So you arrived at King’s Landing right after that?
“I don’t know when you mean after that, but the Four Heavenly Kings weren’t around when we got there.”
“Is that why the Four Heavenly Kings of the Wind Mubrial withdrew?”
“I don’t think it’s just…”
I listen to Mazel as I sip my tea. It’s probably good tea, but my head’s still asleep, so I feel the heat more than the taste.
I don’t know the exact time now, but I think it’s probably around the time the sun is setting over the city. I think it is because I can’t see out of this room because it doesn’t have a window. Anyway… I’ve been woken up earlier than early morning when it’s still dark outside and I’m in the royal castle. I’m so sleepy.
But I’m sure the post-war processing continued even after we drove the Four Heavenly Kings back yesterday. I can’t complain about that since I’m sure many of them were working without sleep. My father, the minister, didn’t come home yesterday.
So you guys are helping rescue King’s Landing. You’re tough.
It’s the least I can do.
Mazel laughs and I really don’t know what he’s talking about. the Four Heavenly Kings of Fire must’ve been a very powerful enemy. How tough can they be?
Of course the residents must have been thrilled to see the brave Mazel pulling victims out of the rubble and the saintly Laura healing the wounded, and if that leads to a good reputation for Mazel and the others, I’m sure that’s a good thing.
“You died faster than I thought you would.”
That’s what I thought. I thought we’d be holed up for a few days and I’m surprised Mazel got back so fast. She’d laugh at me if I told her that.
“The labyrinth dungeon was even harder. Werner said that the Four Heavenly Kings wouldn’t be able to use their fire attacks this time.”
“I remember you saying something like that.”
I seriously forgot. Mazel is smiling now. Then she says I’m like Werner in that way. What’s that supposed to mean?
But it sounds like you’ve been through a lot too.
“There’s so much going on, it’s honestly embarrassing.”
I respond by setting down my empty teacup. No, it’s embarrassing, actually. I put Lily in danger and I almost died myself.
Lily has traded me her teacup for one of my own, so I take it without reservation. Ah, after the second cup, I finally have time to enjoy the taste.
“Maybe, but I think that’s what you want me to explain first.”
In fact, we can’t mention Lady Juliane’s name in front of the majority, but we do need to have some sort of victory ceremony starting this afternoon. I’m sure Your Majesty and the Dauphin will want to know all the details before that.
That’s why they called Lily in together. I mean, even I didn’t get the full story from her. I didn’t have time.
I’m thinking about how to explain this incident to His Majesty and the others while explaining to Mazel the information about Mubrial, the Fourth Heavenly King of the Wind we’re going to fight next. I’m so nervous…
As we’re thinking and talking someone who looks like a chamberlain comes in and calls for us so me, Mazel and Lily move in… It’s a very secluded room. It’s the fewest number of people we’ll have to talk to and it’ll be our little secret. I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have to hide anything from them.
Viscount Werner van Zierfeldt, Herr Mazel Hulting and Frau Lily Hulting are here to see you.
Let me through.
A man who looks like a chamberlain calls out to the door behind which two Kingsguard are standing, and the Kingsguard opens it. The room is smaller than expected, but His Majesty the Emperor, the Dauphin Hywel, Laura and old Uwe, the Prime Minister and General Seifert are there. There are no guards in the room. Maybe there’s a door somewhere. I don’t know. Maybe Mr. Goretzka’s there.
I was about to kneel down as soon as I entered the room thinking of that when the Dauphin called out to me.
“Formality is useless. In fact, I don’t have time for formalities.”
“Thank you very much for your consideration.”
I know it’s true we don’t have much time, but we do have Mazel and Lily. I thank you for your kind words.
Then tell us what’s going on.
“Ha.”
I’ll begin by explaining the circumstances surrounding my visit to the temple to answer Your Majesty’s question. I’ve heard that the person who claimed the name of Juliane-sama is not a demon general, so I’ve finished the story as far as I know, with a slight correction.
The Prime Minister opens his mouth with an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect High Priestess Reppe.”
No, I didn’t see it either.
Actually, I was fooled as well. Even if it was an act, High Priest Reppe was rather pro-Royalist up until that point, so I don’t blame him. It’s natural that a man who’s always been an extreme Church supremacist would stand out more. Hopefully this will result in a more open atmosphere in the temple.
I wanted to ask about the missing High Priest of Malavois and what happened to Count Yering who’s under medical care, but I’ll wait to ask those questions until after I’ve explained everything His Majesty and Your Highness want to know.
Okay, that’s enough. Now, Lily, tell me more about what you know.
Yes, yes.
His Majesty’s eyes turned to Lily. Lily explains in detail what she has heard from the other party and the story of Knut, the eldest son of the Marquis of Cortelezis. While Mazel is looking at her with a surprised expression on her face, I’m listening to her story and thinking inwardly.
After hearing Lily’s story, the royal family is silent. I suppose that’s true when you hear the first king assassinated his sister and the saint. There was a heavy silence until the Dauphin spoke up.
“Interesting, but not entirely believable… Yeah, I don’t mean you’re lying.”
The second part is directed at Lily, but it doesn’t sound like a defense of her ancestors. I mean, the royal families that have survived wars are more or less mass murderers and there’s no such thing as a clean royal family. That’s what I think… but not what Mazel and Lily think.
I’m not sure why you would think that.
“The person you just mentioned who called herself Juliane said that she heard the Demon Lord’s voice after her death and became his servant, but I don’t recall any other examples of such a thing.”
“Oh.”
I couldn’t help but scream. You’re right. If you can do something after you’ve killed me… it seems inconsistent with the way you let Lily live and the way you tried to keep me alive in Anheim.
“The Demon King was meekly sealed away. But it’s also a little strange that Jörg, the previous hero, didn’t let go of the sword that was said to be sealed.”
Yes, indeed.
General Seifert nodded.
“Was the person who called herself Juliane the real Saint Juliane, or did she believe herself to be Juliane? I think we need to think about it from that point of view.”
“I see.”
“Deceptive information, is it?”
His Highness shakes his head at my question.
There’s no way to find out who Juliane is since she’s already disappeared. But it’s dangerous to believe everything they say.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the Demon King has the ability to manipulate his opponents, but he may have the ability to induce their thoughts.”
Old Uwe continued. If the deceiver believes it’s true, then the statement becomes true. And more people will be deceived into believing the ‘fact’ is the ‘truth’. This is a technique of deception in a broad sense.
So the person who called herself Juliane may have believed it to be true, but that doesn’t make it true.
“You may need to remember, but you don’t need to believe. You do that, sir.”
“Yes.”
I understand.
Mazel and Lily nodded. I’m sweating inside. I wonder if there’s some kind of sophisticated psychological information warfare propaganda going on behind our backs.
If the Demon Lord’s side had been able to convey this to Mazel from someone he believed in, it might have caused Mazel to question the meaning of protecting the Kingdom of Vine, and as a result might have even created room to drive a wedge of trust between Mazel and Laura.
If the person who called herself Juliane can prepare a new Demon General’s body, that’s fine.
But there’s a possibility that everything they said is true since there’s no evidence to deny it… but His Highness the Dauphin didn’t deny everything they said… he corrected Mazel and the others’ thinking. Or worse… he led them on. He closed the gap that the Demon King was trying to make between the royal family and the heroes.
And I’m sure you got the whole picture, and you’re just looking at me like I’m the one who needs to be told to mind my own business. Yes, I know. I guess that’s what it’s like to live in politics, but these exchanges are just plain scary.
Well, I’m afraid I have to tell you something. My stomach hurts.
“By the way, Your Majesty, I have something to tell you about destroying the one who calls himself Juliane. I hope you will forgive me.
“I forgive you.”
I kneel there after receiving permission from His Majesty who has a slightly doubtful tone. I could feel Mazel and Lily looking a little nervous, but I’m going to put that behind me for now.
Since it was my liege who avenged the priestess, I beg you to forgive me for punishing the men who served under my command.
I can feel the suspicious looks coming from all over the place, but I’m prepared to open my mouth.
I’m here to inquire about the body the demon priestess took from you. Where is the First Princess?
For a moment the air seemed to freeze. But when I thought about who that person who called herself Juliane was, I couldn’t think of anything else. I don’t even remember her name, the First Princess, it would make sense if she had been erased from my consciousness before the Demon Lord’s resurrection.
Perhaps the First Princess had something to do in the library at the time. And she found the hidden passageway. Perhaps she was drawn to it by someone inside… but I don’t know anymore.
Then, behind a hidden door, she is taken by someone who calls herself Juliane. I blocked the passage leading to the cemetery by collapsing it, and I used the key to the archives to make a magic circle in the archives. I didn’t touch the main warding structure because I didn’t have the key to get into the room with the crystal.
Then we go through that room with the guards. The first princess goes in, only to come back out. No one would think it strange, and the First Princess wouldn’t have to kill the people who were there. Then she puts the key back where she found it to get into the library… and then she disappears and everyone around her remembers her.
it makes sense why no one’s talking about the First Princess. That’s why the library’s the only place that’s been tampered with… and why it’s a perfect crime.
And what the one who called herself Juliane told Lily might be true is that the Demon Lord’s power would dye her opponent’s soul from the distortion and wounds in her heart. There’s no reason for her to lie.
I’m going to put myself in the position of the First Princess. Her Royal Highness the Dauphin Hywel, who would be the elder brother at his current age, looks like a real genius, and her younger sister the Second Princess Laura is the greatest saint of all time. The comparison between the top and bottom is too harsh.
I’m sure the nobles around her didn’t mean any harm but I think they took the First Princess very lightly. It’s understandable if she’s been distorted by the constant comparisons. Maybe that’s where she was being taken advantage of.
If I’m right, then for whatever reason I’m the one who injured the First Princess. Whatever the decision, it’s not something I can keep hidden. I bow my head.
His Majesty and the Dauphin and the others are talking briefly while I keep my head down. Eventually the words escaped his mouth…
“I don’t know what you misunderstand, my lord, but the First Princess died of illness when she was very young.”
I looked up in surprise, but I saw it in your eyes. They’re the kind of eyes that say, “That’s the way it’s going to be.”
It’s true that the First Princess’ involvement in the Demon Lord’s resurrection would be a scandal in another sense. Along with the fact that the first king may have assassinated Juliane. But if he were to disappear, there’d be a lot of fakes.
I’m going to settle this politically by saying that he died of illness at an early age and is neither recorded nor remembered.
“… Is that so? I hope you will forgive my mistake.
“There were a lot of problems and a lot of hard work. You’ll make mistakes like that. Don’t worry about it.”
As for the demon priestess, I want you to give me a written report at a later date.
Yes, sir.
The Prime Minister spoke next to me. You want me to write a story that makes sense. I’ll take the truth to my grave.
I understand the politics of this decision but I can’t help feeling a little sorry for the First Princess whose face I don’t know and whose name I can’t remember. It’s pathetic that she’s spent her whole life in the palace between a brilliant elder brother and a promising younger sister and now she’s been pretended that she was never there in the first place.
When we’re done, we’ll go to the ruins and lay flowers. I’ll never forgive you for going after Lily, but there it is.
