The Traitor's End
Another opportunity presented itself to Cicero, the powerful senator of the Elf Theocracy. Lately, a deep anxiety had gripped him, leaving him restless and unable to sit still. Damn it… why? Just why is there still no news?
Cicero had assembled an assassination squad composed solely of the strongest among his comrades, including Antonius. Their mission was to eliminate Octavia, who was being held captive in the Demon Kingdom. This act would shatter the budding peace alliance and provoke the Demon Kingdom into a fury so great that they would unleash the black flames upon the Elf Theocracy once more—reducing the World Tree Jupiter to ashes. That was the primary objective he had received from that being. From Amun.
Yet despite his high expectations, there was still no word about Antonius. More precisely, no report had arrived confirming Octavia’s assassination, even though enough time had passed for the operation to have concluded. Could it be that Antonius has been defeated? No… that’s impossible. Antonius is the strongest warrior in the Elf Theocracy and has received Amun’s direct blessing. The only one in the Demon Kingdom capable of defeating him is the Demon King herself. There’s no way he could have failed…
Trapped between rising dread and stubborn denial, Cicero could do nothing but wait in agonizing suspense.
Then—
BANG!
“What… what is this? What’s going on?!”
The very next moment, a group of soldiers burst through the door and flooded into his office. Cicero rose from his seat in utter shock as the soldiers swiftly surrounded him, pressing blades against his throat.
“You bastards! How dare you commit such insolence! Do you even know who I—”
“Of course we know exactly who you are, Senator Cicero. Esteemed high councilor of the Elf Theocracy, renowned scholar, and traitor who sought to sell our nation to the Falcon Empire.”
“W-what did you just say?”
The soldier’s unexpected accusation left Cicero reeling. He sensed that something had gone terribly wrong and immediately began to protest violently.
“Traitor?! What nonsense is that?! Who dares spread such baseless slander against me?!”
“You don’t need to know that. Just come with us. You can explain everything in front of His Holiness the Pope.”
“L-let go of me! You wretches! Release me at once!”
Even as the soldiers dragged him away, Cicero continued to shout in fierce resistance. Yet no matter how loudly he protested, the hands gripping him never loosened.
“We sincerely apologize for all the harm our elves have caused until now.”
In front of the Demon King, the Pope and the high ministers of the Elf Theocracy knelt respectfully, bowing their heads in a plea for forgiveness. The Demon King, clad in full armor that concealed her entire body, slowly nodded. Then she extended a hand and gently helped the Pope rise to his feet.
“I accept your apology. From this day forward, the Demon Kingdom and the Elf Theocracy shall once again walk together as true friends.”
“We are deeply grateful that you have accepted our apology, Your Majesty the Demon King.”
It was the first time in hundreds of years that the proud elves had ever bowed their heads in official apology. The sight helped soothe, even if only slightly, the deep-seated resentment and rage the citizens of the Demon Kingdom had harbored toward the elves.
And immediately after the Pope’s apology concluded and he returned to the Theocracy, a massive storm erupted within the Elf Theocracy.
A treasonous conspiracy that shook the entire nation.
It was revealed that a faction centered around Senator Cicero and Holy Knight Antonius had colluded with the Falcon Empire to betray their own country. They had opposed the peace alliance with the Demon Kingdom and attempted to assassinate Octavia while she was held captive there. Fortunately, their plot had failed. Antonius had been killed in the process.
Because of this incident, a great purge swept through the Theocracy as they hunted down every traitor who had tried to sell the nation to the Falcon Empire.
“Arrest Cicero and every last one of his accomplices. Furthermore, conduct Faith Detection on all elves to root out those who have abandoned their faith and aligned themselves with the vile Falcon Empire!”
Faith Detection—a holy magic that could detect those using power from a god other than the one born from the World Tree Jupiter. It only reacted when the subject clearly wielded a distinctly different divine force. At the Pope’s command, the spell was cast upon every elf in the Theocracy.
As a result, numerous high-ranking elves and many others were captured. The Pope gave them one final chance.
“If you repent your sins now and return to following Lord Neltarion, I will forgive you and ask no further questions.”
The Pope spoke with genuine mercy. Some observers felt he was being far too lenient toward traitors who had tried to sell their own country.
Yet the response from Cicero and the other captured elves was anything but repentant.
“We don’t need your forgiveness! Kill us right now!”
“We would rather die than submit to that false god!”
Instead of begging for their lives as everyone expected, the heretics began furiously demanding their own executions. Their fanatical, almost maddened behavior sent a chill down the spines of the citizens watching. The Pope slowly nodded.
“If that is your wish, then so be it. Execute them all. Display their corpses in the city square as an example. Let everyone clearly see what fate awaits those who abandon Lord Neltarion and serve an evil false god.”
“Yes, Your Holiness!”
Thus ended the incident, with the complete execution of those who had rejected the Pope’s final mercy. Thanks to this event, the Pope’s authority—which had plummeted after recent events—was firmly restored, and the shaken faith within the Theocracy was once again stabilized.
However, the countless citizens of the Elf Theocracy who witnessed these events had no idea that this incident was far more than a simple rebellion by traitors.
“With this, we can breathe a little easier for now.”
“Indeed, Your Holiness. But honestly, I am still truly shocked. I never imagined Senator Cicero would fall so far…”
The Pope and his ministers spoke in bitter voices as they gazed at the severed heads of the traitors displayed in the public square. From their perspective, it was an enormous shock to learn that a man who had always worked for the good of the nation—albeit with slightly different ideals—had actually been seduced by an evil god and sought to drag the world into ruin.
“The evil god Amun…”
“According to the Demon Kingdom, it is a new deity that the Empire has begun worshipping after betraying Lord Neltarion. Although they do not openly declare it, its influence has spread not only through the Empire but also into the Beastman Nation and the Magic Nation.”
Amun was an entity whose name could not be found in any historical record. However, both Octavia—whom they had met during their visit to the Demon Kingdom—and Antonius, who had been reduced to an indescribably horrific state, had provided clear evidence of this being’s existence. The Pope now felt the urgent need to confront this evil entity and prepare countermeasures.
“First, we should share this information with the other nations as well. If we handle this well, we may even be able to bring the Beastman Nation and the Magic Nation to our side.”
“I agree completely. Although those two countries remained neutral during the previous war with the Empire, once they learn that the Empire has extended its filthy hands toward them as well, they will surely not sit idle.”
“I will dispatch envoys immediately. Even at this very moment, the Empire’s agents—Amun’s servants—are undoubtedly moving in secret.”
“Yes, do so. Though these are difficult times for everyone, let us all work together for the fate of this world.”
“Yes, Your Holiness.”
“We will keep it in mind.”
The elves answered with what appeared to be a solemn sense of duty, as if they carried the fate of the world on their shoulders. Yet beneath that outward appearance, every one of them was secretly wearing a triumphant smile.
The Falcon Empire had been caught with evidence of worshipping an evil god. If they used this fact wisely, they might be able to isolate the Empire just as the Empire had once isolated the Demon Kingdom.
The nation that occupied the center of the continent, boasted the greatest power, and had even directly invaded them to seize territory not long ago. They had been comrades who joined hands only a few months earlier, but now they were bitter enemies. The Elf Theocracy had no intention of letting slip this golden opportunity to isolate—and perhaps even crush—the Falcon Empire.