The Fragment of Disaster Comes with the Storm (4)
A minor hiccup had occurred, but now that the troublesome lock was cleanly severed, there was nothing left to stand in their way. Of course, what to do with the already-cut lock wasn't something to worry about right now. Mona would handle it somehow. With some illusion spell or the like, probably. Brushing off the aftermath with a weary "everything's too much hassle now," Emilia opened the drawer where the lock had sunk into and examined its contents.
'Paper...?'
No. Not paper. What lay inside was antique parchment. It was sealed with a thin string and wax stamped with the royal crest. A hundred years ago, that might have been common, but in this era where magical tools had revolutionized paper production on a massive scale, such old-fashioned parchment was a rarity. And yet, it didn't look like some ancient document either. Parchment would fade and fray within a few years no matter how well preserved, but this felt brand new.
"That's a magical tool too, Lia."
As Emilia held the parchment, appraising it, Mona whispered from beside her.
"...What kind?"
"You'll know once you read the contents. And for document-type magical tools like this, they're all pretty much the same, right?"
We hereby recognize and solemnly swear to the betrothal between Hero Emilia Edenberts and Emperor Karik Romancia.
"What... is this...?"
The entire page of parchment was covered in faint spells and incantations resembling ritual language, likely drawn in special ink that didn't obscure the readable content. Overlaid atop these spells and magic circles was an utterly unbelievable contract.
A betrothal between Hero Emilia and Emperor Karik Romancia.
At the top, that shocking declaration was written concisely, followed by detailed conditions below. For instance, it would be permitted upon Emilia completing her coming-of-age ceremony. Or, it would be voided if either Emilia or Karik Romancia lost their designated status (Hero or Emperor). Such meticulous clauses were listed in exhaustive detail.
Of course, even though it concerned her own life, Emilia knew nothing about it. The date at the top suggested it had been drawn up when she was still just ■ years old.
'I didn't forget because I was too young... right?'
As she scanned the magical contract with incredulous eyes, her gaze fell to the signatures at the bottom. Blood oaths. One was the Emperor's name. The other belonged to her father, whom she revered beyond measure.
'Father... made this kind of contract...?'
Marriage to the Emperor was undoubtedly an honor. Regardless of Emilia's own feelings, it could elevate their count's title to marquis or even duke, and Emilia herself would be tied to the royal family—an unparalleled glory. But the father she knew wasn't the type to decide such things arbitrarily without explaining anything to her.
He wouldn't. For a girl her age, too young to discern right from wrong, to have her future dictated like this? Noble daughters often became engaged or betrothed young to other houses, but treating her—the Hero with her sacred duty—the same as other ladies was problematic enough. To use a magical tool to create an inescapable situation...
'This feels all wrong.'
Father wouldn't do that. He couldn't have approved something like this. So then...
'A fake...?'
Why bind Emilia to the royal family through betrothal? Why to Emperor Karik Romancia specifically? Did the Emperor lack a suitable heir? Was that why his name was on the contract?
...She couldn't make sense of it. The information Emilia had was far too limited, and she had no idea how this connected to Melrn Count's intentions.
"Just so you know, the blood used for those signatures is definitely from Edgar Edenberts and Karik Romancia. Never mind the Emperor's—look, your bodily fluids are reacting to the other signature, right?"
Mona pointed to the specks of light still floating in the air. The particles, linked to Emilia's fluids, hovered over the parchment in her hand and the bloodstained signature reading 『Edgar Edenberts』 at the bottom.
Same bloodline, so some connection... probably. There could be many possibilities, but for now, she pieced together the obvious.
Found in this secret vault: a contract swearing betrothal between herself and the Emperor. Crafted as a magical tool, likely enforcing some spell that prevented breach. And agreeing to it: her father, Edgar Edenberts.
'...No idea. Father and the Emperor.'
She couldn't fathom the intent or circumstances behind this contract. But even more baffling was...
"What does this have to do with Melrn Count's goals?"
"Who knows~? Depends on how you look at it, doesn't it~?"
Emilia held out the parchment to Mona, but she brushed it off as if she had no intention of giving a straight answer. Emilia hadn't really expected one anyway, but surprisingly, Mona added,
"You want to know about Master, right~? Well, you still have to uncover a lot more for that~. This alone won't cut it~."
"I was told I could learn about Melrn Count here."
But this parchment was only about her. Wasn't this a breach of contract itself? As she thought that, Mona stated firmly,
"It is related."
"How."
"Definitely."
"......"
"It's fine. You can figure it out slowly. Demanding the whole puzzle picture after finding one piece? That's a bit too cheeky, don't you think?"
Mona's words were gentle, yet brooked no argument. Emilia couldn't press further and decided to let it go for now. The meaning of this contract, how it came to be, its link to Melrn Count... she'd have to uncover those step by step.
Screeech... Screeech... Screeech...
Drag... Draaaag... Draaaag...
――It had just awakened from a long slumber.
――It was starving.
――It was furious.
At the Hero who had slain the immortal it and left it sealed away for centuries. At that accursed Hero, no different from the archenemy of all demons, who murdered their now-vanished Demon King... it burned with rage.
Its body, risen from death, trembled with fury. Saliva overflowed from its maw, trickling down its grotesquely decayed jaw.
It's entire form was a wretched ruin, shrouded in eerie black mist that concealed the rot. Rage. Rage. Hatred. Kill the Hero. Kill the Hero. Kill the Hero. Such commands filled its mind.
『He...ro...』
The thing... the monster crawled like a vermin toward the exit of its prison chamber.
The stone door, meant to be sealed tight, stood open. The barrier that had burned it was gone. The heavy, rusted chains binding it fell away limply as it crawled forth.
Nothing barred its path. Emerging from the chamber—once brimming with holy energy, endlessly slaying the undying monster—freedom, forgotten for centuries, finally reached the beast.
Flesh and muscle regenerated on its decayed body. The faint black mist thickened, enveloping it once more.
The monster no longer crawled; it stood and walked on its own legs. Clank, clank—the metallic echoes resounded.
The form that had moments ago been a rotting corpse was now clad in imposing jet-black armor. A helm with vicious horns crowned its head, crimson light flashing menacingly from its eye slits.
『He...ro...』
『Heeero... Hero...!』
『Must... kill... kill... must... kill...』
Clank, clank!
Leaving the chamber, it advanced down the pitch-black corridor, black mist trailing behind. Once the Demon King's direct subordinate and right hand: the Death Knight. Favored by the Demon King, it outshone countless knights risen from death, amassing immense feats for demons and its liege.
A specially crafted knight, undead yet more loyal than any other. Even when annihilation loomed, it refused oblivion—truly immortal.
『He...ro... Hero... must... kill...』
『For... my... King...』
The sole highest-rank knight among those born from death, known by countless epithets in legends, advanced with its jet-black armor resounding as gloriously as in days of old. From its lips spilled the final command from its Demon King—vowing never to forget—as it escaped the sealed chamber that had long imprisoned it.