The Past of the Sun and the Stars
"Ughhhh..."
"...They really do look like undead."
The imperial nobles were already rotten to the core, no different from corpses in my eyes. But seeing them actually turn into something indistinguishable from the walking dead was a novel experience.
Crack!!
Entertaining such idle thoughts, I kicked down the already shattered door and hurriedly carried Clana out of the room.
"...Should I just take them all out?"
As I watched the nobles swarm into the ballroom like ants, I muttered while stroking my sword. But I soon sighed and shook my head.
Most of the nobles were rotten, but slaughtering them all would cause serious problems. There were a rare few good ones, some that could still be salvaged, and their sudden deaths would spark social chaos that would only make things worse for us.
"Hmm..."
In the end, I slowly lowered my sword and scanned the nobles encircling us, mulling over the thought that had popped into my mind.
'I'm totally fine, though?'
Thank goodness for my Star Mana, the Hero's Power, and my mental strength stat of 9.3. It let me move freely in what seemed like a mental attack.
"Frey..."
"...Huh."
As I was lost in thought, Clana murmured softly from my arms.
"Is this... really just a dream?"
"Huh?"
"Look at those nobles... They look just like undead."
"......."
"See? Of course... Of course you'd never treat me this well... So it has to be a dream, right?"
Clana's expression looked utterly heartbroken as she said that.
"Wait, you... That memory from earlier... The star-gazing flower... Hic!"
"...Sorry, Clana."
I gazed at her with equal sorrow, then knocked her out again and quickened my pace toward the room in the distance where black magic energy swirled.
"...First things first, I need to put out this fire."
Right now, nothing mattered more than saving Clana somehow.
......
It was pitch black all around.
Clana opened her eyes in the darkness, glancing around in confusion before suddenly recalling what had just happened. Her face paled.
"F-Frey... Huh?"
But her memory cut off abruptly, as if it had never existed.
"Meow..."
"Eek!"
While she wore a bewildered expression, something bit her ankle. Startled, she looked down to see a black cat gnawing at her, tugging her toward somewhere.
"Ha... Unbelievable."
After being dragged along by the black cat for a while, Clana spotted a younger version of herself in the distance, grumbling as she scribbled in something.
"Th-there..."
Clana approached her younger self with an anxious look and tried asking a question, but got no response.
"What is this?"
She tentatively reached out to touch her, but felt nothing.
"...Ah."
Tilting her head in the bizarre situation, Clana finally peeked into the diary her younger self was writing and understood what was happening.
'This is... that memory from back then...'
Recalling her first meeting with Frey, Clana began reading the diary slowly.
Today's debut ball was the worst, just as I expected.
The only people who approached me were lechers and opportunists. Some even proposed marriage. To someone not even 10 years old yet, from a 50-year-old man... It was utterly revolting.
But the absolute worst moment was during the tea party. Not a single lady or young lord would join me. Of course, I'm used to being alone, so it didn't faze me much. Maybe just a tiny bit sad.
Still, there were delicious cakes and coffee, so I comforted myself with those. That's when that boy sat down in front of me. Frey, was it? The first son of the Starlight Duke's family—truly from an exalted status. Far higher than a figurehead like me.
Anyway, his behavior toward me was so insincere. It was all pity, and he clearly planned to use me. So I told him that if he wanted to be friends, he should bring me a star-gazing flower from the treacherous forest near the ballroom where they've occasionally been spotted.
I wanted him to suffer for approaching me just to exploit me. He probably searched for a few hours, gave up, cursed me out, or pretended to agree only to badmouth me the second he left. I know it. That's all I'm worth.
As Clana finished reading the diary entry, the surroundings shifted, and the memory from the diary flowed into her mind.
"Ugh...?"
Confused by the suddenly vivid recollection, Clana heard her younger self murmuring anxiously from the same spot.
"No way... It can't be..."
Clana cautiously approached again, watching her trembling younger self write in the diary before starting to read.
That kid Frey I was mean to yesterday? He still hasn't returned to the duke's mansion.
What's going on? Is the Starlight family plotting to recruit me? Or is it just that kid's rebellion? Yeah, it has to be one of those. No way he'd stay up all night searching for that flower for someone like me. He shouldn't...
"Ahh...!"
After reading the entry and zoning out, Clana clutched her throbbing head and groaned.
Regardless, the scene shifted again. This time, she saw her younger self anxiously biting her nails while writing in the diary.
It's been four days since Frey went missing. The duke's family is searching, but no sign yet.
What do I do? What should I do? He must really want to be friends with me. That flower is so rare, there's a legend it blooms once every hundred years... No kid my age could find it...
I thought he was just faking it like everyone else and lashed out... I figured he'd give up quick... What have I done to the first kid who reached out to me?
Clana backed away after reading that far, trembling as she looked around.
"Th-this place..."
The area around her had transformed into a forest that felt familiar, like something she'd seen before.
"Ah..."
Staring blankly at the change, Clana then spotted her younger self gazing at someone with trembling eyes.
Her clothes were torn in places from tree branches, her fair skin scratched up, and her whole body filthy from trudging through the woods.
"You... That's..."
That younger self stared blankly at Frey, who was equally battered, and spoke.
"It's a star-gazing flower!"
Frey beamed innocently and held out the flower—a silver one that looked just like her.
"And take this too! It's a sun-gazing flower!"
"Why... why give something like that to a worthless nobody like me...?"
When Frey pulled out a sun-gazing flower from his bosom and offered it, Clana asked tearfully.
"Because I want to be friends!"
Frey, battered but having protected the flowers perfectly, answered the guilt-ridden Clana. She bowed her head deeply.
"...Why?"
"We're not friends yet!"
Clana asked again with difficulty, and Frey replied with the same innocent smile and baffling answer. She began speaking in a low voice.
"I have nothing to give you right now. No power, and I'm just a hated figurehead."
"Doesn't matter!"
"Instead, I'll make an oath with you."
"Huh?"
"The absolute oath said to have been made in this forest a thousand years ago by a princess, a hero, and the lady of the Moonlight family... I'll make it with you."
With that, Clana grabbed the bewildered Frey's hand and began the oath.
"I hereby declare the absolute oath flowing through the three families, from this moment."
"What're you doing?"
"I, Clana Solar Sunrise, will serve Frey Raon Starlight forever."
Frey's mouth fell open at her words.
"As long as you don't betray me first, I'll never hate you... and serve you until death."
"Uh, uwaa...?"
"If I break the oath, I'll tremble at the sight of your face, my heart will burn at the thought of you... and eventually go mad."
"Y-you can't make a promise like that!"
"It's the greatest gift I can give you right now."
As Clana tried to end the oath, Frey spoke up urgently.
"I-I'll make a promise too! I'm making one!!"
"Y-you! What are you doing?!"
The mystical energy swirling around Clana shifted to Frey.
"Don't! It's my gift to you! If you make one too, it loses meaning!!"
"But what kind of friend just receives a gift one-sidedly?"
Clana tried to let go of Frey's hand in frustration, but he gripped hers tighter and replied.
"Gifts are something you give and receive together."
With that, Frey began his oath to the stunned Clana.
"I, Frey Raon Starlight, will make the friend before me emperor."
"You...!"
"And if I break this promise..."
"I-it's impossible! Me becoming emperor is impossible!!"
Clana freaked out at the unexpected declaration and tried to stop him.
"In that case, set a trivial penalty! Like owing me a cookie! Or a single coin!"
"I'll dedicate everything I have to you."
"Ah........"
Frey smiled as he finished, and Clana let out a dazed sound.
"So that's it... Frey, that's why you..."
And in the next moment, the surrounding space began to fade.
"Yeah, that's what happened. That's how it was..."
In the dimming space, Clana, having realized the truth, murmured quietly.
"Frey... because of that oath from back then..."
Alone with her mutterings, Clana soon furrowed her brow in confusion.
"But... I feel like I'm forgetting something...?"
......
"Haaah..."
"Kania! How'd it go?"
Kania, who had been tending to Clana, exhaled deeply and stepped back. Frey asked tensely.
"It worked for now... but whether it took hold depends on if Clana wakes up."
"...Ugh."
Frey looked anxious at her words, while Kania spoke with worry.
"I overwrote her Trial memory—the only one strong enough to surpass it—with a powerful memory. But this one was risky too."
"Damn, I didn't even remember making that oath with her... Where'd that come from?"
"Probably a erased memory we both shared... one that can only be pulled from the unconscious."
Kania continued softly, then frowned.
"I said it before, but black magic isn't omnipotent. This unconscious adjustment has a high chance of failure... and even if it succeeds, the slightest trigger could bring back the Trial memory."
"Then if we're careful..."
"No, even left alone, the Trial memory will resurface naturally soon enough. What I did was just a temporary patch."
"How long... can it hold?"
"A few weeks at best, months at worst."
Frey clenched his fist at that. Kania stood and concluded.
"So... without a fundamental solution, the Penalty is inevitable."
"Damn it."
Pacing and cursing, Frey sighed and replied.
"Kania, if I die, take the letter from my secret pocket..."
"Kania?"
Mid-sentence, Frey tilted his head.
"Kania, what's wrong?"
Kania had shot up to respond but froze like stone.
"Wh-what's wrong with you?"
Serena's owl, which had flown from the next room to perch on his shoulder, also plummeted limply. Frey caught it quickly and turned in panic to Clana, who lay still.
"..........."
She'd been writhing and groaning moments ago, but now she was frozen too.
"What the..."
Confirming the mad imperial nobles visible through the window had also frozen, Frey broke into a cold sweat and tried to head outside.
"Greetings, Frey."
".......!!!"
Suddenly, someone opened the door and entered. Startled, Frey fell on his ass.
"We've finally met."
The girl's eyes watching him still gleamed ruby red.