Sowing Darkness Upon Love and Truth
"Hmmm… So that’s how it is?"
"Yes, Lady Shude."
Kneeling respectfully before her was the interrogator. The man had been secretly dispatched by the Magic Kingdom to assess the situation while concealing his identity, and he had once served as her subordinate. Through his words, Shude began to realize that the overall state of affairs was unfolding in a most entertaining manner.
‘The failure of this Hero Party was exploited in that way… Human greed may be endless, but the Emperor’s ambition truly knows no bounds. Well… our Magic King is much the same in that regard.’
The Hero Parties dispatched to slay the Demon King—effectively assassination attempts—had failed time and again. Yet because the fundamental goal of striking at the serpent’s head remained meaningful, those repeated failures had never caused any major backlash. This time, however, the latest crushing defeat of the Hero Party was about to summon a far greater storm than any before it. It was not merely a military loss; it was a violent tempest tied to the filthy arena of politics.
That storm was connected to the long-simmering power struggle between the Pope of the Elf Theocracy and the Emperor of the Falcon Empire, both of whom had been lurking within the racial alliance.
"So, how far does the Emperor intend to push this matter?"
"It is difficult to say for certain, but it appears he means to see it through to the end. After all, he has even requested cooperation from His Majesty the Magic King."
"Indeed… Similar incidents have occurred several times before, but the gap in national power between the Elf Theocracy and the Falcon Empire has never been this wide. It is only natural that he would seize upon such a convenient justification when it presents itself."
With those words, Shude slowly sipped her tea and began to reconsider the current political landscape. The Elf Theocracy had presided over the continent’s religion under the banner of the race chosen by the World Tree and the gods. Though their own military strength was limited by the elves’ small population, the religious authority the Theocracy had cultivated over hundreds of years extended to every corner of the continent. The temples built by the elves served as spiritual strongholds in villages both great and small. The firm religious sentiment they generated, along with the enormous “offerings” they collected, had become a major factor that prevented even the Falcon Empire—the strongest nation on the continent—from dismissing the Elf Theocracy lightly.
Thus, despite its modest population, the Theocracy exerted tremendous influence over the continent’s nations through the shield of religion. Yet that very religious authority, built up over long centuries by the Pope and the Theocracy, had always been a thorn in the side of the Falcon Empire. As the continent’s mightiest power and a nation that aspired to hegemony, the Empire naturally wished to neutralize the Theocracy’s influence and stand as the sole, unshakable ruler.
To that end, the Emperor had tried to shake the situation by nurturing clerics like Amelda within the Empire itself and granting them religious appointments. Nevertheless, he had been unable to undermine the Pope’s rock-solid authority. Then came the latest Hero Party incident. Unlike previous failures, this one had begun amid enormous expectations, backed by the massive halo of the “Pope’s Oracle.” Its miserable defeat now provided the Emperor with the perfect pretext to shake the Pope and the Elf Theocracy from their very foundations. He was already moving to officially hold the Pope accountable.
The separate interrogations of Shude and the other former Hero Party members were part of that scheme. As she calculated how best to act amid the approaching storm, a faint smile crept across Shude’s lips.
‘A clash between the Pope and the Emperor… Honestly, it isn’t such a bad thing for us. After all, they’ll become our enemies once we finish off the Demon Kingdom.’
Whichever side won, it would benefit both her and the Magic Kingdom. With that comfortable thought, Shude set down her teacup. Only minutes earlier, before entering this room, she had felt a trace of unease. But the moment she saw her subordinate and realized the political undercurrents at play, she understood that the Magic Kingdom had already extended its hand in this direction. Ever since, she had been accepting the situation with the relaxed air of someone on vacation.
Of course, that did not change the fact that she had hidden her own shame and protected her comrades—honestly, to put it bluntly, for Torare’s sake—by saying exactly what they had agreed upon beforehand. Moreover, since it aligned with the Magic King’s existing plan to cooperate with the Emperor, one could say Shude was faithfully carrying out what both the Magic King and the Emperor desired.
‘This way, our lies will never be exposed. And even if the truth somehow comes to light, the Emperor would simply label it false and bury it.’
She mused that she really was quite lucky in many ways. At the same time, however, a faint regret lingered at the fact that she had failed to completely eliminate Amelda—the woman she had wanted to erase for good at this opportunity. A cold smile remained fixed on Shude’s lips.
‘Still, I cannot betray His Majesty the Magic King’s expectations. Especially if I am to build a sweet future together with Lord Torare, just the two of us…’
The story Amelda had told—that the heroines’ betrayal had caused the hero’s defeat—was not, strictly speaking, entirely accurate. In truth, the hero had simply been weaker than expected and the Demon King stronger than anticipated. The so-called “Pope’s Oracle” had been little more than nonsense. Still, for someone who had already decided to lie, fabricating such a tale posed no difficulty at all. Moreover, she now had a splendid justification: she was not acting for personal gain, but for the sake of her nation and her people. Thus, her conscience barely flinched at spewing falsehoods.
And as Brutus listened to the mixture of truth and lies pouring from her lips, a look of profound shock spread across his face.
"S-such a thing… really happened? How… how could something so absurd…"
The heroines of the Hero Party had allowed their hearts to be stolen by a mere porter, thrown away the opportunity granted by the gods, and betrayed the expectations of countless people. Brutus began to tremble with deep fury. Watching him, Amelda bowed her head and shed tears.
"I’m sorry! If only… if only I had acted properly… If I hadn’t fallen for that porter’s threats and betrayed the hero, none of this would have…!"
In reality, she had been one of the ringleaders who had succumbed to Torare. But since she had already abandoned comrades who were likely to discard her anyway once the national situation changed, there was no need to mention such things. A sense of guilt still lingered in a corner of her heart, yet the thought ‘They would have abandoned me anyway’ neutralized much of it. After all, in the current situation, the one truly in danger was not the others but herself.
‘The water has already been spilled… What’s wrong with devoting myself to my homeland and my people? Yes, this was an unavoidable choice for the sake of the nation. Anything I gain in the process is merely a bonus.’
Even as she wept and shifted responsibility onto her comrades by claiming she too had been a victim, Amelda continued her performance. Brutus, however, seemed to think there was no time for such things and spoke to her urgently.
"Enough. There is no time for apologies now. We must convey this truth accurately, or something truly irreversible will occur."
"I agree. Those wicked members of the Hero Party will surely succumb to the Emperor’s temptations and give false testimony without hesitation. It would be advantageous for them to tarnish the hero’s honor."
Unlike his earlier agitation, her mentor had regained his usual composure. Realizing that he had completely believed her lies, Amelda let out a deep sigh of relief inside.
"Still, this is fortunate. So the one who led the betrayal was Aileen, the Emperor’s high priestess… If this fact becomes known, the justification the Emperor hopes to gain from this incident will take a serious blow."
"Yes! That wicked woman… No matter that she is a fake appointed by the Emperor, to commit such acts while holding the position of high priestess who serves the gods is utterly unforgivable."
Without hesitation, Amelda joined her mentor in denouncing Aileen. Having already hardened her heart, she had no reason to look back. She continued her offensive, speaking as aggressively as possible to defend herself.
Watching her attitude, Brutus nodded slowly and spoke in a grave voice.
"Then we cannot afford any more delays. We must move as quickly as possible before the Emperor can manipulate the Hero Party’s testimony and make his declaration."
"I think so as well."
With those words, Brutus immediately rose from his seat. He then used the key he carried as interrogator to unlock the mana-suppressing cuffs on Amelda’s wrists.
"We depart at once. Before the Emperor notices anything, you must return to our homeland and deliver the truth. Even if something should happen to me, you must succeed. Do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand, Master. I will certainly reveal the atrocities of those filthy Hero Party wretches to the world and bring justice!"
Responding to Brutus’s resolute words with an equally determined tone, Amelda steeled herself. She would spread the lies she had created to the entire world.