Stigma (12) — Conclusion
After the commotion, in the imperial palace's audience hall.
The ministers had no objection to the Prime Minister's will.
“It is absolutely unacceptable!”
Loud voices were exchanged among the gathered high officials of the capital.
“Black magic! It's black magic, not something else! Do you not realize the seriousness of the situation?!”
“I know! That's why I say we should follow the Prime Minister's will!”
A large-scale black magic incident had occurred in the middle of the night in the imperial capital, revealing the existence of the hidden child.
“In just three years since the empire's citizens escaped the terror of the black magic that once swallowed the entire continent. Moreover, it can be seen as ongoing! Yet you have no objection? Are you truly sane?!”
“You of all people! The Prime Minister's opinion is reasonable and justified! And as we all know, the Emperor's light must reach the very bottom of the deepest abyss! If the poor child was suffering under the fallen knight, the empire should take responsibility and protect her!”
“It is unacceptable! You cannot distinguish between reality and ideal, you are foolish! If the child is the source of black magic, it is right to isolate her completely according to principles and procedures and manage it thoroughly at the Magic Tower!”
The issue on the table was the child's treatment.
But the conflict between the two factions was acute.
“The Eirene Oath remains unbreakable under any trial! To ignore it and abandon the child like a sacrifice! This is not a heartless act!”
“Listen! That child is not a citizen of the empire! And how dare you mention the sacred Eirene Oath in front of His Majesty! Do you not realize that what you are doing now is shaking the very foundation of the Oath, and that it could bring great harm to the well-being of the empire's citizens?!”
“It is truly shameful! Just because the child is a different race and not a citizen of the empire, you treat her so harshly?! Under the Oath, all humanity is equal! Your Majesty, I humbly request that you show mercy to the child and demonstrate that the Oath remains unbroken! Spread Your Majesty's light widely to the humanity of the continent still suffering from black magic! The gods are prepared to give their lives for this!”
“It is a time bomb that we know will explode! Moreover, their words are an act of insulting the Oath itself! Your Majesty, please be magnanimous!”
A perfect balance of opposing forces had been reached, with twelve voices on each side.
“Ah, you cowards! Are you the subjects of this great empire?!”
“What?! Have you said your piece! I am only for the empire—
“Stop.”
Finally, Aria opened her mouth.
The audience hall instantly became quiet.
“I have heard your opinions. Prime Minister, speak.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Both sides' opinions are just.”
“Then what should we do?”
“The main issue is ultimately the danger of the curse, is it not?”
Some ministers from the opposing side nodded.
“Then, having the two 'Councils' cross-verify would be appropriate.”
“Hmmm... that has merit.”
The two Grand Chancellors.
The two figures that commonly came to mind in the ministers' heads.
“The Prime Minister's second proposal. What do you think, everyone?”
“Indeed, if both of you would take the lead, there would be no objection.”
“However, the final decision should be made fairly by Your Majesty!”
The highest authorities in magic and different races, and the greatest contributors to eradicating black magic across the continent.
“The Prime Minister requests that the two be brought to the capital as they recover.”
“As ordered.”
At that moment, a young minister raised his hand to speak.
“Speak.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. With cross-verification, may we request a hearing for the child?”
“Wait, a hearing! Heize, you want to kill the child twice?!”
The hearing.
As the word goes, it might be harsh for the girl.
“No misunderstanding. I declare that I do not intend to interrogate the child. The attendees must also thoroughly narrow and limit it, unlike a general public hearing. Listen well. I do not greatly worry about the black magic and curse the child possesses. Hasn't the Knight Order and Magic Tower already cooperated splendidly to calm the commotion?”
It was not wrong.
Since there was no major damage except Rebecca's injury.
“Now, we have all reached the time to escape the old terror of black magic. Although remnants are resisting in various places on the continent, thanks to Cerise's fierce pursuit, they have all been exterminated. The power advantage is obvious to anyone. At such times, rather than panicking, it would be better to handle it calmly, which would give the empire's citizens peace of mind?”
“Oh? Then tell me what you are worried about.”
“While listening to the Prime Minister's words, I thought about the massacres committed in the empire's dark age. The destruction of the World Tree. The extermination of the Druids. Roughly decades of abuse and torture. And unfortunately, it has become an irretrievable past. Without time turning back, there is no way to seek forgiveness.”
The woman adjusted her glasses and continued.
“Then, at least I want to know. The direction of the various emotions the child might have. If it is anger, and the bow is aimed at the Emperor and the empire, it is sad but we must isolate her. To gauge her intentions, seeing it with my own eyes once is far more reliable than hearing it a hundred times.”
The ministers fell silent.
Aria nodded.
“Good, Heize. Then, under certain conditions, I will hold a hearing.”
“Your grace is too kind.”
At the top floor of the Magic Tower in Magia Nexus.
“......”
Dozens of words floated in hazy consciousness.
Swarming moths. Owl flock. Black magic.
Atlantis's shield. The mages blocking.
The Emperor's command. Protect. Break through.
Child. Painful child. Treatment... wait.
“!”
Rebecca suddenly sat up and hurriedly looked around.
The last memory clearly rising.
The child? Where is the child—
“Ah, truly amazing. As expected, the Vice Knight Commander does not do anything half-heartedly.”
A woman sat in a chair at one corner of the room, sighing in admiration.
It seemed like someone I had seen before.
“Kyu, who are you.”
Awakened belatedly.
The whole body was screaming.
“I am the one who nursed you with utmost sincerity for several days.”
A Magic Tower associate?
Anyway, what was important now was not that.
“Thank you, sir. I will never forget this kindness. If you visit the Knight Order in the future—
“Think about it seriously and lie back down. The child you protected with your life is safe, so don't worry. Or do you intend to make my nursing a waste?”
Strict tone. I don't know why, but the overwhelming sense of seniority made Rebecca sit up quietly. An instinctive movement. And the woman who approached her and handed her a teacup.
“...Here, have a drink. I am Laura: Etherveil. I am Cerise's teacher.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
Exiled dancer. Wandering minstrel.
The greatest ally in the empire's reconstruction and a distant elder.
It seemed her instinct was correct after all.
“Speaking of which, receiving Spirai Raden bare-handed is not sane. I have never seen anyone who has endured it in any history book.”
“No. I could not endure it.”
“If it ended with fainting, it would be enough to endure. If you hadn't used your aura a little more delicately, you would have either become blind or your body's blood vessels would have rotted and you would have left this world.”
“Tell me about the curse.”
The ancient curse “Spirai Raden”
The meaning is, a wanderer lost in darkness.
“The cursed child didn't say anything?”
“......”
I remember clearly.
The words the child cried out while shedding tears of blood.
“What a waste of a question. Yes, as you saw. It is a curse that makes one live in hell. If left as is, the child would die and become a powerful evil spirit wandering the heavens... .”
“...?”
...but?
Suddenly, an elf let out a long sigh.
“Upon examination, the curse engraved on the child's body seems to be around seventy or so. Among them, there is 'Exiotine Thanatos', so it seems someone deliberately took measures to prevent death from mental collapse. It even denied death.”
Ah, Arataine.
“The more cruel point of 'Spirai Raden' is not only isolating the target in thorough despair but also making no one around to help them. The curse... the stronger the desire to help from nearby, the greater the pain it inflicts on the helper. In fact, there is a record that all members of a noble family committed suicide and fell due to this curse, so there's no need to say more.”
Fists clenched.
The knight didn't notice the blood flowing between the nails digging into the flesh.
To Riana: Winter Princess,
You have been summoned by His Majesty the Emperor of Astaria as one of the important witnesses in this large-scale black magic incident to attend this hearing. Signing the Magic Oath immediately will update the additional instructions and security procedures in the main text. Please note that no written response is necessary.
This hearing will be conducted privately. Attendees are limited to those who have received the invitation, and all discussed content is classified as top secret. The summarized main agenda is as follows: [Black Magic / Ancient Curse / Threat Level Assessment of Target / Review of Monitoring and Isolation]. Therefore, please familiarize yourself with the contents of the Oath, and remember that violation may result in punishment under imperial law.
Oath Signer: [blank]
After signing, please wait briefly.
The date, time, and instructions will appear in the main text.
「Council」 First Chancellor
Magic Tower Master Cerise Terezia Dream.