Infinite Dendrogram - Volume 9 - Chapter Ep2

Epilogue B: The Kingdom 
About Altimia 
Ever since the war, Altimia had spent her days cornering herself. 
After starting to run the kingdom in her father’s stead, she’d also started losing herself in her harsh training as the Sacred Princess. 
Whenever there was trouble, she’d hide her identity and go solve it herself. 
Perhaps it was her way of atoning. 
Though her father had been partially at fault for stopping her, she — despite being the kingdom’s strongest tian — hadn’t joined the battle for the kingdom, and that had led to the loss of many of her people, as well as her own loved ones. 
She couldn’t forgive herself for that. 
She believed that things might’ve gone differently if she’d gone against her father’s wishes and headed out to battle. 
Thus, she wanted to stand at the forefront next time, protecting everything she’d failed to protect last time. 
Azurite wanted to safeguard the country, its people, and her loved ones. 
She wished to be like the first king, Azurite, the origin of the Altar bloodline. 
That was why she used that name whenever she hid her identity. It was one of her names, and it represented what she wanted to be. 
About a month ago, something major had happened in Gideon. 
The infamous Franklin’s Game. 
Gideon, the place where her sister was, had been terrorized by Franklin, the man who’d killed their father. 
It had happened right when Altimia was afflicted by an Epidemic. 
Upon seeing the broadcast Franklin was projecting over the capital, she had found out what awful things were happening in Gideon and that her little sister had been kidnapped. 
Azurite had instantly tried to hurry over there to save Elizabeth and to fulfill her duty as one who was supposed to protect the country from those menacing it. 
However, the illness had made it impossible, and the retainers surrounding her bed had urged her to reconsider, so she’d stayed. 
Overcome by despair, she’d cried over and over. 
“Why can’t I ever be there?! Why can I only watch as I lose my loved ones? I...” 
If Gideon had been destroyed, if something had happened to her sister, the despair would’ve surely haunted her for the rest of her life. 
However, there was someone who’d shattered her despair. 
A Master. 
A Master challenging a monster many times more powerful than him, one that had even been designed to beat him. 
All ragged and torn, he had continued fighting the seemingly hopeless battle... and actually emerged victorious. 
He’d put himself forward and erased the despair that was going to overcome Gideon. 
Azurite could clearly remember him raising his right arm. 
That was the moment when her distrust for Masters had started to warm into an equivalent trust for them... and the moment when a certain Master had left a mark on her heart and mind. 
 
Prism Rider, Ray Starling 
With the whale’s explosion, all the battles in Quartierlatin ended. 
Once it was all over, I realized that the only surviving Masters were me, Tom, and the few that had helped the people find safety. 
Some tians had been lost. The Hell General’s devils had killed both knights and civilians alike. 
It was tragic, but it wasn’t like we hadn’t gained anything here. 
I was pretty certain that all the factions involved here had lost something. 
That was probably why I felt less “victorious” and more “glad that this was over.” 
If there was one thing I’d gained here, though... 
“These, huh?” 
There were ten palm-sized inventories before me. I’d picked these up in the huge load of silverish, whitish powder I’d found in the mountain where the whale had exploded. 
These inventories seemed to have a lot more space than the bag-like inventory I always used. 
Looking inside, I found that they were full of the powder. Checking out the powder, the window only gave me the description of “Metal Particles.” 
I really need to consider getting Identify... 
“For now, simply take the inventories,” said Nemesis. “You can ask Brother Bear, Marie, or B3 about the powder.” 
“Yeah.” 
They were knowledgeable enough to know something about it, surely. 
This made me realize how clueless I was about Dendro compared to a good chunk of my acquaintances. 
“Ray.” My thought was cut short by Azurite. 
After the battle, she’d gone to visit Countess Quartierlatin, and now she was back. 
“How was it?” I asked. 
“Well, besides the fact that Tom Cat is gone, we don’t have any problems.” 
“Tom’s gone?” I really doubted that he’d gotten the death penalty. Had he logged off for some urgent business or something? 
“Both the countess and the people from the inn we stayed at are unharmed.” 
“They are?” 
Good to know, I reflected, and then remembered somebody else. 
“Wait... What about Dr. Mario?” 
“I haven’t seen him, either. With the troubles here over, I imagine he’s returned to the imperium.” 

I wanted to thank him for his help fighting the whale, but it looked like I’d have to save it for later. 
“By the way, Azurite, should you really be walking around with your face exposed?” I asked. 
She wasn’t wearing her mask right now. Azurite was talking to me, out here in public, with her beautiful face out in the open. This meant all the passersby were staring at her. 
“Ray... there is something I’ve wanted to tell you,” she said. 
“There is?” 
Oh yeah, she’d almost said something before the whale and crab appeared. Was it that? 
“Listen, Ray... My real name...” She looked at me with a serious face before gathering her resolve and continuing. “...is Altimia Azurite Altar. That is who I am.” 
“Oh, so your first name’s ‘Altimia.’” This was the first time I’d heard her full name. 
“...That’s it?” She looked dumbfounded. 
“Well, I didn’t realize ‘Azurite’ was your middle name.” 
Of course, a middle name meant that she had to be a big deal in the nobility. She had mentioned that she had Quartierlatin blood, after all. 
Wait, hold on... She said her family name is “Altar...” 
“Are you related to the royal family?” I asked. 
Azurite stared at me with an indefinable expression. I couldn’t tell if she was surprised, angry, or just at a loss for words. 
“Ray...” Nemesis joined the exchange. “Isn’t ‘Altimia’ the name of the first princess?” 
“Ohh... So she has the same name as her, huh?” 
“It’s not just the name. She might be the real thing, don’t you think?” 
Ha ha ha! Don’t be silly, Nemesis. 
“A princess would never wear that shady-looking mask,” I said. “Say whatever you want about everything else, the mask nullifies it all... Huh? Azurite? Why’re you raising the sword?” 
The next moment, Azurite hit me with the dull side of the azure sword. 
BHPH! 
“Realize it already!” she shouted. “You were so perceptive during the exploration and battle! What happened to that?! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to reveal this?!” 
She half-cried, half-laughed as she bashed me from a fair distance away. 
What did I do to deserve this?! 
“It’s me! The first princess! The masked princess! The Sacred Princess! Altimia! So what if my mask makes me look shady?! I’ll say it again — I don’t want you to talk to me about fashion sense!” 
That was enough for me to finally understand that she really was the first princess. 
“Sorry for what I said about the mask,” I said. 
“You should be!” 
“Can I ask one thing, though?” 
“...What?” She looked at me like she was sure I was about to ask something about her mask. 
That wasn’t the case, though. It was much simpler than that. 
“Azurite... what should I call you?” 
“Eh?” 
“You’re the first princess, you know? Should I call you ‘princess,’ like I do Elizabeth, or ‘Your Highness,’ or something?” 
After a brief moment of surprise, she sputtered a laugh. “Call me Al... no... ‘Azurite’ is fine. You don’t have to use any titles in non-official scenarios.” 
“Are you sure?” 
“Yes. Call me that.” 
“All right. I’ve got another question now.” 
“What is it?” She looked at me curiously. 
I extended my hand to her and asked, “Azurite... Can I cooperate with you?” 
“Ah...” 
On the night of our first day here, I’d told her that I’d appreciate it if she’d accepted any Masters who wanted to help. This was just a repeat of that. 
A Master was presenting the first princess of the kingdom with the same question as before. 
So this was less of a question and more of a request for an answer. 
With my hand still extended, I waited for her to make her choice. 
“Back then...” She closed her eyes and seemed to be remembering something as she began talking. “When we fought the weapons that came out to the surface, I defeated the one on the ground, while you bested the one in the sky.” 
“Yeah.” 
“But I’m certain that you couldn’t have beaten the one on the ground, and I couldn’t have touched the one in the sky.” 
“That’s true.” 
“I can stand on the front lines, but there are things I can’t protect by myself. However...” She smiled. “I believe there are things I can protect if I stand side-by-side with you... with Masters.” 
She extended her right hand. 
“I’ll be counting on you, Ray.” 
“Yeah. Let’s get along, Azurite.” 
We shook hands. 
 
A week after the incident in Quartierlatin, the first princess made a kingdom-wide announcement. 
She said that was seeking the Masters’ help in the many challenges the kingdom would face, including the war with the imperium. 
Some were confused about what had caused this change of policy, but in the end, both tians and Masters alike accepted it. 
Though the specific measures weren’t happening yet, a gale of hope swept throughout the kingdom.