394. Dawn (3)
394. Dawn (3)
- 1 -
The northernmost tip of the Eastern Continent, Dantalion's Ebon Ice Palace.
An interior made of brick-like blocks of ice.
A warm flame crackled in a fireplace on one side.
The cold and warmth clashed in the air, producing a faint mist in the room.
In the center of it all, Dantalion stared at the woman beyond the communication crystal.
「Feeling refreshed, darling? Everything turned out just as you said it would.」
Her voice flowing from the crystal orb was light and sweet.
A laugh as innocent as a child's.
But that laughter was cloyingly saturated with an undeniable jealousy and obsession, sending chills down the listener's spine.
Dantalion closed his eyes and let out a low sigh.
"Didn't I tell you? If you use clumsy tricks, they will come back with unpleasant results."
「I didn't know those humans were so incompetent. My minions always handle things so well, so why do they deal with their own internal problems so weakly? Honestly.」
Astaroth grumbled, flinging her legs up over a chair draped in red velvet.
It was a pose like that of a sulking girl, but the atmosphere was anything but girlish.
The voluptuous curves of her chest spilling down beside her thighs flaunted her sensuality, and what burned in her eyes was not mere 'pique' but unmistakable 'rage'.
Watching her, Dantalion had already gleaned one certainty.
'... I'll have to come up with some kind of scheme.'
Thinking that, Dantalion rested his chin on the armrest of his throne.
"What will you do? Thanks to those Holy Kingdom bastards you stirred up, a significant portion of my connections was severed. Libertas ended up gaining even greater power. It's become difficult to use trickery in the human world now."
「...Hmm.」
Astaroth let out a long nasal sound and buried her face in her knees.
Continuing with girlish gestures, her shoulders shrugging in that state, she eventually slowly lifted her head.
The grumbling from just moments ago was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a face full of cold resolve.
「I'm going to flip the whole game board over.」
A resolute voice.
Dantalion, instantly realizing what she intended to do, leaned back deeply against his chair and nodded his head.
"Do as you please."
「You're not going to stop me, darling?」
"Would you even listen if I tried?"
His words carried an understanding bordering on resignation, something only one who had watched her for a very long time could possess.
A satisfied smile finally appeared on Astaroth's lips.
「As expected, the one who knows me best is you, darling.」
Dantalion shook his head from side to side.
"Just make sure there's no damage on my end."
「Heung. Then, farewell.」
Astaroth's smile only grew deeper.
Her red lips curved like a bow, stretching until the corners reached her ears.
"...Hoo."
After the communication ended, Dantalion let out another deep sigh.
As was his recurring thought lately, dealing with Astaroth was exhausting.
But this fatigue would soon come to an end.
'... I'll at least offer my condolences.'
In his hand was a letter that had come from the Demon Realm.
A letter sent by his 'close friend', filled with unwelcome news.
- 2 -
A strange commotion began to spread across the entire continent.
It was because 'Ains', or 'friendly demon beasts', had begun to step forward into society in earnest.
As the successful policies of the Union spread to other regions, those who had been living in hiding were emerging into the world one by one.
Within the Union itself, cases of individuals coming out to confess they were actually demon beasts occurred one after another.
"Well... I have something to tell you all. You see, actually, I too..."
In a noble's salon.
When an old count, always known for his benevolent smile, removed the magic ring that concealed his appearance, a pair of perked cat ears sprouted atop his head.
His gentle eyes had also become vertically slit by then.
"You... were a monster?"
"I'm not a monster, but an Ain called a 'Cait Sith'."
Whenever a person revealed their true form like that, those around them were left speechless in shock, an event that occurred numerous times across various lands.
It might have looked comical to third parties, but it was a very serious matter for those involved.
"You spent the night with me, and you were hiding your appearance like this even then?!"
At another party venue, a lady shouted, her face turning red.
Her voice was a mix of bewilderment and a sense of betrayal.
It was because the appearance of the man she had spent the night with not long ago had changed right before her eyes.
Pointed ears, sharp teeth, skin with a slightly brownish tinge.
Yet, the face was still handsome.
Surprisingly, his race was 'Orc'.
"N-No, I mean, madam...!"
The count, flustered, pulled her into his arms, but the situation was already spiraling out of control.
"Look over there..."
"Tsk tsk... The man had no credibility, it seems."
Because the eyes of the people who heard the woman's outburst were swarming toward them.
The interesting point was that these confessions didn't only happen within the Union's territory.
Similar events were occurring in other regions as well.
Among them, there was news that even Libertas couldn't hide her surprise at.
- 3 -
"Have you seen this by any chance, Master?"
Amelia approached me, holding a newspaper.
"What is it that makes you so serious?"
I put down the cup of tea I was holding and asked.
Her expression was full of excitement, surprise, and grave seriousness.
It seemed like quite significant news.
"Here."
I took the newspaper she handed over and opened it.
On the front page, along with a large photograph, was a story that made it difficult for even me to maintain my composure.
"Hmm..."
The setting of the story was Maithia.
A nation possessing the largest territory in the northern Eastern Continent after Kakia. Its national power did not match Kakia's, but its military might was comparable.
If it hadn't been at least that strong, it would never have survived sharing a border with the Demon Realm.
But it seemed that the queen of that very Maithia had made a confession that would shake the world.
"She confessed herself to be an Ain...?"
"Yes, Master. Please look at this."
Amelia placed her hand on the photograph in the newspaper.
It was to activate the video magic imprinted on the newspaper.
A semi-transparent image appeared in the air.
The plaza in front of the royal palace, where a massive crowd had gathered.
Communication crystals, levitated by reporters using magic, shone from every direction, illuminating the platform.
「Please look this way, Your Majesty! Your Majesty the Queen!」
The people's gazes were fixed on the two figures, a man and a woman, standing on the platform.
One was a man with graying hair and shining blue eyes, bearing the typical appearance of an Eastern Continent noble. The other was a woman of Western Continent origin, with black hair flowing long past her waist.
「Everyone.」
The King of Maithia, Baladir III.
And his second wife, Queen Hina Kanamiya Mashtov.
「Today, in this place, we intend to make two important declarations.」
Having thus begun, the King started the announcement without a hint of hesitation.
「First, our Maithia will henceforth accept 'Ains' as official citizens, and we declare that we will do our utmost to ensure there is no discrimination or hatred in this land!」
I felt a gentle smile forming on my lips.
It was the declaration of a second nation to accept the Union's system.
As it was a declaration from a place historically considered a major power, its impact would not be small at all.
So far, this was good news.
「I have a question, Your Majesty!」
「If that happens...!」
As soon as the King's declaration ended, the reporters' hands shot up like bamboo shoots after rain.
The King pointed to one of them.
It was a passionate female reporter who had climbed onto another person's shoulders, waving her hand without a care for her clothes riding up.
「Given that our nation borders the Demon Realm, there is a great risk of spies mixing in among the newly accepted citizens! How do you plan to address the side effects of this policy?」
A sharper and more productive question than expected.
But instead of being flustered, the King smiled as if he had been waiting for it.
「I will provide the answer to that question together with our second declaration.」
He turned his face, full of dignity, to the side.
The woman who had been standing a step back stepped forward and took his hand.
For a royal couple, their gestures and contact were surprisingly intimate and unhesitating.
Their eyes met in the air.
A brief nod was enough to confirm each other's thoughts.
Soon, the couple turned toward the crowd. To make the second declaration... no, the confession.
「There is no one who does not know of my wife here, the Second Queen Hina Kanamiya Mashtov. She is one of the greatest beauties of this kingdom.」
The King's attitude was brimming with confidence and a playful boastfulness.
Rather, the Queen beside him blushed as if embarrassed.
Warm laughter and cheers erupted from the crowd.
As I heard later, she was apparently a woman renowned for her good governance and volunteer work for the people.
「But as everyone knows, secrets have a way of making a beautiful woman even more beautiful. My wife also had one secret. I intend to widely share that secret, which she recently told me, with all of you today. Now, my Queen.」
「Thank you, Your Majesty.」
Stepping forward, the Queen looked around at the crowd for a moment with a hint of shyness remaining on her face.
But soon, she straightened her expression and stood with her back perfectly straight.
'...Huh?'
In that instant, I furrowed my brow.
'It's definitely my first time seeing her.'
Yet, why was that?
I felt a strange sense of déjà vu from her appearance.
「Everyone. You need not worry about spies. That is because the strange beings of the Demon Realm primarily take human form. And such individuals...」
I felt my gaze being naturally drawn to the image.
Behind the Queen's back.
There, enormous wings were slowly, and majestically, unfurling.
「Can certainly be captured by me, and by mages I have taught the necessary magic.」
The feathers covering the wings were a semi-transparent brown that transmitted light.
From the image of the wings that seemed to catch on nothing around them, like a mirage, I could feel a certain 'power'.
「I apologize for hiding it, citizens. I am an Ain.」
Only then could I vaguely grasp the identity of the déjà vu I had felt.
"No way..."
「My real name is Sakura.」
With her wings now fully spread, the Second Queen looked down upon the crowd, her black hair swaying mysteriously even in the windless space.
As if the hem of a heavenly maiden's robe were swimming through the air.
「I am an Ain with the blood of the Cheoneung Cheon-gu flowing in my veins, Amatsu Sakura.」
Her eyes, at that moment, held a vivid shade of green.
- 4 -
At the same time, the Imperial Palace of the Norn Empire was shrouded in stillness.
"... I am sorry, Your Highness."
The one who broke the silence was a splendid woman wearing white holy vestments.
"I did my very best, but His Majesty's life force is already...."
The Saintess of the Celestial Religion, Clementine, rose from her spot with a pale, exhausted face that looked as if she might collapse at any moment.
It was a dark expression that no one could blame her for.
A result of pouring out holy power without rest for 36 hours.
"Father!!"
Eldgrim rushed out as if he hadn't heard Clementine's words at all.
"Keuheuuh..."
At that moment, the Emperor opened his eyes.
Just at the right time, as if he had awakened upon hearing his son's voice.
Eldgrim's gaze briefly turned toward Clementine.
The Crown Prince nodded very slightly.
It was a brief exchange of glances, not even a second long. But the two understood the meaning perfectly.
"Wa, water..."
"Here it is, Father!"
Eldgrim snatched the water bowl a servant was holding and hurriedly brought it to the Emperor's lips.
At the desperate sight of the Crown Prince, not caring that the overflowing water was soaking his expensive sleeves, the surrounding nobles and servants reddened their eyes.
"Foolish boy..."
However, the Emperor frowned as he looked at his son.
Because the dark greed lurking in his son's eyes was far too vivid to the dying father's gaze.
But what could be done? Even if he looked incompetent, there was no replacement.
'That's why... I wished to hold on for as long as possible...'
But the fate decreed by heaven could not be defied.
The natural disaster called 'old age' was something even the Emperor of the Empire could not disobey.
Maximilian mustered his last strength and opened his mouth.
"The rebels... must never be forgiven...! And...!"
He knew all too well what his son desired at this moment.
For he himself had received the same help from his predecessor.
"Do not... give in to reckless greed. Those things... will never move according to your will."
The Emperor whispered into Eldgrim's ear in a clear voice.
"...Purges are for 'after' a failure. Do not act rashly...."
Maximilian's breathing grew fainter and fainter.
The strength gradually drained from the hand that held Eldgrim's.
"I entrust the Empire... to you..."
With those final words, the Emperor's hand dropped powerlessly.
From the eyes of the Red Griffin, who had once dominated an era, the last light slowly faded away.
December 31st, 215th year, 11:55 PM.
With only 5 minutes left until the new year, a grief-stricken wail signaling the end of an era burst forth.
"FATHER...!!"
'At last...!'
In that moment when everyone was immersed in sorrow, at an angle no one could see, on the face of Eldgrim, who was embracing the Emperor's body, an uncontrollable ecstasy blossomed.
Right before his eyes, his era was unfolding.