Chapter 1: The Phoenix Crown

“This place is incredible,” Mash murmured softly.

When Adel looked over at him, she found his hooded head tilted upward.

Golden ornamentation covered the pillars and walls around them, making the castle a work of art in and of itself. The Wendill Palace in Welna had been filled with color thanks to the welnafare flowers displayed everywhere, but the castle itself had been rather compact and bare. The difference in scale and materials used was like comparing night and day.

“You think so? Honestly, I personally prefer Wendill Palace,” Adel said.

“Now, now, they are both wonderful in their own ways,” said Melulu. “They both carry meaning for Princess, so there’s no need to rank them.”

“That’s true,” said Euphinia, her attention arrested by the opulence all around. “It has been so long since I last came here, but I still love it. It’s so gorgeous.”

The group was currently in the royal palace of the Holy Kingdom of Rakul. This nation of the Four World Powers, located in the southwestern part of the continent, held the longest history. Euphinia’s late mother, the previous queen consort of Wendill, had come from the Rakulian royal family as well, meaning that Euphinia was tied to them by blood. Because of this, Rakul had stepped up to provide Wendill with all the funds and materials needed to rebuild its palace. Rakul probably also felt somewhat responsible, as the Saint who had attacked the G4 Summit—Katina, the Legion Saint—had been stationed at Rakul, but the familial connection was likely the bigger reason.

It had pained Euphinia to leave Welna while the palace was under reconstruction, but when Rakul had sent her an invitation, she’d felt the need to accept, if only to express her gratitude for the much-needed support. And so she had made the journey with her knight escorts in tow. Her brother, Prince Julian, was gone, which left her next in line for the throne of Wendill. This visit was both a diplomatic gesture and a demonstration of her conviction to eventually lead the country in Julian’s place.

Her knight escorts were aware that they had to do an even better job of supporting her than before. Being far from home, they were to take great care not to make any faux pas—

“Hot damn, it’s gold and shiny everywhere!”

“Bro, bro, there’s gold on the ground! We’re stepping on gold!”

“Let’s strip it and sell it! If it’s on the ground, it means they threw it away, right?!”

“Shut up, you idiots!” Adel and Mash roared simultaneously.

Melulu glared at the former gladiator slaves. “This is the floor decoration, not somebody’s trash!”

Euphinia giggled as Adel covered her face in embarrassment. Adel had been against bringing these subordinates in the first place, knowing how strict Rakul was regarding propriety and formality. But both Claire, the head of the Saints stationed in Wendill, and Belzen, the commander of the knights of Wendill, had vehemently objected to being saddled with them, thereby leaving Adel no choice but to bring them along as guards.

She was already regretting it.

“In any case, don’t do a damn thing! Just...stay still!” Adel tied them up together using Salamander’s Tail, the whip that was her weapon of choice, and sighed. “There, that’ll do. Excuse me, Lady Rosalind. May I summon my Divine Beast here?”

Rosalind was the woman currently serving as the group’s guide. She had reddish-brown hair and an amiable face. Being roughly twenty, she looked a bit older than Adel and Melulu.

In a slightly apologetic tone, she said, “That’s fine, but...Saint Adel, if you could lower your voice somewhat...”

Supposedly, she had been assigned as their guide because she had been to Wendill before as a member of the Rakulian delegation at the G4 Summit. That meant she had traveled from the Wendill Palace back to Rakul, then headed from Rakul to Wendill to deliver Euphinia’s invitation before returning again. That much time on the road would be tough on anyone.

“Ah, my apologies. All right, Cerberus, come out.”

A fierce-looking Divine Beast emerged from Adel’s shadow.

“As expected of Saint Adel’s Divine Beast! How sublime it is!” Rosalind exclaimed, bowing reverently.

The common person’s understanding of Divine Beasts was that they produced anima and blessed people with Sanctuaries and Holy Towers. The truth was that they possessed surprisingly human personalities, ranging from friendly to unbelievably vulgar, but those who could not hear their voices had a tendency to put them on a pedestal. Rosalind was no exception, as she was not a Saint.

“Mm. I like your attitude, girl,” Cerberus growled, sounding pleased.

“Hey, don’t let it get to your head,” Adel said.

“What did he say, Saint Adel?”

“That he likes your attitude.”

Rosalind’s face lit up. “Oh my! Thank you very much. I have heard that you have been a steadfast ally of Saint Adel for a long time, so it is only right that I show you respect.”

“Um...I’m just a knight escort, you know.”

For some reason, Rosalind was treating Adel with almost excessive regard. The way she spoke to her was almost the same as—no, it was with even more respect than how Adel spoke to Euphinia.

“Not at all! Why, you are our country’s savior.”

“You mean from Katina?”

“Yes, of course. Saint Katina was stationed with us, and therefore represented us. If you hadn’t stopped her when she went mad, Rakul would have been blamed for her actions. We could have had a huge international fiasco on our hands, but you prevented that.”

Adel fell silent as a flash of guilt shot through her. Almost everyone thought that Adel had killed Katina, but that wasn’t the case. She had let her go, then lied about it. To the best of her knowledge, Katina was currently in frontier profane land, traveling with Julian. Although profane land was filled with monsters and therefore extremely dangerous, both Katina and Julian possessed the strength to protect themselves. In fact, Katina could even erect Holy Towers. It was Adel’s hope that the two of them had found a nice spot to settle down in.

In any case, this truth had to remain hidden. Though it weighed on her heart, Adel was prepared to dodge the numerous questions that would surely be asked in the upcoming audience, or lie outright. She shot a look toward Euphinia, and found the princess with her eyes similarly cast down.

Uh-oh, this won’t do. I have to pull it together and—

“Um, did I say something I shouldn’t have? If that’s the case, I am very sorry,” Rosalind said with a deep bow.

Again, Adel felt like Rosalind was being far too deferential.

The increasingly impatient Cerberus said, “So, did you actually summon me for something? If not, I’m returning to your shadow.”

“Ah yes, sorry,” said Adel. “Can you let this lot on your back and carry them?”

Of course, Adel was referring to her tied-up subordinates.

Cerberus sighed. “What a pain. Fine, I’ll do it.”

“Mm. Much appreciated.”

The sight of Cerberus strolling down the hall with a bunch of humans on his back was certainly eye-catching, but no one raised a word of protest. On the contrary, some even stopped to make a respectful gesture when he passed by.

“What a heroic-looking Divine Beast!”

“Is that a Cerberus? Look how its fur glistens!”

“I heard it’s contracted to the princess of Wendill. She really must be powerful.”

There seemed to be some misinformation going around, but Adel wasn’t concerned about correcting it.

“Yo, yo, yo, what’s this? People are bowing to us left and right!”

“Dude, you’re right! Bwa ha ha ha! We’re big shots now!”

“This feels so freaking good! That’s right, lower your heads, you peons!”

From their position atop Cerberus, Adel’s subordinates were starting to get rowdy again, prompting her to snap, “Are you trying to make me go deaf?! I told you lot to pipe down!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

“Uh, sorry, Boss Lady.”

Melulu clutched her head and heaved a heavy sigh. “Do you think we could gag them as well?”

“How about straight up killing them and scattering their ashes? They’re noisy and not worth the air they breathe,” said Pegasus, who had gotten out of Euphinia’s shadow and was standing next to Adel before she knew it.

Adel gave him the evil eye. “You’re hardly any better.”

“Another Divine Beast? It is my pleasure to meet you.” Rosalind bowed reverently to him.

“Mm, yes. The pleasure is all mine. You may approach. Gue heh heh heh.” The Divine Beast began licking Rosalind’s face, eliciting ticklish laughter.

“Oh, you honor me. Thank you very much!”

To the casual eye, this was a playful animal being affectionate with a beautiful girl. But...

“Woo-hoo! Such soft skin! This is what life is all about, baby!”

“You shut up too!” Adel lifted a leg high up, then kicked Pegasus squarely in the side of his face.

“Gueh?!”

Thanks to the strengthening from Ki Convergence, the kick carried enough power to send the white horse crashing into a nearby wall.

Rosalind’s eyes widened in shock. “S-Saint Adel?! What are you doing to a Divine Beast?!”

“Look, I don’t usually treat Divine Beasts this way, but this piece of garbage was approaching you with lascivious intent.”

“I-Is that so? Um, more importantly...”

“Ha...ha ha ha. What you don’t realize is that I’m perfectly happy down here too. Whoo, what a beautiful sight! Bwa ha ha ha!”

From where he was lying, Pegasus was hungrily running his eyes up and down Adel’s upraised leg, savoring the sight with his intense gaze. This by itself didn’t bother Adel, but because he was being disgusting, she made the decision to silence him further.

Just as Adel was about to take a step forward, however, Rosalind jumped on Pegasus in the blink of an eye. With a loud crack, she twisted his neck away from Adel’s direction, then kept his head turned at a very uncomfortable angle with surprising strength.

“Ow ow ow ow ow ow!”

In a voice as sharp as a knife, she said, “Impertinence toward Saint Adel is unforgivable, even for a Divine Beast. There was impertinence in your gaze just now, was there not?”

Adel didn’t mind Rosalind beating her to the punch, but she felt another surge of confusion as to why she was going to such lengths on her behalf. She was almost acting like Adel herself did when protecting Euphinia. It truly was a mystery what was driving her to be this way.

“Um, Lady Rosalind—”

“As for you, Saint Adel, I beseech you to act according to your station. Raising your leg so high is highly improper.”

The way Adel saw it, removing Pegasus when he was acting vulgar in Euphinia’s presence was part of her duties as knight escort, but she nodded reflexively at the overwhelming forcefulness in Rosalind’s tone. “Um...my apologies.”

“Now, let us continue to the audience chamber.” Rosalind straightened herself, then resumed walking.

“Is it just me or does she get really intense at times?” Melulu whispered. “Plus, she seems to be making a big fuss over Adel.”

Adel nodded. “I noticed that too, but I haven’t the faintest idea why.”

“Maybe she’s a fan of yours?” Mash asked jokingly.

“What could I have done to deserve that?”

Euphinia giggled. “I’m simply happy that she’s treating you well.”

“Princess...!”

If Euphinia was happy, then all was well. Adel decided to stop worrying about it.

◆◇◆

The next day...

“My, how adorable!”

“You look simply wonderful, Princess Euphinia!”

The handmaidens helping Euphinia change squealed in delight. They couldn’t help it when she looked so angelic in her formfitting Rakulian dress.

Adel had to agree. She, too, wanted to throw up her hands and shout with joy upon seeing Euphinia in this guise up close. However, the problem was that she herself was also being stuffed into a Rakulian dress.

“Why me too?!”

A ceremony centered around a Rakulian national treasure was about to take place, and Euphinia was supposed to take part too. The treasure was the Phoenix Crown, a spelltool passed down from a time when the Holy Kingdom had been much larger than its current size in the Quaternary Era. The crown supposedly reacted to members of the Rakulian royal family and would bless those of its bloodline. The current royal family was descended from that of the old kingdom, which meant that Euphinia should also meet the requirement. Since it was such a rare occasion for her to be present during this ceremony, the idea was for her to also receive the crown’s blessing.

Though she was technically part of the family, the fact that the Rakulian royals would allow her to touch such a precious national treasure suggested their attitude toward her was quite favorable. During the audience with them yesterday, they had accepted her account of the events at the G4 Summit without question. Adel had almost felt silly for feeling so nervous beforehand.

Of course, none of this gave Adel a satisfactory reason for why she had to get changed along with Euphinia. No one had asked Melulu, who was currently giving Euphinia a hand, to do the same.

The middle-aged handmaiden helping Adel made a troubled face. “Ahhh, Your Highness. Please stay still.”

“Um, is there a misunderstanding somewhere? I’m no one’s ‘highness.’ I’m simply a knight escort. There’s no need to dress me up!”

“Now, now,” said Rosalind, who was there to help Adel, “being allowed to take part is a huge honor. You might as well make the most of it!”

“I’m a nobody! How can it be all right to let me touch a national treasure belonging to the historied Holy Kingdom?!”

“As I said yesterday, you are our country’s savior, Saint Adel. On occasion, such individuals are also granted the opportunity to touch the Phoenix Crown. It won’t react to you as you have no Rakulian royal blood, but you can think of it as a sign of being acknowledged by us. Though it might be admittedly a rather modest sign.”

“Are you saying...that I can serve as a foil to prop Princess Euphinia up?”

“I suppose you could see it that way. All we want is for you to take part in the ceremony.”

“Hmm... Well, no way around it, then. Come, let’s finish this dressing up as soon as possible.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” said the middle-aged maid. “Please bear with us just a while longer.”

“Like I said, can you not call me—”

“Th-That’s right! It’s still too early!” hissed Rosalind.

“Hm? ‘Too early’?”

“Oh, ha ha ha, don’t worry about— My, what voluptuous breasts you have, Saint Adel! I can see why it is taking some time to put on your dress.”

Due to the formfitting style of Rakulian dresses, it wasn’t unusual for a premade one to require some adjustment. Common practice was to have one tailored specifically for someone. The fact that it was so popular still indicated how many Rakulians had an abundance of both money and time.

At the same time, there were numerous slums in the country. Astal Orphanage, where Adel had grown up, was located in one. It was well-known that there was great wealth disparity in Rakul.

“My apologies, Saint Adel,” Rosalind said. “May I touch your breasts to push them in?”

“Uh, if you must. Go ahead.”

Melulu’s face popped into view. “Me! Me! Me! Let me help with that!”

“Wha— When did you come over?!”

“Oh, don’t sweat the small stuff. Come on, stand still. We gotta get you in this dress!”

“In that case, excuse me as I— My, what elasticity!”

“But it’s also really soft and bouncy, isn’t it? Doesn’t it feel amazing to touch?”

“Oh yes, I cannot agree more, Lady Melulu.”

Adel cut in. “Is all this touching really necessary?! I would appreciate this being over quickly!”

Being a man in mind still, she found having two highly attractive girls happily fondling her chest rather provocative and stimulating. It might have been different if she could completely see herself as a woman, but the adjustment was going to take much more time.

In the end, after Melulu had her fun, it was determined that Adel’s chest simply wouldn’t fit. Some cloth was cut from the back of the dress as an emergency measure, and she was sent out to the ceremony.

◆◇◆

The ceremony involved the king of Rakul going down the line of participants to personally place the Phoenix Crown on their heads, giving them a word or two of blessing. Without much ado, then, the proceedings began with great gravity.

I see. So that’s how it looks when the crown reacts.

When the crown was placed on the head of one of the participants, it emanated a beautiful glow, indicating that she possessed royal blood. Adel wondered if the promised blessing was simply the honor associated with the display or if there was some actual effect. It was sure to glow when it was Euphinia’s turn, and Adel wished that she would be blessed with sound health, peace and prosperity in her family, or having her wishes come true. Especially the first one, given how she had died young in the previous timeline. Adel had no objection to relying on such things if they were indeed effective at fending off that terrible fate.

I mean, it’s a prized spelltool with a long history and everything, so it must possess power of some sort...right?

Adel was so occupied by her thoughts that before she knew it, the king of Rakul was already standing in front of Euphinia.

“May you, Princess Euphinia, receive the blessing of Rakul’s protector.”

“I am deeply honored.” Euphinia lowered her head, the slight motion overflowing with grace.

The king reached toward the tray that an attendant was holding up with great reverence, picked up the Phoenix Crown, then placed it on Euphinia’s small head. From where she was kneeling beside Euphinia, Adel watched closely—but did not stop there.

Now!

Surreptitiously, she touched the hem of Euphinia’s dress, then covered her whole body with ki. This was a derivative application of Ki Amplification, which she normally used to bolster the capability of a spelltool in her own hands. By using Euphinia’s body as a conduit, however, she was able to do the same to the Phoenix Crown.

What Adel wanted was for Euphinia to receive the full blessing that the crown could give so that she would be spared the fate of dying an early and untimely death. As a result, the Phoenix Crown on Euphinia’s head glowed with more brilliance and sublimity than it had for anyone else so far.

“What radiance!” the king exclaimed.

“I-Incredible!”

“It’s so beautiful!”

“Is this proof of the rumor that she possesses unmatched talent as a Saint?!”

Cries of wonder filled the solemn air. Hearing Euphinia being praised filled Adel’s chest with pride.

“My! How bright it is!” No less surprised than anyone else, the princess looked up at the crown on her head. Then a thought seemed to come to her. She turned her eyes toward Adel, and caught her knight escort’s focused gaze.

As Adel hurriedly turned away, the king of Rakul said, “This is surely a sign that the Phoenix blesses you, Princess Euphinia!”

“M-My gratitude knows no words.”

Thanks to the king, the matter was glossed over and the ceremony proceeded apace.

“It is now your turn, Saint Adel.”

“I gratefully accept this honor though it is beyond me!”

Since the crown wouldn’t glow for Adel, placing it on her head would be a purely ceremonial gesture. Such had been the case for a few others as well, which meant it wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Simply being able to touch the Phoenix Crown was a great honor. Personally, Adel was content with having amplified Euphinia’s blessing; that alone had given meaning to participating. Now, all that was left was to wait for her own turn to be over.

Adel bowed before the king, who placed the Phoenix Crown on her head. The spelltool was supposed to be metal, but it felt strangely warm.

There was a moment of silence, then the venue erupted with commotion.

“Whoaaaaaaa!”

“D-Do my eyes deceive me?!”

“Is this true?!”

The turn that was supposed to pass by uneventfully was instead eliciting the biggest reaction thus far.

Euphinia cried, “Adel!”

Adel looked over, puzzled at the astonishment in her liege’s eyes. “Yes? Is something the matter?”

“On your head! The Phoenix Crown! It’s... It’s...”

“Huh? What?! H-How can it be?! It’s...glowing!”

The Phoenix Crown was supposed to glow only when on the head of a member of Rakul’s royal family. There was only one conclusion to draw.

Mash and Melulu, who had been standing by to guard the ceremony, were nearly hysterical.

“Whaaaaaaat?! Adel, you’re a princess from the Rakulian royal family?!”

“Is she really the Adel we know?!”

The spelltool’s reaction certainly suggested it. Little wonder everyone else in the room was so shaken.

“It is as I thought! I knew it, I knew, I knew it!” shouted Rosalind as she practically jumped for joy.

◆◇◆

Excitedly, Euphinia said, “I thought I saw a resemblance between you and my late mother, but I never thought this would be why!”

The ceremony was over, and the group had returned to a dressing room and changed back into their usual attire.

“I never knew either,” said Adel.

The possibility of having come from any remarkable lineage had never occurred to Adel, even before the time jump. Protecting and serving Princess Euphinia had been the only thing on his mind after being saved from the Moving Coliseum of Navarra. Never once did it occur to him to investigate his own background, and no one had noticed either. Of course, that was because very few even knew his true face beneath the full suit of armor he usually wore. He had ended up surviving the Great War started by Mad Emperor Tristan without being any the wiser.

“Nothing ever tipped you off?” asked Mash.

Adel shook her head. “I’ve been an orphan as far back as I can remember. And I never heard any mention of my parents at Astal Orphanage.”

“But it seems like Rosalind knew,” said Melulu. “She has been extremely respectful to you since the moment we arrived, and she even said, ‘I knew it!’ just now.”

“That’s true. Why is that?” Adel asked, turning to Rosalind.

“Please allow me to explain!” said Rosalind, beaming from ear to ear. “The mistress I serve had a child she had had to part with, to her great sorrow. It has been nearly thirty years, but she has been searching for her and her family this whole time.”

“Thirty years? That can’t be me, then.”

“Of course, which is why I suspect you are her granddaughter. Since you grew up in an orphanage, I take that to mean your parents—your mother being the child my mistress has been looking for—have long departed from this world. However, I’m sure my lady would be absolutely overjoyed to learn that she has a granddaughter who is alive and well.”

“So I am the daughter of the daughter she lost... I’m surprised you recognized me.”

“It is because you are the spitting image of a portrait of my mistress in her youth!” Rosalind gushed, talking a mile a minute. “The similarity is so striking, I refused to dismiss it as mere coincidence. Furthermore, I have heard that you are able to use ki, a power that the founding father of Rakul is famous for. The current royal family is descended from him, so I took it as another clue. In fact, my mistress once told me there was a time when she too had attempted to revive the art.”

Joy emanated from both her tone and expression; she looked extremely happy. All this went to show how much she loved her mistress.

“That’s...a lot to take in.”

“The final nail in the coffin was your name, Saint Adel. When I learned it, I was sure beyond a doubt.”

“Hm? Why is that?”

“My mistress is Duchess Adel—you have the same name as her! She is the elder sister of the father of the current king of Rakul. I’m positive your mother gave you the same name as her own mother!”

“I see. You’re pretty sure that she’s my grandmother?”

“The Phoenix Crown glowed. I’m one hundred percent sure!”

Euphinia rubbed her temples with her fingers. “Um...so...Adel’s grandmother is His Majesty’s aunt, and my mother is His Majesty’s younger sister, which makes me His Majesty’s father’s granddaughter, and...”

“In other words, you and Saint Adel are second cousins, Your Highness!”

“Second cousins...”

“Princess Euphinia and I...related...”

Adel and Euphinia looked at each other.

“Now, I must report back to my mistress Her Grace right away and make all the necessary preparations, so I will take my leave. I will be back as soon as I can!” With a skip in her step, Rosalind rushed out of the room.

Euphinia tilted her head. “What preparations are there to make?”

“Beats me,” replied Adel.

“Still, if this is all true, that means you will get to meet your grandmother, Adel. That’s wonderful! I wish I could meet her too.”

“I’ve thought myself an orphan my whole life, so I don’t really know how to feel being told I have relatives out of the blue.”

“Well, it makes me happy. I feel like I’ve suddenly obtained a big sister!”

“That’s...true! What an incredible honor it is!”

All the talk about her grandmother had yet to set in, but being related by blood to Euphinia meant being able to stay close to her. Being able to remain close to the world’s most precious existence was a cause for celebration.

“I’m still wrapping my mind around Adel actually being a princess,” Melulu said, grinning. “I hope I’m not in trouble for speaking with you so casually all this time.”

“Wha— That’s nonsense! I’m still me! Knowing where I come from doesn’t change anything. I’ll always be Adel Astal, Princess Euphinia’s knight escort. Nothing more and nothing less.”

Adel didn’t want anything to change. If her ties to the Rakulian family coming to light compelled it, she would much rather pretend it had never happened.

“Please don’t worry about it either, Princess. Please let me continue as your knight escort!”

“Of course, Adel.” Euphinia smiled gently and took Adel’s hand. It was smooth as silk and very warm. “However—and it doesn’t have to be often—may I call you ‘Big Sister’ sometimes?”

“What?! Y-You would call me Big Sister?!”

“It’s technically correct, based on our familial ties. Um...do you not want me to?”

Such warmth bloomed in Adel’s chest from looking into Euphinia’s imploring eyes that she couldn’t help shaking. What an adorable sight. What a lovable sight. What a treat it was to see the princess acting so needy. Despite her youth, she was filled with such intelligence and compassion that she gave to others much more than she ever asked for. And yet, there she was, making a request of Adel. The sheer fact filled Adel with bliss.

It wasn’t long ago that Euphinia had lost Julian, the brother she had been close to. She was putting on a brave face in shouldering the future of Wendill in his place, but there was no way she wasn’t still feeling hurt and lonely. Adel felt the same way in regards to Katina. Though it was impossible to replace Julian, Adel would be more than happy to become a new source of support for Euphinia.

“Perish the thought! Please call me whatever you wish, Princess!”

Adel would accept anything if it was for Euphinia’s sake. After all, she had come back in time for the sole purpose of ensuring that, this time for sure, she lived a long and happy life.

Chapter 2: The Last of the Four Deities

“As I’m sure you already know,” said Rosalind, “our nation, the Holy Kingdom of Rakul, boasts the longest history among the Four World Powers. Our roots trace back before the Quaternary Era, to when the world was united under our banner and the reach of human civilization extended further than it had ever been. The expeditions led by our founding king and his wife, Saint Melmea, were such impressive feats that they are still depicted in many history books today.”

Euphinia nodded. “Yes, I have read The Rise and Fall of the Holy Kingdom many times before.”

At that moment, Rosalind was giving Adel and Euphinia a detailed lesson on the history of Rakul in a private room in the palace. According to her, this was knowledge that all Rakulian nobles were taught from a young age. Rosalind, knowing that Adel wouldn’t be interested enough to say yes if approached alone, had made the brilliant call to invite Euphinia too. History was right up Euphinia’s alley, and so Rosalind’s lecture was now in session.

“It has been the dearest wish of our country to regain the glory of the Holy Kingdom. Consequently, we have continued pushing west to reclaim profane land and have moved our capital accordingly several times. Our current capital is our third one. Having it so close to frontier profane land may seem questionable in terms of defense, but doing so is in the very nature of our national identity.”

Euphinia loved learning directly from someone as much as she loved exploring knowledge through books. With dazzling eyes, she said, “May I ask something?”

“Of course. What is it, Your Highness?”

“Since setting up the third capital, efforts to reclaim profane land seem to have slowed considerably. Why is that? Is it because of the international dynamic of the Quaternary Era?”

“That is a good question. It is true that in our current era, the Four World Powers are afraid that focusing all of their attention outward will leave them vulnerable to attack from behind by the others. Case in point, when we moved our capital too far west, Torust and Teeling broke off from us. Out of fear that it would happen a third time, we have been letting up efforts to push into profane land.”

“Times sure have changed.”

If there were four people in a room, there would be four agendas; the same was true for countries. To the best of Adel’s knowledge, it wasn’t in Torust’s nature to take advantage of another country seeking to develop profane land. On the contrary, chances were high that it would offer to help.

Before the G4 Summit, Tristan had been raring to go on an expedition himself. The fact that he had been planning on doing so with Elciel bothered Adel, but after meeting him and speaking to him in person, she understood that he was an extremely good-natured and reliable person. This meant that the Mad Emperor version of him who she had faced in the past timeline had been a fundamentally different person. This was a discovery she had made only after coming back in time.

Adel was not familiar enough with the Lords’ Coalition of Teeling to be able to tell how it would move. However, the Republic of Malka—which Mash’s older sister, Angela, had been part of—seemed suspicious. After all, it had attempted to assassinate Tristan. If Rakul or Torust really did turn their attention to the frontier, Malka very much might see it as an opportunity to be exploited.

Given how each of the Four World Powers had to constantly remain wary of the others, it was understandable that efforts to reclaim frontier profane land had largely stopped.

“Very much so. You could say that the Quaternary Era has been an era of stasis, one where humanity as a whole has turned its attention inward.” Rosalind sighed, but then lifted her drooping head. “However, there is another reason our efforts to reclaim frontier profane land have stagnated. Put simply, we have recovered so much land that our current capital is practically right next to the ruins of the Holy Kingdom’s capital.”

Adel started. She recalled being told again and again at Astal Orphanage not to go anywhere near the ruins. Such a warning implied that it was close enough for a child to accidentally wander into. Of course, Adel had ignored the exhortations and would intentionally visit the Old Capital, then return home to a very severe dressing-down from Katina and the orphanage’s staff. She smiled faintly at the memory.

“I can confirm that. When I was a child, I broke the orphanage’s rules and went to explore the ruins. It is very close.”

Euphinia giggled. “My, what a tomboy you were!”

“Honestly, I do regret causing so much trouble for my caretakers. Since I’m here in Rakul and all, I plan on paying them a visit and apologizing in person.”

Adel was curious what state Astal Orphanage was in. She was rather sure that Katina had been supporting it, but that support had likely disappeared with her. Hopefully it was still making do.

“That’s a good idea!” Euphinia nodded, smiling. “I would love to see where you grew up.”

Rosalind cleared her throat. “Well, childhood indiscretions aside, the Old Capital is considered sacred land. Only those possessing royal blood are allowed to step foot inside. Because of this tradition, it’s become impossible to push through the area. We can’t ignore and detour around it either, as doing so risks getting attacked from behind by monsters born there—it’s still profane land, after all. In light of the recent shifts in the international scene, it’s been decided that we can’t afford to shoulder the risks associated with dealing with it at the moment.”

Adel murmured, “I see, so it’s because of tradition...” This wasn’t a good or a bad thing. It simply was part of what Rakul was.

“Is it not possible to erect a Holy Tower in the Old Capital and make it safe?” asked Euphinia. “That would remove the risk, wouldn’t it?”

“It would, of course,” Rosalind said with a nod. “In fact, it would be amazingly helpful. Unfortunately, everyone outside of Rakulian royalty is forbidden to enter; even Saints from the Holy Tower Church are not exempt.”

“So the Church can’t decide all on its own to erect a Holy Tower there?”

“I’m afraid not. The situation would be different if there were a Saint with ties to our royal family who also had the strength to erect a Holy Tower, but no one like that has ever appeared.”

“I see... Thank you, that answers my question.” Euphinia bowed in thanks, looking thoughtful. Adel was pretty sure she knew what was running through her liege’s mind.

“In that case, this is a good place to wrap up today’s lecture.”

Hm? Did she say “today’s”? There’ll be another one?

“Is something bothering you, Saint Adel?”

“No, not at all. I’m grateful to have learned so much, but... I’m sorry, is this meant to continue on another day?”

Rosalind’s face lit up. “But of course! This is a basic curriculum for all Rakulian royalty.”

“Uh, just to make sure we’re on the same page... I am ultimately Princess Euphinia’s knight escort. Even if I really do possess Rakulian royal blood, that’s not going to change.”

“Yes, I am fully aware. I’m just so happy that Her Grace still has a living relative that I... Could you let me do what I can for you for the duration of Princess Euphinia’s stay in Rakul?”

Unable to say no to Rosalind’s earnest pleading eyes, Adel hemmed and hawed a bit, then said, “Um, well... F-Fine.”

“I’m so glad to hear it! Then right away, let’s continue on to—”

“Wait, what? Didn’t you say we’re done for today?”

“Today’s lecture is done, so we are moving on to court etiquette! It’s perfect timing, as I’m sure you are feeling hungry right about now. You can learn over an actual meal!”

“Etiquette?!” exclaimed Adel with some consternation. That definitely wasn’t her forte.

Roughly an hour later, Rosalind was saying, “I’m afraid that’s the wrong order, Saint Adel. You are meant to start with the outermost set and work your way in.”

“This looks easiest to eat with, though.”

“Etiquette calls for sticking with the correct order.”

“Right...”

“Ah, for that dish you should insert the knife here and open it up from the back. Then you use a spoon for the fillings like so.”

“Why can’t I just pierce it all with a fork and eat it together? Why complicate it?”

“Appreciating the array of colors within is part of enjoying this dish.”

“Seriously?”

Adel was doing her best to be patient and do as Rosalind instructed, but it wasn’t going well.

“Noooo, if you insert your knife from that direction, everything inside will spill out.”

“I should have used the fork after all, then.”

“Doing so is against etiquette. Please consider learning where to cut as a part of the whole process.”

“Urgh... There’s so much to remember...”

How can I enjoy the meal like this?

What was etiquette? It seemed illogical to conclude that it was developed to intentionally detract from the enjoyment of eating. The food being served looked very appetizing, but there was so much to keep in mind that Adel’s mind had no room to register the taste.

Euphinia laughed. “Rakul uses more cutlery and so has more rules for it than other cultures. You can learn it a little at a time, Adel. No one is perfect right away.” She smiled kindly, then carried food to her own mouth with movements so sure and perfect that it looked like a performance.

Melulu, who was sitting with them, said, “Your manners reflect on Princess, so do your best, Adel.” Though she was no match for Euphinia, she was having no trouble eating the food. She came from a merchant family, but fine dining etiquette had likely been a part of the strict training she’d undergone from a young age.

“That’s a good point. I cannot make her ashamed of me!”

“Um, dining etiquette is important, but I would never stop being proud of you because of it.”

“Princess!”

The kind words from her liege filled Adel’s heart to bursting.

“So don’t let it get you down and keep at it...Big Sister.”

Euphinia’s impish smile was too much for Adel to bear. It wasn’t an expression she made often, and Adel was so moved it felt like her heart was in a vise.

“I will do my absolute best, Princess! I will stake my life on it!”

“As I said, you don’t have to drive yourself into a corner over it.”

“In any case, it’s a good thing that Adel feels motivated,” said Mash, nodding sympathetically. “There’s so much to learn that it’s hard to keep track of it all.” His manners were just as impeccable as Euphinia’s.

Noticing that, she said appreciatively, “The way you eat is very beautiful, Mash.”

“It sure is,” Rosalind agreed. “It is so polished that I have nothing to point out.”

Mash lowered his head. “Thank you. I’ve been taught how to carry myself so that I would not embarrass myself no matter the country.” Despite having the terrifying head and claws of a lion, Rakulian etiquette almost looked like second nature to him.

Having thought him on her side, Adel felt betrayed and let it show in her eyes.

“Wh-What is it, Adel?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s nothing. Just that—”

“My! Saint Adel, you’re using the wrong cutlery again. This is the one to use. If you don’t use this to cut it, it will fall apart.”

“Urghhh...”

“Yeah, Rakulian style is rather delicate and complicated,” Mash said with a smirk. “I can see how it would be hard for Adel.”

Rosalind said, “In any case, I now have a grasp on the situation. After this meal, you’ll have some time to rest. Then, we will be practicing ballroom dancing.”

“Oh!”

This was something that Adel was good at. Sure enough, Rosalind was sighing with wonder a short while later while watching Adel on the ballroom floor.

“It’s so beautiful...”

Just as with history and table manners, Rakul cared greatly about the details and tradition of its dancing, which naturally manifested as very detailed choreography and elaborate footing. Surprisingly, the sheer physicality it demanded brought it all the way round to being squarely within Adel’s wheelhouse.

“Mm-hmm! I am a knight escort because I am good at moving my body. For both dancing and fighting, you need to know how to control your movements.”

This had become all the more true for Adel after the time jump. Since becoming a girl, fine motor control was becoming increasingly crucial for fighting. The shift from using brute force to overwhelm and crush opponents to reading their movements and redirecting their attacks and always being ready to adapt and counter was, in so many words, a conversion from strength to technique. And now, that heightened control over her body’s subtlest motions was proving useful in dance too.

Even Rosalind was nodding with appreciation. “I have no pointers to give. I’ve never seen anything more perfect.”

“When Adel dances, she’s so wonderful and lively!” Euphinia said, beaming and clapping.

“I can’t agree more,” Melulu said. “I feel like I’m getting energy looking at it.”

Mash nodded. “Same here.”

“Ha ha ha! I’m not wearing a dress that restricts my movements, so this is a piece of cake. Lady Rosalind, I can handle a more difficult number, if you have one.”

“Is that so? In that case, let’s do the same dance again, but arrange it a little. When you stretch out your hands and legs, instead of stretching them straight, can you slowly curve them a little?”

“Hm... Like this?”

Euphinia exclaimed, “That alone gives a very different impression!”

“Yeah, it looks much cuter.” Melulu agreed.

“Wonderful, simply wonderful!” Rosalind gushed. “Very few have the skill to adapt so easily, Saint Adel!”

“Yeah?” Adel chortled, feeling extra happy about being praised after the train wreck of the earlier meal. With a bright smile, she said invitingly, “If you have any other suggestions, I’ll gladly do them! Go on, try me.”

“Well, if you say so. Right before you do the spin, can you pop your waist in the other direction? Then after the spin, pop your waist the same way again so you’re in the same position and—”

“Like...this?”

Rosalind nearly squealed. “Yes, that’s exactly it! It’s perfect! You’re a genius, Saint Adel!”

“Ha ha ha! Flattery will get you nowhere, you know!”

“But that way of moving is...definitely different.”

“You’re right. Princess, is it just me, or is it becoming...”

“Now, Saint Adel, when you pause with your hands clasped before you in the middle between the first half and second half and at the very end...can you lean further forward, place your hands on your knees instead, and look up?”

“There we go! How was that?”

“Yes! Amazing! You’re amazing, Saint Adel!”

As Rosalind’s cheering grew ever more fervent, Euphinia’s and Melulu’s faces became awkward, and red blossomed on their cheeks. Mash was still clapping, but clearly looked uncomfortable.

Adel noticed the shift in the mood. “Hm? What’s wrong, Mash? Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s ‘wrong’ per se, but...it’s a bit suggestive,” said Mash.

“It’s kind of what I expect an adult dance to look like,” agreed Melulu.

“Watching it made my heart beat faster. I never knew a dance could seem so different with just a few changes!”

Realizing she had just shown the princess something highly inappropriate for her education, Adel flared up. “Lady Rosalind! What have you made me do?!”

“I’m so sorry! Because of the ease with which you incorporated everything I suggested, I forgot myself.” Rosalind hung her head, but then promptly looked back up with fire in her eyes. “However, you were simply amazing! Out of this world! Please...can you indulge me just one more time?!”

“N-No, thank you!”

At first blush, Rosalind came across as a deeply loyal and overserious person, but clearly she had some rather questionable inclinations as well.

“You gotta give people what they want, Adel! C’mon, just one more time! All the jiggling just now was simply heavenly! Bwa ha ha ha!” Having come out of Euphinia’s shadow earlier, Pegasus neighed with vulgar laughter.

Adel lifted a leg. “For a piece of trash like you, I have nothing—”

“Sir Divine Beast? Did I not say that disrespect toward Saint Adel will not be forgiven?”

“Gyaaahhh!”

Before Adel could reach Pegasus, Rosalind had already slammed him into the ground and was glaring down at him with frigid, arctic eyes. Adel appreciated being saved the trouble, but she wondered if she should tell Rosalind to take it easy too.

“I-In any case, is this it for the ballroom dancing lesson? What is next?” asked Euphinia.

Rosalind shook her head. “No, this is it for today. Good work to both of you. Tomorrow, Her Grace will be arriving from her domain.”

“That’s it?” asked Adel, looking slightly disappointed. “The dancing helped, but I still have some energy I want to burn off.”

In fact, the dancing had merely served to warm her up. If there was time, she wanted to get in some combat training too. She had trained a little on the journey to Rakul, but time had been limited as the priority had been on making headway. Now that she had gotten settled here, she wanted to return to her full routine. It was her duty to always stay in top shape so that she could protect Euphinia anytime, anywhere. That was what it meant to be a knight escort.

“Lady Rosalind, is there a training ground around here that I may borrow? I want to move some more.”

“But of course. There is one within the castle for the royal family to use. Since you are part of the family, there should be no trouble securing you access. I will go apply for it. Please give me a moment.”

Before Rosalind reached the door, Euphinia said, “Excuse me, Rosalind. A suggestion, if you may. What do you say to adding one more subject to Adel’s curriculum?”

“What would that be?”

Euphinia smiled. “Combat. Of course, Adel is already plenty strong. In fact, she’s Wendill’s best fighter. So my idea is for her to show off what she can do—by way of a greeting.”

◆◇◆

The training ground was located within the first floor of the castle. It was a spacious square with beautiful stone paving located in the middle of a picturesque indoor garden with trees, flowers, shrubbery, and even a small brook. Above, the space was opened up to the second and third floors, which had verandas that commanded unobstructed views.

At the moment, a few of those verandas were occupied. The king of Rakul could be seen on one of them, surrounded by his family, indicating that that specific one was for royal use only. They had likely gathered at Rosalind’s invitation.

Additionally, the outer edge of the stone-paved ground was packed with knights. Word of Adel had spread through the palace like wildfire, and everyone was jostling to catch a glimpse of her.

Running her eyes over the gallery with satisfaction, Euphinia commented, “Wow! So many showed up.”

“I was surprised to hear you asking for a match,” Adel said.

A meaningful smile played on Euphinia’s lips. “I thought this the best way for everyone here to get to know you.”

“I, too, see the wisdom in the idea,” agreed Rosalind. “A princess who appears out of thin air is a threat to existing powers. Even if Saint Adel herself has no intention of making any moves, there are those who would fear her doing so. Letting them see how strong she is would serve to keep them in check. They would know that sending assassins against her would likely end in failure or, in the worst-case scenario, put themselves in danger.”

Melulu nodded with comprehension. “I see, so this is for the sake of safety too.”

“Of course, I plan on protecting Saint Adel wholeheartedly regardless, but it doesn’t hurt to take sure precautions. I am in awe of Princess Euphinia’s wisdom.”

Rosalind’s conjecture was certainly a part of it, but it seemed to Adel that Euphinia had an even grander objective in mind. In her history lesson, Rosalind had said that the Old Capital was forbidden to all without Rakulian royal blood, with Saints being no exception. Additionally, because the royal family had yet to produce a Saint with the strength to erect a Holy Tower there, the country’s efforts to push back the frontier had been effectively blocked by the expansive ruins. But now, there was Adel. And technically, Euphinia was Rakulian royalty too. Adel was quite sure that Euphinia intended to ask for the opportunity to address the cause of the stagnation herself, and therefore had set up this demonstration to convince everyone that the two of them did indeed have the strength to pull it off.

If that was what Euphinia wished for, then it was Adel’s wish as well. Adel was all psyched up to display the full extent of her abilities and blow the crowd away.

“We have gathered enough of an audience,” said Euphinia. “Adel, are you ready to begin?”

“Yes, Princess!”

“Good. I’ll cast the Sanctuary!”

In these situations, Euphinia usually cast her Sanctuary only after being asked. This time, however, she took the initiative to do so of her own accord.

A Sanctuary was a space that a Saint could create with the help of a Divine Beast. This space would be filled with anima from the Divine Beast responsible, thereby enabling humans within to cast magic spells. The size of a Sanctuary and the element of the anima it produced usually depended on the Saint’s talent and the Divine Beast’s own element, but the ones that Euphinia could cast greatly surpassed the norm in all aspects.

“What?! How can a Sanctuary be so big?!”

“Moreover, its element is almighty! That means spells belonging to any element can be used!”

“I’ve never witnessed a Sanctuary like this in my whole life! It’s incredible!”

The knights surrounding the training ground nearly jumped out of their skins with surprise. That surprise quickly turned into awe, and they looked at Euphinia with reverence. The same went for the royalty on the second floor, who were caught up in a storm of whispering.

“Go on, Adel. Summon your Divine Beast.”

“Very well! Come out!”

Obeying Adel’s command, Cerberus’s giant form surged out of her shadow with a roar the spectators felt in their very bones.

“Whoa... So that’s a Cerberus. It looks so gallant!”

“Saint Adel is strong enough to form a contract with a Cerberus?!”

“Cerberuses are the equal of Divine Beasts contracted with Eminents. Does that mean Adel herself is equal to an Eminent?”

“Heh heh heh. Look at the incredulity on all their faces. Mm, this feels good.” Looking down at the stunned knights, Cerberus purred with satisfaction. “Since you called me out, does that mean you want me to go on a rampage? Who is to be my first prey?”

“No, this is meant to be just a greeting. I will go first. You stay there and watch for now.”

Adel walked toward the middle of the stone stage, prompting Rosalind to follow suit.

“Thank you for the honor of allowing me to face you,” she said.

Rosalind’s argument was that, because everyone at this palace was already familiar with her own capabilities, having her serve as Adel’s sparring partner would make it easier for the audience to understand how strong Adel was. The fact that she had been brought to the G4 Summit suggested that, unsurprisingly, she was quite proficient as a bodyguard on top of all the other abilities she had displayed so far.

As someone who lived by the sword, Adel was genuinely excited for this match. She looked forward to learning how Rosalind fought, as she’d never had the opportunity to meet her in the previous timeline.

“Oh? She is facing Lady Rosalind?”

“W-Will she be okay? Isn’t this a rather lopsided matchup?”

“Even if she has the talent to command a Cerberus, this is meant to be a one-on-one fight, is it not? I don’t know about this...”

The voices from the gallery were largely doubtful, which worked in Adel’s favor. This would make it easier to leave a big impact on them.

“Are you ready, Saint Adel?” asked Rosalind, who was wearing elegant silver gauntlets on both hands. The gear had a slim profile and looked well-made, not to mention beautifully designed.

Adel’s eyes flicked over the anima crystals embedded on the backs of the gauntlets. “Spelltools?”

“Of course. As for their effect...you will have to find out for yourself.”

When Rosalind raised her fists in readiness, she didn’t have a single opening. Her stance alone made it clear that she was an experienced fighter.

“You sure know how to put on a show! I shall respond in kind!”

Adel produced her Salamander’s Tail, then enveloped it in ki to significantly boost its specs. With Ki Amplification, what was supposed to be a thin whip of fire transformed into a twinblade, each blade looking thick and sturdy while burning with blue flames so fierce and hot as to be nearly blinding. This, too, set the knights abuzz.

“What is that?! It looks like really powerful blades of fire, but...”

“It doesn’t make sense for an anima crystal like that to produce such high output.”

“That spelltool doesn’t look like anything special. What is going on?”

The fact that the knights noticed was proof of their competence. They were likely the upper echelons of Rakul’s standing force, and they indeed lived up to the name of their great historied nation.

Adel lowered her center of gravity and held her weapon behind her. “I’m ready, Lady Rosalind. You may start at any time!”

“Saint Adel, how do you feel about making a wager? To make us both take this match more seriously?”

“What do you propose?”

“The loser has to carry out one request from the winner. If I win, I would ask that you call me ‘Rosa’ instead of ‘Lady Rosalind.’”

“‘Rosa’?”

“Yes! That is what I am called by those who are close to me.”

“Very well. If I win...let’s keep it a surprise for now.”

“That works for me. Now that it’s settled, here I come!”

“Bring it!”

Rosalind made the first move. Keeping her body low, she closed the distance with a movement as graceful as flowing water. She was fast, but not fast enough to slip out of Adel’s vision. Moreover, her path seemed too straightforward. Clearly she was inviting a counterattack.

Interesting. I’ll accept the challenge!

“Rah!” Adel thrust one blade toward Rosalind with caution, intending to merely prompt her next move.

As if she had been expecting this, Rosalind made a large leap to the right, then changed directions to circle around to Adel’s side. Moreover, she was approaching with much greater speed this time.

“Hmph!”

A quick glance revealed that Rosalind’s feet were enveloped in whirling air currents. They were due to an enchantment cast using wind anima that Melulu had also used before. If this Sanctuary had been cast by Adel and Cerberus, it would be filled with only fire anima, making it impossible to use this spell. The almighty anima produced by Euphinia’s Sanctuary, however, made spells of all elements possible.

In any case, Rosalind’s sudden turning and acceleration were obviously meant to cause confusion. Her real aim was to land a strike when Adel handled the situation wrong and messed up. Sure enough, when she got close to Adel’s side, she shouted “Yah!” and threw a sharp punch.

Having seen this coming when making the decision to play along at the start, Adel moved her other blade into the path of Rosalind’s fist. The silver gauntlet and blade of fire clashed. There was a lot of force behind the punch due to its momentum, but Adel’s arm was strengthened with Ki Convergence and held strong. In other words, she could use ki to make up for having been caught off-balance. At least, that was supposed to be the case.

To Adel’s surprise, the moment the two weapons clashed, her blade of fire disappeared.

“What?!”

Without a blade, there was no way for Adel to block the incoming attack. Consequently, it landed squarely on her flank.

“Ugh!”

The flame had seemingly been absorbed. As proof, Rosalind’s gauntlet now gave off a bluish white glow.

The blow to Adel’s side had been a clean hit, but that was no reason for her to take the follow-up attack too. With her eyes accurately tracking the incoming fist, she used her elbow to divert its trajectory, just in case her other blade was absorbed from blocking.

With her momentum thrown off course, Rosalind had to stumble a step forward to regain balance. “H-How could you still move?!” She was sure that she had felt solid contact from the first attack, so it surprised her that Adel hadn’t even flinched and smoothly dealt with the second one.

Normally, someone hit in the flank with equal force would have stopped breathing and frozen up. Knowing this, Adel had actually circulated her ki to protect herself right before Rosalind’s fist made contact. Therefore, the damage she received had been sufficiently alleviated to allow her to continue moving without skipping a beat. It still smarted, though.

“Sorry, but I’m made of sterner stuff!”

Now that Rosalind was the one off-balance, it was Adel’s turn to go on the offensive. Without hesitation, she swung her blue blade down on Rosalind’s back, where it would be hard for the other girl to block with her hand. If it didn’t make contact with her gauntlet, it wouldn’t get absorbed.

Fwum!

Adel was surprised once again. This time, it was because her blade was met by its spitting image, coming from Rosalind’s discolored gauntlet.

“I see! So that’s what your spelltool does!”

Put simply, the gauntlet absorbed the effect of another spelltool or spell and allowed Rosalind to use it as her own.

“That’s right! Now you get it!”

After Rosalind threw Adel’s sword back and turned around, the two began a straight-up swordfight using their blades of blue flame.

“That’s one interesting spelltool you have!”

“Thank you for the compliment!”

The two swords darting, flicking, cutting, parrying, and deflecting was a lethal, breath-stopping dance that drew all the spectators in.

“She’s actually going toe-to-toe with Adel. That’s amazing. Now I have someone else to catch up to.”

“I can’t agree more, Melulu.”

Mash and Melulu exchanged solemn nods.

“To think she can stand equal to Lady Rosalind! I can scarcely believe it!”

“And she’s a Saint who can contract a Cerberus... And are my eyes fooling me, or is Saint Adel gaining the upper hand?!”

The knight was not mistaken; Adel was simply far more familiar with wielding Salamander’s Tail. Consequently, Rosalind gradually found herself increasingly on the back foot. Eventually, it was all she could do to stave off Adel’s attacks, until...

“Ah!”

Rosalind’s blade was smacked away by a powerful blow, leaving her wide open and off-balance.

Now!

Right away, Adel thrust her blade toward Rosalind’s throat. However, after taking one step, she found her way blocked by countless fist-sized balls of light floating in the air. When one of them touched her shoulder, it burst with significant force and sent an electric shock through her body.

This was a trap spell meant to stop a target’s advance. Apparently Rosalind had set this up while also using the wind spell that had increased her agility. This meant she could use double casting, a feat that only the best mages were capable of.

“So your specialty is in spellcasting!” said Adel to her opponent, who was catching her breath on the other side of the glowing orbs.

“I work very hard at it, yes.”

After taking only a brief moment to recover, Rosalind was promptly back on the move. While maintaining her distance from Adel, she sped around her in a circle, producing more light orbs in quick succession. In the blink of an eye, Adel was completely surrounded.

“Uh-oh. And now...”

“She’s got nowhere to run! Lady Rosalind has Saint Adel on the ropes!”

Although it seemed this way to the knights, Adel did not share their analysis of the situation.

“Saint Adel, you have no escape. Should we end the match here?” said Rosalind graciously.

Adel shook her head. “No, I want to see how you plan on actually finishing me. Will you show me?”

“O light!” Rosalind raised a hand high, which became clad in a brilliant light. She then brought it to her other hand and pulled it back as if drawing a bow, causing the light to take the form of a large arrow of light. “Become mine arrow and strike down mine foe!” She released the tightly drawn arrow, sending it hurtling toward Adel with a roar.

The arrow, contrary to the audience’s expectations, did not hit Adel. Instead, it merely blew past her, pushing a few of the light orbs out of the way, and ultimately crashed into the far wall of the training ground and dissipated. The wall was unharmed, protected by a rippling barrier at the moment of impact. Apparently there were installations in place that made it safe to use rather powerful attacks and spelltools in this venue. Of course, this was a good thing to know, but it didn’t explain why Rosalind had aimed away.

“That just now was one of my best spells: Great Arrow of Light,” she said quietly, then raised a gauntlet to give Adel a good look at its anima crystal. “And this spelltool, as you just saw, can absorb the power of spells and other spelltools, allowing me to use them myself.”

She placed her left palm on the back of her right hand, and the left gauntlet was clad in the same white brilliance of Great Arrow of Light, indicating that it had absorbed the spell. Then her right palm touched the back of her left hand, and now both gauntlets were filled with spell power.

“I have just imbued both hands with Great Arrow of Light. That allows me to do...this!” She went through the same motions she did before casting the spell the first time, assuming the pose of drawing a bow. “If I release everything at once...”

“It becomes three times as powerful?”

“Indeed. Here it comes!”

“Bring it!”

WHOOOOSH!

As Great Arrow of Light was let loose, the projectile expanded to a massive size, unleashed two additional times by the stored spell in both gauntlets. This arrow flew true, hurtling straight toward Adel as a much bigger version of itself.

However, Adel had had more than enough time to prepare!

“Yaaaaaah!” With a spirited cry, she thrust her blade of blue flames forward.

BOOOOOOOM!

The blade expanded until it was an enormous pillar of fire, bursting forward to swallow up not only the light orbs in its way, but Rosalind’s triple-strength arrow too. To pull off this move, Adel had to stay still and gather her ki for some time, but she had been given that time and more.

“Wha—?!”

Despite her shock, Rosalind managed to bring her hands up in time. She crossed her gauntlets defensively and braced herself to take on the pillar of blue fire. Her plan was to absorb the attack with her gauntlets. It was a good enough plan given the circumstances, made and enacted with impressive reaction time. Unfortunately, the gauntlets eventually started spilling blue flames. They had reached their maximum capacity and were incapable of absorbing any more.

Using them against Salamander’s Tail in its normal form had been fine and all, but they were woefully inadequate when it was boosted far beyond its usual specs.

“Ugh... AHHHHHH!”

The silver gauntlets exploded off Rosalind’s hands and flew into the air as she herself was forcefully slammed into the wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her lungs, but thanks to the barrier, she didn’t get seriously hurt. The gauntlets hit the ground nearly at the same time, charred and smoking.

“Did that just happen?! I’ve never seen an attack so powerful!”

“She foiled Lady Rosalind’s attack like it was nothing?!”

The watching knights erupted into commotion and cheering.

Melulu chuckled. “She was planning on doing that the moment the orbs of light first showed up, wasn’t she?”

Mash nodded. “I bet. It’s a bad idea to give her any time in the middle of a fight.”

“That’s the Adel I know!”

Despite the ruckus, Adel heard Euphinia’s clapping and praise as clear as day. There was no reward that made her prouder or happier.

“Ugh...” Rosalind groaned as she lifted her head. Promptly, the point of Salamander’s Tail was at her neck. After Rosalind had been sent flying earlier, Adel had walked over to stand in front of her.

Rosalind sighed. “I-I give up.” The disappointment on her face betrayed how badly she had wanted to win.

“Are you all right?” Adel offered her a hand up.

“Yes, I’m not hurt.”

The barrier had done its job. Though Rosalind had hit it pretty hard, she didn’t even feel sore anywhere.

“It was a good match. I’d love to do it again...Rosa.”

Rosalind’s face lit up. “Anytime, Saint Adel!”

She looked so delighted that it made Adel smile too.

However, what was supposed to be a harmonious conclusion was interrupted by loud, booming laughter.

“What a pathetic showing, Rosalind! You shame the knights of Rakul!”

A large man walked up, eliciting cries of recognition from the knights.

“It’s the commander of the royal guards!”

“Commander Dreck!”

The gallant-looking knight said in a taunting manner, “You went easy on Saint Adel to make her look good, didn’t you?”

Rosalind scoffed. “If you actually think that, you clearly weren’t watching. It’s plain that Saint Adel is simply better than me. Besides, I’m not even a knight in the first place. Whether I win or lose has no bearing on your esteemed self.”

Apparently the two were not on the best of terms.

“In that case, if I beat Saint Adel, would that prove I am better than you?”

“You stand no chance against her. Boasting about victory before you achieve it will only end in your own embarrassment.”

Dreck chuckled. “Very well. Saint Adel! I, too, request a match with you!”

The knights once again burst into a commotion.

“Oh, damn! She’s facing Commander Dreck too!”

“He’s trying to one-up Lady Rosalind again!”

“Isn’t Saint Adel tired after fighting Lady Rosalind, though?”

Of course, their concern was uncalled-for.

“I welcome it!” Adel proclaimed, then turned to scan the crowd. “In fact, if anyone else wishes to fight me, just say the word!”

Leaving that open invitation in the air, Adel proceeded to give Dreck the match he asked for. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, he was on the ground, prompting another wave of impressed oohs and aahs from the gallery.

Dreck managed a laugh. “We both lost, which means we’re still even!”

“She was fresh when she faced me,” Rosalind said, glaring down at him.

In Adel’s frank evaluation, Dreck was by no means weak, but Rosalind was slightly better. If they fought each other, it would make for a close match.

“Well, I worked up a good sweat.” Adel exhaled. “So, is there anyone else who wants a go? If not, let’s wrap things up here.”

“May I have the honor?” came a voice.

It was a blonde woman who appeared to be in her late twenties, wearing a robe rather than armor.

“Saint Murrue?!” Rosalind exclaimed. Seeing Adel’s blank look, she explained, “This is the Mother Superior of all the Saints stationed in Rakul.”

“So, she is Katina’s...”

“Successor, yes.”

“I see.”

Given that Katina had been an Eminent, the person taking her place was surely quite powerful, if not an Eminent herself.

Murrue smiled elegantly. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Yes, Saint! The pleasure is all mine!”

“Please, if anyone should be deferential here, it should be me. If it’s backward, it puts me in a tough spot.”

“Ah, my apologies.”

Despite the recent revelation, Adel still saw herself as nothing more than Princess Euphinia’s knight escort. It was extremely difficult for her to suddenly assume an attitude befitting royalty, especially because she had no desire to do so. She would only ever be herself.

“Seeing as we’re both Saints, would you be interested in a contest of those abilities?”

“As in, having our Divine Beasts face each other?” Adel shot a look toward Cerberus, who was lying down in a corner of the stone-paved area, bored out of his mind.

He promptly got up and strolled to the center of the arena, grinning with ferocity. “I accept! I was getting tired of waiting around. Come, bring me my opponent!”

Murrue turned toward the king’s second floor balcony. “Your Majesty, may we have your permission?”

“You may. I am interested in your abilities as a Saint as well. Just don’t get hurt, either of you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. We will take care.” Murrue curtsied, then turned toward Adel. “May we begin?”

“I’m ready whenever!”

Without further ado, a form rose from Murrue’s shadow. Adel watched with bated breath, curious what this Divine Beast would be like. Apparently the nearby knights were just as in the dark as she was.

“I’ve never seen Saint Murrue fight with her Divine Beast before.”

“Me neither. Then again, she’s only been assigned here recently.”

Before long, Murrue’s Divine Beast was revealed in all its glory: a giant bird, much larger than Cerberus, with crimson wings.

“This can’t be!” Adel exclaimed with shocked recognition.

Sharing her surprise, Cerberus growled, “Isn’t this one of Elciel’s?!”

Indeed, the newly appeared Divine Beast was Suzaku, one of Elciel’s Four Guardians.

In a low voice, Adel hissed, “Didn’t you say before that the Four Guardians are all one of a kind?!”

“That’s right. They’re all stragglers with no kin.”

“Does that mean we’re looking at a Divine Beast that had actually served Elciel?!”

“Without a doubt!”

Noticing their consternation, Murrue inclined her head quizzically. “Yes? Is something the matter?”

Adel’s mind was flooded with questions. Was Murrue just playing dumb? Or did she really not know? What had happened to the other Guardians? And most importantly, what had become of the one they had served—Elciel herself?

Adel had defeated Elciel twice since going back in time, but then another of the Four Guardians, Seiryuu, had been found lurking in the city right before the G4 Summit. And now Suzaku was here, floating before Adel, plain as day. Until she knew for sure whether Murrue was in cahoots with Elciel—indeed, whether Elciel was still alive—Adel didn’t think she could simply relax and enjoy a match with her. In fact, she had to be treated with the greatest caution. She could bare her fangs at any moment, for all Adel knew.

“Saint Murrue? A question, if I may?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“I am quite certain that your Divine Beast, Suzaku, once served Eminent Elciel. Why is it now with you?”

“Yes, she was once with Eminent Elciel. However, I heard that she turned against the Church and was cut down. I encountered Suzaku on the road, presumably after she had been set free.”

“Is that what Suzaku told you herself?”

“She almost never speaks. Personally, I don’t believe that Divine Beasts should be held responsible for the crimes committed by the Saints they are contracted with. That is why I accepted her.”

Adel fell silent. She could see the sense in Murrue’s explanation, but naturally could not bring herself to accept it at face value. If this hadn’t been the royal palace in a foreign country and she wasn’t currently being watched by a whole crowd of knights, Adel might have gone for Suzaku’s head right then. It certainly would be the safer thing to do. Unfortunately, she was the one who would seem dangerous if she did so in front of witnesses that she—well, Euphinia—had gone to such trouble gathering. In the worst-case scenario, it could develop into a diplomatic fiasco, landing Euphinia and Rosalind in enormous trouble. As such, now was not the time to make a move.

“Then again, none of that matters,” Cerberus rumbled with bared teeth. “I will simply make clear who is superior, here and now!”

Adel thrust a hand in his way. “No, wait.”

“What?”

“Saint Murrue, on second thought, I wish to participate in this fight myself. Would that be fine with you?”

“I-I don’t see why not. But aren’t you tired?”

“Not at all!”

“If you say so...” Murrue nodded assent with her head still tilted.

Cerberus, however, was not happy with the change. “Why are you stealing my opportunity to fight?! You’ve already had plenty of fun!”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get to join in. By becoming one with me, that is.”

“Oh? Are we doing that move?”

“Yes, we are. So please get back inside.”

“Very well!”

Right after Cerberus returned to Adel’s shadow, she firmly pressed a hand to her chest, where Saints felt the presence of Divine Beasts within them. She poured ki into that presence, strengthening him in the same way she did spelltools using Ki Amplification.

FWOOOOOSH!

Adel’s body was suddenly enveloped in a pillar of fire that shot up in the open courtyard, nearly reaching the third floor.

“What?! What?! What’s going on?!”

“Incredible! What is this overwhelming torrent of anima?!”

As the gallery buzzed with astonishment, Adel reappeared from the flames, sporting Cerberus’s ears and a thick, furry tail. This was the form she took when she and Cerberus united as one being. She called the move Ki Possession, and it was a trump card she had come up with after returning in time and obtaining her abilities as a Saint.

The purpose of using this move at this moment was to intimidate Murrue and Suzaku. Adel couldn’t kill Suzaku now, but she figured she could at least discourage the two from getting up to anything funny.

Rosalind’s eyes lit up. “So she never even got serious in her match with me? Not only is she stronger than I thought...she’s also adorable! I can’t tear my eyes away!”

“Right? Adel is just the cutest in that form!” Euphinia said wholeheartedly. She and Rosalind shared a look, then smiled in the knowledge that they had found a kindred spirit in each other.

“Thank you for waiting. Let’s start!”

Seeing Adel assume a stance, Suzaku let out a piercing screech and spread her wings wide. With powerful flaps, she shot up to the ceiling, then kicked off it to gain greater speed as she charged directly at her opponent.

Adel knew that Suzaku’s incredible speed and large mass made her approach a serious threat, but shutting it down head-on was the most intimidating response she could make. And so, instead of dodging, she braced herself and kept her eyes fixed on Suzaku’s beak, grabbing it with both hands when it came within reach. She had to back up a few steps to fully offset the momentum, but offset it she did.

“What?! She stopped that charge?!”

“How does her small form summon that much strength?!”

Of course, the match wasn’t over yet. Now that she had Suzaku firmly in her grasp, Adel started spinning her around. With a fierce cry, she then threw the bird with every drop of strength she could muster. The Divine Beast was sent flying with such force that she had no time to spread her wings. Her large body worked against her now—the sound of her crashing into the wall was truly deafening. She tried to stumble back to her feet, but the next thing she knew, a massive ball of black flames was right in front of her face. It glanced off her before slamming into the wall, causing a giant explosion that gave off roiling clouds of choking smoke.

Of course, Adel had missed on purpose. The attack was only meant to intimidate, after all.

“What just...” Murrue looked stunned. “All that, from one person?”

“I believe that should suffice, but do you wish to continue?”

“N-No, that’s quite enough. Return!”

As Suzaku returned to Murrue’s shadow, Adel mentally congratulated herself, satisfied that she had achieved her goal. Her composure did not last, though. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a massive hole in the wall.

“Oh no!”

She had gone all out, assuming that the protective measures in place would hold. That had evidently been a miscalculation. The fact that there was a hole in the wall itself meant that her ball of black flame had penetrated the barrier too.

Murrue gave Adel a look. “You let loose a bit too much without thinking, didn’t you?”

Adel hung her head. “I-I have no excuse. I did.”

This was actually the result of Adel overthinking things, but she’d messed up either way. She peered through the hole, hoping no one on the other side had been hit by flying debris. A few faces looked back, all frozen with surprise.

She walked closer and said loudly, “I apologize for giving you a fright! Is anyone hurt?”

“N-No, none of us have been harmed,” replied a well-dressed elderly lady with a dignified bearing. “We were, however, about to be. Had we been a step faster, we would have been within the blast radius.”

It was obvious at a glance that this lady was of high standing; she was even accompanied by bodyguards. But what struck Adel most was that, although this was their first time meeting, it didn’t feel that way. After all, the woman looked exactly like how Adel imagined an elderly version of her current self would look. At the same time, the woman thought Adel a spitting image of herself in her youth.

Both of them said at the same time, “A-Are you—”

Rosalind popped up next to Adel and burst into a smile. “Ah! Your Grace, you’re here! I thought you were arriving tomorrow!”

“That was the plan, yes,” said the woman. “But after I’d heard the news, I just couldn’t bear waiting and set out right away.”

Looking between the two, Rosalind said, “Saint Adel, this is Duchess Adel. Your Grace, this is Saint Adel.”

Chapter 3: Astal Orphanage

At the top of Rakul Palace was Duchess Adel’s room. The guest room that Adel was currently using was more than adequately cleaned and decorated, but Duchess Adel’s was several cuts above by any metric, and always kept ready so she could visit at any time.

Sitting next to Adel on the most comfortable sofa that man could make, Duchess Adel said, “When I was younger, I had a spouse. We loved each other, but he was just a simple mercenary, not of nobility and certainly not of royalty. He was rejected by the royal family, and after I gave birth to a daughter, there was talk of hurting both of them.”

Euphinia looked crushed. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“Considering how much Rakul values tradition and formality, I somehow am not surprised,” said Adel.

The duchess sighed and flashed a forlorn smile. “Things are a little better now. The fighting at the time was the fiercest it had ever been, and not only around me. Everyone was vying for the throne and power. Thankfully, restrictions have greatly loosened ever since the current king inherited the crown. We have worked hard to leave that terrible era behind.”

“I see...”

Come to think of it, not only had the king given Adel permission to touch the Phoenix Crown, he also seemed largely open to the idea of accepting her into his family even though she’d practically appeared out of thin air. After that ceremony, when Rosalind told him that she suspected Adel of being Duchess Adel’s granddaughter, he had cheerfully replied that he thought the news would make the duchess very happy. The two clearly had a very good relationship.

“When I saw the danger to my husband and daughter, I sent both of them out of the country, entrusting him with her life. I wanted dearly to go with them, but then we would surely be pursued...and they would be considered mere collateral. So I remained in Rakul and devoted myself to changing the kingdom, spurred on by his letters. I wanted to make this country a place they could eventually come home to.”

The duchess paused and sighed heavily, as if she was now drawing on a painful memory. “One day, however, the letters stopped coming. I sent men to look into what had happened, and learned that his mercenary company had suffered devastating losses from a monster attack. My husband was dead, and nobody knew what had happened to my daughter. I had been too late. They had disappeared before I could give them a place to return to.”

Duchess Adel took Adel’s hands and squeezed them. The old woman’s own hands were wrinkled and small, but the strength in them eloquently conveyed the torrent of emotions coursing through her.

“But you being here tells me that my daughter was able to survive. And your name means she remembered me. This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”

Adel murmured, “Grandmother...”

Somehow, it seemed right. This was her first time entertaining the idea of there being someone she was connected to by blood, even from before the time jump. It made her feel warm inside in a way distinct from how Euphinia did.

The woman gasped. “Oh, yes! Yes, that’s right, I am your grandmother! Thank you for being alive, Adel!” She threw her arms around the younger girl in an impassioned embrace.

Euphinia wiped a tear. “I’m so happy for Adel.”

“So am I,” agreed Rosalind with equal emotion.

“Oh right, Adel. Do you know what happened to my daughter—to your mother? I would appreciate even the smallest detail.”

“I’m sorry, but I’d been living in Astal Orphanage from as far back as I can remember. I don’t know anything about my parents, and no one’s ever told me anything.”

“Of course, of course. Don’t worry about it. I understand. You being here is more than enough for me.”

Once again, the duchess gave Adel a big hug.

Mash, who had been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke up. “Um...I have an idea.”

“What is it, Mash?” asked Adel.

“There’s no way the orphanage would have known your name is Adel unless someone told them. The chances are very slim that the place just happened to give you that name themselves. You were probably taken there by someone who knew your name, or had at least left you with something that conveyed your name. Either way, there may still be a lead at the orphanage.”

“Ohhhh!” Melulu gave his back a few solid slaps. “Brilliant deduction, Mash!”

Rosalind nodded. “He has a point!”

“Then we will pay Astal Orphanage a visit,” said Euphinia decisively. “I’ve always wanted to see the place where Adel grew up.”

“It’d be my honor to take you, Princess!”

From the moment Adel had known that she would be visiting Rakul, she’d planned on dropping by to pay her respects at the orphanage. She’d never had the state of mind or opportunity to do so in the past timeline, and she’d jumped back in time pretty much right after the Great War was officially over. Therefore, she hadn’t the faintest idea if the orphanage had survived the war, and there was now no way to find out. In this timeline, however, there was no war, so it was probably still around.

◆◇◆

Astal Orphanage was located in the slums on the western outskirts of the capital of Rakul, standing in between the palace and the Old Capital. It was the part of the city closest to frontier profane land, which put it in the most immediate danger if monsters ever emerged. This had actually happened a few times, as there was a certain degree of ebb and flow in the output of all Holy Towers. Even so, the monsters had never come en masse, and so Adel’s memories of life here were largely uneventful.

But much had changed.

Adel was at a loss for words. “What... How could this be?”

“It’s been burnt down!” Melulu exclaimed.

“It almost looks like it got caught up in a war,” Mash said solemnly.

Euphinia frowned. “Whatever could have happened?”

When Adel led the group to where she remembered her old home was, they found it half destroyed—mostly just a charred ruin, as if a victim in some terrible war. It brought to mind what had happened to Wendill Palace during the recent G4 Summit. Of course, the place was completely uninhabitable, and there was no one around.

“How can this be? Is this something that happened only this time?”

Rosalind inclined her head. “‘This time’?”

“Oh, sorry, just talking to myself.”

If this was something that hadn’t happened in the past timeline, that meant Adel might have caused it by something she had done. Just the other day, she had derailed the fates of Katina and Julian, who were supposed to have become Wendill’s king and queen consort after the Great War. Instead, they were now banished to wander frontier profane land, where there was danger around every corner.

Everything that Adel had done was to ensure that her one and only liege would get to live a long and happy life this time. Along the way, she had ended up saving Mash and Melulu too, both of whom were originally supposed to die. But not all of the knock-on effects had been positive. Maybe what had happened to the orphanage was another one of those negative consequences.

Suddenly, a crisp voice cried out from behind, “Adel?! Is that you, Adel?!”

Turning around, Adel found a portly middle-aged woman with an affable face and aura. Her eyes lit up. “Ms. Ema!”

The woman was a member of the Astal Orphanage staff who had taken great care of both Adel and Katina. She had been their mother and teacher, as well as the adult they had always been closest to.

“It really is you! Adel, do you know how worried we were when you left without a word?! Oh, I’m so glad you’re all right!”

“I deeply apologize for doing so! As you see, I am doing just fine.”

Strangely, Adel remembered being a rebellious child who never obeyed a direct order, but the moment she saw Ema’s face, nostalgia and gratitude were the only emotions welling up within. Perhaps she had matured more than she knew.

“My oh my! Look how courteous you’ve become! And you’ve grown out your hair and become so much more feminine. I almost didn’t recognize you with how much cuter you’ve gotten, dressed in that beautiful outfit of yours!”

“Even I have trouble recognizing myself sometimes,” said Adel with a dry chuckle. “But enough about me. Ms. Ema, what happened to the orphanage? Why is it like this? Who did it?”

“Do you know about Katina joining the Holy Church and becoming a Saint? She did so well that they even made her an Eminent.”

“I am well aware. I actually met with her not long ago.”

“You did?! Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but she supposedly tried to kill a whole bunch of kings when they were gathered for something. I don’t believe it, though. That’s not like her at all. I’m sure there’s been a misunderstanding—”

“I’m afraid that’s the truth. I was there in person.”

However, Katina had not been herself. That, too, was the truth. Adel had felt from Katina a presence that bore great similarity to that of Mad Emperor Tristan, who had set off the Great War in the previous timeline. The obvious inference was that the two had been possessed and manipulated by someone or something.

Ema widened her eyes in shock, then hung her head. “B-But then I suppose it can’t be helped that this happened to our orphanage. I see, so it was all true...”

“What does that mean, Ms. Ema? How are the two related?”

“The culprits said they did this to make our orphanage take responsibility for raising an ‘abhorrent traitor’ like her. Everyone around here knew how much support she had given us, so there was that too.”

“That’s horrible!” Euphinia cried, tears welling up in her eyes. “This orphanage did nothing wrong! How does burning it help anyone?”

“Thank you for crying on our behalf, little miss. I must look so disheartened that even a little girl like you is worried for me. That won’t do. I need to get a better hold of myself!” Ema smiled and affectionately stroked Euphinia’s head.

The woman was just as considerate and caring as she had been toward Katina and Adel. Her warmth was definitely one of her strengths. However...

“You mustn’t do that, Ms. Ema!” Adel said sharply.

“Hm?”

“This here is Her Highness Princess Euphinia, the one and only princess of Wendill, the Middle Kingdom! She is my liege and therefore deserves the highest degree of respect and courtesy!”

The biggest problem was that Adel herself had yet to stroke Euphinia’s head in such a casual manner. It made her a little—no, very jealous indeed. And that was absolutely unforgivable.

“Wh-What?! Oh goodness, I am so very sorry! I had no idea, Your Highness!”

“Oh, no, please don’t let it bother you. I’m happy if it helped lift your spirits a little.”

The slightly embarrassed smile on Euphinia’s face was not one that she made often. Had she actually liked how Ema had stroked her head? Adel felt her jealousy flare even higher, as she absolutely could not bring herself to be as casual with her liege.

“Hm? Hold on, Adel. You called this princess your liege. Does that mean...”

“Yes! She took me on as her knight escort! I now live to protect her.”

“The biggest problem child in the history of our orphanage, a knight! It makes me so happy you’ve grown so much!”

Adel was proud of who she was now, and she was glad to hear Ema appreciating it.

“Ha ha ha. It was thanks to the influence you had on my life.”

“My oh my, oh my, you really have changed. Your liege must be a really good master. Your attitude has become as impressive as your behind!” Ema gave Adel’s buttocks a few cheerful slaps. Adel could not help but smile from the pure joy emanating from the older woman.

Rosalind cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Lady Ema. I am Rosalind Dorrell, an attendant of Her Grace the Duchess of the North.”

“You’re also a noble?! I’m sorry—”

“Don’t worry about me, I am no one important. Instead, it is imperative that you know Saint Adel has recently been confirmed to be of Rakulian royal heritage and will soon be made an official member of His Majesty’s family.”

“That’s the most shocking thing I’ve heard today! Not only is Adel a knight, she’s royalty too?! A princess, then?!”

“That is correct,” said Rosalind proudly. “Therefore, I ask that you show more respect in the way you act toward her. There are lines that must be heeded no matter how close your relationship is.”

“I...see?”

“There’s no need for such formalities between Ms. Ema and me, Rosa. Rather, I’m much more comfortable with—”

“No, the need is very real! The way she touched your behind made me very jeal—uh, is rather problematic toward a member of the royal family.”

Melulu laughed. “So you are just jealous.”

“N-No, I’m not!” Rosalind protested, flushing. “I’m saying this not for personal motivations, but because it affects the image of the royal family!”

“Is it just me, or does Rosalind remind you of how Adel acts toward Princess?”

Catching Melulu’s look, Mash laughed and nodded. “I see it.”

“I-In any case, I advise you to keep that in mind!” Rosalind cleared her throat again, changing gears. “The purpose of our visit today was to find someone who knows something related to Saint Adel’s past. Unfortunately, she herself does not seem to have any memories going that far back. For example, we were hoping that the person who left her with this orphanage was the one who left word that her name is Adel.”

“Ahhh, so that’s what this is about. You’re right, that’s exactly the case. However, that person told us to not tell her anything until she came of age. And when she did, we were to pass something on to her. We never managed to do so because she, being the rascal she was, left without telling us. It has been on our minds ever since.”

“I had no idea. I’m so sorry...”

There was a lot that Adel was learning about herself after the time jump, including her own lineage and that there had been a keepsake waiting for her in Astal Orphanage.

“It’s fine, since here you are, returned to us safe and sound! Your departure was reckless, but I’m sure it has made you who you are now.”

Ema gave Adel’s behind a few slaps again, prompting Rosalind to loudly clear her throat again.

“Ahem! In that case, would you be so kind as to return that item to Saint Adel now?”

“I’d be more than happy to, but because of what happened to the orphanage, we’re staying somewhere else at the moment. We brought everything we salvaged there too. Do you want me to take all of you there now?”

“Yes please, Ms. Ema.”

A short while later, Adel’s group was standing in front of an inn in the slums. Saying that it fit its surroundings would be somewhat disrespectful, but it truly wasn’t much to look at. That said, it was willing to accommodate Ema and the children displaced by the fire, so it was an establishment that deserved much gratitude.

Ema dug inside a pile of luggage in one of the rooms and produced a beautifully ornamented little box. “I found it! Here, this should be it. I don’t know what’s inside either, but this is for you, Adel.”

“Thank you, Ms. Ema.”

“Saint Adel, would you like to open it now?”

“Might as well.”

Adel nodded, then opened the lid. Inside was a silver necklace, so detailed in its design that it could only be called a work of art.

“It’s a necklace,” said Melulu. “A very pretty necklace.”

“It might have a clue that ties it to Her Grace. Would you mind if I take a look, Saint Adel?”

“Go ahead.”

Adel handed the necklace to Rosalind, who accepted it reverently. She carefully examined it from all angles, then gasped.

“Look here, Saint Adel! This engraving is Her Grace’s crest!”

The crest in question was hidden in the back and was so small that it could be easily overlooked by anyone not specifically looking for it.

“The fact that it’s placed in such an inconspicuous place indicates a desire to prove a connection but also to hide it. It’s the perfect thing to give a family member going on the run,” said Mash pensively.

“I’m sure that’s it!” exclaimed Rosalind. “Please allow me to bring it back and show Her Grace! I’m sure she would recognize it!”

“All right, go for it.”

Seeing that Adel’s group now wished to return, Ema saw them off right outside the inn.

“Ms. Ema, how are efforts to rebuild the orphanage going?”

“It’s not easy, I’m afraid. We were only barely making do thanks to the support that Katina sent,” she said, but then her clouded face brightened. “We haven’t given up, though! We’ll keep forging on, hoping that things will work out. There are many children who still need that place, and that is one thing that will never change.”

That inner strength of hers was what made Adel respect her so much.

Adel grabbed Ema’s hands. “Ms. Ema, I’ll help any way I can! I can’t replace Katina, but I’ll do my best for her sake too!”

After seeing the sorry state of the orphanage, Adel had to take action. And without Katina, it was now her time to step up.

“Thank you, Adel! And thank you for growing into someone who cares. We would really appreciate your help, but don’t push yourself, okay? I’m sure there’s a lot you’re already dealing with.”

“I won’t, don’t worry. In any case, I’ll definitely come again!”

After giving Ema a deep bow, Adel headed back to the palace with the others. As they rode on Cerberus’s spacious back, Euphinia said quietly, “I’m sorry, Adel.”

“What’s wrong, Princess? Why are you apologizing?”

“I want to help with the reconstruction of Astal Orphanage too, but...with Wendill Palace the way it is, I’m afraid I can’t afford to give you any financial support. I’m sorry I can’t help you when you need it.”

Adel was touched by how seriously the princess was taking her predicament. “Oh, no, don’t worry about it! Your feelings are more than enough. Thank you very much!”

Wendill’s money should be used for Wendill and her people’s sake. It wouldn’t be right to use it for Astal Orphanage, even if the kingdom could afford it. Asking Euphinia to do so was out of the question.

“But where are you going to get the money, then?” Melulu asked, then started. “Oh, how about asking the duchess?”

“I’ve only just met her, so asking her for money so soon feels... Well, I want to raise the money myself if I can.”

“Any idea how?”

“Not really...”

Business was definitely not Adel’s forte, and she hadn’t the faintest idea where to even begin. All she could think of was to send her wages; it would surely be of help, but nowhere near enough to really change the situation.

Rosalind spoke up. “I have a suggestion, if I may?”

Adel’s face lit up. “You do?”

“It’s something I’m sure you can pull off with ease,” replied Rosalind with a confident nod.

◆◇◆

“You can take a look at yourself here, Saint Adel.”

“Right...”

Adel stepped in front of the mirror that Rosalind was gesturing toward. She groaned reflexively. The dress she had put on for the upcoming night banquet went up to her neck but had a large opening at her chest area, revealing the deep cleavage created from her breasts being pushed together. It was clearly an intentional design choice for no other reason than to attract attention toward that area. As if that weren’t enough, there were decorative threads running crisscrossed across the open area like a mesh, and Rosalind had smeared something on her bare skin that gave it a slight gloss, such that what was visible through the scant concealment seemed to glow and draw the eye even more.

There also was a deep slit running through the lower half of her dress, allowing occasional flashes of her white thigh. Makeup had been applied on her face as well, accentuating her eyes and turning her lips a luscious red. To top it all off, perfume of the highest quality wafted around her, exciting more than one sense. Every little detail had been the handiwork of Rosalind, who insisted that each was equally important. Collectively, they made Adel the consummate femme fatale.

Though Adel’s body was female, she still very much saw the world as a male. And that part could not help but gasp at her reflection. She was allurement in the flesh.

“This is...incredible work. They say that clothes make the man, but it scares me seeing myself like this.”

“Yes, you’re perfect. I made absolutely sure of it. Now, you have the ability to set any man’s heart racing—in fact, not just men. My own heart is about to give out on me.”

“Are you sure that isn’t just...because you’re you?”

“Oh, I’m sure.” Rosalind giggled with a profound smile.

If it was true that girls also found this appearance attractive, then would it make Euphinia happy to see her like this? As tonight was a personal social event for Rakulian nobles and not an official function, Adel was attending it without her liege, who was still too young. At the moment, she was likely already asleep in her guest room, with Mash and Melulu standing guard.

This event was completely unrelated to Adel’s duties as a knight escort, so she was accompanied by Rosalind alone. She was attending as a member of the Rakulian aristocracy, with the aim of finding benefactors who would finance Astal Orphanage’s reconstruction. There was no place more suitable for meeting nobles and influential merchants than at the evening parties where they mingled. Rosalind’s suggestion for securing funds was to jump into this den and snag a rich patron or two.

“Saint Adel, may I approach to take a closer look?”

Adel nodded tentatively. “Um, sure.”

Rosalind came so close Adel could faintly hear her breathing. She circled her masterpiece, examining her from head to toe with such a passionate stare she nearly burned holes into her.

“Ahhh, how adorable! And captivating, and fragrant, and... You’re simply divine!” Her barely suppressed grin and heavy breathing gave Adel goose bumps.

“Uh...”

It was honestly a little creepy. Rosalind was normally very courteous and treated Adel well, but her current behavior was not all that different from how Pegasus usually acted. It made Adel wonder exactly how Rosalind saw her.

After one last exhale, Rosalind said, “My heart is full now. Saint Adel, your physical presentation is perfect now, but can I also ask that you adopt a softer way of speaking? It’s somewhat at odds with your gallant air. If you could speak like Princess Euphinia, that would be ideal.”

“Yes, I can do that.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“If you are ready, Princess Adel, kindly make your entrance. Everyone is waiting.”

The ball tonight was also intended to be Adel’s debut to Rakul’s upper class. She was, for all practical purposes, the guest of honor. When the duchess was shown the necklace from Astal Orphanage, she had confirmed through many tears that it was indeed the very item she had given her husband and child to prove their relation to her. This had led to Adel being officially acknowledged as the duchess’s granddaughter and proclaimed as a full member of the royal family. Word of this had spread like wildfire among high society, which was always eager for a new hot topic. Everyone had come to this banquet to catch a glimpse of the new princess.

As if preparing for a fight, Adel steeled her expression and clenched her fist. “All right. Let’s do this!”

“Um, could you try something gentler and more jovial? You look like a knight about to ride off to war.”

That was exactly how Adel felt, but that wouldn’t do for this occasion. She conjured Euphinia in her mind’s eye and tried to smile like her.

“But of course. Would this do?”

“Yes, that’s it. It’s perfect!”

“Glad to hear it. It seems some of Princess’s elegance has rubbed off on me after spending so much time with her.” Adel nodded, slightly slipping back into her usual mannerisms. She felt satisfied in knowing that she had a trick that would see her through the coming challenge.

If she’d wanted, she could have asked that her existence be kept a secret—and under normal circumstances, she would have done just that. She did not want to be anything other than Adel Astal, Euphinia’s knight escort, and her being known as a Rakulian royal would be a distraction, if not an outright burden. Learning of her origin and meeting her blood relative was more than enough for her.

The reason she had chosen to publicly reveal herself was to raise money to rebuild Astal Orphanage. For that, she absolutely had to make this night a success.

◆◇◆

Rosalind bowed deeply. “I wish you all the best!”

After being seen off, Adel stepped into the large ballroom where the banquet was being hosted. Right away, a butler standing at the door behind her proclaimed, “Princess Adel has arrived!”

Everyone turned her way.

“So she is the duchess’s granddaughter!”

“See how she glows! I’ve never seen anyone as radiant!”

“She’s so beautiful I-I can’t tear my eyes away...”

After the time jump, Adel’s fighting style had changed to rely on reading the slightest of movements from her opponents to predict what they were thinking and were planning to do. That skill was proving useful here too. She could clearly tell that the eyes of the men in the room were gathered on her body—not just on her face, but her chest and hips too. Those who were closer tried to be more covert, but those far away were openly staring, probably thinking they wouldn’t be noticed.

Adel didn’t mind. Whereas a normal girl might feel self-conscious or shy in this situation, Adel did not. On the contrary, she welcomed it as a sign that her strategy was off to a good start. The slightly pointed gazes from the female attendees were what worried her a little.

In any case, since all eyes were on her, she had to take care to act more proper. Afraid of slipping into her natural large-strided gait, she made a conscious effort to take small steps and go slow, like Euphinia always walked.

Slip! Thud!

“Oof!”

Less than a minute in, Adel stepped on her dress and fell hard.

“A-Are you all right, Princess Adel?!”

“Are you unhurt?”

“Here, please take my hand.”

Several men took this as an opportunity and approached, offering to help Adel up. She appreciated it, as it saved her the trouble of going up to them one by one.

She accepted the offered hand with a soft smile and voice. “Thank you. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

The young man whose hand she was holding had chestnut brown hair and a genteel air indicative of a refined upbringing. “And I thank you for gracing this function with your presence today, Princess Adel,” he said. “I am Johan Luge, head of this household.”

The banquet wasn’t being held at the royal palace, but at a large mansion. Adel remembered Rosalind mentioning that the host was the son of the prime minister. That was apparently the person currently standing before her.

“Then I must say I am grateful for your generous invitation. To possess such an impressive residence while so young, you must be an incredible person.”

Someone who owned a mansion as big and splendid as this was exactly the kind of person who could fund the orphanage’s rebuilding. He seemed someone worth talking to.

“Not at all. I simply have an indulgent father. I do my best to support his work, but assisting the prime minister is something far beyond what I can manage alone.” Johan smiled modestly, then naturally gave the back of Adel’s hand a kiss. “As such, it is a great honor for me to catch the eye of one as beautiful as yourself.”

A shiver ran down Adel’s spine, but she purposely ignored it. Making a good first impression was important, so she plastered a smile on her face and inclined her head gracefully.

Seeing that she wasn’t rejecting him, Johan gently pulled her hand. “With this being such a momentous occasion, would you be so kind as to allow me to be your dance partner for a song?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.” In fact, Adel was eager to hit the dance floor. She had practiced for this, after all.

“Princess Adel! Please allow me to dance with you next song!”

“And me after that!”

“Me too!”

“If you would be patient, I am more than happy to dance with everyone in turn,” Adel said.

And she made good on her word. Stamina was no issue for her. As she took one hand after another, sometimes she sensed her partner’s gaze crawling over her chest and curves, but this was no problem either. She was here to beg for money—being treated as eye candy was a cheap price to pay.

Seeing how she continued dancing without rest, the female attendees started making comments among themselves in subdued voices.

“Goodness, not one wrong step through all that dancing.”

“I can’t even imagine how much training that must have taken. Though all that moving certainly explains the revealing dress.”

“It’s a small wonder she hasn’t sweated a drop. Perhaps she could teach me such beautiful footwork?”

When Adel had finally gone through everyone, she was surrounded by both men and women.

“An impressive display indeed, Your Highness,” Johan said, holding out a silver cup. “Here, a refreshment.”

In a moment of carelessness, Adel said in her usual manner, “Mm-hmm, thanks.”

“Princess Adel?”

“Ah, I’m sorry... This looks delicious. I would be glad to have some.” After glossing things over in a fluster, Adel took a sip of what turned out to be a chilled sweet drink. It was exactly what she needed after exerting herself. “Mmm, delicious indeed.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

A woman in a vivid yellow dress said, “May I ask a question, Princess Adel?”

Sensing no hostility from her—indeed, the sharp looks that she had felt from the female attendees at the start of the evening were mostly gone by now—Adel smiled welcomingly. “Yes, of course. What do you want to know?”

“Where did you live before joining the royal family?”

“In the Kingdom of Wendill.”

“Oh, the Middle Kingdom?”

“That’s right. Their princess is not only of noble birth, but also possesses Saintly abilities on par with Eminents despite her young age. I serve as her knight escort. There is no greater joy than to serve someone so wise, righteous, and beautiful—indeed, Her Highness is practically an angel—up close!”

The words naturally came out as a torrent. Adel couldn’t help it, as these were her true feelings.

“I-I see... It’s incredible that you managed to become a knight!”

“On top of being strong, she is beautiful as well. The heavens truly do give with both hands at times.”

“Oh, no, my beauty is nothing next to that of Princess Euphinia.”

“Ha ha ha, you are modest too.”

Of course, Adel didn’t think she was being modest, just honest. She was simply telling the truth. No matter what anyone said, Euphinia was, is, and always would be the most beautiful person in the world.

“I’m sure you look gallant carrying out your knightly duties!”

“Have you been living in Wendill all your life, then?”

Adel smiled inwardly at the opportunity to naturally bring up the orphanage in conversation. “No, in fact I spent my childhood in Rakul. I was raised in Astal Orphanage, a facility in the slums on the outskirts of this capital.”

“Oh my! An orphanage!”

“What an ordeal it must have been!”

“I wouldn’t really call it an ordeal. At the very least, that wasn’t how I saw it.”

“Astal Orphanage... Why do I feel I’ve heard the name before?”

Conveniently, some attendees seemed familiar with the name. Adel decided this was the right moment to share its predicament.

“You’ve heard of it! I’m sad to say that, unfortunately, some heartless scoundrels have set fire to the place, and it must be rebuilt from the ground up.”

“Oh dear, how terrible!”

“My goodness... The place where you were raised, burned down! You must be heartbroken!”

“I am. However, as I said, I am but a humble knight. My inability to help in any significant capacity is a source of great frustration for me for the moment.”

Adel sighed and cast her eyes down. She was channeling her inner Euphinia, who never raised her voice or made a fuss no matter how sad or incensed she became.

“What a quandary!”

“If that is the case, I would be more than happy to—”

The mood was turning sympathetic, allowing Adel to think it might be easier to achieve her goal than she had thought...when the young man who had spoken earlier started with remembrance.

“Ah! I remember now where I had heard of Astal Orphanage! If memory serves, that’s where our previous Mother Superior, Saint Katina, was from!”

“What?! The Saint who attacked the G4 Summit?!”

“Yes, her. The great traitor. Wait, if it’s the orphanage she’s from...”

The mood turned so fast, it almost felt like the entire crowd had physically taken a step back.

“B-But the children of the orphanage are not to blame for what happened!”

Despite Adel’s vehement protest, interest had waned.

Johan leaned in to whisper, “Your Highness, may I have a word with you in the garden outside?”

“I... Very well...”

It was clear that her words were falling on deaf ears. She therefore excused herself and followed Johan out.

“Here you go. Perhaps this will help calm your nerves a little,” he said, handing her a silver cup again.

“Thank you.” She took a seat on a bench under a large tree in a corner and brought the cup to her lips. This drink really is smooth and delicious.

“I apologize for how the mood had shifted. However, please don’t hold it against them either. They don’t actually think Astal Orphanage an evil place, but its ties to Saint Katina cannot be denied. They are afraid that if they get involved, they would be suspected of treason too, which would make them vulnerable to their political opponents. Looking out for number one comes before all else, after all. I believe you have an uphill battle in front of you.”

“Is that true for you too?”

“I’m sorry, but yes. The crime committed by Saint Katina was simply that reprehensible. If you are not careful, your own standing could come under risk as well.”

“I...see.”

It was a huge shame that she had failed to complete her primary objective despite having initially caught the interest of people who could part with the full cost of the project without blinking an eye. She felt sorry toward Rosalind, who had worked hard to create this opportunity.

Johan placed a hand on Adel’s shoulder. “That said, you are not entirely out of options.”

“Am I not?”

“You can still succeed if you change your approach. Instead of looking for one or two people who would lend you the full amount, you can aim to secure a little from many people. And instead of saying that it’s for Astal Orphanage, say that it’s to cover the costs of living as a royal. When it’s so spread out that the amount becomes nearly negligible and there is a valid pretext, no one will care how the money is actually used. Many people actually want to be of help to you; they only need an excuse to do so.”

Adel didn’t like that she couldn’t openly state her intention, but there was no point being a stickler about it if honesty would get her nothing. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

“It would be a bit difficult to do this now at today’s function, but I would be more than happy to host another event for you with a completely different guest list. You can speak to them as I suggested.”

Adel’s mood brightened. Today had been a bust, but there was hope yet. “Thank...you. I would...like that...very much...”

For some reason, she found herself unable to speak clearly. Her eyelids were heavy, and there were two copies of Johan in her wavering view.

“Oh dear. Are you all right, Your Highness? You seem a little intoxicated. Here, you can lean on me for support.” Johan snaked an arm around Adel’s waist and pulled her closer.

“O...kay...”

Unable to summon the energy to banish the cobwebs filling her mind, Adel put up no resistance. Apparently the drink that Johan had handed her had very high alcoholic content, a fact obfuscated by how easy it had been to drink.

But I almost never got drunk before. I have a really high tolerance. Whatever it is that got to me must have been really powerful... Oh wait, maybe not. Mash told me I’m now a lightweight and to never drink when I’m out by myself. Huh? But I’m not a lightweight. I can down pints and pints...

As her thoughts circled, Adel blankly watched Johan reaching out and stroking her face. By the time his face started getting closer and closer, she was almost half unconscious. And so, when he was suddenly sent flying, her mind didn’t register it at all.

“What on— Ow! Ah! Pffbt! ...Ugh.”

Johan bounced over the grassy courtyard a few times, until he was absolutely covered in mud.

“Your advice to the princess is much appreciated, but the outrage you’ve performed is unforgivable. Did you venture it with the conviction of possibly losing your head as punishment?”

Rosalind’s icy glare left no room for doubt that she was ready to carry out such a punishment at a moment’s notice. She had been unable to enter the venue, but kept vigil from the moment Adel stepped out.

“C-Come now, I had no inappropriate intentions. I was simply trying to care for Princess Adel.”

“In that case, I can take it from here. Leave her with me.”

Under Rosalind’s piercing gaze, Johan backed away until he was back inside the venue.

Once Rosalind confirmed he was gone, she tried to shake Adel awake.

“Saint Adel. Saint Adel, please wake up. Please allow me to take you home for the day.”

“Mmm...” Adel opened her eyes, made a few unintelligible sounds, then creased her flushed cheeks in a smile. “Heh heh heh...”

“H-How adorable!” Rosalind staggered toward Adel as if drawn by a magnet. She looked around quickly to make sure no one was watching, then placed her own hands on Adel’s face and pulled it closer—but suddenly found herself lifted into the air by a strong power.

“Stop it. Do that sort of thing when you actually have her consent.”

Cerberus had emerged from Adel’s shadow and was holding Rosalind up by the back of her collar. Unfortunately, his exasperated voice could not reach someone who wasn’t a Saint.

“S-Sir Divine Beast?! Please don’t tell Saint Adel about this! I beg you!”

“Yeah, yeah. In any case, we’re heading back. Grr, always causing me trouble.”

Without further ado, Cerberus slung Rosalind and the fully asleep Adel onto his back and returned to the royal palace.

◆◇◆

“Adel, Adel!”

While feeling the warmth of the midday sun streaming through the nearby window, Adel’s ears registered a voice that sounded like a bell. It was Euphinia’s voice, the most beautiful voice in the world. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to listen to this voice while slipping into blissful sleep— Sleep? But no, she had to protect Euphinia. As a knight escort, Adel could not afford to let her guard down for even a split second. She had already failed her beloved liege once before.

With a gasp, Adel’s eyes snapped open. “P-Princess!” Right away, she saw Euphinia looking at her with concern in her eyes and a book from the palace open on her lap. Realizing she had fallen asleep while standing guard, Adel bowed deeply. “I-I’m very sorry! This is a major dereliction in my duty! Please punish me as you see fit!”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. Adel, you look really tired. Rather than caring for me, shouldn’t you get some rest?”

Adel had been spending consecutive nights attending evening parties arranged by Rosalind, trying to drum up the funds for Astal Orphanage’s reconstruction. She was keeping the amount per person low and sticking to the story that it was for securing the basic necessities she needed as a royal. Though she had been nearly assaulted by Johan, his advice was sound. This method was taking a lot of effort, but she was making good progress toward meeting her goal.

“I cannot! I am your knight escort. Shirking my duties in this capacity would be putting the cart before the hor— Ugh...”

A wave of dizziness swept through Adel’s mind. She recognized the sensation—it was a hangover. While talking to people at last night’s function, she’d naturally had to imbibe as well. She was being careful in light of what had happened the first time, but not drinking at all was out of the question.

“You okay, Adel? Here, have some water.” Melulu held out a cup.

“Mm-hmm, thank you. I know I can hold my drink, so this is rather embarrassing.”

Mash made a funny face. “Where does that confidence of yours come from? You’re a lightweight, hands down.”

“But I’m not! At least, I’m not supposed to be!”

“Well...that aside, how’s the fundraising going?”

“Steady, but slow. I’m still only about halfway. But that’s enough to get the work started. In fact, I believe they already have.”

Euphinia’s eyes lit up. “If that’s the case, how about we go take a look?”

Immediately onboard, Melulu shot to her feet. “That’s a good idea! It beats just sitting around indoors!”

“How could you say that, Melulu?” Adel gave her colleague a disapproving look. “Quiet moments with Princess as she delves into a book are wonderful in their own right.”

“Remind me, who fell asleep just now?”

“Ugh!”

Euphinia giggled. “I’m sorry. I know it’s been a while since our arrival in Rakul. It has gotten a bit boring, hasn’t it?”

“Wha— No, not at all, Princess!”

“Regardless, off to Astal Orphanage we go!”

When Adel’s group reached the orphanage, they found its burnt remains almost completely removed and a new frame already going up.

“Hey, you there! Take this over there! And this should go there! I’ll take care of this myself! Oh, but before you go, here’s a light snack. Good work so far!”

Ema was enthusiastically barking out instructions to the workers on-site.

“Thank you, Ms. Ema!”

“Hell yeah, I was just getting peckish. Thanks, Aunt Em!”

“I ain’t your aunt!”

“Yo, old bat! What I really need is booze! Gimme some booze!”

“That’s even worse than ‘aunt’! How’re you gonna get work done if you get drunk and fall from up there, huh?!”

“I already am drunk! I get my best work done drunk, bwah ha ha!”

“Wait, your arm is extremely swollen! You got hurt! How is that you doing your ‘best work’?!”

“What?! Where’d you get that barrel, dude?!”

“Ha ha ha! The palace kitchen, duh! I told them Boss Lady told me to bring it to her and they gave it to me right away!”

“That’s freaking genius! I’ll do that too later!”

“Me too, me too! Boss Lady is way too good to us!”

Adel roared, “STOP USING MY NAME AS YOU PLEASE!”

The workers were actually the former gladiator slaves she had brought along from Wendill. She had assigned them to help with the work, but they were up to their usual hijinks again.

“I’m so sorry for all the trouble my subordinates are causing you, Ms. Ema.”

Ema whirled around, beaming brightly. “Adel!” In sharp contrast to her forlorn demeanor last time, she was completely back to her usual self.

“But that aside, I’m glad to see that the restoration is off to a good start.”

“Thank you! It’s all thanks to you! Thank you so, so much!” Ema grabbed Adel in a fierce bear hug, stroked her head vigorously and even rubbed her cheeks against Adel’s.

When Adel was a child, she had found Ema’s open and passionate expressions of emotion embarrassing and had acted out against them, but now she was only happy to receive it. She wanted to be honest and accept the older woman’s affection straight on. She wondered if this change was an indication that she had grown more mature.

“Ha ha ha. There still isn’t enough to finish rebuilding, but I promise I’ll get the rest. You can count on it!”

“Oh gosh, what a splendid and reliable young woman you’ve grown into! It’s like you’re a different person from before you ran off. I suppose we have your wonderful liege to thank, don’t we? Princess Euphinia, thank you very much for turning Adel into such a respectable person!”

While tearing up, Ema gave Euphinia a deep bow.

“That is an incontrovertible truth,” Adel said, puffing out her chest. “Meeting Princess and entering her service has changed my life.”

In Adel’s mind, Ema was absolutely right.

“No, no, Adel is an amazing person because she is Adel. I can’t take any credit for it, but I am very proud of her.”

“Oh, Princess!”

The honor of the compliment was far too much for a lowly knight escort who would fall asleep while on duty. Adel could hardly see before her for the waterfall streaming from her eyes.

“That’s why I think I really should learn from her too.”

Because of the tears, Adel failed to notice that Euphinia’s gentle and innocent expression was slightly different from usual.

◆◇◆

Later that same day, after Adel had headed out with Rosalind for that night’s fundraising event, Euphinia made her way to the library inside Rakul Palace. As Rakul had a much longer history and far more national power than Wendill, the number of books here greatly eclipsed the catalogue back home. For Euphinia, this place was a treasure trove.

“Good evening, Your Highness. We meet again.”

In coming to return a book she had borrowed, Euphinia found herself happening on Mother Superior Murrue. The other Saint smiled in greeting, so she responded in kind.

“Good evening, Saint Murrue. We bump into each other a lot, it seems.”

During Euphinia’s stay in Rakul, she often saw Murrue in the palace library. Apparently reading was her hobby too; she even gave Euphinia recommendations sometimes. Despite being the Mother Superior of Rakul, she seemed to spend so much time here that Euphinia couldn’t help but to worry if she was actually finishing all her work.

Murrue chuckled. “You’re wondering if I’m playing hooky, aren’t you?”

Euphinia’s heart skipped a beat. “Wha— No, of course not.”

“Well, I’ll have you know that Suzaku likes being around you, so my hands are pretty much tied. Being courteous to our Divine Beasts is a part of being a responsible Saint.”

“Suzaku likes me? Why is that?”

“I imagine it is because, like Saint Melmea, who was a source of great support to the Founding King, you can create Sanctuaries filled with almighty anima. Honestly, I sometimes think you might be more suitable than I to contract with Suzaku.”

“Not at all. The will of the Divine Beasts is what’s most important.”

Suddenly noticing the book in Euphinia’s hand, Murrue said, “Oh? That’s the one you borrowed yesterday. Have you already finished reading it?”

“I have. I had to rush a little because I was short on time, but this book that you recommended was very interesting. There sure are many theories regarding how the Great Expedition led by the Founding King and Saint Melmea ended.”

After unifying the peoples of the world under the Holy Kingdom’s banner, the Founding King and Saint Melmea had set off on an epic journey, claiming vast swaths of profane land and eliminating the need to fight over territory. Agriculture boomed, and the standard of living shot up. This was the Golden Era, a time when the world and its people were at their most prosperous.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. The Great Expedition ended with the death of the Founding King. The push into profane land subsequently flagged and the Holy Kingdom fell victim to internal strife. After splitting up several times, the world entered the current Quaternary Era.

All historians agreed that the Founding King’s death had been the trigger for this decline, but exactly how he died was debated, and relevant records were sparse. Some claimed he had succumbed to illness in camp, some claimed he encountered a monster more powerful than anything he’d faced before, and some claimed he was assassinated by a faction that had opposed the expedition.

“There are indeed many theories regarding the Founding King’s death. However, that was not what I wanted to draw your attention to when I recommended that book.”

“It wasn’t? What was it, then?”

“It is understandable that there are many theories about the Great Expedition’s end; history is written by humans, and everyone has their own perspective and interpretation. But in contrast, all the accounts of the expedition’s beginning are exactly the same.”

“They say that the Founding King and Saint Melmea set off for the sake of creating a better future for their new kingdom.”

“Exactly. Since everyone saw it the same way, there is no doubt that this truly was their goal.”

“So it seems, yes.”

“There is one more thing that everyone agrees on: the Founding King was a champion who could use ki, and Saint Melmea was an extraordinary Saint who could create almighty Sanctuaries.” Murrue flashed a mischievous smile that almost seemed bewitching. “Now, does this description remind you of anyone?”

“Adel and me?”

“The similarity is uncanny. Though you two are liege and servant, your strengths are a complete match for the Founding King and Saint Melmea. How aware are you— Ah, I see the question is moot.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You have a very gallant look on your face right now, Your Highness. It is filled with the conviction I was about to inquire after.”

“It’s been on my mind ever since Adel came to me. I am aware of the enormity of the responsibility that I bear.”

“Does that mean you plan on launching a Great Expedition of your own?”

“I do. Not right away, but eventually.”

There wasn’t a shred of hesitation in Euphinia’s eyes. What had previously been a fanciful ideal or a vague sense of purpose had, thanks to the G4 Summit incident, crystallized into a solid goal. If the sphere of human influence was significantly expanded once again, perhaps there might be room for Julian and Katina—banished from the Four World Powers—to live in peace. It might even be possible to reunite with and live with them again. Julian was as important to her as Katina was to Adel. This was very much a personal wish and not a great cause like saving the world, but it had nonetheless turned a dream into an objective.

That said, getting there would be neither quick nor easy. First, Euphinia had to fully step into Julian’s shoes and assume the crown of Wendill. She had to become someone worthy of it and hold herself to that standard. To get there, she would give her all in doing everything she could now, much like how Adel was working hard to rebuild Astal Orphanage.

“That is a wonderful goal. However, it might be difficult to do so without there first being a powerful country capable of controlling all of the Four World Powers and the Middle Kingdom—much like the Holy Kingdom of old—and a king worthy of such a country.”

“As in, a force that can keep everyone united and working toward the same goal?”

“That’s right. However, there is no getting around the need for conflict in the process of creating a king with the strength to guide all of humanity. For there to be only one king, all other kings must be eliminated. Does your conviction reach that far, Your Highness?”

Euphinia quietly shook her head. “No, I cannot accept that. You may call me naive, but I believe there is another way. And I think the key is here in Rakul.”

“Where exactly?”

“The Old Capital.” The longer Euphinia continued talking, the faster her words came out and the more passionate she became. “The Holy Kingdom of Rakul actually has the will to push back the frontier, but is being thwarted by the forbidden Old Capital being profane land. This is something I’ve studied in detail during my time here. However, both Adel and I share blood with the Rakulian royal family and therefore have the right to enter the forbidden area. I’m thinking of eventually taking the initiative to ask for permission to take back the Old Capital. When we do, it will be transformed from an obstacle to a catalyst from which Rakul can surge forward. Having that feat in our names would enable us to gather like-minded companions, and hopefully we can gain momentum from there. I can’t put this plan into action yet, while Wendill Palace’s reconstruction is still going on, but I will one day, for sure.”

Murrue smiled. “Thank you for sharing all that with me, Your Highness. It’s not often that I hear someone normally so quiet be so earnest.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

“Don’t misunderstand, it made me happy. I can see how serious you are about this. As thanks, when you are ready to act on your plan, I will aid you to the best of my ability. Rakul will be the better for it, after all.”

“Thank you, Saint Murrue!”

Euphinia bowed deeply. A Mother Superior would make a staunch ally indeed. However, there was an order to things. And in talking with Murrue, Euphinia had built up her resolve to walk her own path.

◆◇◆

“Good night, Your Highness. May you have peaceful dreams.”

“Here’s to hoping we get good weather again tomorrow!”

After finishing dinner and the evening’s duties, Mash and Melulu were about to retire for the night when Euphinia stopped them.

“Melulu, Mash, I have something to tell you.”

“Wh-What’s this all of a sudden, Princess?”

“Please go ahead. We are all ears.”

The serious tone in her voice had set both knight escorts on full alert.

“I’ll just say it: I’m returning to Wendill now.”

“What?!” exclaimed Melulu. “As in...right now?!”

Euphinia nodded. “We have stayed quite a long time, and I’ve fulfilled all my formal obligations. I know it’s late, but I’m thinking of going to His Majesty and asking for his leave to depart.”

“I mean...it’s true that we haven’t been doing much the past few days, but what about Adel?”

“Are you purposely leaving while Adel is out, Your Highness?”

“What?! We’re leaving Adel behind?!”

Again, Euphinia nodded. “We are. She still has things to do here. However, I have things I need to do too. I must hurry back to Wendill and help with the palace reconstruction.”

“Princess...”

“Your Highness...”

“Adel is incredible. She’s doing her very best to rebuild her home. When I see her like that, it motivates me to do the same.”

Mash and Melulu exchanged looks. They understood what Euphinia was trying to say. Staying in Rakul any longer wasn’t going to help Wendill’s reconstruction move along, and it was good that Euphinia was feeling inspired by Adel. However...

“But Princess, Adel is going to cry if you leave her without saying a word.”

“That said, if we do tell her, she’ll insist on coming back with us.” Mash sighed. “You know how stubborn she can get.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. Telling Adel would just be for my own sake, to make me feel better. It would be selfish. Getting Astal Orphanage rebuilt is important to her.”

“But Princess, I’m pretty sure Rosalind and Her Grace want Adel to stay here. Also, she might feel like it’s her responsibility to continue supporting Astal Orphanage now that Saint Katina is gone. If we leave her here...she might never make it back to us.”

Euphinia gripped her hands together before her chest. “If that is what she chooses, I cannot stop her.” Her bangs slipped over her face, making it hard for Melulu and Mash to read her expression.

“I-I hear you, Princess, but I’m still a little worried. Adel is surprisingly easy to sway and can even be quite gullible sometimes.”

“Your Highness, would you be open to the idea of allowing me to stay here with Adel, then? When the rebuilding of the orphanage is finished, I will bring her back to you.”

“Oh, good idea, Mash. That would be a lot more reassuring than letting her be alone.”

Relief trickled into Euphinia’s face. “Let’s do that. Mash, please take care of Adel for me.”

The farewell to the king of Rakul was over in the blink of an eye. Euphinia and Melulu flew off into the night on Pegasus’s back, leaving a glowing trail.

While waving at their receding figures, Mash thought, This is what is best. This way, no matter what you choose... I have no complaints or objections to serving Princess Euphinia, but at the end of the day, my heart is with you, Adel.

Chapter 4: The Spirit Appeasement Ritual

It was already the next day when Adel learned of Euphinia’s absence.

“Good morning, Princess!”

Despite being tired from yet another late night of fundraising, Adel was determined not to repeat the outrageous mistake of nodding off before her liege. She had washed her face several times to ensure that she was fully awake and could take to her task with gusto.

“Excuse me!” she said loudly, bowed deeply, then entered Euphinia’s room. “...Princess?”

The room was empty of both people and belongings.

“Did I get the room wrong? No, that can’t be. Did she move?”

Adel wondered if something had happened last night that she had yet to receive word of. She glanced around in bewilderment, then spotted Mash approaching.

“Hey there, Adel.”

“Mash! Do you know where Princess is? She’s not in her room.”

“About that...”

“Did she get caught up in an incident?! What happened?! Out with it!”

“No, that’s not it. She’s...returned home.”

Adel’s voice rose an octave. “What?! What does that mean?!”

“Uh, home, as in Wendill. She’s gone back to—”

“I know that! Why did Princess go back without me?! Wait, did she get sick of me because I kept going to evening parties and neglecting my normal duties?! Oh, I’m such an idiot. I’ve ruined everything!” Adel slumped to the ground, hanging her head.

“No, that’s not it at all!” Mash said quickly. “She saw how hard you’ve been working, and it made her want to go back and help with the rebuilding of Wendill Palace. Since Prince Julian is gone, she will have to assume the throne someday. She’s aware of that and feels responsible. She is truly wise beyond her years.”

“That’s...very true. There is no one in this world as noble as her.”

“She said that it would be too selfish to bring you back with her. She recognizes how important restoring Astal Orphanage is to you.”

“There is nothing more important than being by Princess’s side and protecting her! I am her knight escort, and I have no intention of becoming anything else! Protecting my liege is my very reason for living!”

Seeing Adel leap to her feet and dash toward the door, Mash called, “Where are you going?!”

“To see my grandmother and Rosa. I will bid them farewell, then immediately follow Princess back to Wendill!”

The project to rebuild Astal Orphanage was not yet fully funded, but returning to Euphinia’s side took priority above all else. It was Adel’s sole guideline for this life. Everything else took second place.

“If—”

“Don’t you try to stop me, Mash!”

“Not planning to. If that’s what you want to do, go for it. I’ll come with you.”

“All right. Let’s go!”

Without further ado, Adel and Mash made a beeline for the duchess’s guest room. Upon approaching, however, they heard voices coming from within.

“Hm? I hear something.”

“Sounds like she has a guest. Should we come back another time?”

“No, I’m in a hurry. Let’s take a look.”

In trying to peek into the room, they came within earshot of what was being said. Some voices were raised, seemingly in an argument.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” cried Rosalind’s voice. “Princess Adel is one hundred percent Her Grace’s grandchild! How could you even think of compelling her into conducting the Spirit Appeasement Ritual?!”

“I see,” replied the duchess’s voice. “I know His Majesty’s reason for accepting her into the royal family, but this is why none of the others objected.”

Then came an unfamiliar male’s voice. “The frequency with which we have been conducting the ritual has been steadily declining since His Majesty assumed the throne. It has been several years now since the last time. There’s no telling when a terrible catastrophe might befall our country. As prime minister, I am telling you that we need to—”

“That has nothing to do with Princess Adel!”

“You’re wrong, Lady Rosalind. It has everything to do with her. You and I both saw the other day how much more powerful she is compared to our current Mother Superior. She just might be able to pull off the ritual. At the very least, she stands a better chance than anyone else. If it goes well, no one has to die. Doesn’t His Majesty wish for this too? All of us do.”

“Does His Majesty know of this?”

“No, Your Grace. We’re hoping that Princess Adel can propose it to him on her own—”

“You want us to deceive her into doing this?”

“If she could be convinced to do this, she would earn the utmost respect from myself and all the other ministers—”

“I won’t do it! Just because you—”

Before Rosalind could finish her sentence, Adel stepped inside. “Excuse me, grandmother, Rosalind. I heard your voices from outside. What is this Spirit Appeasement Ritual?”

The duchess’s eyes widened. “Adel?!”

“You were listening, Princess Adel?!” exclaimed Rosalind.

“How timely! Princess Adel, I am Johl Luge, the prime minister of Rakul.”

“Luge? Then you are Johan’s father?”

“You know of my son! I am glad to hear it.” The man smiled brightly, giving no indication whether he was unaware of what his son had done or if he was playing dumb. “Do you not know of the Spirit Appeasement Ritual, though? It should have been covered in your lessons.”

“It wasn’t, in fact,” Adel said, shooting a look toward Rosalind. She had yet to bring it up in their lessons on Rakul’s customs and traditions, despite how important Johl was making this ritual sound. “Is he right, Rosa?”

“I’m so sorry. I really should have told you.”

“I can understand your reluctance, Lady Rosalind,” said Johl, “but it is a crucial part of our culture.”

“Can you tell me then, Prime Minister?”

“Very well, it would be my honor. The Spirit Appeasement Ritual is a ritual to calm the soul of our Founding Father, conducted at his mausoleum in the Old Capital. It is by continuing to observe this tradition passed down from the Old Holy Kingdom that we have the right to call our country its legitimate successor.”

This sounded very typical of a nation that loved appearances and traditions.

“I see. However, isn’t the Old Capital forbidden to all but the royal family?”

“It is indeed. That is why the ritual can only be performed by a member of the family.”

“But the Old Capital is profane land. Is the journey not dangerous?”

“That is why one attendant is allowed to come along. No more.”

“That’s...hardly any better.”

Not everyone had the martial strength to step into profane land and make it back out alive. Royals were taught and trained to rule their country; fighting monsters was left to the knights.

Johl lowered the tone of his voice, looking sorrowful. “To my knowledge, none have returned safely after conducting the Spirit Appeasement Ritual.”

“They were practically sacrifices, then?!”

“And yet, this is a holy ritual passed down from the Old Holy Kingdom. It gives our country divine protection and is the foundation of our prosperity. As such, there are many who wish for its completion. However, as I said earlier, we have been lax in this duty for several years now. Many have come to me expressing their concern.”

It seemed highly doubtful whether this ritual was actually effective and did everything that Johl was attributing to it. In fact, his claims sounded so fanciful it bordered on being mere superstition. From her position as knight escort from another country, Adel was extremely skeptical. However, she understood Rakul was a country where many would believe such things, and she could see how neglecting such a ritual could cause unease and unrest among the populace.

Mash spoke up. “Even if this ritual is performed once every several years, the royal family would run out of members and become unable to maintain the bloodline. In light of this, it seems reasonable to put off the ritual.”

“That’s a good point.” Adel nodded. “Prime Minister, do the citizens ask for it while knowing this?”

“Of course, the royal bloodline must not be threatened. That is why the family adopts children to carry out the ritual before each iteration.”

Both Adel and Mash gasped. What the prime minister was describing was actual sacrifice—and of children, no less.

“It is lamentable, but there is no other way.” Despite his words, Johl didn’t sound all that broken up. Whether he actually cared seemed questionable.

“This reminds me: When I was in Astal Orphanage, there was a child around my age who got adopted into a noble family. We received an abundance of snacks and a sumptuous feast, and we all celebrated. However, a short while later, we received news that he had passed away. We were told he was sick, but he had been the very picture of health when with us. It never sat right with me.”

Could it be? It can’t, right?

“Those adopted into the royal family are inducted from the noble families serving the crown,” Johl confirmed. “The crown does not look into where the children of the noble families come from.”

“Are you saying...”

“And now you’re thinking of treating Adel the same way?”

Adel and Mash crossed their arms with grim faces.

“I’m very sorry, Princess Adel,” said Rosalind, looking truly apologetic.

“What for?”

“I didn’t tell you about the Spirit Appeasement Ritual because I was afraid that you would be furious and immediately return home. That was selfish of me. I’m sorry.”

“It is something I wish I’d known earlier.” Adel heaved a big sigh, then placed a hand on Rosalind’s shoulder. “But it’s water under the bridge now. What actually matters is what we do now. Prime Minister Johl?”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“I understand the circumstances.” She clenched a fist before her chest and declared, “I will undertake the Spirit Appeasement Ritual.”

“Princess?! What are you saying?!” Rosalind cried.

“It is dangerous!” the duchess said in a fluster. “You may be strong, but there is no telling what awaits you in the Old Capital’s profane land!”

“Grandmother, I cannot allow innocent children to take my place!”

“You can simply turn down the whole matter. His Majesty has been doing his best to put the ritual off. There is no hurry to conduct it right now.”

“That is only kicking the problem down the road.” Adel shook her head. “I will do this and sever the chain. It also happens to be convenient for me.”

“‘Convenient’?” The duchess looked confused, but Adel gave her a reassuring nod.

Johl’s face lit up. “You accept, then! As expected of the knight who bested both Lady Rosalind and Saint Murrue! This humble retainer is deeply moved!”

“I do accept,” said Adel. “However, I have a condition.”

“Of course. What is it?”

“I ask that the cost of Astal Orphanage’s reconstruction be covered in full if I make it back safe and sound.”

Adel had only managed to gather about half the amount so far. Attending evening parties and going around soliciting took time, but getting the rest of it as reward for successfully completing the Spirit Appeasement Ritual would shorten that time to nothing. She felt bad about asking for the money if she hadn’t done anything and thought it would constitute a misuse of her status as a royal, but there was no problem with receiving compensation for honest work. This was what she had meant by the “convenient” comment.

Johl laughed. “If memory serves, Astal Orphanage is also the origin of the traitor Katina...but successfully completing the ritual would indeed mean a lot more. You have a deal.”

“One more thing...”

“Yes?”

“Please gather me a set of the materials needed to erect a Holy Tower. While carrying out the ritual, I will set it up and erase the profane land. That would make it safe to conduct the ritual in the future. It would no longer be a death sentence.”

Furthermore, Rosalind had said during her history lessons that the Old Capital being profane land was preventing Rakul from reclaiming the frontier profane land beyond. It was clearly in the way of expeditions but seemingly couldn’t be dealt with, as only members of the royal family could enter and the family had yet to produce a Saint with the strength to erect a Holy Tower. In that case, Adel would do it herself. This ritual business was the perfect opportunity.

“You would go so far for us! It is something only you can achieve, and it would surely be remembered through the ages!”

“Grandmother, Rosa, there you have it. I will be taking on the Spirit Appeasement Ritual. I ask for your understanding.”

Rosalind groaned. “Princess... It would be extremely dangerous, but I do understand that you are the only person who can pull it off.”

Catching Rosalind’s look, the duchess sighed. “I hate to admit it, but they’re right. It pains me to make you do this when you’ve just come back, especially when we have been unable to do anything for you all this time. Please forgive us.”

“Please, there is no need to apologize. I want to do this.”

Once the Old Capital was no longer profane land, Rakul would be able to direct its attention to the frontier beyond without having to worry about being pincered from behind. This was in line with Euphinia’s wishes; she had wanted an opportunity to help root out Rakul’s stagnation from the source. That was why she had suggested the practice match and gathered the royal family and knights—to demonstrate that she and Adel had the strength to pull it off.

Now, her efforts had borne fruit...sort of. Euphinia herself was no longer here, so Adel was determined to do this on her behalf. Surely she would be delighted if she knew. This would make it impossible for Adel to return straightaway, but it was worth doing. When she did return, she would get praised by Euphinia. She would be rewarded with the joyous face of her beloved liege. And Astal Orphanage would get rebuilt too. This was killing two birds with one stone.

“Princess Adel, the ritual allows you to bring one companion. Please take me! I promise to protect you with everything I have!” Rosalind said.

“I’m afraid not. You still have to stay here and protect grandmother. Instead...” Adel looked at Mash. “I’m sorry, Mash, but could you do it? I know it’s not related to your duty as Princess’s knight escort, but...”

Mash raised a hand, cutting her off. “No need to say another word, Adel. I’d be more than happy to come with you. Let’s start preparing right away.”

“I’ll be in your debt!”

Adel and Mash exchanged determined nods, then gathered everything they needed within a few days and promptly struck out for the Old Capital.

◆◇◆

“The border to Wendill is almost in sight, Princess.” Melulu smiled at Euphinia from Pegasus’s back.

It had been a few days since the pair left Rakul Palace. Riding the winged horse was much faster than the carriage they had taken to Rakul, even with the breaks in between. They had been accompanied by a large retinue then, making travel by land the only option.

“I see it too. We are nearly home.”

Contrary to her words, Euphinia’s expression was not bright. For the umpteenth time, she shot a worried look behind her. She had been doing this more and more the further they got from Rakul Palace. It was starting to hurt Melulu to see her like this.

Euphinia was hurrying back to Wendill to help the reconstruction effort. It was the right thing to do. Now that Julian was gone and she was next in line for the throne, it was important for her to be present and act as a pillar of support for her citizens. Even though she was just one little girl, if she could embolden the people and lead them well, it could make an enormous difference. This was the duty of a ruler. She understood this better than anyone and was trying to act on it. Since she had fulfilled Wendill’s obligations toward Rakul for shouldering the majority of the costs of the reconstruction, it was only right that she returned right away.

Melulu understood that Euphinia had left Adel behind because Adel still had unfinished business. There had been no helping it, and it was the logical choice to make. However, seeing Euphinia’s expression was making her think twice. The best choice based on logic was not always the best for someone’s heart.

Melulu called, “Princess? Princess?” Seeing that her liege was still looking backward and had not heard her, she sighed loudly and firmed her resolve. She had to say something. Doing so would be stepping beyond her station a little—no, a lot—but it felt wrong to stay silent. “Princess! PRINCESS!”

Euphinia started. “Yes, what’s the ma—jah?!”

Without warning, Melulu squished Euphinia’s silky-smooth cheeks, then squeezed and pulled them a few times.

“Wh-Whah ah you joing?”

“You made the right choice, Princess. You’re doing the right thing. But...is being ‘right’ all that matters? Aren’t you wishing that you actually brought Adel too? Don’t you feel lonely without her?”

“J-Jhat’s...”

“It’s fine. There are times when you try something and find out it’s not really what you want, and you don’t have to make the absolute right choice every time. Don’t forget, you’re still a child! It’s okay to be most honest with what you want! That’s what we’re here for: to make your wishes come true!”

“Melulu...”

“We can bring Adel back with us if that’s what you want. I’m sure she has ways to raise money back home too. I can also check to see if my family still has a nest egg hidden away somewhere. We’ll find a way. Now, do you want us to double back to fetch Adel?”

Tears welled up in Euphinia’s eyes. “Y... Yes. I’m sorry, I... I can’t even stick to what I said...”

“That’s fine. It makes me happy when you tell me what you want. All right, you heard us, Pega. Back to Rakul we go!”

Only Saints could hear the voices of Divine Beasts, but Divine Beasts had no problem hearing humans talk.

“I...don’t know if that’s a good idea, but I can’t turn down a request from a cute girl, now can I?”

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea, Mr. Pega? Do you feel something?”

“It’s kind of a bad vibe, I guess? But it’s really far away, so it’s probably not a problem. It is getting stronger and stronger, though...”

“Is Pega saying something, Princess?”

“He says he feels something bad coming from far away.”

“I sure hope Adel’s not caught up in it...”

“In any case, let’s hurry back to Rakul. Mr. Pega, please and thank you!”

“Hell yeah! It just doesn’t feel right without Adel around!”

Pegasus did a quick turn and started making his way back toward Rakul Palace.

◆◇◆

“Heads up! Coming from above!” Mash shouted as his hands swiftly formed hand signs.

With a whoosh, a bird of fire formed from the fire anima generated by Adel’s Sanctuary shot into the air, speeding toward a lion-headed, winged monster nearly as large as Cerberus. However, the monster flew so fast that it pulled ahead.

Mash gasped. “It’s faster?!”

Having failed to catch its target, the fire bird exploded in vain. The smoke created by the explosion covered part of the sky, concealing the flying lion. But a moment later, it burst through the smoke screen from a different angle, plunging not toward Adel or Mash, but behind them where Cerberus was.

“It’s heading for Cerberus!” Mash cried.

Adel finished off the monster she was fighting and whirled around. “That’s not good!”

Normally, there would be no need to worry about Cerberus. Adel held his fighting prowess in high regard and knew she could always rely on him in a pinch. However, he was now carrying the materials needed to erect a Holy Tower on his back. His movements were more sluggish than normal, and his cargo absolutely could not be damaged.

“Hrgh, the nerve!”

“Hang on tight!”

Adel cracked Salamander’s Tail toward Cerberus, coiling its whip around the Divine Beast’s front leg. She pulled while using Ki Convergence, bringing him over in a flash. The lion monster missed its dive, but promptly kicked off the ground and took to the air again.

“Mash! One more time!” Adel thrust a hand toward Mash.

“All right!” Catching on, he promptly grabbed it. Adel could concentrate her ki to boost any ability; this was true of her own body, spelltools, and even other people. Instantly, ki coursed into Mash, bolstering his spell power.

“How’s this?!”

This time, the fire bird was much larger and faster, and burned so hotly that it glowed blue. It finally caught up to the lion monster and set it on fire. The monster used incredible agility to twist its body in time to limit the damage to a single wing, but the injury proved enough to rob it of flight. It crashed to the ground with a furious roar.

Adel was already in position to seize the opportunity. “YAH!”

The fiery blue blade of Salamander’s Tail flashed, and the lion was decapitated in the blink of an eye. The rest of its body collapsed heavily.

Mash looked down at the head and rubbed his neck. “Oof. It feels like I’m the one who got beheaded.” He shuddered.

“Not funny, Mash. I would never let that happen.”

“Neither would I, obviously. But still, the monsters around here sure are strong.”

“That I agree with.”

The monster just now had managed to outrun Mash’s fire bird spell. Divine Beasts like Cerberus were one thing, but normal monsters that capable were quite rare.

“Nothing came close to this in the profane land in Wendill,” said Mash. “Looks like the strength of monsters really do differ by area. I get the feeling the miasma is thicker here.”

“You can tell?” Adel looked surprised. It wasn’t as unequivocal as hearing the voices of Divine Beasts, but sensing miasma was also basically something only Saints could do. Exceptions were rare.

Mash nodded. “The monster part of me throbs in reaction to it—a lot more here than in other profane land I’ve been to.”

“I see. Well, I’m getting the same impression. I have no idea if this is how all frontier profane land is, or if it’s just this place.”

“Either way, makes sense that no one’s ever returned from this ritual. Given how this place is, I don’t know if they even made it to the mausoleum.”

The going wasn’t easy even for Adel, Mash, and Cerberus.

“Your guess is as good as mine. So, do we want to set up this Holy Tower first to ensure we finish the ritual?”

Erecting a Holy Tower would purify the surrounding area, removing the worry of being attacked by monsters born from miasma. Even if the installation wasn’t a permanent one, it would still make a big difference. It would also unburden Cerberus, allowing him to regain full range of motion.

“Sounds good. Where should we do it?”

The two looked over the expansive ruins spread out below their position. They were currently standing on a slightly elevated hill at the very edge of the city. The remnants of what looked like watchtowers loomed close by.

“According to Saint Theodora, I’m supposed to figure out where the miasma is naturally flowing, then cut it off by putting the tower where it wells up.”

“So we’re going against nature?”

“Unfortunately, yes. In this world, the presence of miasma is the natural state. Purifying land with Holy Towers is a deviation from the natural order.”

“No wonder people believe the Great Coffin Doctrine.”

Supposedly, this world was a substitution that the Goddess had created from the body of the Evil One after the original was destroyed in their fight. If so, then this world was therefore the Evil One’s corpse, and miasma was remnant gas leaking from it. The Goddess subsequently granted the power of the Holy Towers and Sanctuaries to her creations—the humans and Divine Beasts—so that they could carve out for themselves the land where they would live. This was the creation myth referred to as the Great Coffin Doctrine.

“Well, can you tell where the closest node is? Sadly, my senses aren’t that refined.”

“I can. It’s there.”

Adel pointed toward the oblong structure towering at the center of the city ruins. It was long on one side, like a coffin, and obviously massive even from this distance. Made from a strangely glossy stone, it alone remained pristine in the capital where all else had fallen into decay, which made the miasma pooling around it all the more obvious. In Adel’s eyes, there was practically an arrow hovering over it, pointing it out as a node.

“Isn’t that the mausoleum where the ritual is to be held?”

Adel grinned broadly. “Saves us the trouble of going to two different places.”

“I see you’re as gutsy as ever. I’m actually relieved. You’ve been a little too well-mannered lately.”

“Nonsense. Learning my background hasn’t changed who I am at all.”

“Her Highness and Melulu were worried that you wanted to stay in Rakul and remain a princess.”

“I cannot dawdle any longer after hearing that! We must finish quickly here and return to Princess right away! Let’s go, Mash!”

“Happily. I’m not interested in waiting for more monsters to show up.”

As long as there was miasma, monsters would continue spawning. Supposedly, the Evil One created them the same way the Goddess created humans and Divine Beasts.

Adel and Mash exchanged a nod, then struck out for the heart of the Old Capital. The brisk pace they set helped them avoid getting surrounded, but they still had to fight the odd monster. Their exhaustion was slowly building up, as were the minor injuries on their bodies.

After roughly half a day, the pair reached the mausoleum. There was an open area out front that, judging by the absence of stone paving, had likely been a garden. That was convenient; having fewer things around would make setting up the Holy Tower easier.

“All right, this will do. I’m putting the tower here.”

“Sounds good to me. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“We need a hole. Can you use your spell to dig it?”

“Sure thing.”

“Cerberus, you can put all the materials down now. Thanks for carrying them all this way. You’ve been a huge help.”

“Whew. I’m done being a pack mule, then?” The Divine Beast stretched and worked out a few kinks in his neck and shoulders.

“All right, Adel, let’s do this before any monsters show up. Can I have a boost?”

“Of course. Please and thank you!”

With the boost from Ki Amplification, Mash repeatedly shot powered-up fire birds at the ground. Adel could unleash an attack of the same strength by herself if she took the time to gather her ki to turn Salamander’s Tail into a giant blade, but this way was far less taxing on her. She and Mash working together could keep going for much longer.

A few explosions in, however, they realized that the smoke rising up had gained a strange purple tinge.

“Is it just me or is the miasma leaking more than before?” asked Mash.

“You’re right, it’s gotten thicker,” replied Adel. “It’s rare for it to get thick enough to be this visible.”

Right before Adel’s and Mash’s eyes, the miasma coalesced into another winged lion like the one they had faced when first entering the Old Capital ruins.

“A monster’s already formed?!”

“Same one as before, looks like!”

“Adel, leave this to me. I’ll—”

Before Mash could finish his sentence, Cerberus shot forward with a terrifying roar. He crashed into the monster, pinned it down with his front paws, then breathed fire directly into its face at point-blank range. The fire burned bright red, but there were flashes of black here and there. Apparently he was starting to gain mastery over his clan’s legendary black flame even without Ki Possession. This sign of growth made him happy.

After so quickly reducing the enemy to ashes, Cerberus chuckled. “You have no idea how bored I’ve been playing pack mule. Come, Adel. Bring me more foes. I’ll kill every last one.”

Finally freed, the Divine Beast was raring for some action. Luckily for him, this was the perfect opportunity.

“All right, Cerberus, keep protecting us. Mash, we’ll resume digging.”

“You got it!”

Everyone took to their roles without further ado. When the hole was finished, Adel rummaged through their luggage for an eye-catching golden stake covered with letters in an ancient script. This was a Holy Tower’s keystone. It was supposed to resonate with a Saint’s power and create a special force field that would block the flow of miasma to the node it was stabbed into, thereby purifying the vicinity. Though it could only be used by Saints, some considered it the predecessor of all spelltools, as it was a tool that performed a special function.

“All right, first up.” With the stake in hand, Adel made her way toward the hole.

“Think you can do this, Adel?”

“I’m nowhere as proficient as Eminent Theodora or Princess when it comes to erecting Holy Towers, but I have a plan. Leave it to me.”

During the lesson that Theodora had given Adel and Euphinia, the latter had proven to have a much better knack for it. In fact, she was the one who had repaired the Holy Tower that had broken down on the Wendill-Torust border.

Adel was nowhere near as good, but for what it was worth, Theodora had acknowledged she wasn’t entirely hopeless at it. Every Saint had their strengths and weaknesses. Just as Theodora had been the world’s leading expert on the erecting of Holy Towers, Chloe was a master at creating spelltools. In the short amount of time after the commotion of the G4 Summit and before heading back to Alderford, Chloe had spent some time making a spelltool for Adel, who had been blown away watching the Eminent at work. Katina was head and shoulders above all others when it came to the number of Divine Beasts she could form contracts with, whereas Elciel was practically matchless when it came to the strength of her Divine Beasts and knowing how to best use them in battle.

To use broader categories, Theodora and Chloe were outstanding technicians, while Katina and Elciel were outstanding fighters. But then there was Euphinia, who had the potential to match all of them in their specialties. Having such a talented liege made Adel very proud, and she felt unworthy of comparing herself to her in any way.

“All right, here goes.” Adel plunged the golden stake into the ground, then concentrated on pouring power into it. It worked much the same way as forming a contract with a Divine Beast or deploying a Sanctuary. A more precise description would be that she was trying to synchronize herself with the stake and deploy a Sanctuary through it.

White light burst from the stake, shooting up into the sky.

“Whoa, it lit up!” Mash exclaimed.

“This is the core of the Holy Tower. The stone obelisk you normally see is basically armor to protect it.”

“I see. But when Princess fixed the last one, I remember the light being a lot flashier.”

“That’s because she’s special. In my case, this will still do...” Beside her Saint powers, Adel had ki as well. Everything so far had been standard procedure, but she was now going to put her own spin on things. “...because I can then boost it!”

She switched to pouring ki into the Holy Tower as an adaptation of Ki Amplification. These towers technically weren’t spelltools, but since they were considered the predecessors of that technology, she figured the technique would work on them too. And her hypothesis was proved correct as the white light grew thicker, taller, and much brighter.

“Yes, now this is like what I remember!” Mash said, looking up.

Though Adel’s power as a Saint was lacking, she could make up for it by using ki. All that was left was to pile up stone in the form of an obelisk to stabilize the tower’s flow and output.

“All right, time to finish this up with the stone!”

“On it!”

Just as Adel and Mash picked up a brick, however, a groan filled the air and the white pillar of light started changing color from the base up. The ominous shade of dark purple was unmistakable; it was the color of miasma.

Adel gasped. “What’s going on?!”

“Could the tower have gotten corrupted?”

“Oh no! Is my amplification affecting the corruption?!”

Adel’s Saint powers, and by extension the pillar of light that she could generate with the golden stake, were apparently insufficient to resist the powerful miasma in the surroundings, and boosting it with ki didn’t change the instability of the stake’s power. The instant the pillar was corrupted, the corruption got boosted too, which created a larger wound for miasma to leak out from. Adel and Mash were now looking at the end result. The reversal had been so abrupt that it almost seemed there was a will that had been waiting to seize the opportunity.

“Not good! We must pull the stake out and stop this now!”

Adel turned Salamander’s Tail into its bladed form so she could dig the stake out with it. But before she could swing her weapon, a dome of light formed from the top of the miasma geyser, enveloping everyone. It robbed them of their sight as if they were suddenly in the dead of night.

“Wha—”

“What is this?!” Adel cried. “What’s happening?!”

“Heads up! Space is warping!”

Cerberus’s voice was also distorted in Adel’s ears. And though she couldn’t see anything, she got the sense that the nothingness was shifting as well, confirming Cerberus’s warning.

When everything settled down, her group found themselves in an unfamiliar place.

“Where is this?” Mash wondered as he glanced around.

“Somewhere totally different, it seems,” replied Adel, her voice echoing slightly in the open space.

They were in a large area with shiny floors and walls that were clearly man-made. The ceiling suggested that this was either underground or a completely sealed building, though there was no way to tell which.

Cerberus harrumphed. “Way to rain on my parade. I was just getting warmed up.” He was displeased, but thankfully unharmed.

“What a pickle,” said Mash. “I see no hint of where we are.”

“Let’s look around,” said Adel. “Maybe we’ll find a way back. We have to do something about that pillar of miasma. Even if I can’t revert it to a Holy Tower, I have to at least remove it. There’s no telling what effects it will cause if left alone. It might even spawn a flood of monsters.”

The rate at which miasma had gushed out was extremely alarming. Though it had not been Adel’s intention, her Ki Amplification was what had caused it. She had to clean up her own mess.

Everyone jumped into action, but as they feared, the torrent of miasma was indeed creating a large number of monsters.

◆◇◆

When Euphinia and Melulu neared the capital of Rakul as they flew on Pegasus, they saw the pillar of dark purple light rising from the direction of the Old Capital ruins. Where the light touched the sky, a dark cloud had formed and was spreading ominously.

Euphinia gasped. “I-Is that...”

“That wasn’t there before!” Melulu cried.

“Oof, that’s miasma gushing out like a wide-open faucet. That cloud is gonna rain monsters real soon. I really don’t want to get anywhere near it.” Pegasus shuddered.

“I wonder what Adel is doing,” said Melulu worriedly. “I hope she’s fine.”

“In any case, let’s look for her!”

Euphinia directed Pegasus to land in a courtyard of Rakul Palace. People were rushing about in a fluster, clearly because of the phenomenon in the Old Capital. Most of them were servants, not knights or soldiers.

Euphinia called out to a maid rushing past. “Excuse me! What is the commotion? Is it from the light in the Old Capital?”

“P-Princess Euphinia of Wendell! Yes, Your Highness. Monsters have come down from the cloud that appeared above the Old Capital, and they attacked our capital.”

Both Euphinia and Melulu exclaimed in surprise as Pegasus sighed. “So it’s already started.”

“What is happening with the monsters, then?”

“Our Majesty headed out to fight them with Saint Murrue and our knights. They managed to subdue the assault and are now setting up a front line. We’re preparing supplies to be delivered to them.”

Melulu nodded. “That explains why I don’t see any knights or soldiers here.”

“Mr. Pega, will more monsters be coming from that cloud?”

“Most likely. The miasma’s getting thicker and thicker. You can tell, can’t you?”

“I...can. Though I don’t want to believe it.”

“Do you know where Adel is right now?” Melulu asked the maid.

“Princess Adel? Um, I’m afraid not.”

“Very well. Thank you. Melulu, let’s go to Her Grace’s quarters. I’m sure she’ll know.”

As Euphinia and Melulu passed by the audience chamber on their way up, they heard the duchess’s voice coming from within.

“Prime Minister Johl, do you not hear me?! How can you still refuse to send a search party?!”

“I’m very sorry, but you know it is forbidden for anyone other than royalty to enter the Old Capital, much less an entire search party. Moreover, every able-bodied soldier is now being sent to the front line. Nothing less than our king’s life is at stake, and we don’t have the bodies to spare.”

Euphinia stopped. “Is that Her Grace?”

Apparently, Duchess Adel and “Prime Minister Johl” were in the middle of a heated discussion. There were also a few others present who Euphinia recognized as members of the Rakulian royal family. Judging by what she had heard, the king of Rakul was leading the country’s forces in fighting the monsters while those here remained to hold down the fort.

“I know all that! That’s why I’m asking those who can enter to look for Adel! Please! I will go in person too!”

The royals burst into a commotion as every last one shook their heads.

A young woman cried, “C-Count me out of it!”

“It’s far too dangerous!” a young man agreed.

“I don’t mind if it’s only those who can fight!” said the duchess.

“None of us can fight as well as Adel,” another young woman protested. “What’s the point in us going where she can’t survive?”

“But the Old Capital is the source of it all!” the duchess insisted. “Either way, we have to enter and investigate the cause!”

“Your Grace, we have no proof that what is happening requires an urgent solution,” said Johl, interrupting. “As long as our Saints continue defeating the monsters that appear, this phenomenon might resolve by itself. Alderford is also sending us reinforcements, so all we need to do is hold the line.”

“No one returns from performing the Spirit Appeasement Ritual anyway,” said a female voice. “We’d let random children die but not Adel? That’s unfair treatment, Your Grace.”

“Ugh!”

As the duchess ground her teeth in frustration, Euphinia swept into the room.

“Excuse me! Your Grace, everyone, where has Adel gone? And what is the Spirit Appeasement Ritual? Is Adel performing it right now?”

Everyone averted their eyes. Though Euphinia was a proper princess and had full authority to represent her country in diplomacy, she was still young. No one wanted to take on the role of explaining everything surrounding the Spirit Appeasement Ritual to her.

“What’s wrong? Is it something you are not at liberty to divulge? If so, please take me to His Majesty so I can ask him myself.”

“N-No, that’s not... I shall explain.” Johl went over what the ritual was, the fact that almost no one came back from it, the fact that it was common practice to adopt children to perform the role to prevent actual royal blood being shed, and that Adel had agreed to take on the duty and headed to the Old Capital.

“I...had no idea that Rakul had such a tradition.”

“We ask that you not spread it around too much. Some details are secrets kept by our royal family.”

“I can see why.”

The practice was effectively ritual sacrifice, even if that wasn’t the intended purpose. The Old Capital was within profane land that had been left unpurified for a long time. There was no telling how many had died meaningless deaths being sent inside for this ritual. It was doubtful whether the ritual still actually held any meaning, but it was a telling example of the facet of Rakul that valued tradition so highly it couldn’t stop something that was producing real casualties.

Duchess Adel brought her hands to her face. “Adel took on the ritual and headed to the Old Capital, but she’s yet to return, and the strange phenomenon began right afterward. I knew I should have tried harder to stop her.”

“In any case, as I just said, I am against giving her special treatment,” said the young woman from earlier. “We cannot help her. She went of her own accord to scrounge up money for some orphanage somewhere, didn’t she? She is simply suffering the consequences of her own choice.”

“She only decided to go after hearing about the ritual! What’s more, she wants to erect a Holy Tower in the Old Capital for us! Who else can do that?! She is someone our family cannot afford to lose. We must save her!”

A young man shook his head. “We’re very sorry, but it’s almost impossible that she’s still alive after facing so many monsters. We suggest you accept that and give up.”

“We only accepted her into the family because she could conduct the ritual,” said someone else. “I hope she at least completed it, because we sure aren’t doing it.”

“Can you imagine her actually being equal to us? Someone that uncouth and uncultivated?”

“Wha—” Euphinia could scarcely believe her ears.

The duchess shared her incredulity. “Do you know how arrogant you all sound right now?!”

“I am simply thankful that we are resuming the ritual,” said Johl with a shrug. “It’s supposed to be performed once every three years, but it’s been too long.”

“You don’t get to pretend to be the only person here with clean hands, Prime Minister,” said a royal. “You said yourself that you planned to threaten that girl with pulling our financial aid to Wendill if she didn’t cooperate.”

“Shh! You make me sound bad! I am only concerned that our traditions are being forgotten—”

Euphinia was unable to hold it in any longer. “You were planning on sacrificing Adel for this ritual from the very start?!”

Apparently this was the real reason for the very generous financial aid that Rakul was sending Wendill. It was unknown if everyone from Rakul was in on it, but at the very least, the prime minister and the royalty present were. And sure enough, Adel had fallen for their wicked and dreadful trap.

Euphinia had been inspired by Adel to work harder too; she’d even left her behind in Rakul, thinking it was for her sake. That had been a big mistake. If she had been more honest and brought Adel back with her, none of this would have happened.

“I’m sure she enjoyed being pampered like a princess for that short while. We finally got His Majesty to adopt someone, so it worked out great. Prime Minister, make sure you actually pay that orphanage. It bodes ill to not pay condolence money.”

“Ha ha. I will do just that. We are grateful to her, after all.”

Despite knowing she would be out of line for speaking, Melulu could not help but to murmur, “These people are monsters.”

“That’s enough!” Euphinia cried, shaking like a leaf. “Stop speaking like Adel is already dead! She is not your tool either. She is a knight escort of Wendill. She is my knight escort!”

The most surprised person was Melulu. She had never seen Euphinia get angry enough to yell at someone before.

“In the first place, are you really laughing about having to depend on others to carry out your family’s ‘secret’ ritual?! How can you not be ashamed of yourselves?!”

“Sh-Shut up! You’re just a kid, what do you know?!”

“We have our own circumstances!”

Before the argument could get any more heated, however, a maidservant rushed in. “Prime Minister! Your Highnesses! It’s happening again! Please come out to the courtyard and see for yourselves!”

“What?!” Johl rushed out with everyone and looked up. “I-Is that...”

The cloud above the Old Capital was now a vortex, and monsters were falling from it as a downpour.

“A rain of monsters!” cried Euphinia.

Melulu’s jaw dropped. “So Pega really wasn’t kidding...”

Surprisingly, Johl and the Rakulian royals were reacting the same way.

“What?! This is different from before!”

“There’s more this time!”

“A lot more, and they’re coming down faster. Will the front line hold?!”

Apparently what they were watching was much worse than the first wave that had been beaten back.

Pegasus poked his head out of Euphinia’s shadow. “Hey, Euphinia?”

“Yes, Mr. Pega?”

“What you’re seeing is still just the beginning. See the eye of the vortex? Eventually, a super big one’s gonna come down from there.”

“Are you sure?!”

Noticing Euphinia’s face going pale, Melulu asked, “What’s wrong, Princess? What did Pega say?”

“He said an extremely large monster will eventually descend from the eye of the vortex.”

Johl’s head whipped around. “I-Is that true?!”

“That is what my Divine Beast says,” replied Euphinia.

The other royals also turned pale.

“So the front line will break and the monsters will get here after all?! That would be a disaster!”

“Wh-What should we do? Should we leave the capital and evacuate somewhere far away?”

Johl grimaced. “I’m sorry, but all of you have to remain, as you are proxies of His Majesty.”

“What are you saying?! If anything actually happens to His Majesty and us...”

“The country would be done for! You have to ensure our safety in case the worst should happen!”

“Um, I agree with these guys. We really should run. Come on, Euphinia, let’s run. Adel’s strong, so I’m sure she’s fine. Cerberus is with her too. What happens to this country isn’t really our business!”

“Wake up!” Euphinia cried, her stern voice reverberating in the room. “Where has all your pride in being royalty gone? If you are proud, you have to show it through your actions! Even if you’re scared, you have to stand strong and be a source of support for your people! That is what it means to be a royal!”

“Ugh!” Having been hit where it hurt most, her relatives grunted with shame and hung their heads.

“Oh, phew, I thought I was the one being scolded. Bwa ha ha, look at these idiots being told off by a brat. What absolute dunces. Ha ha ha ha!”

Pegasus flapped his wings for no apparent reason and strutted around the royals.

“Bravado is fine and all, but what are you going to do if the monsters really do reach the capital?! You’re just talking a big game!”

“Don’t worry!” Euphinia declared confidently. She then grabbed the young woman’s hand.

“Wh-What’re you doing?”

“I will go to the Old Capital right now and erase the profane land with a Holy Tower. The cloud should clear up then.”

“What? I know you have a powerful Sanctuary, but...are you actually going?”

“I am. Which is why you should do your best too. Even if you’re scared.”

Euphinia smiled kindly, like a mother reassuring her children. Moved by her expression and tone, the royals’ attitudes softened.

“Y-Yes, you’re right,” said the young woman. “Thank you.”

“Prime Minister,” said Euphinia, “I also have royal blood. You have no problem with me entering the Old Capital, I hope?”

Surprise colored the man’s face, but he recovered quickly. “No problem at all, Your Highness. And please remember that the rules of the ritual allow you to bring one person along with you as an attendant.”

“Yay!” Melulu beamed. “That means I can come along without getting into trouble. Though I was going to go regardless.”

“Melulu, thank you! Let’s go, then. Mr. Pega?”

“Aww, seriously? We’re actually going? That place gives me the heebie-jeebies.”

“Just a reminder, Mr. Pega, but I’m a little mad at you too. Do you want me to tattle on you to Saint Claire when we get back? You’ll get a nice, long, scolding from her...”

“Urk! Oh, fine! I’m only carrying you there though, okay? Don’t expect me to fight!”

Pegasus nodded reluctantly and allowed Euphinia and Melulu onto his back.

“Princess Euphinia!”

“Your Grace, I promise to save Adel, so don’t worry. But I’ll be bringing her back with me to Wendill when this is all over. I hope you understand. I need her. Her place is by my side.”

“Of course. I’m sure that’s what she wanted in the first place. I’m happy as long as she is alive and living how she decides...and as long as she pays me a visit every so often.”

“I’ll remind her.” Euphinia smiled. “Now then, I will be—”

“Your Highness! One more thing, if I may?” Seeing Euphinia’s nod, the duchess purposely walked over and said quietly, “I haven’t seen Rosa—ah, Rosalind around since the start of the commotion. I’m concerned she got so worried about Adel that she rushed to the Old Capital by herself. If you do see her, could you bring her back as well?”

Euphinia’s eyes widened. The duchess’s reticence was self-explanatory. Since Rosalind wasn’t royalty, her entering the forbidden area was against the law. However, Euphinia was glad to have an ally who cared so much for Adel.

She nodded without hesitation. “Understood. I promise. I’ll come back as soon as I can!”

Pegasus took off directly from the courtyard. As the view surged past, Melulu called out, “Princess, I’m moved! You gave those annoying royals a piece of your mind, but you were kind and actually made them see reason!”

“W-Was I a bit too rude to them? Now I feel a little bad.”

“Not at all! Adel would have been a lot more direct. She might even have let her fists fly, ha ha!”

Euphinia giggled. “I can imagine it.”

Melulu hugged her tightly from behind. “I’m really glad I get to serve you. That’s the one thing I’m certain of from the bottom of my heart.”

“Thank you, Melulu. I’m also very thankful to have you and Adel and Mash. So let’s go and bring the other two back!”

“Yes, Princess! I’m sure they’re waiting!”

The two exchanged a nod, then turned resolute gazes toward the ruins where monsters were falling like rain.

Chapter 5: The Puppetmaster

“Hm? What’s that over there in the distance?” asked Adel. “Looks like a person.”

“Where? I don’t see it,” said Mash.

The two were riding on Cerberus’s back, making their way through the dark underground by the dim illumination of a fire bird.

“I don’t see anything either. Which way is it?”

It was thanks to the ki concentrated in her eyes that Adel could see farther than even a Divine Beast and someone with a monster’s head. Not only did it improve her ability to see in the dark, it also enabled her to discern movement normally too fast to see.

“Head in the direction I point Salamander’s Tail,” said Adel, turning her weapon into a twinblade with blue flames for blades and pointing it ahead to the left.

“Got it.”

Cerberus adjusted his direction and maintained his loping pace while keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings. They had entered this place a while ago and had yet to come upon a single monster, but things could change very quickly. It never hurt to be careful.

“Am I the only one who finds it odd we haven’t been attacked by anything yet?” asked Mash, looking around.

“I do too. Especially because I sense miasma.”

Adel’s senses as a Saint were telling her that the miasma was, strangely, overhead. This was what made her think they were underground.

“I’m pretty sure that large geyser is what we’re sensing. That means it’s not far.”

“I think so too,” Adel agreed. “But just being underground usually isn’t a protection from the effects of miasma.”

“It isn’t. Miasma gushes from the ground, which suggests that it should be thicker the deeper it is. At least, in its natural state.”

“Which means this place has been altered further by human invention.”

“This is a space underneath the resting place of a highly revered king in the middle of the Old Capital of the Holy Kingdom of Rakul. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was outfitted with some large-scale mechanism. The Moving Coliseum of Navarra still exists, so why not this?”

“Putting all that together, I’m tempted to conclude that we’re inside the mausoleum. You’re exactly right; this place must have some grand setup just like the coliseum.”

“Yes, that’s— Look, there really is someone!”

“You were right, Adel!”

Cerberus picked up the pace a little more, drawing closer to the figure faintly visible against the darkness.

“Excuse me!” Adel called out. “May we have a word with you?”

There was no answer, so she jumped off of Cerberus and walked over. When she placed a hand on the figure’s shoulder, however, it collapsed to the ground. Its hood fell back, revealing a face that had been completely mummified.

“Ugh!” Adel instinctively took a step back.

Mash stroked his chin. “Figures. There’s no way someone lives here.”

“But now we have proof someone has been here. I wonder what for?”

While Adel racked her brain, Mash gave out a shout. “Adel, look over there! I see something too!”

A new, much bigger fire bird shot out and revealed a large structure.

“That looks exactly like the mausoleum aboveground,” Adel noted.

“It does. The two must be related, then?”

“Wait, speaking of!”

“You figured something out?”

“Look at this corpse’s clothes.”

“Hm? What about it?”

Mash examined the clothing. It was ornamented and seemed to have once been beautiful before it was ravaged by time, but nothing about it stood out to him in particular.

“It’s the outfit they gave me to perform the Spirit Appeasement Ritual in!” Adel said.

“What?”

“Here, look!” Adel retrieved a package from a bag on Cerberus’s back and spread it out.

“Hm, you’re right. They do look identical. Is this the inside of the mausoleum, where they want you to conduct the ritual?”

“I don’t know the exact location, but my internal clock tells me we’ve been traveling for days. Maybe we entered through a side passage that’s somehow mixed in with a paradoxical dimension like the Divine Beast Realm.”

“Could be.”

“Want to check inside?”

“We might as well. The order’s gotten flipped around, but if the ritual ground is right in front of us, it makes sense to get the ritual done and out of the way first.”

“All right, let’s do it.”

The trio made a beeline for the coffin-like structure. It hadn’t been obvious from afar, but there were more mummified bodies wearing the ritual garb, growing more numerous the closer they got to the building. Stairs led up to the entrance, roughly in the middle of one of the coffin’s long sides.

Before setting foot on the first step, Adel turned around. “With this many corpses around, I think it safe to say we weren’t wrong. This is the heart of the mausoleum, where the ritual is to be performed.”

“I agree.”

“Give me a second to prepare,” Adel said. She swiftly stripped down to her underwear, revealing white skin that stood out starkly under the dim illumination.

Instinctively reeling away, Mash cried, “What are you doing?!”

“Hm? I have to put on the ritual attire to perform the ritual, don’t I?”

“Th-That’s no reason to suddenly take off your clothes! At least give me a warning first! How many times have I told you?!”

“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry.” Adel laughed lightly and continued changing.

Cerberus sighed and strode over to block her from Mash’s sight. The fact he did so without being prompted indicated he and Adel had really started to understand each other.

“I don’t understand how my Saint can be so capable yet struggles to fix this habit...”

“Seriously, you’re now a princess of Rakul. Did Lady Rosalind not talk to you about this too?”

“She tried, but this is just who I am. I’m Princess Euphinia’s knight escort; acting like a princess is no easy feat.”

“That’s not the problem. Even knight escorts shouldn’t be suddenly stripping in front of other people. You may be a knight, but you’re a woman too.”

“I know, I know. But now I’m fully dressed again, so there’s nothing to complain about anymore, is there?”

Although the outfit was made to be loose and flowing, it appeared to be a size or two too small for Adel. As a result, she really filled it out, especially in the chest and waist.

“Why do I even bother...”

“All right, let’s do this, Mash and Cerberus!”

Mash sighed, then changed gears. “Right behind you!”

“Here’s to hoping for a worthy opponent!”

Without further ado, the group climbed the stairs. The door at the top opened by itself without having to be pushed or pulled.

“It reacted to us,” Adel noted.

“Looks like it.”

The fire bird’s light revealed numerous large braziers lined up at regular intervals on either side of a path. Abruptly, the braziers closest to the door lit up with a dark purple flame.

Mash jumped. “What?!”

“That’s miasma!” Adel cried.

The next set of braziers further in lit up, followed by more and more. It was as if the room was inviting its intruders into its depths.

Cerberus growled at the intense pressure. “Oh, I like where this is going.”

“Adel, look! The door!” Mash pointed back where they had entered. The door that had opened without a sound had closed just as silently and disappeared entirely.

“So we’re not allowed to run away? Doesn’t matter. We’ll just beat up whoever is holding us here and make them let us out. If doing that helps curb the flood of miasma aboveground, we’ll be killing two birds with one stone. Then we can return to Princess straightaway.”

“Ever the intrepid warrior. I would have no one else at my back.”

Without stopping, the group proceeded deeper and deeper in. At the end of the path was a circular dais surrounded by more braziers. These lit up all at the same time, illuminating a coffin of regular human size installed in the center.

“Finally, a normal-sized one,” said Mash. “That must be the Founding King.”

That was the only reasonable conclusion to draw. This was the Founding King’s mausoleum after all, so it only made sense that his coffin would be here. Everything would have been as expected...if there were nothing else. However, someone had filled this space with miasma, and that was a problem.

“I see a figure up ahead,” Adel warned. “Wait, is that...”

“That’s not the ritual attire,” Mash noted.

The closer they got, the clearer the person’s identity became.

“I have been waiting for you, Princess Adel,” said Rosalind with an elegant smile.

“R-Rosa?!”

“Why are you here, Lady Rosalind?!”

Both Adel and Mash had trouble hiding their surprise.

◆◇◆

When Pegasus entered the airspace above the profane land, winged monsters promptly rushed toward him. He tried dodging them and circling around, but found more monsters in his way each time. He was significantly faster and therefore in no danger of being caught, but there were simply too many of them, and they were everywhere. It was an endless cycle of losing one pack only to be pursued by another.

Pegasus was fast, could travel to other dimensions at will, and possessed extremely potent powers of purification, but he was absolutely useless in a fight. He had no will to fight in the first place. There was no forcing him, which made it difficult to break through the stalemate.

“Dammit, leave me alone already! What are you, flies?”

“Princess, I think we have to kill at least a few of them if we want to make headway. Please allow me to engage!”

“A-All right. Did you hear, Mr. Pega? Please work with Melulu on this!”

“Sure thing. Got it!”

“Sanctuary!”

The Sanctuary Euphinia deployed covered more than half of the Old Capital and was filled with almighty anima. Thanks to it, Melulu now had access to all the spells in her repertoire.

“Enchant! Grant me the power of flames!” Melulu’s body shone with red flames, indicating that her strength was boosted.

“Now, go!” Using every drop of that boosted strength, she launched her beloved weapon, Sylphid’s Spear, as hard as she could.

“Return!” she cried. It abruptly changed trajectory and, with a sharp whistle, flew back into her hand. This was her spear’s special ability.

“Again!”

Melulu threw Sylphid’s Spear again and again, piercing several monsters each time. Soon enough, a significant portion of the group she was targeting was gone.

“Good, the pack looks a lot thinner than before!”

“Can you get through them now, Mr. Pega?”

“Maybe! Want me to try?”

“Yes, please! Let’s do it. Melulu, Mr. Pega is going to try flying through now!”

“Understood! I’ll take down any that get close!” Melulu gripped her weapon with both hands, mentally readying herself for combat at a closer range.

“Here I go!”

The Divine Beast charged straight forward. The smaller number of monsters made it easier to get through them, but some were still trying to attack him and his passengers.

With perfect precision, Melulu ran her spear through the aggressively hissing pair of winged snakes at the front. “Not on my watch!”

“Looking good!”

Once successfully past the group of monsters, Pegasus headed straight for the Founding King’s mausoleum, where Adel had supposedly gone to perform the Spirit Appeasement Ritual. He’d been told in advance that the structure looked like a coffin, so he had no trouble finding it.

“Is that it?” Melulu asked.

“That’s also where the miasma node for this area is.”

“That would be where a Holy Tower should go, then. Did Adel not finish?”

“Wasn’t she kind of, um, ‘not good’ at setting up Holy Towers?”

“But she said she could do it and took on the request, so I’m sure she had a plan in mind. She’s not the type of person to promise what she cannot— Ah!”

“What’s wrong, Princess?”

Euphinia pointed. “I see the keystone and materials for a Holy Tower in the open space in front of the mausoleum where the node is!”

“So Adel did get this far! Why did she stop halfway? Did something happen?”

“I’m worried too, but since all the materials are there, I’ll try to finish the tower first!”

“Understood. I’ll make sure the monsters don’t get anywhere near.”

“Please do that. Thank you.”

“Heading down!”

Pegasus landed where Euphinia had pointed. Right away, new monsters started inching closer. It was only a matter of time before they broke into a run.

“Princess, can we let Lilith help? She can use my body!”

“Very well. Ms. Lilith?”

A Divine Beast with crimson eyes and bat-like wings appeared. This was Lilith, the other Divine Beast that had formed a contract with Euphinia.

“You want me to protect you, right?” she asked.

“Yes, please! Please work with Melulu!”

“I will, don’t worry. Melulu, I’ll be borrowing your body again, then.”

The girl floated over. Melulu could not hear her, as she wasn’t a Saint, but knew what would happen next.

“Please and thank you, Lilith!”

She held out a hand to the Divine Beast. When they touched, Lilith’s form phased into Melulu’s. Melulu’s sky blue eyes turned crimson, and the faint outline of wings appeared on her back.

“It sure feels good being in your body,” said Melulu as she hefted Sylphid’s Spear. She was now under Lilith’s control in both body and mind. This was Lilith’s power as a Divine Beast.

“Melulu and I will do our part, so good luck to you, Euphinia.”

Without further ado, Melulu charged toward the encircling monsters, unleashing a barrage of thrusting attacks markedly faster and sharper than before. In no time at all, several were dead on the ground, riddled with holes.

“Thank you! I’ll do this as quickly as I can!”

Euphinia prepared herself to erect the Holy Tower. She put her hands over the keystone still in the ground and focused her mind on it, but felt an uncomfortable, almost gritty feedback.

“Is this...miasma?”

The keystone stake had been corrupted by miasma. Using it in its current state was out of the question. In the worst-case scenario, it would become a beacon not for holy energy but for miasma. There were no clues as to how this had happened, but it was likely that this was why Adel had temporarily given up the endeavor. However, Euphinia was not ready to give up yet.

“Mr. Pega! Mr. Pega! Come out please!”

“Wh-What is it?” The Divine Beast poked his head out of Euphinia’s shadow, anxiously looking around.

“This keystone has been corrupted by miasma! I need you to help purify it!”

“I-I don’t mind, but are we really safe here?”

Seeing Lilith and Melulu dashing about faster than the eye could see, holding back the waves of monsters by themselves, Pegasus nervously slunk over to the keystone and started licking it with his long tongue.

This was how he purified things; it was unconventional but extremely effective. Before, he had managed to exorcise a suit of armor that had been filled with miasma and started moving on its own. He really could be relied on for this purpose, but he needed time.

The victory conditions were Pegasus purifying the keystone, and Euphinia using it to set up the Holy Tower core. The core would be able to purify the miasma from this area and stop the dark cloud in the sky from continuing to expand, if not also weakening it. The roiling mass of miasma only looked like a cloud because of how dense it was, so banishing it entirely would take much more effort.

But, as if it could sense Euphinia’s plan, it began to rain down monsters at an even faster rate.

“It picked up!” gasped Euphinia. “Mr. Pega, hurry, please! Melulu, Lilith, please hang in there!”

She felt a great deal of frustration at being unable to do anything but cheer the others on. Saints couldn’t cast spells of their own when they had a Divine Beast out or a Sanctuary deployed. Euphinia had trained in magic to protect herself in case her Divine Beasts weren’t around, but none of that was useful now. She had also dabbled in swordsmanship with Adel as her teacher, but her skills were nowhere near good enough to be used against real monsters. Elciel, the War Saint, had been able to employ extremely powerful spells while controlling her Divine Beasts, but that was beyond Euphinia. Her role right now was to believe, stand fast, and be a beacon of hope. It was time to put into practice what she had said to the royals back in Rakul Palace.

“RAAAAAAAGH! I know Euphinia won’t run no matter what I say, so I can only hurry with the purification! Mlem mlem mlem mlem mlem!”

“I’ll do my best!”

As Pegasus’s tongue practically became a whirlwind, the red glow in Melulu’s eyes deepened in intensity. Her silhouette blurred, then there were copies of her on either side. This, too, was one of Lilith’s abilities. The illusions spread out swiftly. Only one was real, but there was no way to tell which was which. Some monsters backed off in alarm, while others started giving blind chase. This confusion was perfect for Melulu to take advantage of. Using the element of surprise, she finished them off one by one in quick succession. Since their attention was split, she didn’t have to defend as often and therefore could use that time to attack instead.

The situation would have been improving...if the monsters weren’t still getting reinforcements.

“All right! Euphinia, I’m done!”

“Thank you, Mr. Pega! Now—”

Euphinia reached out to the keystone and was about to focus on it again when Melulu shouted, “No, look out! Get away!”

Euphinia started and looked up to see a winged lion rushing straight toward her, roaring ferociously with razor-sharp fangs gleaming in its wide open mouth. But the next thing she knew, it was gone from her view. Something crashed into the ground with a boom, and it took Euphinia a moment to realize that something had descended from above and crushed the lion monster like an ant. To her astonishment, the interloper was a giant bird with crimson wings.

“Suzaku?!”

The bird was Suzaku, a Divine Beast previously contracted with Elciel as one of the Four Guardians and now serving Rakul’s new Mother Superior, Saint Murrue.

From Suzaku’s back, Murrue smiled gracefully. “Good day, Saint Euphinia. I have come to lend a hand.”

“Saint Murrue?! But...how are you here?!”

The Old Capital was off-limits to those who were not part of the Rakulian royal family, and Saints were no exception. It seemed unlikely that Murrue had suddenly been discovered to be a Rakulian royal like Adel...meaning she would face consequences for coming here.

“Don’t worry, I received permission from His Majesty himself.”

“From the king?!”

“Please don’t hold Rakul and its people in disdain. Though it is rather late to be lifting their restrictive traditions only in a time of crisis, this is a step forward.”

“No, I would never! I’m more than thankful that you’re here!”

If Murrue hadn’t shown up, that might have been the end. Adel might not have been saved, and this profane land would have lost its chance at purification. Murrue had brought hope with her, and that was a very precious thing indeed.

“In that case, please continue setting up the Holy Tower. I will protect you.” Murrue formed hand signs and dropped lightning on the surrounding monsters. The strikes were so powerful, each of them turned several targets into charcoal.

Euphinia’s eyes widened. “Incredible! You can do that too?!”

Murrue was using magic while having a Divine Beast summoned. This was a feat as extraordinary as Adel using ki.

Quickly recovering from her surprise, Euphinia looked around and saw Suzaku breathing crimson fire on the surrounding monsters. Compared to when Melulu had been fighting alone, the difference was like night and day. As the two of them seemed to be doing just fine at keeping the monsters away on their own, an idea came to Euphinia.

“Um, Saint Murrue, would you be able to help me with the Holy Tower instead?” she asked. She could set up the tower by herself, but figured it would be much faster with the help of another Saint.

“I’m sorry. That’s something only a real Saint can do,” Murrue said with a meaningful smile.

“A ‘real’ Saint?” Euphinia tilted her head quizzically as she saw a fresh wave of monsters emerge from the cloud.

“Argh, enough already!” Pegasus groaned. “They just keep coming and coming!”

“More incoming!” Melulu warned.

Murrue looked up and, her voice suddenly sounding quite different, said, “Looks like we have no choice.”

Her form shimmered like a mirage, then transformed into the appearance of someone Euphinia knew very well.

“S-Saint Elciel?!”

The War Saint was standing tall before her, oozing aura.

◆◇◆

◆◇◆

Rosalind, still smiling, approached Adel’s group. “The more I look at you, the more it galls me. You are the spitting image of that accursed woman.”

“What woman? Are you talking about grandmother?”

It was extremely jarring to hear Rosalind adopt such a tone. The Rosalind Adel knew loved Duchess Adel from the bottom of her heart. To make the duchess happy, she had spent years searching for the family she had lost contact with ages ago and eventually found Adel herself. She loved Adel too, much like how Adel loved Euphinia, but at the base of that devotion was, again, her bond with the duchess.

“What? No. No one cares about her. I’m talking about your grandmother’s grandmother’s... You get the idea. I’m talking about Saint Melmea.”

“‘Melmea’?” Adel frowned. The name sounded familiar.

Mash answered, “She’s the Eminent who went on the Great Expedition with Rakul’s Founding King. She also eventually became his queen consort.”

“Oh, right, now I remember. Princess said she really looks up to her.”

Adel was surprised to hear that she resembled Saint Melmea, but when she thought about it, she was technically Melmea’s descendant, as the current Rakulian royal family was of the same lineage as the one from the ancient Holy Kingdom. It wasn’t all that uncommon to hear of people bearing resemblance to older relatives. However, it made no sense that Rosalind, who was around the same age as Adel, would know what Melmea looked like.

Rosalind had to be possessed, controlled by someone else. And the ominous, oppressing aura coming from her was all too familiar to Adel; she had felt it from Mad Emperor Tristan in the previous timeline and, not so long ago, from Katina when she attacked the G4 Summit and destroyed Wendill Palace.

“You fiend! You’re the one who controlled Katina!”

“Indeed I am. We meet again. And this time will end differently!”

It seemed this being was done hiding.

“So we failed to finish you off...” Adel muttered.

She had used Ki Possession with the Unicorn Nico to free Katina. Apparently it had only succeeded in separating this being from her, not killing it. “Let me guess: You then possessed Rosa, who happened to be there for the summit?”

“You were really close to erasing me. I didn’t have the luxury of choosing who I could make my next host, but thankfully, there was a pliable mind nearby.”

“Rosa is not a tool for you to use! Release her right now!”

“I don’t take orders from anyone. You will have to make me submit with force again. But don’t think that it will be as easy as last time; this is my burial chamber!”

“It’s...yours?” Mash gasped. “Is the Founding King possessing Lady Rosalind right now? Why would history’s greatest hero do such a thing?!”

Adel was surprised too, but she shouted, “Don’t overthink it, Mash! No matter how great a hero he was in life, he’s attacking humans now. He’s become no different from a monster! It’s because of him that Katina...that Katina...”

Katina had been branded a traitor by the Four World Powers, and consequently had exiled herself to profane land to maintain the appearance of being dead. Furthermore, Tristan had become history’s worst villain in the previous timeline and had needed to be struck down by Adel. Both had been absolute tragedies in light of what good-natured people they actually were.

“You okay, Adel?” Mash looked over with concern, but Adel had more to say.

“That’s not all. With my own eyes, I’ve seen so many lives and futures ripped away by you. I don’t care who you are; I will erase you here and now! That’s it!”

Even Elciel could have been simply another victim of this ghost. This ghost might be the culprit behind everything, even the war that had claimed Euphinia’s life.

Adel was now sure that the young boy had sent her back in time to defeat this enemy. The former Adel had sacrificed everything to avenge Euphinia and end the Great War, yet the ghost had likely remained even after Mad Emperor Tristan’s death. It could have begun setting another scheme in motion without Adel even knowing of its existence. That Adel, oblivious to the true enemy’s machinations, would have carried on like an empty husk, too weary to take any action. It was only after starting all over, after discovering that Tristan was nothing like the Mad Emperor and sensing the same presence from Katina as she attacked the G4 Summit, that Adel had finally seen the strings being pulled from the shadows.

“You infuriate me as well, girl. How dare you use my technique, you insolent brat!”

He was likely talking about the ability to use ki, something that all the greatest champions in history had possessed, including the Founding King himself.

“Melmea betrayed me! I was killed and cast into a long sleep. And when I awake in this age, what do I find? Small-minded cowards squabbling over every tiny grain of sand!”

“Is that how you see the Quaternary Era?” asked Mash.

“If I had been deposed for the sake of humanity’s development, I could accept it. But not this! The borders of civilization have receded! If I had been left alive, the world would have been far greater, far more prosperous by now! And now that my soul is free once more, I will make it happen! I must, at any cost!” the king in Rosalind’s body cried, clenching a fist.

So this was what drove the Founding King. Sure enough, Mad Emperor Tristan had started the Great War to wipe out the other countries and take them over, and Katina had mentioned the need for a singular, all-powerful king. Methods aside, this ghost’s actions could be seen as attempts to unite humanity in the effort to reclaim frontier profane land. It was certainly consistent with how the Founding King was described in the history books. Unfortunately, Adel simply could not forgive the fact that Euphinia had been sacrificed in the endeavor.

“It’s true that the Holy Kingdom declined, and land was lost each time it split. However, you make it sound like you only woke up recently...” Mash paused, then his eyes lit up. “I see! The Spirit Appeasement Ritual!”

Adel murmured, “So it wasn’t just a harmful tradition that created casualties for no reason.”

As it turned out, the ritual had served a purpose. It was how the soul of the Founding King, enraged as it was at his wrongful death, had been kept sealed. According to Johl, the king of Rakul had been reluctant to perform the ritual and therefore had put it off for a while. He had meant well, but the decision had backfired and now the soul roamed free.

“In that case, we will be performing our own version of the Spirit Appeasement Ritual! It’s gotten nice and simple, just the way I like it!”

Adel turned Salamander’s Tail into a burning twinblade and pointed it at Rosalind.

◆◇◆

“Princess, stand back!” Melulu—or rather, Lilith in Melulu’s body—wasted no time in stepping between her liege and the transformed Murrue. “...Is what Melulu is saying. She warns you to not let your guard down.”

“I suppose this reaction is deserved, in light of the actions of Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryuu,” Elciel said.

While talking, she continued moving her hands and firing off spells toward the monsters. Not only was she using double casting, she never stopped for a moment in between spells. The power of the attacks had noticeably gone up too.

“While we all do what we must, would you listen to my story?”

“I... I’m listening.”

Euphinia went back to concentrating on erecting the Holy Tower, but she indicated that she was waiting for Elciel to speak. Melulu watchfully remained where she was, but her eyes returned to sky blue and the faint bat wings disappeared as Lilith left her body and headed toward the monsters by herself. That way, they could protect Euphinia and keep the monsters back at the same time.

Melulu pointed Sylphid’s Spear at Elciel. “Don’t make any suspicious movements! E-Even if you’re an Eminent, I won’t hesitate to attack!”

“I’m technically not Eminent Elciel,” said Elciel matter-of-factly.

Reflexively, Melulu inclined her head quizzically. Though Euphinia was focused on the tower, she too emanated a similar vibe.

“After all, Elciel is already dead,” Elciel said. “She is no longer in this world.”

“What?! But you’re here! We’re looking at you!” exclaimed Melulu as her liege nodded with her eyes still closed.

“We Four Guardians took in Elciel’s body and created avatars based on her appearance. We’re doing this to realize her dream.”

“So I’m currently talking to one of her Divine Beasts...to Suzaku, I assume?”

“Indeed. We are all trying to grant Elciel’s wish in our own way. Without her around, we have no interest in staying together.”

“So that’s why there were numerous sightings of her! Those were all fakes made by the Four Guardians!”

Euphinia blurted, “What is Saint Elciel’s dream? What was she trying to achieve?”

“To bring humanity together and launch another Great Expedition into frontier profane land.”

“But that’s...”

Melulu shot Euphinia a look. “Princess wants the same thing, but...”

“But,” interrupted Suzaku, “it is an impossible dream in the Quaternary Era. Even so, Elciel went into the frontier, hoping to make a difference by herself. We spent much time with her, for she fought all alone. She smiled and said she didn’t mind that no one understood her, but that if she should fall, we were to find those who share her vision and aid them. However, no such person appeared, so we struck out to each act how we saw fit. Admittedly, due to the differences in the way we and humans think, there has been friction.”

“I... I see,” Melulu groaned.

Though the Guardians had crossed many lines, they apparently were all working toward the same goal through different approaches. Considering the peaceful way in which Suzaku was revealing herself, it seemed she was the most discerning and amicable toward humans. According to Adel, Genbu had attacked her group in the profane land in Wendill. Byakko had attacked Euphinia at Alderford, the holy city of the Holy Tower Church, probably to strengthen his Elciel avatar by letting her absorb all the miasma. Seiryuu had, in all likelihood, been cooperating with Katina and scouted out the city.

“Then if you are here and helping us...”

“It is as I said when I took the form of Murrue: Your deeds and resolve have resonated with me. I am sure they would have with Elciel as well.”

“Thank you very much,” said Euphinia. “However, it is thanks to Adel’s deeds that I am here now.”

“You speak of she who took on the Spirit Appeasement Ritual of her own will. Yes, Adel Astal’s deeds do indeed deserve respect.”

“Yes, they do. Do you happen to know where she is right now?”

Elciel pointed toward the Founding King’s mausoleum. “Trapped in there, I believe. Together with the recalcitrant spirit of the Founding King, which was responsible for manipulating Katina Astal into attacking the gathering known as the G4 Summit.”

Both Euphinia and Melulu cried, “What?!”

“The spirit must be dealt with, but it is out of our reach at the moment. Until this land is purified by a Holy Tower, it is impossible to enter the isolated dimension within. I understand it would take time, as the miasma node has ruptured, complicating the task. I will fight as best I can and buy you time, so please focus on—”

“No, we can go soon!” Euphinia declared with resolute eyes at the very moment that the white pillar that was to be the Holy Tower’s core surged into the air, as thick and tall as the trunk of a century-old tree. She smiled. “Because I’m nearly done.”

It was Elciel’s turn to look surprised. “What incredible talent. Not even Elciel could have done better.”

Chapter 6: Severing Fate

“RAH!”

The black flames that formed the blades of Salamander’s Tail roared as the weapon unleashed countless slashes faster than human vision could see. However, Rosalind blocked the slashes with her silver gauntlet, which then became clad in black flames as well. The gauntlet had stolen the flames and made them its own.

Adel could produce this special flame only when unified with Cerberus using Ki Possession. She was so much more powerful in this form compared to normal that it wasn’t even a contest. It was her trump card.

And yet Rosalind was currently exchanging blows with her on equal footing. The last time they sparred, the gauntlet had maxed out its storage capacity with Adel’s blue flames, but now had no trouble handling the black flames. This was, in all likelihood, because the Founding King was using Ki Amplification to strengthen them. And with Ki Convergence, Rosalind’s movements were also much faster and sharper than before. Being inside the spirit’s mausoleum probably imparted some sort of effect too, which was why he had drawn Adel here. In this place, he could call upon the full extent of his power.

In terms of pure fighting prowess, however, Adel was superior. Her attacks had reached Rosalind a few times already, but they had done little more than slightly singe her clothes. There was an extremely sturdy black barrier around her whole body that protected her from the black flames. Adel guessed that it was made from the surrounding miasma, meaning that the Founding King could manipulate both ki and miasma.

With a sharp exhale, Rosalind jabbed a hand forward like a spear. Adel backed up half a step, just enough to be barely out of reach. Seeing this, Rosalind smirked. The next instant, a black fireball shot out of her extended gauntlet. Since it was launched at point-blank range, Adel had no time to shift her balance and took the attack...or not. At the last moment, she shot backward as if drawn by a great force, at enough of an angle to evade the fireball.

Rosalind’s eyes widened. “What?!”

While dodging the first jab, Adel had turned Salamander’s Tail into a whip behind her back and extended it to wrap it around the closest brazier. By tightening it, she’d been able to quickly pull herself out of a tight spot. Her earlier backstep was to hide this setup; everything had been for the sake of making Rosalind expend the absorbed black flame. Adel’s plan was the one that had come out on top.

Still, Adel was impressed. Most of the opponents she had faced so far had quickly fallen after she assumed her Ki Possession form, but this one was proving to be an exception. Adel found herself having to also use feints and work out what her opponent would do next, as she was also doing the same.

As a way to get under her foe’s skin, Adel smirked and said, “What a pity. Looks like even history’s greatest hero has lost his touch after sleeping for so long.”

“The impudence!” Rosalind clicked her tongue with great irritation, then started running around Adel in an attempt to confuse her.

“What incredible speed!” Adel cried, pretending to be shocked.

It was true that Rosalind had gotten faster than before. This was a threat, but it was also an opportunity that Adel had been engineering. Her enemy’s increased speed was clearly thanks to Ki Convergence, which meant that the ki for it had been moved from someplace else: the gauntlet. In its default state, the gauntlet could not handle Adel’s blue flames, much less the black ones. Now that the black flames it had absorbed were spent, the gauntlet was back to normal and the ki previously used to shore them up was redirected toward making Rosalind run faster.

Ki was a highly flexible and responsive power that allowed its user to adapt to emergent situations on the fly. A master user would be able to do so without thinking. Sure enough, Rosalind’s speed had gone up the very moment she no longer needed to maintain Ki Amplification.

However, its usage left very telltale signs. Quite sure that the silver gauntlet had no effects imbued at the moment, Adel quickly devised another plan. Just then, Rosalind circled around to Adel’s right. Adel purposely looked to her left side, acting like Rosalind had moved so fast she had lost sight of her. Seeing that, the other girl fully committed and stepped all the way in to drive a fist into Adel’s flank. Adel chose to take it instead of dodging.

Though she was in Ki Possession form, taking one of Rosalind’s attacks squarely was still a grave problem. A searing pain exploded throughout her abdomen, but she braced herself so she didn’t get sent flying.

“Ugh!”

“How’s that?! You can’t catch up with my speed, can you?!”

“That’s what you think!”

The reason Adel had let the blow land was the black flames that suddenly burst up and enveloped her from head to toe. The whip that had been wrapped around a brazier earlier was now coiled around her foot, and the flames from it were running from that foot to the rest of her body. These flames were Cerberus’s power, and therefore being exposed to them for a short while didn’t hurt her. The same couldn’t be said for the silver gauntlet currently touching her, especially when it wasn’t strengthened with Ki Amplification.

With a high-pitched metallic sound, the silver gauntlet burst apart. Unlike what had happened during the practice match, it was truly and utterly destroyed. Adel wanted to avoid harming Rosalind’s body as much as possible, and therefore had aimed to destroy her weapon instead. The gauntlet could be a real headache in the hands of someone with mastery of Ki Amplification.

“Impossible!”

“You dedicated too much ki to your movement!”

The Founding King’s fighting style had largely been as Adel had expected. All that was left now was to figure out how to free Rosalind. When facing Katina, Adel had used Ki Possession with Nico, but he wasn’t present. Adel had contracted with him only temporarily, as he was originally with Chloe, the Artificer Saint, and had returned to her afterward. Because of his and Pegasus’s difficult characters, Adel herself didn’t want to spend more time with them than necessary. She thought Chloe and Euphinia extremely magnanimous for being willing to put up with their nonsense.

“Hmph! Don’t think this is over yet!” Rosalind grinned, then pressed in further with her arms held open.

Realizing her intentions, Adel shouted, “Wait, stop! You’ll hurt Rosa!”

She was still enveloped in black flames, which could hurt Rosalind very badly if they touched her. Though she was protected by a barrier of miasma, there was no telling how long it would last with prolonged contact. With no other choice, Adel quickly loosened the whip around her foot. But this gave Rosalind the opportunity to grapple her, with nothing separating them.

“Heh heh heh. Now who is the one falling for the other’s ruse?!”

“Shut up! Using Rosa’s body as a shield is cowardly!”

“I might be convinced to return it!”

Rosalind hugged Adel even harder, and an intense numbness ran through her body.

“What...is...”

Adel’s hackles rose as she felt something burrowing into her. The sensation was the complete opposite of forming a contract with a Divine Beast and letting it inside. There was no doubt—the Founding King was abandoning Rosalind’s body and trying to get inside Adel’s.

“Now this body is worthy to serve as the vessel for me to unify the world once more!” Rosalind crowed.

The next words came from Adel. “You didn’t know it, but I made you wander around inside my mausoleum to infuse you with my ki!”

“No, Adel!” Mash cried, realizing that the king had already seized control of Adel’s mouth.

But Adel could still hear Mash’s voice, meaning she still had her ears. Since finding out she was facing the Founding King, she had realized that she was the perfect vessel for him. Not only was she from his bloodline, she could use ki too. In other words, Rosalind was simply a stepping stone toward possessing Adel herself. His words just now confirmed it.

Adel had had a feeling this was the case. She had taken care not to hurt Rosalind’s body during their fight, but in the same way, Rosalind had shown zero intention of actually killing her. And because Adel had seen this coming, she could prepare for it.

“HA HA HA HA HA! I’VE STO—len...”

The Founding King’s words petered out as, through Adel’s eyes, he saw a blinding white light right in front of himself. It was a Divine Beast’s horn polished like a spearhead, clad in an intense purifying glow.

Before returning to Alderford after the G4 Summit, Chloe had made a spelltool for Adel called Unicorn’s Spike. She had taken a cutting from the horn of Nico, her contracted Unicorn, and used it to create something with potent purifying effect. And right now, Adel had Salamander’s Tail wrapped around it so she could bolster it further with her ki. It wasn’t quite as powerful as the sword of purifying light she had produced when unified with Nico, but was similar enough in characteristic and intensity. Chloe had intentionally prioritized output when making it, which meant it could only be used once. Timing, therefore, was crucial.

And that time was now.

Adel jerked Salamander’s Tail to drive Unicorn’s Spike into her chest. It wasn’t meant to cause physical harm and so didn’t pierce skin—rather it became lodged between her breasts—but the purifying glow it emitted very effectively ran through the Founding King’s being.

“AAAAAAHHHHH!”

A scream that did not sound like Adel or Rosalind filled the air as a dark shadow shot out of Adel above her head. She looked up to see a large face twisted in agony.

“Is that the Founding King’s soul?!” Mash asked.

He was right, but it was questionable how much of the actual king still remained.

“It is but a monster with no corporeal form! We see you now, monster!”

“Insolence! INSOLENCE!”

“See if I care! You don’t belong in this world any longer!”

Unicorn’s Spike was still functional. I’ll finish this now! thought Adel as she cracked Salamander’s Tail repeatedly, making Unicorn’s Spike stab the shadow at supersonic speed again and again like a barrage of arrows. The inky blackness burst and dispersed wherever the spelltool touched it.

“AAAaAAAHhh! AaaAaAAAhHHHHh!”

The large blot was whittled down at a visible rate. It was halved, then halved again the next moment, and halved once more.

“I-Incredible! It’s working! Adel, keep going!”

“DISAPPEAR!”

“AAARRRGHHHHHH!”

Leaving a final rage-filled cry hanging in the air, the Founding King’s ghost was finally erased in its entirety.

Adel kept her guard up for a moment...and waited even longer before finally saying, “Done,” and flicking Unicorn’s Spike back into her hand. When she grabbed it, it cracked, then shattered and fell apart. “All used up, I see. But it’s fine. It was enough.”

This spelltool was undoubtedly the trump card that had determined the outcome of this fight. Adel made a mental note to thank Chloe at a later date. And to ask for another one when Nico’s horn grew back.

“You did it, Adel!” Mash cheered, then lifted Rosalind up. “Lady Rosalind looks none the worse for wear too. She’s still breathing.”

“Now the Spirit Appeasement Ritual is over for good. There will be no need to perform it again. All that’s left is to finish the Holy Tower I was in the middle of setting up.”

“Oh, right. We’ve only accomplished one of our objectives so far. Hm? I don’t feel the powerful source of miasma from aboveground anymore. What’s happening up there?”

“Maybe that was the ghost’s doing too, so the geyser disappeared along with it.”

“We do deserve a break.”

“First things first, let’s find a way out—”

“I won’t let you!” a voice screeched. “You will die here, you insolent brat!” It was hoarse and far away, but there was no mistake—it was the Founding King’s voice.

“What?! He’s not dead yet?! Where is he?!”

Before Adel could take a step, the entire chamber started shaking so violently she had trouble staying upright. A part of the ceiling crashed down near her with enough force to crush a human body.

“Not good!” Mash shouted. “It’s coming down!”

“Damn him! He doesn’t know when to give up!”

“Adel! Above you!”

A piece of rubble was falling directly onto Adel. She exhaled sharply and bisected it with a blade of black flame, allowing the two halves to crash down on either side with resonant booms.

“Hold on, did that open a way out?” she asked, peering up. The ceiling of the mausoleum building did indeed have a hole that she could see through, but beyond it was just more rock coming down. “No dice. This entire dimension is collapsing, I think!”

“This is not good, Adel!” Mash said.

At this rate, they were never going to return to Euphinia’s side. Adel felt a chill running down her back at the thought of never being able to see her beloved liege’s angelic smile again...when the voice of a young girl, a voice as beautiful as the peal of a bell, shouted her name.

“Adel!”

“Princess?!” Adel whirled around to see Euphinia and Melulu approaching on Pegasus’s back.

“What a relief! You’re all safe!”

“H-How are you here, Princess?! Didn’t you return to Wendill?!”

“I-I did, but I turned back halfway. I realized I wanted to go back with you after all. But when I got to Rakul, I found it in big trouble. After getting caught up, I decided I needed to come to the Old Capital too. A lot of things have happened since, and it turns out Saint Elciel is—”

Melulu shouted, interrupting, “Princess, there’s no time! It looks like this place is coming down!”

“Ah, you’re right.” Euphinia smiled and held out a hand. “I came for you because I was worried about you...Princess.”

“PRINCEEEEESS! Thank you! I...thank you! Thank youuuuu!”

Just as Adel thought she would never get to see Euphinia again, she had not only shown up, but had done so to save her. Adel was so touched that a waterfall promptly began coursing down her face.

Still shouting, Melulu said, “This is no time to be crying, Adel! Mash, you grab onto Pega too!”

“Got it!”

“Hang on tight, we’re going superspeed! And...I’m gonna be sick from being touched by a guy! Bleeeeeeurgh!”

With Pegasus’s disgusting retching sounds ringing in her ear, Adel’s vision distorted and blacked out. When it returned, she was outside. The dark purple cloud still filled the sky, now looking like a slowly rotating vortex, as a hastily completed Holy Tower nearby blazed brightly as if in resistance. Adel immediately understood that Euphinia had finished what she had left half done. Lastly, behind where they stood, the Founding King’s mausoleum was collapsing in a deafening cacophony.

“It’s completely destroyed,” Mash murmured.

“Looks like it,” Adel agreed. “I hope we never hear from the spirit again.”

The Spirit Appeasement Ritual was over, as was the erecting of the Holy Tower. Adel’s two objectives in coming here were fulfilled. However, the ominous cloud of miasma was still a concern. Lightning kept streaking through it, and it sounded like the sky itself was groaning.

“No, it’s not over yet,” said Elciel, approaching with Suzaku in tow.

“What?!” Mash exclaimed.

Adel glowered. “Elciel! I see, so you’re still—”

Euphinia rushed in. “No, wait! Adel, Mash, stop! This isn’t the real Saint Elciel; it’s just an avatar created by the Divine Beast behind her. She says the real one has already passed away!”

“Huh?!” cried Adel and Mash in unison. Then Adel continued, “So the one we’re now talking to is Suzaku and not Elciel?”

“Indeed.” Elciel nodded. “We Four Guardians have been taking action to realize Elciel’s dream of creating a world that can launch a second Great Expedition. Erasing this patch of profane land is in line with her wish. Therefore, I have come to lend a hand. I am alone, however, as the other Guardians wish to do things their own way.”

Still keeping her guard up, Adel said, “I have a mountain of questions for you, but first of all, what do you mean it’s not over yet?”

Elciel pointed to the center of the whirlpool above. Just then, an extremely thick lightning bolt crashed down on the Holy Tower, accompanied by a resounding thunderclap.

Euphinia yelped as Melulu cried, “The lightning!”

“Did it strike the tower?!” Mash said.

“That wasn’t just lightning!” Adel warned. “I see a figure within!”

When everyone could see again, there was indeed someone crouching next to the Holy Tower. It was a handsome young man with silver hair and a face that bore more than a passing resemblance to Euphinia’s.

Mash, Melulu, and Euphinia all spoke at the same time.

“Is that a person?!”

“Did he come down with the lightning?!”

“Wh-Who are you?”

Instead of answering, the man slowly stood up and looked around, a smile blossoming on his face. “Heh heh heh, I’ve finally done it! I succeeded in condensing the miasma enough to warp time and regain my body!”

Adel recognized the voice as the same one from inside the mausoleum. “You!” she said, quickly lifting her weapon.

“That’s the voice of the Founding King’s spirit!” Mash warned the others. “We thought we’d defeated him, but he’s back!”

Melulu’s eyes widened. “What?! Then—”

“Are you saying this person is the Founding King himself?!” Euphinia exclaimed.

“Behold, your king stands among you again! Now that I have this body, I don’t need any other! I shall bring about my age once more. Bow to me, peons!” In his original form, the Founding King emanated an incredibly intense aura. His voice dripped with power, shaking the ground and the air.

Turning to Adel, he added, “Except for you, brat. Your insolence makes you unworthy of being my subject. And since I don’t need your body either... You understand what this means, yes?”

He drew the sword at his waist, revealing its resplendent golden blade and jewel-encrusted hilt. Its gleam, however, was dark and miasmic.

“P-Please wait a moment!” Euphinia said. “Is there any way we can talk this out?”

She had such a big heart that she was willing to try communicating with the Founding King despite the pure hostility that was roiling off him.

But Adel stepped forward. Though she was aware of the danger, this was her duty. “He is beyond that, Princess. Look closely—that sword is clad in miasma, and our opponent has fully become a monster. It is unnecessary to treat him as a king. I will remove him right away!”

“That’s big talk from someone who’s no longer on my level, brat!”

“The only impressive thing about you is your ability to make empty threats, you lowly monster!”

“Then I’ll show you what my word is worth right now, brat!”

The man pushed off with a powerful stomp and charged at Adel. Although his trajectory was straightforward, he was so fast that she nearly couldn’t react in time despite still being in Ki Possession form.

“Yah!” Adel managed to block the incoming golden blade in the nick of time, but the impact of the clash sent her hurtling backward. She watched with astonishment at the figure of the Founding King rapidly shrinking in size. “What?! Wooooaaaah!”

Her body slid when it hit the ground, creating a deep furrow. When she finally came to a stop, she was on her back, looking up at the clear blue sky. She idly noted that the dark cloud had been blown away with the descent of the Founding King.

The next instant, the man himself burst into her view, sword raised as he wound up for a powerful stab and roared, “Shatteeerrr!!!”

Adel leaped to her feet with a grunt. The king’s sword missed her by a paper-thin margin and plunged into the ground where she had been lying, sending earth flying in all directions and leaving a crater far too large for any mere sword strike. Adel caught the full brunt of the shock wave and was sent flying even faster and farther than the first time.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

She had no choice but to admit that she was completely eclipsed in strength. She racked her brains for how to fight such an opponent—no, thinking about how to land safely came first.

“Adel!” cried Euphinia.

The next moment, Adel’s body slammed into something warm and soft.

“Fffffff... OWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!”

It was Pegasus. Adel had crashed into Pegasus’s flank, because Euphinia had commanded her Divine Beast to catch her.

“Sorry! I guess I owe you thanks, this once.”

“All good! But now can we run?! That guy is very, very bad news! He scares the shit out of me! He’s gonna kill us all!”

“Princess, thank you too! But don’t worry, I got this! Please do as Pegasus says and keep your distance!”

“A-Are you sure, Adel?”

There was unease in Euphinia’s face, as she understood how overwhelming the Founding King’s strength was. She was worried that even Adel might not be his match. A pang of guilt for making her liege feel this way shot through Adel, just as another voice spoke up.

“There is no cause for concern. We shall lend you our aid.”

The two looked up to find Suzaku had flown over without their noticing, with “Elciel” on her back.

“Come, Adel Astal. Form a contract with us and use that ability of yours to be one with us.”

“Are you talking about Ki Possession?” Adel asked, frowning. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t see how doing it with you would be all that different.”

It wasn’t that Suzaku was weak—in fact, she would make a very reassuring ally. That said, she wasn’t drastically more powerful than Cerberus, who Adel was currently fused with. Combining with Suzaku instead might be a small boost in strength, but that was about it.

Elciel shook her head. “No. I said ‘we.’” As if on cue, the three other Guardians—Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryuu—appeared next to Suzaku. “Look. The others have swallowed their pride and hastened here.”

“Are you suggesting I swap elements as the situation requires? But that’s still—”

“Again, no. Watch.”

Elciel disappeared in the blink of an eye. Then the other Guardians gathered around Suzaku and their forms merged.

Adel gasped as Euphinia cried, “They’re becoming one!”

A brand new voice said, “We Guardians were originally one. As we had multiple souls, we desired bodies to move independently, and thus became the forms you know us by. But together...”

The four Divine Beasts had turned into one that looked completely different. It was a beast with two very intricate antlers and covered all over with a strange shimmery glow that was an intermingle of Suzaku’s red, Seiryuu’s blue, Byakko’s white, and Genbu’s green. It also sported a pair of wings that looked a little too small for its size.

“We are Kirin. That is our name.”

This Divine Beast was breathtakingly beautiful and far more powerful than any that Adel had met.

It looked straight at Adel. “Now, form the contract. Allow us to protect you who possesses the potential to realize Elciel’s dream.”

“Her dream was for a Great Expedition into the frontier, wasn’t it?” Adel asked, just to confirm. “That’s what the Founding King claims to want too. Why not leave it to him?”

“His path is evil. Elciel’s was not.”

“I see. In that case, I accept. Lend me your strength!”

“We consent.”

Adel wrapped her arms around Kirin’s head, and the Divine Beast disappeared into her. The contract was successful.

“And now, this!” Ki Possession!

WHOOOOOOOOSH!

A pillar of light, shimmering in every color like Kirin itself, burst forth from Adel, reaching skyward and parting the very heavens. The armor that appeared around Adel, the antlers on her head, and the wings behind her all shone in the same way.

“Whoa... Now I get it.” Adel examined herself with marvel. No wonder Kirin had asked to be used. She felt sorry to Cerberus for admitting it, but Kirin was far, far more powerful.

Euphinia, who could feel it too, was stunned. “Amazing!”

“Princess, please wait in a safe place as I quickly finish up the fight! Don’t worry, I will be right back!”

“I understand! I believe in you, Adel!”

Under Euphinia’s earnest gaze, Adel kicked off of Pegasus and shot through the sky. When unified with Kirin, she had wings that allowed her to fly freely. Before long, she spotted the Founding King leisurely walking toward her.

“It’s my turn to come to you!” she howled, picking up speed.

“The result will be the same!” he roared back.

The blades of Salamander’s Tail were now made of Kirin’s prismatic light. When one of them clashed with the Founding King’s blade...

“Whaaaaaaaat?!”

This time, he was the one sent flying. In the blink of an eye, he became a mere speck in the distance.

“This is how you did it, right?” Adel taunted, accelerating in pursuit. She charged into the cloud of dust his body was kicking up while rolling on the ground, drawing level just when he stopped. Then she plunged straight down, putting all her momentum into a thrust. “Yaaaaaah!”

“You dare mock meeeeeee?!” The man managed to just barely evade the attack, exactly as Adel had.

BOOOOOOOOOM!

The way the ground exploded and left a giant hole was also the same.

“I am king! You cannot—”

The Founding King’s voice faded as he was sent flying faster and farther than before. However, this was as far as it went for Adel mimicking how he had trounced her previously. She was actually in a hurry to finish the fight, as Ki Possession with Kirin was so powerful that her body was screaming from the strain. She would need a lot more training to use this power comfortably for a prolonged period of time. And so, at present, she needed to end things quickly.

“Like I care!” Adel pointed Salamander’s Tail toward her opponent’s dwindling figure. The blade of light expanded in the blink of an eye, piercing his abdomen.

“Aaaaarghhhhhh!”

“This era has no place for you! Go back to where you came from!”

The extremely elongated blade of light now expanded in width, turning from a blade to a pillar, then from a pillar to a colossal tree trunk. Adel would later learn that this light had become so enormous that it could be seen with the naked eye all the way in Rakul’s capital, eventually coming to be described as “a shooting star that shot from the ground to the sky.” It was so thick that it easily swallowed up the Founding King, whose newly regained body was only the size of a normal human’s.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

The Founding King’s ghost was finally erased for good, leaving nothing but its dying scream hanging in the air.

“And...done.” When Adel released all the pent-up tension in her body, she collapsed to the ground with her limbs splayed out, too exhausted to move a muscle. A sudden wave of sleepiness and lethargy battered her mind.

“Adel!” came the voices of Euphinia, Mash, and Melulu all rushing over to her.

Everything was truly over. Adel could finally return to Wendill and resume those peaceful days of simply being Euphinia’s knight escort with Mash and Melulu.

She also heard Kirin’s voice, speaking directly into her mind.

“You have done well, Sword Saint.”

Epilogue

Standing in front of a hall far more packed than it had been during the Phoenix Crown ritual, the king of Rakul kicked off the celebratory banquet with a toast.

“Princess Adel and Princess Euphinia, it is a huge service that you have done for our country! The Old Capital’s profane land has long been a thorn in our side, and you have helped remove it with a Holy Tower. In doing so, you have blazed for us a path to the future. All of Rakul thanks you!”

Euphinia blushed a little. “Um, th-thank you.”

“We are deeply honored,” said Adel.

The king turned his gaze to the rest of the hall. “Thanks to these two young princesses, Rakul’s future is bright! We shall drink and make merry in celebration tonight!”

The guests broke out into cheers and shouts of joy.

“Ohhhhh!”

“What a joyous occasion it is!”

“The sun has risen on our country!”

Though the mood and venue was different, this scene reminded Adel of the banquet held in Wendill Palace after the end of the Great War. This time, however, she didn’t feel hollow inside after having sacrificed everything for revenge. In fact, she was just as happy as everyone else here was, and it was because of the person before her eyes.

Euphinia giggled. “It sure is lively.”

In Adel’s eyes, the world positively lit up whenever there was a smile on her beloved liege’s face. And that made the person moping in the middle of the milling crowds stand out all the more.

Adel approached and placed a sympathetic hand on that person’s shoulder. “I understand how you feel, Rosa, but it’s water under the bridge. Now’s the time to celebrate the fact we all got out safe and sound.”

“Princess Adel... How can I face you after putting all your lives in danger?”

“Think about it this way: The spirit of the Founding King that possessed you was an enemy I would have had to defeat sooner or later. However, I didn’t know its identity or purpose. Thanks to you bringing me here, everything lined up perfectly and ended well. I’m truly thankful to you.”

“Princess...”

“Now, how do you feel about a dance? Working up a moderate sweat will help lift your spirits.”

“It would be my honor!”

Adel took Rosalind’s hand and pulled her toward the dance floor. As Euphinia watched them go, she was approached by Suzaku in the guise of Murrue.

After the fight, Kirin had promptly split back into the Four Guardians, who apparently didn’t like being fused together much. Suzaku had returned with the group as Murrue, but the other three had headed off to do their own thing.

“Princess Euphinia, do you plan on heading back to Wendill soon?”

“I do. Adel will stay to see the rebuilding of Astal Orphanage to the end, but those working on Wendill Palace are waiting for me back home. I’ll probably leave tomorrow.”

“May I accompany you?”

“You want to go with me? Not Adel?”

“Adel has no great goals of her own. I do not mind lending her my aid in acting as your sword, but at the end of the day, it is your will she follows.”

“I see. I would always be happy to have you with me. However, may I say something?”

“Of course.”

“I am still young and immature. It will be a long time before I can start something as big as a Great Expedition, so there is no need for you to rush this decision. Also...”

“Yes?”

“I think you and the other Guardians need to rest a little. Saint Elciel’s passing was a huge loss to all of you. That’s why you’re chasing her shadow and trying to force results. It might do you good to sit down and properly think about what she would really want.”

“You...might be right.”

“Standing still to get back on your feet isn’t betraying Saint Elciel. You can come back to me after taking all the time you need to mourn.” Euphinia smiled kindly. “I promise that by then, I will have become a Saint worthy of you all.”

“Then...we will do just that.” Murrue teared up, seemingly on behalf of all the Guardians.

◆◇◆

The next day, Euphinia and Melulu headed back to Wendill as planned, leaving Adel and Mash behind in Rakul to oversee the rebuilding of Astal Orphanage. Because Adel no longer had to gather the funds herself—as she’d been rewarded with abundant capital and manpower from the aristocracy of Rakul—the reconstruction went faster and more smoothly than expected. A week later, she too was homebound.

“Whew, I’m dead tired from playing carpenter day in and day out!”

“Same here. I’m so tired, I can’t think straight. Look, I can’t even keep my balance.”

“Are you saying that you can think straight usually? You shouldn’t lie. We all know how empty your head is.”

“Huh?! I dare you to say that again! You want to see me think straight?! S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T! Straight!”

“Bruh, nobody told you to think the word ‘straight’! That’s not what that saying means!”

“Wait, ugh... Oh, I don’t feel so well.”

“Is that alcohol on your breath?! You’re just hungover!”

“SHUT UP!” Adel and Mash yelled in unison.

Duchess Adel, Rosalind, and even Ema had made time to come to see Adel’s group off, but the former gladiators were ruining the moment.

Adel and Mash bobbed their heads apologetically.

“I’m sorry about them, grandmother, Ms. Ema.”

“Allow me to apologize too.”

Ema waved a hand dismissively. “They’ve been a big help with the reconstruction, in spite of what they’re like. I really appreciated it. But now, they’re back to being your problem.”

“Ha...ha ha... I’m sorry, again.”

“Princess Adel, given your standing, maybe you should rethink the kind of people you keep at your side.”

“I know, Rosa, but I kind of go way back with them.”

“Adel used to be quite the tomboy herself,” said Ema, “so she’s actually better than most at handling that sort.”

Duchess Adel’s ears perked up. “Was she? The Adel I know is respectful and conscientious, albeit a little mannish sometimes. Could you tell me more about what she was like when young?”

“Feel free to find me any time. Though what you hear might surprise you...”

“Ms. Ema?! Please go easy on—”

“Have you heard of karma, Adel? And you’ve given me a looooot of trouble, haven’t you? Heh heh heh.”

Adel shuddered to think what Ema would reveal. No doubt she clearly remembered some things that even Adel herself had forgotten.

“I-In any case, we should get going,” Adel said quickly. “Grandmother, Ms. Ema, please be well. I will visit again. Rosa, please look after both of them for me.”

Rosalind nodded with conviction and tears in her eyes. “Yes, Princess!”

“You take care of yourself too!” Ema said jovially with a slap to Adel’s back that actually hurt a little. “We’ll always be waiting for you!”

Lastly, the duchess enveloped Adel in a massive hug. “I am deeply thankful that you are alive and I can embrace you in my arms like this. But I will not try to keep you by my side. Please live true to yourself and be happy. That is all I wish for.”

“Thank you, grandmother. I will keep your words in mind.” Adel nodded solemnly, then deeply lowered her head. “Well, we’re off.”

She turned and vaulted onto Cerberus’s back, calling out, “All right, back to Wendill we go, Mash.”

“Let’s go!”

And just like that, Adel headed back to Euphinia.

◆◇◆

Several days later in Alderford, after listening to Adel’s report, Eminent Theodora sat back heavily in her chair. “So that’s what happened. And Saint Elciel is already...”

It wasn’t long after Adel returned to Wendill that she was summoned to Alderford for an inquiry of the incident in Rakul. The word “inquiry” sounded ominous, but it was really just a request to get a firsthand account from her of what had happened. The committee was headed by Theodora, the Tower Saint and first among the Eminents, with other members of the Holy Tower Church’s upper echelons in attendance.

“I knew Saint Elciel had headed to the frontier by herself, but to think she died there and her Divine Beasts had taken on her appearance...” Chloe, the Artificer Saint, sighed. “They must have really loved her. I highly doubt Nico would do the same if I died.”

“In any case, you did well, Saint Adel,” said Theodora, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “The Old Capital’s profane land had long been a concern for the Church too, one we had no way to address without harming our relationship with Rakul. What you have achieved will be remembered for a long time. You have my personal respect too.”

Chloe laughed. “I’ve been told often that I should act more in line with my position, but an honest-to-goodness princess of Rakul? You’re gonna hear that a lot more than me.”

“It was a surprise for me too. However, in the end, it’s not like anything has changed.”

There was so much that Adel had learned only after coming back in time, such as her own ancestry and the truth behind the Great War. And after she had eliminated the mastermind who had been behind everything, Euphinia was still alive and well. With the biggest obstacle removed, Adel felt that her biggest goal in this timeline—ensuring that this time, her liege lived a long and happy life—had successfully reached a significant milestone.

Adopting a serious tone, Theodora said, “May I ask something of you, Saint Adel?”

“What is it, Eminent Theodora?”

“As Saint Elciel is no longer with us, would you be willing to inherit her title as the War Saint?”

Surprise flashed across Adel’s face. Theodora was, in effect, offering her a position among the Eminents, the seven most powerful Saints of the Holy Tower Church.

“That’s one vote from me!” said Chloe, nodding in agreement. “You even have experience contracting with the Four Guardians. There’s no one more suitable.”

The room erupted into applause and cheers.

“Congratulations, Eminent Adel!”

“No objection from me!”

“It is the birth of a new Eminent!”

However, when silence returned, Adel shook her head. “I’m thankful for the offer, but I’m afraid I have to turn it down.”

“What?!” cried everyone in unison.

“I am Princess Euphinia’s knight escort—nothing more and nothing less. I have no need for any other titles.”

Adel had no idea what duties came with being an Eminent, but she was sure they were significant. They would get in the way of her protecting and serving Euphinia. That was exactly what had happened when she used her identity as a princess to raise money for Astal Orphanage. She had learned her lesson since; she was happy just being Euphinia’s knight escort, and that was all she wanted.

“If there is nothing else, I will take my leave.”

When Adel stepped out of the room, she found Euphinia standing in the hallway outside.

Euphinia smiled. “Good work in there, Adel.”

“Princess! Were you waiting for me? I’m deeply sorry!” Adel bowed so deep it seemed she was folding herself in two.

“I waited because I wanted to. Are you ready to go back now?”

“Yes, Princess!”

Euphinia offered a hand, and Adel took it. The two then promptly headed for the exit. The polished flooring reflected the sunlight shining through the windows, creating the impression that their path forward was glowing with light.

Adel had always been, and always would be, Euphinia’s knight escort. That was the path she chose for herself, and she was content.

Afterword

First of all, thank you so much for picking up this book. This has been volume four of Sword Saint Adel’s Second Chance. I hope you enjoyed it.

Personally, I think the overall plot of this whole work turned out quite complicated, with a previous timeline that had ended in tragedy, and a main character who goes back in time to achieve a drastically different outcome and reveal new truths. I’m quite happy with how this volume managed to bring the numerous story threads together and explain the major plot points. I myself quite enjoyed writing it.

It’s been three years since I quit my job as a systems engineer to become a full-time writer, but I still get the sense that writing programs and writing stories are quite similar. Basically, they both require the ability to set up logic—a more creative term for it would be “compositional skill,” I suppose—that can hold up on its own. In the case of light novels, interesting characters are needed as a component too, but the experience I had developed as a systems engineer still proved useful for the part of putting the logic together. In writing this particular volume, I felt like I got confirmation that those skills are still with me even after all those years. Now, as for whether I can get back to writing programs if I ever do resume being a systems engineer...

It’s smart planning for writers to keep a plan B in mind for when their lifespan as a writer runs out. To that end, I’ve recently taken up investing. Since the last afterword, I’ve revised my approach and have been slowly but steadily making a profit. I believe that the more unstable someone’s job is—and “light novel writer” is up there—the more important it is for them to be on top of managing their assets. After all, economic stability affects mental health, and in turn, mental healthiness affects the quality of their work.

To wrap things up, I want to sincerely thank my editor, N-sama; the illustrator, Unapoppo-sama; as well as everyone else who had given a part of themselves to this enterprise. All the characters were positively adorable once again.

The manga adaptation is going strong with good reviews, so I hope you show it your support too!

With that, I shall now take my leave.

Bonus Story: A New Purpose

The audience hall of Wendill Castle in Welna was filled with cheers of joy and celebration.

“Congratulations!”

“What an auspicious day!”

“Peace has finally returned to Wendill and her people!”

This was a banquet to commemorate the long-awaited completion of the rebuilding of the palace that had burned down during the G4 Summit. The list of guests in attendance was beyond star-studded, graced with not only delegates from each of the Four World Powers but also Eminents Theodora and Chloe in representation of the Holy Tower Church.

After learning her own lineage and the truth of what had led to the Great War in the previous timeline through the recent events in Rakul, Adel finally felt reassured that Euphinia was no longer at risk of suffering an early death for the same reason. Because of this, she was able to truly let her hair down and enjoy this banquet to her heart’s content. However, she apparently let down her guard a little too far, as she had ended up drinking too much; she was now stumbling a little, and her face was flushed.

Euphinia pulled at her arm. “Adel... Adel...”

“Yesh? What ish it, Prinshess?”

“Please take care you don’t drink too much. Um...I want a dance with you after we make the rounds and greet everyone.”

“Undershtood. I’ll go freshen up.”

Adel left Euphinia in Mash’s care and headed out to a balcony for some fresh air. It was the same place she had met the mysterious young boy in the past timeline. The Adel back then had been sent back in time and turned into a girl, and the rest was history. Her current self had no complaints about the change, as her female body and powers as a Saint had proved necessary for her to use Ki Possession. The boy had surely granted her this gift so she could identify and stop the real mastermind. Adel had fulfilled that mission. She knew this without a doubt, and was sure that the young boy was satisfied.

All that was left...

“Ah.”

A question flitted across Adel’s mind: What did the boy plan to do now that he was satisfied? She shuddered with the possibilities. Surely he wouldn’t send her back to the previous timeline now that he’d gotten what he wanted? She would hate that. She wanted to spend the rest of this life serving Euphinia and making sure her liege lived a long and happy life. She had no interest at all in going back. However...

At the corner of Adel’s eye, where the boy had appeared last time, a diminutive figure stirred.

Immediately sobering up, Adel cried in a fluster, “Wha— Y-Young boy! Don’t do anything unnecessary! I—”

“Who’re you calling a young boy?! Take a better look and tell me I’m not a dolled-up girl!”

“S-Saint Chloe?!”

“That’s me.” Chloe pouted. “Though I concede I’m a bit lacking in curves compared to you.”

“N-No, that’s not... I’m sorry for my mistake. You look absolutely adorable.”

“That isn’t something to say to someone older than you! Call me pretty!”

“You’re extremely pretty!”

“It’s too late now! Geez!”

Just then, someone else walked out onto the balcony.

“How are you feeling, Adel? Her Highness is getting worried about you.”

“Right. I’m, uh, fine.”

“Oh hey, good timing. I wanted to talk to you two together. Mash, you know how your head hasn’t turned back yet, despite everything we’ve tried? I think we really do need to track down my idiotic grandfather and wring a few answers from him. Now that the reconstruction of Wendill Palace is over, would you two mind helping me? If you are interested, I’ll bring this up with Princess Euphinia directly too.”

“Ah!”

Indeed, there were still pressing matters. Not everything had been wrapped up yet. Until then, there was no need to meet that young boy again—on second thought, there was no need, period. Adel felt this from the bottom of her heart.

“I’m all for it, Saint Chloe. How about you, Mash?”

“Definitely.”

Adel and Mash looked at each other and exchanged a resolute nod.