The Daughter of Evil - Volume 3 - Chapter 1.21

Chapter 1, Section 2-Chance Meeting of a Sworn Friend; Scene 1
Praeludium of Red, page 35-38

♣ Yukina ~In the Beelzenian Empire, “Rucolebeni”~

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“The Country Born of the Moon”, or “The Red Country”.

It’s said that the nation that held those pseudonyms, Beelzenia, was a large empire that had ruled over half of the Evillious region for at least 300 years. Even after its former territories Asmodean and Lucifenia had declared their independence, the influence that it held over the land as a whole was the same.

However, around thirty years ago, when King Arth was enthroned in Lucifenia, the state of things suddenly changed.

The Kingdom of Lucifenia declared war on its fellow countries one by one, and over time expanded its territory. The one who suffered the most from that was none other than Beelzenia, and the once great empire had its entire southern Evillious territory stolen from it.

The town of Retasan that I’d been staying in just a little while ago used to be in Beelzenia’s lands too.

Because of that, naturally–though if you said this you’d get in trouble–the line of buildings I could see here in Rucolebeni weren’t particularly original compared to those in Retasan; it was a little disappointing.

As this was just the birthplace of the high-grade wine “Blood Grave”, there seemed to be a lot of shops dealing in wine; unable to drink alcohol yet, I didn’t find them very exciting.

I made my way to the center of town, and opened my map in a place away from the crowd of people. It was something I’d been using since I first started my trip, so it was very worn out. On top of that, it didn’t really depict in much detail the areas further east and south than Beelzenia. I’d need a new map before too much longer.

Well, anyway, where should I go for now?

Actually, before I’d come here I received a summons to the Beelzenian Emperor’s castle at a checkpoint. But it might lead to a bit of bother to obediently follow up on that after using the “Freezis” name to enter the country. I was fed up with being used politically, and, worst-case scenario, my father in Marlon would be made aware of my location.

Once I’d entered the country, it was up to me. From the beginning I had no intention of expressly going to see the Emperor.

If I headed east from Rucolebeni I’d be able to see the Crescent Moon Sea. It was the origin of the name “The Country Born of the Moon”, and as I’d traveled to the place that was on much of its border, I was thinking that I’d go to see it soon.

But of course, first I ought to visit the famed Conchita estate.

Banica Conchita was once an aristocrat known for her great contribution to the development of Beelzenian cuisine.

There was a fairytale about an “Evil Blood Drinker Vanika” that was known far and wide in the Evillious region–that too was based on the story born from her style as a gourmand.

Interestingly, in the legend written relating to the “Vessels of Deadly Sin”, the wineglass Conchita owned was one of the vessels. It also posited the theory that she was possessed by the demon of “Gluttony”.

“Do you really believe in an occult book like that?”

A boy that I’d been traveling with in Levianta had mocked me with that. Even I didn’t really believe in the existence of the “Vessels of Deadly Sin”, nor the “Seven Demons” that dwelled in them. But I’d thought that it would be better to set up such a mysterious topic as the goal of my otherwise aimless journey. The trip wouldn’t be interesting if it wasn’t dramatic.

I had first learned of the “Vessels of Deadly Sin” by reading a book by Historian Will Jaakko. He was presently labelled as a bogus scholar, and his research was almost entirely reputed to be unbelievable, full of falsehoods and fabrications.

But the description of the “Seven Deadly Sins” written about in his novel was extremely exciting and sensational.

What had caught my interest more than anything was that a certain figure’s name had come up in a sentence written at the very back of the book–a book that had been penned over one hundred years ago.    

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“And finally, relating to the text’s writing, a great thanks to my friend who supplied me with so much valuable information, Elluka Clockworker.”

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Elluka Clockworker.

That was the same name as the sorceress who had lived with me for a very brief time five years ago.