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Chapter IV: Liberators Assemble

In the capital of the Grandort Empire, Dustool, there were many publicly and privately funded research institutions. It was a country known for its magical prowess, and the capital was the center of magic theory on the continent. One of these research institutes was run by Baron Lackman’s family, which was known for being obsessed with studying magic, even by the standards of other Grandortians, who were all assumed to be obsessed academics by foreigners.

Their research focused on replicating the effects of ancient magic with ordinary elemental magic, and they had pioneered many different fusion spells as a result. Their contributions to the empire were great, but the current head of the family, Adel Lackman, was known as the “Explosion Meister.” True to his name, he blew up some part of his research lab at least once a week, and people—both commoners and other nobles alike—naturally kept their distance from him.

He was a true mad scientist, and he hadn’t even cared when the empire had confiscated his lands to the north because he’d neglected to manage them.

In fact, four years ago, right after the incident that had destroyed the Reisen family and revealed that there were heretics among the nobles’ ranks, an inquiry of all the empire’s nobles had been conducted. And the only thing the investigators had written in their report on Baron Lackman was, “This guy’s insane. I can’t spend another minute with this research-crazed weirdo.” It took someone considerably odd to make a church inquisitor say something like that.

Moreover, Adel had just turned sixty this year. His once black hair was now speckled with white, and he was never seen without his thick, blast-proof goggles. He didn’t look anything like a noble.

His appearance was a big part of why people tended to avoid him. Well, most people, anyway. Magic academics and fellow weirdos flocked to the man. The only other people who ever talked to him were soldiers who had to because of their jobs.

Today, a middle-aged commander with a retinue of ten soldiers had come to visit the Lackman Research Lab. From the outside, it looked like a normal three-story building with neatly painted white walls.

“Welcome to the Lackman Research Lab. What business do you have with us?” a well-mannered man in his early fifties asked through the closed gate. He was Adel’s butler, Henriette Lodge.

“Err, I’m leading the third investigation into the ‘White Terrorists’ who’ve been causing a stir in the capital recently.”

“My condolences,” Henriette said, sounding like he meant it, which made the captain flinch.

The White Terrorists were a group that had appeared just before the empire had been called on by the theocracy to aid in the war effort against the Haltina Republic. They had surged out of nowhere like phantoms, wore white robes, and ravaged the capital with a band of monsters.

As soon as the war ended, they’d scaled down their activity, but with the empire’s air force in tatters and the confusion following their defeat, even their scaled-down attacks were quite a threat.

Fortunately, no civilians, or even imperial soldiers, had died in any of their attacks. Still, they had and were continuing to destroy army facilities and equipment, which was causing a lot of grief to the empire. Plus, to make matters worse, a few nobles’ estates had even been ransacked, and their riches distributed to the poor.

At first everyone had been afraid of these strange new terrorists, but now many of the locals secretly praised the White Terrorists as chivalrous thieves. However, the fact that they were a thorn in the nobles’ side meant the military had been mobilized, and now soldiers were investigating everywhere, including dangerous research labs like this one. Of course, no one wanted to go, so the captains had drawn lots and this poor man had drawn the short straw.

“A-At any rate, we’ve received numerous reports of people saying they’ve seen suspicious figures moving about behind the research lab’s windows. We’ve also heard that an unnaturally large number of messenger birds have been flying in and out of the building.”

“Oh my. It’s true that we’ve been communicating more frequently with our fellow research labs as of late, but...I can’t imagine who these suspicious figures might be. That sounds awfully worrying.”

“Doesn’t it? I’m sorry to impose, but could we please search—” before the commander could finish his sentence, there was a massive explosion and a corner room on the top floor of the building went flying. Smoke billowed out of what had once been a room, and people started screaming in the distance.

“Eeeeeek! That’s the third one this week!”

“Fucking Lackman again!”

“Thank God I had the glass windows changed out for crystal ones!”

A man could be seen in the wreckage of the exploded room.

“Hya ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! At long last, I’ve done it! This is the dawn of a new eraaaaaaaaaaaa! Gah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah!”

He was covered in soot and his clothes were badly singed. Heedless of the fact that the floor was collapsing around him, he spread his arms wide and cackled maniacally. This was Baron Adel.

A group of men and women who were presumably his assistants crawled out from the rubble and shouted, “Chief, you have to stop the spell! Everything’s burning!”

“Oh no, the other magic circles are causing a chain reaction!”

The assistants grabbed Adel and dragged him back into another room, presumably in order to stop a bigger explosion.

“By all means, feel free to search the premises,” Henriette said after a short pause.

“Huh?!”

The commander and the soldiers stared at Henriette in shock. The explosion had knocked them off their feet, and they hadn’t bothered to get up yet. Henriette, on the other hand, looked unfazed by the explosion and hadn’t even staggered when the shock wave had hit him.

“My master has ordered me to comply fully with the government to help catch these nefarious terrorists. Go on, search the lab to your heart’s content.”

“...”

The commander glanced back at his men, and they all shook their heads vigorously. They were understandably unwilling to walk into a lab filled with death traps.

The commander got to his feet, dusted his uniform off, straightened his collar and said, “Actually, you seem rather busy, so I think we’ll come back another time. Excuse us!”

The commander then turned on his heel and walked off, his men hurrying behind him.

Henriette saw them off with the same placid smile, but once they were gone, he sighed and said, “Haaah, thank goodness they left... I suppose it’s about time we abandoned this base.”

He gave his cackling master a sad smile, then walked into the lab, deftly making his way over to the room that had had its walls blown out.

“Henriette-dono,” a woman said, poking her head out of one of the rooms and stopping him in his tracks. She had red and black hair and dark skin.

“Margaretta-dono, I suppose you still haven’t gotten used to him?”

She was, of course, the very same Margaretta who led the Schnee clan’s warriors. This research lab was actually the main base for the Dustool branch of the Liberators, and Adel Lackman was its head. Obviously, Henriette and the assistants the commander had seen earlier were all Liberators as well.

Margaretta and her warriors had been using this as their base of operations while sneaking about the city, sabotaging military installations, and stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

She wasn’t at all that used to Adel’s eccentricities, so she nodded in response to Henriette’s question.

“Y-Yes. I don’t understand why he insists on blowing things up so often... It’s honestly hard to tell whether we’re getting attacked or not sometimes.”

“Your familiars seem to have gotten used to it faster than you have.”

“That’s because Van-sama made them. They can instinctively tell whether or not someone means them harm,” Margaretta said, puffing her chest out proudly, happy for an opportunity to talk Vandre up.

Just then, uneven footsteps could be heard from the hallway and Adel came tottering over to them.

“Oh, perfect timing, you two! Are the other Schnee kids in your room? Splendid. I must share this joyous news with all of you,” he shouted, still covered in soot. There was a crumpled letter in his hands.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to call us the ‘Schnee kids’?”

“Forget about that for now!” Adel roared. He was the kind of man who never really listened to others, which was one thing Margaretta had learned over the past two months.

Adel barged into Margaretta’s room, which looked more or less like a classroom. There were six blackboards in a 2x3 pattern on the far right wall, and under normal circumstances, a specific set of magic circles would need to be drawn in a specific order on them to open the door to the secret passage leading to the true Liberator base, but Adel didn’t have time for that.

“Agh, what are you slowpokes doing?! Schnee kids, get out here!” he shouted, punching the blackboards with his bare fists. It didn’t take nearly as much effort to come out as it did to go in, and it seemed Adel didn’t want to bother unlocking the door.

Henriette gave him an exasperated look while the wall behind the blackboards creaked and the door swung open.

“I-Is it okay to ignore protocol like this, Onee-sama?” a young girl asked, poking her head out. She looked like a tiny Margaretta. Her name was Tordretta Schnee, and while she shared no blood relation with Margaretta, she admired her so much she’d copied her look. Also, while she looked like she was only ten, she was actually sixteen.

“The chief’s saying it is. Go get everyone.”

A group of demons with a bit of beastman blood mixed in filed into the room, followed by their wolf familiars. A few seconds later, the Liberators pretending to be the lab’s assistants rushed into the room as well. It seemed Adel had called everyone together.

Once all members of the branch were present, Adel cleared his throat and said, “Look, it’s a letter!”

That much was obvious to everyone, but Adel ignored his people’s exasperated glares and cackled madly to himself before continuing.

“It’s from headquarters! They’ve secured Laus Barn!”

At that, everyone started whispering excitedly to themselves. But Adel’s mad scientist act wasn’t an act, he really didn’t care about anything except his research. It was strange for him to be getting this excited just over Laus’s safe return. The people who’d known him the longest realized that, and then realized what it was that had actually gotten him so elated.

“Adel-sama, could the time finally have come?!” Henriette asked, his voice uncharacteristically heated. At that, Margaretta and the others realized what was going on too. They gulped, looking expectantly toward Adel.

“That’s right, it has! It’s time to challenge that wicked god who stymies mankind’s progress!”

Eyes gleaming with manic intensity, Adel swept his gaze over everyone.

“Lady Miledi’s sent out the order!”

“The time has come. Assemble,” as Adel read out their leader’s words, the Liberators of the Dustool branch shrieked in excitement.

Normally, a group of soldiers would have come to check on the commotion, but this was the mad scientist Adel Lackman’s explosive research lab. The noise just made the passing soldiers and civilians hurry away from the place, lest they get caught up in an explosion.

Some distance from Dustool was the city of Mord, which was the largest city in what had once been the Reisen family’s domain. Now, the place was known as the land of tragedy, where the noble executioners had perished. People still remembered the night when the powerful family that had served as a buffer against demon invasions had been obliterated.

After the Reisen family had perished, the lord of the neighboring lands, Archduke Belfauna, had taken over managing the region. However, the shadow of tragedy hung over the land, so many good people left while scoundrels started making the city their home.

Belfauna was already busy managing his own lands, so he didn’t have much time to deal with the affairs of Mord. After appointing a provincial governor, he’d more or less ignored the place. Thus, the Liberators hadn’t had a hard time at all establishing a base in the city.

The base there masqueraded as a gambling hall and prostitution house. It turned out that even the most tight-lipped nobles were willing to spill their hearts to a prostitute after a night of steamy sex, which made it a perfect place for gathering intel.

Mord was basically a city of outlaws, where people who lacked magical talent and had been ostracized from Grandortian society, as well as nobles who wanted to dabble in shady business, gathered.

An angry voice could be heard echoing through the Liberator base in Mord.

“Oh, shut up! I told you I don’t do that kinda work!”

It belonged to Shushu, the gray-haired wolf beastman who used to be part of the Reisen Gorge branch of the Liberators. She was glaring daggers at a beautiful young woman dressed in a seductive ultramarine dress.

The young woman smacked her glossy lips and replied, “But, Shushu-chan. You haven’t been going on any missions recently, have you? We can’t just keep feeding you for free...”

“That’s because Margaretta went overboard!”

“And so, you have no work left? Don’t be stupid. If you’re out of work, you need to find something new to do.”

“I’m guarding the place, aren’t I?!”

“You know that’s the excuse NEETs use, right?”

“D-Don’t you dare call me that! It stings every time you say that word!”

Mord was a violent city, and a brothel-cum-gambling house definitely needed its fair share of guards. Shushu was as capable a bodyguard as they came, so her argument seemed sound. However—

“We already have more than enough guards,” the woman said.

Indeed, the Mord branch had its own combat unit attached to it. A few of the people who masqueraded as card dealers and prostitutes were capable fighters as well. In fact, all the men and women who’d come to watch the argument in the lounge could take care of themselves in a brawl. Incidentally, the seductive young woman arguing with Shushu was none other than the chief of the Mord branch, Madame Jacqueline. Wind magic was her specialty. She, along with most of the other prostitutes, had originally been a certain church priest’s sex slaves until they’d been saved by a certain man. That man had gone and joined the Liberators, so they all had too.

That same man walked into the room and growled, “What are you fools arguing about now?”

He wore an eyepatch over one eye, was missing one arm, and had three long scars on his face. It was Howzer Almeda, the former chief of the Angriff branch.

Jacqueline turned to Howzer and said in a coquettish voice, “Howzer, can you believe it? This girl...”

Two men followed in after Howzer—Tony and Abe. They’d been part of the Reisen Gorge branch just like Shushu, and they seemed just as surprised by Madame Jacqueline’s sudden transformation.

“Shushu, what’d you do this time?” Tony asked.

“Can’t you give it a rest? You’ve been getting worse recently,” Abe added.

“Shut up, you two! Don’t just assume I’m the one at fault here!” Shushu replied with a low growl.

Howzer sighed and said, “Let me guess, you told her to go solicit customers since she doesn’t have any missions right now. Stop rehashing the same pointless discussion.”

Shushu didn’t particularly look down on sex work, and Madame Jacqueline didn’t think she did either, so that wasn’t the problem. After all, this place wasn’t a brothel because of orders from up high, Jacqueline had made it that way because she’d thought it was the most effective way to gather information, which it was.

Jacqueline didn’t really intend to force Shushu to be a prostitute; she was just teasing the young girl because she found Shushu’s reactions adorable. So when Howzer told her to back off, she did so quite easily. Shushu knew she was being toyed with too, but that only made her feel more annoyed.

“And, Shushu, quit sulking. I know you don’t like the republic, but you’re not a kid anymore. Get over your petty prejudices.”

“I know, I know! I’m doing what you asked, aren’t I?! Even if that means saving those fucks from the forest,” Shushu replied with a glare. Tony and Abe gave her a sympathetic look. They understood exactly how she felt.

Shushu had been born in the republic, but then she’d been kidnapped by the church and her family had been slain. After that, she’d been brainwashed and sent back to the forest to attack her brethren. Somewhere deep in her heart, she’d believed her countrymen would save her when she went back, but reality had been cruel.

The law of the forest was absolute. In order to ensure there weren’t even more victims, anyone who left the forest either willingly or not was considered dead to the republic. Even if someone managed to return to the forest, there was no telling if they’d been turned into double agents.

Shushu understood why the republic had reacted like that. The laws put in place by the republic were necessary to protect the last remaining sanctuary of the beastmen. But even so, she’d wanted her brethren to save her.

What she’d endured had been so unbelievably, heartrendingly painful, and being forced to attack her countrymen against her will had almost driven her mad with grief. It was only natural that she’d beg for salvation from her homeland. Which was why, while she understood logically why the republic had barred its doors to her, she still couldn’t get over the feelings of betrayal that simmered within her. It was why she couldn’t accept that her beloved Miledi had gone to save the republic and that the republic had joined hands with the Liberators.

Finding out that the queen of the republic was an ancient magic user like Miledi had only made everything worse. After learning that fact, she couldn’t help but think, If you’re as powerful as Miledi, why didn’t you save me like she did? I’m part of your family, aren’t I? I’m one of you.

“Simply doing as you’re told isn’t enough,” Howzer said in a low growl, making Shushu shiver. It felt like he’d physically punched her out of her negativity spiral.

Despite his gruff appearance, Howzer took good care of everyone under his wing. But right now, he was glaring at Shushu with such intensity that all of his friends shrunk back in fear.

“Look. It’s from headquarters,” he said, holding up a letter. His lips then curled up into a feral grin.

“Operation Revolution Tolls has begun.”

Everyone gulped.

“No longer will we hide in the shadows. Prepare yourselves, boys! Our time has come!”

An electric tingle ran through everyone present as they realized what this meant.

Shandra, the capital of the Sharod Federation, was located next to the largest oasis in the Crimson Desert.

“All right, if you can breathe, you’re not dying. Move your hands for me, please,” a woman said, her gentle tone a mismatch for her harsh words.

She was the head of the Shandra branch of the Liberators, Nadia Piscott. Nadia had dark skin and was wearing a flowing white dress. The lower half of her face was covered by an ornately embroidered veil, but it did nothing to hide her beauty. It was hard to judge her age, as based on appearances, she could have been anywhere from her late teens to her early fifties.

“Oh, hello there, Doctor. Are you looking after another patient?” a passing man asked.

Nadia was indeed a doctor who ran the rather large Piscott Hospital. She had a harsh tongue, but many patients actually enjoyed being debased by her, so she was famous within the city.

“Yes, of course. There are so many half-dead deadbeats in this city that I never get a moment’s rest.”

“Ha ha, that’s ’cause we don’t have enough healers. And most of the ones here only see the rich.”

“But that means they’re leaving the poor to die.”

“Those other doctors don’t have any respect for their profession, they only care about money. We’re really grateful to you, Doc, for sticking out here with us.”

“If you’d like to make a donation, I’ll gladly accept. I’ll even throw in a smile for you,” Nadia said as she smiled at the merchant, but he averted his gaze. Everyone knew Nadia squeezed people for everything they were worth.

“Oh yeah, I’ve noticed you’re heading out with a large crowd this time. Is something up?” the merchant asked, forcibly changing the topic. It was something he’d been curious about, though.

Nadia often went out to visit patients who couldn’t make it to her hospital. It made for a good cover story so she could head to the various hidden Liberator villages in the country without suspicion. But normally, she didn’t take too many people with her. Sometimes, it was just the adventurer party she’d contracted to guard her on her excursions, and she even occasionally went alone. However, she had a big group with her today. Close to half the hospital’s staff was loading luggage onto wagons and hitching Iraks.

The merchant wondered if the hospital would even be able to stay open if this many people left.

“Yes, I’ve received a request from a very important person. I’ll need more assistants than usual to ensure they get the care they need.”

“Oh?” the merchant asked, curious.

Nadia’s smile was softer than usual, and it sounded like this “very important person” was exceptionally dear to her.

Could some handsome bachelor in a neighboring city be after our precious Nadia? the merchant wondered to himself.

“Could it be the fated person you’ve talked about before?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Taken aback, the merchant tried to grill Nadia for more details, but before he could, he was interrupted.

“Director, we’ve gotten replies from all the other towns!”

A slim man with spiky brown hair walked over to Nadia.

“You took far too long, Solas. This is why your head looks like a hedgehog’s.”

“How are those two things related in the slightest?! Anyway, stop spouting garbage and get on. We need to go!”

The man was Solas Benji. He was twenty-nine years old, and Nadia’s best disciple.

“Hey, we’re done packing! Let’s get moving!”

“I’m the one who gives orders around here, Bakara. Don’t be so hasty, blockhead.”

“Can you say five words without fucking insulting someone?”

Bakara Bart was the leader of the adventurer party that served as Nadia’s personal guard when she went out on trips. Both Bakara and Solas were normally quite soft-spoken, but whenever they talked with Nadia, they started cursing more than usual.

As Nadia moved toward the wagons, a flock of ten birds flew off from the hospital’s roof. They were all Isoniol eagles, the messenger birds everyone on the continent used.

“Why are...?” the merchant had fallen silent after Solas’s interruption, but seeing the birds had rekindled his curiosity and made him mumble those words.

“Oh, I’m just sending messages to some friends.”

“Wait, is this sickness so bad that you need the help of doctors from other cities?”

The merchant began to wonder if the friend who’d asked for Nadia’s help had gotten caught up in some natural disaster or a plague or something of the sort, but Nadia declined to answer.

The Piscott Hospital did keep in contact with doctors all around the Sharod Federation, but this time around, Nadia had sent messages to a very different group. They were still her friends, but these were the friends who were going to help her fight against the world. In other words, she’d sent messages to the other Liberator branches.

Nadia walked over to her Irak and mounted it gracefully.

“Don’t worry about the hospital. The assistant director will take care of it in my absence,” she told the merchant.

“U-Uhhh, okay. Thanks. Umm, be careful, Doctor.”

“Thank you very much. You’ll be sure to give us a generous donation upon my return, won’t you?”

“Huh?!”

Nadia ignored the man’s surprised shout and gave the order to depart.

“Now then, I hope you’ve been good, my dear Miledi-chan,” she muttered to herself, naming the very important person the merchant had been extremely curious about.

There was a hidden Liberator village in the rust-colored wasteland near the Crimson Desert. The former residents of Andika lived there, and the code name for the region among the Liberators was “The Fertile Land.”

Originally, this region in the northwestern part of the continent had been a barren land of rocks and cold sea gusts, but Meiru had brought fertile soil up from the bottom of the ocean and transformed it into lush farmland.

From the air, though, the farms were invisible.

“Nuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

That was all thanks to the efforts of Snowbell, the Liberator in a frilly dress who’d just let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Their special magic, Mirage, let them camouflage a large area with illusion magic. Had anyone heard Snowbell screaming in the city and seen them flexing their massive muscles, they would have almost certainly called the guard down on them. But here, in this hidden Liberator village, the response was much milder.

“Oh, shut up. How many times do I have to tell you to stop screaming like a banshee anytime something happens, you freak?!” the agitated voice that answered Snowbell sounded used to hearing their screams.

“What was that?! Who called me a hideous monster who even Ehit would run from?! Sounds like someone needs a hug!”

“Are you trying to kill me?!”

The man who was talking was Kipson, a former guardsman in Andika. He had close-cropped blond hair and was now the captain of the guard in the Fertile Land.

“Why so scared? We’ve pressed our bodies together countless times over these past few months, haven’t we?”

“Don’t phrase it in a way that’ll cause misunderstandings!”

Kipson had lived in a lawless city for most of his life, and a normal person would easily be cowed by his bluster. But right now, he was the one cowering from Snowbell. The reason for that was because Snowbell was his combat instructor. Everyone from Andika who could fight had trained day and night in this village to grow stronger, and Snowbell had been the one training them all. Thus, Kipson knew from experience that Snowbell’s strength was unfathomable.

None of the fighters in the village had managed to escape Snowbell’s hug of death. Every night they went to sleep and had nightmares about Snowbell’s hugs, swore to themselves they’d never let themselves get hugged again, trained until they puked, and then...ended up getting hugged again. The endless loop had toughened them up though, and they’d gone from barely being able to buy time against a Templar Knight to being able to take on two or three of them at once. However, their biggest gains had been in defense, not offense. They could withstand blows even from the captains of the Holy Templar Knights at this point.

That was how hard they’d had to struggle to protect their dignity as men. And still, they were terrified of the human known as Snowbell.

Kipson knew if this conversation kept going for much longer, Snowbell really would come in for a hug and he’d be forced to fight for his life again.

“Wait, this isn’t the time for hugs! I just remembered what I came here for!” Snowbell exclaimed.

“Yeah, you’re a pervert who’s beyond help, but I don’t really wanna get into that right now...”

“I can still deliver my message while giving you a back hug, you know?”

“I’m sorry. Please continue.”

Kipson knew the dangers of angering Snowbell. The past few months had taught him restraint.

“Everyoneeeeee, come over here please! We’ve received a message from headquarters! Everyone assembleeeeee!” Snowbell exclaimed, their deep voice echoing throughout the village.

Kipson ducked behind a nearby wall and covered his ears, while people started trickling out of their houses to head over to Snowbell’s location.

“So, what exactly is this message, Snowbell? You didn’t call us all here just to tell us the names of the newest people coming to the village, did you?”

“No, not this time.” The tone of Snowbell’s voice shifted, and their expression became inscrutable.

No one had ever seen Snowbell look like this before. They looked at once overjoyed, sad at the loss of a loved one, and angry at something no one could really figure out.

“All combat units are being recalled to HQ.”

“What? All of them? Hang on, who’s going to defend this place, then? I know your camouflage is keeping this place hidden, but our leader put us here in case someone—”

“This is an order from that very same leader. It’s time to put the Liberators’ final plan into motion.”

“Final? Hey, wait, you mean...”

Snowbell gave Kipson a feral, yet noble smile.

“There won’t be anyone left to harm this village...because we’re going to go kill Ehit.”

A tense silence fell over the village. And after a few seconds, the import of Snowbell’s words finally sunk in.

The people here had been branded heretics, chased off the continent, and forced to live on a tiny, isolated island. They’d accepted their lot in life, saying they were at least free on that island. But then a girl as bright as the sun had come and told them to stand up once more.

Their will to resist had been reignited by Miledi, and those revitalized soldiers now smiled in anticipation.

“All members of every combat squad will make their way to HQ. Get ready, everyone, we leave at first light tomorrow!”

At Snowbell’s command, the men who had once been defeated outlaws turned into invincible warriors.

Far out in the western ocean was a lone boulder jutting out of the water. It stood ten meters tall and thirty meters wide and was shaped like a jagged tooth. A single bird was perched on the tip of the rock. It had a pouch on its back, as well as a ring on its leg that showed it was a Liberator messenger bird. The bird flapped its wings, stretching them out after a long flight.

For a few hours, the bird simply basked in the pleasant sea breeze and the gentle roar of the waves. Just as it was about to doze off—

“Oh, I see it! Over there!” a girl shouted, and the bird snapped alert with a start. It then launched into the air and saw a large boat had made its way over to the boulder.

The boat was the Melusine Pirates’ ship, the place it needed to deliver its message. And hopping excitedly up and down by the railing was Diene, Meiru’s half-sister.

“Hey, Diene, don’t lean out too far or you’ll fall off again,” Acting Captain Chris said, walking over to her. The white-haired cat beastman, Kyaty, the bearded Ned, and the demon Mania all came over as well, grinning at Diene.

“Ah?! Chris-san, is it okay for you to be out here? Also, how many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t fall, I jumped. I’m a dagon, so I’m fine with the sea.”

“You jumped off, even though we were going full speed?”

“Y-Yeah, dagons can do that kind of thing.”

“So you just happened to get really excited about the whale swimming alongside us and jumped in there on purpose, even though you were blubbering like a baby when Mania pulled you—”

“I’ll tell Nee-sama you were bullying me if you keep that up, Chris-san.”

“Ack!” Chris squealed and quickly shut his mouth. In the beginning, Diene had been a polite, obedient girl, but she’d quickly learned how to live among pirates.

“I guess they really are sisters. You can tell they’ve got the same dirty way of dealing with their problems,” Kyaty said, scratching her head.

Ned and Mania exchanged nervous glances.

“You’ve really ended up just like her. Guess that means you’ve grown? I just hope Captain Meiru won’t yell at me for this when we see her again.”

“She’s a hopeless siscon. I guarantee you she’ll be happy with Diene-kun no matter how she turns out.”

Diene cleared her throat and hurriedly changed the topic.

“Look, it’s a letter from Nee-sama!”

The messenger bird hopped onto the railing so Diene could take the letter off its back.

This boulder was actually the landmark the Melusine Pirates always sailed by to check for correspondence from the Liberators. Though the Liberators’ Isoniol eagles were exceptionally talented, they couldn’t search the entire ocean for the Melusine Pirates’ ship, so this boulder had become a makeshift post office of sorts. And this time around, the pirates had happened to arrive at nearly the same time the eagle had.

Diene pulled out the letter, held it close to her chest for a minute, then excitedly opened the seal. She was just as much of a siscon as Meiru was. Chris and the others smiled warmly at Diene as she began reading the letter. However, their smiles didn’t last long.

As Diene kept reading, her eyes widened in surprise, and then her expression grew serious. She had the same fire in her eyes she had the day she’d fought against the Holy Templar Knights to save Andika.

“Hey, Diene, what’s going on? Did something happen to Meiru?” Kyaty asked in a concerned voice.

Diene looked up, and everyone involuntarily stepped back due to the determination in her eyes.

“Looks like the time’s come to show the world our mettle,” Diene said as she handed the letter over to Chris.

Surprised, Chris read the letter aloud to everyone. At first, Kyaty and the others looked surprised, like Diene had, but then they smiled fearlessly.

“Nee-sama, our captain, needs her crew back,” Diene said, her powerful voice carrying over the roar of the sea.

“Weigh anchor, lads! Raise the sails! Our captain’s calling us!” Diene ordered.

“As our captain commands!” the crew shouted in unison.

Preparations to set sail were made immediately, and the Melusine started toward land. It cut through the waves, taking its crew to the future they all desired.

Diene stood at the ship’s prow, looking off at the distance. With her emerald-green hair—which was the same color as Meiru’s—flowing behind her, she looked like a miniature version of the captain.

Just then, Chris muttered, “Umm, guys...I’m supposed to be the acting captain right now...”

Everyone suddenly came to their senses and realized they’d been following Diene’s orders instead.

“Wh-Whoops,” Diene muttered, trembling in embarrassment. Cold sweat poured down her forehead.

“I-I’m sorry, Chris-san.”

“It’s fine... Don’t worry about it. Everyone’s moving faster than when I give the orders, so... Ha ha ha...”

“Ha wa wa...” Diene babbled incoherently and looked up at Chris, unsure of how to comfort him. The rest of the crew felt extremely awkward as well, and they focused on their work, pointedly not looking at Chris. No one mentioned the glimmering drops at the corner of his eyes as he took the wheel.

Sighing, Kyaty walked over to Chris and Diene—who was de facto acting captain at this point—and gave them both a slap on the back to cheer them up.

Entris’s capital city of Esperado was still reeling from the train attack, which was the very first of its kind in the nation’s history.

Rigan, the Liberator branch chief, stood on the roof of Hotel Lusheina and looked down at the hubbub of the city.

“Father,” a voice called out to him. He didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Shirley.”

His beloved daughter walked over to stand next to him.

“What were you looking at?” she asked. Shirley spoke to most people politely, since she’d worked as the receptionist for a first-class hotel for so long, but with her dad, she returned to her old, far more casual, style of speech.

“Nothing.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I was just reminiscing.”

“About mom?”

Rigan’s silence was all the affirmation she needed. She waited silently for him to say something, but no words came. Sighing, she decided to give her report.

“We’ve gotten messages from all the other branches in Entris. The security checks at the train stations have gotten a lot stricter, so they’ll be coming here by horse.”

“What about from the kingdom?”

“I’ve yet to receive a reply from them, though I suspect their birds will arrive sometime today.”

Almost all the correspondence heading westward from headquarters passed through the Esperado branch. Over large distances, it made sense to change messenger birds halfway, and Esperado was a good central location.

Also, whenever headquarters had to send a message to every branch, what they actually did was send messages out to each nation’s capital and have those branches disseminate the message to the rest of the bases and villages and individuals in those nations. Of course, if headquarters needed something from a specific branch immediately, they sent a message to them directly.

The birds that had been coming out of headquarters the past few days had been the same as usual, but they’d been strengthened to an inordinate degree.

Lyutillis had used evolution magic on both Tim and his birds before he’d used his own special magic, making them far faster and tougher than usual. They were also wearing cuff-shaped artifacts that were enchanted with evolution and restoration magic.

They could travel farther than normal, on top of being much faster. Moreover, they were given special, nutrient-dense feed upon reaching Esperado, as well as an extra dose of healing magic, so they were as good as fresh upon leaving the city. They could go to and from the kingdom in a mere two to three days.

“What about Leonard and his men?”

“I’ve already talked to them. They’re going to stay hidden in the southern part of the dukedom until Laus-san wakes up. Jinx-san and Arsel-san didn’t sound too happy about it, but it is what it is. They really wanted to meet you at least once before the final battle.”

“Only the combat units have been recalled to headquarters.”

“I know. It’s why I’m staying here even though I really want to go join them. But you’re one of our oldest members, so they were hoping for some words of encouragement from you.”

Operation Revolution Tolls had existed since the founding of the Liberators, and successive generations of leaders had been waiting for the moment where they could finally put it into action. It would risk the entire organization, so the current leader had to be absolutely sure they could win the decisive battle, since it meant calling in every single member capable of fighting for one big push against Ehit. At the same time, however, this was the moment every Liberator had been waiting for since they’d joined the organization.

Naturally, the members of the support branch who had no combat capabilities would remain on standby. Their job was complete, so all they could do was wait to see which way the dice fell. They could only pray for their comrades’ success as they saw them head off for the final battle.

Shirley had known from the start that it had to be like this, but it was only now, after the moment had arrived, that she understood just how painful it was being able to do nothing except watch.

Seeing his daughter grit her teeth in frustration, Rigan said quietly, “Even after we change the world, life will go on.”

“I know...”

Those weren’t words from one Liberator to another, they were words from father to daughter.

“I’m sure many of us wish we could leave our weapons behind and live peaceful lives.”

“Yeah.”

“The support branch’s work isn’t done yet. They’ll need to stay so they can support the futures of those who fought for them,” Rigan said, then paused for a minute before adding, “But you should choose the path you want.”

“What do you mean?” Shirley asked, narrowing her eyes.

Rigan met her gaze and replied, “You were born into a family of Liberators.”

Rigan had been a revolutionary since long before he’d joined the Liberators. Even as a youth, he’d recklessly fought against the world as a heretic. Luckily, he’d survived long enough to meet his wife, Holly, and raise his daughter, Shirley. But he’d chosen this path, while Shirley had been forced into the life of a revolutionary due to the circumstances of her birth. She’d never had the chance to live a normal childhood.

“This thorny path has stolen a regular, everyday life from you. It even took your mother from you.”

But even after Holly had died, Rigan hadn’t cut his ties with Shirley and had dragged her along on his crusade. He considered that his greatest failure as a father.

“I’m so—”

“Hmph!” Shirley yelled, punching him in the stomach. Rigan doubled over, the wind knocked out of him.

“I’m a Liberator,” Shirley stated flatly. She was here of her own free will. That realization shocked Rigan even more than the punch had.

“Sheesh! Look, I know it’s a big day and all, but don’t get all sentimental on me! I came up to check on you because I was worried. I can’t believe you were thinking of all this pointless crap. Man, what a waste of time!”

“Shirley...”

Shirley held out a hand to help Rigan up and grinned. It was such a pure smile that it blew away any doubts he had.

“Neither I nor mom regret choosing this path. So what if it’s a thorny one?”

“I see... I should have known.”

I’ve gotten old... Rigan thought to himself with a rueful smile.

Shirley snuggled up to her father and the two of them gazed up at the sky, imagining the future they would help bring about.

Velnika, the capital of the Velka Kingdom, was the holy land of engineers and blacksmiths. Miners plumbed the depths of The Greenway to procure the ore the craftsmen needed. They mined every ore and mineral under the sun, refined it, and sold it.

The Mercride Mining Company was one such venture. It had opened its doors about five years ago, but had quickly earned a reputation for having a large variety of high-quality ore for sale at all times. The largest workshops had exclusive deals with companies they already trusted, but Mercride had quickly become the go-to for a lot of the smaller and mid-sized outfits.

The company was still doing well, and today, the shopkeeper could be heard grumbling to herself, saying, “Maan, he was such a hottie. I should have married him.”

She had unkempt indigo-blue hair, sunken eyes, and lips that were perpetually drawn into a frown. Her name was Eevee Mercride...and her favorite thing to say was, “I wish I could get married to a rich young hottie.” She also happened to be the chief of the Velnika branch of the Liberators.

“Quit daydreaming and get ready,” a bald old man with a stooped back said as he scribbled out letters as fast as he could. His name was Odio Straff, and at a glance, you might think a stiff breeze would be enough to knock him over. However, he was actually this branch’s strongest fighter. There was no one else as skilled at using lighting magic as him.

“Don’t call them dreaaaaaams! I’ve still got a chance!”

“Haaah... You know we’ve been ordered to gather at headquarters, right? The final operation will soon begin. We hafta contact all the other support branches and hidden villages in this country ASAP, but here you are bemoaning your love life.”

“I’m going to be thirty next year. I can’t just let my last chance slip me by! If I can just steal him away, I... Heh heh heh...”

“Look in a mirror and face reality.”

“That’s so meaaan. When’d you become such a stubborn old geezer?”

“It’s been fifteen years since the Liberators were founded, but I’ve been waiting fifty years for this day. Our ultimate goal is finally in sight, so pull it together.”

Odio had been with the Liberators since its founding. But like Rigan, he’d been fighting against the church for far longer than that. Eevee had as well, of course. Despite her sulky attitude, she was secretly burning with excitement.

That adorable, annoying gremlin of a leader had finally called them together to change the world. The final battle was drawing near.

The flames of hatred that had been smoldering within her since her family had been killed were now burning brighter than ever.

“I knoooooow. Let’s get these preparations over with so we can go to headquarters.”

“Mmm. I bet that little brat’ll be back soon too. I heard he’s gonna personally escort his old man over, and bring us all some shiny new artifacts to boot. We better get ready so we don’t make him wait when he gets here.”

“You think he’ll move that fast? This is his first time home in a while, isn’t it? Don’t you think he’ll want to spend some time here first? If anything, we should go get him if he takes too long...”

“Are you really still trying to flirt with him? Cut it out, he won’t even give you the time of day.”

“Why are you so meaaaaaan?!”

The other members of this branch sighed as they watched the two of them bicker like grandfather and granddaughter. Though, in a way, their usual arguing helped take the nervous edge off of the others.

They got back to work while the two top-ranking members of their branch kept hurling insults at each other. There was a lot to do to ensure the members of all the other branches could make it to headquarters without being noticed by the church, but everyone worked twice as hard, so the work went by quickly.

The large workshop was filled with the sounds of synergists crafting. Once, it had been called the Orcus Workshop. It was still as busy as ever, but now it went by the name Verand Workshop.

The Orcus Workshop that had been one of the three great workshops of the kingdom no longer existed. However, the people who worked there were the exact same as the ones who had when it had been called the Orcus Workshop. And their boss was the same too.

“Hmph, things have finally calmed down,” a large man with more muscles than a soldier—Karg—said, nodding in satisfaction as he looked around his workshop.

There had been quite a stir in the city when he’d changed the workshop’s name, since it was one of the most popular ones. The citizens had reacted with surprise and worry, while many of the larger companies the workshop had a contract with started asking probing questions to see what was really going on.

Well, the name was changed on His Majesty’s direct orders. It’s not like I did anything shady, so I figured people would stop snooping around eventually... Karg thought to himself. There was one simple reason why the king had ordered Karg to change the workshop’s name. The church no longer approved of the name Orcus.

Karg thought back to the day the young man he’d thought of as his own son had left the workshop. And then, he remembered the inquisitors who’d come half a year ago asking all those questions.

They hadn’t said much, but Karg had at least learned that a synergist calling himself “Orcus” had attacked the church on the western seas.

“You really have been doing whatever the hell you want, haven’t you, kid? I like it.”

Chuckling to himself, Karg turned around and headed upstairs to his office.

Guess I’ll get some more paperwork outta the way... he thought to himself as he pushed open the door.

“Sup, old man? Long time no see.”

“Huh?!”

The same young man he’d been thinking about was lounging on his sofa. Karg wanted to pat himself on the back for managing not to scream.

“O-Oscar?! What are you—?!”

“I did soundproof the room just in case, but keep it quiet please,” Oscar said nonchalantly, prompting Karg to silently open and close his mouth a few times.

Finally, Karg drew in a deep breath and said, “Seems you’ve grown impudent in the few years you’ve been gone.”

“I am the Oscar Orcus who even knights of the church fear, after all.”

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, but then Karg quickly burst into laughter.

“I’m glad you’re back, you stupid kid.”

“Yeah, I’m finally home, dad.”

Both of them blushed a little, and Karg plopped down on the sofa next to Oscar. The ring on Oscar’s finger glowed, and a second later, two steaming cups of tea were on the table in front of him.

“Looks like you had fun on your journey,” Karg said with a grin. He could tell Oscar was trying to show off the fancy new artifacts he’d made.

“You bet. I got to do whatever the hell I wanted.”

“All for the sake of the woman you love?”

“Ahem! Please don’t tease me, old man. I don’t have that kind of relationship with Miledi.”

“Hey now, I never mentioned Miledi.”

Oscar adjusted his glasses to hide his annoyance. Everyone had been teasing him about Miledi recently...and frankly, he was getting tired of it.

Karg sipped his tea, satisfied that he’d gotten Oscar back for surprising him.

After a brief silence, Oscar said, “I figured you’d have to, but I see you really did change your workshop’s name.”

He sounded a little sad about it.

“Yep. But hey, that means now my original last name is being used for the kingdom’s best workshop.”

“Yeah, it does sound better than Orcus,” there was an apologetic tinge to Oscar’s voice as he said that.

Karg narrowed his eyes at him and replied, “Don’t give me that look, you moron. We always have been, and always will be, Orcus craftsmen.”

Even if the workshop’s name had changed, it was still the same workshop that everyone respected and counted on. And no matter what happened, Karg considered Oscar Orcus the workshop’s central pillar. Oscar smiled as he realized the meaning behind Karg’s words.

“The church’s inspectors came, didn’t they? I told the Holy Templar Knights my name back when we fought them on the western seas.”

“Yep.”

“Are they the ones who did that to your eye?”

“Yep.”

Oscar looked sad as he gazed up at the eyepatch covering one of Karg’s eyes.

The moment Oscar had given his full name, he’d known the church would investigate the Orcus workshop. He’d also known the inquisitors would be harsh with their questioning.

“Don’t worry about it, idiot.”

“How can I not worry?!”

“Because I’m telling you to!”

Karg got up and smacked Oscar on the head.

“I knew what would happen when I gave the Orcus name to you. And I told you, this was the will of every craftsman in the workshop! You inherited the name knowing that, knowing the burdens you’d have to bear! Don’t get all weak-kneed on me now!”

Karg and Oscar stared at each other for a few seconds.

“The Liberators have helped us out a lot,” Karg said suddenly, sitting back down.

“You’re the one who asked them to look out for us, aren’t you?”

In fact, the Liberators had even once invited Karg and his workers to join them.

Everyone knew that since Oscar had inherited the Orcus name, church inquisitors would eventually come knocking on the workshop door. Plus, since Karg had sheltered the kids who’d been impacted by the bishop’s soldier creation plan, there was a chance he’d be investigated on that front. The bishop himself had hidden all traces of the plan, since he’d started it without the church’s permission, but the truth of that would eventually come out too.

However, despite all that, Karg and the other workers had refused the invitation.

They were craftsmen through and through, and their calling in life was to make tools for people to use. No matter what happened, they wouldn’t stop.

Crafting was their pride, their way of life, and indeed their very lives. Living in hiding would’ve meant being deprived of their raison d’être. They could’ve tried to keep making things in secret, but people would always be able to pick out Orcus Workshop quality goods. Their work was simply on a different level than everyone else’s. Plus, if they went into hiding, they would be branded heretics for sure.

The Liberators respected the choices and free will of others, so they had, of course, understood and accepted Karg’s answer. But that hadn’t stopped them from trying to protect Karg and his people.

“When they took the kids you asked me to hide, they said they’d protect us no matter what happened. They also let me know how Moorin and the others are getting on.”

After Karg had refused their invitation, no one who called themself a Liberator had shown up at his doorstep. But every now and then, he found a letter sitting in his study.

“You guys sure are principled. Even though you’re a secret organization dedicated to fighting against Ehit, you’ve still got time to send letters to your folks.”

The Liberators had helped out when the inquisitors had come too. Karg had gotten a letter informing him that they were coming a few days before they did, and they’d even offered him a way to escape if he wanted it. The letter had even said that if he chose not to run, he was free to tell them everything he knew about the Liberators.

“But I mean, the only people I know who are part of your organization are you, Missy Miledi, and that youngster who asked if I wanted to join them. Not a whole lot to tell them, really.”

All Karg had been able to remember about the guy who’d invited him was that he went all over the continent and wouldn’t be staying in Velnika for long. Oh, and that he’d worn a hunting cap and messenger bag and had called himself Tim Rocket.

“But still, even an idiot would figure out you guys have a base in the city if I told them all that. Aren’t you being a bit too nice to everyone?”

“We’re not doing it to be nice. This is the path that they...no, that we believe in.”

Fortunately, thanks to the Liberators’ creed, neither Karg nor any of his men had been killed. He had indeed spilled the beans the moment the inquisitors had arrived. He’d also told them that he’d rejected the Liberators’ invitation...and that he was the one who’d given Oscar the Orcus name. Not because he’d agreed with the heretic’s ideals, but because he had accepted Oscar as the workshop’s best craftsman. Of course, he’d also told them that Oscar had gone on a journey and would return eventually, but not anytime soon.

Lastly, he’d told them that even if Oscar was a heretic now, he would never rescind the name he had bequeathed to him, even if he died. The other craftsmen of the workshop all followed the same craftsmen’s creed and had said much the same.

After telling the inquisitor all he knew, he’d stared into the man’s eyes, daring him to kill him. In the end, it was his honesty that had convinced the church he wasn’t a heretic.

“Or so I say, but honestly, they probably just let me go to see if you would show up again,” Karg muttered.

“Even the church knows they’d lose out on valuable craftsmen if they executed you guys. They probably didn’t want to act without concrete proof. Especially now that there’s a group out there who can beat the church’s strongest knights. They’ll need all the craftsmen they can get to make high-quality weapons for them. Plus, they just got done fighting a war with the republic, so they’re going to need to replenish all their equipment.”

“Sounds like a win for true craftsmen everywhere.”

Grinning, Karg downed his cup and returned it to Oscar.

“I can tell you’re about to undertake the greatest project of the century, kid,” Karg said, his smile turning fatherly. “I wouldn’t be a man if I got in the way of it, now would I?”

Karg had seen right through Oscar. He knew that Oscar hadn’t risked coming here just to meet up for old times’ sake before the final battle.

All the capable fighters in Velnika were headed to the Liberators’ headquarters, which left the workshop defenseless. Oscar obviously wanted to get his stubborn old man somewhere safe in case the worst happened. He knew he was the only one who even had a chance of persuading Karg, which was why he’d come. But that was also precisely why Karg laughed him off.

You don’t need to worry about me, kid. No matter what happens, I’ll be fine, so go do what you set out to do. We all prepared ourselves for the worst the moment I handed the title of Orcus to you.

“Isn’t that right, Craftsman Orcus?”

You’re the greatest Orcus in all history, kid. The pride of the Orcus Workshop.

Oscar looked up at the ceiling, struggling to keep himself from crying. After a few seconds, he adjusted his glasses, got to his feet, and pulled a black crystal key out of his pocket. He activated it, and a portal appeared in the middle of the room.

Miraculously, Karg didn’t even spare the wondrous artifact a second glance. He instead kept his gaze fixed on the man he’d raised like his own son.

“I like the look in your eyes. You’ve finally become a real man, kid.”

“Of course I have. I had the greatest man in the world as my role model.”

With that, Oscar walked toward the gate. But just before stepping through it, he turned back and said, “All right, dad, I’m gonna go change the world.”

“You better. I’m proud of you, son.”

Their parting was anticlimactic. One second Oscar was there, the next he was gone, and the portal disappeared with him.

In the silence that followed, Karg leaned back against the back of the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

“Hmph. You’re the best son anyone could have asked for,” he said, his voice shaking with pride and happiness.

On a balcony in the Demon Lord’s castle in Igdol, an old man puffed on his pipe while looking down at the city below. His face was a mess of wrinkles and his short red hair was speckled with gray. A long scar that went from temple to cheek marred the old man’s—Elga Insut’s—face. He was the third great general of the demon army.

The spot he was sitting at still bore the scars of the momentous battle that had occurred half a year prior. An unbelievably large sword had cut through the castle walls, and the damage was still being repaired even now.

“My back hurts,” he grumbled, shifting on the rubble he was using as a chair and blowing a smoke ring into the air.

During the battle, he’d been knocked unconscious when the Reisen girl had shown up out of nowhere and blasted him out of the throne room. It was only later that he’d learned that the Demon Lord had tried to use the empire’s secret annihilation weapon on his own capital city. And when that had failed, he’d used an even greater power to rain down destruction on his people, whom he was supposed to love and protect.

“Hmm...” he groaned, thinking about what had happened during the meetings of the Imperial Council.

Elga had awoken in a hospital bed just a few hours after the battle had ended. During that time, Rasul had done what a proper Demon Lord should. He’d dispatched soldiers into the city to help the people and made a public appearance to reassure everyone. Not content with just that, he’d even pacified the panic within the palace and reorganized the army, recovering and treating the wounded while rebuilding the capital’s defense network. He’d also summoned the various nobles and lords for an emergency meeting.

The fact that he’d managed to do all that while covered in wounds and right after a crisis that had threatened the heart of the demon empire proved that he was a capable ruler. And as far as Elga could tell, this Rasul was a totally different person from the sadistic ruler he’d known before.

That hadn’t actually been too far from the truth, as Elga had learned later. At the meeting of the Imperial Council, Rasul had told everyone the truth about what had happened to him. He had explained that the Demon Lord was never really the true Demon Lord and that Rasul had ceased to be himself the moment he’d put the crown on his head. He’d been taken over by a god who sided with Ehit, the Supreme God of the Holy Church. Furthermore, he’d explained that the conflict between demons and humans was something spurred on by Ehit to relieve his boredom. He then finished his speech by saying that Miledi Reisen and her comrades, the Liberators, had freed him from the control of Ehit’s partner.

Naturally, that had caused an uproar. To the demons, the Demon Lord was meant to be a living god. The citizens all worshiped Rasul. No one was ready to believe the god that occupied the Demon Lord’s body was actually antagonistic to his own people, and in cahoots with their mortal foe to boot. Even though they were the Demon Lord’s own words, the other nobles couldn’t accept the truth. They began to wonder if Miledi Reisen and her comrades had brainwashed Rasul somehow. Or perhaps the truth was that he’d been normal before and now some evil creature had possessed him.

However, when they’d questioned him, he’d simply said, “Who was it that tried to bring the light of destruction down on his own people, his own country? Do not avert your eyes from reality. Face the truth head-on. Who was it that tried to destroy this city and those who wished to protect it? You all saw what happened, so tell me what you saw, truly, with your own two eyes.”

In the end, no one had been able to argue after hearing that.

“‘I love all demons,’ huh? I can’t even imagine a demon saying such an embarrassing line, much less the heir to the Reisen family. Heh...”

I can’t believe I was unconscious for that.

Learning that everyone had clearly heard Miledi say that had perhaps been the most shocking thing for Elga when he’d woken up.

“The question is, will His Majesty’s words be able to sway these stubborn fools?” Elga mused as he blew out another smoke ring. He looked like an old man sitting on his porch, sipping tea, rather than one of the empire’s strongest generals. If any of his subordinates saw him, they’d think something was wrong with him.

A visitor jumped up onto the balcony from below, but this newcomer didn’t seem confused at all by Elga’s laid-back attitude.

“Elga-dono,” she said simply.

“General Lestina.”

Lestina Ascion, another of the empire’s three generals, walked over to Elga and narrowed her eyes at him, her long braid swaying in the wind all the while.

“What are you doing up here?”

Her voice had a musical timbre to it. Though her expression was inscrutable, Elga had lived long enough that he could still read her like a book.

“I was gazing out at our country. It’s beautiful, don’t you think? You could just stare at the scenery forever, yes?”

“Absolutely. But that’s no excuse for shirking your duties. Shouldn’t you be by His Majesty’s side right now?”

Elga was old enough to be Lestina’s grandfather, and he’d served the Demon Lord’s family for generations, but Lestina showed him none of the respect his seniority demanded. Still, all three generals were ostensibly equal in rank, and Elga himself had told Lestina not to stand on ceremony with him, so it wasn’t as if he was surprised by her casual demeanor. No, it was actually the barbed wariness in her words that was new to him.

But of course, Elga knew why she was feeling so irritated as well. Looking back down at the city, he quietly mumbled to himself, “We’ll find a way to coexist with humans.”

“...”

“I won’t ask you to change your minds immediately, but at least think about it. Who is our true enemy? What does demonkind truly need to do in order to build a prosperous future?”

Those were the words Rasul had spoken at the meeting of the Imperial Council. They had reminded Elga of the idealistic person Rasul had been before he took the crown. And they were undoubtedly the true feelings of his Demon Lord.

“Ha ha, the nobles are still reeling from the shock of His Majesty’s proclamation. If we’re not careful, the hardline hawks might actually start a civil war. I must say, it’s gotten rather tiring being on high alert for months on end,” Elga said, then kneaded his back, making a point to show how badly he needed a break. However, Lestina simply glared at him in response.

“This is no laughing matter! Popular opinion is so split that even the civilians have started fighting amongst themselves!”

Rasul’s words and the truth everyone had seen the day Miledi fought him had given rise to several factions within the demon empire.

There was the Demon Lord faction, which agreed with Rasul and wanted to, if not necessarily work together with humans, at least coexist peacefully with them.

Then there was the orthodox faction that still believed demons were the superior race, and that humans should be exterminated. They’d suffered far too much at human hands to be willing to accept them as equal partners. They considered Rasul’s words an affront to the rich history of the demon race.

Finally, there was the neutral faction. They loved their country and their people, but they weren’t sure they could trust Rasul anymore. If he wasn’t an absolutely perfect ruler, who was to say he wasn’t being controlled by someone who meant them ill? The members of this faction wanted to be loyal to both Rasul and their country, but they also didn’t want to harm their people by blindly following their leader’s words. From their perspective, Rasul couldn’t be completely trusted, so they were waiting for a sign to see if he really was worth following or not.

The neutral faction was the largest, followed by the orthodox faction. The Demon Lord faction was by far the smallest. This factional split went all the way down the social ladder, from the nobles to the commoners. Rasul had ignored the urging of his advisors and publicly announced what he’d told the nobles during the Imperial Council. As a result, the entire empire was in chaos.

The truth was unfortunately a bitter pill to swallow.

“Worst of all, Angol’s part of the neutral faction, while our prime minister has the gall to publicly declare for the orthodox faction! The only reason there hasn’t been a coup is because the two of us came out on the side of the Demon Lord faction. But at this rate—”

“Oh, so you thought I might have switched sides because I wasn’t with His Majesty? My apologies for worrying you.”

“I-I wasn’t worried!” Lestina shouted, blushing. She glared at Elga even harder than before, but that only made her worry more obvious.

She couldn’t be blamed for being on edge, though. Rasul’s regime was far from stable right now. And though the three generals were ostensibly equal to the prime minister, Elga’s words often carried more weight within the empire. Some of the more powerful nobles may have looked down on Lestina due to her youth, but no one dared disrespect Elga. In fact, the only reason the orthodox faction hadn’t tried something so far was because Elga was part of the Demon Lord faction.

“Fear not. No matter what happens, these old bones shall remain by His Majesty’s side.”

“Do you truly mean that? Can I trust you on this...Commander General?” Lestina asked, returning to the form of address she used to use back when she’d been a regular soldier under Elga’s command.

He simply smiled at her, nodded, and said, “I truly am pathetic, aren’t I?”

“Sir? Oh...I see. Yes,” Lestina replied, nodding in understanding. She felt much the same about herself. She wasn’t loyal to Rasul because he was the Demon Lord. She’d pledged herself to him back when he’d just been a prince, long before he’d taken the crown. She’d been moved by his kindness, his wisdom, and his desire to build a better future for his people.

Though her personal beliefs were closer to those of the orthodox faction’s, her faith in Rasul meant more to her, which was why she couldn’t forgive herself for failing to notice how unnaturally Rasul changed after taking the crown.

She’d obviously realized that he’d started acting differently after becoming Demon Lord. But she’d thought he was just playing the part, acting that way because it was expected of him by the nobles. She hadn’t even suspected that someone might have taken over his body.

However, Elga’s guilt stemmed not from loyalty, but from a sense that he’d failed in his responsibilities as a general. It was for that reason that he’d pledged himself anew to Rasul when he’d learned the truth. He was determined to watch over his master like a hawk, ensuring that nothing ever controlled him like that crown had again. He was even prepared to give his life to make up for his past failures.

“Do you believe the man we thought to be His Majesty until now was actually a servant of our most hated foe, Lestina?”

“As strange as it sounds, that explanation makes the most sense to me. After that battle, Rasul-sama returned to his old self.”

A measure of relief crept into Lestina’s voice now that she was certain Elga wouldn’t betray Rasul.

I wonder if it’s more than just loyalty that’s made her so devoted to His Majesty? She does seem quite enamored with him... Elga thought to himself with a smile.

“Hm?”

A second later, he looked down and saw a commotion at the castle gates. Lestina noticed it as well and narrowed her gaze.

As they watched, a burst of moonlight erupted from the gates.

“What?! Isn’t that—?”

“How on...”

The light faded to reveal an ice dragon hovering in the air. The dragon swept its gaze over the soldiers, then turned to Elga and Lestina.

“Are we under attack?!”

“Now hold on just one minute, General Lestina. Hey, I said wait!”

Elga held out a hand to keep Lestina from activating her special magic—Inflame—and rose to his feet. He then walked over to the edge of the balcony, prompting the dragon to fly over to him.

“I am Sasrika Schnee’s son, Vandre Schnee! I have come bearing a message from the Liberators and demand an audience with the Demon Lord!” Vandre yelled in a voice loud enough to echo throughout the capital.

Nobles stood on either side of the red carpet in the restored throne room of the Demon Lord. Even those of lesser rank, who rarely visited the palace, were present. With the faction power struggle going on, no one wanted to return to their territory.

Sitting on the throne was Demon Lord Rasul. His face looked a little haggard, but his eyes glimmered with happiness.

The soldiers outside announced the arrival of a guest and threw the double doors open. Vandre casually strolled down the red carpet, seemingly unconcerned by the various looks the nobles gave him. He stopped in front of the throne and knelt with genuine respect.

“I didn’t think we’d meet again so soon, Van.”

“Neither did I, Your Majesty.”

Rasul’s face fell and he said in a sad voice, “Oh please, don’t stand on ceremony. You’re my beloved little brother. Plus, you saved my life. Come on, raise your head.”

Vandre furrowed his brows, conflicted. He’d played the part of a humble messenger due to all the people watching, but Rasul apparently wanted none of that. Even though Vandre had specifically avoided naming himself as the Demon Lord’s brother because of what he’d learned about the situation in the empire, it had all come to naught. Unsurprisingly, the nobles began glaring at him with unbridled hostility.

“Look, Van. I’ve managed to grow my hair out enough to tie another braid. We match again.”

“Brother...” Vandre mumbled, covering his forehead with one hand as if nursing a headache

The nobles started openly hurling insults at him, calling him a filthy half-breed and one of Reisen’s dogs. It looked like they might attack him at any minute.

Lestina grit her teeth and muttered, “If this is what you wish, Rasul-sama,” keeping a wary eye on the nobles. Angol kept his face perfectly neutral, while Elga smiled ruefully.

“Heh, sorry. I’ve been awaiting our reunion for so long that I got ahead of myself. Are Lady Reisen and your friends well?”

“I appreciate your concern, Your Majesty. Fortunately, my comrades are all—”

“I said no formalities,” Rasul said with an impish grin, making Vandre groan.

Do you not realize how volatile the situation is right now, brother?!

“Your Majesty! Please stop this foolishness!” Karm Tranlit—the prime minister—shouted. He was the leader of the orthodox faction, meaning he’d been suspicious of Rasul to begin with, but the Demon Lord’s current actions all but condemned him in Karm’s mind. “Not only did you invite this disgusting half-breed into the throne room, but you’re treating him like family! This is not how the Demon Lord of the great Igdol Empire should be acting!”

The prime minister’s words prompted everyone from the orthodox faction to start voicing their complaints as well. The members of the neutral faction mostly looked surprised, though a few joined in on the insults.

Despite the commotion, Rasul remained smiling. He simply raised his hand and spoke a single word to quell their complaints.

“Silence.”

He didn’t raise his voice, nor did he brandish his mana to intimidate the nobles. And yet, that lone word alone was enough to bring the throne room to a standstill.

“I understand your dissatisfaction, your mistrust, and your complaints. But for now...” Rasul paused there for a moment, his smile deepening. The nobles felt like their hearts were being squeezed. “I am your ruler.”

No self-respecting ruler would let his retainers interrupt a conversation between him and an official messenger, and Rasul was no different.

His words washed over the gathered nobles, and before they knew it, they were all kneeling before him. The members of the orthodox faction stared at themselves in shock when they realized what they were doing, then grit their teeth in frustration.

Rasul’s authority was still absolute. In fact, now that he was no longer possessed, he projected more regal dignity than ever. But then he turned to Vandre with a smile, and his imposing aura immediately vanished like it had never even existed in the first place.

What kind of magic was that? Vandre thought to himself.

“All right, well, I honestly would love to chat more, but we’re all interested to hear what the Liberators have been up to since you left. Let’s not leave them hanging any longer, Van.”

“Please don’t say that like I’m the one getting us off-track, brother,” Vandre said, then cleared his throat and went on to deliver his message. “The Liberators are going to launch their attack on the theocracy.”

The nobles looked shocked, while Elga and the other generals gave Vandre an appraising look.

“Hm...I have received a few reports of what’s going on in the north, including the fact that you and the Haltina Republic pushed back their armies at the Pale Forest. Have the Liberators and the republic formed an alliance, then?”

“We have, brother. The commander of the Holy Templar Knights and the final ancient magic user—Laus Barn—has joined our cause as well.”

“Impossible! That can’t be!”

Everyone was so shocked that no one even knew who it was who’d yelled that.

The Holy Templar Knights were the demons’ greatest enemy. Throughout history, time and time again, it had been the Holy Templar Knights that had brought the most grief to the empire. The fact that their leader had defected to join an organization of heretics came as more of a shock to the demons than even hearing that their leader had been possessed by a god who worked for their sworn foe.

“Ha ha ha ha ha!” Rasul burst out laughing, bringing the nobles back to their senses.

“R-Rasul-sama?” Lestina said in a confused voice. Instead of replying, however, Rasul kept laughing, slapping his knees as tears streamed out of his eyes.

“Vandre Schnee! What did you do to Rasul-sama?!” Lestina yelled as she pointed a glare at Vandre, looking oddly jealous.

“You really haven’t changed, huh? You still think I’m the cause of every strange thing my brother does.”

Hang on... It’s kind of late to be realizing this, but is the reason Lestina’s always angry with me because my brother only smiles when he’s around me and she’s jealous? God, what a pain.

“Oh, he didn’t do anything. It’s just perfect, don’t you think, Lestina?”

“H-Huh? Ummm...”

“The heretic princess managed to turn even the leader of the church’s knights. Their reputation must be in shambles! This is just too good!”

“I-I suppose that is something to celebrate, yes, but...”

Elga started laughing as well upon hearing that.

“Ha ha ha, you’re absolutely right, Your Majesty. It seems the princess’s charms work on even the church’s strongest knight. It’s truly a shame that you let such a perfect bride slip through your fingers.”

“I was thinking the exact same thing, Elga. Well, I probably wouldn’t have been able to woo her either way, since she already has her knight in shining armor!”

“The Reisen heir is truly terrifying.”

“Does she know how to use seduction magic or something?”

“She even managed to seduce His Majesty, so maybe?”

The nobles started whispering amongst each other. It seemed they all considered her an evil temptress.

Lestina glared at Vandre, seemingly blaming him for letting Rasul fall for anyone other than her. Vandre averted his gaze, not wanting to get into an argument.

“So, Van, if you’re here as a messenger, I take it you wish to forge an alliance with Igdol? Are you hoping we’ll join in your fight?”

“If you’re willing to, we’d love that. The world the Liberators are aiming to create is one where race is no longer used as a barrier to divide people. However!” Vandre added before any of the nobles could start yelling about how it was wrong for humans and demons to join forces. “That’s not what I’m here for today. I know we can’t ask for that just yet. We respect the demons’ beliefs and customs, and will take the time to properly understand your society once we’ve changed the world.”

“Hmm...so you don’t want us to fight with you?”

“Correct.”

So then, what did you come here to do? the nobles thought.

Vandre turned to face them.

“Our battle against the church is not meant to be an invasion of the theocracy. If demons get involved, it will be seen as another race war between humans and demons. That cannot be allowed to happen.”

It was then that everyone understood. Vandre hadn’t come here to recruit soldiers. He’d actually come here to do the exact opposite. He wished to make sure the demon empire didn’t use the Liberators’ assault as an excuse to begin their own invasion.

Of course, the nobles rankled at being told what to do. But before they could complain, Vandre added, “Of course, I trust the empire. I know the proud, noble demons would never take advantage of a situation like this to achieve their long-held desire. After all, it means nothing unless you earn supremacy with your own two hands, right?”

The demons joining the battle between the Liberators and the theocracy would’ve caused a massive political issue, which was why Vandre had come here to make doubly sure they didn’t.

“All I ask is that you wait here for our bells of revolution to toll across the land.”

Vandre was clearly trying to tell the empire what to do, but when he phrased it like that, the nobles had a hard time thinking of a way to argue back without looking petty. Plus, since the Liberators’ target was the church, not even the orthodox faction had any reason to stop them. They were too proud to sweep in and claim the continent for themselves while the Liberators fought their battle, and honestly, letting it play out was in their best interests. Even if the Liberators won, they’d take some casualties in the fight, and if they and the church took each other out, the demons would easily be able to conquer the continent after that. Frankly, there was nothing but positives for the empire in this situation.

“A most disgusting proposal. I’m afraid I’ll have to say no,” Rasul replied with a cheerful grin, and for a moment, it felt like time had stopped in the throne room.

“B-Brother?”

“You’re trying to shut us out of playing a part in changing the world? Come on, Van, that’s far too cruel.”

“Um, brother. Didn’t you hear what I—?”

“Oh, I heard you loud and clear. You want the historians of the future to write: The Liberators freed the world from the grip of its evil god, but the demon race didn’t do a single thing to help. Sorry, but I’m not having it. If you’re trying to keep us out of the action, we’ll barge in whether you like it or not!”

“Calm down, brother!”

Rasul sounded like a kid throwing a tantrum about being excluded from his friend group. He’d always loved messing with people, but Vandre hadn’t expected him to tease him in the middle of a serious discussion.

“Your Majesty, what are you saying?!” Karm asked.

“Please speak clearly!” another one of the orthodox nobles said, prompting the others to start shouting as well. They were so flustered they forgot to remain in line and began crowding around the throne.

Still smiling, Rasul cast his gaze over all of them and stated, “If we refuse to be present during the battle to slay our most hated foe, during the battle to change the world, how can we call ourselves demons?”

“But—”

“Of course I understand the Liberators’ reasoning. But if the republic is already participating, it won’t make much more of a difference if the empire does as well, right? We just have to fight the right way.”

“What do you mean by that, Rasul-sama?” Lestina asked.

His words reverberating with all the majesty of the Demon Lord, Rasul replied, “Save the people of the capital. Protect those who might get caught up in the battle between the Liberators and the church. Do everything in our power to make sure the Liberators can focus their full attention on their battle. Protect every single human who doesn’t belong to Ehit’s accursed armies. It’s a fitting way to fight, considering we’re trying to build a new world and all, wouldn’t you say?”

The demons would protect humans—no, people of every race—from Ehit’s scourge. And the Demon Lord himself would lead the charge.

“Brother...” Vandre mumbled, tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He hadn’t expected a response like that at all.

Shock rippled through the nobles, and it was the members of the orthodox faction who recovered the fastest.

“Your Majesty, please take back that declaration. We cannot stoop so low as to help humans!” Karm shouted, doing his best to keep his emotions in check.

“Fear not. Those who disagree with my ideology need not accompany us. Whether you wish to help in this endeavor or not is entirely up to you.”

“Your Majesty?”

“I will leave running the nation to you in my absence. If I die, do not feel obligated to find the closest blood relative to take over the throne. You are welcome to choose the next Demon Lord amongst yourselves as you see fit.”

“Your Majesty, wait!” Lestina shouted. However, Rasul ignored her.

“If our revolution fails, it means my ideals were nothing more than an empty dream. I will step down from the throne voluntarily. If you feel it necessary, you may even have me executed. I will not name a successor. You are welcome to choose the next Demon Lord, the same as if I had died in battle.”

Rasul was determined to give his full, unwavering support to the Liberators, even if it meant throwing the empire into further chaos in order to do so. He wanted to make the dream Miledi had shown him into a reality.

It was at this point that the nobles realized how serious he was. And that the reason he’d spread the truth immediately was because he’d expected this day to come soon. He’d known there wouldn’t be time to slowly shift the demons’ values, as the Liberators wouldn’t wait long before challenging god. Thus, he’d purposely made himself look fallible so that when the day to fight Ehit came, his people wouldn’t blindly follow him while thinking he was a reincarnated god on Tortus, but would be free to choose their path based on their own beliefs. That way, even if he died and his revolution ended in failure, the demons back home, and even the members of the orthodox faction, wouldn’t be led astray by another god pretending to have their best interests at heart.

The throne room once again fell silent as everyone realized just how much Rasul loved his country and his people. Everyone waited with bated breath to hear his next words.

“But if we do indeed manage to change the world, then please entrust the future of the demon race to my hands,” Rasul cast his gaze over the room after saying that, and this time not even Karm argued back. After all, just like with Vandre’s proposal, Rasul’s proposal had no drawbacks for him. Though, even if it had, the Demon Lord’s resolve was too strong to argue against.

“Now then, is there anyone who wishes to change history with me?” Rasul asked, his tone making it clear he’d go even if he was alone.

The nobles exchanged uneasy glances, waiting to see if any among them would step forward.

“Of course I’ll be joining you.”

Unsurprisingly, Elga was the first to step forward. He was the oldest of the empire’s generals, and the fact that he’d agreed to join without hesitation caused a stir among the nobles.

“R-Rasul-sama! I’ll come too!” Lestina shouted hurriedly, not wanting to be left out. “Honestly, I think making peace with the humans is a fucking stupid idea, but...no demon who cares about the future of their people would miss this chance to change the course of history.”

Thanks to her speech, even Angol was moved to join...and after that came a flood of applicants. All the members of the Demon Lord faction and even a few from the neutral faction volunteered to join Rasul.

“Thank you. But it would be far too dangerous for all three of the empire’s great generals to leave the nation at the same time. I’m sorry, Angol, but I’ll have to ask you to stay behind.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty. I shall protect this empire until the course of history, and the future of the demon race, is decided.”

Angol’s words were directed more toward the gathered nobles than to Rasul. He was making it clear he wouldn’t allow civil war to break out while the Demon Lord was away. That was his way of showing his loyalty.

Looking as though he’d just swallowed a cockroach, Karm stepped forward and stated, “I don’t understand. I can’t see the future that you do, Your Majesty.”

“That’s because I’m an oddball, while you’re a fervent believer of demon supremacy. Moreover, the majority of demons share your beliefs.”

“Yes, I am absolutely certain that it is demons who deserve to rule all of Tortus. However...” Karm trailed off as he looked back at the members of his orthodox faction. Eventually, he turned to face Rasul with a conflicted look on his face before continuing. “It isn’t as though any of us want war.”

“Yes, I know. You understand the pain of losing those dearest to you better than most.”

“I’m afraid I cannot agree with your ideals, Your Majesty. I shall not be joining you. However, I do respect your resolve. I know that you’re doing what you believe is best for us, so I shall wait. So long as you stay true to the path you believe in, you will continue to remain our beloved Demon Lord.”

“Thank you,” Rasul replied, watching as the members of the orthodox faction swallowed their protests. Though their beliefs were diametrically opposed, Rasul and Karm were comrades who fought to protect the future of their empire together.

Rasul then turned back to Vandre, who’d been watching this all unfold with an idle look, and said, “There you have it, Van.”

“You really are something else, brother. You always manage to surprise me,” he replied. Then, sighing, Vandre flashed his brother a big smile.

Afterward, Elga explained the situation to the soldiers, telling them that only those who wished to aid humans should come on this expedition. Everyone hurriedly made preparations for the Demon Lord to sortie with his small band of followers while Vandre was treated like a guest of honor and given a room in the palace. He spent his time strengthening the messenger birds he’d brought along and sending off letters to headquarters explaining everything that had happened in Igdol and telling the members of the Schnee clan to bring his wyverns to transport Rasul and his men. He also managed to find time to catch up with Rasul, so the two managed to have a long talk for the first time since they’d been children.

Vandre hadn’t thought he’d have time to spend with his brother before the final battle, but he was extremely grateful that he did. With Rasul by his side, Vandre felt like he could accomplish anything, including beat an apostle. The only thing that bothered him was Lestina’s jealous glare that followed him around whenever he spoke to Rasul. Happy as he was, it slowly ate away at his mental fortitude.

Half a month had passed since Miledi had sent out the order for the Liberators to gather.

“Ngh...” a pained groan echoed through the sickroom.

Laus’s vision was blurry, his hearing was muffled, his limbs felt like lead, and a haze of exhaustion covered his mind. However, his heart was still beating.

I’m alive... he thought as he took a deep breath.

“Where am I?” Laus asked, his hoarse voice reminding him of just how thirsty he felt. He then looked around the room and saw an unfamiliar ceiling made of metal. There were no windows, and just one door. It was a plain room, but clean.

There was a pitcher of water and a cup resting on his bedside table. He reached out for the pitcher as soon as he saw it, and drank straight from it, too thirsty to take the time to pour himself a cup. The water was lukewarm, but pure and refreshing.

“Pwah! Haaah... Haaah, I feel alive again,” as he said that, he realized he meant it rather literally.

His senses were still dull and his body still sluggish, but that pitcher of water had cleared his mind. He put the empty pitcher back, realizing that whoever had put him here must have put the side table on his right side out of consideration for his missing arm.

“If the last thing I remember is anything to go by, this is probably the Liberators’ main base, but...”

There was a loud ringing noise in Laus’s ears, which sounded almost like the keening of some animal. In order to get his ears back in working order, he continued muttering to himself as he took stock of his situation.

I know this is a windowless room made of metal, but I doubt this is a church prison... Laus thought as he ran his fingers over the sheets. They were spotlessly clean. It was clear someone had been taking good care of him.

“Yeah this is definitely not the church,” Laus muttered, sure of that fact now. He didn’t see Sharm or Reinheit anywhere, but there likely wasn’t any reason to worry.

He lifted himself into a sitting position and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmh!”

“...”

What’s this? I feel something soft underneath my feet. That ringing—keening—whatever noise is getting more distinct too. Also, now it sounds like someone moaning.

Worried about what he might see, Laus cast his gaze downward.

“Mmmmmmnhre!”

The queen of the Haltina Republic was lying under his feet. She was bound hand and foot, as well as gagged, and was lying on her back. Laus’s two feet were resting on her face and her bosom. But for some reason, the elven queen’s ears were twitching with happiness. He could feel her hot, excited breath tickling the soles of his foot. In fact, that last moan had almost sounded like she was saying “More.”

“Oh, this is just a nightmare,” Laus said calmly, bringing his feet back onto the bed and lying down.

I must still be unconscious. This has to be some kind of dream. I hope I wake up soon.

He waited a minute, then two, but the moaning didn’t vanish. If anything, it got stronger, as if she was urging Laus to step on her again. Eventually, Lyutillis started tackling the bed to try to get him to move. And when that happened, he got up and let his feet down on the opposite side. He gave the elven queen a wide berth as he circled around to the door.

I didn’t see anything. I didn’t hear anything. Nothing happened.

Laus had a hard time accepting what he’d seen as reality. It was just way too out there.

There’s no way the republic’s queen is a pervert!

A little scared, Laus hurriedly opened the door and found another shocking sight.

“Miledi-san, I’ll gladly give you anything you desire! Here, it’s yours!”

“Reinheit?! Stop, Miledi-san just said she wanted to see it, not take it. Hey, Miledi-san, please stop hugging me, it—”

“Mrrr... I told you to call me Onee-chan, remember?”

“O-Onee-chan...this is embarrassing. Please stop...”

“Well done, Sharm-sama. You had all the Liberator women dancing in your palm, and now you’ve even managed to seduce Miledi-san... Your devilish charm is amazing!”

“Please stop making things worse!”

What in the world is this?

Laus’s trusted guard was trying to woo the world’s most annoying girl by offering his sword—the Holy Sword—to her. The sword itself was glowing faintly, as if protesting being given up to Miledi.


Meanwhile, his beloved son was being hugged by that same girl, and he seemed to enjoy being her plaything.

“Oh, I guess I’m still in the same nightmare.”

I should go back to sleep. I’m clearly still tired. I need to get some more rest so I can stop hallucinating.

But just as Laus tried to close the door—

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmnnnr!” the elven queen grunted loudly and flopped up behind him like a fish out of water, cutting off his path of retreat. There was nowhere left for him to go.

“This world is hell,” Laus muttered, looking up at the ceiling. He’d woken up in some strange parallel world, surely. That was the only explanation that made sense.

“Oh? You’re finally awake, Laus-kun! Thank goodness.”

“Who do you think you’re calling Laus-kun?” Laus asked as he turned to see the pirate captain he’d fought back on the western seas.

“Meiru Melusine,” he said flatly.

“Yep, it’s everyone’s kind older sister, Meiru-onee-san.”

Her tone irked Laus, but she was practically a goddess compared to the insane people around him.

“Can you please tell me what’s going on here? I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“Oh my.”

Lyutillis tried to squeeze out from behind Laus and ended up headbutting the metal door. She was squirming in joy now that Meiru was here.

Yeah, I can see why he’d think he’s going crazy after seeing that, Meiru thought as she looked down at Lyutillis. Though, I suppose I’m the one who tied her up...

Meiru had gotten tired of Lyutillis bugging her whenever she went to go cast restoration magic on Laus, so she’d tied her up and left her in his room.

This isn’t my fault, though! It’s not my problem!

As always, Meiru decided to shirk responsibility for her actions. She started by declining to explain what was going on. Fortunately for Laus, it was then that Miledi and the others noticed his presence.

Sharm and Reinheit stared at him in surprise, then ran over.

“Father!”

“Laus-sama!”

“H-Hey, Sharm, Reinheit. Are you guys...okay?” he asked, meaning mostly in the mental department, but neither of them picked up on that.

“Yep, I’m perfectly fine!” Sharm exclaimed as he jumped into Laus’s arms and rubbed his face against his father’s chest.

“I’ve been waiting eagerly for you to awaken!” Reinheit said, dropping to one knee with tears of happiness in his eyes.

I’m glad you’re both fine, but someone please explain what the heck was going on just now!

“Laus Barn,” Miledi said quietly.

“Mmm... Miledi Reisen.”

Why is she wearing a maid outfit? And how is she able to keep a straight face while wearing it? Wait, is this all part of some elaborate ploy to tease me? Laus suddenly raised his guard after thinking that, but it proved unnecessary.

“Thank God...you’re safe...” Miledi mumbled, then took Laus’s right hand and rubbed her cheek against it. She looked relieved from the bottom of her heart.

“Who the hell are you?!” Laus shouted, and had Sharm not been clinging to him, he would have scurried backward as fast as humanly possible.

“How mean. I was so worried about you.”

Tears of sadness pooled in Miledi’s clear, sky-blue eyes.

“Father...” Sharm muttered.

Reinheit gave him a reproachful look and said, “Laus-sama, you shouldn’t be so mean to Miledi.”

I have no allies left! That crafty woman stole my son and my best guard away from me!

“Oh, come now, Laus-kun. No matter how you look at it, that’s clearly Miledi-chan.”

“No matter how I look at it, that’s definitely not the same annoying brat who called me bald.”

“Y-You really took that one to heart, huh?” Meiru said, casually stepping on Lyutillis.

Laus rubbed his temples in exasperation. He’d spent a lot of time thinking about what he’d first say after arriving at the Liberators’ headquarters. Considering what he’d done to Meiru’s family, the Melusine Pirates, he knew he wouldn’t be able to become their comrade just like that. Thus, he’d been fully prepared to let Meiru hit him as much as she wanted for what he’d done. But instead, he’d woken up to this clown show.

While he stood there, at an utter loss for what to do, another person walked into the hallway.

“Did no one tell you about what happened to Miledi?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s you, Oscar Orcus.”

“Oh my. Did you just return, Oscar-kun?” Meiru asked, waving at him.

Working his exhausted brain, Laus started sifting through his recent memories.

“Come to think of it, Leonard did say—” Oscar started speaking, but before he could explain what Leonard had said, Miledi let out a happy gasp and ran over to him.

Reinheit bitterly chewed on his handkerchief as he watched Miledi fawn over Oscar.

“Welcome back, O-kun.”

“Th-Thanks, Miledi.”

“Mmm... Warm.”

Miledi snuggled against Oscar’s chest, looking like the happiest girl alive. Oscar, on the other hand, desperately appeared to be trying to clear his mind of all worldly thoughts.

“Oscar-san, you can’t keep doing this! Miledi-san is a young, unmarried lady! As a man, aren’t you embarrassed about such public displays of affection?!”

“Reinheit, calm down!”

“I will not calm down, Sharm-sama! As a proper gentleman, I cannot forgive Oscar-san’s actions!”

Reinheit stalked over to Oscar, his expression a mixture of jealousy and anger.

What happened to all that worry you had for me a second ago? Laus thought with dead eyes.

“Now then, Miledi-san, please step away from him. I know you love Oscar-san like a brother, but it is improper for a lady to act like this where others can see.”

Still hugging Oscar, Miledi glanced back at Reinheit and said, “No.”

“Shit, you’re even cute when you’re refusing me!”

“Reinheit, I’m begging you, please return to your normal self!”

Oscar’s expression stiffened. It looked like he’d been asked to defuse a particularly complicated bomb.

“Umm, Reinheit. I told you this before, but Miledi’s currently in an altered state of mind. Normally, she’d never do something like this, so—”

“And you’re telling me the ‘normal’ her is an extremely annoying girl who always teases people and boasts about being the greatest mage who’s ever lived?”

“Yes.”

“How dare you insult Miledi-san!”

“Do you think I’m lying?!”

“There’s no way this beautiful, kind, and graceful girl would be an annoying brat!”

Love had blinded Reinheit, and he placed a hand over his heart as he extolled Miledi’s virtues. He didn’t even notice that a crowd was gathering around them as he talked about the noble way in which she carried herself, the way she firmly expressed her will in few words, the way her occasional childish mannerisms warmed his heart, her angelic demeanor, and so on.

“Who is he describing?” Laus asked Meiru, nonplussed.

“Miledi-chan.”

“What have you people done to Reinheit?”

“What, you think we brainwash people like the church?” Meiru replied sarcastically, and Laus fell silent. Seeing the guilty look on his face, she shrugged and added, “He fell in love with her at first sight. But the girl he loves already loves another man, so...”

“He took his love to the extreme,” Laus finished, covering his eyes.

Reinheit’s even purer than I thought.

“U-Umm, father. Miledi-san really isn’t all that annoying... If anything, she’s quiet, and nice, and...” Sharm trailed off, looking between Meiru and Laus.

Laus knew he needed to open his son’s eyes to the truth as soon as possible.

“You’re being tricked, son. She’s the furthest thing from a quiet, graceful lady that you can imagine. I wish I could spank some respect into her.”

“Father?!”

Laus peeled a shocked Sharm off of his legs and headed over to Reinheit, who was still talking about how much of an angel Miledi was. The onlookers were shouting things like, “Come on, Oscar, say something back! This is pathetic!” and “I won’t allow you to date my beloved Mi-chan!” and “Die, Oscar!” and “Yeah, knock that four-eyes down a peg!” and “Splash some oil on those fucking glasses of his!” and “Anyone who dares date our leader deserves to die!” and “Let’s stuff both him and Reinheit into the torpedo tube and shoot them outta here!”

“Besides, what is with that short skirt maid uniform? I-It’s indecent!” Reinheit said, switching from praising Miledi to attacking Oscar. “Her legs are completely exposed! Are you trying to show off how she’s your woman by making her wear these kinds of clothes?! You pervert!”

“Don’t you dare put me in the same category as Lyu. Sheesh, I let you go off for a few minutes and you start—”

“But I am O-kun’s woman!”

“Uh, ummmmmm, Miledi, please don’t take his words seriously.”

“So I’m not your woman?”

“Why do you look so sad about that?!”

“How dare you make Miledi-san cry, Oscar!”

“Oh my God, someone please just shut this guy up!” Oscar shouted, looking up at the ceiling.

“On it. Soul’s Repose,” Laus said, enveloping Reinheit in a shroud of pure black mana. The young knight slowly began to calm down as a result.

“L-Laus-sama?”

“Calm down, you imbecile. And take a good, hard look at reality. Heavenbringer.”

Before anyone could ask if he was well enough to be casting spirit magic already, Laus raised a hand toward Miledi and cast a separate spell on her. Black mana surrounded her as well, and the onlookers suddenly stared warily at Laus.

“Don’t worry, I’m curing her,” he explained.

“Can you manage it?” Oscar asked in a hesitant voice.

“Like I said, don’t worry,” Laus stated confidently, and Oscar let out a relieved sigh. Miledi, who was still hugging Oscar, had closed her eyes and it looked like she might fall asleep. He wrapped an arm around her back to support her in case she went limp.

After about five minutes, Miledi—who’d ended up falling asleep in Oscar’s arms at some point—stirred. It was at that same time that Laus’s mana began to disappear.

“She should be good now.”

“Really? Are you okay, Miledi?”

Miledi didn’t respond. She still had her face buried in Oscar’s chest.

“Miledi? Is something wrong? Why are you trembling?”

“Laus-sama, Miledi-san’s neck is bright red! Does she have a fever?!”

The gathered crowd began to worry as well, but Lyutillis and Meiru didn’t look concerned in the slightest.

“Onee-sama. This will be our only chance to see Miledi-tan’s cute side! Get ready to record this!”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already started recording!”

At some point, Lyutillis had managed to escape from her bonds, and she was looking excitedly at Meiru, who had her glasses on and was grinning at Miledi.

“Miledi?” Oscar asked again, and with a timid squeal, Miledi slowly stepped away from Oscar. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground, her expression hidden by her hair.

“Are you okay? Please say something already, Miledi...” Oscar said as he bent down to get a better look at Miledi’s face.

“Whoa!”

There were tears in her eyes, and she was covering her beet-red cheeks with both hands.

Her eyes met Oscar’s and she stammered, “O-O-O...”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Mile—”

“O-kun, you suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!”

With that, Miledi turned on her heel and sprinted away at the speed of light. She shoved Reinheit out of her way, slipped past Laus, stopped Lyutillis and Meiru from trying to grab her by plastering them to the ceiling with gravity magic, then vanished down the hall.

As she vanished from sight, she shouted, “D-Don’t misunderstand me! I’m not actually like thaaaaaaaaat!”

Noses bleeding, Meiru and Lyutillis gave each other thumbs-ups as they fell from the ceiling.

“M-Miledi-tan was so cute... Guh!”

“O-Oscar-kun, what did you think?” Meiru asked.

“Well, for now, I’m just glad she’s back to normal.”

Satisfied by his answer, Meiru slumped to the ground, unconscious. Miledi had apparently been embarrassed enough that she’d forgotten to hold back. There were two people-shaped dents in the ceiling now.

The onlookers glared at Oscar as if he were a murderer, while Reinheit froze in place due to the shock and Sharm did his best to nurse Meiru and Lyutillis.

Heedless of them all, Oscar turned to Laus and said, “Laus...san? Thank you so much.”

“No need for honorifics. And no need to thank me either. I just couldn’t bear watching Miledi Reisen acting like a normal girl in love, instead of the biggest pain in the ass in the world.”

Is that really the only reason you helped? Oscar thought to himself as he adjusted his glasses.

The phrase “a normal girl in love” kept bouncing around inside his head.

Afterward, Oscar cleared out the onlookers and Laus tasked Reinheit to look after Meiru and Lyutillis to give him a chance to cool his head. Sharm was left to supervise them, while Oscar led Laus around the ship.

“How long did I sleep?” Laus asked, glad to finally have a normal person to talk to.

Oscar gave him a sad smile and replied, “Almost half a month.”

“I see... I’m surprised my body hasn’t atrophied at all, then.”

“Meiru made sure to cast restoration magic on you each day. We were more worried about your soul than your body, honestly. You must have pushed yourself far past your limits.”

“I’m fine. I spent a lot of time building up my soul’s natural recovery rate.”

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

When he’d arrived at headquarters, Laus had been in a deep coma. But apparently, that had been a self-inflicted one to speed up his body and soul’s healing. It sounded simple, but being able to heal your soul in that manner was an unbelievably high-level skill.

A bead of sweat dripped down Oscar’s forehead as he looked up at Laus in awe.

“I’m really glad you managed to make it. Miledi too. If she hadn’t been in the state she was, she would have definitely prepared a welcome party for you.”

“I used to be the commander of the Holy Templar Knights. I don’t deserve such a warm welcome.”

Laus had lost count of how many “heretics” he’d slain over the years. It was true his superhuman strength was a boon for the Liberators, but that didn’t absolve him of his past sins. At the very least, he doubted all of the Liberators would forgive him so easily.

“Sure, and Miledi used to be the heir of the Reisen family.”

“Hrm...”

That gave Laus pause. He hadn’t really thought about it before, but the fact that the former heir of a family of heretic executioners was now their leader meant that she had been forgiven for her past sins as well.

“You’re one of us now, so you don’t need to feel like you owe us anything.”

“I see. Thanks. I guess I should have figured that out, considering how everyone treats Reinheit and Sharm like one of them.”

“Mhm. Sharm-kun’s a good kid. Everyone loves him.”

“Just Sharm, huh? Sorry about that, by the way.”

“Wait, why are you apologizing? Everyone really does like him.”

“Oh no, I’m apologizing on behalf of my guard. I didn’t realize you and Miledi were a couple, but I’m sorry he’s getting in your—”

“That’s a misunderstanding!”

Laus shot a look of disbelief at Oscar. But when he saw him blush and adjust his glasses to hide his eyes, Laus nodded in understanding. He gave Oscar a small smile and said, “If you say so. But as a married man, I have a lot of experience with courtship. If you need any advice, you can always come to me.

“Umm...thanks,” Oscar said, then awkwardly cleared his throat, putting an end to this topic. He went on to tell Laus about what had happened while he was unconscious, starting with the current state of the Liberators, their plans for the future, the things Naiz and Vandre were doing on the outside, the fact that Lenoard and his men were safe, and that they were hoping to get checked over by Laus as soon as possible so they could stop hiding and start helping again.

By the time he finished explaining everything, the two of them had reached their destination. Oscar pulled open the door, and a wall of sound assailed Laus’s ears.

“New report! Prantz’s chief, Brad Lumond, has finished disseminating fake news through the city!”

“Prime Minister Parsha has finished organizing the army that’ll be reinforcing us from the republic.”

“Where the hell is Badd?! That oaf should have made it here by now!”

“New report from the Enedra branch in the Odion Federation! A civil war has broken out at the border, delaying the arrival of the combatants.”

“The Norton, Grista, and Russel branches have made it to Damdrak!”

“The members of the Tolston branch should arrive in a few days. Please send a message saying we’ll rendezvous with them at the safe house and guide them to headquarters.”

Numerous voices filled the large room, which was made of transparent crystal to allow everyone to see the lake all around them. It was a breathtaking sight.

“What is this place?” Laus asked.

“The bridge.”

No wonder the church never found the Liberators’ headquarters... Laus thought to himself, scratching his head. Looking around, he saw ten or so people sitting down at desks that had white jewels embedded in them, seemingly concentrating on something. In front of him was a U-shaped desk with four chairs, and dozens of palm-sized magic circles embedded into its surface at regular intervals. Two long rectangular partitions were blocking the desk off from the rest of the room, and those partitions had magic circles inscribed on them as well. There was also a barstool on the inside of the desk, but no one was sitting on it.

“Those white jewels are communication devices. They’re connected to the safe houses in Damdrak, as well as the mountains on the north side of the lake, so anyone who receives a messenger bird there can reply to us immediately.”

The desk in front of Laus was the control hub for the entire ship, and the partitions on either side controlled the ship’s weapons.

“I don’t believe it. This is like a weapon from the age of the gods.”

“Not ‘like,’ it is one. The Liberators found it sunken at the bottom of the northern ocean and fixed it up.”

In the center of the room was a raised platform made of circular pedestals that were stacked on top of each other. There was a chair in front of it, which was presumably the captain’s seat. Salus got up from it when he spotted Laus, and Cloris hurried over to his side.

“I suppose I haven’t introduced myself to you yet,” Salus said. “I am the head of the Liberators’ administrative organization, Salus Gaistrih.

“So you’re functionally the supreme commander. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. As you already know, I’m Laus Barn. Thank you for looking after my son and my guardsman,” Laus said, extending his hand and bowing to Saus.

“Ho ho ho! I never thought I’d live to see the day the commander of the Holy Templar Knights would bow to me. I guess miracles do happen,” Salus said cheerfully as he shook Laus’s hand.

The bridge fell silent as everyone watched the two of them. No one wanted to miss the historic moment when the church’s strongest knight and the de facto leader of the Liberators joined hands.

To Laus’s surprise, no one gave him disparaging or disgusted looks. He didn’t know what they were thinking in the depths of their hearts, but at the very least, it looked like they all accepted him.

The fact that they’re keeping their own hatred in check, if they do indeed hate me, shows just how disciplined the Liberators are as an organization. They’re better run than the church, even.

As Laus marveled at the Liberators’ organization, Salus said, “I’m glad you’re here, Laus-dono.”

“I’ll do my best to prove to you that I’m no spy for the church.”

“There’s no need for that. Miledi trusts you, and that’s enough for the rest of us,” Salus replied as he squeezed Laus’s hand tighter. It was a friendly squeeze, rather than an intimidating one.

“You’re the one who saved Belta’s life, aren’t you?” Salus asked, his gaze piercing through Laus. The other Liberators in the room gasped in surprise.

“I did that on a whim. Besides, all I did was help her escape. I didn’t have the courage to actually protect her. Instead, I gave up on defying God...and killed many of your friends in his name.”

Laus looked away, ashamed, but Salus simply shook his head in response.

“But it was that whimsical act of conscience that allowed us to come so far. Like it or not, that’s the truth. The Liberators exist because of you.”

“Because of me, huh?”

Salus let go of Laus’s hand and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Belta Lievre, the former oracle, was the founder of the Liberators. You were the one who rescued her from the shackles of Ehit’s fate, and if she were here today, she would likely call you the very first Liberator.”

“...”

Laus fell silent, overcome by emotion.

“The Liberators welcome you, Laus Barn.”

“Thank you,” Laus replied quietly, his eyes glimmering with determination. He then took a deep breath and said the words he’d wished he could for all these years: “Let’s dedicate our lives to building a world where everyone can live freely.”

“Well said, my friend!” Salus exclaimed, clapping. The other Liberators all started clapping as well. Smiling, Oscar patted Laus on the shoulder.

“You hear that, everyone! From this moment onward, Laus Barn is an official member of the Liberators!” Salus shouted, his voice seemingly echoing throughout the ship.

“Is it just me, or did your voice sound louder than it should have?” Laus asked.

“Oh, uh, sorry I didn’t tell you, Laus. We were broadcasting this conversation throughout the whole ship,” Oscar said sheepishly.

“You...what?”

Laus turned and noticed one of the white jewels was glowing. Salus had wanted to make sure there was no lingering resentment among the Liberators before the final battle, and this was the plan he’d come up with to get rid of it.

Just then, the door to the bridge opened and Miledi, Meiru, Lyutillis, Sharm, and Reinheit walked in. Miledi was back to wearing her usual dress instead of the maid outfit.

Miledi looked straight at Laus, and he met her gaze. The two of them gazed at each other quietly, and a solemn mood settled over the room.

“I came to fulfill my promise,” Laus said finally.

“Yeah, I’ve been waiting,” Miledi replied. Those few words were all they needed. Their gazes conveyed more than words ever could, after all.

Unfortunately, Miledi was not the kind of person that could keep a serious mood going for long. And so, she spun around to face Sharm and bowed her head.

“I’m sorry, Sharm-kun!”

“Huh? What for, Miledi-san?”

“It’s my fault your dad doesn’t have any hair left on— Gyaaah?!”

Laus brought his fist down on the top of Miledi’s head, cutting her off, and she sprawled to the floor, twitching like a dying cockroach.

“I told you the next time you apologized for that, I’d kill you,” Laus said, referencing the conversation they’d had in Angriff during the church’s crusade against the republic. His gaze was as cold as ice.

“Heeey, what kind of brute raises a hand against a girl? Hey, Sharm-kun, don’t you think your dad’s a bad man for hitting a girl?”

“Huh? Uh, um...”

“You little brat! Don’t get my pure son mixed up in your antics!”

“Waaah, you’re so meaaan, Lau-chan! I thought you were supposed to be a noble knight!”

“Who are you calling Lau-chan... See, Reinheit?! Do you understand now?! This is the true Miledi Reisen! Sharm, now you know not to get involved with her!”

“I-I don’t believe it... I... I...”

“Look, I know it’s a shock, Reinheit, but get a hold of yourself!”

Salus, Cloris, and the other Liberators on the bridge burst out laughing. The conversation was still being broadcast throughout the ship, so there were likely more pockets of laughter elsewhere.

At the same time, everyone was happy to see their usual leader had returned. It was only Meiru and Lyutillis who were grinning for an entirely different reason. They’d noticed that Miledi was pointedly avoiding looking at a certain someone.

“O-chan-san, isn’t it great that Miledi-tan’s back to normal?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Never thought I’d ever say this, but I missed her annoying antics.”

Miledi’s shoulders twitched when Oscar spoke.

“Oh my, Miledi-chan! Did you hear that? Oscar-kun missed you!”

“Meiru, stop twisting people’s words!” Oscar shouted. He suddenly heard someone laughing behind him and whirled around, but Salus and the others were all looking as expressionless as possible.

“Wh-What’s with you guys?” he asked, but no one responded. It was honestly kind of terrifying staring at their stony faces.

Ignoring Oscar completely, Cloris walked over to Miledi, who had her back turned to Oscar, and said, “Mi-chan.”

“Wh-What is it, Clo-chan?”

“I know you were only humoring that perverted four-eyes out of the goodness of your heart.”

“Wh-What?”

“But you don’t need that maid uniform anymore, right? Shouldn’t you return it?”

“Y-Yeah. You’re right! But, well, I guess when all’s said and done, O-kun’s helped me out a lot! You can just think of it as me paying him back for all that! But sorry, O-kun! Now that I’m back to normal, you won’t get any more special treats from me!”

Miledi let out a forced laugh and took all the maid uniforms she’d worn out of her Treasure Trove. Then, with a bit of a struggle, she managed to turn around and walk over to Oscar.

“You’re such a bad boy, O-kun! Taking advantage of me while I’m weak is downright cruel!”

She held out the pile of maid outfits in front of him. The entire time, she refused to meet Oscar’s eyes.

He looked like he wanted to argue back, but he swallowed whatever he was going to say and reached for the clothes. His fingers brushed against Miledi’s, and she yelped.

“Hyaaah!”

She threw her hands up in the air as she did, sending the maid uniforms flying everywhere. She nursed the part of her hand Oscar had touched as if he’d burned her, a huge blush spreading across her face.

“M-Miledi?”

“I-It’s nothing! Really!”

Miledi backed away, panicking.

This really isn’t like her... Oscar thought. It looks like she’s...

“It’s all good, Miledi-chan. You just haven’t fully recovered, right?”

“Hweh? Oh, y-yeah! That’s exactly right, Meiru-nee!”

Miledi ran over to Meiru and hid behind her. Lyutillis patted Miledi’s head, grinning to herself.

“We’re going to take Miledi-chan to her room so she can rest. You boys take care of the rest, okay?” Meiru said cheerily.

“I’ll be praying for your survival, O-chan-san!” Lyutillis added.

“Th-Thanks.”

Meiru and Lyutillis walked out, shepherding Miledi with them.

The moment they were disappeared, everyone stared at Oscar with murder in their eyes.

“Hey, Oscar,” Salus said in a threatening voice.

“You better prepare yourself, you perverted four-eyes,” Cloris added, her words dripping with malice.

Oscar tried to secure a path of retreat, but the other Liberators boxed him in. He reached into his pocket to pull out a Dark Key, but Cloris grabbed his wrist before he could. She was blisteringly fast.

Before he knew it, Oscar was surrounded. Even through the communication jewels, he could hear people shouting things like, “I’ll kill you, Oscar, you fucking bastard!” and “Why does Miledi only sound like that when talking to you, fucker?!” and “Get to the bridge! We need to make him pay!” and “Crush that four-eyed eyesore!”

The distant thudding of footsteps told Oscar that they really were coming for him.

“L-Laus, please use your spirit magic to—” Oscar turned to ask for help, but Laus was already gone. He looked back toward the door and saw Laus carrying a depressed Reinheit out of the room, with Sharm following hot on his heels.

“Hey, wait a—”

Laus glanced back, gave Oscar a small smirk, and shut the door on him.

A few seconds later, the bridge shut off their speakers, but Oscar’s screams could still be heard throughout the ship.

A few days of uneventful rest passed, during which Laus did a full check on Leonard and the others’ souls, and more branch members made their way to headquarters. While everyone was preparing for the final battle, Miledi, Oscar, Lyutillis, Laus, and Sharm made their way to the part of the Reisen Gorge that connected to the Pale Forest.

“Are you okay, Oscar-san?” Sharm—who was currently being carried by Laus—asked.

“H-Ha ha... Yeah, I’m fine, Sharm-kun. Thanks for worrying about me. You’re a good kid,” Oscar replied as he stepped over a gnarled root and ruffled Sharm’s hair. The young boy’s concern really did make him feel better.

Sharm looked a little embarrassed about having his hair ruffled, but he also seemed to like it. Oscar had plenty of experience taking care of his younger siblings, and while Sharm did have older brothers, they’d never done anything brotherly for him.

Laus smiled as he watched the two of them talk. Lyutillis didn’t seem to find it nearly as wholesome, however.

“This is horrible, Miledi-tan. He’s stealing Sharm away from you!” she exclaimed.

“How dare you, O-kun?! Don’t think you can steal Sharm-kun away from me that easily! Sharm-kun, watch out for this brocon four-eyes! He does this to every younger kid he meets!”

“Who are you calling a brocon? And stop adding four-eyes to the end of every insult you come up with!”

Miledi had returned to her usual self over the past few days. She was back to teasing Oscar like usual. It was almost as though nothing had changed between them.

Lyutillis found the lack of development between them frustrating and kept trying to poke at them about their relationship, but—“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Ruth and the others. I’m looking forward to this. Oh, this is the right way, right, Lyu-chan?”

“Huh? Oh, yes it is.”

Every single time she tried, Miledi steered the conversation away to a different topic.

“Lau-chan, please cure Dylan and the others!”

“I’ll try my best. But please stop calling me Lau-chan.”

“Not happening. It’s such a cute nickname, so it’d be a waste not to use it!” Miledi rubbed Laus’s bald head as she said that. She’d fully returned to being as annoying as she had before the battle with the apostle.

Sharm chuckled as he watched his dad yell at her. Though it looked like she was always making Laus mad, Sharm could tell they were getting closer.

But Miledi-tan still hasn’t confronted O-chan-san about her feelings... Lyutillis thought to herself as she watched them joke around. She wanted to give the young couple a push, but her beloved Meiru-onee-sama had explicitly ordered her not to interfere. Plus, as far as she could tell, it didn’t seem like Oscar was in any hurry to broach the subject either. In fact, it looked like he was perfectly content to just watch over Miledi. However, while he’d had a few days to sort out his own feelings and calm down as well, Lyutillis could tell there was something new about the way he looked at Miledi.

“Lead the way, Lyu,” he said, snapping her out of her musings.

“Oh, yes, of course.”

With a wave of her rod, the trees parted, creating a path.

Oscar and the others were currently on their way to Sainttown. The same place where Dylan, Katy, and the other victims of the church’s schemes, as well as the demons who’d suffered inhuman experimentations at the hands of the god controlling Rasul, were staying to recuperate.

Naiz and Vandre weren’t coming along because they were in Igdol transporting the demons that’d be fighting with Rasul to the Liberators’ headquarters. Meiru had gone to help them as well. There was nothing more she could do for Dylan and the others, and her restoration magic dramatically increased the amount of distance Naiz could cover before running out of mana. The reason Sharm was tagging along was because he’d be staying at Sainttown until the battle with the church was over.

Eventually, the party reached an opening in the trees. The clearing still had a lot of plant life, but unlike the depths of the Pale Forest, there was no fog here and sunlight was plentiful.

“Hm, we’re surrounded,” Laus said calmly.

“Don’t worry, they’re just Van’s familiars. They’re here to guard the village.”

A pack of wolves appeared from the undergrowth, surrounding the party. They looked wary of Laus, Sharm, and Lyutillis, but they made no move to attack, since Oscar and Miledi were present.

Miledi waved and said, “It’s okay!” to one of them, and it nodded its head and led the pack away.

Up ahead, the party could see Sainttown, which was surrounded by a tall metal fence. The guard on duty waved to them when he saw them, and Corrin ran out of the gate.

“Onii-chan!” she shouted, smiling at Oscar.

Sharm stiffened the moment he laid eyes on her.

“Sh-She’s beautiful...”

“Sharm?!” Laus shouted, looking down at his son. Sharm looked just like Reinheit had when he’d been smitten with Miledi.

Oscar and the others watched in disbelief as Sharm hopped out of Laus’s arms and bowed to Corrin.

“G-Greetings! My name is Sharm Barn. M-May I please hear your name, my lady?”

“L-Lady? Umm, I’m Corrin. Nice to meet you!” Corrin smiled at Sharm as she said that, and he staggered backward upon seeing that, holding his chest like he’d been shot.

In a quiet voice, he muttered, “Reinheit, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I understand what love is like now.”

“H-Hey, Sharm—”

“Corrin-san, you have such a lovely name! Would you—?”

“Ah, Miledi-onee-san! Are you...back to normal?”

Laus was interrupted by Sharm, who was in turn interrupted by Corrin, who had eyes only for Miledi at the moment.

“O-Oh, yeah! I’m all healed up! Sorry for worrying you, Corrin-chan.”

“Miledi-onee-san!” Corrin exclaimed, hugging Miledi with all her might. Sharm glared enviously at Miledi, while Laus massaged his forehead. Miledi just smiled awkwardly. Even she didn’t have the heart to tease a young boy in love.

“Corrin, let me introduce you. That’s Laus Barn, the guy who healed me, and who might be able to heal Dylan and the others.”

Corrin gasped in surprise, and she pulled away from Miledi to look at Laus.

“It’s nice to meet you, Corrin. I brought my son here to stay with you for a little while, but the main reason I’m here is to heal your friends,” Laus said in a kind voice.

“Oh, okay. Please take good care of them,” she replied, bowing politely. Her manners were impeccable.

“Sorry, Laus, but I can’t give your son my sister,” Oscar said warily.

“I didn’t say anything,” Laus responded evenly.

However, upon hearing that, Sharm whined, “Aww, come on, aren’t we friends, Nii-san?”

Corrin looked confused by the exchange, but Lyutillis was excited to see more young love bloom.

“You’re so popular, Corrin-chan! I can’t believe you’re receiving proposals already!”

“Hweh?! That was a proposal?!”

Corrin had simply thought Sharm was a strange kid, but now that she knew the reason behind his actions, she was suddenly all flustered.

Sharm looked into her eyes and said, “Corrin-san, I—”

“U-Umm, I’m sorry, but my type is guys like Onii-chan!” Corrin replied hurriedly, coming up with an excuse to forestall his confession. Her face was beet-red. It was honestly adorable. Sharm crumbled, as his one chance slipped away before his eyes.

“Oscar-san, why must you always get in my way?” he said, pouting.

“Calm down, Sharm-kun, I didn’t—”

“Why?! You already have Miledi-san, don’t you?!”

“Hweh?!” Corrin and Miledi exclaimed in unison. Corrin looked from Miledi to Oscar and back.

“N-No, we’re not like that! Not at all!” Miledi said, shaking her hands and her head faster than she ever had before.

Corrin stared at her for a few seconds, then smiled gently at her and said, “It’s okay. I understand, Miledi-onee-san.”

“What do you understand?!”

“I knew you’d be able to tell, Corrin-chan. No wonder everyone calls you a saint!”

“What can she tell?!” Miledi screamed, her face red as a tomato. Just then, more people came running up to the group.

“Oscar!”

“Naiz-sama! Wait...where’s Naiz-sama?”

“Sue-nee, Naiz-sama isn’t here. There’s no point looking for him. Come on, pull yourself together!”

Ruth, Susha, and Yunfa all filed out of the gate, followed a few seconds later by Moorin. They all crowded around Miledi, congratulating her on her recovery, while Sharm calmed down enough to stay quiet.

Laus quickly cast Soul’s Repose on him, and Sharm visibly relaxed. He sighed as he watched his son return to his senses, then placed a hand on Oscar’s shoulder.

“We’re about to head to the final battle. You better have a good talk with her before then.”

“Yeah, I know,” Oscar replied, a wry smile on his face. He then walked over to Ruth to tell him what was going on.

A few minutes later, Oscar led Laus to the large hospital that held all the patients. Laus stood in front of Dylan and Katie, who were sitting on their beds, and looked them over with shining eyes.

Corrin clung to Oscar’s arm, Ruth clenched his fists, and Susha and Yunfa both placed their hands over their chests, as if praying. Miledi, Lyutillis, Sharm, and Moorin all watched on with bated breath. As did all the other villagers, who were looking in from the windows.

The tense moment stretched on for what seemed like an eternity. But finally, Laus closed his eyes and muttered, “I see.”

He’d finished examining their souls.

“How does it look, Laus?”

“I’ll start with the good news. It’s possible to restore their souls to their normal state.”

Everyone started cheering, embracing each other, and crying tears of happiness. Seeing that the celebrations wouldn’t be dying down anytime soon, Laus raised his voice and shouted, “But there’s a problem!”

The cheers stopped instantly. Oscar’s expression grew grim and he asked, “What kind of problem?”

“It’ll take a lot of time.”

According to Laus, Dylan and the others’ souls had been fused with the souls of ancient warriors. It was possible to split them apart again, and doing so would return the kids to normal. But this would be the most difficult application of spirit magic Laus would have ever attempted. It would be like trying to separate milk tea into milk and tea. He would have to take his time and proceed with caution.

“How long are we talking here?”

“At least a month per person.”

There was no way he’d be able to finish before Miledi ordered the attack on the church. Oscar had been hoping to heal his younger siblings in case the worst happened to them, but it seemed that wouldn’t be possible.

“Even with my help?” Lyutillis asked. Her evolution magic was part of the reason why she’d tagged along.

“That estimate is assuming you’re helping.”

In this world, there was nothing more complex and delicate than a person’s soul.

“There’s one other problem. I’d have to keep treating them indefinitely.”

“Lau-chan, by indefinitely...do you mean even after you heal them?”

“Yes, even after I manage to separate the souls, it’ll be dangerous to try extracting the implanted one. The fusion is too complete. If I don’t regularly come back to treat them, their souls will start to mix again.”

In other words, they’d need Laus’s treatment for the rest of their lives. Some people looked despondent, while others seemed glad treatment was possible at all.

“Well, that’s not a problem,” Ruth said, looking utterly relieved. He then looked up at Oscar with absolute faith in his eyes and continued, “Isn’t that right?”

“Oh yeah, you’re right, Ruth-kun! O-kun just needs to make an artifact that can do that!” Miledi said in Oscar’s stead. She puffed her chest out proudly, as if she were responsible for Oscar’s prodigal skill. Everyone turned to look at Oscar while Miledi grinned and added, “‘As long as they’re alive, I’ll find a way to save them! Just you watch! Saving them would mean nothing if you die!’ O-kun said that to me way back when, and he’s never ever broken a promise, so he’ll definitely be able to do it. Isn’t that right?”

Oscar had indeed said that to Miledi when forced to choose between saving Miledi or securing Ehit’s Eyes. But the way Miledi looked at Oscar with such a gentle, trusting gaze as she repeated his words gave them an entirely new meaning to those present. To the others, she looked like a maiden in love.

“Wait, you really said that, Oscar?” Ruth asked in surprise.

“U-Umm, Corrin, does that mean those two are actually...” Yunfa whispered excitedly, trailing off.

“C-Calm down, Yun-chan. I don’t know for sure, but...Onii-chan and Miledi-onee-san have always been close, so probably?”

“The love they fostered is finally beginning to bloom? Hee hee, you’re so cute, Miledi-san... I hope Naiz-sama and I can be like that soon...”

Corrin had seen this coming ages ago, but she was still a little sad that her beloved older brother would belong to someone else soon. At the same time, however, she was happy for him. Meanwhile, Susha was thinking up another sinister plot to make Naiz hers. The men outside were all glaring daggers at Oscar, while half of the women were pleasantly surprised and the other half were glad that Miledi and Oscar were finally getting together.

However, what embarrassed Oscar the most was Moorin saying, “I know I can entrust you to Miledi, at least.”

Meanwhile, Sharm honed in on the fact that Corrin was just a little disappointed about Oscar getting with Miledi, and glared angrily at him. Everyone seemed to have forgotten the original reason why they’d come here.

“H-Huh? Why’s everyone looking at me like that?” Miledi asked in confusion.

“It’s because you’re just so adorable, Miledi-tan!” Lyutillis replied.

“What?!” Miledi exclaimed. She wanted to keep feigning confusion, but unfortunately, Lyutillis’s answer had enlightened her. She blushed, trembling with embarrassment.

“Miledi...” Oscar said, trailing off.

“Yesh?!”

“...is absolutely correct. With Laus and Lyutillis’s help, I can definitely make an artifact that will help separate their souls and keep them apart for good.”

Realizing he hadn’t actually been talking to her, Miledi awkwardly cleared her throat with a cough. But everyone had noticed her immediate reaction, and they could tell she wasn’t able to hide her feelings in the slightest. They all wanted to point out how Miledi was so flustered she was forgetting to be annoying, but for the moment, they waited to see what Oscar would say next. Some with murder in their eyes.

He adjusted his glasses and said calmly, “Laus, Lyu. Can you do some simple mental care for the patients here? Afterward, I’ll meet up with you and we can get to work on that artifact.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“We’d be happy to.”

“Mom, it looks like we’ll be staying here for a few days. Think you could let us stay with you?”

“Of course... I’ll be counting on you to heal Dylan and Katie.”

Oscar nodded reassuringly to her, then started giving out orders to everyone else. They got to work immediately, renewed hope speeding their steps.

“I-I guess I’ll go help out too!” Miledi said, trying to sneak out of the room. However, Oscar wouldn’t let her.

“Miledi,” he said, making her jump. “There’s something I need to tell you. Come to the hill outside the village at sunset.”

Everyone stopped upon hearing that, not just Miledi. Corrin and Yunfa clasped hands, blushing, while Susha gave them an appraising look, as if she wanted to use their romance as inspiration for her next novel.

Her heart was racing, but Miledi tried her best to sound calm as she replied, “Th-There is? What is it? You can just tell me now, you know?”

“No, I’d rather we were alone,” Oscar replied bluntly.

“A-Alone?!” Miledi sputtered, looking everywhere but at Oscar.

“Wh-Why?” she asked, sounding positively terrified.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“N-No.”

“I see. In that case, Miledi...”

“Wh-What? I’m pretty busy, you know? I can’t just—”

“Do you want me to drag you there, or will you walk there on your own two legs? You decide.”

“...Okay, I’ll walk.”

“Good, see you later.”

With that, Oscar walked out with Laus and Lyutillis.

Miledi watched him go, her mind still trying to process what had just happened. She didn’t even notice Corrin and Yunfa squealing to each other, or Susha and the other girls’ teasing.

All too soon, evening came.

Miledi arrived at the appointed spot at the appointed time, her steps jerky and awkward. She looked up and saw Oscar at the top of the hill, his arms folded as he gazed at the sunset from under the shade of a tree. He heard her approach and turned to look at her. That alone was enough to get Miledi’s heart racing.

This isn’t like me. I’m making such a fool out of myself... Honestly, Miledi was more than a little scared. God, what kind of leader chokes at the most important moment? Is he disappointed in me? Is he fed up with me?

She knew that couldn’t possibly be the case, but that didn’t help alleviate her fears. After all, when she’d been in that state where she’d been acting on instinct, she’d grown aware of her own feelings. Of course, she’d had a vague idea for quite some time, but she’d only read about romance in books, so she hadn’t fully understood her own heart.

She knew she couldn’t run from this confrontation any longer. She was the Liberators’ leader. She couldn’t be acting like a besotted little girl. Scolding herself, she forcibly made herself act like her usual, annoying self.

“Sorry for the wait, O-kun.”

“Hey, Miledi.”

She walked up and leaned back against the tree trunk, next to Oscar, then idly kicked at a pebble next to her feet and said, “Well, I know why you called me out here. Sorry for causing you so much trouble. But don’t worry, I’m fine—”

“Miledi,” Oscar said in a quiet voice, interrupting her cowardly attempt to deflect away from the issue at hand. He then put his hand over hers, and she jumped. She’d tried her best to remain calm, but her emotions were overflowing. Reflexively, she tried to pull away, but Oscar’s grip was too strong.

“O-O-kun? Hey—”

“I felt happy.”

Miledi turned to Oscar in surprise and gasped upon seeing the warmth in his eyes.

“When you were in your weakened state, I was the first person you turned to. You might think less of me for this, but that really made me happy.”

Oscar flashed her an embarrassed smile, but Miledi just kept on staring. She had no idea what to say, so she waited for him to continue.

“Honestly, it took a lot of self-control not to make a move on you. You were just so cute.”

“Awawa...”

“I’ll never admit it to anyone else, but it pissed me off when the Demon Lord and the hero both proposed to you.”

Oscar was laying his feelings bare before Miledi. He was telling her everything, as if to make up for the fact that she’d inadvertently shown him how she truly felt. It was a little embarrassing, but it also made her happy. So happy that her resolve almost wavered, even. But—

Is this really the time for romance? a voice whispered in the back of her head. It was at once both the cold, emotionless voice of her younger self, back when she’d been part of the Reisen family, and the determined voice of Miledi Reisen, the leader of the Liberators.

Miledi closed her eyes, clamping down on her emotions. She felt bad about leading Oscar on, but since he’d divulged everything to her, she resolved to be honest with him.

“O-kun. You know—?”

“I know what you’re struggling to say.”

“Huh?”

She’d wanted to stop Oscar before he actually confessed, but he interrupted her almost immediately.

“How much time do you think we’ve spent together?”

“Umm...”

“Until we change the world, you need to be the Liberators’ leader. And I’m Oscar Orcus, the Liberator.”

“Ah...”

Oscar wasn’t rejecting Miledi. The opposite, in fact. He was accepting her in her entirety.

“If there’s any path our lives can take other than being fellow Liberators, it’s one we can only choose after fulfilling the promise we made.”

Let’s change the world, together.

It was only after that goal was accomplished that Miledi would ever allow herself to be a regular girl, which was why neither of them would give voice to the feelings lying deep within their hearts just yet. Because they believed they’d still be able to after they’d made their dreams come true.

“You agree, don’t you?”

Miledi was almost ashamed of how relieved she felt. It was as if Oscar had given her the perfect box to lock her feelings away in for the moment. In response, she let out a long breath, let go of Oscar’s hand, and took a few steps forward before twirling around to face him.

“O-kun, even if we stop being Liberators, I’m still gonna work you to the bone, so you better prepare yourself!” she said, a beaming smile on her face all the while. He returned a gentle smile and walked forward to stand next to her under the light of the setting sun.

They didn’t lean against each other, but instead stared straight ahead at the future they aimed to create.

A few days later, Oscar and the others prepared to leave Sainttown.

“All right, I’m heading out. See you later, Ruth, Corrin, and you two too, Susha and Yunfa. Take care of Dylan and Katie for me,” Oscar said.

“We will. Don’t worry about us, bro,” Ruth replied.

“See you later, Onii-chan,” Corrin said.

“Your family’s in good hands, Oscar-san.”

“Yep. I bet they’ll be back to normal by the time you come back!”

Ruth and Yunfa looked sad to see Oscar and the others go, while Susha put on a strong front to say she’d take care of everyone in their absence. Corrin just gave him a worried look.

Ruth and Yunfa both possessed talents that could’ve been useful on the front lines, but they both knew the battle Oscar and the others were about to fight was more than they could handle. They realized they’d just get in everyone’s way. Hence why they didn’t ask to tag along. They already knew they couldn’t. All they could do for Oscar now was protect Dylan and the others, who were all sleeping because of the effects of the artifacts he’d made.

However, while Laus would have been able to complete the treatment in one month, these artifacts that only needed mana to operate would take half a year to heal the damage to the kids’ souls. Ruth and the others would need to look after them in the meantime. That way, Oscar and the others could focus on the challenges in front of them without worrying about what was happening back home.

Oscar knew how Ruth and the others felt, so he nodded confidently to them.

Moorin gazed at him with pride in her eyes and said, “You’ve grown up into such a fine young man, Oscar... Please come back safely.”

She then turned to Miledi and bowed to her, her white hair falling over her face, and continued, “Please take care of Oscar, Miledi-san.”

“Umm, okay...” Miledi replied bashfully, too embarrassed to ask Moorin what exactly she meant.

A few of the guys in the village were still upset that Oscar had stolen Miledi’s heart, but most of them had come to terms with it and were happily sending Oscar and Miledi off. As much as they hated to admit it, Miledi looked brighter than ever, and it was clear to all that the reason for that was Oscar.

“It’s cute how you’re so bashful even now that you’re all grown up, Miledi-tan!”

“Shut up, Lyu-chan!”

“That earring really suits you, though,” Lyutillis said, touching the earring Miledi wore on one ear.

“Err...thanks?”

It was a small earring, but it was exquisitely crafted, with a pure sky-blue jewel inset at the center.

Miledi’s birthday had come and gone during the Haltina Republic’s war with the church. And afterward, she’d been in that semi-stupor, so no one had brought it up, but the night before they’d left for Sainttown, Salus had forcibly made her attend a birthday party in her honor.

Meiru and the others had been shocked and disappointed that they’d never actually tried to learn Miledi’s birthday, so they’d hurriedly tried to get presents ready for her in time for the party. Oscar, however, had instead opted to wait and make sure his present was perfect, which was why he’d gifted hers to Miledi while they were in Sainttown.

In Tortus, you were considered an adult when you turned fifteen, so this was the year that Miledi joined the ranks of the grown-ups. Hence why Moorin’s earlier comment had brought thoughts of marriage to Miledi’s mind. Luckily, while such comments were still embarrassing, she wasn’t as shaken by them as she used to be. She’d sorted out her feelings during her conversation with Oscar yesterday, and she knew where they stood.

“Good luck, father. Tell Reinheit I wish him luck as well,” Sharm said to Laus.

“Of course. Take care of the villagers while we’re gone, Sharm,” Laus replied as he gently patted Sharm’s head.

This isn’t farewell. I’ll come back to you, no matter what it takes.

“All right, everyone, let’s go!” Miledi declared with a playful grin. She then turned on her heel and walked off, Oscar and the others following close behind her. They could hear the words of encouragement the villagers shouted echo out behind them, and the shouting didn’t stop even after they were out of sight.

Miledi used her gravity magic to fly everyone over the forest. She had perfect control over her magic now and could send everyone at a blistering five hundred kilometers per hour while also keeping air resistance down to almost zero. Even after two hours of flying four people, she didn’t look the least bit tired. Her speed and endurance had more than doubled, so it didn’t look like she’d be running out of mana anytime soon.

Miledi could fly faster than any other living creature, and maneuver as freely as if she were standing on solid ground. No one could cover as much ground as her in a single day.

“Don’t you need to rest?” Laus asked.

“Hm? If you’re getting tired, I can let you down for a bit,” Miledi replied, casually flipping herself around midair. She didn’t look the least bit exhausted.

“I thought this when we were coming here too, but you’re really on another level,” Laus muttered.

“And to think, this is without the help of my evolution magic,” Lyutillis said in wonder.

During the war, Miledi had only been able to reach this level of skill with Lyutillis’s help, but now things were different. According to Miledi, she’d understood the true nature of her ancient magic, and that was what had given her such a huge power-up. Supposedly, the true nature of gravity magic was the ability to interact with the energy contained within the planet itself. A normal human could only manage to affect the planet’s gravity, or its rotational forces, but theoretically gravity magic was also capable of moving the planet’s tectonic plates and messing with geothermal and magnetic forces to alter the climate.

Ancient magic was magic capable of altering the fundamental laws of the universe. In Miledi’s case, that meant she could absorb mana from Tortus itself in addition to her newfound gravity manipulation skills. Of course, there was a limit to how much her body and soul could withstand, but she could otherwise absorb an infinite amount.

“Everyone’s gathered at headquarters, Lau-chan’s back to full strength, and we finally have a way to cure Dylan-kun and the others. There’s nothing left to worry about! From now on, we focus entirely on training! You guys can’t keep eating my dust forever! Unless you just like the taste of dust that much, anyway!”

Back to her usual annoying self, Miledi stuck her tongue out at Oscar and the others. Glad that she was back in top form, Oscar smiled ruefully.

“Yeah, we need to at least get strong enough to take on an apostle by ourselves.”

“Who knows how many of them there are.”

“Plus, those Paladins might be stronger than we realized.”

Their enemies were formidable, but that was just the way the Liberators liked it.

“We’re going to smash that pillar on the Divine Mountain and sever Ehit’s connection to this world. Oh, and if he comes down to stop us, we’ll smash him too! Don’t worry, guys, we can do this!” Miledi exclaimed, circling around Oscar and the others all the while.

Emboldened by her certainty, the other Liberators gave her fearless smiles.

“Might as well get a head start on our training,” Oscar replied casually. The ancient magic users’ job was to make sure they could easily take down apostles. Otherwise, they’d never be able to conquer the Divine Mountain. Salus was taking care of the logistics, so the ancient magic users only needed to think about how to understand the true nature of their own magic.

Miledi took the group deep within the Pale Forest, where they were hidden from the rest of the world, and far enough away that they wouldn’t accidentally hurt someone with their training. Vandre, Meiru, and Naiz were set to arrive as soon as they were done transporting the Demon Lord’s army to headquarters.

“It’s kind of exciting being this deep in the forest with my friends. It’s like a sleepover!” Lyutillis exclaimed.

“But you’re the queen of the forest. Shouldn’t this be normal for you?” Laus asked.

“Laus, don’t question it. Until we came along, the only friends Lyu had were cockroaches and poisonous butterflies,” Oscar replied.

Laus turned to Oscar in surprise. He then gave Lyutillis a look of pity before realizing that his situation wasn’t much different.

The only person I ever really called a friend was Mulm, and he must be absolutely pissed right now. In fact, he probably wants to kill me more than anyone else. He’s pretty devout, after all.

“Lyu. I’m glad you managed to find true friends,” Laus said sympathetically.

“Hm? Yes, of course!”

Just then, Miledi floated over, standing upside-down.

“It’s okay, Lau-chan, we’re your friends too!”

“Don’t give me that pitying look!”

Everyone laughed at that, then joked about how quickly they’d all master their magic. Unfortunately, their high spirits didn’t last long once the grueling training began.

Ten days had passed since Miledi and the others had entered the deep forest. Naiz, Vandre, and Meiru had finished transporting Rasul’s followers and were being led to the training grounds by Uroboros. Meiru walked excitedly through the forest, eager to see Miledi once more.

“Don’t tease them too much. The last thing you want is to mess up their relationship before the final battle,” Vandre said with an annoyed look on his face.

“No can do! I can’t believe Oscar-kun called Miledi-chan out for a romantic hilltop conversation! As her sort of older sister, I have to ask her all about what happened!”

Vandre, Meiru, and Naiz had stopped by Sainttown on their way over. They’d been camping out in the wild the whole time, and they realized Sainttown was only a short detour from their intended route through the Pale Forest, so they’d stopped by in the hopes of catching Miledi and the others. Unfortunately, Miledi’s party had already left by then, but they’d still managed to hear a few interesting stories.

“Looks to me like you’re just doing this to satisfy your own curiosity.”

“Maybe you need glasses, because I’m clearly doing this out of love for my beloved Miledi-chan.”

Vandre turned to Naiz, looking for backup. However, Naiz didn’t even seem to be paying attention to the conversation.

“Oh, don’t waste your time, Van-kun. Naiz-kun’s still out of it because Susha-chan managed to make him hers.”

“She did not!” Naiz exclaimed, his face beet-red. It seemed he’d snapped out of whatever stupor he’d been in.

“Oh? But she tied you down and stole your first kiss, didn’t she?”

“Don’t say that!”

“I guess in that sense, she definitely ‘made him hers’...”

“Van, please stop. I don’t want to remember it.”

The worst part was that Corrin had been the one who’d distracted him so Susha could tie him up. And Ruth had made the chains for her. Vandre’s familiars had been the ones to tackle him, and when he was on the ground, the sisters had pinned him down and kissed him.

He’d been hunted down and claimed like a prize. Naiz still remembered the guilty looks on Corrin and Ruth’s faces as they saw him tied up and taken home for the slaughter. But one glance from Susha had sent them running. It was clear to him that they’d been threatened into helping with this plan.

Susha and Yunfa had talked about how they wanted to settle things before the final battle, and that they’d been influenced by Miledi and Oscar’s relationship, and that they’d missed him so much while he’d been gone, and that they were worried about him, and they gave all sorts of other reasons for why they’d done what they’d done.

Thankfully, Naiz had managed to escape after one kiss, so technically they hadn’t managed to fully devour him.

“Oh, did you really hate it that much?” Meiru said in a teasing voice.

“...” Naiz remained silent and awkwardly averted his gaze.

Even if it had been against his will, he felt guilty that he, a fully grown man who was almost thirty, had kissed two girls aged twelve and eight. He wanted to hate himself for it, but he couldn’t.

“Naiz-sama. Isn’t it all right to use the Gruen name again?”

After the kiss, Susha had offered a dozen apologies, professed her love for him a thousand times, prayed for his safe return, and then at the end of it all, in an almost reprimanding tone, she’d said that.

“Are you still not proud of yourself?”

Long ago, Naiz had destroyed his home, Gruen Village, and everyone living in it. The guilt he felt over that disaster hadn’t lessened at all since joining the Liberators. Naiz was certain he’d carry it with him until the day he died. But at the same time, he’d told Miledi and Oscar that he’d like to reclaim the Gruen name someday.

He truly wished to call himself by his true name, Naiz Gruen, eventually. They’d dragged him outside of hiding, and given him the determination to face forward once more. And not just them, Susha and Yunfa had also been instrumental in rekindling his will to live.

“At the very least, we’re proud of you. You’re fighting to build a better future for all of us,” Susha had said as she’d taken his hand and looked into his eyes. “You’re a true warrior of the desert, Naiz-sama.”

Her unwavering gaze had pierced through his heart, warming him from the inside out. He still didn’t feel like he’d become the kind of warrior his dad had been. But at the very least, he felt like he could hold his head high in front of these two girls.

“Naiz-kuuun. Are you spacing out again?” Meiru asked, snapping him out of his reverie.

“You should just give up, Naiz. You can’t beat those sisters.”

“Ngh...”

The saddest part was, Naiz couldn’t even refute Vandre. He hastened his steps, trying to get away from Meiru and Vandre’s snickering. Uroboros hopped up onto his shoulder, and he reflexively flinched. Naiz was used to Uroboros’s appearance by now, but he still recoiled on instinct when he was caught by surprise.

Uroboros seemed to be telling him that they’d arrived at the training grounds. Surprised by how quiet it was, Naiz pushed aside a few branches and walked into the clearing.

“What happened?!” he exclaimed. Oscar, Laus, and Lyutillis were lying on the ground, twitching weakly.

Spotting Naiz and the others, Miledi grinned and said, “You’re finally here, Meru-nee! Now we can finally begin training in earnest!”

“What?!” Naiz, Meiru, and Vandre shouted in unison. Even Laus looked half-dead.

What kind of training is Miledi putting them through? Naiz thought, taking a few steps back.

Still grinning, Miledi sidled over to them and continued, “Now I can work them to death in spirit AND body!”

Judging by the state Oscar and the others were in, she probably meant that rather literally. Oscar and Lyutillis’s souls were leaking out of their bodies, and a spirit Laus was trying to wake them up before it was too late.

For whatever reason, Miledi seemed to be trying to actually kill her friends.

“Aren’t you glad, O-kun, Lau-chan, Lyu-chan?! Now you can die without worry!”

Oscar and the others woke up just in time to hear that, making despair color their faces. Even the ultimate masochist, Lyutillis, was reaching out to Meiru for salvation. She looked like a zombie. Oscar, on the other hand, appeared to be having second thoughts about falling in love with Miledi.

“All right, guys, I hope you’re ready to join O-kun and friends!” Miledi said to the newcomers, countless black spheres appearing around her all the while.

“M-Miledi-chan, please calm down. C-Can’t we talk this through?” Meiru replied in a timid voice.

“Sh-She’s a demon,” the brother of the Demon Lord muttered, terrified.

Naiz, however, simply gave up without a fight.

Unsurprisingly, no one managed to escape from Demon Lord Miledi. Three new voices joined the chorus of the damned deep within the Pale Forest.

Everyone was forced to keep using their ancient magic under the effects of Laus’s forced Limit Break, as well as Lyutillis’s evolution magic. On top of that, Miledi kept pouring massive amounts of mana into them, so they were able to train nonstop. Once they reached their physical and mental limits, Miledi used Oscar’s artifact to heal Laus and Meiru just enough that they could heal everyone else, and then she started the process all over again.

It was a fate worse than death, but it was only by pushing themselves to the absolute limits like this that Oscar and the others could awaken to their true power. After half a month of this hellish training, someone showed up at their training grounds.

“Huh? Parsha?”

“It has been a long time, Your Highness.”

Miledi had requested they not be bothered during their training, so Parsha must have had a good reason for coming, especially since she hadn’t used Uroboros or one of Vandre’s familiars to deliver her message. It was clearly urgent as well, since she didn’t comment on Lyutillis’s disheveled clothes or the fact that all the vegetation for hundreds of meters in every direction had been burned to a crisp.

Concerned, Miledi and the others gathered around Parsha.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Please take a look at this, Miledi-dono. These fliers are being distributed throughout every city in every nation.”

Parsha held a piece of paper out to Miledi. She took it and everyone stared down at it. Written in big, bold letters were the words: “The church hereby declares that it shall execute these heretics who belong to the rebel group known as the Liberators.”

The date of the execution was a month from now, and the flier held pictures of the leaders of the supposed heretics. Officially, they’d been captured as war criminals, and it looked like they’d been tortured a fair amount.

“What...? How...?” Miledi mumbled, her face twisting in anguish. Oscar’s eyes widened in surprise as he took in the sight. The pictures were of Karg, Rigan, and Baharl. The list of names included the members of the Orcus Workshop, most of the Esperado branch members, and many of Andika’s citizens.

“Oscar-dono. I have a message from Salus-dono as well. He wants you to activate your Skynet.”

Skynet was an artifact that allowed people to transfer audio and visual messages over long distances. Thanks to the spirit and spatial magic contained within it, its range was massive, and its messages couldn’t be intercepted. It was one of the prototype artifacts Oscar had created during his training. He’d sent all the useful things he’d made back to headquarters.

Still dazed, Naiz pulled a thirty-centimeter-long rectangular crystal out of his Treasure Trove. He then poured some mana into it, and Salus and Cloris appeared on his display.

“Good timing. How’s your training coming along?” Salus asked in a casual tone.

Annoyed by how calm he sounded, Miledi snatched the Skynet out of Naiz’s hands.

“Sal, what the hell is this?! It’s fake news meant to lure us out, right?!” she asked, half-praying that he’d say it was. But then a third person walked into the screen, dashing her hopes.

“I’m sorry, Miledi, but they raided the Esperado branch.”

“Shirley?!”

Shirley Nelson was covered with bandages and needed a cane to support herself, but it was unmistakably her.

“I’m the only one who managed to escape,” Shirley said in a sad voice, making Miledi slump in disbelief.

Laus grit his teeth in frustration.

That train attack probably gave them all the clues they needed...

Naiz and Vandre gave Shirley apologetic looks as well.

She shook her head, saying, “It’s no one’s fault.”

“We checked up on the Orcus Workshop—or, well, I guess it’s the Verand Workshop now. Anyway, it’s been closed down, and we couldn’t find any of its employees.”

“Hey, Salus. What about...the people from Andika?” Meiru asked fearfully. There were thousands of people living on that island of boats.

Of course, only a hundred or so names were on the list of people on the flier. The ship island that her pirates had used as their base of operations was now just one part of the new city of Andika. Most of the people living there were civilians. Meiru checked over the list again, but none of her pirate family’s names were on there.

What if they slaughtered everyone they didn’t capture? Meiru thought.

“They’re fine. Half of the ships were destroyed, and quite a few people got injured, but Baharl surrendered quickly enough that there weren’t any deaths.”

“Did they send you messenger birds?”

“Yep, right after the attack. Thank goodness we had some of Tim’s eagles stationed there just in case.”

“I see... That’s some good news at least. Chris and the others...are definitely still on their way. They have to be.”

“I sent a messenger to the dukedom’s northern coast, so they should have received the news the moment they landed. I imagine they’ll send a reply soon,” Cloris explained.

Unfortunately, Meiru couldn’t bring herself to be so optimistic.

“This declaration was made under the name of the church’s new oracle. They’re probably trying to put on a show of strength with this execution,” Salus said.

“It’s also a provocation against us, naturally,” Cloris added.

Oscar grit his teeth and said, “They already knew we were coming. This is their way of telling us not to take too long, or to try protracted guerrilla tactics. They’ve set the stage for us.”

“Yes.”

“Those fuckers,” Miledi spat, throwing the flier onto the ground. She took a deep breath and said, “We’ll head right over at on—”

“No, you can’t,” Shirley said, interrupting Miledi. She then stared at her with unwavering eyes and added, “The reason I escaped on my own was to deliver my father’s message.”

The attack on Hotel Lusheina had been sudden. A knight who was able to erode anything he got close to had led the charge. The Liberators had been forced underground almost immediately. Naiz had returned the Dark Key they’d given to Sui, but with how badly concealed the gate was, and how few supplies were waiting there, they had only been able to teleport out one person. That person had, of course, been Shirley.

“This is what Support Branch Chief Rigan had to say: ‘Don’t do anything rash. Spend every day leading up to the execution preparing as best as you can.’”

It was a warning for Miledi, as well as a declaration of his own resolve.

“Karg and Baharl left messages for you as well.”

Karg had known one of the Liberators would investigate his closed-down workshop, and had left a letter, while Baharl had left his message with one of the citizens who wasn’t being arrested.

“‘I won’t forgive you if you waver because of this, kid!’ was Karg’s message. ‘If you fuck this up and my daughters get hurt because of it, you’re dead!’ was Baharl’s.”

Neither of them had much time, so they’d kept their messages brief. Still, it was clear they were as determined as Rigan not to give in.

“Tch... Since when did I become your daughter, you stupid old man? Miledi-chan, we’re ignoring these messages, right?” Meiru said with a feral grin.

But despite her words, the look she gave Miledi made it clear she wasn’t thinking of doing anything rash.

“O-kun...” Miledi whispered, turning to Oscar. He adjusted his glasses, his fingers trembling with rage. But he, too, kept his cool.

“We have some time until the execution date,” he said in a level tone.

“If we rush in now, all our preparations will go to waste. You get that, right, Miledi?” Laus said in an admonishing voice.

“We have to bear with it for now,” Lyutillis added.

Miledi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them back up, she was the Liberators’ leader once more.

“We’ll continue as planned, then. Give us ten days and we’ll be done here. I guarantee it.”

“Roger. Unfortunately, I don’t think the Liberators on the western edge of the continent will make it in time. Should I have them stand by at whatever branch they’re closest to?”

“Please do. We’ll pick them up personally.”

“I’ll send messenger birds to tell everyone of the change in itinerary at once.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, O-kun will make sure everyone makes it on time!”

“Of course. He’s the linchpin of our operation. If he says he can’t do it, we’ll smash every pair of glasses he owns,” Cloris replied.

“Don’t worry, I’ll finish on time.”

Salus looked at Miledi like he would a respected military general. But then his eyes softened again, and he had the same parental smile he always wore.

“You guys better not let Miledi down,” he said, casting his gentle gaze over Oscar and the others.

Miledi looked over her comrades as well, her trust in them absolute. Their mana spiraled around them, six pillars of varied light burning brighter than ever before.



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