's gaze shifted toward Serilia.
While the prince's attention was elsewhere, she bowed her head toward her true lord in salute.
Adelaide asked in a composed voice.
To others, her expression was merely a cold, blank mask, but to Elena or Libertas, it looked like an expression of concern for something.
"If Norn and Zenota were to attack us simultaneously, how should we respond?"
"The likelihood of them allying to attack is extremely low. The two nations have long been in competition with the Arilit Duchy between them."
Cromwell answered, removing his monocle and wiping it with a handkerchief.
"Half of the current territory of the Arilit Duchy, most of the region west of the Foile River, originally belonged to another kingdom that could have been part of the Zenota United Kingdom."
The founder of the Arilit Duchy, the first Archduke Arilit, was a collateral imperial of Norn and a great general whose achievements warranted permission for an independent state.
The very existence of the Arilit Duchy symbolized the conflict between Zenota and Norn.
"We must exploit this gap."
The eyes of the old chancellor, who had put his glasses back on, shone with wisdom.
"Moreover, Norn will not take direct action for some time, owing to its defeat at Hilsa. Zenota is more dangerous, but for the time being, they will not even dream of a coordinated attack."
In other words, Leopere and Hilsa were unlikely to be exposed to an immediate attack.
Simultaneously with the chancellor's statement, Yurena, having heard Libertas's quiet counsel, spoke again with a smile.
"In that case, our defensive system is sufficiently complete. At the very least, we need not worry about military invasion."
"Then diplomacy is the issue."
Adelaide replied calmly.
Her cool eyes surveyed the surroundings.
"We must avoid direct conflict with them while further strengthening our Alliance, our internal trade network, and military cooperation. Of course..."
She turned her eyes to look at Elena, who sat beside her.
Warmth tinged her cool blue-gray eyes.
"If they should attack us, we must, naturally, smash them utterly so they will never underestimate us again."
Conviction filled her voice.
For she was confident in her younger sister and ally, Elena, who sat beside her holding her hand—the finest general and knight who had given wings to Leopere.
"All situations are clear."
Yurena, who had risen from her seat, looked around at each representative.
"Clearly, the threats we face are great. But our strength is no less than theirs. In some respects, we are even overwhelming."
The girl-king, who had spoken with a gentle expression, clenched her fist as she spoke.
Her expression exactly resembled that of the black-clad woman behind her.
"Once our Alliance is fully consolidated, we shall have no reason to fear any external force."
A satisfied emotion rose to the corners of Libertas's lips as she watched her.
- 3 -
The audience chamber of the Ice Palace, unlike its exterior, was always warm.
Sunlight streaming through the windows passed through the ice walls, scattering into rainbow hues that filled the room.
But those who stood before the king, who was always seated in that place, never felt that warmth; they only ever felt the chill.
The most ancient of the Archdukes, with a youthful outward appearance and an age that was its polar opposite—one who constantly tested, suspected, and inspired fear.
'Unless one was at least of Kimaris's level, one could never stand against him...'
Though other matters could not be compared as Kimaris had never become an Archduke, Marquis Kimaris was one whose martial might and strategy alone could certainly rival Dantalion's.
Without him, there was no one who could hold their ground before Dantalion.
"You have truly returned."
Dantalion's voice revealed no emotion. Neither did the lips visible beneath his silver mask.
His eyes, within the body of a boy, carried the weight of untold ages.
Wepar knelt before him and bowed her head.
Her cold blue skin was even more pallid, making her look like one of the countless corpses that had been buried in this Ice Palace over time.
Her heart pounded violently within her chest, but her expression remained under perfect control.
"The foul tricks of the enemy delayed me far too long. I am profoundly sorry, Your Highness."
Her voice rang out with great sincerity.
It had not worked on Libertas, but her epithet was, after all, the 'Marquis of Deceit.'
A mermaid queen who could deceive her opponents by modulating her tone, attitude, and gaze.
Unless the target suspected everything or could see through everything, she could deceive anyone.
'There is something.'
Therefore, Dantalion was not deceived by her.
For his eyes were now observing Wepar's mana.
Strangely, her power was in an even stronger state than before she had been 'abducted' by the 'enemy.'
A circumstance anyone would find suspicious.
Yet the reason he did not immediately cast her out was simply to uphold the maxim: 'Keep your enemies closer.'
"How did it happen?"
"I was imprisoned all that time."
Wepar raised her head.
In the eyes of one who had always deceived her enemies, a light of human anguish flickered.
"Libertas confined me in a water tank and stole my mana. However, she was overflowing with confidence, and loosened her guard little by little. I swore loyalty to her."
Dantalion still regarded Wepar with an emotionless gaze.
"So?"
"She trusted me, and with her permission, I was able to come out. My stolen mana was returned as well."
Wepar, too, felt that gaze. The gaze filled with distrust.
Her heart raced wildly with anxiety and fear, but for now, none of those emotions leaked onto her face.
Out of excessive tension, Wepar clenched both hands tightly. Dantalion did not miss it.
"Your Highness. She is extremely dangerous. She is attempting to turn the entire central region of the Eastern Continent into a demon realm."
Dantalion's gaze sharpened. An eerie hue swirled within his two eyes.
"Explain in detail."
Wepar spoke slowly, paying close attention to every word.
For if she misspoke and gave him more hints, it would be disastrous.
"She is executing a plan called 'Solar Eclipse.' I could not learn the finer details of the plan, but to that end, she has been expanding her influence over human lands."
Dantalion nodded. His expression was still unreadable.
"Did you learn anything about her weaknesses?"
Wepar swallowed hard.
"I could not ascertain the location of her dungeon core. However, it is certain that her dungeon itself lies in southern Haisen, or perhaps northern Orbis. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to exert the influence she has painstakingly acquired..."
Dantalion suddenly drew close before Wepar.
The mermaid was originally quite tall, while the Archduke possessed the body of a boy, so his eyes were roughly level with the kneeling Wepar's.
"Tell me what you told her about my demon realm."
Wepar spoke carefully once more.
If she answered here without hesitation, he would sense a discrepancy with her earlier manner of speaking.
"That Your Highness's dungeon is made of ice, and that ice never melts. I also told her that Your Highness's core is exposed somewhere on your person, but I said I did not know the location."
This much information was permissible to have revealed. But what came next was somewhat sensitive.
Nevertheless, she told him. Because only by revealing that she had disclosed this much could she claim to have finally gained the trust of the cautious enemy.
"And also that Lord Kimaris is at odds with Your Highness..."
Dantalion stared at Wepar for a moment.
A faint sigh leaked from beneath his mask.
"...I see. I am relieved that you have returned."
As Dantalion turned away, a light of relief flickered in Wepar's eyes. But it was only for a moment.
"However, do not leave the palace for the time being. I do not wish for anything to happen to you again."
"Of course, Your Highness."
It was effectively a confinement measure.
Yet Wepar immediately bowed her head and replied.
She knew well that, compared to what could have been, this was a relatively lenient measure.
After Wepar withdrew, Dantalion remained alone, gazing at his throne. The eyes beneath his mask gleamed coldly.
"Wepar..."
He clenched his fist tightly. An unprecedented energy bloomed between his fingers.
A dangerous and twisted power of unknown origin, mingled with myriad colors. It was the power of the outer planes.
"I hope your words are not lies."
It was certain that there were lies among what Wepar had said.
But that could be because she had fallen into enemy hands, or conversely, because she had been forced to downplay the facts in order to survive.
A Marquis-grade Dungeon Lord could not be disposed of on suspicion alone.
It would give Kimaris and the other Lords an opening to exploit.
Thus, there was only one thing he had to do.
"Libertas."
He had to meet her in person.
That was the only way to discern her true intentions.