Chapter 79

The time was roughly evening, and drinks and food were served accordingly.

Even at sixteen, one might be able to drink. And children of that age often have some illusions about alcohol, so I thought Roka might show some interest, but no such luck.

Yum yum.


Munch munch.

Roka was only interested in the meat dishes brought by the attendants. She showed no interest in the millet noodles, sweet pastries, or dishes where vegetables made up more than half of the ingredients.

Thinking about it, alcohol is made from grains, fruits, or sometimes honey, so it made sense that Roka wouldn’t be interested. There’s no such thing as alcohol made from meat, after all.

At this point, I realized that the kid was an incredibly picky eater.

Since she seemed healthy without eating greens, there was no point in forcing her. One of the attendants brought a barrel of ice-cold alcohol to our side. It seemed like it had been stored in the warehouse for aging and was just brought out.

“Being in the position of an Emperor, one can’t always act as one wishes.”

The person who handed me a glass of wine no longer had the imposing demeanor from earlier. Instead, he seemed like a tired old man, gulping down alcohol to endure his hardships.

“I apologize for earlier. I called you here, my benefactor, and instead of expressing my gratitude, I rambled on about myself. Though late, I thank you now. I am truly grateful for saving this child and me.”

“It was only natural.”

“Then I should repay you. I’ve heard what you’re seeking. You’re searching for what lies within the word ‘cycle,’ aren’t you? I don’t know the answer either.”

I took a sip of the wine. I couldn’t even taste it properly.

I didn’t have the leisure to savor how it differed from ordinary wine. My mind was tangled, and my thoughts converged on one thing. Perhaps going to the Arctic was unavoidable.

The Primal Demon King. A being whose age is unknown.

Judging by the level of knowledge, one could call him a sage without exaggeration. Only he would know the answer to the cycle. If even he doesn’t know, then there’s no one else to turn to.

Perhaps Emperor Harmail? But if even Grimudo doesn’t know, would she?

“I see. So it’s…”

“Therefore, I’ve prepared another reward. What would you like?”

“Just…”

As I was about to say it was only what I should have done, I suddenly saw Roka.

I remembered what the kid had told me earlier. She said she wanted to become stronger.

“Instead of me, please help that child.”

“That gluttonous kid?”

The Emperor laughed, and Roka, swallowing a chunk of meat, widened her eyes.

“That child wants to become stronger, but I don’t handle magical power, so I don’t know how to help her. Your Majesty, please lend her some assistance.”

“I’ve heard my daughter has already become her master. I can’t assign another master to a child who already has one, but I can bestow something that might help.”

The Emperor raised his hand and called for a royal steward, instructing them to guide Roka.

“Let this child take any one item from the royal vault.”

“Any item, Your Majesty?”

The steward looked surprised, but the Emperor was unwavering.

“Child, go and choose whatever you desire. Whatever you pick, everything in there will be of help to you, so you can’t go wrong.”

“…Thank you.”

Roka swallowed what she was eating and finally gave a polite thank you. She glanced at me briefly, and when I nodded with a smile, she followed the royal steward, disappearing with quick steps.

“If you plan to go to the Arctic to meet Grimudo and seek the answer, wait a little before leaving. I will send an envoy to Grimudo directly. How about joining the envoy as part of the delegation?”

“An envoy, you say?”

It wasn’t me but the Princess, who had been silent, who suddenly spoke up.

“Sending an envoy to Grimudo is unthinkable. If the Temple finds out, they’ll swarm here in protest…”

I knew what the Princess was worried about.

There are two ways to get from the continent to the Arctic. One is by sea, crossing the treacherous waters filled with icebergs and monsters to reach the Arctic by ship, which is very dangerous.

Even seasoned explorers often return with their ships sunk, all supplies lost, and only their lives spared. In fact, just surviving with one’s life and that of the expedition was enough to be treated as a hero.

Sailing there is perilous. But is the other way any safer?

“The highest mountain range on the continent, Kalkanmir, blocks the way between the Arctic and the continent. An envoy can’t cross that frigid range. Unless it’s someone like me, a Master…”

“Exactly. You’ve said it yourself. You could do it.”

“Your Majesty, surely you don’t mean…”

I was shocked, and so was the Princess. When I looked at the Emperor, he nodded.

“Not an envoy, but an emissary. You alone will go as the emissary. Ardein. Do you know why I’ve given you so many titles and symbols to represent the throne? Because you are the friendly emissary of the throne who must visit Polaris Fortress.”

So, that means the Princess will also accompany us on the journey to the Arctic.

But I must warn you about one thing. Grimudo is not someone to be taken lightly.

“Your Majesty. This might be a reckless statement, but Grimudo holds no regard for Your Majesty’s authority. I don’t think seeing Your Majesty’s face would stop him from laying a hand on the Princess.”

“I’m aware of that. Even though my daughter has become a Master, if Grimudo is the opponent, escaping with her life might be difficult.”

Surprisingly, the Emperor readily acknowledged my words.

Most people on the continent underestimate Grimudo. Since they never have to face him directly, they never witness his power, and thus, they think of him as something out of legends or ghost stories.

But the Emperor was different. He seemed to know a bit about Grimudo and acknowledged that his power could overwhelm the royal family, even the entire empire.

“Therefore, this is not something I can force. Ardein. What do you think? Are you willing to go to Polaris Fortress as my emissary, accompanying this Saint?”

“That is…”

“If you can’t go, I’ll send someone else. But as a father, I must ask. Child, are you still interested in my throne?”

The Princess hesitated, unable to continue.

“Not really. But…”

“But?”

“I cannot tolerate Edmund becoming Emperor. Father, you’ve forgiven him, but I cannot.”

“I understand. Then, think more about what I’ve said. I don’t need an answer right now, so take your time to consider.”

The Emperor gestured.

“Now, you should go and rest. I’ll have a bit more to discuss with the Saint here.”

“Can’t I stay too?”

“It’s nothing important. But it is significant. It’s also something you shouldn’t hear, so go and rest. It’s late, child.”

The Princess reluctantly bid farewell to the Emperor and left. Watching her retreating figure, the Emperor suddenly turned to me.

“So, Priest.”

He said it casually, but this was no casual question.

“What do you think of my daughter?”

*****

Southwest of the continent. Caldera Mountain Range.

“Tsk, today’s luck is just terrible.”

The herbalist, Ada, straightened her bent back and looked up at the sky. Searching for herbs through grass and trees is tough work, and the pay isn’t great. Wealthy people don’t buy herbs; they go to the Temple for healing, so the financial situation of those who gather herbs is predictably poor.

Even after gathering and selling herbs, the profit left in hand is pitifully small. Plus, there’s a lot of competition.

Gathering herbs is a side job anyone might consider, so there’s no village idiot who can’t tell herbs from poison.

“Selling all this might get me a few coins.”

The Citadel Kingdom has become the Citadel Republic, and now they elect a Chancellor by vote, but for a rural herbalist like Ada, it’s someone else’s business. No, it is someone else’s business.

To have voting rights, one must pay a hefty voting tax to the state. A country where everything is resolved with money. The center of continental shipping. A reign befitting the Citadel Republic.

Honestly, whether it’s a King or a Chancellor ruling above, what does it matter? They’re high and mighty people I’ll never meet in my lifetime.

“Ah, but the weather’s nice today.”

Whether it’s a Chancellor or a King, what’s above him now is the clouds. The sun peeked through the clouds, blazing and casting light, while the clouds provided a cool shade.

“The midday sun is hot…”

The herbalist, who had been looking at the sky from the shade to avoid the sun, sensed something strange and narrowed his eyes. The sun was clearly hiding in the clouds.

The sky was clear without a single cloud, yet the sun was half-covered by clouds? Even if you’re not an herbalist, anyone knows that the sunlight shouldn’t be this bright.

“Th-th-th-the sun! There are two suns!”

Then where is this light coming from? Looking around the sky, his gaze found the sun shining brightly, unobstructed by clouds.

The sun, not covered by clouds, blazed and illuminated the land, while Ada’s trembling gaze cautiously turned to the other sun. Hoping it was just a mistake.

But the sun, flickering alone amidst the clouds, was undoubtedly there. Though dimmer than the real sun, it was unmistakably a sun. A sun in the sky!

-Gurgle?

Or perhaps, the eye of something impossibly massive. The sun in the clouds blinked.

When it reappeared, two suns were staring at Ada. As the wind blew and the clouds parted, it finally revealed itself to the world. A burning bird with sun-like eyes hovered leisurely in the sky, observing the world.

“M-m-m-monster!”

No matter how vast the world is, how many things that big could there be?

As a citizen of the Citadel Republic, Ada knew well. Even if he didn’t know its name, he couldn’t not know what such creatures were called.

“Monster! It’s Grimudo’s monster!”

Their Chancellor had borrowed a monster’s power to overturn the country.

That wasn’t something that could be kept secret. How big is a monster? Would they have to slaughter all the citizens who saw it to keep it a secret? Even then, the secret wouldn’t be kept, so it’s already an open secret.

Why has such a monster appeared here now?

If he could calmly ask this question, he wouldn’t be living as an herbalist. Ada ran in terror. He ran, tears streaming down his face!

Praying to gods he never usually prayed to, he cried out. Nemi, Elysia, Hilrae, Aldehir, Oberta… He spat out names that might offer some hope of salvation as he ran frantically.

The King of Monsters paid no attention to him, snot running down his face as he fled. It wasn’t here to eat something like that.

-Squawk!

It cried once and began descending to the ground. The distance to the ground gradually closed. 500 meters. 150 meters. 100 meters… At some point, the vegetation caught fire, and a wildfire began to spread. The ground dried up from the heat, and a scorching wind swept around.

And finally, 0 meters.

The ground rippled like waves. Dust rose to the sky.

Everything on the ground was destroyed by the shock, and the earth and rocks shook, collapsing everything. Ada, desperately running, was buried under a mound of dirt dozens of meters high, leaving no trace. Just by burrowing into the ground, it caused this catastrophe.

The Undead Creature, Phoenix, didn’t come here to torment humans. It certainly didn’t come under Grimudo’s orders.

It simply needed what was beneath the mountain range. Without any malice, its actions caused a massive disaster, and this was just the beginning.

Monsters are too large for the world’s terrain to handle.

*****

The capital of the Citadel Republic, Valles City, noticed the problem less than a minute later. The prelude to the crimson nightmare reached the city of Valles.