“The orc army has been shattered.”
“……”
“The death of the orc chieftain has been confirmed, and only the scattered survivors are still lurking around.”
“……”
“We have won the war.”
Despite Anastasia’s declaration, a heavy silence hung over Arunvida.
The victory of the war was far from sweet.
There were far more casualties than those who survived with their limbs intact, and most of them had lost their lives.
War always leaves indelible scars.
And then, at the war’s end.
The crimson dragon that ascended high into the sky left many in fear as it departed.
“Raise your heads, warriors. You have earned that right.”
A few lifted their heads to gaze at Anastasia.
She was the one who had fought at the forefront when the orcs breached the walls.
The rightful ruler of Arunvida by name, the iron lady they followed.
The people of Arunvida who looked at her wore expressions of pride on their faces.
“Our lives will continue, and there will be many trials and hardships ahead. When those times come, lift your heads as you do now, and face reality. We are the heroes who survived this war and protected the empire.”
Tears flowed from the eyes of the princess who had always stood firm and guarded Arunvida without ever wavering.
Not even the cold winds of Arunvida could cool her tears.
Mimir watched the princess.
Anastasia who distanced herself from politics and found using her intellect burdensome would surely remember all the residents of Arunvida.
You’ve come a long way.
Most of the residents of Arunvida were criminals.
Robbers, murderers, and those who had strayed down the wrong path.
The people of the empire spat on them, called them filthy lawbreakers, and said the blood they shed here was just punishment.
They weren’t wrong.
These people were indeed criminals.
That’s why they tried harder than anyone to protect Arunvida, to atone for their sins.
Should even their efforts be ridiculed?
No.
Anastasia knew better than anyone that they were the true protagonists of this war.
When Anastasia came to Arunvida, she had seen so many evildoers.
Those who had committed unspeakable crimes couldn’t even adapt to life here.
And every time those people caused trouble, Anastasia was the first to wield her sword and deliver justice with a firm hand.
In this way, at the young age of fourteen, she shed countless amounts of blood and became the leader of Arunvida.
Now, the ones who remained were all people with stories of their own.
A man who lost his wife to a rival and burned with the desire for revenge.
A person who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death.
A father who, at his terminally ill son’s request, ended his life for him.
One might think everyone has a story, but in Arunvida, there were especially many who had grown weary of life outside.
That’s why they came here with the intention of ending their lives.
If not for them, who could have defended Arunvida in this war, and who would defend it in the future?
Anastasia felt proud of those standing before her.
And the fact that so many of them had died brought tears to the princess’s eyes, tears that the people of Arunvida who had sworn loyalty only to her watched with their own eyes.
No longer did their gazes hold sorrow or fear.
“Let’s move forward. We will end this war with our own hands!”
“““Uwaaaaaah!!”””
***
“Lord Samuel.”
At that call, the crown prince looked up from his book and turned his head.
“They said we were a step too late.”
“Tch. You disappoint me yet again.”
“…I have no excuse to offer.”
“Hoo… I suppose I must accept it as something inevitable. I was too greedy.”
Recently, the crown prince and his supporters had been incredibly busy.
Firstly, they were focused on securing the trade routes that had opened with the Great Mezaiya Forest.
Secondly, they were monitoring the movements of the underground city of the coalition following the death of Count Salier.
On top of that, they had to mobilize the army due to the recent incident in Arunvida.
Trying to handle all three matters at the same time left the crown prince in a situation where he was inevitably short on manpower.
“We’re definitely lacking manpower.”
The loss of all the personnel from the underground city under Count Salier’s command was particularly devastating.
This was something they had been preparing for over seven years.
The murders of two nobles who owned non-human slaves had also left the related nobles shrinking back in fear.
“The organization isn’t much help either…”
In fact, it felt more like they were getting in the way.
Didn’t Nameless try to explore the northern regions of the empire without even seeking Samuel’s permission?
It was only recently that he heard news related to this from a member of the organization.
They told him to consider it a sacrifice to weaken the foundations of the first and second princesses, and they tried to entice Samuel by promising to lend him an orc army when the time came.
As a result, he reluctantly delayed preparations to mobilize the army.
He had planned to appear like a hero after Arunvida fell and the northern territories suffered significant losses.
If that had happened, it would have not only weakened the foundations of the first and second princesses but also solidified his path to the throne. However…
Was he too greedy?
Instead, that choice ended up giving wings to the other twin princess.
He could clearly see how things would unfold, even without trying to think about it.
Some political nobles, who had always been quick to play the game of intrigue, would seize this opportunity to side with the two princesses and secure favorable positions.
At least with Anastasia, he could rest easy since she was far away and had little interest in politics to begin with. But the other one was different.
“You’re becoming quite a nuisance, little sister.”
The first princess Olicia.
She had lived quietly until now, and he felt almost as if she didn’t exist. But according to recent reports, she had been sharpening her blade in secret.
Especially during the process of sending the advance party to Arunvida, Olicia made her political intentions clear.
It was said that her followers had raised their voices so strongly in support of the expedition to Arunvida that Samuel’s followers, who had previously dismissed the monster wave and the orc army’s advance, didn’t dare utter a word.
“In that case… I have no choice but to bow down as well.”
The vassal who was listening to the prince’s monologue from the side flinched at the cold voice.
The previous calm had disappeared, leaving only cold anger behind.
“It’s been a long time since I felt this way… a very long time.”
In a fleeting moment, Samuel’s eyes gleamed like those of a beast, but he quickly composed himself. He once again wore a mask-like smile as he began to speak.
“My apologies… I let my emotions get the better of me for a moment.”
“Oh, no, Your Highness.”
“In any case, let’s abandon the matter concerning Arunvida. Instead, make sure the aftermath of the war is handled cleanly, with no loose ends.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“If there are any branches that waver because of this, cut them off immediately.”
“…I will do so.”
Samuel never tolerated vassals who served under him but turned their eyes toward his other siblings.
After the vassal departed, Samuel who was now alone reopened his book.
But instead of the words on the page, a certain face lingered in his mind.
“Why did you leave so foolishly, big brother… If you were still here, none of this would have happened…”
The former crown prince.
Zephyr D. Sherda Cloy.
What would have happened if he were still alive?
With an inscrutable smile still on his face, Samuel recalled the face of the one he missed.
***
One reason Samuel had so easily abandoned the matter of Arunvida was that the performance of the Knights of Judgment had been less effective than expected.
If they had at least managed to kill a key enemy leader, they could have used it as a significant political tool. Unfortunately, the Knights of Judgment let the elder shaman, the second most important figure to the orcs after the chieftain, slip through their fingers.
If it hadn’t been for that mysterious dragon that appeared on the battlefield, they surely would have captured him, but what was the point of regretting it now?
Even if they could go back to that moment, there was no telling if their frozen bodies would have moved any differently.
The Empire belatedly hurriedly raised an army and headed to Arunvida earlier than expected, but all they had to do was clean up the Orcs and monsters that were wandering around as defeated soldiers.
With the war now in a lull, they began preparing to advance deeper into the north.
This was all the information Shane had heard since waking from unconsciousness.
“I see.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Then Anastasia looked at Shane who was lying in bed with a sly smile on her face.
“You used it, didn’t you?”
“…….”
“You did, you did. Isn’t that right?”
“…….”
“Why are you like this? You told me not to use it, didn’t you? Or am I wrong?”
“…Yes, I used it.”
Whether it was because the war had ended or because she had spent so much time with Shane during the operation, Anastasia treated him with a much more relaxed demeanor.
On the other hand, Shane couldn’t stand that sly smile on her face.
The Origin that created physical force without using a spirit.
During the war, Shane had infused his origin with physical force to secure victory in the battle against the Mountain King.
However, he couldn’t remember what happened afterward. He had imitated Anastasia after seeing her use it, but the resulting destruction was beyond what he could control.
This was something that Shane himself found extremely disgusting.
He had already experienced the misery of being unable to control his own power in his previous life.
Anastasia who had caught on Shane’s weakness persistently targeted that part.
It was much like how she would vent her frustrations on Mimir.
“Do you have any idea how hard it was to drag your unconscious body away in secret?”
“I have no excuse.”
After Shane had fully unleashed his Origin during the battle with the Mountain King, he lost consciousness and collapsed in the middle of the battlefield.
Anastasia, who felt a similar energy and origin to herself, was the first to head to the place where the unidentified dragon appeared, and as a result, she was able to bring Shane with her.
“It seems like you’re hiding quite a bit, but I’ll hear it all eventually. You wouldn’t hide anything from a princess, would you?”
“Of course not.”
For Anastasia to engage in the empire’s politics, Shane would need to reveal some parts of himself to her.
Although, he had no intention of telling her everything, despite what she might think.
Meanwhile, Shane asked Anastasia for her understanding and remained alone in the room.
She had informed the others that while Shane was using magic, the sudden appearance of the dragon had caused his magical power to go haywire which resulted in his injuries.
Shane got up from his seat, stood in front of the mirror, and narrowed his eyes.
Anastasia had barely managed to block Karhu’s attack, yet it had nearly fractured her soul.
Of course, her soul must have already been damaged from constant use, but even so, it had cracked so easily.
If that was the case, what about Shane who had unleashed such overwhelming power in an attack against the Mountain King rather than in defense?
Looking into the mirror, Shane was astonished to see that his soul showed no signs of injury.
On the contrary, it seemed even stronger.
Was it something like this?
Shane vaguely recalled his conversation with the Mountain King after his rampage.
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