Prologue
EVERYTHING seemed to be going well for Mynoghra when they obtained the town of Dragontan from their negotiations with Phon'kaven. The two nations formed a formal military alliance, and everyone believed their relationship would lead to accelerated expansion and technological development for both. However, things quickly went south on the day of the Dragontan Cession Completion Ceremony.
Takuto, Mynoghra's Commander and the King of Ruin, had come under attack from enemies hailing from an unexpected place. He'd let his guard down, thinking his current defenses would be enough to stave off an attack. During this moment of weakness brought about by overconfidence, Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials, Veiled Saint Fenne, and Slurping Witch Erakino struck.
Mynoghra never imagined a Player with game mechanics on their side would join forces with the Saints of the Holy Kingdom of Qualia, a foolish oversight leading to their civilization sustaining a fatal blow during this surprise attack. They had lost their mightiest Hero, Sludge Witch Atou, to Brainwashing and their Commander to death at her hands.
The Game Master's cheat-like ability to forcibly change every action's outcome to one he favored had plummeted Mynoghra into a devastating situation that rendered all their resistance futile.
Mynoghra could do nothing without its Commander. As an empire built upon his powers as a Commander hailing from Eternal Nations, Mynoghra shared Takuto's fate in every sense.
In that moment, it seemed like all hope had vanished.
But Takuto Ira wasn't dead.
That same night, he showed up in front of the devastated Dark Elf Sage, Elder Moltar, and acted as if nothing had happened.
His body might have been unscathed, but he'd never forget the pernicious events of that day. Takuto never forgave anyone who made an enemy of him. He was a young man who had consigned countless challenging enemies to the cold embrace of oblivion with his ingenious strategies. The name Takuto Ira had been engraved in many a foe's heart with awe and dread.
And now that very man had begun his march toward vengeance.
Shrouded in a cloak of boundless rage and bottomless malevolence, the King of Ruin took his first direct action since coming to this world by seeking to take back what was his—Atou.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 1: Settling Accounts
THE Divine Nation of Lenea was the new holy kingdom founded by the two Saints who had forcibly seceded the Southern Province away from the Holy Kingdom of Qualia. The tranquility the region was known for had been recently replaced with the sort of tumultuous energy any religious state would frown upon. The change could be written off as the sort of reform that comes with founding a new nation. But the region was a shocking sight to behold for anyone who knew what Qualia's Southern Province was like before the change.
One such man, who'd once called this place home, stared wideeyed at the drastic change that welcomed him after being away for so long. He was clad in the pristine white armor of a Paladin, with a beautiful Holy Sword strapped to his waist.
"Why, hello there, stranger! You've been gone so long, I thought I saw a ghost!"
The man turned around at the sound of a convivial voice speaking to him.
The region might belong to a different nation now, but Paladins were still revered as authoritative figures by the people. This particular Paladin was indifferent to the stuffy decorum his position required and liked to treat everyone as equals, so he had a wide network of friends. People who didn't care for him politically didn't hesitate to call him a charlatan, but he had immense support from certain demographics. It wasn't unusual for someone to speak to him out of the blue, and he often knew the people who did.
"Hm? Oh, long time no see, Mabel," he greeted with a casual wave.
The middle-aged woman owned the apothecary the man used personally and someone he'd known since he was a boy. She gave him a hardy slap on the back, like she was welcoming back a friend of her son who'd just returned home after being away for years. He was slightly exasperated by how she welcomed him with violence, but not entirely put off by it. The pair of them continued to chat away happily despite being in the middle of the busy road.
"You haven't shown your face 'round these parts in ages, boy. What've you been up to?" she asked. "You haven't been slacking off on the job again, have ya?"
"Don't go there! I ain't a kid no more, so stop treatin' me like one. Speaking of which, what's happened to this place? There's not even a trace of those lazy stiffs stuffin' the place up. If I didn't know better, I'd say I'm in a different country," he said, promptly voicing his suspicions.
His demeanor and word choice were a far cry from the humility required of his position, but the woman wasn't bothered by it. If anything, she looked like she was dying for him to ask and pounced with an amused response.
"Do ya really not know? Of course it's like a different country, because it is!"
"Huh. Care to explain? You see, my last mission had me somewhere isolated. I'd really appreciate it if you could update me if you have the time."
"Sure thing! I'll tell you everything you need to know. So, to start…" she launched into a long explanation.
The man ended up burning more time than expected listening to the woman as she digressed here and there in her storytelling, but he felt it a worthy trade for obtaining the information he wanted.
Then again, he might've been in so much shock that he didn't have the wherewithal to mind such trivial prattling right now.
"…Hmm," he hummed after hearing her out. "To think that all happened while I was away. Seriously shocked the socks right offa me. Sounds like everything's gone to hell and back."
"You can say that again! I've no idea what you were up to, but you're such a naughty boy for bein' away during the biggest chaos of the century," she nagged. "Do yer job, Paladin!"
"C'mon, gimme credit. Don't go 'round spreading misinformation that I wasn't workin' when I was. I was out risking life and limb to annihilate evil, y'know? Me not knowing about all this stuff is all a part of God's holy plan," the man casually responded as he gestured wildly with his hands.
People slowly started to gather around him and Mabel. They were the townspeople who'd admired and respected him since long ago.
I'm not gettin' outta here any time soon, he thought as he nonchalantly responded to the various people who came up to greet him in turns.
"I'm just yankin' your chain. I'm glad I got to see ya after all this time. You've always been such a holy terror. I've been worried thinkin' you might've gone and died trying to save some poor sap. But it looks like God hasn't forsaken you or us," Mabel said, voicing the sentiment shared by everyone there. Relief and joy over reuniting with the man showed through her wide, toothy smile.
Yes, those were her emotions toward the man whose whereabouts had been unknown for far too long…
.
----------------->
.
"Welcome back, our pride and joy, High Paladin Verdel!"
Verdel responded to the townspeople's warm welcome with a broad smile and a bashful, "I'm back."
◇◇◇
WHEN High Paladin Verdel arrived at the former Southern Province Paladin Headquarters, the sun had already reached its zenith and people were beginning to break for lunch. As far as Verdel knew, the headquarters located a stone's throw away from the cathedral was a utilitarian structure containing a training arena, single living quarters, a few jail cells for holding criminals, and an interrogation room.
Now it bustled with Paladins and people who looked like private businessmen going to and fro. The dining hall was cram-packed with so many towers of haphazardly stacked paperwork, it looked more like the office of a large trading company.
Verdel spotted a clergyman he knew by name mumbling to himself, looking like the living dead, as he sorted through one stack of documents. Before he could approach the man, a squire barreled into the room, practically tripping over his feet, shouting, "Another drunken brawl has broken out in the streets!"
An Under Paladin, curled up on the floor for a catnap, shot to his feet and sped out of the building like a wild dog was nipping at his heels. Verdel grimaced, sympathizing with what felt like the urgency and tension of a squadron the night before heading into battle. He headed toward his favorite seat, trying his best not to get in anyone's way.
Sitting in his choice spot was a Paladin notable for his closecropped hair and hulking frame. Verdel cracked a wry smile when he saw the man looking just as fatigued as the rest. He clapped him on the shoulder despite the Paladin ceaselessly racing his pen across a bunch of wrinkled papers.
"Whoa, did they turn this room into the morgue? Because you look like a dead man doing paperwork, Paladin Thomas," Verdel said, cracking a joke.
"Put a sock in it. I haven't slept for days here—" The Mesial Paladin called Thomas lifted his head, revealing an unhealthy complexion and dark bags under his swollen eyes. As soon as he saw Verdel, his expression lit up with surprise and joy, and he bellowed, "Verdel! I can't believe my man Verdel is back! You're such a jerk for not contacting me! C'mere, big guy!"
All of the exhaustion seemed to have been blown right out of him, because Thomas jumped out of his chair fast enough to flip it over. He pulled Verdel into a big bear hug, celebrating his friend's return. His reaction was more than enough to see just what kind of relationship the two shared. In fact, Thomas and Verdel had overcome various dangerous missions together and considered each other brothers in arms.
Verdel responded to his comrade just as he always did. Fed up with Thomas's clingy embrace, he slipped free and put space between them.
"Quit yellin' in my ear already. And get offa me!" he demanded.
"I see you still haven't fixed your clinginess problem yet. Anyway, can
I have a minute of your time?"
Their loud voices drew attention. The other haggard Paladins in the room shot them curious looks. They looked surprised to see him, but their reactions were tame compared to Thomas's because they all belonged to different factions from Verdel.
The long history of peace in the Holy Kingdom of Qualia gave rise to factions of varying sizes that kept each other in check. Unfortunately, all the baggage connected to this history had been carried over to Saint Soalina's newly formed Divine Nation of Lenea.
Although they no longer openly confronted each other, the various factions still kept their distance.
With politics and past prejudices constantly at play in the background, few people tried to get close to a troublemaker like Verdel, and even fewer understood the just heart beneath his rough exterior. In that sense, Paladin Thomas was one of the precious few who understood him, and was a true friend and brother in every way that counted. And that was exactly why there were things Verdel could only discuss with him.
"Minutes are hard to come by these days, but it's almost time for me to take a break," Thomas said. "…What, is it something you need to talk about in private?"
"Yeah, you could say that," Verdel nodded. "I mean, don't you see all those scaaary people glaring daggers at me to shut up? I'd rather talk somewhere we won't be interrupting others or be interrupted ourselves."
Thomas furrowed his brow at that remark. Qualia might've had its factions, but the Order of Paladins was united under their unyielding faith in Arlos. They might clash with each other over political positions and personal interests, but they were fundamentally working toward the same goal. Whatever their circumstances might be, they would always join forces to defeat evil. In Thomas's eyes, that was the way of the Order of the Paladins and how a follower of the Holy God Arlos should act.
Still, Verdel's demeanor suggested there was more to this conversation he wanted to have.
Knowing him, he must've gotten himself into another sticky situation. The question is, what did he do this time? Thomas eyed his friend dubiously.
"C'mon, friend. Don't give me the stink eye. It's not as big of a deal as you might think," Verdel said with a shrug. "Oh, and don't say a word to Commander Fjord. I'd rather not hear his loooong lecture until after I've slept off some of the exhaustion from my mission."
"You seriously haven't reported in to Captain Fjord yet?" Thomas shook his head with a look of utter disbelief. "For crying out loud, it's a miracle someone like you ever made it to High Paladin."
"What can I say, my actions speak for themselves. I'll meet you outside," Verdel said nonchalantly, waving his hand as he strode out of the room.
Thomas sighed heavily as he watched him go. And then he told one of the Paladins, who was watching them from afar, that he would be taking a late lunch out of the office.
◇◇◇
VERDEL led Thomas to a house located in another part of town. With its small size and rough-hewn construction, the house appeared to be designed for the less wealthy. If that wasn't bad enough, it seemed like it was left vacant for several years, and while the support beams were intact, the whole place reeked of mold and was covered in a thick layer of dust.
Thomas was exasperated by his old friend's uncanny skill in finding these sorts of places that ran contrary to where a Paladin would normally frequent. Whether Verdel was aware of his friend's opinion of him or not, he didn't seem to care as his attention was entirely elsewhere.
"The Divine Nation of Lenea, eh? Our Lady Saint has taken quite the drastic measure, hasn't she?" Verdel remarked, sounding less than impressed.
"That she has." Thomas nodded. "But this region has changed for the better. A great many people have regained their ability to laugh and smile again. And injustices have been set right."
Thomas had spent their entire private conversation telling Verdel all about what had been happening in the Southern Province during his absence. The initial founding of the Divine Nation of Lenea was done in absolute secrecy. A great deal of information was kept secret even from the Order of Paladins, but they at least knew significantly more than the people on the streets.
Thomas had filled Verdel in on every last detail he knew since the High Paladin had been left in the dark during his long-term away mission. And Verdel's response to it was just those two deadpan sentences. While Verdel seemed surprised by the information, he didn't experience the same joy or emotional response the rest of the Paladins had.
"Righting injustices, eh? I was wonderin' why I didn't see those fault-finding stiffs around anymore. Makes sense if they were all offed like lambs before the slaughter," Verdel said dryly.
"Don't put it so crudely," Thomas chided. "This is where you say they received God's just punishment. In fact, some of the priests closest to us have escaped judgment… Well, a few were on the receiving end of God's wrath."
"And that's why things have improved 'round these parts, eh? Not like anyone can go against a Saint with killing the King of Ruin under her belt. She's achieved the stuff of legends, that Saint. Central can't lay their hands on her without thinkin' twice." Verdel hopped up and sat on top of the dusty table, not minding the dust cloud that puffed up beneath him.
Thomas scowled at his lack of decorum, but he knew Verdel well enough that he wouldn't change his bad behavior even if it was pointed out to him, so he settled with flaying the High Paladin with a judgmental glare. Verdel shrugged, as if to say, "Ooooh, you scary," earning him a long-winded sigh. Thomas decided to get them back on topic by voicing his concerns.
"The problematic clergymen have been rightfully punished and are now a part of our main faction. Many of the things we used to have to overlook to our shame can now be loudly condemned. Justice will be done."
Fanaticism burned deep within Thomas's eyes.
Verdel's eyes narrowed upon spotting that distinct change in his old friend, but he just as quickly returned to his flippant self, swinging his legs off the side of the table to keep from being caught.
"With that said, Verdel, a word of warning," Thomas said, his tone darkening. "I understand your heart of justice well, but I doubt many in this country will. Doubly so since the Saint of Blooming Burials doesn't know you. I'd hate for you to be condemned to a Divine Punishment by mistake. Can't you do something about that attitude of yours and behave yourself now?"
"You've got a point there. But what's a guy to do? I was born with this personality…" Verdel shrugged.
"What kind of attitude is that to have, Verdel?" Thomas shook his head at him. "Be serious for once in your life. This is me worrying about you here."
"Yeah, the last couple minutes of this conversation have taken an awfully dark turn. Are all these Divine Punishments decided and meted out by the Saint herself? It seems a bit like overkill to me."
Calling it a Divine Punishment was just a pretty way of referring to government-sanctioned executions.
Even Verdel counted as a man of the cloth. He'd caused his share of problems during his tenure but never crossed the line. In fact, the worst punishment he'd ever received was being told to cool his head off at home for a bit. He typically just had to deal with being chewed out by his superiors and the priests. If someone like him was now a candidate for execution, this country's internal state was far worse than it first appeared.
"No…" Thomas paused for a long moment. "It's not the Saints making the decisions. Commander Fjord and Lady Erakino are acting on their behalf. Those two are likely the ones making the hard decisions."
"Wait, who's this Erakino person?" Verdel asked, arching an eyebrow. "I don't remember that name…"
"Lady Erakino is…how do I put it? The Saint of Blooming
Burials's…" Thomas hesitated, "…friend? I think. That's what we were told."
"Heeeh… Her friend, eh? If memory serves me well, it's unprecedented for any Saint to have friends," Verdel said, not hiding the skepticism in his voice.
"I'm in no position to comment on that," Thomas said. "At any rate, people are flocking to serve under Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials and Veiled Saint Fenne. Our standing with the Holy Kingdom and the Alliance of Elementals is still up in the air, but I'm certain they will come to understand our stance."
Verdel began organizing the information in his head now that he had a grasp of the big picture. He didn't know much about the Saint of Blooming Burials or the Veiled Saint personally, but he knew that the Saints all had to offer something to God in exchange for using his Miracle Artes. And that they were mentally unstable as a result.
Some residual attachment to what they had sacrificed was likely the driving force behind them founding this new nation.
"If you asked her, the Scribe Saint would surely joi—"
"Don't even bring it up," Verdel cut him off. "I can never see her again. Never."
"I see… I'm sorry, friend."
Verdel clucked his tongue as the memory of the girl he hadn't seen for far too long haunted his thoughts.
Because it was all over for him, anyway.
"You know, we can change this country for the better now, Verdel. Do you remember what we used to chat at length about when we snuck out of the barracks and into the taverns as squires?" Thomas asked, his voice laced with nostalgia.
"Yeah, those were the days. We sure were young and dumb."
"I haven't forgotten the oath we swore that day. For the sake of the people, for the sake of creating a world free of sadness, I will fulfill God's holy mission as his Paladin."
Memories of the past came flooding back to Verdel like a revolving lantern. Memories of the days he believed in God, the good of people, himself, and how he'd recklessly charged ahead.
It was all over for him now.
"What about you, Verdel?" Thomas asked. "Is your oath still as good as it was back then? Has the sword you dedicated to the people kept its brilliance? Or has it begun to dull?"
"Of course it's still goin' strong. Don't ask stupid things. My sword's brilliance and my faith in God are burning as bright as ever. Though I can't blame you for second-guessing from the way I act." Yes, High Paladin Verdel had possessed unwavering faith. He had stuck to his oath.
But that was all in the past now.
"By the way, you said you have something you wanted to talk about? Sorry for chatting about other stuff the whole time. What's up? I'm happy to beg Commander Fjord for forgiveness with you, whatever it may be," Thomas offered.
They had been talking about heavy stuff for so long, Thomas began rolling his stiff shoulders as he walked toward the lone window in the dank room. He opened the creaky wooden frame that had stiffened with neglect and looked outside. He was calculating the time based on the sun's position. He had his back turned to Verdel.
"Ah, yeah, that's right," Verdel said casually. "It's quite simple, really."
"Why did you call me all the way out here for something like that then, Verde—"
Verdel plunged his Holy Sword right through Thomas's back.
"GUAAAAGH! Wh-What…are…"
Thomas stared aghast at the Holy Sword sticking through his abdomen. Even as he was about to lose consciousness from the crippling pain, his training as a Paladin kicked in, and he instinctively rolled forward and pulled out the sword, desperately putting distance between them before he looked back. Standing in the very spot of his aggressor was undeniably his old friend—the man he had gone through thick and thin with. There was no mistaking it—High Paladin Verdel had attacked him.
"Why…" Thomas choked out in a strangled voice.
"Because it's all over for me already."
Verdel's last words to his friend didn't contain an ounce of emotion and were finished off with a swift downward swing of the blood-soaked Holy Sword. The stone-cold eyes watching Thomas until his consciousness faded into the eternal grip of darkness didn't waver once.
◇◇◇
THE offices of the former Southern Province Paladin Headquarters were jam-packed with the poor saps swamped with a never-ending workload. One of the High Paladins, who'd been racking his brains to figure out where he could reappropriate funds from to support their insufficient budget, suddenly noticed a familiar face standing in the doorway and called out to him.
"Oh, you're back? You didn't come back together?"
He thought the Mesial Paladin would return with the person he'd left with, but that wasn't the case. He was curious about what they had been furtively whispering about, but he didn't want to get dragged into any trouble for sticking his nose in another faction's business, so he decided not to ask any prying questions. The other man didn't seem to have much to say on the matter as he returned the High Paladin's greeting with a silent nod. He would've said something if they had a problem on their hands.
"Well, not that it matters if you're alone. We've got a mountain of work to tackle. I'm sure seeing your old friend did you a world of good. Keep up the good work, would ya?"
If the Mesial Paladin's friend didn't bring them any trouble, then they had but one job—to sort through the paperwork built up into literal towers around the office. Sadly, their work was the type that, if you let it be for even a moment, it found ways of doubling and tripling in that time. The sooner they finished, the less they would have building up on them.
Which reminded the High Paladin of the work that had newly come in while his colleague was out for lunch. He grabbed a folder off his desk and looked over at the other man.
"Oh, that reminds me, some additional claims came in while you were out. Mind taking a look for me?" He handed the paperwork to his colleague, feeling guilty that was his reward for coming to see him. His guilt multiplied when his colleague accepted the extra work without a word of complaint, although it's not like complaining would change reality. Instead, the High Paladin expressed his gratitude to the man heading back to his own desk, "Thanks, Paladin Thomas."
<-x-X-x->
◇◇◇
THE city where the forces of good lived out their daily lives had an infuriatingly complex layout that often seemed at odds with its name: Divine City Amrita. The city wasn't purposely designed to make its inhabitants want to rip out their hair—it had gradually grown more complex as various sections were expanded, repaired, and redesigned over the centuries.
Once the largest city in Qualia's Southern Province, Amrita suffered from the same flaws even after it'd been made into the Divine Nation of Lenea's capital. Whether you were attempting to go to the main streets, the residential districts, or the old shopping district, a single wrong turn down an alleyway would send you in the opposite direction of your destination. Even the locals born and raised there often stumbled across paths they never knew existed.
At the end of one such winding alley, Fjord, a High Paladin and commander of Lenea's Order of Paladins, was guided by a local to a dark and eerie block surrounded by two-story houses that eclipsed the sun.
"Thank you for waiting, Cleric Cayman."
"Good to see you, Captain Fjord. Thank you for coming," answered the oldest clergyman there, lifting his gaze from something on the ground to greet Fjord. He heavily rose to his feet and bowed to the Order's commanding officer.
Cayman was the Cleric charged with the care of this district's parish. Cleric was the position given to Qualia's Priests who engaged in healing and medical work, and they continued in their positions even after the Southern Province came under Lenea's jurisdiction.
Boasting a deep knowledge of the diseases and injuries that afflict people, Clerics used to give various instructions to believers according to the guidelines handed down by Central. Now they were engaged in various medical activities in Lenea per the Saints' orders. Clerics held an especially esteemed rank among the clergy as their profession required specialized knowledge. Their duties ranged from basic medical care to midwifery to inspecting foodstuff circulating in the marketplace for spoilage and toxins. There wasn't much precedent for it now after many years of peace, but Clerics even took their expertise to the battlefields during times of war.
They had one other vital role to play as well.
"Is this the one?" Fjord asked, his voice grim.
"Yes, they are the poor soul who has returned to God's loving embrace. Please join me in praying for them to rest in eternal peace…"
Cleric Cayman directed his somber gaze down to where a corpse that was so badly burnt, the flesh and bones had carbonized almost beyond retaining any semblance of a shape. Inspecting corpses that had died from unnatural causes also fell under a Cleric's many duties.
"It would be my honor. A moment of silence, please," Fjord said, signaling all the clergymen and Paladins in attendance to close their eyes in silent prayer. It was the duty of Arlos's believers to pay respect to the dead and lead their souls back to their rightful place.
The clergymen solemnly prayed and recited scripture to help the deceased return to God's side without getting lost. Before long, the simple funeral led by Fjord came to a close and everyone opened their eyes.
Fjord inspected the crispified corpse, the gleam of one who seeks justice burning in his eyes as he spoke to Cleric Cayman. "I must say…this is far worse than I had anticipated. What in the infernal blazes happened here?"
"What you are looking at are bone fractures caused by blunt force damage to the whole body and lacerations caused by a blade," Cleric Cayman reported clerically. "This was followed by the whole body being consumed by intense flames while the victim was still alive. From what I have seen, I highly doubt this was the work of a
Human."
More like the work of a monster, Fjord intuited, but he didn't dare utter his conclusion aloud for fear of inciting unnecessary unrest. For if he had said it, he'd be letting the others know that there was an evil being capable of inflicting such savage injuries lurking within the shadows of their great city. He was suddenly compelled to scan their surroundings. One good look around informed him that there was no trace of anything being burned aside from the body itself.
"Was this not the…murder site?" he asked.
"I have never heard of any arte that allows one to carbonize only a body to this extent. As someone who has vanquished much evil and has even vaster knowledge of the various wicked beings in this world, how do you perceive this scene, Commander Fjord?" Cleric Cayman asked.
"I'm sorry, I've never come across such a thing in person or writing either…" Fjord shook his head.
He could think of plenty of Fire Mages capable of casting spells that could burn a person alive, and he knew of more than one firebreathing monster. But both would've damaged the surroundings along with the victim. Did the perpetrator kill the victim elsewhere and purposely dispose of the body here? Or was it the work of flame magic beyond Human understanding? Such powerful and mystifying magic was outside Fjord's realm of expertise.
The bizarreness didn't end there either.
Fjord couldn't escape the icy chill skating down his spine at the aberrations he saw in the corpse. It was hard not to be distracted by the charred flesh, but Fjord also didn't miss the damage to the bones caused by unimaginable blunt force.
Where do I even begin? he wondered. Even the man with a lengthy history of dealing with the supernatural and unexplainable, needed time to ponder this particular case.
"C-Commander! Commander Fjord!" one of the young Paladins accompanying Fjord cried out hysterically, breaking the silence.
"What is it? I understand this is a shocking sight, but you are in the presence of the deceased," Fjord chided. "Be more respectful and lower your voice."
"H-He's…um, well, he is…!"
Fjord looked back at his young subordinate, whose face was ash white with fright. He decided not to censure the greenhorn too much for making a scene, because he still lacked experience. Most of all, he knew the victim of this crime warranted a reaction.
"Who is that Paladin?!" the greenhorn rasped.
The victim was a Paladin. The body was so badly carbonized it was impossible to tell the gender, but the bits and pieces of Paladin armor that remained despite the hellish fire it was subjected to spoke of the victim's association with the Order. Yes, one of Arlos's holy disciples and trusted warriors, the sword and shield against all evil, the bastion of hope and trust for the forces of good—a Paladin—had been reduced to a heap of charcoal.
The question was: who was he? Or she? Who among their ranks had been slain? There was too little information to know.
"There's nothing left to identify them by," Cleric Cayman answered the young Paladin's high-pitched query. The slight quiver to his lips revealed his uncertainty on how to evaluate the terrifying reality facing them all. "The only physical material remaining is their armor, which has carbonized and partially dissolved. How could one of our valiant Paladins have been reduced to this…?"
After that conversation, Fjord and Cleric Cayman did an extensive investigation. First they checked to see if there were any personal effects or something they could use to identify the victim, but their search ended in vain. The face was thoroughly mangled, and whether that was intentional on the perpetrator's side or not, it rendered the victim indistinguishable.
The only fact they were able to confirm based on the armor was that the victim was either a Mesial or a High Paladin, which only underscored the gravity of the incident. A Mesial Paladin could take down a Lich, while a High Paladin should be strong enough to slay a Lesser Dragon.
The damage the victim sustained ruled out any run-of-the-mill crook, which meant some fearsome monstrosity was running amok in their city. Or perhaps it was the work of a full-fledged criminal organization…
"Transfer the body to this parish's morgue," Fjord ordered. "I know it won't be easy, but please continue your autopsy there. If you learn anything, even the smallest detail, make sure you report it directly to me."
"I swear to Arlos that it will be done," Cleric Cayman vowed.
I hope this doesn't turn out to be far worse than anything I can imagine… Fjord thought, his mind racing with the possibilities: a vengeful spirit, an unknown demon, assassins from another country, and the list went on. The Divine Nation of Lenea was still highly unstable. What kind of trial is God giving us under these already trying circumstances?
Fjord headed straight to the cathedral to report this ineluctable incident to the Saints, overwhelming worry nipping at his heel as he hurried.
◇◇◇
FJORD reported the case to the rulers of the new nation the day after the initial autopsy. It was a miracle he was even able to get an audience with the busy Saints, who were torn between their duties to manage the nation, hold religious rites, and negotiate with politicians and other influential parties. Only Veiled Saint Fenne could make any time for him on this occasion. Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials was unfortunately preoccupied with other business. And then there was Erakino, who showed up with the excuse that she had time to spare, revealing her curious nature.
Of course, Fjord welcomed her presence. Her mysterious powers and unique insight surpassed that of the Paladins, and her assistance had actually helped them discover countless injustices and set them right. To his dismay, her powers could do nothing to fix what had already come to pass.
"Whaaat?! A Paladin was killed? Seriously? Who did it?" Erakino asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"We still don't know," Fjord replied, bracing himself for what he had to tell them. "What we do know is that the killer is still lurking within our holy city and that we need to bolster security. I will have more Paladins dispatched to guard you both, as well as Saint Soalina. It may be a bit suffocating with the heightened security measures, but I ask that you accept that it's for the best right now," he said, delivering his decision as the commander of Lenea's Order of Paladins with a deep bow.
This wasn't a request, but an order. He couldn't allow any danger to befall the Saints during this critical juncture for the Divine Nation of Lenea. The infant country had no legs to stand on without the Saints. Fjord was concerned that some unfathomable danger was coming for the Saints, so he wanted to make absolutely certain they were safe no matter what came their way.
"Increasing security is the obvious choice. I'm more worried about increasing the load on the Paladins than any discomfort it might cause us," Veiled Saint Fenne said, agreeing with his decision with her quiet words of concern for him and his subordinates.
Reassured by the lack of surprise or disquiet in her delicate voice, Fjord immediately vowed she needn't concern herself with them. "You needn't worry about us, Saint Fenne. The Order exists to protect that which must be protected."
The Order of Paladins wouldn't bend or break under some extra pressure. The Saints were of greater concern. While they might surpass even a squadron of High Paladins in combat ability, they were still Human—letting one's guard down was inevitable. No mortal was capable of being on guard twenty-four seven. The Order of Paladins existed to fill any gaps in the Saints' defenses and protect their lives, even at the cost of their own.
Fenne's thoughts were drawn in a completely different direction from Fjord's. "With that said," she began, "who was it that died? I would like to express my condolences to the family. I believe a letter from a Saint, even one they don't personally know, might help to temporarily relieve their grief."
Fjord clamped his mouth shut, his earlier surge of resolution wilting. He should have said something along the lines of: "Think nothing of the sort. The bereaved family will surely be touched by your compassion and come one step closer to healing." Those would've been the correct words to say under normal circumstances.
However…
"…I'm terribly sorry, Saint Fenne. We still don't know who was slain," he said, uttering the opposite of what he wished to say. He didn't deny or correct Fenne's intropunitive statement, offering only an apology instead. His unworthy response as the commander of the Order of Paladins and the sound of him grinding his teeth exposed his distress.
Fenne's brows knitted behind her veil. "…I can understand not knowing who the culprit is yet. But how is it that you don't know the identity of the victim? I understand the body wasn't in a recognizable state, but you were able to determine they were a Paladin, right?"
"We did determine as much, yes," Fjord nodded. "However, all of the Order's Paladins are currently fulfilling different missions, with some dispatched to other regions. I have our men using every method available to us to contact everyone we have out in the field, but I am ashamed to admit that it hasn't netted us the results we were hoping for."
"I see. With fewer clergymen, it can't be easy," Fenne said quietly.
Paladins were never meant to be handling office work. Their job was to maintain public order within the parish they were assigned to, deal with military problems that occurred inside and outside their city, protect dignitaries, and defend against threats that may come from beyond their borders. With administrative work becoming their main focus of late, they were starting to grow sloppy with—or outright neglect—their primary duties, such as policing their assigned areas.
Fenne knew why—their drastic measures caused the system to buckle. Or perhaps it was simply taking a lot of time and effort on their part to repair the rotting government already in place.
Purging an astronomical number of corrupt clergymen meant they instantly lost everyone capable of doing clerical work. And putting in place a system of checks and balances to keep corruption in check made that much more work for those who remained. The worst part was that those fools burning in hell about now had actually been skilled when it came to accounting and bookkeeping.
If only that were their sole problem.
The Divine Nation of Lenea was too greedy. By aiming for perfect empire-management from the outset, they failed to account for the resulting confusion and problems that would inevitably arise from the upheaval, such as inadequate communication, mistakes in following protocol, forgetting who was in charge of what, and so on. The already established system had various measures in place to assist with each issue, but those were nonexistent during a mass reform that changed everything.
Their present instabilities as a nation left them without the basic, essential ability to know where one of their Paladins was and what circumstances surrounded their missions.
What if…the culprit behind this murder committed the crime knowing Lenea's circumstances? If they did, then we are up against someone with a frighteningly brilliant mind. With that thought racing through her mind, Fenne pondered over what their options were.
"M'kay! Shall everyone's favorite Erakino solve the problem right here and now?" Erakino piped up, offering salvation. "You probably already know this, Chiefy, but I'm actually the queen of handling such investigations! I just snap my fingers, and BAM! I've got our answer~♪!"
Erakino was the ace up their sleeve.
Just thinking about how monstrous their ally was brought a slight smile to Fenne's lips. The ability Erakino and her Game Master brought to the table was precisely what had allowed the three girls to do the impossible—establish the Divine Nation of Lenea.
An ability to force any situation to their desired outcome.
This ability wielded by the person Erakino called the Game Master could only be considered a power of the gods. Even if all seven Saints joined together, they would be forced to kneel before that power. Thus Lenea's invincibility.
Playing their favorite card here would render this incident's damage to Lenea void, as it had every other. And yet…
"I'm sorry, but I request you don't use your ability here, Lady Erakino," Fjord intervened, voice solemn.
"HUUUUUUH?!" Erakino blinked at him at rapid speed, as if that would help her understand his insane request. "Wh-Why? You don't want to know the truth???"
Fenne was of the same mind as Erakino on this matter. It was the height of folly not to use the options available to you. But Fjord carried himself in such a way that she could tell he wasn't saying it on a whim or some stupid sense of pride.
"Lady Erakino, to the Order of Paladins, every Paladin is a brother or sister who has sworn an oath of righteousness before God," Fjord explained, his stern expression every bit serious. A swirl of emotions filled his aging eyes. "We are God's sword and the people's shield. Our pride has been trampled upon by this incident. This isn't a problem that affects only Lenea's Order. Our lack of discretion has caused this apostasy against God." Erakino and Fenne said nothing.
Lenea continued Qualia's tradition and history of being a nation built upon a religion centered around the Holy God Arlos. This meant they persisted in their war against evil and dedicated their lives and prayers to Arlos. From their point of view, an unjustified attack against a man of the cloth was taken as blasphemy against Arlos.
Fjord's desire was simple—he wanted the Order of Paladins to resolve the matter themselves. He was spurred into that mindset by a desire not to add to the Saints' workload and a personal outrage over the merciless murder of his comrade. More than anything else, he was driven by an irrational sense of justice that demanded the Paladins never lose to evil when they claimed to be the sword of God.
Even the man once extolled in the Southern Province as Fjord the Stalwart found his judgment impaired by his fanatical devotion to Arlos and his pride as commander of Lenea's Order of Paladins.
"If something happens to a member of the Order," he continued, "then it is our job to exact God's wrath and clear our good name. We would be letting our brother down if we failed to do that much for him…" There was a short pause before he added, "That is not to say that I do not consider you one of us, Lady Erakino. However, this is one battle the Order must handle alone."
He bowed deeply. Someone of his rank and status shouldn't bow before others, but his request merited it. Still prostrate, he requested, "Please accept my decision on this matter," then fell silent.
Pride distorts a person's understanding of the nature of reality. Love, at times, can be foolish and unwavering. Those proverbs came to Fenne's mind as she listened to Fjord. In this case, he's acting upon brotherly love, I suppose. She let her eyes fall shut and decided to give him what he wanted.
"Grrr…" Erakino rumbled, unsatisfied with the situation.
Here she'd gone and offered a helping hand, and he slapped it away just like that. She didn't like that. Sure, she could understand where he was coming from. After all, if something happened to Soalina, she'd want to exact revenge personally. But the incident hadn't even reached the point of getting revenge yet. Judging by what Fjord had reported, they didn't even have a sliver of a clue who the victim or the culprit was. Was he even capable of making his valiant-sounding request a reality?
Besides, there was a chance that the victim was someone Erakino knew and spoke with. That alone bothered her, not to mention her growing concern that the culprit would take even more lives while they whittled away the time.
Frankly, she was worried about the Order of Paladins.
"Better luck next time, Erakino," Fenne interceded. "Let him handle this one. He's your favorite, right?"
Erakino didn't know what Fenne was thinking, but she could tell the other woman wanted to bring this conversation to a close. Nothing would change even if Erakino voiced her complaints. She'd learned just how stubborn and pigheaded this Saint and Paladin were during their time together.
Erakino let out a purposely loud, drawn-out sigh and threw her palms up to signal her defeat. "What am I gonna do with you two, eh? I'll let you have it your way this time, but be sure you come straight to your girl Erakino here the second you need help, 'kay? I need everybody around to get work done. The Order is forbidden from losing anyone else! You got it?"
"You have my heartfelt gratitude, Lady Erakino," Fjord said.
The conversation ended up concluding with nothing but a lingering unease.
Erakino wanted to resolve the matter at once and had planned on doing just that. Still, she sympathized with Fjord. Stuck between those two sentiments as someone with little life experience, she found herself frustrated beyond belief.
"I'll inform you about the new guard detail at a later point," Fjord announced. "And I vow to you both on my pride as a Paladin that I will solve this case… Now then, if you will please excuse me." "Of course. May God's blessing be with you," Fenne said.
"Bye-bye!" Erakino waved.
Fjord departed with a textbook salute. Erakino took that as her cue to stroll over to the couch where Fenne was sitting and act coy. She was overwhelmed by the desire to talk to someone right now. She couldn't shake the feeling that some unknown darkness was creeping in on them without anyone realizing it.
"Gee, it's a total case of whodunnit, huh, Fenny? Oh, right, you don't know what whodunnit is, do you? I'm talking about it being a total mystery here! A detective novel mystery~♪! Who has done it?!" she recited in her best investigator voice.
"About that, I'm sorry, but would you mind asking your Master for the answer now?"
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!" Erakino snapped her mouth shut as her cry echoed around the room.
The tables were suddenly turned. Erakino was left wondering what in the world their earlier conversation was for. It was Fenne herself who'd accepted Fjord's request and persuaded Erakino to do the same.
The girl known as the Slurping Witch found herself in quite the mental quandary.
"Oh dear, did you not hear what I said? I told you to ask your Master for the answer," Fenne reiterated.
"Dude, hold on! S-Stop right there! What about how Chiefy and the Paladins feel?! What was the point of that whole emotional conversation, then? You tots gave off an understanding Saint vibe! I mean, the guy just vowed on his pride that he'd solve the case!" Erakino ranted in an obnoxious fluster, earning an exasperated little sigh from Fenne.
"Pride, eh?" Fenne repeated, her tempered voice at odds with the hysterical Witch. "It sounds good the way he put it, doesn't it? But we can't risk the danger that accompanies such sentiments when we have so much at stake. People may very well die if he screws up."
Erakino's rational side completely understood and agreed with Fenne's logic. She'd felt the same way not long ago, after all. Now it was her emotional side that had a hard time accepting it. Was it right to step all over Fjord's warrior resolve as easily as throwing away a piece of tissue? Whose opinion should she prioritize? She took the few moments Fenne was giving her to think it over to get in touch with her master to see what he thought.
"Hiya there, Master! Tell me, tell me! Which side do you think is right? I mean, I'm at a total loss here! What camp are you?"
The Game Master replied without delay—that he was on Fenne's side. That fact intensified Erakino's growing sense of isolation, plummeting her into a spiral of dark feelings. She believed that using the Game Master's powers now was no different from belittling and betraying how Fjord and the Order felt. Just like Soalina and Fenne, she counted Lenea's Paladins as her friends.
Was it really okay to act in bad faith and deceive the people she considered friends like this? Weren't friends the sincere people who never betrayed or abandoned you until the bitter end?
If Soali was here, she'd side with me! As Erakino bristled with that childish thought, Fenne attempted to convince her like she might a young child.
"It's okay. A little white lie is necessary sometimes. We will learn the truth and keep it to ourselves. We'll only act on it if there's an emergency…"
"But…that makes me feel guilty," Erakino pouted.
"You're as pure as they come, aren't you?" Fenne said with a wry smile. "Then, why don't we do this? I'm dying of curiosity. I must know the answer this instant. I'm forcing you into it out of my selfishness. You aren't guilty of anything." That was a painful excuse.
Fenne was always a little stubborn, but she rarely went this far to get what she wanted. That just went to show how leery she was about the murder. And Erakino absolutely agreed it was dangerous for them to remain in the dark.
The Game Master's ability was invincible and had already taken down Mynoghra's Player, but another Player might've joined the game without them knowing it. Besides, it could be fatal to let someone else with a powerful ability get the drop on them.
The Game Master's Arbiter ability outclassed everything they had come across so far. However, they shouldn't let their guard down to put that theory to the test.
The Game Master had also joined Fenne in trying to persuade Erakino. He preferred to respect Erakino's opinion, but he was obviously for learning what they were up against. It appeared no one was on Erakino's side today.
"Please, Erakino," Fenne pressed. "We need you and Master to use your powers to help Soalina continue to have a peaceful life."
It left Erakino in an untenable position when she put it like that. Bringing Soalina up hit her right where it hurt. Fenne's different approach partially helped to convince her.
I feel like she just twisted me around her little finger, but meh, it shouldn't hurt if I jump on board, Erakino thought. Everyone was acting in each other's best interests, and so, Erakino made her decision to ask her master to use his ultimate power that put all other powers to shame.
"Hmph… Fine. You've forced my hand! It's really only because you asked! You hear me, Master?! Game Master! Make it quick! It's time to learn the full truth from the start by cheating, using exploits, and the trick of the trade! Gimme your full support, 'kay~♪?
Divination!"
[Erakino rolls 1d100=78 for Divination Outcome: Success.
GM: Message
Exercising Game Master Authority.
Outcome is a critical success regardless of the roll.
Outcome: Critical.
]
The whole truth, and nothing but the truth, was about to be laid bare before them. Every detail about the murderer and their intentions was theirs for the taking. Even the greatest clandestine spy couldn't avoid detection from the Game Master's transcendent ability.
Erakino squirmed with a hint of guilt and a whole lot of pleasure over being invincible. She concentrated with great interest on the results, curious about what secrets were about to be unveiled—
[Result: The perpetrator of the Paladin's murder is unknown.]
"…Huh?" she squeaked, her voice closer to a high-pitched shriek.
"What is it, Erakino?" Fenne asked. "Was it someone unexpected?"
Impossible. This can't be possible. It can't be. Erakino was so baffled by the results, her thoughts entered a broken loop. What just happened? That question plagued her with no answer and only bred further doubts. Did we mess up somewhere?
"O-Okay, then who died? You can find that much out, right?! C'mon, M-Master!" she shouted, but her Master was already working on it without her needling.
[GM: Message
Exercising Game Master Authority.
Requesting information.
Display the name of the victim in the Paladin Murder Case.
Result: The murdered Paladin is unknown.
]
The incarnation of darkness was right at their doorstep.
-x-X-x-
Chapter 2: True or False
AROUND the same time the Paladin Murder Case had sent ripples of panic spreading through the Divine Nation of Lenea, Mynoghra was also running at full steam to resolve a myriad of problems.
"Thank you all for gathering. Our agenda for today's meeting is none other than to decide what to do next…" Mynoghra's wisest and most knowledgeable council member, Elder Moltar, cast his gaze around the table, signaling the start of the meeting.
Strangely enough, the sage who usually acted as the facilitator of these meetings by providing wise insights, said no more. Instead, his eyes silently urged the twins to speak.
"Hello, I'm Caria, one of the two put in charge of Mynoghra during His Majesty's absence."
"I'm the second of the two, Maria!"
Two cheerful young voices resonated clearly through the fairly large meeting room. Something felt off about these girls leading the meeting, but they seemed to be in their element.
"I must admit…I didn't expect His Majesty to directly appoint you both as his regents," Elder Moltar remarked.
Gia and Emle both focused their attention on the twins as well. Dragontan's mayor, Antelise, wasn't in attendance since her duties only pertained to the town and not Mynoghra as a whole. The meeting consisted of its usual members apart from Takuto and Atou, but their roles had been massively overhauled. Put simply, the bottom of the Dark Elf hierarchy had become the top.
"We'll do our bestest!" Maria crowed.
"His Majesty told us to, so we hafta do it," Caria said, pausing for a long moment before saying, "Although we have our concerns…"
"I won't oppose the king's decision. We'll do everything in our power to assist you girls, so you'd better live up to His Majesty's expectations," Elder Moltar advised, although it was clearer than day that he wholeheartedly objected to the king's decision.
Caria suppressed a sigh, knowing the old sage would be a handful going forward. Her thoughts idly wandered back to when Takuto gave her and Maria this assignment. She was displeased he asked it of them, but after interacting with the other Dark Elves in this capacity, she understood why he looked so troubled and was forced to agree that he'd made the right decision.
We were forced to replace you as regents because you're far too useless, gramps, Caria thought regarding Elder Moltar. I agree with His Majesty's decision now. She was certain her disrespectful thoughts hadn't shown on her face, but her older sister shot her a knowing smile from the seat beside her.
The cold, hard truth of the matter was that Elder Moltar and the rest of the Dark Elf adults were barely useful at this point. Between news of the surprise attack on their king and the loss of his life, the bitter reality that they couldn't do anything against their new enemy's mysterious powers, and the despair of losing their ultimate weapon—Hero Atou—none of the adults could get their heads on straight. Sure, the council members knew that Takuto had somehow escaped death, but the shock of that night still weighed heavily on them.
Takuto had sensed the turmoil running amok within the Dark Elves from his brief conversation with Elder Moltar on his way to invade the Saints' territory. Although this mission was one he'd planned to primarily handle on his own, he was still counting on them for backup. This wasn't the kind of mission with room for failure on the Dark Elves' part. Thus, Takuto suddenly amended his initial strategy and granted more authority to the Elfuur Sisters than originally planned.
The Elfuur Sisters were Witches. Witches weren't easily rattled. The hatred and regret that powered the twins didn't allow the weakness of inner turmoil to exist within them. Of course, they did still experience the dissatisfaction of being made to take on such a huge responsibility when they were still just kids. Those feelings still marked them as the children they were despite their nature as Witches.
All they felt at the moment was intense dissatisfaction and frustration.
"Anyways, Cary and Big Sista will do our very bestest as regents, so we'd be veryest happy if you followed our orders," Caria said to everyone in the room.
"Anybody who doesn't obey will be executed! Off with their heads!" Maria added cheerily, making a blade with her hand and dragging it along her throat in a cutting motion.
"Ack! Er, aye, aye, ma'am? Try not to let the tension get to you girls, okay?" Gia said, a tad unsettled by that declaration and gesture. After all, the smile didn't reach Maria's eyes. It appeared even Maria was annoyed with how undependable the adults had become.
Their meeting was taking place during the afternoon. Outside was bright and sunny, and the moon wasn't up. Even without the moon, these twin Witches were more than capable of making good on their threat.
"Let's begin with the status of things in Dragontan," Caria said, taking control of the meeting how Atou might. "Big Sis Emle, have you controlled the flow of information as instructed?"
"Y-Yes," Emle stammered. "We simply explained that the stage we set up in the plaza that day accidentally caught fire. The townspeople seem satisfied with that explanation, but the people closest to us are starting to grow suspicious because of all the unusual activity of late. Not seeing His Majesty or Lady Atou around is another cause for concern on their part."
"I was able to give a believable explanation to the Dark Elves back in the Accursed Lands, but it won't be so easy to convince those living in Dragontan," Elder Moltar explained. "We need to come up with a real solution fast."
The turmoil disrupting Mynoghra had settled over the last couple of days. Or rather, most people didn't know much about what had happened. They were in a fairly good position all things considered. That much was a given, with the Dark Elves being masters of working behind the scenes when they used to serve the El-Nah Alliance of Elementals. Controlling information was child's play to them. They also had several Brain Eaters able to keep public order at an all-time high assigned to Dragontan.
Things were currently surprisingly calm enough to make anyone wonder if anything had even gone wrong. This strong control over the masses was one of the inconspicuous but important powers of Mynoghra.
"Our job is to continue to maintain domestic affairs," Caria said. "Key figures in our government will need to know certain things, so we'll review what information to share and get back to you…"
Things wouldn't stay calm forever—they needed to act before trouble arose.
Caria drew on her memory of the agenda the king had given her before he left. She explained its contents to the others as she glanced at her amused sister. "Also, I believe we need to explain the situation to Phon'kaven. His Majesty gave his consent on that front, so I'll handle it with Big Sista."
"They might pose a bigger problem than our domestic affairs," Gia said. "They seem to have sensed something is amiss and haven't complained yet, but it might negatively affect the relationship between our two countries if we don't have an official discussion with them."
Caria nodded in agreement with Gia.
Mynoghra had built a solid alliance with Phon'kaven, but that's all they were—allied nations. Depending on the situation, Mynoghra might even have to show they still had the upper hand. Their alliance was built upon a treaty and mutual benefit. And given Mynoghra's situation, they might need to request Phon'kaven's cooperation in some things. Phon'kaven might get it in their head to use this moment of weakness to negotiate better terms.
And that was the least of their worries…
"Qualia's Saints were behind this affront against our great empire," Gia spat bitterly. "We must consider the possibility of going to war with them too. That possibility has the highest chance of becoming a reality."
As Gia said, the likelihood of going to war was inevitable. None of them knew what strategies the King of Ruin had in mind, but they were bound to go to war with the forces of good on some scale or another. In which case, Mynoghra needed to drag Phon'kaven as their ally into battle because they lacked the populace to wage a fullscale war.
A few strong warriors could only win so much against the force of sheer numbers. Mynoghra was especially vulnerable without Atou. The situation was dire, to say the least.
"We need to discuss that matter with Phon'kaven, too," Elder Moltar agreed. "They likely don't want to pick a fight with other countries, but that's no longer an option for us."
"We plan to make the necessary concessions on that front," Caria said. "If they're reluctant, the least they can do is just keep their eyes peeled for any trouble affecting our territories within the
Dark Continent."
After that discussion, additional topics pertaining to empiremanagement were brought up and decided on. All of the twins' policies and decisions played it safe: they would continue to dedicate resources to restoring and maintaining domestic affairs and work closely with their vital allies. Aside from those two points, they would also act according to the orders they received from Takuto on a regular basis.
There wasn't anything particularly special or flagrant about their plans. Except, Mynoghra's empire-management council had been rendered incapable of making even those basic decisions without the twins and Takuto. The situation was far from good, but everything was bound to work out as long as the twins were there.
"By the way…how is our king faring out there?" Elder Moltar asked the twins. "Is Lady Atou all right?"
The topic changed to what they were all really there to hear about. Curiosity gleamed in the adults' eyes as they fastened them on the girls, hoping to glean even the slightest detail.
What is there for them to worry about? Caria wondered, her thoughts revealing how inhuman her emotions had become. Still, trying to mislead them would only add to her annoyance, so she let out a puff of air and tossed the others a bone.
"His Majesty's staying in a village located in Qualia—or rather, what's calling itself the Divine Nation of Lenea now. The region used to be called the Southern Province. The people who attacked Mynoghra are there."
The situation in Lenea was changing faster than the wind blew. The very foundation their enemy stood on seemed to change by the day. Caria told the council members everything she knew at this point, starting from how some of the Saints had defected from the Holy Kingdom of Qualia and used the achievement of defeating the King of Ruin as grounds to establish a new nation. She also explained how their new country was built upon the land that was formerly Qualia's Southern Province.
"The Southern Province, you say?" Elder Moltar stroked his beard. "That region's nothing but boundless fertile land. I'm stunned Qualia would let them secede. What's even more infuriating is that they dare build their empire upon falsehoods about our king's defeat! What arrogance! What insolence!" he began shouting. "It gets my blood boiling! And besides that! Why didn't you girls tell us such an important detail sooner?!"
"It was next on the agenda." Maria shrugged.
"And if we're to put the blame on anyone, it'd be the rest of you for asking questions before we were finished," Caria pointed out drolly.
Elder Moltar blanched at that accurate accusation. He had to be embarrassed, realizing he'd forced an important meeting off-topic before they were finished simply because he was too restless to focus on the agenda at hand. All of the adult council members became acutely aware of their antsiness when they saw Elder Moltar get outsmarted by their youngest members.
Unfortunately, even if they were aware of their deeply rooted insecurities, they couldn't do anything to stop their crippling anxiety after witnessing their king get slain before their eyes. In their current state, they couldn't carry out the king's mission.
Gia forcefully changed the conversation to clear the dark air before their thoughts became even more self-destructive. "But if the king has gone to do the deed himself, then the enemy is doomed. In fact, he might've already taken back Lady Atou."
His viewpoint was an optimistic one, but it also revealed his absolute trust in King Takuto. None of the Dark Elves had ever seen the King of Ruin fight. But there was no way a being capable of leading the all-powerful Sludge Atou, the now lost Queen of Bugs, and countless other indomitable subordinates, could be weak.
"It isn't that easy," Caria said, promptly shutting down Gia's optimism. Her tone almost seemed to be warning them not to be overly hopeful.
"Why not?!" Elder Moltar roared, unable to believe anything could be hard for their king.
"Have you already forgotten what the enemy's capable of?" Caria shot him a scathing look. "Yes, His Majesty came out of the incident unscathed. But we still let them take Atou from us."
Elder Moltar groaned and fell silent, proving her argument left no room for objection.
"His Majesty doesn't know what the enemy's capable of. He said he knows nothing and won't retaliate until he has countermeasures against their skills. So it might take some time before the deed is done," Caria conveyed with a grave expression.
Her words brought an avalanche of worry down upon Mynoghra's council members, making the room feel as heavy as if they were holding a funeral.
Caria mostly made up everything she had just told them. King Takuto didn't say any of that, nor did he give her a detailed explanation of the situation in Lenea. Even if they asked for details, he refused to tell them.
Caria glanced sideways at her older sister. The smiling girl, taking advantage of the grown-ups looking down in pensive thought, put her index finger to her lips and gave a devilish grin.
They had every intention of distorting all information pertaining to their king. He'd told them to do as much himself.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the Dark Elves. Caria and Maria understood he took these measures as a precaution against their enemy's unusual abilities.
The twins weren't present for the enemy's surprise attack, so they didn't see what had happened for themselves, but they were informed of all the details. From that, they'd determined that the enemy possessed some sort of absurd ability that required prudent planning to go up against. So, they intentionally wove falsehoods into their explanations to deceive the enemy as much as themselves.
Even speaking the truth deep in their own base of operations, where the highest counterintelligence security measures were in place, was risky against their current opponent.
"Then what about you two?" Elder Moltar asked, jabbing a finger at the twins. "I know you've inherited Lady Isla's powers. Can't you handle that mysterious ability of theirs with a Hero's powers?"
"Too difficult," Maria said. "The enemy's ability's unknown. I can't make them Forget something I don't understand."
"Good point, Big Sista," Caria agreed. "…Even if we were to fight at our full strength, we'll likely lose to their ability. After all, Atou was Brainwashed without a fight."
"I see…" Elder Moltar said, disappointed.
The twins had learned the hard way how dangerous an unknown ability could be the moment they lost their foster mother—Isla—to a similar phenomenon. They had tasted firsthand the dominating effects of a force that defies and bends the laws of nature to its whim. Sheer strength or mere wisdom could do nothing against such a phenomenon.
Just as Mynoghra's King Takuto Ira possessed godlike powers to rule his empire and dark minions, so too did his enemies possess mysterious powers of a godly nature.
There's no guarantee the enemy can't extract information from us. That's why His Majesty's purposely distorting the information he sends back or not answering at all, Caria realized.
The game was no longer a simple competition of strength—it had shifted to swindling each other by hiding your best cards and faking the other player out. Only the Dark Elves were left completely in the dark. It was a bit cruel to expect them to read between the lines under the circumstances.
"Why doesn't His Majesty rely on us?" Elder Moltar asked, his tone mournful. "Why won't he reveal his divine intentions to us? We would die before we betray our king. Does he view us as so useless we aren't worth informing of his plans?"
"I think it's because he doesn't want to lose anyone else," Caria answered. "Several Dark Elf Warriors died in the line of duty during the surprise attack. They weren't weaklings and yet they couldn't even put up a fight."
"Even the buggies and the birdmen died. Surely His Majesty would be heartbroken to lose more," Maria sniffled, tears shimmering in her big, round eyes.
Caria jumped from her seat and threw her arms around her older sister. "Please don't cry, Big Sista. You'll make Cary cry too…" The girls embraced as they tried to suppress their sobs.
Of course, they were just going with the flow. Everything was a lie—a story they made up on the fly. They didn't feel the slightest bit sad, and even their tears were squeezed out as part of the act. But this was the right way to handle people. They had the feeling this was how their king lied and manipulated them as well.
"Your Majesty…to think you care for us so! Blighted Saints! I curse our uselessness!" Gia lamented.
Were the grown-ups so easily deceived by the twins' little performance? Or were they just blinded by their sorrow and selfpity? Either way, their expressions crumpled with a mix of emotions. Caria and Maria were going for that reaction, but they felt a flood of worry seeing how easily fooled the adults were.
"What benevolence! What grace! The king cares so much for us! He's going to such lengths for us!" The elderly sage let a torrent of tears cascade down his wrinkled cheeks in an eruption of emotion, unaware of the twins' scheme.
The adults had become especially reliant on King Takuto since becoming citizens of Mynoghra and this was the price of that reliance.
The twins watched the pathetic grown-ups fall apart with a frigid glint in their eyes. Children are forced to grow up fast when nothing but useless adults are around. But their pathetic instability wasn't what mattered here.
Caria thought about the situation as she continued to embrace her older sister. Our mission from here out is to distort information and
deceive each other. No one knows what is true or false…
What methods did the enemy use to launch their surprise attack on Mynoghra? How did the king revive unscathed after having his heart pierced? Why did the king march alone into enemy territory?
What did the king know and what was he planning to do?
The answers to all those questions were still locked in the confines of darkness. They would surely never see the light of day until after everything was resolved.
I have to do my bestest not to get deceived along the way too… Caria's thoughts shifted to the most important fact of them all: After all, His Majesty is taking action for the first time …
Truths and falsehoods were weaving together in a blanket of deception that would inevitably fall upon the twins as well. For only Mynoghra's King Takuto Ira knew the whole truth.
<-x-X-x->
Interlude: Disguise
THEIR meetings went in circles, but fortunately ended with them making some progress—albeit at a snail's speed. Mynoghra's empiremanagement was finally getting back on track with the Elfuur Sisters at the helm, following King Takuto's instructions.
Still, it's normal for things not to go exactly according to plan. Managing any kind of organization often leads to discovering a variety of small-scale problems when putting plans into action, derailing progress until they are dealt with.
"It's time we let the world know His Majesty is alive and wellest," Caria announced to the council members.
"Hrm? Why would we do that?" Elder Moltar asked. "Very few people know the king was attacked, and those who do are aware he's fine. The only ones who don't know are…the culprits behind the attack—those godforsaken Saints," he cursed.
"We want those Saints to know," Caria said.
"We're gonna confuuuuze the enemy," Maria added.
"That makes sense," Gia interjected. "From what I've heard, the Divine Nation of Lenea is still in its infancy. They practically forced their secession from Qualia using their so-called divine achievement of defeating the King of Ruin. So your plan's to shake things up for them by purposely spreading news of His Majesty's good health?"
"Exactly," Caria nodded. "They believe they defeated His Majesty. It should put them a little on edge if they hear he's alive and out there."
"They won't know if it's the truth or a lie," Maria giggled.
Mynoghra's domestic affairs were rock solid, leaving nothing for outsiders to exploit. So their strategy was to use that to their advantage and launch an intelligence attack against the Saints' shaky empire.
"We don't need to deal direct damage to our enemies," Caria explained. "All we need is to invite insecurity and alarm into their midst. If all goes wellest, His Majesty will exploit that weakness."
None of the council members knew the king's plans. Knowing his genius, he must've factored in that the twins would take such actions since he'd granted them a great deal of authority over Mynoghra. Only King Takuto would know if their plans to sew confusion into the Saints' ranks was of any use, but at the very least, it shouldn't disrupt his plans.
"Hm, I suppose that means there's no cost to us even if we fail to induce turmoil in our enemy's ranks?" Gia asked. "…But wait, I need to process this first."
Gia was about to agree with the twins' plan, thinking that it didn't have any disadvantages for them, but then another problem came to mind.
"This poses the same problem we had figuring out how to manipulate information regarding the surprise attack," Gia continued, getting his thoughts in order. "Sure, we can put out an edict in the king's name, letting the world know he's alive and well. But doubts will still remain if no one sees him. How do you plan to resolve that hiccup?"
It was a sound argument. They could release all the information they wanted under the king's name, but people would doubt it until they actually saw him for themselves. This simple method would go over just fine domestically. Takuto rarely went out as it was, so his people wouldn't think twice about it.
The forces of good were another story. They were liable to investigate and uncover the truth that no one had seen him since the attack. They needed to prevent that—fortunately, the twins already had a countermeasure in mind.
"Big Sister Emle," Caria said, calling on Emle.
"Ah! Yes, ma'am? H-How can I help you?" Emle's head shot up. She wasn't involved much in today's meeting, so she was shocked when they suddenly called on her.
Caria didn't seem particularly bothered by Emle's almost amusing reaction as she nonchalantly ordered, "From tomorrow onward, you'll be His Majesty."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!"
Further chaos was invited into the meeting room with that hysterical cry.
◇◇◇
A couple of hours had gone by. The same group of council members were still holed away in the meeting room, with an additional unfamiliar face among them. Or rather, it was a familiar face, wearing familiar attire, resulting in an entirely unfamiliar appearance.
"Uggggh… I'm too lacking to assume the king's awe-inspiring appearance!!" bemoaned Emle, disguised as King Takuto. She sounded like she was on the verge of crying underneath the same cloak the King of Ruin always wore.
The clothes were tailor-made for her and she donned a special domino mask, hoping that would help her pull off the disguise. She had a similar stature to King Takuto, so it'd be hard for anyone to claim she was someone else if they announced the king had changed his attire. As far as the mask went, they could easily pass it off as their merciful king taking extra measures to help the weak-minded who often fainted and foamed at the mouth when he made eye contact with them. It was already considered an unspoken taboo for people to look him in the eye, so that was an easy excuse.
General consensus gave her perfect passing marks as the king's body double. All they had left to do was choose the right time for her to appear in disguise.
"You're the bestest pick because you're the same size," Caria pointed out. "You can continue to work on important government documents dressed like that too, so it's a win-win."
"Blegh…that's not very reassuring…" Emle whimpered, her shoulders slumping in despair.
Caria thought Emle looked just like Takuto did whenever he was scolded by Isla, which made her both satisfied and a tad delighted she'd pulled off the disguise better than they could've hoped for.
"Stop slouching! Can't you sit up straight?! Do you honestly believe you can fulfill the esteemed role of His Majesty's body double acting like that?!"
An annoying old man just had to go and ruin what Caria thought looked perfectly like Takuto with his prompt nagging and biased demands. Both Caria and Emle grimaced and shot Elder Moltar dirty looks. Emle even found herself bitterly thinking, Then why don't you try to pull off this disguise and see how uncomfortable it makes you?!
No one had the right to complain when they weren't the one donning the guise of the great and mighty King of Ruin, the object of their reverence and fear, who'd saved them all and given them a future. But Emle knew challenging Elder Moltar's nagging wouldn't get them anywhere. She didn't have the kind of personality that felt confident arguing with others, so she settled with showing her ire through body language alone. Although it appeared even that decision left her open to more nitpicking.
Annoying Mansplainer Number 2—also known as Warrior
Captain Gia—threw his hat into the ring to take the next stab at her.
"The biggest problem is your lack of a powerful presence," he criticized, arms folded at his chest like he'd suddenly become an expert on the topic. "Setting aside our king's appearance, he's a completely different monster on the inside. The king I know and love is bigger, bolder, and makes your soul quiver just being in his presence. I'm only stating the obvious here, but Emle can't even imitate less than a quarter a percent of that power."
He was acting like a bigshot who knew everything there was to know about their king, and his foolhardy attitude blinded him to the landmine he was about to throw himself upon.
"Not having any breasts is your only saving grace," he continued, making a lewd hand gesture. "Anybody would be able to tell you're a woman if you actually had peckers! HAHAHAHA!"
The normally meek and nonconfrontational Emle exploded at that comment. The absolutely insensitive pig of a man in front of her had just uttered the one phrase no one should ever say to a Dark Elf woman.
"Care to say that again?" Emle dared him, her words seething, her gaze sharper than any blade as it fleeced Gia. She overflowed with bloodlust ten times worse than usual, everything about her posture hinting that she'd lunge at him and pummel her fists into his face the moment she saw an opening.
"…W-Well, whaddya know? You can incite a smidgen of the dread the king does," Gia coughed.
"Can I execute him?" Emle asked, dead serious. "I might just be His Majesty's body double, but I am the acting king at the moment. I have every right to execute this pig, don't I?"
"Please give the execution order, Your Majesty!" Caria exclaimed.
"We'll approve it!" Maria smiled wickedly.
Dark Elf women generally had small breasts. This was a racial characteristic and not something they could fix through effort. Touching on the topic was guaranteed to set them off faster than lit dynamite. Any intelligent man knew better than to mess with that powder keg.
"Come now, don't be so hasty, Emle," Elder Moltar intervened. "This fool's still useful, so please hold off your execution. You can string him up for all I care once His Majesty returns."
"You will regret your words as you suffer miserably," Caria hissed.
"We'll mount your head on a pike for all to see!" Maria jeered.
To make matters worse, Mynoghra's pride and joy, Sludge Atou, also had a modest chest and felt a kinship with the Dark Elf women in that regard. Even King Takuto never commented on such things— he was a decent enough man to recognize that it was highly insensitive to make cracks about a woman's body. Not even Elder Moltar dared aid Gia under such circumstances. Gia had no allies here.
"B-Boy, oh, boy, did I get you good! I was j-just kidding. Hahaha," Gia laughed dryly. "Emle perfectly pulls off that disguise! I really believe that! I do!"
"Will you shut up? I will discuss your punishment with His Majesty as soon as he returns."
Emle silenced Gia's shameless excuse-making with her sharp tone. Then she let the topic go to concentrate on fulfilling her role as King Takuto's body double. There was no use whining about something that needed to be done. She would pull off her role perfectly until the end.
"Can we get back on topic now? What should I do if someone talks to me?" Emle asked. "His Majesty and I have completely different voices. I'm fairly positive the ruse will be up the second I speak…"
"You needn't worry about that," Caria responded as if there was no need to even ask.
"Why not?" Emle asked, baffled by her response.
It killed Emle to admit it, but she pulled off King Takuto's physical appearance pretty well. And her face would be covered by the mask, making that a non-issue. But their voice difference was a huge issue. She couldn't imitate King Takuto's voice—they were too different. This could be the problem that unraveled their whole plan—or so she thought.
"Because His Majesty doesn't speak to strangers," Caria replied simply.
"Stranger danger!" Maria cheered.
"…O-Oh…"
The problem was resolved in the unlikeliest of ways.
An awkward silence filled the room. And thus, the meeting came to a close in a somewhat incomplete manner. Saying anything further would be digging their own graves. Even the frazzled Dark Elf
grown-ups had enough sense in them to show that much consideration for their socially awkward king.
<-x-X-x->