Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Zero - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

Chapter III: The Vampire Nation and Forgotten Magic

Miledi and the others set up camp for the night in the mountainous region in the north of the demon empire.

The land of vampires, the Dastia Kingdom, was in an almost perfectly diagonal straight line from the Dragon Kingdom. The Dragon Kingdom was roughly on the northeastern edge of the continent, while Dastia was on the southwestern tip.

It was a massive distance to cover, and honestly, Miledi would have preferred to travel in a straight line to make the trip shorter. However, they’d taken a detour due south to meet with some people.

As the party was sitting around the campfire, listening to the sounds of nature and drinking their after-dinner tea, Laus suddenly looked up. The people they’d been waiting for were almost there.

Five minutes later, two black-clad figures emerged from behind a mossy boulder.

“Are we late?”

Both figures looked to be in their early twenties, and they each had black hair. One had frizzy hair, while the other’s was slicked back. They both moved stealthily in the dark, but their porcelain white skin and crimson eyes made them stand out more than they otherwise would have.

“No, we just got here ourselves,” Oscar replied, transmuting two chairs out of a nearby boulder for the newcomers.

“I thought we’d manage to beat you guys here.”

“I can’t believe you covered the distance from the northern mountain range to here so quickly...”

As the two of them sat down, Naiz offered them the leftovers of the group’s dinner, but they shook their heads and politely refused.

They looked a little nervous, so Miledi gently asked, “Are you two doing okay?”

“I know it’s not my place to say, but don’t push yourselves too hard. Laus may have healed your souls, but the experiments you endured in the Demon Lord’s castle were far beyond what mere healing can fix,” Vandre added in an apologetic tone.

The two of them were the very same vampire chimeras that had been experimented on to serve as the mind-controlled Rasul’s anti-ancient magic shock troops. The man with swept-back hair was the blademaster, Morgan Curtis, while his frizzy-haired fellow was the close-ranged martial artist, Nevrai Fist.

When Miledi had told everyone that they’d be going to Dastia through the Skynets, the two of them had volunteered to leave the safety of Sainttown, where they’d been recuperating, and tag along. Dastia was their homeland, so it made sense for them to return, and Miledi was grateful to have natives coming along. However, due to the horrifying experiments they’d been subjected to, and the fact that their wills had been bound for so many years, they were still recuperating mentally.

“We appreciate the concern, but we’re fine. Besides, we must repay our debt to the Liberators,” Morgan said.

“Though being up and about is taking more of a toll than I thought,” Nevrai added with a slight smile.

“Still, it’s because of my metamorphosis magic that you two are...you know...”

Vandre was, of course, referring to their current forms, which he thought might make it difficult for them to return home.

“What Vandre wants to ask is if you’ll be welcome back home now that your bodies have been fused with demons and monsters to absorb their unique traits,” Laus said, cutting to the chase.

“We have heard that Dastia is an insular country that places a great deal of importance on lineage,” Lyutillis added, somewhat more diplomatically.

Indeed, back when all of the test subjects had been freed, Miledi had offered to take the two of them back home to Dastia, and they’d told her exactly what Laus and Lyutillis were saying now.

Vandre narrowed his eyes worriedly, but to his surprise, Morgan and Nevrai awkwardly looked away.

“I’m sorry, but when we told you that, it was partially a lie.”

Miledi blinked in surprise and asked, “A lie? But why?”

“It’s not true that we can’t return home. Also...”

“We lied about being too traumatized to fight anymore.”

In truth, Miledi and the others had been a bit wary of the vampire duo. After all, they could obstruct and neutralize gravity, spatial, restoration, and spirit magic. And on top of that, they had the physical strength of beastmen and the mana aptitude of demons, as well as the ability to quasi-limit break by taking advantage of their natural vampire super healing. Had they been vampire supremacists that saw other races as nothing more than food, it was entirely possible that they would have attacked the villagers once they’d been healed, which was why Miledi and the others had checked in on them every time they’d gone near the village they were resting in.

Of course, the vampires had realized the Liberators were wary of them, so one day when Miledi had come, they’d told her, “We’re not so shameless as to turn our fangs against our saviors. If you want us to leave, we will. But we have no home to return to, and we’re too traumatized to fight again. So, if possible, we’d like to remain here.”

They had indeed looked as mentally exhausted as they’d sounded, and their fear of sudden noises had seemed truly genuine. However, with time and Corrin’s exceptional nursing abilities, they’d eventually started opening up to the villagers. In fact, by the time the war in the Pale Forest had begun, Miledi and the others had trusted them enough to leave them for months at a time unsupervised.

Then, after Laus had joined the group, he’d helped speed up their recovery with his spirit magic. But they still hadn’t seemed terribly interested in returning to their homeland and wanted to remain in this peaceful village away from all the fighting. More than anything, though—

“W-Wait, don’t tell me you were lying when you called Corrin a saint too?!” Oscar exclaimed.

“Absolutely not. That girl truly is a saint, there’s no doubt about that.”

“In fact, leaving her was the hardest decision we’ve ever made. Oh no. Now that I’m remembering her, I’m getting saint withdrawal symptoms.”

They revered Corrin as much as anyone else in Sainttown.

“That girl truly is terrifying. She even managed to bewitch my son,” Laus said with a shiver.

“Don’t call her terrifying, she’s a saint!” the two vampires and Vandre said in unison. The girls gave the three of them sad looks.

Blushing a little, Morgan cleared his throat and said, “Anyway, we are actually in good enough shape to fight again, and we also know people back home who would take us in.”

“I assume you have a reason you didn’t want to return, then?” Miledi asked.

Nevrai nodded and explained, “We were tasked with a certain mission when we left our nation three years ago. There was someone we needed to find, and we knew it might take ages before we could return home. Though unfortunately, we were attacked by the demon army almost immediately after leaving our borders.”

“Hmm? Who were you looking for?”

Nevrai turned to Meiru. His crimson eyes looked strikingly similar to Meiru’s own, so when they saw the resemblance, Oscar and the others gasped.

“Hm? You mean me?” Meiru asked.

“Yes. Or so we assume, anyway.”

“You’re not sure?”

“The only information we were provided was that she was around twenty years old and possessed the traits of both a dagon and a vampire.”

“Also, that she should be able to use magic. Most likely recovery magic, considering her lineage. Those were the characteristics we were told to look for.”

Meiru certainly did fit all of those criteria. Morgan and Nevrai were talking more formally now that they were addressing Meiru.

“All I heard from my mom was that my dad was a noble of high standing. Was he the one who asked you two to look for me?”

“No, it was our liege who ordered the search...not our king.”

Meiru and the others’ jaws dropped. Morgan had just unloaded a bombshell on them.

“My dad is the king of Dastia?”

“If what our liege suspects is true, then yes. We serve the crown prince, Alfard Il Dastia.”

“At any rate, if his guess is correct, then you are our king, Alesand Il Dastia’s daughter...and a member of the royal family.”

For a while, no one said anything. But eventually, Oscar turned to Naiz and asked in a hesitant voice, “Naiz, you aren’t the long-lost scion of the Sharod family or anything, are you?”

“Where’d that come from? I already told you I’m from a remote village, remember?”

“You’re my only friend!”

“Seriously, what’s gotten into you?!”

Oscar was just feeling a little alienated. His comrades included the Demon Lord’s younger brother, the queen of the Haltina Republic, the head of the most notable noble family in the theocracy, and the former heir of the empire’s most distinguished family. And now, it had been revealed that Meiru was also royalty.

He and Naiz were the only commoners left.

“Naiz, Meiru may have betrayed me, but our bond is everlasting.”

“I feel like I should be happy about that, but for some reason, I’m not.”

“How mean,” Meiru said, entering the conversation. “I didn’t realize you cared so much about status, Oscar-kun.”

“I-It doesn’t matter whether you’re a commoner or a noble, O-kun! Besides, you’re the older brother of a saint!”

“...I’m sorry, Naiz,” Oscar said after a pause.

“Why are you apologizing? Depending on your answer, I may have to smash those glasses of yours.”

Morgan and Nevrai looked taken aback. They’d been having a serious discussion, but then Miledi and the others had suddenly started goofing off.

Realizing that he needed to get everyone back on track, Laus piped up, saying, “So tell us, why exactly is the crown prince searching for Meiru?”

“He didn’t say. Besides, he wasn’t even sure that Meiru truly existed.”

“We have our suspicions, though. That was actually why we stayed behind at your village.”

“Let me guess? He didn’t want some half-breed mongrel sullying the royal family’s name, so he wanted you to assassinate me?”

“The prince is not that sort of man!” Morgan shouted loud enough that his voice echoed through the valley.

Meiru shrugged in apology, then replied, “Sorry. It’s not like I hold a grudge against my dad or anything, but most people wouldn’t want to admit I’m part of their family, so I just figured it was the same with him.”

“I’m sorry as well for raising my voice,” Morgan said, awkwardly scratching his head.

“It’s fine. Also, you don’t have to act so polite around me. I’m not part of the Dastian royal family. I’m Meiru Melusine, the head of the Melusine pirate crew.”

Morgan and Nevrai exchanged glances, then relaxed their postures. After that, they explained that around three years ago, Alesand suddenly fell ill and decided to name a successor in case he didn’t survive. That successor was their master, Alfard. However, Alfard wasn’t Alesand’s oldest son. Alfard actually had an older brother, Sveit. Moreover, Alfard was an eccentric and a layabout, so everyone was shocked that Alesand had chosen him. Even Alfard himself thought his older brother was more fit for the role, so he’d tried to convince Alesand to name Sveit the successor. But for whatever reason, Alesand refused to budge.

Feeling an enormous amount of pressure, Alfard had gone to consult with his two best friends and confidants, Morgan and Nevrai. He’d told the two of them that his father may have sired an illegitimate child with a commoner he’d come to love before taking the throne. He’d then tasked them to find her before he was forced to ascend the throne himself.

“Wait, don’t tell me...” Meiru trailed off with an annoyed frown.

Morgan nodded in response and said, “He never said it outright, but we suspect he wants you to take the throne instead of him.”

“He’s said time and time again that he doesn’t want to be king. I don’t know how he learned of his father’s actions before taking the throne, but he probably thinks if the daughter his father had with his lover appeared, he might change his mind about who will succeed him.”

The majority of vampires really did care about blood purity, like Morgan and Nevrai had said before. They put a lot of stock in the lineage that they could trace back for generations. If word got out that Alesand had a mixed-blood bastard child, it would cause an uproar, which was why Morgan and Nevrai had wanted to see what kind of person Meiru was before bringing her back, especially since they had the perfect excuse to stay close to her as she’d ended up saving them. By staying in the Liberators’ village, they’d be able to interact with Meiru themselves, as well as hear all about her deeds and what other people thought of her. Moreover, they wouldn’t have to expose their identities to the world at large, which would help protect their homeland from prying eyes. That was why they’d stayed as long as they had.

“Your mom must have left to protect you, Meru-nee,” Miledi said with a frown.

“Miledi-chan?”

Miledi looked down into her teacup, scowling even harder.

“People of royal blood really are selfish,” she muttered.

“Well, this is merely speculation on our part,” Morgan said hurriedly. However, Miledi’s expression didn’t change.

Smiling gently, Meiru sidled over to Miledi, hugged her, and started patting her head.

“Waaah, wait! You’re gonna make me spill my tea!”

“Hey, that’s not fair, Onee-sama! I want to pamper Miledi-chan too!” Lyutillis declared, pushing Oscar away and grabbing onto Miledi from the other side.

Squished between two pairs of massive boobs, Miledi shouted, “Y-You wanna fight?! Quit rubbing it in!”

Laus chuckled as he watched the three of them, then said, “Still, it’s a plus for us that we have a connection to the royal family.”

“That’s true. Regardless of what they might want, we can take advantage of this connection to accomplish our own goals.”

“You’ll need to be wary of Prince Sveit and the purist faction, though. If our master tries to push for a half-breed to take the throne, they won’t just sit idly by.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Laus replied. “She’s the pirate queen who tried to conquer a city of outlaws by force, remember? If anything, I’m more worried Meiru might take advantage of her status as royalty to line her own pockets.”

“Good point,” Oscar, Naiz, and Vandre said in unison. The three girls glared at them.

“R-Regardless, we can at least guide you through the Azure Lands,” Morgan said. “We also plan to secretly send a report to His Highness before we enter Dastia, if that’s all right.”

“Though it’s been three years, so who knows if our method of contacting him will still work,” Nevrai added.

Miledi escaped the suffocating embrace of Meiru and Lyutillis, nodded, and replied, “Yeah, that’s fine. I’m sorry for doubting you guys earlier. But hey, it looks like our goals align, so hopefully, this’ll work out well for all of us!”

“Yes, thank you for letting us accompany you.”

“God is an enemy of us vampires as well, so I’m sure our master won’t get in your way. He’s not that foolish.”

Miledi and the others could tell just how much Morgan and Nevrai respected their master, which reassured them a little.

A few days later, the party finally arrived at the southwestern tip of the continent.

Dastia’s capital was filled with greenery, and many streams cut through the city streets. Those streams spilled over terraced blocks of earth, creating a series of waterfalls that gave birth to a rainbow bridge. Beautiful forest-covered mountains also towered in the distance behind the city.

No one in the outside world would ever have believed that such a beautiful city could be the capital of the wicked vampires, much less that it sat in the center of the Azure Lands—the fog-covered region that was known to be cracked and barren.

The elegant buildings were all made of gray limestone, as was the palace situated atop the tallest hill in the city. And standing atop the palace’s terrace was a noblewoman wearing a beautiful crimson dress. She had wavy blonde hair, crimson eyes, and exuded sex appeal from every pore. Though she was looking down into the city, it wasn’t the streets that were reflected in her faintly glowing eyes.

“I could just turn them away, but...” she mumbled with a tired sigh. Her gaze was focused on the rivers and springs surrounded by fog, as well as the semi-submerged forest that stuck out like a sore thumb in the otherwise barren Azure Lands.

The woman was staring at a section of the Azure Lands over five hundred kilometers away. Her special magic—Familiar Contract—allowed her to share the senses of monsters and animals she’d bonded to, and she was currently looking through the eyes of one of her birds that she’d stationed in the swamp. She could even talk through that bird, though she could only say a few stilted words.

The Azure Lands were Dastia’s first line of defense against intruders. Some bottomless swamps and geysers spit out poison gas, and the terrain was difficult with poor visibility. The rivers split off and flowed in all different directions, making navigation nigh impossible as well, and the forest was home to many dangerous monsters. Moreover, the forest was quite vast. A good two hundred kilometers wide. Plus, to top it all off, even if someone did manage to make it through the forest, it ended in a steep cliff, which was patrolled by Dastia’s border guard. There was also the royal family’s heirloom artifact that protected Dastia’s borders.

Usually, whenever this noblewoman got a report that intruders had been spotted, she just let the border patrol handle things. And yet, something felt off about these particular intruders, so she felt compelled to personally keep an eye on them. After all, it was possible these newcomers had something to do with the news her spy—who was situated in the demon empire city closest to Dastia—had brought back two days ago.

Her intuition was soon proven correct. When she got a better look at one of the intruders who was fighting the border guards, she gasped. The return of two of her countrymen was a surprise, sure, especially since they’d gone missing a few years ago and had seemingly come back much stronger. However, that wasn’t what had caught her attention. It wasn’t even the appearance of the ancient magic users, as she’d heard reports about them too. No, it was those crimson eyes that were the most shocking of all.

“S-Stop fighting immediately!” she shouted, and the maids waiting inside her room looked at her in surprise.

“I command you in the name of Anya Il Dastia, cease fighting immediately!”

The combatants looked shaken as well as they heard her speaking through the bird.

“Bring that woman— No, bring that entire group to the fortress.”

Realizing that she’d let her ladylike demeanor slip, the woman took a deep breath and steadied herself.

Confused, the guards nevertheless complied.

Meanwhile, Dastia’s queen brought her hands to her chest and closed her eyes, conflicted feelings warring within her. After a while, she opened them once more and turned on her heel, looking every bit as regal as a queen should as she left to go visit the daughter of the woman her husband had truly loved.

Two women were staring silently at each other within the fortress atop the cliff at the end of the forest. Meiru and Queen Anya. Five minutes had passed since they’d started staring.

Miledi and the others had been surprised when the guards had suddenly been ordered to stop fighting, and then even more surprised when they’d been led to a fortress and had sat around waiting for half a day before the queen of Dastia herself came to visit, especially since she’d come with no guards and had ridden a giant black eagle over. It was around three hundred kilometers from the palace to this fortress, meaning she’d pushed her eagle pretty hard to get here as fast as she did.

Normally, royalty would never travel via such inelegant means. Anya appearing so suddenly had been such a shock to the soldiers at the fortress that they’d forgotten to bow to her. And then, she’d pushed her way past all of them despite their protests to the room where Meiru was.

That brought them to the present, where the two of them were staring at each other. Miledi and the others thought the queen had come because she’d discovered they were all ancient magic users, so they were a bit taken aback by Anya’s extreme interest in Meiru.

Eventually, Meiru broke the awkward silence.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Meiru Melusine. I assume you know about my heritage?”

The soldiers in the room bristled. No one was allowed to speak so casually to their queen like that. However, Anya didn’t seem bothered by Meiru’s tone at all, and she looked deeply into her eyes.

“Yes. It’s nice to meet...Reej’s daughter.”

The soldiers stared curiously at Meiru, while Miledi and the others broke out into a cold sweat.

“Wh-What should we do, O-kun?! What if this turns into a bloodbath?!”

“Don’t ask me! Morgan, what’s going on here?!”

“I-I don’t know! His Highness never once mentioned that his mother might know the truth as well!”

“Wait, I know! We should get the only other married man here, Lau-chan-san, to mediate!”

“Heh, my family’s in shambles, but if you still want me to...I’ll try.”

“Oh no, just mentioning Laus’s family dealt a critical hit to him.”

“Laus’s confidence in his ability as a family man has hit rock bottom... Just what happened back in the Dragon Kingdom?”

In order to keep their conversation a secret from the soldiers and the queen, Miledi and the others were talking via telepathy artifacts. However, while they were still struggling to think of what to do, Anya turned to her men and ordered them to leave the room and not listen in on their conversation.

“We can’t leave you, Your Majesty!”

“Morgan Curtis and Nevrai Fist are Prince Alfard’s subordinates. Moreover, they went missing three years ago!”

“Look at how battered they are. Plus, they guided these ruffians here without permission. Who knows what’s happened to them since they went missing!”

“They are clearly dangerous foes! Please reconsider, Your Majesty!”

It was technically true that Morgan and Nevrai had been chimerafied, and that they’d brought Miledi and the others to Dastia without permission, so they couldn’t really brush aside what the guards were saying. Miledi and the others stared down at their feet, waiting with bated breath for what the queen might say.

Seeing how guilty the Liberators looked, the soldiers got even more suspicious and glared pointedly at them.

“The Arbiter of Truth judged them harmless.”

That was the name of the artifact passed down within the royal family. It was an invisible barrier that spread out radially from the castle, connecting across towers and fortresses strategically placed at regular intervals around the boundaries of the kingdom.

The royal family could immediately tell if anyone passing through it meant Dastia harm, and then keep them out. However, Anya did shoot a wary glance over at Laus. She knew it was possible to deceive the Arbiter of Truth with spirit magic. In the end, she didn’t say anything, though.

“This conversation involves a secret of the royal family. Besides...” Anya trailed off, shooting a cold look over at her soldiers.

“Those seven are ancient magic users. If they truly wished to destroy us, they could. Please understand that this is something for me to handle and leave before they change their mind.”

“But... Very well. As you wish, Your Majesty. We will be close though, so if anything happens, call for us.”

“Of course. Thank you.”

It was humiliating to be told they lacked the strength to protect their charge, but the soldiers were skilled enough to know the measure of their strength. They knew their queen was right, and so, despite their humiliation, they did as she asked.

“Y-You’re treating us like some kind of natural disaster, but I promise we have no intention of harming you, no matter what happens. Please believe...uhhh, no, sorry.”

Miledi tried to put the soldiers at ease with a smile, but their furious glares shut her up. The soldiers then grumpily stalked out of the room, though they looked a little bit happier after shutting Miledi up.

Without even an incantation, Anya whipped up a wall of wind to soundproof the room. She then sat down on a nearby sofa and motioned for Miledi and the others to do the same.

Morgan and Nevrai remained standing at attention, however. They’d maintained their cool when the soldiers had called them traitors and insulted their changed appearances, but now they suddenly looked nervous.

“First off—” Anya spared a brief glance at Morgan and Nevrai, then turned back to Meiru. She’d regained her composure and looked every bit like a proper head of state. “You are the Liberators, correct? I would like to know why you’ve come.”

Sensing that this was a serious discussion, Miledi straightened her back and put on her leader face. She gave Anya a brief introduction, told her what the Liberators were and what they’d accomplished, and then explained that they’d come to Dastia to learn what they could about how to defeat Ehit.

Anya placed a finger on her chin as she absorbed everything Miledi told her. For a while, there was just silence, so while they waited, Miledi and the others were struck by just how beautiful Anya was. She was almost as flawless as God’s Apostles, and when she was silent and unmoving like she was now, she almost looked like a doll. Her grace and elegance made her seem like a mature adult, but if she smiled innocently at them, she could just as easily pass as a teenager.

While they were all admiring Anya’s beauty, she organized her thoughts and began speaking again, bringing the Liberators back to reality.

“Let me start by answering your question,” Anya said, casting her gaze over the Liberators before finally coming to a stop on Miledi, who nervously waited for the verdict. “I’m afraid we cannot provide the assistance you seek.”

Miledi gritted her teeth and replied, “I realize your knowledge is extremely valuable and not something you can easily grant to outsiders, but Ehit is an enemy to the vampires as well, isn’t he? We’re on the same side, are we not?”

It wasn’t as if Miledi was asking them to hand over all of Dastia’s knowledge either, just what might give them some more insight on what they’d discovered in the Dragon Kingdom. All they needed was a single clue.

Anya held out a hand to forestall any further pleading and stated, “Please don’t misunderstand.”

“Huh?”

“It isn’t that we do not want to help you. The problem is we currently have no way of giving you access to the vast stores of knowledge the royal family possesses.”

Miledi and the others exchanged confused glances.

“That is, in fact, part of the reason why I invited you into our country.”

The implication was, of course, that Dastia had some problem that they needed the Liberators’ help to resolve.

“My, and here I thought you’d come just to yell at me. You were staring quite intently at me through that bird of yours. Now I just feel like I was being too self-conscious,” Meiru said, steering the conversation in a completely different direction. As always, she didn’t bother reading the mood at all. However, to Miledi and the others’ surprise, Anya blushed and bashfully looked away. It was a very cute gesture, and the guys all pointedly avoided staring at her, lest they be sucked in by her charm. The last thing they wanted was to develop a crush on a married woman, after all. Unsurprisingly, Miledi glared at Oscar.

“That was because...your eyes look just like his,” Anya said, though it sounded like an excuse. Her queenly grace crumbled, and she looked wistfully into Meiru’s eyes.

“You mean...?”

“Yes, I am, of course, talking about your father,” she said simply, and Morgan and Nevrai nearly passed out.

“You knew?” Meiru asked.

“Not until I laid eyes on you,” Anya replied, looking off into the distance.

“The day before the coronation ceremony, I saw him...”

On that day, Alesand had cooped himself up in his room and ordered that no one disturb him. Anya had been worried about him, so she’d had her familiar snoop on him.

“You saw him doing what?” Meiru asked.

“Staring longingly at a portrait. After he was done, he tearfully ripped it apart and threw it away.”

“Was it a portrait of...?” Meiru trailed off as Anya turned to her.

“A woman who looked just like you.”

Neither Meiru nor anyone else could figure out what emotions lay within Anya’s eyes at that moment. However, it was clear her feelings on the matter were complicated. Moreover, the sheer amount of longing in her gaze was enough to captivate any man that might have looked at her in that instant.

“‘I’m sorry, Reej.’ That was what he said as he tore up the portrait.”

Anya had never been able to bring herself to ask who Reej was, especially because it felt like she’d seen something she definitely shouldn’t have.

“But you still love him, don’t you?”

“Yes, from the bottom of my heart. Our marriage may have been a political one, but I have always loved him.”

Meiru looked into Anya’s eyes, saying nothing. Miledi and the others knew it wasn’t their place to say anything, so they just silently watched on.

Eventually, Anya seemed to see something in Meiru’s unwavering crimson eyes and shook her head with a slight smile.

In response, Meiru muttered, “You don’t want me to meet the king, do you?”

“No, actually, I very much do. However, I’m afraid it’s no longer possible.”

It didn’t escape Anya’s notice that Meiru said the king instead of my father.

“King Alesand passed away two years ago.”

“Oh no...” Morgan and Nevrai muttered in shock. Miledi and the others looked disappointed as well.

“So he’s no longer...?”

“Yes, the illness took him. But he passed away peacefully, in his sleep.”

“I see,” Meiru said simply, closing her eyes. Anya wasn’t sure if that was Meiru’s way of mourning him or not, but she decided to interpret it as such. Her expression softened as she looked at Meiru.

“Y-Your Majesty. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but if...if His Majesty is dead, then is Alfard-sama the new king?” Morgan asked, shaken.

Anya, Miledi, and the others quickly changed gears. It was time to talk about matters of state once more.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get sidetracked.” Anya turned to Morgan.

“Alfard is currently missing.”

“Wh-Wh-What do you mean?!”

“He eloped.”

“Wait, what?!”

“I suppose to put it simply, he takes after the two of us in ways I hadn’t expected.”

“That’s not an explanation!” Morgan and Nevrai shouted simultaneously.

Apparently, the heir to the throne had eloped with his sweetheart and ran away. When Morgan and Nevrai finally understood that, they cradled their heads sadly.

“Umm, is what you want our help with related to the fact that the prince vanished?” Miledi asked hesitantly, and Anya nodded with a sigh.

“Before I explain, I need to confirm something. Morgan, Nevrai, what have you been doing for the past three years? Judging by your reactions, I doubt it, but you aren’t helping Alfard hide, are you?”

“Absolutely not.”

Morgan calmed himself down and explained what had happened to them. When he touched on the experiments and body modifications, Anya furrowed her brow and said, “How could they sully your blood like that? Both the Curtis and the Fist families come from a long line of pureblood vampires...”

Morgan and Nevrai frowned unhappily upon hearing that, but only for a moment as Anya instantly realized what she was saying and shook her head.

“I’m sorry. I know you yourselves haven’t changed, nor has your loyalty to Alfard. I shouldn’t have said such insensitive things.”

Morgan and Nevrai had expected Anya to berate them for letting their blood get tainted, so they were surprised to hear an apology.

“O-Oh no, it’s quite all right!”

“Please raise your head, Your Majesty!”

Naturally, Anya came from a pureblood noble family as well. One that could trace its lineage back to one of Dastia’s ancient kings, even. Thus, it wasn’t too surprising that she had the same conservative, traditional views as most vampire nobility. She respected blood purity and the history that could be traced back through blood. Mixed breeds were deserving of nothing but scorn, and both the parents of mixed breeds and mixed breeds themselves weren’t worthy of being true citizens of Dastia.

Considering the fact she held such views, it said a lot about how much she must have loved Alesand if she’d guessed that he had an illegitimate mixed-breed child and kept that secret for him. However, her ability to accept Alesand for who he was also helped her accept Morgan and Nevrai despite their changes. Plus, it was also what allowed her to rethink her own mindset.

“No, it’s important that I apologize. As someone who loved Alesand-sama, I need to be able to accept these things. Besides, it was exactly this mindset of mine that must have driven Alfard to such desperate lengths.”

Anya looked down, her voice full of regret as she explained what had happened.

For many years now, there had been someone Alfard loved deeply. However, she was a human woman. After Alesand died and people were preparing to name him king, Alfard publicly acknowledged the existence of his lover. Furthermore, he stated that so long as Dastia didn’t accept his marriage to her, he would never take the throne.

Upon hearing that, Morgan and Nevrai nodded in understanding.

“I see... That was why he wanted to find Meiru-dono so badly...”

“He wanted to prove there was precedent with the past king to force the people to accept his own marriage.”

Of course, it was possible he also just wanted to hand the throne over to Meiru instead. Either way, he’d been searching for Meiru to shake up the isolated conservative vampire society’s values regarding blood purity.

“I thought this nation was home to only vampires? Did Prince Alfard find his lover in the outside world?” Lyutillis asked, cocking her head.

“Our country is dotted with human villages.”

“What for?” Miledi asked, her voice dangerously low. She was imagining the worst-case scenario.

“We don’t mistreat them, if that’s what you think. We take in those who have nowhere else to go in the outside world and shelter them in exchange for a token amount of their blood. After all, it’s human blood that suits our tastes the most.”

Surprised, Oscar asked, “Does that mean...you guys shelter heretics?”

“Some of the people living within our borders would be considered such, yes. However, most of them have done so for generations. They’re all natives of Dastia,” she explained, prompting Miledi and the others to exchange glances. They felt a measure of relief knowing that there had been somewhere for heretics to go even before the Liberators had been formed.

“Still, I can’t believe the crown prince went and eloped...” Vandre said, speaking up for the first time in a long while.

Anya could sense the unasked question in Vandre’s tone, and a frown crossed her pretty features as she replied, “Do you think it was irresponsible of him? He had no choice but to run, since his beloved was in danger of being assassinated.”

“Assassinated?!” Miledi shouted.

“That’s pretty extreme,” Oscar said, his expression grim.

Apparently, one of the hardline factions among the nobles had plotted the assassination. Alfard’s brother, Sveit, had been aware of the plot, but he’d allowed it to move forward.

“When he discovered the plot, Alfard protected his beloved from the assailants. He captured them and forced them to spit out the names of the ringleaders behind the plot, then barged into their mansion and beat them half to death.”

“Th-That’s pretty impressive,” Miledi muttered, and Oscar and the others nodded along. However, that wasn’t the end of the story.

“After that, he stole their fortune and razed their mansion to the ground.”

“Wait, so he’s a thief?!” the Liberators shouted in unison.

Morgan and Nevrai just looked off into the distance. Their expression made it clear that it was the kind of thing Alfard might do if pushed to it. However, that wasn’t even the full extent of Prince Alfard’s wrath.

“Then, he stripped the ringleaders naked and left them tied up in the middle of the city square with their crimes written in blood on the floor.”

“Holy shit, this guy is hardcore!” Miledi exclaimed.

For a noble, being humiliated in such a fashion was a fate worse than death. Alfard had clearly tried to make them suffer as much as possible. Meiru seemed suitably impressed by his deeds, while Lyutillis looked like she wished someone would do that to her. Laus hit them both with a small Soul Shock to scold them.

“Since then, two years have passed and no one’s found him. Right now, Sveit is serving as the acting king in his absence.”

Anya, meanwhile, was serving as his adviser.

“Alfard probably knows that Sveit allowed the assassination plot to happen. The two of them were never really on good terms to begin with. It started with Sveit’s one-sided grudge, but at this point, they probably both hate each other,” Anya explained.

Sveit was the reliable older brother who’d always fulfilled his duties and stayed true to the old ways, while Alfard had been the free-spirited misfit who never seemed to care much about bloodlines or blood purity. The two of them couldn’t have been any more different. Things had finally come to a head when Alesand had named Alfard the successor, and Alfard had claimed he wouldn’t take the throne unless his human lover was allowed to formally be his wife and queen. Sveit had, of course, seen that as a rejection of everything vampires stood for.

“Sveit has always been obsessed with blood purity, more than most vampires, I’d say.”

Moreover, he was part of the faction that believed that vampires were the ultimate race. His overly serious personality had led him to easily get set in his ways in the worst way possible.

“Incidentally, while most vampires do care about blood purity, it’s not for discriminatory reasons,” Morgan explained. He didn’t want Miledi and the others getting the wrong impression. “We value the history that ancient bloodlines have built up, but we don’t use that as an excuse to look down on other races as inferior.”

“So what, you’re just proud of who you are?” Miledi asked.

Morgan simply nodded with a smile. Nevrai then added, “Plus, our ideology is a way to protect us against Ehit.”

“How so?”

“Vampires are less fertile than most other races. That’s why our population is the lowest among the sentient races. Put simply, we’re a rare specimen in Ehit’s eyes.”

From Ehit’s perspective, it was much easier to play around with numerous, easily replaceable pawns than rarer, more precious ones. Essentially, the vampires were protecting themselves by making themselves so scarce that Ehit couldn’t toy around with them without risking driving them extinct.

Sighing, Anya brought the conversation back on track by saying, “Part of the reason Alfard left was likely because he realized he couldn’t trust me either.”

“Wait, you also let the assassination plot go through?” Miledi asked, shocked.

Anya shook her head and replied, “No, I didn’t know about it. However, I suspected from the moment Alfard made his declaration that someone would probably try something of the sort. And yet, I did nothing.”

“Why not?”

“Because I was hoping it would open his eyes. I was confident he would be able to protect his beloved, but I wanted him to see just how dangerous consorting with non-vampires was for royalty.”

“So you held back for the same reason my mom left, and for the same reason the king gave up on taking my mom back with him? Is that right?” Meiru asked.

“Yes.”

“I see. That’s what you meant when you said he takes after both of you.”

Anya let out another long sigh upon hearing that.

“We need to talk about the royal line of succession. This is the part that concerns your request.”

Anya went on to explain that it took more than just being named the successor by the previous king to ascend to Dastia’s throne. Unless someone underwent a very specific coronation ceremony, they couldn’t officially become king.

“There’s a special magic circle in the basement of the royal palace.”

That magic circle read the memories of whoever stepped into it and determined whether or not they had what it took to be a true king. If they did, a pillar of light would shoot up from the palace, announcing to the citizens the birth of their new leader. This was a very ancient spell that had been created back during the age of the gods. However, Alfard had refused to enter the magic circle and it had rejected Sveit.

“Only after being recognized by the magic circle is the new king granted access to the Font of Knowledge.”

“Let me guess...” Miledi said with a knowing look, and Anya nodded.

“That’s the entire historical record of our race, passed down from king to king. All of that history is directly implanted into their brain.”

“I see... That’s why you can’t help us, then?”

Dastia currently had no king. The vampire nation’s vast historical records weren’t kept in a library, they were all stored in the reigning king’s head.

“That’s...rather unexpected. And a bit of a problem,” Oscar said, adjusting his glasses.

“If it checks your memories, it’ll be hard to fake too. If all it did was check to see if you had royal blood, I could have just swiped that knowledge for myself, but...” Meiru mumbled, seemingly unconcerned about the repercussions of stealing the vampire kingdom’s entire history.

Anya, Morgan, and Nevrai all looked at her, aghast.

“I’m sorry, she just has a bad habit of thinking like a pirate!” Miledi said, apologizing on Meiru’s behalf. Laus hit Meiru with another Soul Shock, this time hard enough to rattle her.

“Ahem! Anyway, now you know where we stand,” Anya said, then snapped her fingers. It seemed that was the end of their secret conversation, as the soundproofing barrier vanished and she called in one of the maids who’d traveled here with her.

A taciturn black-haired vampire woman walked into the room, pushing a cart in front of her. Sitting on the cart was a teapot full of fragrant tea and a dozen or so teacups.

The maid poured everyone a cup, bowed gracefully to the party, then retired to a corner of the room, looking so inconspicuous that even Miledi and the others almost lost sight of her.

“W-Wow...” Oscar said, impressed. As a maid fan, he obviously fully appreciated her skills. A little surprised, the maid smiled back at him. Miledi also smiled at him, but her smile made his blood run cold. He said nothing more as he picked up his teacup and hid his expression behind his glasses.

Anya gave Oscar and Miledi curious looks, but she refrained from prying and instead went on to formally make her request of the Liberators, saying, “Would you be willing to find Alfard and bring him back to the capital?”

“In return, you’ll give us the information we’re looking for?”

“Correct. You only need to bring Alfard back. We’ll persuade him ourselves. All we want is a chance to reconcile with him.”

“By we, you mean Sveit as well?” Morgan asked, and Anya nodded.

“As I said before, you need the approval of that magic circle to become Dastia’s king. The people will not accept Sveit, as he was unable to pass that trial.”

In other words, Dastia had been without a king for two years now. The people were getting worried, while the various noble families were vying with each other for power. The kingdom was coming apart at the seams.

Over the past two years, Sveit had been shown time and time again that he lacked what was necessary to be king. He’d become a haggard shell of his former self, but he couldn’t just abandon his duties, so he continued pushing onward.

“Sveit wants to make up with Alfard as well. He’s reconsidered a lot of his previous beliefs. However...” Anya trailed off, massaging her forehead as if nursing a sudden headache. “Despite searching all over for him, we haven’t been able to find a single trace of where he’s gone. Besides, even if we were able to pinpoint his location, if he wanted to, he could easily evade capture.”

“Why’s—?”

Before Miledi could finish her question, Morgan answered, “Because he’s strong.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes. He’s unbelievably strong.”

“When we last saw him three years ago, he was already strong enough to beat all of our best fighters single-handedly.”

Everyone considered him the strongest vampire in Dastia, which was why Anya so desperately needed Miledi and the others’ help.

“I realize how dangerous allowing outsiders into the country is, but we need your strength if we are to rebuild our crumbling nation.”

If Alfard could escape even the combined might of seven ancient magic users, then there really was no one who’d be able to catch him.

“So, are you willing to accept this deal?” Anya asked, tilting her head toward Miledi.

Of course, Miledi and the others had long since made up their minds.

“And so, we now have to go looking for a runaway prince,” Vandre explained to Rasul through a Skynet.

“Wow, this prince sounds like one amazing guy! A real man amongst men!” Rasul replied excitedly, and Vandre let out a long sigh. Not that he’d expected his brother to react any differently.

The weather was perfect, with nary a cloud in the sky. From atop the mountain peaks, the Azure Lands looked beautiful. Behind him, Vandre could hear some of the vampire soldiers talking to Naiz.

“H-Hey, is that really the Demon Lord?”

“I get how you feel, but yeah, that’s him.”

“That cheerful weirdo?”

“Yep.”

“I don’t believe it. First I see the queen of the Pale Forest begging Meiru-dono to sit on her...and now this... Is the outside world doing okay?”

“Well, it kind of isn’t, which is why we came to visit Dastia in the first place.”

“How cruel!” Lyutillis said, butting in. “I was just—”

“Please just shut up, Lyu.”

“Ah...! Nacchan-san, you’ve been colder to me than usual lately... Haaah... Haaah...”

“The outside world seems terrifying,” the soldiers said with a shiver.

After their conversation with Anya, Miledi and the others had discovered that they couldn’t contact anyone outside Dastia via Skynet. Apparently, the Arbiter of Truth barrier blocked all communications as well. Thus, Vandre, Naiz, and Lyutillis had headed out into the mountainous marshlands to give their report to their allies...with some vampire soldiers tagging along to keep an eye on them.

Due to how remote the Azure Lands were, they couldn’t reach the entire continent with their Skynet, but since Rasul and the demon soldiers had safely made it to a demon fortress north of the Azure Lands, Vandre had been able to get in touch with them. Rasul would then relay their report to all the other Liberators scattered throughout the continent.

One unfortunate side effect of this relay method of communication though was that the vampires now had absolutely no respect for the Demon Lord.

Vandre could see Elga massaging his temples a short distance behind Rasul. Lestina was pleading with Rasul to act more stately too. For a moment, Elga was worried the prestige and dignity of demons had been ruined forever, but after Vandre finished his report, Rasul’s demeanor suddenly changed and he gave Vandre a serious look. The vampires gulped upon seeing Rasul’s more intimidating side for the first time.

“If that’s all, I have a report of my own to make.”

“What happened, brother?” Vandre asked.

“The church has appointed a new pope, one who goes by the name Darrion Kaus.”

“That’s impossible! We killed him!”

“I know. Everyone across the world saw the Paladins perish. And yet, the church still claims that their new pope is him, rather than any of the surviving archbishops. I don’t like that one bit. According to the church, Darrion survived, but they haven’t publicized any further details. Right now, the Liberators’ spies are trying to ascertain whether or not it’s the real Darrion Kaus.”

“What the hell is the church planning?”

“I don’t know. But, Van, you need to hurry. My gut is telling me that something bad is coming...and soon.”

“Got it. I’ll let Miledi and the others know. Your gut’s never been wrong before. Oh, and be careful out there, okay?”

“Heh, who do you think you’re talking to? I’m the Demon Lord, remember?”

In a flash, Rasul went from looking like an imposing, majestic Demon Lord back to a playful little kid as he grinned at Vandre and shrugged. He then went on to tell Vandre that almost all the Liberators were accounted for to end on a bit of good news, and soon ended the call. Vandre turned back to see Naiz and Lyutillis wearing determined looks on their faces.

Seeing the Liberators looking truly serious for the first time, the vampires finally realized how grave the situation was in the outside world.

The Liberators began their search for the prince early the next morning. Miledi ferried her group of three across the skies, while Laus, one of the other group members, sent out probes of spirit magic to see what he could find. Meiru, the final group member, used restoration magic on both of them so they could keep casting for longer.

The rest of the Liberators had also split into trios. Oscar and Naiz were traveling with Morgan, while Vandre and Lyutillis were with Nevrai. Morgan and Nevrai had known Alfard since childhood, so they planned to check on all the locations they’d explored as kids. The reason Oscar and Lyutillis were on separate squads was because they both had their own ways to see through camouflages and disguises.

After Vandre had relayed Rasul’s message to Miledi and the others, they’d all decided that they needed to find Alfard as quickly as possible. As they flew through the skies though, Miledi put that out of her mind for a moment and grinned at Meiru.

“Come on, Meru-nee, isn’t it about time you stopped sulking?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I know the queen lectured you for ages last night, but there’s no reason to feel down about that! By the way, how does it feel knowing your dad’s second wife hates—?! Oww!”

Meiru smacked Miledi across the face with a water whip, cutting her off. But even as she spun through the air, Miledi made sure to perfectly control Laus and Meiru’s flight trajectory with her gravity magic, showcasing her impeccable control.

“Come to think of it, you haven’t been acting very annoying recently. Seeing your annoying side again was so nostalgic that I accidentally hit you.”

“Focus on the task at hand, you two,” Laus said in an aggravated voice. He was using his spirit magic to its fullest extent, picking up on the souls of even the monsters and animals in the forest below, so he was a little on edge.

“But, Lau-chan, wasn’t it absolutely hilarious—I mean, wasn’t Meru-nee so cute when she was looking to us for help?”

“I will admit it was rare to see her chastised like a child.”

“Not you too, Laus-kun?”

“Didn’t your stepmother just lecture you about using the proper honorifics for your elders?” Laus asked with a mischievous grin.

“Rrrgh...”

For once, Meiru was at a loss for words.

After negotiations had finished and the deal had been struck, Miledi and the others had been invited to the royal palace. There, they’d hashed out more concrete plans for how they’d look for Alfard, and they’d also introduced themselves to the acting king, Sveit. They’d needed his permission to run around the country unsupervised, and they also needed to discuss what to do once Alfard had been brought back.

Only Sveit and a few of his closest retainers had been told the plan, and Sveit had readily agreed to give Miledi the information she wanted if she could retrieve Alfard. However, when Sveit had been told about Meiru’s true identity, he’d needed multiple Soul’s Reposes to recover from his shock.

By the time all the discussion was over, night had fallen, so the party was invited to dine with the queen and given chambers within the palace. And throughout the meal, Anya had complained about Meiru’s table manners, her regular manners, and her attitude toward royalty.

At first everyone had thought Anya was resentful of Meiru, but over time, they realized that wasn’t the case.

“I can’t believe she asked you everything from what your favorite food was to what kind of accessories you liked. She really wanted to know everything about you, huh?”

The reason Anya had been so fussy with Meiru was because she actually liked her.

Anya had even complained that Meiru was too scantily clad for a girl and had pushed several dresses onto her.

Grinning, Miledi said, “I was worried she might have some ulterior motive, so I interrogated one of the maids, and apparently, Queen Anya always wanted a daughter, which was why she—”

“Aaaaaah, I can’t hear youuuuuu!”

“The maid also said she’d never seen the queen look so excited. Apparently, she’s normally a lot more reserved.”

“Oh, shut up already!” Meiru snapped, frowning. “I don’t get that woman at all! I’m her husband’s illegitimate child! Normally, you’d hate someone like that! Or at the very least, you wouldn’t want to be around them! But instead, she’s lecturing me about my manners and telling me how I should dress, going on about how my mom wouldn’t want to see me like this! Sheesh, does she never get tired of lecturing people?!”

For all her complaining though, Meiru didn’t look all that annoyed by the attention she’d gotten.

“I dunno, you seemed to be enjoying it,” Miledi teased.

“She’s like a teenager in her rebellious phase. I can’t believe she tries to act like the older sister in the group when— Oww!”

This time it was Laus who got a taste of her water whip right on his bald head. His wet head reflected the sunlight right into Miledi’s eyes, who screamed, “It’s so bright!”

Meiru was a master of teasing other people, but she wasn’t used to being on the receiving end. It looked like she was about to start sulking for real, so Miledi and Laus held in their laughter.

After dinner was over and Anya had finished lecturing Meiru, she’d taken her to Alesand’s grave. The two of them had spent a lot of time there, presumably talking about what kind of person Meiru’s father had been. When Meiru had returned, she’d acted normal, but it was clear she was grappling with a lot of complex emotions.

“Thanks for trying to cheer me up, guys, but you don’t need to worry. I’m in top form,” Meiru said, prompting Miledi and Laus to exchange stunned looks. It seemed Meiru had seen right through them. Regardless, they’d been worried Meiru’s relationship with the vampire kingdom would end up a lot more sinister, so it was heartening to see that Anya cared for her.

“Things are finally looking up for us!” Miledi said with a smile. “I bet we’ll find Prince Alfard in no time!”

Three days of fruitless searching passed.

“Where the heck is he...?” Miledi said, staring blankly down at the untouched meal in front of her.

Oscar and the others looked similarly defeated.

Anya and Sveit, who were also sitting at the dining table, looked off into the distance. They’d both spent two years searching for Alfard, so they knew just how Miledi and the others felt.

“Maybe he’s left the country...?” Sveit muttered, and a shiver ran down everyone’s spine. Sveit had only just turned twenty, but his blond hair was already beginning to thin and the bags under his eyes were barely hidden by his silver-rimmed glasses.

“L-Look, it’s just a possibility. We don’t know for certain,” Sveit added hurriedly when he saw the despair in everyone’s eyes.

“Right, but if he has, then we’re doomed, aren’t we?” Meiru said, looking up at the ceiling.

If Alfard really had left, it would mean he’d abandoned his homeland completely. It would also make finding him infinitely more difficult.

“Come to think of it, we haven’t searched the marshes yet, have we?” Lyutillis said.

“There’s no way he’d go to such a dangerous—” Morgan replied, but then suddenly caught himself.

“I imagine for someone as strong as Prince Alfard, the marshes wouldn’t be all that dangerous, would they?” Oscar asked.

With a stiff expression, Sveit replied, “We pretty much never patrol the marshes to the northwest, near where they border the ocean. The forest is too dense there, and the monsters that inhabit that section of the marshes are even more dangerous than the other regions...”

There was also no reason to patrol that zone, since it made far more sense for anyone trying to infiltrate the country to come by sea rather than purposely land in the Azure Land’s most dangerous area and push through on land.

Everyone exchanged glances. It was clear where they’d need to search next.

The next day, everyone once again split into three groups and started combing the marsh. Before long, Miledi’s group struck gold.

“Pursuers?”

She finally found where Alfard was hiding. He’d woven a camouflage barrier that was so perfect Miledi couldn’t even sense the mana powering the spell. Were it not for Laus’s spirit magic and Lyutillis’s analytical skills, they would have never noticed. However, hidden near the coast, next to a small spring, hidden by a thicket of trees, was a log cabin decorated with vines and flowers. There was a small wooden swing in the front yard and a big vegetable field.

Standing outside the cabin was a beautiful young man, the very same one who’d spoken when Miledi and the others arrived. He had short, cropped blond hair and a face that greatly resembled Anya’s. His baggy clothes couldn’t hide his perfect physique either. However, he was wearing a straw hat and overalls, had a towel wrapped around his neck, and a hoe resting on his shoulder. He looked like a veteran farmer.

“U-Umm...are you Prince Alfard?”

“Yeah. I guess if you know who I am, you’re not lost travelers,” Alfard said, narrowing his eyes warily. His intimidating stare was at complete odds with his rustic farmer’s appearance. Still, it was hard to feel nervous when he looked like he’d just gotten done plowing fields.

“W-We came looking for you at Queen Anya’s request.”

“Hm?” Alfard mumbled, cocking his head. His expression made it clear he was wondering why she’d asked outsiders to look for him. He cast his gaze over Miledi, Meiru, and Laus, scrutinizing each of them in turn. His eyes stopped on Meiru for a moment, but then when Laus turned to look at the log cabin, Alfard suddenly closed his eyes and there was a huge explosion.

“Huh?”

“What the—?!”

Miledi and Meiru turned in surprise to see that Alfard had punched Laus, who’d brought his arms up to guard the blow. However, the force of the punch had knocked Laus back into a nearby tree.

“Tch, I recognize that face. You’re the Holy Templar Knights’ commander.”

Alfard’s mana started swirling around him as he prepared for battle.

“Wait! I don’t serve the church anymore! I’m part of the Liberators, an anti-church organization!”

“Hah, you expect me to believe the church’s strongest knight joined a rebel group? I’m not that stupid. Besides, you were about to cast magic on the house, weren’t you?”

Crap, he saw right through me... Laus thought, gritting his teeth. It was true that he’d tried to use spirit magic on the house, as he’d sensed two people inside it. One of them is probably Alfard’s lover, but who’s the second? Did someone sneak into his house while he was distracted?

The problem was, Laus hadn’t expected Alfard to notice him using spirit magic. He was as sharp at sensing the flow of mana as Miledi was, it seemed.

“Wait, this is all a misunderstanding, Your Highness! Please listen!”

“You sound just like the guys who tried to kill my wife!”

A second later, thousands of fireballs appeared all around Alfard. Each one had been highly compressed and boasted immense power.

Alfard’s magical prowess was nearly a match for Miledi’s...and that wasn’t all either.

“Seriously, calm down,” Meiru said, attempting to summon up a water barrier. There was plenty of water in the streams and springs nearby, so she figured she wouldn’t have any trouble.

“Huh?!”

However, the water rebuffed her mana, denying her the ability to control it.

“This is my territory, remember?”

A skilled fighter used the terrain to their advantage. Alfard knew that, which was why he’d made sure all the nearby terrain worked in his favor.

Meiru’s expression stiffened as he then launched his barrage of fireballs at the group. At the same time, a group of earth golems rose from the ground and grabbed the party’s legs, while branches and vines shot out to restrain their upper bodies.

It was at this point that Miledi and the others realized that he’d permeated the entire region with his mana, transforming it into his zone of control. No one else’s mana could affect anything around here.

Meanwhile, Alfard could control the terrain as easily as Lyutillis manipulated the forest back in Haltina.

“We’re sorry about what Lau-chan did, but he didn’t mean any harm! I promise!”

“I see. In that case, you wouldn’t mind if I ran away then, would you?”

“We would!”

The Liberators were short on time. They couldn’t have Alfard vanishing on them. Realizing she didn’t have much of a choice, Miledi activated her gravity magic, knocking the barrage of fireballs down to the ground.

Alfard stared at her in shock, but he quickly recovered from his surprise and placed a hand on the ground.

“Thunder Snake.”

Snaking bolts of lightning shot out of every water source, assailing Miledi and the others from all sides. The three of them quickly deployed barriers to protect themselves, but they couldn’t ward against the lightning attacks coming from the plants and golems restraining them, so they stiffened momentarily as lightning coursed through them.

Alfard had immediately analyzed the properties of gravity magic and had attacked with the element Miledi had the hardest time defending against. He then followed up by wrapping sharp branches in fierce winds and launching them at Miledi and the others. The branches were coated in sap that looked rather poisonous as well. He truly was a master of combat

The vampire prince was using exactly as much strength as he needed to launch pinpoint attacks to keep his enemies at bay. Any regular foe would have been instantly neutralized by him, but of course, Miledi, Meiru, and Laus were far from regular.

Miledi instantly knocked the needles down with gravity magic.

“Sorry, but we’re kinda desperate here! The fate of the world’s resting on us!” Laus shouted, hitting Alfard with a Soul Shock that temporarily staggered him.

“I’m starting to get a little angry,” Meiru said, summoning her own water from her Treasure Trove and forming a water prison around Alfard. Technically, their employer had said they could bring Alfard back by force if necessary...so they could be a little rough as long as they didn’t do any lasting harm. However, it seemed Miledi and the others would have to get more than just “a little rough.”

“Tch, you guys sure are tough,” Alfard said.

“No way!”

He dispersed Meiru’s water prison with ease. Not only that, but he did it by completely dismantling Meiru’s spell rather than countering with one of his own. All spells had a core, which served as the focal point and sort of blueprint of the spell.

Alfard had figured out exactly where the core of Meiru’s spell had been in an instant, then destroyed it.

Miledi could see now what Morgan had meant when he’d said Alfard was insanely strong. Destroying a spell’s core wasn’t something that could be done with just good intuition, after all. You needed a deep understanding of magic, as well as a ton of training on top of that before you could destroy spells quickly enough to be of any use in combat.

Miledi and the others were so shaken that they momentarily stopped their attacks. Taking advantage of that opening, Alfard summoned a sea of blue flames above him. He’d taken the strongest fire spell, Azure Blaze, and combined it with Conflagration Storm to create an endless wave of fiery destruction. This new spell was called Azure Conflagration.

“Wait, hang on, if you fire that off, you won’t come out unscathed either!” Miledi shouted in a panic.

In fact, Alfard would probably be the only one to get hurt by it, since the Liberators all had a few tricks up their sleeves to stop something like that.

However, Alfard just shook his head and said, “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much.”

Is this just a bluff? Or is it a distraction while he prepares something else? Miledi thought, feeling momentarily relieved.

Grinning, Alfard added, “Or at least, it won’t hurt me much.”

“What about us?!”

Alfard swung his arm down, casually flinging the sea of fire at Miledi and the others. The surrounding forest was vaporized instantly. Steam rose from the streams and springs, while the air burned so hot it killed all living creatures in the vicinity.

“You guys are dangerous! I’m gonna have to bury you here!”

“Why are you so murder-happy?!”

“God, you’re so stubborn!”

“Don’t let your guard down! Who knows what he’ll try next!”

Miledi and the others could handle the flames, but Alfard had been counting on them to stop his spell. His real goal had been to create a veil of steam that Meiru couldn’t easily dispel. Laus realized that a second later and shouted, “Huh?! Shit, we’ve been duped! Miledi, it doesn’t matter how much collateral damage it causes, swallow up everything around us!”

Miledi was still confused, but she placed her faith in Laus and summoned a Spatial Severance, absorbing all of the steam and the flames. Had Alfard been anywhere in the vicinity, he would have been heavily injured, but fortunately, he wasn’t. In fact, he was all the way over near the shore.

“......”

Miledi and Meiru exchanged glances. After boasting about how he was going to kill them and firing off such a powerful spell, he’d immediately started running away. No one could have predicted that.

“That prince sure got us good,” Laus said, sounding impressed.

Standing next to Alfard was a plain-looking woman with black hair with a small child in her arms.

Alfard glanced back to see what had happened to Miledi and the others, and a hint of panic entered his expression as he saw they’d already dealt with his flames.

From the very start, he hadn’t been trying to fight seriously. This had all been a calculated plan to escape. In truth, he’d even believed Laus when he’d said he didn’t want to hurt Alfard. However, Alfard was up against the church’s strongest knight, and someone who could control gravity. While Alfard had sensed Laus’s initial spell, he knew that if Laus had tried to actually attack, he had no way of defending against magic of that nature. Moreover, Alfard could tell Miledi and the others were desperate to catch him.

That scared him, for he knew he couldn’t actually match up to these three in a serious fight, and his family was close by.

From his perspective, if he’d stuck around to hear them out and negotiations broke down, it was entirely possible that Miledi and the others would try to take his family hostage. That was an utterly unacceptable outcome in his eyes, which was why he’d pretended to be belligerent, while secretly looking for an opportunity to get his family to safety.

Seeing that Miledi and the others were free, Alfard took a jewel out of his pocket and started pouring mana into it.

“Miledi, below us! Hold it down!”

“Whoa—Heavensfall!”

Miledi sensed a huge surge of mana from the ground below. As the three of them leaped up, she pushed down with a powerful gravity field.

A second later, the ground burst, but whatever would have jumped out of it was forced back down. That had been one dangerous booby trap.

“We really can’t let our guard down around that prince.”

Looking up, Miledi and the others saw a giant black eagle coming in from the coast. Moreover, a multi-layered barrier had been activated around the log cabin, trapping the Liberators. It seemed there was a powerful artifact inside. The barrier it had made was strong enough that it would take a Heavencrush to destroy.

“He was really thorough with his defenses.”

“This isn’t the time to be praising him!”

“Agh, he’s getting full of himself because we’re holding back!”

Meiru was at her limits, so she sucked in a huge breath and shouted, “Alfaaaaaaaaard! You’ve been looking for me this whole time, haven’t you?! I finally came to see you, but now you’re pretending like you don’t know me? How cruel!”

She was obviously trying to cause a misunderstanding. And unsurprisingly, the black-haired woman next to Alfard stiffened in response.

“A-Al-sama? What is she talking about?” she asked in a confused voice.

Laus, who was also having some family troubles of his own at the moment, looked at Meiru like she was the devil incarnate, but Meiru simply ignored him and continued sowing discord.

“The daughter you’re looking for is right here!”

“Meru-nee, don’t say something so misleading!”

“She’s pure evil.”

It was true that Meiru was the daughter of Alfard’s dad, and that he’d been looking for her, but of course, she was omitting the most crucial information. She really was the devil. And yet, Alfard didn’t falter even once.

“I don’t know her,” he stated flatly.

“Really?” the woman asked, and he nodded to reply.

Alfard then pointed at Meiru and said in a loud voice, “I mean, just look at how pathetic she looks, Selene!”

“Huh?” Meiru said, and Selene also turned to look at Meiru in confusion.

“She ticks all the boxes of a failure of a woman. She’s lazy, selfish, greedy, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s also a sadist.”

“Is he psychic?!” Miledi exclaimed.

“Miledi-chan?!”

“I bet she’s horrible at housework too. Anything she tries to cook would probably come out as a grotesque travesty that’d kill anyone who ate it. Worse, she probably can’t hold a steady job! I bet she’d rather shake down people on the street than work for honest pay!”

“Wow, he’s analyzed you perfectly!”

“If you gave her a comfy bed, I bet she’d snuggle up inside it and never leave it again!”

“Has he been spying on you?!” Miledi said, impressed. Alfard’s observational skills were ancient magic-tier.

Meiru hadn’t been expecting such a powerful verbal counter, so she was left trembling.

“Do you really think a woman like that would appeal to me in the slightest when I have someone as wonderful as you, Selene?”

“Al-sama...”

“She’s lacking in every department. Besides, there isn’t a single woman in the world more charming than you, Selene. The only one I will ever love is you.”

“N-Now you’re just exaggerating, Al-sama...” Selene muttered, blushing furiously. She rocked back and forth, which seemed to unintentionally soothe the baby in her arms.

“Are they just flirting now?” Laus asked, his eyes glazing over.

As the two of them hugged, Alfard surreptitiously placed Selene and their child onto the eagle’s back. However, just before he ordered it to take off, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

“Your Highness, please wait!”

At long last, the other search parties had arrived. Miledi had contacted them as soon as they’d found Alfard, but it had taken some time to make it all the way over.

Alfard turned in surprise and said, “Morgan! Nevrai! You’re alive?!”

Morgan and Nevrai ran over and knelt before Alfard. Oscar, Vandre, and Lyutillis were a short distance behind them, while Naiz slipped through the barrier and teleported over to where Miledi and the others were.

Alfard’s expression grew nervous, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. This was more adversaries than he could handle.

“Your Highness! We’ve finally returned from our mission. I’m terribly sorry it took so much longer than expected. However, I’m glad to report that we’ve succeeded.”

“You have? Oh, I see. She must be...” Alfard trailed off as he turned back to Meiru, looking at her with renewed interest.

“You do have all the right traits... What was your mother’s name?”

“Reej.”

“I see... I guess it’s a bit late to be formal now, but do you want me to address you with a title or something?”

“You can just call me Meiru-onee-chan,” she said with a wink, which Alfard completely ignored.

“Umm, Al-sama. If she’s your older sister, does that mean she’s the one who...?” Selene asked, shushing her child, who had started crying.

She looked to be no older than eighteen or nineteen, and while she looked cute enough, it was hard to see her as anything more than a simple village girl. As far as Miledi and the others could tell, she wasn’t especially skilled at magic or fighting.

“That’s right, Selene. She’s the woman I told you about. It seems she really does exist. No wonder I felt a sense of déjà vu when I first laid eyes on her.”

Unfortunately, the appearance of the Holy Templar Knights’ former captain had temporarily pushed all thoughts of Meiru out of Alfard’s mind.

Selene hurriedly got off the eagle, bowed to Meiru, and said, “My name is Selene, Nee-sama. I’m Alfard’s wife.”

“Huh,” Meiru said, sounding a little impressed. Despite being a simple village girl, Selene was quite bold. She didn’t hesitate at all to call herself Alfard’s wife. Moreover, she didn’t seem at all arrogant about the fact that Alfard had chosen her over everyone else. Meiru could tell that much just by looking into Selene’s reddish-brown eyes.

Selene was proud to be Alfard’s wife, and she had resolved to go through whatever hardships that might bring, but she was proud in the same way a mother was proud of their child. At the very least, it was clear she wasn’t just a simple village girl. She had the same resilience as a lone flower blooming in a barren desert.

“It’s nice to meet you, Selene-chan. I’m Meiru Melusine, a pirate captain,” Meiru said, adding that last bit to try and rattle Selene a little.

“You are a dagon, after all,” Selene replied, completely unfazed. If anything, she seemed to respect Meiru more upon hearing that.

Miledi and the others cocked their heads at Selene, looking a bit confused.

“Is he your son?” Meiru asked.

“Yes, his name is Albanor. He turned one recently.”

“Albanor... That’s a good name.”

“Thank you. In the old tongue, it means ‘the moon at dawn.’”

“My, the more I learn about it, the more splendid the name sounds. It really matches his gold-and-black streaked hair. You’re gonna grow up to be quite handsome, aren’t you?”

Albanor had stopped crying, and he was now staring at Meiru with great interest. It seemed he had taken quite a liking to her. Morgan and Nevrai seemed pleasantly surprised that Meiru was so good with kids, while Miledi and the others watched on warmly. But then, Morgan and Nevrai took a few deep breaths and turned to Alfard, their expressions a mix of regret and guilt.

“You two... What happened?”

“It’s a very long story. As you can see, our bodies have been modified, but please believe us when we say our loyalty to you is as unwavering as ever!”

“Please listen to what our companions have to say, Your Highness. The world is currently in grave danger. We’ve seen that for ourselves. These people need your help! Please don’t turn them away!”

“You don’t have to prostrate yourselves to me. Raise your heads and look into my eyes,” Alfard clearly stated.

Morgan and Nevrai looked up to see Alfard’s unwavering eyes looking straight at them. They met his gaze with the same unwavering determination, and Alfard eventually shrugged.

“Welcome home, Morgan, Nevrai. I’m sorry you had to suffer due to my selfishness...and I’m truly glad that you returned alive.”

Alfard got on his knees and hugged both of them. He could tell from their trembling shoulders how worried they’d been that he wouldn’t accept them now that they’d come back changed. But now, Morgan and Nevrai felt like they’d truly returned home for the first time.

Tears spilled from their eyes, and for a while, the three of them just stayed like that. Eventually, though, Alfard rose to his feet and turned to Miledi and the others. Reflected in his eyes was the commander of the Holy Templar Knights, his father’s long-lost daughter, a girl who could control gravity, a cross between a demon and a dragonman, a man decked out in more legendary artifacts than he’d ever seen in his life, another man who could seemingly ignore barriers entirely, and a graceful-looking elf.

“Well, it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to run away from these guys even if I wanted to. Plus, it sounds like something serious is going on. All right, fine. I’ll trust Morgan and hear you guys out,” Alfard said with a wry grin, prompting Miledi and the others to breathe a sigh of relief.

The group returned to the log cabin, at which point Miledi and the others spent the next hour explaining everything to Alfard.

“I see. I can’t believe the world has changed so much over the past year,” Alfard said, looking up at the ceiling as he organized his thoughts.

Selene stroked Albanor’s cheek and looked softly down at his sleeping face.

“This might be the world’s only chance to destroy Ehit. This is no time for petty inheritance disputes. Very well, then. I’ll give you my full cooperation,” Alfard stated, looking back down at everyone.

“R-Really? You’re sure?” Miledi asked, taken aback that he’d agreed to return so easily. Oscar and the others looked similarly surprised.

“Yeah. If you guys had just been a bunch of empty-headed idealists, I wouldn’t agree so easily, but you’ve already shown you have what it takes to actually beat him. In my mind, refusing you would be the same as dooming the mortal races of Tortus,” Alfard replied, looking lovingly down at Selene and Albanor.

“Ehit is a danger to the people who matter the most to me as well. If I want to keep them safe, he needs to die.”

“Al-sama...”

“Selene...”

The two of them stared into each other’s eyes. Naiz put his cup of tea down. Even though it was straight black tea, it suddenly tasted as sweet as a milkshake.

“Does that mean you’ll come back to take the throne, Your Highness?” Morgan asked expectantly.

“Definitely not.”

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

“Why in the world would I become the king of a country that refuses to recognize Selene as my wife?” Alfard said as if that should have been obvious. It made Morgan and the others question their own sanity for a second, making them wonder if they were the weird ones for asking that question.

“B-But, Your Highness, our nation is currently in great turmoil!”

“Not my problem.”

“What do you mean it’s not your problem?!”

“This isn’t the time to be acting selfish, Your Highness!”

“Oh, shut up! Listen up, and listen well, you guys,” Alfard said. Then, he pointed his finger up at the sky and said in a booming voice, “The lives of Selene and Albanor matter more to me than the lives of all vampires combined! That should be obvious!”

“No member of the royal family should be saying things like that!”

“Why are you always so unreasonable, Your Highness?!”

Morgan, Nevrai, and Alfard glared at each other, looking like delinquents who were about to start a fight.

Miledi gave Selene a pleading look, begging her to intervene, but Selene simply grinned and said, “Oh, Al-sama.”

Oh no, these guys are messed up in the head...

Resigning herself to her fate, Miledi stepped in to break up the fight.

“The queen said you need to officially ascend the throne to be granted the Font of Knowledge. If you’re willing to help us beat Ehit, we need you to become king so we can gain access to it.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ll go through the coronation ceremony. And then, I’ll immediately appoint someone else king.”

“Huh?”

“In fact, you can take over if you want, Meiru. That way, I won’t even have to explain what I know to you guys, Meiru can just do it instead. Plus, then my family won’t be exposed to any danger. It’s a win-win.”

“You idioooooooooooot!” Morgan and Nevrai shouted at the same time. That woke Albanor up, but not for long. He made a few cooing noises, then nuzzled against his mother and fell asleep once more. It was pretty impressive that he could sleep through all this, honestly. However, Selene still shot Morgan and Nevrai a warning glance. No more screaming would be tolerated. Her gaze had a surprising amount of pressure behind it, so the two of them immediately apologized.

In a more hushed voice, Meiru asked, “Umm, would I even be able to pass the coronation ceremony? Sveit-kun couldn’t.”

“That’s because he wasn’t appointed by the previous king. That’s one of the requirements the magic circle looks for.”

In other words, if Alfard took the throne, then immediately appointed Sveit the next king, Sveit would likely be able to pass the trial. Though there hadn’t ever been a precedent of someone who’d failed succeeding at a later date, so Alfard wasn’t a hundred percent sure.

“The magic circle does check to see if you have the qualities of a ruler, but it’s not looking for anything too special. A king is a single person, but a single person cannot protect a country on their own. To be a king, you must be someone others are willing to support.”

Basically, the magic circle made sure the candidate wouldn’t become a dictator. For example, it checked to see if the previous ruler had been coerced or brainwashed in some way to appoint someone as their successor, and whether or not that successor held any ill will toward their country.

“In the first place, I’d planned to let myself get found after a year or so and then appoint my brother the official successor.”

“R-Really?” Morgan asked, and Alfard nodded.

“The reason I hid was because Selene was pregnant. It’d be pretty hard to keep a pregnant woman safe when there are assassins after her, right?”

“That...makes sense.”

“Besides, I figured that after a year, my brother would work up the resolve to try to become king himself. He’s a stubborn guy, but a hard worker as well.”

Alfard had figured that after a year of fruitless searching, the vampire kingdom would finally think to try looking in the dangerous swamps within their territory. Instead, it had taken them a full two years, and it hadn’t even been the vampires who’d found him, but Miledi and the others.

“I thought my family might disown me for abandoning my royal duties, so I figured that was what had happened, and that they’d found a way to get the people to accept a king who hadn’t cleared the coronation ceremony.”

“Umm, Your Highness, normally, people wouldn’t assume you’d taken your wife to the most dangerous place in the country to keep her safe.”

“I mean, this is me we’re talking about.”

“Ngh, I hate that you have a point. Why didn’t anyone think of that sooner?”

Of course, all of the vampire nobles had been in a panic because they’d lost their king and their crown prince, so they hadn’t been thinking straight. Miledi thought back to how haggard Sveit and Anya had looked and smiled sadly, while Alfard simply shrugged.

“Anyway, the point is that it doesn’t matter even if the magic circle doesn’t accept you. We’ll just tell the people Meiru managed to clear it. If they don’t find out, the truth won’t matter. Plus, that’ll put us all in the same boat.”

Alfard was literally trying to rope people into running a con.

Morgan and Nevrai shook their heads, saying things like, “Aaah, His Highness is about to do something crazy again!” and “But it always works out in the end, so I can’t even argue back!”

Apparently, despite his spontaneous nature, Alfard always managed to make sure things worked out in the end.

“Hell, the whole reason I was searching for Meiru was so I could find proof of dad’s secret relationship and use it as blackmail—I mean, use it to convince him to pick someone else.”

“Y-You just said blackmail, didn’t you?! You were gonna blackmail your own father?! Selene-san, please say something to him!”

“It’s amazing how ruthless Al-sama is to his enemies.”

“It’s no use. Selene-san’s blind when it comes to him. These two are a dangerous couple!”

While Miledi hung her head in despair, Meiru gave Alfard a thoughtful look.

“I assume you wanted to use me to blackmail your dad into picking a different successor? But you already knew my mother’s name, so did you not hear that from my dad directly?”

“Oh yeah, I should tell you the whole story.”

Apparently, Alfard had long suspected his father had once had an affair with a non-vampire woman. Alesand had been quite the skilled painter in his youth. He’d originally been very far down the line of succession and hadn’t expected to ever become king, so he’d gone on a trip around the world to find inspiration for his art. But then there was some trouble with the royal family, and he ended up next in line for the throne. After becoming king, he stopped painting entirely...and when asked why, he would always say that he’d run out of things he wished to draw. However, Alfard had been sharp enough to know his dad was lying. Moreover, he’d asked his mom about the real reason she’d acted rather suspicious, which got him thinking.

“Dad never really cared all that much about blood purity and stuff. Every time the other nobles asked him to be more active about preaching the values of blood purity, he’d always brush them off. That was around the time I started suspecting he might have had a non-vampire lover.”

Alfard himself had fallen for a human woman, which was what got him thinking in that direction.

“I became sure of it when I told dad about Selene.”

After he’d tried and failed thrice to persuade Alesand, Alfard had taken a risk and told his dad about Selene. He figured a scandal that big would convince his dad to rescind his declaration.

“I thought he might disown me then and there, but all dad said was, ‘I see.’ And, of course, he still kept me as his successor. In fact, I think he smiled a little when I told him. He was probably thinking ‘like father, like son’ or something. That was when I knew he’d probably fallen in love with someone from another race as well, and also when I started wondering whether or not he might have an illegitimate child. Unfortunately, Morgan and Nevrai went missing when I sent them to look for that child, and my attempts to find them failed.”

“Hold on. Did you go looking for us personally, Your Highness?”

“Obviously. It was my selfishness that exposed you guys to danger. Besides, there was no way I was gonna abandon my friends.”

Morgan and Nevrai looked like they wanted to hug Alfard, but also tell him not to risk his life like that at the same time.

“In the meantime, dad’s condition grew a lot worse.”

Alfard turned back to Miledi and the others as he continued his story.

“Even if dad did have an illegitimate child, I realized there was no way I was going to find them in time. But even if I couldn’t convince my dad to change his mind, I still wanted to know how he’d felt about having a non-vampire lover.”

After all, Alfard was soon going to be walking the same path his father once had. Alesand seemed to have wanted someone to open up to as well, so just before his death, he’d told Alfard about Reej.

“But he stubbornly refused to admit that he had a child with her.”

“He probably wanted to respect Reej-san’s wishes until the very end. She’d distanced herself from him to protect Meru-nee, after all,” Miledi said with a soft expression as she squeezed Meiru’s hand. Meiru nodded in agreement. She was certain her father had distanced himself from her to protect her.

Alfard smiled at the two of them, then continued his story by saying, “Maybe he’d secretly hoped I’d change our society’s values.”

That was why Alfard had resolved to at least try to convince those around him of his and Selene’s love. He told the vampire nobles he’d ascend the throne so long as they allowed him to marry Selene. However, the vampires had tried to kill Selene instead.

A heavy silence fell over the room...and eventually, Miledi timidly asked, “Umm, Prince Alfard? Both the queen and Prince Sveit said they regret not defending you. They want you to return so they can apologize in person. Of course, they’re also now willing to accept Selene-san as your wife.”

“I see... So my brother’s finally...”

Alfard was momentarily overcome by emotion. Of course, he still hadn’t fully forgiven his brother for standing back and allowing the nobles to carry out their assassination plot, but he also knew his actions had put Sveit in a difficult position.

“Al-sama,” Selene said, squeezing Alfard’s hand. He looked up to see his wife smiling gently at him. “They didn’t refuse to act out of malice.”

Just because they’d stood by, it didn’t mean that Sveit and Anya had approved of Selene’s murder.

“Both your mother and Onii-sama are your precious family, right? I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, you’re right...” Alfard mumbled as he squeezed Selene’s hand back and kissed her and his son on the forehead. “But even so, I won’t become king.”

Selene gave him a reprimanding look in response. Alfard looked away awkwardly, turning back to Miledi.

“Anyway, let’s hurry. We need to get the information you Liberators need as soon as possible.”

He rose to his feet, pointedly refusing to meet his wife’s gaze.

That same night, Miledi and the others waited with bated breath in the palace’s basement. Selene, Albanor, Morgan, Nevrai, Anya, and Sveit were there with them. They’d made their way through a maze-like series of turns and come out in a wide room that was ten floors beneath the palace entrance.

A group of golems meant to keep out anyone who hadn’t been chosen by the previous king had appeared to stop the intruders, but Alfard had just finished destroying them all. He then struck a victory pose for his son and Albanor gurgled happily.

Beyond this room was the Trial Chamber. Normally, the ceremony was only supposed to happen after the various noble families had been summoned and the people had been given advance notice, but this time around, it was being held with only Alfard’s family and the Liberators in attendance. After all, if word got out that Selene and Albanor were here, it would cause quite a stir, and if Miledi and the others were busy dealing with racist nobles, they wouldn’t be able to get the information they needed. Luckily, Alfard had at least managed to reconcile with his family. The fact that Albanor was resting happily in Anya’s arms was proof of that.

Incidentally, Albanor seemed quite obsessed with Anya’s cheeks. Even as he was calling out to his father, his hands were poking and prodding the queen’s porcelain face. He was probably trying to point out how cool his dad was to Anya, and Anya was happily telling Albanor all about how amazing Alfard was. Though she hadn’t actually seen Alfard fight, since she’d had eyes only for Albanor ever since she’d picked him up. Sveit had no kids of his own, and Anya was so overjoyed about finally having grandkids that she didn’t care that her first grandson was a half-blood.

“I never knew mother could make such gentle expressions...” Sveit said, looking surprised.

Meanwhile, Alfard opened the steel door leading into the Trial Chamber and stepped inside. The Trial Chamber was a circular room, and the moment Alfard entered, the jewels ensconced into the walls lit up, illuminating the extremely complex magic circle in the room’s center.

“Looks like that’s it,” Alfard said as he stepped into the circle without hesitation.

It looked like Sveit wanted to lecture his younger brother for not acting with proper decorum during such an important event, so Morgan and Nevrai gave Sveit sympathetic looks.

“Wooow! Mama, pwetty!”

“Oh, you think daddy looks pretty too, don’t you, Albanor?”

“Papa pwetty!”

“He he he... Thanks, Albanor.”

“Umm, mother? I think Albanor’s talking about the ceremony, not Al-sama himself,” Selene said hesitantly, bringing Anya back to her senses.

Miledi and the others also looked suitably impressed as the magic circle activated. The glowing spiral of light surrounding Alfard and the motes of light filling the room really did look beautiful.

The magic circle glowed blindingly bright, and then a second later, a pillar of light shot up, going straight through the stone roof and bathing the room in light. Alfard really did look majestic, standing in the middle of all that shimmering light. He looked like a true king.

Outside, people saw the pillar of light shooting up from the palace, informing everyone that Dastia had a new king.

Eventually, the light began to fade and Alfard slowly opened his eyes. While the light from the circle had faded, Alfard himself was still wreathed in an aura of light and Morgan and Nevrai knelt before him.

Anya looked moved, while Sveit looked like he’d finally been freed from a burden he’d never wanted to carry.

“So, which of you wants to succeed me?” Alfard asked, looking from Meiru to Sveit. Even Miledi and the others had been a little moved by the birth of Dastia’s new king, but said new king didn’t seem to find this moment momentous in the slightest. He really was uninterested in being king.

Upon realizing that, Anya looked down, while Sveit frowned.

“I’ll let Miledi-chan decide. What do you say, leader? Do we need the vampires behind us?”

“Nope,” Miledi said, looking at Alfard instead of Meiru.

“All we need is knowledge of how to beat Ehit.”

Miledi was making it clear that she wouldn’t saddle Meiru with the responsibility of leading Dastia.

“Besides, you’d have to be insane to hand a country over to Meru-nee of all people,” Miledi added.

“Miledi-chan?”

“Good point. I agree completely,” Alfard replied.

“Hey, you wanna go? I’ll teach you to show your older sister some respect.”

Meiru gripped the hilt of her saber, but Laus and Vandre quickly pinned her down before she could start a fight.

“I guess that means you’ve gotta be the next king—”

“Hold on!” Sveit said before Alfard could finish.

“You’re our king, Alfard.”

“But you’re more suited to being king, brother. I mean, isn’t that exactly what you said back when dad picked me?”

“Over these past two years—” Sveit choked up a little, his eyes filled with regret and guilt as he looked up at Alfard. “Over these past two years, I’ve learned that I’m not fit to be king.”

“That’s not—”

“Oh, it’s true all right, Alfard. I know now that I’m far too weak to be king.”

No matter what happened, Alfard never wavered. Peer pressure couldn’t sway him. He was absolutely sure of himself, and once he set his mind to something, he resolved to see it through. Plus, despite being seen as an oddball, every time he went out into the city, he left the people smiling and happy.

That was the kind of man Alfard Il Dastia was. He wasn’t just strong when it came to fighting, he was mentally strong as well...and it was that strength of his that drew people to him.

Sveit didn’t have that. He couldn’t reassure the people the way Alfard could. Even if Sveit passed the trial and the light shot up to confirm him as the new king, the people would still see the throne as empty.

“I used to think I’d be able to understand everything if I just studied enough. I looked down on you for neglecting your studies. But I was wrong. It wasn’t book smarts that I needed. What I lacked the most was real life experience. On the other hand, you’ve learned everything you need. I misjudged you,” Sveit said with a shrug of his shoulders.

“You weren’t wrong, you just took everything too seriously. I know no one who loves their country as much as you do, and no one with a greater sense of responsibility.”

Sveit looked up and was surprised to see Alfard smiling self-deprecatingly.

“I chose my wife over the rest of the country. I’m not like dad. I can’t give up Selene and Albanor for the sake of my people.”

That, more than anything else, was proof that Alfard wasn’t fit to be king.

“I don’t deserve to be part of the royal family,” Alfard stated clearly. He then turned to Morgan and Nevrai and said, “I’m sorry, but I’m not someone worthy of your loyalty. I won’t blame you if you’re disappointed in me, but I’d hate to lose your friendship.”

“Don’t be stupid, Your Majesty. We never respected you enough to be disappointed now.”

“You guys sure got cocky in the time you were gone.”

At first Morgan and Nevrai had wanted to persuade Alfard to stay king, but after seeing the way he looked at his wife and son, they gave up. Anya didn’t protest either, while Miledi and the others exchanged glances. They weren’t sure this was the best solution, but they also knew it wasn’t their place to interfere in foreign politics.

“Anyway, I’ve kept you Liberators waiting long enough. Let’s—”

“Are you sure this is what you truly want?” Selene asked suddenly, her voice reverberating through the room. She then walked over to where Anya was and held her hands out. Anya obediently handed Albanor back to Selene, as if obeying her was the most natural thing in the world.

Selene hugged her son close, then walked regally over to Alfard, looking more like royalty than anyone else, and said, “Thank you so much for loving us, Al-sama. You’ve made us the two happiest people in the world.”

Selene smiled, and in that moment she didn’t look anything like a simple village girl.

“Don’t tell me...” Alfard muttered, worried that Selene would choose to leave the way Meiru’s mother had. However, Selene truly was a woman worthy of being this unruly prince’s wife.

“But if you’re going to make such a pathetic face, I’d rather you didn’t love me at all.”

“Selene...”

Selene had straight up told him not to use her as an excuse to run away from his responsibilities.

“We’re all important to you, aren’t we?”

By all, Selene of course meant Sveit and Anya, but also the rest of Dastia’s people. If Alfard truly hadn’t cared at all about Dastia, he wouldn’t have stayed within its borders after Selene had nearly been assassinated. He’d stuck around so he could at least make sure his older brother securely ascended the throne.

“I’m weak and can’t survive without your protection, so maybe it’s selfish of me to say this, but...” Selene trailed off as she snuggled up next to Alfard. “I don’t want you to abandon something important to you for our sake. After all, we love you just as much as you love us. So with that in mind, I’ll ask you again... Are you sure this is what you want?”

“......”

Selene’s unwavering gaze was too much for Alfard, so he turned to look at the ceiling. Sveit walked over and placed a hand on Alfard’s shoulder. Though he said nothing, his expression made it clear that he’d support Alfard through anything and everything. Anya also gave Alfard a gentle look, tipping the scales a little bit more in Selene’s favor.

“So long as you protect us and we support you, I’m sure this country will be just fine, Al-sama,” Selene said with a smile, giving Alfard the final push that he needed.

On that day, the people of Dastia learned of Alfard’s return, as well as the fact that he had become their new king. Naturally, the vampire nobles were furious that he’d had a child with Selene, but to everyone’s surprise, most of the commoners were perfectly fine with having a human queen and a half-vampire prince. Why, they even gave Alfard their blessings. Because Alfard had spent so much of his time in the city, the people knew what kind of person he was, and during his absence, they’d been given a stark reminder of how much they needed him. Plus, the fact that Sveit and Anya had accepted Alfard and Selene’s marriage made it easier for the common folk to as well. And of course, the humans of Dastia were overjoyed.

On the eve of Alfard’s coronation, Selene and Alfard both gave a speech to the crowd gathered at the palace.

“You’re welcome to try and assassinate me, but just know that if I or my son die, my husband will go berserk. You better be ready to see this country burn if you kill me.”

“That’s right. I’ll become your king if that’s what you want, but if you touch my wife or my son, then I’ll reduce Dastia to ash.”

That speech was enough to convince the commoners to keep an eye on the nobles and make sure they didn’t try anything stupid. Moreover, that speech also showed everyone just how much presence Queen Selene had. No one could understand how she’d been just a simple village girl before.

At around the same time that Dastia’s new king was being crowned, a large crowd had gathered at the remains of the Divine Cathedral in the theocracy.

Against the backdrop of the setting sun, a timid priest addressed a robed woman standing where the entrance to the cathedral’s shrine had once been.

“Y-Your Eminence.”

The woman turned around. She had once been Lelei Argeson, one of the Holy Templar Knights’ captains, but now she was the pope and called herself Darrion Kaus.

“We’ve finished the measurements,” the priest said. He was talking about the measurements needed to start reconstructing the cathedral. The crowd gathered behind him was full of the carpenters and masons and so on that would be needed to rebuild, and they all looked like they were just as confused as the priest that Darrion was their new pope.

“Good. Have our visitors returned to their home countries?”

“That’s what the reports say, Your Eminence.”

“The city and the palace have been mostly repaired. It’s time for the final stage of cleanup.”

“Umm, Your Eminence...” the priest trailed off awkwardly, prompting Darrion to cock her head at him. “I know that rebuilding the cathedral is a very important task, but...”

“You’re wondering what I intend to do about the heretics, aren’t you?”

“That, and the distrust the rest of the world...and even our own citizens, have for the church now.”

Since becoming pope, all Darrion had done was clean up the aftermath of the church’s battle with the Liberators. No one could understand why she was calling herself Darrion now either. Plus, despite their faith, many priests and bishops were still unhappy that the apostle had chosen her to be the new pope. They didn’t like that a mere knight had been picked over the higher-ranking members of the clergy. The priest talking to Darrion right now was also one such person.

Darrion smiled down at him and stated, “I told you, we’re moving into the final stage of cleanup.”

The priest gave her a confused look, but Darrion simply turned her back to him and raised a hand in the air.

A second later, the same silver vortex everyone had seen the day of the decisive battle appeared in the air. A ripple of unease spread through the crowd, and a few people fell to their knees. Darrion ignored them all, however, and narrowed her eyes, looking off into the distance.

“This shall be the final act. Do your best to give my lord an entertaining struggle, you pitiful pawns,” she muttered. Her words were drowned out by the screams of fear and joy of the people as they watched a silver meteor shower descend onto Tortus.

“Wait, are you saying Darrion Kaus is the first generation’s hero?” Miledi asked, her confused voice echoing through the new king of Dastia’s bedroom. The room had been completely soundproofed, and the only people inside were Alfard and Miledi and her comrades.

“I don’t know if this Darrion is the same one, seeing as the original lived thousands of years ago, but according to the Font of Knowledge, Darrion Kaus was the name of the young man who became the world’s first hero. Moreover, he had the power to split his soul and transfer it into other bodies, granting him pseudo-immortality.”

If that was true, then Darrion had most likely always been the leader of the Paladins. It seemed tracing the clues they’d found in the Dragon Kingdom had unearthed some truly shocking information.

Apparently, that fairy tale hadn’t been just a fairy tale. The hero of that story had been none other than Darrion himself, and the Demon Lord he’d fought had been Ehit. Moreover, the “sanctuary” Darrion had been protecting had indeed been the Pale Forest. Or, to be more specific, the sacred tree, Uralt. No, actually, even that wasn’t quite right.

“He tried to protect the goddess Uralt, the avatar of the sacred tree. Her soul then came to reside within the Holy Sword and she fought against the evil god Ehit alongside the hero. To think that I, the queen of the forest, was ignorant of such a legend. How embarrassing,” Lyutillis said with a sigh.

“But isn’t that weird?” Oscar asked.

“Yeah. If this Darrion is the same as the original, then why is he one of Ehit’s knights now?” Naiz asked, his expression grim. It was Meiru who answered that particular question.

“Isn’t it because he cares about the goddess?”

“What do you mean, Meru-nee?”

“I mean, just think about it. Darrion fought against Ehit, but he’s still alive and kicking.”

It was at that point that everyone realized how the fairy tale must have ended. Darrion had realized he couldn’t defeat Ehit, but he didn’t want to lose Uralt, whose soul was now sealed within the Holy Sword, so his only option had been to switch sides. Even if that meant betraying the world, as well as his beloved goddess, he had to do it.

Vandre looked down and muttered, “‘Nothing shall despoil this sanctuary,’ huh?”

That had undoubtedly been the hero’s soul screaming out to protect his beloved goddess, who he cared for more than the world itself.

Laus turned to Alfard with a strange expression on his face and asked, “Your Majesty, please tell us. What was the true nature of that multicolored barrier the first hero created with nothing but force of will? What does it mean to convert your willpower into magic?”

The answer to that was the key to beating Ehit. It was what Miledi and the others had come to Dastia to learn. The Liberators stiffened, nervously awaiting Alfard’s answer.

Alfard looked pretty nervous himself, and he took a deep breath before saying in a solemn voice, “Concept magic.”

The long, unbroken history of the vampire race had finally granted the Liberators a single ray of hope.

“Concept magic...?” Miledi repeated, chewing over the words. It sounded like she’d just gotten her hands on an unbelievable treasure.

Alfard nodded, then went on to explain the specifics. Though honestly, those specifics were still rather vague.

“You guys have already fulfilled the conditions necessary to use concept magic.”

According to Alfard, concept magic quite literally allowed someone to materialize concepts into physical reality. There were no rules, no restrictions to what could be done with it. It truly was the ultimate type of magic. But in order to use concept magic, a person needed to interact with the seven fundamental rules of the universe, understand them intimately, and possess a massive amount of mana. And then, they needed a final key that was so difficult to grasp that the secrets of concept magic had been lost to time.

“All you guys need now is an unbelievably powerful will.”

“An unbelievably powerful will...?” Miledi repeated, staring at Alfard. She was hoping he’d give her something more concrete to work with than that. However, as the silence stretched on, cold sweat started to pour down all the Liberators’ foreheads.

Hoping she’d misheard, Miledi looked off to the side and asked in a timid voice, “Did you say an unbelievably powerful mill?”

“Will.”

Alfard’s answer didn’t change.

Miledi couldn’t take it anymore, so she exclaimed, “That’s way too vague! What kinda bullshit explanation is that?!”

“I don’t know! Don’t blame me though, that’s all there is in the Font of Knowledge!”

Oscar and the others voiced their complaints as well.

“Now hang on here, surely there’s at least a few more specifics!”

“Come on, Alfard! I know you can squeeze something more out of that shitty Font of Knowledge!”

“Yeah! Maybe there’s something in the corner of your mind that you just didn’t notice before or something!”

“Maybe a good whack to the head will jog your memory?!”

“Nice idea, Naiz! Let’s try that!”

“All right, Van, hold him down. I’ll hit him with a Soul Shock as well for good measure!”

“S-Stop! What are you trying to do to me?! Guards! Guaaards!”

The Liberators had found the answer they were seeking, so they now knew there was a way to defeat Ehit. Unfortunately, that method was so vague that they didn’t even know where to begin. Miledi and the others had had high hopes coming here, and while they hadn’t exactly been dashed, they’d been dampened enough that they went on a rampage throughout the palace to vent their frustrations.

A week had passed since their discovery of concept magic. During that time, Miledi and the others had stayed holed up in their room. They’d told everyone not to disturb them, and they were having the palace maids take care of their meals and laundry while they tried to master concept magic.

“Nnnrrrrrrrrrgh!”

“Shit, Miledi’s going berserk again!”

“Lau-chan-san! She needs a Soul’s Repose!”

“How long do we have to keep at this? Does Sharm even remember me now? What if he hates me too? If I lose Sharm as well, I’ll lose all my will to live. I’ll never be able to repair my broken family and—”

“Oh no, he’s broken down too!”

“Naiz, teleport Miledi away from here! Meiru’s curled up inside her bed and won’t come out!”

So far, they hadn’t been able to activate it even once. They’d tried meditating, using restoration magic to relive past tragedies and rile themselves up, and had even used spirit magic to manipulate their emotions. Oscar had prepared a bunch of artifacts to try to imbue with concept magic if they ever managed to get it working as well, but despite their best efforts and the combined might of all of their mana, the seven of them just couldn’t seem to get concept magic working.

They wanted to find a way into Ehit’s domain, or a way to drag him down to Tortus, as well as a way to kill him. However, every time their attempts fizzled out, it felt like they were being told their desire to destroy him wasn’t strong enough, which was a lot more mentally taxing than they’d initially expected.

Just as they were about to reach their limits, Alfard, Selene, and Albanor walked into the room.

“Looks like you guys still haven’t had any luck...” Alfard said as he glanced across the room.

“Miledi-san, are you okay?” Selene asked worriedly.

“Dummy,” Albanor said with a dopey smile.

“Who’re you calling a dummy?!” Miledi shouted.

“Miledi, stop! Are you seriously going to pick a fight with a baby?!”

For his part, Albanor seemed quite happy with all the attention. Selene gently rebuked him for calling Miledi a dummy, while Alfard simply grinned.

“What did you guys come here for? Did you just want to show off your happy family to me and make fun of me for destroying my own?”

“Laus, calm down. You’re getting too obsessed.”

Laus had continually relived his memories of the time Kaime and Selm had first come to kill him to try to hone his will, but it seemed he’d been reliving those memories a bit too much. Now seeing other happy families was anathema to him. He hugged his knees and curled up into a fetal position while Naiz gently rubbed his back.

“I heard from the maids that you guys are having trouble making any progress, so I came to invite you to dinner for a change of pace.”

“It won’t be anything formal, just a small dinner party. Hopefully, the food and wine will help you all relax a little.”

Oscar and the others exchanged glances. It certainly was true that they’d started unraveling over the past few days...especially Miledi. They were, of course, in a hurry, but they also knew getting impatient would just slow them down.

“Miledi,” Oscar said in a gentle voice.

Miledi let out a small groan, then tore at her already messy hair to vent and said, “Thanks for the invitation.”

She too had realized that they needed a break.

Later that night, the Liberators got drunk off their asses.

“You fucking bastard. Quit hiding up there in the clouds and come down to fight us! You that scared of me, huh?!”

“He’s just a washed-up shitty hermit. We’ve got tons of them back in the slums!”

“Only a perverted creep surrounds himself with a bunch of identical dolls. I bet Ehit got bullied as a kid!”

“He plays all of his games by himself too! He’s an even bigger loner than I was, Onee-sama! I almost pity him! He he he!”

“Goddamn shut-in! We’re gonna break into your stupid domain and beat the shit out of you, just you wait!”

“You said it, Naiz! No way we’re letting that bastard escape. No matter where he is, we’re gonna find him so I can make him pay for ripping my family apart.”

“Where’s Alfaaard. I need to make sure he records the moment that self-styled god kneels to us and begs for mercy in his Font of Knowledge.”

At first they’d avoided drinking too much, since they knew this was no time to be cutting loose, but once they’d gotten a little tipsy, they’d let themselves go completely. It hadn’t been too bad at the start. Miledi had just started fawning over Oscar, while Meiru had kept on pestering Naiz. Naiz had, of course, ignored her entirely and focused on stopping Oscar from taking things too far with Miledi. Meanwhile, Lyutillis had gone full pervert mode, Laus had broken down in tears over his family, and Vandre had started talking to the wall.

Still, while they’d been pretty drunk, at least they hadn’t been causing problems for other people. Alfard and the others had found that version of the drunk Liberators kind of cute, honestly.

Miledi and the others had been under a lot of pressure to save the world, and they’d been understandably stressed out, so it wasn’t too surprising that eventually they’d start to vent.

Before long, their eyes started to glaze over and they began insulting Ehit in every way they knew how. If they’d just been shouting it wouldn’t have been too bad, but they started casting offensive magic in their drunken stupor as well. No one could stop them either, or they’d risk getting dragged into the danger zone.

In the end, Alfard had cast a barrier around all of them and then taken his family out of the room. Miledi and the others didn’t even notice that he’d departed, and were continuing to guzzle down alcohol as they gazed up at the stars through the hole in the ceiling that they’d made. They’d destroyed the walls as well.

That night, the people of Dastia watched on in fear as seven pillars of light even brighter than the one that had shot up when Alfard had been appointed king rose from the palace.

“Die, Ehit, you fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!” Miledi and the others roared in unison, their voices echoing throughout the entire city.

The next morning, Alfard opened the door to the dining hall with great trepidation. He eased it open as slowly as possible, looking as though he was about to step into the lair of a deadly beast. But while the room itself looked like it had been hit by a dozen tornadoes in quick succession, the Liberators were sitting quietly in a circle on the floor, seemingly at peace.

“Wh-What happened?” he asked hesitantly.

Miledi gave him a conflicted smile and muttered, “W-We did it.”

Alfard’s expression stiffened and he asked in a serious voice, “You’re pregnant with Oscar’s child?”

“Aaslkgjsalgajiu?! No!”

Blushing furiously, Miledi explained that they’d finally succeeded in creating things with concept magic. They’d managed to create multiple trump cards against Ehit...all while completely wasted.

The first thing they’d made was the Godslayer Dagger. It was a small, twenty-centimeter-long dagger with a sky-blue blade imbued with the power to kill gods. The second thing they’d created was the Compass of Eternal Paths. It looked more like a pocket watch with just one needle than a compass, but the concept magic it was imbued with pointed the needle to whatever the user desired most. Finally, the last thing they’d created was the Arrow of Boundaries. It was an arrow made of black quartz, and it was imbued with concept magic that allowed it to destroy any and all boundaries.

“That’s amazing,” Alfard said when Miledi explained what all the objects they’d made did. He was guiding the group to the cliffs that marked Dastia’s border as the conversation unfolded.

“Umm...thanks,” Miledi replied, sounding surprisingly meek. Normally, she’d have been boasting about their accomplishment and generally being a nuisance. However, no one called Miledi out on her strange behavior. Mostly because Oscar and the others were similarly subdued, honestly.

“I guess I’ll make sure to record that the best way to forge an unbelievably powerful will is to get unbelievably drunk.”

“Please don’t!” Miledi exclaimed in a panic. She didn’t want her shame to be recorded forever in history.

Alfard burst out laughing, and Selene, Anya, and Sveit, who’d also come to see the group off, chuckled.

“A-Anyway, please take this!” Miledi said, holding a Treasure Trove out to Alfard. Oscar had made it for him as a token of his thanks. He’d also stuffed it full of unique artifacts, including one he’d made in the process of creating the concept magic artifacts that defended against Ehit’s power of compulsion. That ability had actually been recorded in the Font of Knowledge, and the group now knew that spell was called Divine Edict.

“Hm... And you say this artifact is called ‘Sorry? Couldn’t hear you, dumbass’?” Alfard asked as Oscar told him about all the artifacts in the Treasure Trove.

“I’m sorry about Miledi’s awful naming sense.”

“Are you mad that we always make fun of your naming sense, O-kun?”

While the group was talking, Albanor—who’d been in Selene’s arms—finally woke up, so Miledi and the others decided to take that as their cue to leave.

Miledi held out a hand to Alfard and said, “Thank you so much for everything.”

“If anything, I should be the one thanking you,” he replied as he shook her hand and gave her a beaming smile. “I have faith that you seven will do what’s best for the world.”

Miledi blinked in surprise upon hearing that, then smiled back at Alfard.

“Now then, we need to get back and tell everyone the good news. Mwa ha ha ha!” Miledi cackled, twirling happily as she flew through the air. She was in a good mood now that they’d finally obtained the power to resist Ehit, and her fighting spirit was burning brighter than ever. Accelerating rapidly, she led the group out of the Azure Lands in the blink of an eye. Then, as soon as they were out of the swamp, she activated her Skynet.

“Hmm? It doesn’t seem to be connecting properly. Lyu-chan, is something wrong?”

“My evolution magic is working perfectly fine, so it shouldn’t be that.”

Miledi had initially thought the Skynet didn’t have enough juice to transmit its signals, but after learning that wasn’t the case, she turned to Vandre.

“My brother should still be at the fortress at the front lines...but maybe he was forced to move?”

Rasul should have been the closest to Miledi and the others, but her Skynet didn’t seem to be connecting to his at all.

“O-kun, look for him with the compass.”

Oscar nodded and activated the compass, fixing Rasul firmly in his mind.

“Looks like Rasul’s traveling east along the gorge... Wait, is he planning on returning to the north?”

“What, with his entire army? He didn’t leave anyone behind to serve as a liaison or anything?”

“One sec, I’ll try searching for his troops... Hmm, it looks like they’re here. They’re at a fortress that’s a thousand kilometers to the northeast. But...this is weird. The image is fuzzy. It’s almost like they’re scattered.”

A chill ran down Oscar’s spine. He had a bad feeling about this.

“Let’s go. It’ll be faster to just head there directly. Plus, the Skynet at the fortress has a much bigger range than ours,” Miledi replied.

“That’s true. With my evolution magic, we should be able to reach Shandra or even Velnika with the Skynet there.”

Miledi and the others nodded to each other, then rushed off toward the fortress.

“What happened here...?”

Upon arriving, they found a shattered fort littered with corpses. The demon army had been slaughtered.

“Meru-nee! Lau-chan!”

“I know, I know!”

“On it!”

Meiru and Laus hurried down to the fortress. Laus then used spirit magic to try to search for any survivors, but—

“Fuck,” he whispered as he realized there wasn’t a single person left alive in the fortress.

In the meantime, Miledi and the others ran straight toward the room that housed the Skynet. That room had originally been the fortress’s command room, so it had the strongest defenses placed around it. A few survivors might have holed up in there.

“The door...”

Everyone paled when they saw that the door to the command room was wide open. The walls were caked with dried blood and the stench of death wafted out from the open door. A few days had passed since this massacre, clearly.

Upon seeing one of the corpses, Vandre’s chest tightened and he murmured, “No...General Elga...”

He walked over to the old general, whose body was against the wall, lifeless, and crumpled to his knees. He then stared blankly at Elga’s corpse, looking like he’d been hit over the head with a hammer. Miledi and the others appeared just as shocked.

“The Skynet’s broken...but...”

Biting his lip, Oscar nevertheless forced himself into action. His glasses had picked up trace amounts of mana remaining in one corner of the wall...and upon closer inspection, he saw that someone had shoddily buried something with earth magic. He transmuted the earth away, revealing a smaller, portable Skynet.

“It was set to record...”

Oscar had upgraded the Skynets to have recording capabilities so that the Liberators would be able to show future generations the day of the decisive battle.

Miledi and the others hurried over as Oscar played back the recording.

“I pray that you find this recording, my princess.”

Rasul appeared on the Skynet’s small, twenty-centimeter screen. He didn’t have the playful smile he usually did. In fact, he looked grimmer than he ever had. The sounds of battle and Lestina’s shouting could be heard in the distance.

“The world has gone mad.”

Miledi and the others narrowed their eyes in worry upon hearing that.

“Or rather, it is Ehit who’s driven it mad. All the countries around the world have started hunting the Liberators. Armies are mobilizing and the common people have turned against us. Why, even the children and the elderly have been trapped in a crucible of fanatical zeal!”

Laus and Meiru entered the room, looking defeated, just in time to hear that last sentence.

“Huh? What’s he saying? I don’t...” Miledi trailed off, shaking her head.

Rasul’s voice grew harsher, almost as if he was scolding her to get a grip as he said, “I don’t know when this message will reach you, but you must hurry! You must rescue as many survivors as possible...before all is lost!”

Tears spilled from Miledi’s eyes, while Oscar and the others went as white as sheets. They now understood the true nature of the final game Ehit had prepared for them.