CHAPTER 5
Too Much Suffering to Call a Happy Ending
Katalisk.
The region was a marshland filled with a suffocating, malodorous miasma. It was also as sweltering as a desert. They planned to set up camp for the night on the small bit of hospitable land there.
“Are you all right, Lady Alice?” Outside the tent, Rin was illuminated by the glow of an open fire. “Has the smell disturbed your sleep?”
“There’s that, but I also have some things to think about.”
Alice’s back arched as she hugged her knees. She had left the tent to watch the fire for a while, but she still couldn’t sleep.
The things the Astrals had told them in the sacred land had become a seed that had sprouted into further worries. Now she was plagued by insomnia.
“Actually, I’ve been worried for you and Lady Sisbell.” Rin made her way to the fire. “You’ve looked off ever since you came back. Did the Astrals say something they shouldn’t have?”
“Just what we discussed earlier.”
“Ah, yes. Regarding the Imperial swordsman’s swords.” Rin smiled wanly. “I actually feel much better after learning the secret to his blades. They never seemed like the type of weapon the Imperials would make.”
“…”
But that wasn’t the issue. What truly weighed on Alice’s mind was the enemy they would need the black astral sword to defeat.
“I was thinking more about why the astral sword was made,” she said.
“You mean the calamity?”
“Yes. What did you think after hearing what the Astrals told us?”
“Right…,” Rin said, faltering. “As a rule, I only believe in the things I see for myself. The Astral says that a monster sleeps deep below our feet…but that sounds like a fairy tale—like something a child would make up.”
“So you don’t believe them?”
“To be perfectly honest, I don’t want to.” Rin stooped down to pick up a withered branch at her feet. She threw it into the crackling fire. “I only believe in things I’ve seen for myself. But I have seen humans transform into something inhuman three times before.”
The first was when Vichyssoise of the Hydra had turned into a witch. The second was when the mad scientist Kelvina had turned into a fallen angel. And the third was none other than Elletear.
“I think Lady Elletear was the most shocking instance of all. The only way you can explain how she transformed into something so sinister is if the calamity exists.”
“Do you think we should fight it, Rin? The calamity?”
“Of course.”
The attendant nodded firmly. She believed that it needed to be defeated and was ready to fight it herself.
“After seeing the state of Katalisk, it’s clear that we cannot allow the Planetary Calamity to go unchecked. It is clearly a greater threat than the Empire. I also don’t want to see another person turn out like Lady Elletear.”
“Rin.”
Please sit. Alice silently beckoned for Rin to take the spot next to her.
“It’s just as you’ve said. So I’d like you to give me advice on something that’s been worrying me.”
“Anything you wish.”
Rin sat down. Then she waited.
“We need to defeat the calamity,” Alice said. “But there’s something we need to be ready for in order to do so. Do you know what that is?”
“Are you referring to who we’ll need to sacrifice…?”
“I’m sure we’ll lose some people as well. But there’s something else that’s bothering me right now.”
“Are you concerned about how we’ll get to the core? According to the Astrals, it seems we only need to find a vortex that is large enough for a human to—”
“I’m talking about the dismantlement of the Sovereignty.”
The future that Alice spoke of was beyond the comprehension of the attendant sitting next to her.
“…Huh?”
“Rin.” A small, forced smile appeared on Alice’s face.
As Rin gaped at her, Alice stroked her attendant’s hair and gazed up at the night sky.
“Let me talk about the future for a bit. The future after we’ve defeated the calamity.”
At the same time…
The vortex located far north of Katalisk, the Gregorio.
When the Hydra arrived, they saw…
“What is this? It’s just a huge hole.” Vichyssoise peered into the cavern in the ground.
It was pitch-black and extended to a depth beyond the reach of light. Had it been daytime, they might have been able to make out the interior of the opening, but alas, dawn had yet to arrive. They could only see traces of the sun beginning to climb over the horizon.
“A vortex is a hole created through the eruption of astral energy. So shouldn’t it be glowing, sir?”
“Ha-ha. That’s only true the first few weeks after a vortex’s creation,” Talisman said from beside her. He took out a large flashlight from his coat pocket. “This vortex formed a century ago. The astral powers that came through here are long gone and are now somewhere on the planet’s surface. That means flashlights are indispensable.”
“Shall I light the way with my astral flames? They won’t go out.”
“I’d like you to keep your strength on reserve. It’s only two hundred seventy-four thousand meters below. We’ll get there soon enough by leaping down.”
It was a two-hundred-seventy-four-thousand-meter drop.
An airplane operated at heights of nine thousand meters above the ground, yet he wanted to “leap” into a hole thirty times deeper.
Though that would have seemed ludicrous to any normal person, the people around the vortex were astral mages from the royal family, and their retinue were a band of elite soldiers.
Using the astral power of wind, they would create a powerful gust to carry them to the center of the planet.
And the Hydra had someone who could strengthen astral power to its full potential.
Princess Mizerhyby, also known as the “walking vortex,” wielded the astral power of Glory. She had the ability to make any astral mage as powerful as a purebred.
“What perfect timing.” Talisman glanced at his wristwatch. “The sun should rise in half an hour. That should improve visibility in the vortex. We’ll start our descent then. What say you, Mizy?”
“As you wish.” Mizerhyby grinned and exhaled a puff of white breath.
Even in the dark, her characteristic hair glowed a beautiful blue.
“Oh, right, Uncle? May I ask a question?”
“What is it?”
“We must arrive at the planet’s core through the vortex before Elletear. You’ve impressed upon us the utmost importance of that quite clearly. But once we do find the calamity…” Mizerhyby looked at her uncle. “What would you like us to do with it?”
“I’d just like to research it. I want to learn everything there is to know about the most powerful thing on the planet,” Talisman replied melodiously. “I’ve always been more of a researcher than a leader, at my core.”
Yes.
This man had previously said something about astral power to Iska.
“The physical conversion of the waves. It took me six years of fine-tuning to understand it. And eight more years to learn how to use it. Another thirteen years to reach this point. Nearly thirty years of hard work. I might be a little ham-handed.”
“You’d need to be mad to reach this level of perfection.”
He had spoken about a yearning for scientific inquiry that would leave most flabbergasted.
That was the true essence of the leader of the Hydra, Talisman. It was also the thing that most set him apart from the Eight Great Apostles.
The Apostles had wished to use the calamity. Talisman simply wished to learn everything he could about it.
“The calamity itself likely originated from somewhere else.” Talisman looked up at the sky. “From above? Or perhaps from a mutation deep below? I’d like to learn whether it’s intelligent. If it is, perhaps we could tame it and keep it for ourselves.”
“How very like you to say that, Uncle.” Mizerhyby smiled wanly at him.
This was Talisman’s philosophy: Fools defeat their enemies, but sages tame them.
“Then, ideally, you would keep the calamity as a very large pet—like a dog—rather than defeat it?”
“Yes, that’s right. But there is one other thing that’s important to keep in mind.” The large man suddenly grew serious. He raised a finger to Mizerhyby and Vichyssoise. “Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, we shouldn’t defeat the calamity.”
“What?”
“Hmm? What does that mean, sir?”
Both young women opened their eyes wide.
Talisman pointed at the ground. “Remember, the astral powers only fled to the surface from their home in the core because they feared the calamity. Now, what happens if the calamity disappears?”
“Does that mean they’ll return to the core once the threat is gone?” Vichyssoise answered.
But Talisman nodded at Mizerhyby as though prompting her to reply, too.
“Well, Mizy, can you see the future one step after that?”
“The future?”
“Yes. Once the calamity is defeated, the astral powers will begin a mass migration. The astral powers scattered across the surface and atmosphere of the planet will return to their home beneath the ground. That includes the astral powers dwelling within human beings.”
“What?! No!”
The princess with blue hair widened her eyes.
“So all the astral mages would lose their powers?!”
“That’s right, Mizy. Every last astral mage on this planet would kiss their abilities good-bye. And the Nebulis Sovereignty would decline before long.”
The Founder, the royal family, and everyone in the Sovereignty would be powerless. They would all become ordinary humans.
“That can’t be true…” As she exhaled white breath, the Hydra princess clenched her fist.
She couldn’t let that happen. Astral mages considered themselves the chosen ones because of their abilities. They had built the Sovereignty into what it was now through the blessings given to them by the astral powers. Losing their powers was a more frightening prospect than losing everything they owned.
The possibility of them becoming ordinary, powerless humans was no laughing matter.
“I agree with you, Uncle,” she said in a stifled tone, biting her lip. “We cannot defeat the calamity. I understand why well enough now.”
“There you have it. If the calamity is no more, then the astral mages will lose their powers as well. Therefore, we must protect the calamity.” Talisman turned around. He looked at the sun rising on the horizon. “The more power one has, the more one has to protect. And the more difficult it is to abandon that power.”
The planet had gifted them abilities. It was unlikely that anyone in the Sovereignty would willingly give them up.
“It would be a grave mistake to defeat the calamity. Sooner or later, everyone will realize that.”
“After we defeat the calamity, astral mages won’t have powers anymore.”
The fire crackled. As Rin was illuminated by its glow, her lips went pale, and the blood drained from her face.
“But…that also means the Nebulis Sovereignty is as good as ruined…” Her voice was raspy, almost on the verge of disappearing. She had never been this shaken in her life. “I must apologize, Lady Alice… It didn’t even occur to me…”
“No, Rin, it was just a matter of when.”
Alice shook her head as the attendant bowed hers. She wasn’t going to comfort Rin.
Everyone here would eventually realize it. The Astrals as well. Alice and Sisbell had simply been the first to make the connection. Though it seemed Kissing had yet to notice.
That was likely because the Zoa princess had been too wrapped up in exacting revenge on Elletear.
……Only Sisbell and I noticed back then.
……Iska…must have been too concerned over his swords to think about it.
She had realized it immediately because she was an astral mage.
After they defeated the calamity, the astral powers on the surface would return to the core.
The astral powers dwelling in humans would be no exception. And once they left, the mages would be powerless. Of course, it was unlikely that they would lose their abilities immediately.
“It crossed my mind,” Alice said.
She looked up at the embers. They floated up into the air, only to immediately catch on to the wind and disappear. Alice could only think the same thing would happen to the astral mages in the future.
Eventually, all the astral mages would disappear—not one would be left behind.
“If we defeat the calamity, that means no more astral mages. And if the astral mages are gone, then the Sovereignty will decline and fall to ruin.”
“What?!”
“I knew we would need to be prepared for that, which was why I couldn’t say anything right away…”
Of course she hadn’t been able to answer.
……If only there was something we could get in exchange.
……I would be so grateful for it.
For example, Alice wouldn’t have hesitated to give up her astral power to achieve world peace. If losing her powers meant that the world would no longer be at war, she wouldn’t have minded giving them up.
But in reality…
No matter what she chose to do, only unhappiness waited.
If they didn’t defeat the calamity, then the entire planet would be destroyed.
If they did, then the Sovereignty would fall instead.
She couldn’t choose the former, of course.
Alice understood how much was at stake. Rin likely did, too. Even then, few would be able to make the latter decision without hesitation. To astral mages, both options were cruel.
“We’ve lost any chance of happiness in the future— Who’s there?!”
She noticed something in that moment. One of the embers had happened to drift toward a tent, revealing the figure of a person.
“Who’s there?!”
She leaped up.
Had someone been eavesdropping?
“If you don’t come out, then I’ll—”
“O-okay!”
She heard someone walk over to the fire. Alice held her breath when she saw a black-haired boy lit by the flames.
“Iska?”
Someone had left their tent.
After noticing this, Iska left his as well. He heard people talking by the fire, and all he’d been trying to do was approach them.
“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”
He raised his hands.
As Alice and Rin gazed at him stonily, he continued. “I just noticed someone leaving their tent. I was wondering what was going on… Um…”
“So you heard?”
“Uh…”
“Whether it was intentional or not, just tell me if you heard what we were talking about.”
Alice didn’t even blink. Her eyes bored into him with a light even stronger than the fire’s. He couldn’t play this off.
He was even more frightened of the possibility of losing Alice’s trust if he pretended otherwise.
“I heard it, yeah… Just what you were saying while I was coming over.”
“I see. And what do you think of what you heard?”
Despite her question, she figured that Iska hadn’t thought that deeply about the future, since he wasn’t an astral mage.
“Are you upset, Alice?”
“I’m not.”
“But you sound scary, and you’ve got this look in your eyes…”
“It’s because this is serious!”
“…Okay, I get it. Then I’ll be honest.”
He looked at Alice, who had squared her shoulders, and at Rin, who was staring at him.
Then he looked into the air.
“I was only thinking about the astral swords, so it didn’t even occur to me that astral mages could lose their powers, or that the Sovereignty could fall. I was surprised when I heard you, but I agree that it’s a possibility. But I’m not an astral mage, so I can’t say anything else for sure.”
“Are you not going to think about it at all?”
“I think that if I do think about it, I wouldn’t know where to stop.” He passed Alice and Rin to crouch in front of the fire. “Once we defeat the calamity, no one will know if you will lose your powers days or decades from then, Alice. But I’m not interested in that.”
“So you’re saying you’re not concerned at all about me?”
“No, the opposite.”
“What?”
He turned to Alice.
“Even without astral power, you’re still you.”
That was all Iska said.
“Rin.”
“…What?”
“If Alice stopped being an astral mage, would you stop being her attendant?”
“Huh? Me? Of course not!” Rin shot back, but halfway through, her eyes went wide.
That was right. Even if they lost their astral powers, their positions wouldn’t change.
“B-be that as it may, Imperial swordsman! You can only say that because you’re an Imperial. You couldn’t understand how we would feel if we lost our astral powers!”
“Of course. I don’t even have any powers to lose.”
“…!”
“That’s why I think that—”
“Iska.”
For a moment, a very brief moment, everything except the blond princess’s voice went still. Even the sound of the crackling fire disappeared. Even the evening wind—giving him goose bumps.
Everything disappeared, and he could hear only Alice’s voice.
“Can you swear on that?” As the princess asked him this, her eyes wavered. “If in exchange for fighting the calamity I lost my powers, would you still continue to see me as me?”
“Why wouldn’t—?”
Lights of all colors burst into the night sky.
Red, blue, yellow, green…
Though the colors of the rainbow flew up into the jet-black sky like fireworks, they weren’t made of gunpowder, but of faintly glimmering astral energy.
“Did that come from the sacred ground?!”
The lights seemed to have come from the direction of the Astrals.
Did that mean that the astral powers of the sacred ground were fleeing into the sky?
“What’s going on?!”
As Rin looked up, the sky grew brighter and brighter. Hundreds or thousands of astral powers were taking to the air, illuminating the sky as bright as daylight.
But why?
Why had they fled to the sky?
“Heeey? What’s all the commotion for? Is there a parade happening in the middle of the night or something?” Mei came out of a tent, scratching her head.
Risya was next to her.
“Care to explain, Risya?”
“Ask someone who knows more than me. So what do you think, Princess Kissing? What do your eyes make of it?”
“…”
The Zoa princess stared at the colorful sky.
“They are very frightened.”
Plip…
Ripples formed on the red swamp’s surface, giving way to a wave larger than any bubble could have made.
Just then, they realized something was coming from the water.
“Iska?!”
“Wh-what is it?! What’s going on with the sky?!”
Commander Mismis, Nene, and Jhin had arrived.
Sisbell, whom they had been guarding, also came out of her tent.
“Keep away! There’s something here!” Iska shouted to stop them.
Coming to the same conclusion, Mei started to sprint. In the blink of an eye, she ran past everyone and snatched a branch from the fire.
Then she swung it as hard as she could.
“Hah! Who are you?!”
She was heading toward the swamp. She threw the flaming stick into the darkness that even the astral powers hadn’t illuminated.
……Sizzle.
The flames covering the stick went out. But before the glow disappeared, they saw the monster that had appeared from the water.
It glowed ominously, and its upper body resembled that of a human.
“ ”
Its lower body was red, and it had a serpentine tail. Its head was perfectly round, without any indentation. The places where its eyes should’ve been were devoid of light, so they couldn’t even make out where it was looking.
A pattern that was yellow like the sun glimmered on its chest.
Elletear had once called such monsters this:
“An eidos?!”
Alice gave a shout, leaping back with Rin.
They already knew what it was. They knew the power of the monsters the calamity had created.
“An eidos? So that’s what you were going on about.” Mei sneered as the monster approached the land. “Looks like some hack-job monster. The eidoses of the sea could reflect astral power, and the eidoses of the earth could reflect bullets. So? Which is this one, Risya?”
“Neither.”
“What?”
“There must be more subclasses. Look at its crest. If it’s got a pattern like that on it, it can’t be of the land or the sea.”
“Then do you think this is an eidos of the sun? Not that I really care.”
“Don’t let your guard down, Mei, or that ‘hack job’ will tear you to pieces.”
“Not if I’ve got anything to say about it.” Mei bared her sharp canines. Just as when she had fought Kissing, her eyes glinted like a beast’s. “Risya, you head over there. I’ll take on this one.”
“Hmm? Over where?”
“Who said there was only one eidos?” Mei replied, prompting everyone there to gulp.
“Huh?!”
“The astral powers fled from the sacred ground. There’s one here, another there. The eidoses were probably trying to corner them from inside and outside.”
“You’ve usually got good instincts about these things…” Risya smiled wanly. “Then we’ll break away for now. Shall we, Mismis?”
“Me?!”
“I won’t be able to deal with the other one on my own. Let’s hurry. The Lord will be upset if anything happens to the Astrals.”
They split. Mei took command of one half of the group, while Risya took command of the other.
“Right, Isk, you come with me. Let’s fight together for once.” Mei pulled on her gloves, opening and closing her hand to check their fit. “You’re not one of my men, so do whatever you want.”
“That’s what I was planning.” Iska nodded and drew his swords. “We have no idea what this thing’s special powers are. Don’t get too close right away, Mei.”
“Got it.”
Its serpentine tail wriggling, the eidos made its way to land.
Mei examined it from head to tail.
“Wow,” she murmured under her breath so no one would hear. “Guess it’s not all bark and no bite.”
At nearly the same time…
…far to the north.
Sunlight streamed into the Gregorio. The large hole that looked like it had been painted black slowly started to illuminate from above, revealing everything within.
“It just looks like it’s covered in moss, sir. I don’t see anything of interest.”
“Ha-ha. That’s actually what’s important, Vichyssoise.”
Talisman stood at the edge of the hole, staring down triumphantly. The hole was so deep that one couldn’t help but think it connected to another world.
“Sometimes large animals take up residence in these vortexes. They’re rare to encounter, however.”
“Do you mean dragons?”
“I’m relieved to know there isn’t one living here. And it seems my fear that Elletear would be guarding this place was unfounded as well.”
Talisman snapped his fingers.
That was his signal that they would debrief about their expedition.
“This is the start of our journey into the planet. It will be exhilarating and delightful.”
“Would you mind if I joined you?”
They shivered.
A dread-inspiring voice had assailed them from within the vortex.
Just then, a current of black mist burst through the air. The vapor that had erupted from the vortex spiraled and condensed in front of the Hydra’s elite troops.
“That voice! Everyone back!” Mizerhyby clicked her tongue.
The near dozen troops all stepped back at her order.
“Oh? Are you frightened of me?”
The black mist transformed until it took on the shape of a woman with goddess-like beauty. Her fluttering hair was emerald tinged with gold. Her features were flawless, and the cleavage peeking from her wedding dress was so ample, it felt as though one would be sucked into it at a glance.
“… Elletear.”
“Hello, Princess Mizerhyby. It’s been quite a while.”
Elletear Lou Nebulis IX.
Her beautiful face turned devilish as a grin formed on her beguiling lips.
“I wanted to journey to the depths of the planet as well, so I had my eye on this path. And then who did I hear but you all.”
“So you’re not hiding it any longer?”
“Hiding what?” Elletear cocked her head to the side, feigning confusion.
She was so transparent that it was almost refreshing.
This was not the form that Elletear normally traveled in. The woman before them wasn’t her true form—but the black mist they had seen was.
“Good morning, Elletear. It seems great minds think alike.” Talisman cheerfully raised a hand, as though greeting an old friend. “I’m glad to see you doing well. I supposed the Zoa were no threat to you now.”
“Oh, my dear Lord.” Elletear shook her head like she was shocked. “I never thought that I would have to hurt the lovely people of the Zoa with my own hands. Why, I’m simply beside myself.”
“Then pardon me for bringing it up.”
“You see, my heart feels like it’s about to burst even now… Ahh…”
She clutched her voluptuous chest, then directed a suffocating glare at the Hydra.
“And I’m so very sad that I’ll have to do the same to the Hydra, too.”
In contrast…
Talisman smiled as though something was funny. “I can hear you laughing, you realize.”
“Oh, pardon me,” Elletear said, smiling again very easily.
She had only looked at him with pity to toy with him, of course. No one would object to the idea that her amused smile was closer to her true nature as a witch.
“Allow me to tell you my honest opinion at this final juncture. I was hoping that you and the Imperial forces would defeat each other, Lord Talisman—so I wouldn’t have to, that is.”
“Oh? And why is that?”
“Because I’m ever so frightened of you.”
“Now, what could you possibly mean by that?”
“Ah-ha! You’re so transparent.” The witch snickered. She blushed from excitement as her voice rose. “It seems we’re both the same in that regard.”
In the northernmost reaches of the continent, the curtains opened on a clash between the witch and the Hydra.
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