Slave, bite.
Slave, bite. Immediately after Ruin left the audience chamber. In the strangely hushed atmosphere, the emperor spoke.
"Colton Clay."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The white-haired elder, Colton Clay, responded. The empire's sword bore a calm gaze. The emperor was much the same.
"I read the report. Some interesting things were written in it."
"..."
The emperor drew something out with his hand. A few sheets of paper.
"Elise's son..."
His golden eyes flashed. The witch Elise. One of only two 8-circle mages on the continent, alongside the current Magic Association President. She hadn't originally based herself in the empire, but she'd built a home on its outskirts. The surname Sethris had been granted for that purpose, and nominally she held a ducal title—but she never used it for anything. This was ultimately just the empire showing her goodwill.
'The witch.'
The worst witch on earth. If the empire hadn't had its own 8-circle mage, one wondered if anyone could stand against her. Two Master-level knights might manage it, but there was no reason to provoke such a thing. Losing their full strength would invite the other continents to come straight for their throats.
This was an age of peace and knights. With the shackles of incantation, it was accepted that mages couldn't beat knights in single combat. Yet even in that world, Elise's position was overwhelming.
'And one raised by such an Elise.'
Silent casting, something that had never existed in history. And.
"An all-attribute mage..."
The owner of insane talent, having awakened every attribute. Having seen the results with his own eyes, the emperor's lips curved upward.
Black hair, pale green eyes. At first glance, just a bratty-looking boy. Yet the emperor had sensed something in that small boy.
"Brazen, wasn't he."
"..."
"How many have acted like that before me."
It was almost unprecedented since his ascension. Even Mirai Colton, granddaughter of the Colton family and secretly being raised by the empire as 'that one,' wouldn't dare. Yet this little boy had done it outright.
"Amusing."
"Does it please Your Majesty?"
"It does. For the first time in ages."
They'd barely exchanged words. He'd simply endured the emperor's gaze. That was what pleased the emperor.
The emperor glanced aside. The moment his eyes met the Royal Knights'.
Clatter.
One knight moved. A knight who should have held his stance lost his balance. Because their gazes had met.
It was the trait of the imperial Lehart bloodline. It subdued and crushed all. The greatest condition for becoming emperor.
Whether one had awakened the Imperial Gaze or not. That decided if one could ascend the throne.
The emperor's son and crown prince, Banheil Lehart, had inherited those eyes. He just hadn't fully awakened them due to his low realm.
Normally, simply meeting them would make many shrink back, unable to lift their heads.
If Ruin had heard, he'd probably have thought something like,
'That fucker's got some aura, huh?'
Those who could endure these eyes without issue were Colton Clay before him, the current Magic Association President, and the witch Elise. In other words, only those who'd reached Master level.
'He met my eyes.'
Despite not reaching that level, Ruin had stared straight into the emperor's eyes. Without a care.
"Truly amusing."
So bold. How long had it been since he'd seen such boldness? Propping his chin, the emperor smiled.
Those around the smile froze. It had been so long since they'd seen the emperor smile.
"Gold Tower Master."
"...! Yes, Your Majesty."
"Has the check on the demonkin been completed?"
"...That is."
The verification on whether Ruin was a demonkin. The Gold Tower Master had tried to discern the truth using 6-circle magic.
"It's uncertain."
"Hm?"
The emperor tilted his head at those words. Uncertain? What did that mean?
"...Mage Ruin disrupted my magic."
"Disrupted the magic?"
"He created a state where the doll couldn't reveal the truth it should, making the magic ineffective."
"Is that possible?"
"...Impossible."
Tom Jenel shook his head. And.
"Until just now, that was the case."
"..."
The moment hands touch the doll, disruption is impossible; by law, it reveals only truth—an absolute magic. The unique spell only the Gold Tower Master could use, which made him the empire's busiest mage.
'And he disrupted it.'
Ruin had casually disrupted a law no one else could. By controlling mana to avoid touch? What nonsense was that?
A mere 3-circle mage. An unbelievable number for his age, but those gathered here were geniuses among geniuses. For one to casually nullify a Tower Master's magic—Tom Jenel had no choice but to groan.
"Haha."
The emperor laughed once more at those words.
"...Indeed."
Elise, huh. The emperor recalled the black-haired witch.
—Congrats on becoming emperor.
—I'll be watching? Let's see you do well.
Daring to declare she'd watch him. When all the empire's people were beneath his feet. She acted as if it didn't matter.
As if even the emperor was beneath her feet. It irked him for a moment, but he hadn't pointed it out. The previous king had left her alone for reasons, and even without that, she was intriguing.
Yet.
'Like mother, like son.'
Not blood-related, yet she'd brought someone eerily similar to herself. A bit more human than Elise, though.
'Wonder about his talent.'
But his talent didn't seem human either. Her own daughter, called a once-in-a-century genius, was being overshadowed.
'In such circumstances—'
Needing to discern if he was demonkin or not. Not an easy task. Especially now, of all times.
"Colton Clay."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Have you grasped the connection between this train attack and those bastards?"
At the emperor's words, everyone's atmosphere shifted. Completely different from the oddity they'd felt about Ruin.
Tension and disgust. That was etched on their faces.
"Twenty-three attackers on the train. All dead, so no information extracted—but."
"All twenty-three were non-humans, right."
"Yes."
Something not human. Various races, including beastkin, had assaulted the train. Those who hadn't sided with humans in the Demon King's war.
They'd banded together for the attack. The emperor had seen such things before.
"I thought we'd burned out every sprout."
Apparently not.
"Sub-demons and dragonkin have revealed themselves."
"...Yes."
"Ikyeogyo, then."
Shhh.
At the emperor's words, the Royal Knights and Tower Masters swallowed hard.
Ikyeogyo. Long ago, a group worshiping forgotten gods from ancient times, seeking the revival of the Demon King sealed centuries prior. They'd thought they'd wiped them out twenty years ago.
'How did they revive?'
It should have been impossible. Done by 'her' of all people. The emperor's expression twisted.
"We'll need to prepare to move the Demon Subjugation Force."
With those words, he continued to Colton.
"You brought the World Tree relic, yes."
"Yes."
"You believe it's the holy sword."
"It's a hypothesis."
"...And Ruin possesses it."
The relic, split in half. The unbreakable World Tree relic had been cleaved, one half with Ruin, the other stored in the imperial vaults.
"White Tower Master."
"Yes... Your Majesty."
"Contact the elves, and at the same time."
The emperor looked out the window.
"Send word to the Holy Kingdom. Tell them to begin appraising the holy sword."
With Ikyeogyo's movements surfacing.
It was time for the 'hero' to act.
'It was short.'
The age of peace was shaking. For something built with so many sacrifices, it had been terribly brief.
＊＊＊＊
Aviris Ruin.
Baron Aviris Ruin.
"Mm. Nice ring to it."
He said as he walked the hall. A really nice ring.
Would he be called Baron Aviris? He quite liked the surname he'd wrung from the emperor.
"...What does it even mean?"
Eria asked, puzzled. What did it mean?
"It's the name that suits me best, I guess."
"Suits you best...? Something a bit sleazy or lewd... like that?"
"...What the hell?"
This girl...? Sneakily picking a fight? No, not sneakily—straight-up stabbing.
"What? 'Touch my tits please? I give titty rights?'"
"Eek...! S-sorry."
Even though he had permission to touch freely, and hadn't. Daring to mess with him?
He considered a quick grope but held back.
'Isekai's great.'
No one batted an eye at his past-life slang. How could a name be No Father? He'd made up a surname when told to, and it actually happened. And even.
—Nice ring to it.
The emperor had acknowledged it. Emperor-approved dad joke. Nationally certified.
Mm mm.
"Things are fun when you're young."
At thirteen, even this was hilarious. Meant his maturity had totally vanished.
'Anyway.'
Baron or surname, didn't seem like much to do.
'What to do?'
He'd even met the emperor and come out. Knights trailed behind. Imperial grounds, couldn't move freely.
'Nothing to do.'
He'd have to wait for that meeting to end before doing anything. He was ultimately following Colton Clay.
'No Iris either.'
No clue where she'd gone. Just stand here trading jokes with Eria? Jokes sounded kinda naughty.
"...Eek!"
Eria suddenly shivered like goosebumps had hit, rubbing her arms. What was that reaction? Good instincts maybe?
"What's up?"
"...Nothing, just got cold suddenly."
Did she read his mind? Some relic? Well, she had an angel too.
Thinking that, he glanced up. But.
'Huh?'
What.
'Why's it got its eyes open?'
The angel had its eyes open. Pink pupils. The exceedingly beautiful angel stared at him with an oddly expressionless face.
What? Wasn't it sleeping until now? Why...?
As he puzzled over it.
Click-clack.
Footsteps echoed from afar. At the same time, something filled the air. Mana.
Familiar mana. He turned.
"There you are."
A seductive yet somehow shady voice. Radiant golden hair like her father's, a beauty.
"Took me forever to find you."
"Uh...?"
Princess Delvin Lehart. She'd come looking for him.
With slightly flustered eyes, he gave her a greeting.
"Hello?"
Fuckin' hi?
◆ The Eye of All Things smirks toward the 'slightly' decent mediocrity.
◆ The church's activities have been recognized.
◆ The Archive of All Things awaits you.
◆ Be cautious.
◆ With the genius's awakening, the Inhuman Demonic Realm begins.