#097.01. A Tale of Delusion - Rosemas Tervation (1)
#097.01. A Tale of Delusion - Rosemas Tervation (1)
The Great Demon King Belphegor had fallen.
The Demon King who had appeared in the Human Realm was defeated once more by Lucius, the Hero who wielded the Wind Holy Sword, and humanity regained its peace.
And then.
Now, Lucius chose to be with the woman who had been with him from the very beginning as a party member—Rosemas Tervation.
Lucius Tervation.
He took Rosemas's family name and became her companion, and the many people who had received his help gathered in one place, eventually forming a single kingdom.
This is.
A story that might happen in someone's imagination.
Or perhaps a story that might happen in the future.
* * *
"Hm, hm-hm."
Rosemas hummed to herself as she baked a pie with her own hands.
The apple pie browning in the oven gave off a rich, sweet aroma, and Rosemas wished she could wind time forward so it would finish baking and she could bring it to the man she loved.
"Your Majesty the Queen, why must you do this at this hour...."
"She wants to give it to His Majesty the King. Understand."
High Elves have good ears.
So she could make out even quiet conversations taking place in another room beyond the wall.
"Ugh, working until this late at night."
Rosemas felt a little sorry.
Because of her stubbornness, the maids had to come out to the kitchen even at this late hour, and they had to keep feeding firewood into the oven from behind so the heat would not die down.
I'll have to reward them later.
Rosemas memorized the names of those helping her by feeding firewood from behind, and waited for the apple pie to finish baking.
"But Her Majesty the Queen—does she really not know?"
Twitch.
"Know what?"
"No, I mean about His Majesty the King."
"Ah.... That he goes to the Sage's Tower every night?"
"......."
Rosemas fell silent.
The fact that the King went to the Sage's Tower could only mean one thing.
He was going to see the Sage.
The Sage Bel.
She had no family name, but she was the Hero Party's only mage, the greatest of Grand Mages, and the one who had guided the group.
Until the very end, she had risked her life for the Hero Lucius and sacrificed all of her mana. The vast reserves that rivaled a legendary dragon were exhausted, leaving her reduced to an ordinary human.
For her sake, King Lucius built the Sage's Tower.
So that the Sage Bel could be reborn as a new existence, no longer a Hero meant to defeat Demon Kings.
Although the Sage was kept in the tower in a way that some described as protection and others described as confinement,
the Sage seemed to have no particular complaints, and the Sage's Tower was a place that only a very select few within the kingdom could enter.
And.
King Lucius was said to visit the Sage's Tower often whenever night fell.
"That's no different from visiting a concubine."
"Shh. Watch your mouth. Who said anything about a concubine?"
"What? Did I say anything wrong? Honestly, His Majesty the King spends more time with the Sage than with Her Majesty the Queen. Isn't that right?"
"Well, that's true, but."
Ding.
A sound came from the oven, and Rosemas silently opened the oven and took out the apple pie.
It had baked golden brown, but Rosemas's expression as she looked at the apple pie was extremely heavy.
"...Hoo."
After preparing the herb tea she had steeped in advance, Rosemas headed to the King's office with the apple pie and two cups of herb tea.
"Lucius?"
"Ah, Rosemas."
Even at an hour when the moon hung high in the sky, Lucius, who had been sitting in his office examining documents, rose with a benevolent smile.
"Did you bake this for me?"
"Yeah. Take your time."
"It's fine. I can still handle this much. Hoo."
Lucius pushed aside the documents he had been examining and rose from his seat.
She had not meant to look, but the paper clearly bore the words "Regarding the Protest Against the Establishment of an Elf Exchange District."
"...I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I feel like you're suffering because of me."
"What? No, no."
Lucius strode over to Rosemas in a single step and pulled her into his arms.
"This is just something that happens in the process of races harmonizing with each other. We've lived in different domains until now, right? So we just need time to adapt to each other."
"But still...."
"Think positively. The very fact that these problems are arising means this world is moving in a positive direction."
Pat, pat.
At Lucius's warm touch, Rosemas could not say anything.
"You know, I'm truly grateful to you. You're a High Elf—and an Elven princess at that—yet you chose my side instead of the Great Forest. I truly, sincerely thank you."
"Lucius...."
"At the final moment, everyone fell fighting the Demon King. Droniel, and Yan. And the others too. The only ones left are you and my teacher, but...."
Peck.
Lucius kissed Rosemas on the forehead and grinned.
"You're the only one for me, Rosemas."
"...Thank you. For saying that."
"I mean it. Heh-heh, the pie's going to get cold. I'll enjoy it."
Lucius sat down on a reception chair.
Rosemas watched him sit at the head seat and briefly dug her nails into her own arm, but she had no choice and sat in a seat apart from him.
"Hey, Lucius. Just in case, about what your mother said...."
"I won't do it."
Lucius picked up a slice of apple pie and cut her off sharply.
"No matter what happens, I will never kneel to anyone. Especially not if it's a threat under the pretext of racial harmony. Never."
"Lucius...."
"If the King of humans kneels to the Queen of elves, the elves will become one with humans? That's not true harmony. That's what I learned. And...."
Lucius chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.
"How could a man just kneel to someone? Especially when I'm the King."
"...Right. Thank you. I was a little afraid that you might make that choice because of me."
"As if."
Something.
Rosemas inwardly thought, 'What kind of answer is that?' but she didn't think much of it.
"But Lucius. There's something I want to ask."
"Hm?"
"There's a rumor that you go to see the Sage every night...."
"Who says that?"
Somewhat.
Lucius answered irritably.
"Rosemas. Do you think I'm still a little brat who runs to my teacher to ask about everything?"
"N-no. That's...."
"I'm an adult now. I'm even a King. Now the fate of all the people of this country hangs on my every word, my every step. So do you think I would carelessly entrust the running of this country to someone else?"
Lucius shook his head firmly.
"I might seek advice. But I am the King of this country. My dream is to build a country where humans and elves can live together in harmony. So there's no way I'd go running every day to someone from 500 years ago."
"Lucius...."
"Of course, when I'm truly frustrated, I do go to my teacher and talk. But Rosemas, there's something you're misunderstanding."
Lucius spoke with clear anger in his voice.
"When have I ever not discussed difficult and hard things with you?"
"......No."
Come to think of it.
The times he went to the Sage were only when he had first talked with Rosemas and no answer could be found at all.
And even that was only when he had discussed it with the kingdom's ministers and still no clear answer emerged.
"Rosemas. A married couple is one body and one mind. If something happens in the country, I talk to you first—who else would I talk to?"
"Th-that, Lucius."
"This won't do. Rosemas."
Lucius rose from his seat and scooped Rosemas up into his arms.
"I have something to say to you."
"Wh-what is it...?"
"Let's do it."
Rosemas's face turned red in an instant.
"Lu-Lucius! Right now you have work to...."
"I can do it tomorrow. And this is also the King's work. What clearer proof of harmony between humans and elves could there be than a child carrying both their bloodlines?"
"Ah, aah...!"
Flop.
Rosemas was thrown onto the bed.
"Stay still."
"......Yes♡"
That day.
Rosemas spent the night with her husband until she fainted, recovered, and fainted again.
* * *
And then.
Late in the predawn hours.
Just in case, Rosemas had taken a magic potion designed to dispel her Sleep Magic after a set amount of time, and she quietly woke up.
"......."
The side of the bed was empty.
On the windowsill, a familiar footprint remained, and beyond the window, in the middle of the rose garden, a tower stood tall.
The Sage's Tower.
Like a lighthouse illuminating the darkness, a light was on in a single room on the top floor of the Sage's Tower.
"......."
Rosemas immediately ran toward the window and dashed through the air.
Using even the Wind Spirits to keep the others from noticing her, she moved as quietly as possible and approached the Sage's Tower.
A barrier surrounded the Sage's Tower.
And the barrier never opened its door to those the Sage had not permitted.
But the barrier did not stop Rosemas.
Was it because Rosemas was a comrade who had shared life's joys and sorrows with her?
No.
"She's provoking me...."
Grind.
The Sage had invited Rosemas.
Rosemas clenched her fist tightly and silently climbed the tower.
Hah, hah.
"......."
The sound that clearly reached her ears was unmistakably rough breathing.
She hated it so much, but she had to confirm it with her own eyes.
"......."
As the sound grew louder, Rosemas's fists began to tremble.
A rumor was harmless as long as it remained only a rumor, but the moment it became truth, Rosemas would spiral out of control.
"No way.... No, there's no way."
Lucius.
That Lucius.
The Lucius who had whispered his love to her even just tonight.
No way...?
Step.
Rosemas reached the top of the tower.
Beyond the wide double doors that opened left and right, at the far end of the Sage's corridor, behind another door, was the Sage's room.
There were two doors, but they were placed in a straight line, and if the doors were slightly open, the gap allowed a view into the room.
"!!"
Rosemas saw it.
The Sage sitting with her bottom perched on the desk—Witch Bel.
And below her, kneeling—the Hero, her husband Lucius.
Grin.
Witch Bel noticed her.
But the witch said nothing to Lucius, and simply....
"!!"
Lick.
Rosemas collapsed to the ground on the spot from the shock.
And then.
"Hah, hah...."
Elven ears did not miss even the smallest sound.