“Have you heard the news?”
“This guy… what nonsense are you going to spout this time.”
In a rural territory of the empire.
Two middle-aged men, having finished their day’s work, started a conversation as they entered a tavern.
The brown-haired man, who always brought interesting news, began speaking in his usual curiosity-piquing tone, and the red-haired man was savoring the sight of the chilled beer glass in front of him.
The red-haired man, a blacksmith, felt as if he might already get drunk just from the presence of alcohol after being cooped up in his workshop for several days.
“Come on, have I ever lied to you?”
“…….”
“Well, maybe once or twice… but this time, I swear it’s real!”
“Yeah, yeah. So what is it this time?”
The red-haired man took a swig of his drink and acted disinterested, while the brown-haired man who seemed to be used to such indifference simply pressed on with what he had to say.
“An Aura Lord has appeared in our empire! The second Lord of this era!”
“Huh?!”
Even the red-haired man couldn’t help but snap his head around at that.
The rumor that had just come from his friend’s mouth was simply too unbelievable.
“Hey, just because I was holed up in the workshop for my work, you think I’ve turned into some naïve kid? Come on, that’s just ridiculous…”
“I’m telling you, it’s true! If you don’t believe me, go grab anyone in the nearby town and ask them! Everyone knows about it!”
“…Is it really true?”
“I’m serious! The whole empire’s in an uproar over it right now! And get this. He’s only just come of age!”
Taking a sip of the beer in his glass, the brown-haired man cleared his throat and continued speaking.
“About a week ago, you heard the story about the Second Princess getting married in a hurry, right?”
“I heard that much. We cursed them a lot, thinking they’d decided to just throw away such a brilliant woman.”
“Exactly! The Second Princess’s marriage partner was a prince from waaay over in Cretia, right? But guess what? Turns out he was a heretic who had received some demonic power!”
“A heretic?!”
“Yeah! Out of nowhere, his body swelled up, he grew four arms, and he went on a rampage, smashing the entire place! He even tried to kill the Princess and the Saintess! But Tadaa! Our new Aura Lord saved everyone there!”
Whether it was from the alcohol or excitement, the friend spread his arms wide as if boasting about his own achievements. It was tiring, but the red-haired man’s curiosity was starting to outweigh his annoyance.
“How was it proven that he’s an Aura Lord? Did Lord Helios personally test him or something?”
“No, apparently, as soon as the news reached him, he immediately sent an official letter to the imperial family, confirming that the man was indeed the new Aura Lord. From what I hear, he’s a direct disciple of Helios himself!”
“So the title of Aura Lord has been passed down from one Lord to another… Huh, you really do see all kinds of things if you live long enough. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard his name yet. What’s he called?”
“Hmm… I think his name was—”
***
“—Mars Noctus.”
Until now, I had never had any complaints about my new name.
But today, for the first time, I was filled with a violent urge to change it.
“I just received a message from Duke Helios. I knew you were already acquainted, but I didn’t expect the Lord’s disciple to be an Aura Lord himself… I hadn’t predicted that.”
The wedding ceremony that had been halted the day before by the prince’s rampage.
After subduing the prince, the chaos of the wedding was resolved, and since I had displayed the power of a Lord before everyone, I was now summoned by the Emperor to receive recognition for my deeds and official acknowledgment of my status as a Lord.
“Originally, this was supposed to be a formal ceremony to prove your power, but since Duke Helios himself has confirmed it, no further proof is necessary… And, new Aura Lord, thank you for saving this empire and the imperial family.”
But it seemed my damn master had been waiting for this moment. He quickly sent an official document to the Imperial Palace, acknowledging my power as a Lord, and before I knew it, this gathering had transformed into a celebration of the birth of a new Lord.
The nobles listening intently to the Emperor’s words beside me were practically burning with determination to make me a member of their families. Their intensity was even more evident than when I had fought Prince Taurus.
“We’ve already sent a letter of protest to Cretia. I’m not sure if the King of Cretia was aware of his son’s true identity, but personally, I doubt he’s the kind of bold figure who would deliberately use his own son to deal such a blow to the Empire. It’s more likely the prince acted on his own.”
The King of Cretia wasn’t the type of man whose fighting spirit would drive him to pick a fight with the continent’s most powerful nation.
The suspicious connections were probably ones the prince had built up on his own.
If the King had any sense, hearing this news would prompt him to launch a full-scale investigation.
“The initial response we’ve received is that we should conduct the interrogation ourselves. While no solid evidence has surfaced yet, it appears the prince committed inhumane acts within his own country. If that’s the case, protecting him would be difficult even back home. In fact, it would be better both in terms of justification and national strength if the Empire handled his execution.”
They might at most reclaim the prince’s corpse, but he had already become a traitor in his homeland. A man who would no longer be welcomed.
“We are proceeding with the interrogation, but so far, no decisive evidence has been uncovered. Did you happen to learn anything during the battle?”
“I did report everything during the earlier investigation… but if I had to speculate, I would say it almost seems like he is part of a fanatical cult blindly following a specific figure.”
“A cult, huh… Certainly…”
“?”
At my words, the Emperor fell into deep thought.
Come to think of it, when the fighting had begun, he had seemed to sense something. Did he perhaps know something more?
“I would like to celebrate the birth of a new Lord from the bottom of my heart, but I hope you can understand that the circumstances are not favorable right now. We’ll hold an official congratulatory banquet once the prince’s fate has been decided.”
“Ah, yes…”
Honestly, I’d be even more grateful if he just didn’t hold one at all…
However, the Emperor who was oblivious to how I felt proposed something to me once again.
“I find it fascinating that someone so young could become a Lord… It’s amusing. I believe I can place my trust in you.”
“Huh?”
“I would like the ministers to withdraw for now. I wish to have a light conversation with the new Lord.”
At his words, the nobles, though reluctant, quickly filed out of the room.
“Prime Minister. Summon Asteria to my office immediately.”
“…Understood.”
“Come with me for a moment.”
***
The place the Emperor led me to was his personal office.
As it was the Emperor’s private study, its appearance was exceptionally grand and lavish.
Knock knock.
“Your Majesty. Asteria Von Caelum seeks an audience with the Sun of the Empire.”
“…Enter.”
Before long, the imperial princess, summoned by the Emperor, entered the room. She wore an expression that suggested she did not know whether she should be delighted or bewildered to see me again after just one day.
As my attention shifted toward her, the Emperor began manipulating something on his desk.
Click!
Whirrrrr—
“A… secret room?”
“Step inside for a moment.”
When he activated a hidden mechanism, a section of the office wall opened up, revealing a small room with a simple classic atmosphere.
The subtle currents of mana flowing through the space hinted at the tremendous defensive magic woven throughout the office.
As if drawn by some invisible force, the princess and I stepped into the hidden room, and soon, the three of us—the Emperor, the princess, and myself— sat facing each other across a small table at the center.
“What is this place…?”
“No one will be able to hear us in here… but Mars Noctus, do you by any chance have a technique that can block our conversation from reaching the outside?”
“Huh? Ah, it’s not impossible, but…”
“Please do.”
At the Emperor’s request, I swung my sword, severing the connection between this secret room and the outside world.
“It won’t last long. At most, maybe thirty minutes? That’s probably the limit. But since it’s a completely separate space, there’s no risk of our conversation leaking out.”
“…Impressive. I’ve learned aura myself, but the way you handle it…so delicately and yet so destructively. It is truly astonishing.”
Perhaps he realized just how remarkable the technique I had used was.
There seemed to be a faint sense of awe in the Emperor’s eyes.
“Let’s get straight to the point. Why did you call us here separately?”
The princess, seemingly displeased by the Emperor’s behavior, sat in a slouched, defiant posture.
It was an utterly disrespectful attitude, showing not a hint of courtesy, yet the Emperor didn’t show any particular reaction to her behavior.
“You’re the one who has something to say, not me. It would’ve been hard for you to bring it up in front of the ministers, so I brought you here on purpose.”
“…You do understand, at least.”
She must be feeling extremely confused right now.
Her fiancé turned out to be a heretic with strange powers, and now the man before her was being called an Aura Lord.
On top of that, the father who had always neglected her was suddenly showing concern.
Nothing was adding up, and it seemed to be making the princess’s mind a tangled mess.
“Tell me. Why did you ask me to save you back there?”
“…You are my daughter. It’s only natural for a father to protect his daughter.”
“Natural? Natural?! Ha, unbelievable!”
Hmm.
Even to me, that was something he probably shouldn’t have said.
All this time, the Emperor had blatantly discriminated against her.
For him to suddenly act like a concerned parent trying to save his child…it was enough to leave anyone speechless.
“Asteria.”
“……”
“You probably believe your mother passed away from the aftereffects of giving birth to you, right?”
“What? What do you—”
“Your mother didn’t suffer from any illness. In fact, she was healthier than anyone else. Being a commoner from the countryside, her body was strong and robust.”
“Then—!”
“It was I… who killed her.”
Crash—!
Thud!
Before the Emperor had even finished speaking, the princess lunged at him.
I instinctively grabbed her from behind, but her fury was so overwhelming that, had I not summoned my aura, I might not have been able to restrain her.
“You… you—!”
“…To be exact.”
But as the Emperor continued speaking,
Both she and I froze, unable to move a muscle.
“She tried to kill her own child with her own hands… so I killed Helena.”
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