EPILOGUE 1
The Sun, Moon, and Star
Empire, capital of fourth province, Visgehten.
Front of Omen lab.
“…”
As the sun rose and its rays of light hit upon her blue hair, it glittered.
Princess Mizerhyby of the Hydra stood still, her hands bound. She gripped a white handkerchief in her restrained hands.
“It doesn’t matter what happens to me. I’m a valuable purebred witch. You may experiment on me or execute me as you will. But those two—”
As she said this, she looked at two stretchers.
Talisman, the head of the household.
The witch Vichyssoise.
“Just those two… Those two have enough value that they may live. You fear the calamity. They are invaluable research subjects and witnesses related to the calamity. Allow them to live.”
“Chief Newton said just about the same thing.”
The princess refused to turn around.
Iska looked directly at her from the side and continued, “But Chief Newton said he will treat them. They won’t become experimental subjects, and they won’t be tortured. They’ll actually undergo treatment.”
“…”
Mizerhyby refused to take her eyes off the stretchers. She likely was prepared for this moment to be their final good-bye.
“…So?”
She turned around.
After using all of her astral energy, her face was full of frustration.
“Why would you tell me that? Is it charity? Do you pity me? Are you trying to give me reassurances only to betray me later?”
“It’s just consolation.”
“?”
“All you were looking at was the ampoule of the calamity. You caused more than enough harm just by taking the researchers at the lab hostage.”
“What are you trying to say?
Irritation was in Mizerhyby’s gaze. She lifted her restraints up as though to show them off.
“Go ahead say it. You may even be haughty about it for all I care. I can’t put up any resistance anyway.”
“Then I’ll pass it along.”
Iska pulled a comm out of his breast pocket.
As the princess watched in surprise, he went through his call history.
“I got a message just earlier, but it’s for you, Mizerhyby.”
“From whom?”
“The Lord.”
A voice came over the comm.
It was unmistakably Lord Yunmelngen’s.
“Hello there, Hydra Princess.
“I need your powers. I’ll give you a chance to absolve yourself of all your crimes.
“In exchange for fighting the calamity.”
The Nebulis palace.
As the sun rose on the Queen’s Space, the place was cool and serene.
“It’s been so long since I’ve been here…”
In the center of the room, Sisbell looked over the space many, many times.
“Third Princess Sisbell, I order you to go on an expedition to the independent state of Alsamira.”
Ever since then, it had felt like years since she had come back to this place where the brilliant sunlight flooded in, the greenery was vibrant, and the flowers dotted the entire holy space with color. Nothing about it had changed.
If she had to point out anything, it was that after the attempted coup d’état targeting the queen’s life, the walls and floors were reinforced more as a precaution.
“Because of the Hydra’s scheme, the Inquisition department has ordered an investigation to take place. Sisbell, now that you are back, we will have no trouble establishing evidence.”
The queen looked up at the sunlight that filtered through the leaves of the greenery.
In her hand she held a wooden message that Sisbell had given her.
“So you are sure this letter is from the Lord?”
“Yes, Mother.”
As the queen narrowed her eyes in puzzlement, Sisbell nodded.
It most certainly was the right letter. Lord Yunmelngen had handed it to Sisbell directly.
“Ah, yes. I had something to speak to you about, too, Princess Sisbell.”
“I think you should be the messenger.”
“I have one thing to say.”
She looked up at her mother.
“The Lord is elusive, but I don’t think there is a tracker on this letter, and I do not believe that the Lord has planted a bomb in it, either.”
“Well, if you are willing to go as far as to say that…”
The queen gave her a bittersweet smile.
Though her mouth was set in a nervous line, she opened the wooden missive. Inside, she found a piece of paper.
“A blank sheet?”
“N-no, Mother!”
Though nothing was written on the paper, Sisbell pointed at it.
At its center was a small flame which slowly spread over the paper’s surface.
“Astral light? How was this done…?”
“This is what the Lord is like. This was done entirely to surprise us. That is the Lord’s personality.”
The astral light warmed the paper’s surface.
What they saw it draw was…
“A world map, Mother! And these three O’s must be vortexes? Are they holes that lead to the planet’s core?!”
The calamity slumbered in the deepest part of the planet.
Three routes led to it.
The Planet’s Navel, the oldest vortex that had formed in the Imperial capital.
The Gregorio, a gigantic vortex that had formed in the northernmost reaches of the continent.
And the third…
“Oh, Yunmelngen, how you get on my nerves…”
Crack.
A fissure opened midair in the room.
The moment a pitch-black line ran through the air, the space broke open and a mighty gust of wind blasted through.
“Ah! Wh-what is this?!”
“Sisbell, behind me!”
She hid behind the queen.
As Sisbell cautiously looked up at the fissure, she caught sight of a dark-skinned girl.
“The Revered Founder?”
Her pearlescent hair fluttered.
She looked as though she was only twelve or thirteen years old, but this girl was the oldest and mightiest astral mage there was.
“…”
“It has been much too long, Revered Founder…”
The queen looked up at the Founder.
Though her voice was reverent, it was also tense. The queen knew that the Founder could be controlled by no one.
She was like a tempest.
The Founder would likely bare her fangs at anyone who recklessly approached her.
But why had she suddenly appeared?
She had gotten rid of the eidos that Elletear had summoned, then disappeared somewhere with Crossweil, Iska’s teacher. That was the last Sisbell had seen of her.
“Yunmelngen, I won’t forgive the Empire for what it’s done.
“But… It seems I have an opponent I need to crush before the Empire. You had better be prepared.”
After saying that, she had vanished.
And now…
“Yunmelngen… How far does he plan to pull me into this?”
The Founder let out a loud sigh.
But then she immediately looked down and reached out a delicate hand.
“Give me that letter. That’s what this means.”
Far away, in the Imperial territory…
In the innermost part of the Imperial capital, where the Lord’s office was, in the innermost room…
“Ow, ow, ow! Jhin, be a little gentler!”
“This is the best I can do. Just give up resisting it.”
“Don’t you give up!”
They were in the Lord’s chambers.
Commander Mismis was wrapped all over in bandages, and the Lord watched as Jhin treated her.
“Hwaaah…”
Lord Yunmelngen tried to hold back a large yawn.
“Say, Planet’s Will, couldn’t you also lend a hand? If we bring in the Hydra princess… We’ll leave Eve to her own devices, since she’s so moody…”
The Lord looked into the air.
There shouldn’t have been anything there.
“One more.”
Lord Yunmelngen let out a resigned sigh.
“No, I don’t think the sorcerer will help. It’s not part of his principles to save the planet.”
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