Even though three full days had passed since the great battle.
Thinking back to the perilous struggle three days ago, or the life-and-death clash three months prior when they had been intercepted in Valhalla Canyon roughly three hundred kilometers beyond the eastern border of the Kingdom of Aloran, or even further back...
What made it feel so distant was not the passage of time, but a few irreversible turns of fate.
"Alas."
All of Loren's countless thoughts could only condense into that single heavy sigh.
They had truly made his life miserable.
From the second floor of the Vince Freedom Memorial Palace, he gazed out the window.
Along the Royal Avenue in the northern district of Brillda, golden sunlight filtered through stained glass, casting dappled radiance across the floor and illuminating the plaza before the palace.
Imperial guards clad in vibrant scarlet uniforms stood with spears in hand, staring straight ahead as they watched over the road leading into the palace.
Inside, the palace was a scene of ceaseless activity.
Attendants bustled to and fro along the marble corridors, delivering stack upon stack of official documents.
Brillda's dignitaries and ministers wore solemn expressions, engaged in fierce debates inside the conference rooms.
In an office on the second floor of the west wing, behind tightly closed carved wooden doors, the newly crowned sovereign, Emperor Loren Clantel, was bent over his desk, writing furiously.
His brown hair hung across his forehead, partially obscuring slightly weary blue eyes.
The black tea on the desk had long since grown cold, while documents piled high beside him like a small mountain.
Ever since his coronation three days ago, he had been thrust into a daze of frantic, overwhelming busyness.
The Vince Freedom Memorial Palace was situated at the western end of Royal Avenue in Brillda, the capital of the Creti Empire, nestled right against Mount Vince Throne.
It served as the official residence of Creti's monarch and was one of three royal palaces currently in use in Brillda. Compared to the Holy Astry Palace in the city center, this estate was generally reserved for more casual diplomatic affairs.
At the moment, because the Holy Astry Palace required time to be rebuilt, the Vince Freedom Memorial Palace served as the new emperor's temporary official residence.
Its origins traced back centuries to the era of the Vince Free Federation, when the alliance of feudal lords donated another peace memorial monastery to Brillda, where the Lunar Monastery was situated. Later, after the Syros Empire, the Elsaya Sanctuary, and the Vince Free Federation were unified and Brillda became the capital of the Creti Empire, this surplus ancient monastery was renovated into a royal secondary residence.
Composed of four wings surrounding a central courtyard, it was constructed in the architectural style of "fairness, justice, and mutual respect" that reflected the federation's peerage system, its exterior walls adorned with classical colonnades. The north wing was the oldest section, housing key rooms such as the royal banquet hall, the monarch's bedchambers, the morning prayer chapel, and the evening dining hall, while the other wings served as living quarters for members of the royal family.
At this moment, Loren was in the west wing.
A sudden knock sounded at his office door.
"Enter."
"Your Majesty, the embassies have delivered new diplomatic dispatches, the Minister of Finance wishes to discuss the budget proposal, and..."
A secretary poked his head through the crack of the door and immediately began reciting official business in an endless stream.
"I understand. Please leave them here."
Loren pointed toward the edge of his desk. Having just endorsed a document, he unrolled a map.
Back home in the Hutton Kingdom, he had technically been born into minor frontier nobility. In his youth, eager to avoid spending his life as a lord drowning in mundane administrative affairs, he had set out to wander the world. What he witnessed along the way had led him to become a true priest—yet in the end, it felt as though he had circled right back to where he started.
Unforeseeable before it occurs, unalterable once it transpires—such was destiny.
"By the way, Your Majesty, the envoys from the Hutton Kingdom are already waiting for you in the east wing," the secretary added at last.
Customarily, envoys from the allied nations would schedule their arrivals in Brillda gradually over the coming period. The Hutton Kingdom, however, happened to have high-ranking nobles with considerable influence already present in Brillda, who were promptly appointed as envoys so they could conclude their official duties before returning home.
*Oh, right—His Majesty is also from Hutton, so that's hardly surprising,* the secretary thought to himself.
"Is it Duke... Migaiya?"
As if remembering something, Loren looked up and asked.
He looked just like a long-term prisoner who had finally received a visitor.
He had initially intended to address Migaiya simply by name, but on second thought, realized a formal title was more appropriate given that the man was a grand noble representing a visiting nation.
"In response to Your Majesty, he has arrived and is waiting in the reception parlor," the secretary said with a bow.
"I will head over right away."
Loren stood, smoothed out his wrinkled lapels, took a deep breath, and strode out of the office.
He walked down the long corridor.
The tower on the southeast side rose four stories high, marking the palace's highest point; from there, one could overlook the palace's affiliated structures, including the monastery ruins and the Royal Oak Grove. It was also an ideal setting for receiving guests.
Before long, Loren arrived outside a brightly lit reception room in the east wing.
He pushed open the door.
The faces of three old friends met his eyes.
"I told you the Gray Princess arc of *Holy War Romance* was good! Especially the scene where the governor gets knocked down by his older sister's shoe! Hehehe, I laughed so hard..."
"I think the most unexpected part was the popping routine by the Cat Sage. But why did that actor quit and refuse to act in the sequel under any circumstances?"
Duke Migaiya, with his black hair and dark eyes, and his duchess, who had silver hair and crimson eyes, sat on an embroidered sofa, teacups in hand, laughing and chatting.
Almis, the Witch of Ice and Snow, leaned against the window and turned around at the sound of the door.
"Loren, long time no see," Almis greeted him.
Strictly speaking, they had seen each other three days ago, but there had been zero chance to meet during those three days.
And three days ago they hadn't exchanged words either, so in truth it had been about three months.
"You're here, Loren."
"Loren!"
Migaiya and Iphatia stood up and bowed politely.
They were old acquaintances of Loren from their time in Ikerite.
"Iphatia, you truly haven't changed in over a decade," Loren sighed with a chuckle, waving his hand to dismiss the formalities.
The two of them bowing deliberately was just their way of teasing him.
"Don't you think Migaiya hasn't changed much either?"
Iphatia turned sideways, stood on tiptoe, pressed her hands against Migaiya's cheeks, and inspected her husband.
Migaiya was in his thirties now, but he looked virtually no different than he had in his twenties.
"Indeed. His other form probably hasn't changed much either."
Loren sat on the sofa and gestured for Almis to take a seat as well.
After some brief casual banter, Loren discussed past events and pressing state affairs with his three old friends.
Though the topics were heavy, being in the company of close companions allowed Loren's frayed nerves to finally relax a little.
The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating their worried faces with a gentle warmth.
Loren knew that beneath the heavy burden of being sovereign, he had friends by his side to face these grueling trials together.
The days of unburdened heart-to-heart conversations might be hard to recapture, but this fleeting moment of warmth would serve as the strength to carry him through hardship.
In any case, following negotiations with the Creti Empire, Loren was to serve as Emperor Loren Clantel for at least a year until the situation stabilized. If he wished to step down after that, Imperial Princess Alexia of the Silver Moon Restoration Society could succeed to the throne as the legitimate heir of Syros.
Although Alexia possessed the trust of several War Gods, was a core member of the Silver Moon Restoration Society, and was the rightful successor capable of wielding the Syros Heroic Spirit Sword, not only was Creti itself in utter disarray, but the state of the entire Southern Continent was vastly more complicated. Alexia would find it difficult to take over such a chaotic aftermath; it demanded a powerhouse on par with Hyacinthus—someone possessing sufficient international prestige and domestic deterrence—to resolve matters swiftly.
"What kind of absurdity is this...? I'm a priest who took vows before the Goddess of Fate long ago. How on earth did I end up Emperor of the Creti Empire?"
Having concluded the serious business, Loren pinched the bridge of his nose. For the past two nights, he had lain awake in the palace contemplating his life choices; the whole affair still felt utterly surreal.
He had long sworn to devote his entire life to the Goddess of Fate, to be Her sword in vanquishing evil and Her hand in aiding the unfortunate.
On top of that, his accession was completely illegitimate; he was fundamentally a Hutton native, not even Creti.
He had been forcibly hoisted onto the throne entirely by the War Gods and Creti's dignitaries.
"..."
Migaiya and Iphatia exchanged a look, neither knowing how to apologize to Loren.
The only honest soul in the whole team, and the only one left in the dark about the plan, was now sitting on an imperial throne, sighing in despair.
The reality was indeed that the Creti Empire practically begged Loren to become emperor, and for the sake of peace across the Southern Continent, Loren could not bring himself to shirk a burden that only he could bear—even if the burden was never his to begin with.
"I asked the Goddess of Fate. She had no objections," the Witch of Ice and Snow offered by way of comfort.
She had already conducted a divine divination.
"..."
*Can the Goddess of Fate even speak?*
Iphatia wanted to ask, but felt doing so bordered on blasphemy.
Migaiya glanced at Iphatia; he could already tell her train of thought was profoundly irreverent.
"By the way, Florence is still waiting for you," the Witch of Ice and Snow added.
Speaking of the Church of the Goddess of Fate, one could hardly omit mention of their other colleague: Florence, Paladin Commander of the Church of the Goddess of Fate.
The great demons had been able to infiltrate Brillda alongside Hyperion entirely thanks to Florence's assistance, while Florence had stood in for Loren to hold down the fort back in the Hutton Kingdom.
"Once I settle the chaos in the Creti Empire, I'll have a rare leave to visit Ikerite. Come to think of it, it's been ages since I went back."
Loren deeply missed his good brother, his expression betraying a fond excitement.
Florence was probably still staying at his house.
Ever since Florence moved in, the war on the Southern Continent had broken out before Loren had the chance to show her properly around Ikerite. His last lingering memory was simply how great it felt living together with his bro.
The War Gods felt guilty keeping him too long anyway; he had been dragged to the Creti Empire against his will in the first place.
That Loren was willing to help them resolve the mess was already beyond their wildest hopes, so they went out of their way to arrange a home-leave plan, giving him several days of holiday to return to the Hutton Kingdom.
"I wonder what Juliana will think when she hears you've suddenly become the Emperor of Creti," Migaiya murmured, resting his chin on his hand.
In his recollection, before he left the Hutton Kingdom, the relationship between Loren and Juliana had already shown subtle signs of development. Later, after hearing of the series of operations Lanqi pulled off at Ikerite Academy to aggressively weld their red threads of fate together, Migaiya figured things had probably heated up.
Juliana had likely believed Loren died saving her. Now, the explosive news was not only that Loren was alive, but that he had ascended to become Emperor of the Creti Empire, poised to put an end to the war and upheaval across the Southern Continent.
Either way, Migaiya was eager to see the sequel; he and Iphatia loved nothing more than sharing gossip over tea.
"Sigh, I was hoping to ask her out for a meal," Loren murmured. At the mention of Juliana's name, his eyes lit up faintly for an instant before his brows drooped again.
He had no idea when he would see her next.
Even if he had leave to return to the Hutton Kingdom, Juliana rarely had time off to leave the Kingdom of Aloran.
The only comforting thought was that, thanks to the mysterious drillmaster introduced by Professor Polao, his relationship with Juliana had progressed from mere friends to meal buddies.
"Why a meal?"
Both Iphatia and Migaiya looked toward the Witch of Ice and Snow in bafflement.
If you called that taking a step forward, sure, it was a step forward.
Yet it somehow felt as though things had veered off in a distinctly strange direction.
Perhaps only the Witch of Ice and Snow, who had been in Ikerite at the time, could unravel their confusion and explain that bizarre sense of dissonance.
It was as if their thought process had been contaminated by a very familiar, mysterious entity.
The Witch of Ice and Snow simply shook her head as well.
She hadn't understood either why Loren and Juliana's date had culminated in the two of them doing nothing but eating meals the entire day.
"Where's Lanqi?" Loren asked proactively when he noticed the other three exchanging glances in silence.
He had heard bits and pieces about Professor Landry, and Professor Landry was Lanqi's identity within the Creti Empire.
Lanqi was always capable of completing endless amounts of work in a short span, but in reality, that was because Lanqi threw himself into work like a madman possessed, working harder than anyone else. Remembering Lanqi's exhausted state that day, Loren was genuinely worried the boy might suddenly collapse from overwork.
"Lanqi and the others went to see Violet today," Migaiya replied with a smile, looking at Loren.
He could see that no matter how many hundreds of times Lanqi had roped Loren into trouble, Loren, true to form, held no grudge against him.
"We heard Violet woke up, so the members of the Silver Moon Restoration Society all rushed over to see her," Iphatia chimed in.
"Lanqi actually felt too guilty to face you. Over breakfast this morning, he kept muttering that he owes you one and will definitely repay it when he gets the chance," the Witch of Ice and Snow added, recalling Lanqi's words.
"Saving the Southern Continent is what matters. Besides, Lanqi has changed," Loren said with a chuckling shake of his head.
Had this been back during their early days at Ikerite Academy, Lanqi wouldn't have felt a thing.
Loren knew Lanqi never harbored malicious intent; his methods were simply unlike ordinary people's. Now, it seemed Lanqi had finally begun learning how to act like a decent human being.
"..."
The Witch of Ice and Snow had previously imagined Loren to be the mastermind behind everything.
Only now had she realized that the one who pushed him into it was herself.
In all her life, she had rarely done anything unconscionable, but forcing Loren onto the Snow and Wind Mechanical Throne was something she felt deeply guilty about.
She was hardly any different from Lanqi; crushed under double layers of guilt toward Loren, she was so ashamed she barely knew how to speak to him.
"Um... when we return to Ikerite, could you spare me a day? Like we agreed last time," the Witch of Ice and Snow spoke up hesitantly.
Only in private with Loren could she bring herself to confess the long-standing misunderstandings she harbored toward him and reveal that embarrassing past.
Conveniently, back at the temple, Loren had promised her that when an opportunity arose, he would show her around Ikerite as a colleague.
"Of course. A promise is a promise."
Loren naturally remembered. During his most difficult days, the Witch of Ice and Snow had consistently helped him manage church affairs without questioning him like the others did.
Even though his home leave would be brief and the journey rushed, setting aside a day or half a day should pose no great issue, barring unforeseen complications.
"Then I shall trouble you in advance," the Witch of Ice and Snow said, nodding slightly to him.
She had never had the chance to hang out alone with a colleague before.
She might come across as an old-fashioned bore.
Asking Iphatia or Hyperion wouldn't work; they were far too youthful and girlish, worlds apart from her own demeanor and conduct.
As for Talia... Talia was out of the question for now.
When it came to friends who were mature and steady, not overly rigid, and dependable, the Witch of Ice and Snow could only think of Sigrid.
*When the time comes, I'll consult Bishop of Domination Sigrid on how to socialize with a coworker on a day off.*
Sure enough, seeking out a strong career woman like Sigrid, who excelled at managing interpersonal relationships, was the best choice.
The thought brought the Witch of Ice and Snow a degree of comfort.
"By the way, how are you returning to Ikerite?" Loren asked the Witch of Ice and Snow, Migaiya, and Iphatia.
"We'll probably stay in the empire to rest for a few more days before heading back to Ikerite," Iphatia answered, tapping her finger against her lip in thought.
Hyperion, the Witch of Ice and Snow, and the other great demons were taking the allied route arranged through Florence, making it more convenient to return to Ikerite along the path they had come. The international situation remained at its most volatile, and in such sensitive times, crossing borders via unofficial channels could easily provoke needless trouble.
Lanqi and Talia, on the other hand, were special intelligence agents of the Kingdom of Posen; they needed to return first to Posen's capital, the City of Flowers, Palieu, to report to their handler, Lieutenant General Nigel, before traveling from Posen back to Hutton.
"Besides, Posen and Hutton are close anyway. It's only a difference of a few days to reach Ikerite."
Iphatia remembered that accompanying Migaiya back and forth between Palieu and Ikerite had always been convenient, so there was barely any difference between the two routes.
"It's been a long time since we visited the City of Flowers," Migaiya agreed with a touch of nostalgia.
Aside from Ikerite, Palieu was the city-state he and Iphatia knew best.
"It's been so long since we last saw Rosalinda and Aetio. Migaiya and I will probably head to the City of Flowers first this time too," Iphatia said with an expectant smile.
Palieu had also seen many legends forged around Duke Migaiya.
They might take the City of Flowers route alongside Lanqi and Talia, revisiting their old stomping grounds in Palieu.
"Migaiya, if you go to the City of Flowers, won't you be mobbed...?"
Loren remembered that Migaiya had a rabid fan following in the City of Flowers.
If Migaiya, missing for so long, made a sudden reappearance, the moment he stepped into the street he'd be spotted and chased all over town, unable to find peace anywhere.
"No worries, Migaiya has ways to stay hidden," Iphatia puffed out her chest with absolute confidence.
"Just don't make the City of Flowers any more chaotic than it is," Loren said, shaking his head.
Over the past few days, he had gained a far more thorough grasp of the Southern Continent's situation than anyone else.
"Following the City of Flowers Incident, the full-scale war across the Southern Continent erupted almost immediately, leaving the issue of the Posen Demon Realm on the back burner without a permanent resolution. Currently, the preliminary solution proposed by the Kingdom of Posen is to carve out a duchy exclusively for demons on their southern border where it meets the Creti Empire, relocating the majority of the Posen Demon Realm there. This was brought up right during the peace negotiations," Loren explained to them.
Placing a demon duchy between Posen and Creti was completely acceptable to the citizens of Posen; compared to the Creti Empire that had just invaded them, they actually trusted the Posen demons they had coexisted with for years far more. For the Kingdom of Posen, it would also serve as an exceptional buffer zone.
Even though the Creti Empire—thanks to pushing Loren onto the throne and taking the initiative to sue for peace—faced far lower reparations than unconditional surrender would have incurred, they were ultimately bound to pay indemnities or cede territory. Posen wanted land, and land was precisely what Creti had in abundance.
At present, this matter was still under discussion with the League of Kingdom Parliaments. Whether this duchy proposal could be established and gain recognition from the alliance depended not only on the intentions of the Creti Empire and the Kingdom of Posen, but also required the overwhelming approval of the allied populace for a demon nation, which might necessitate a referendum.
"The chances are actually quite high. Several great demons made indispensable contributions to the allied forces in quelling this unrest across the Southern Continent, not to mention the positive public image of the Witch of Ice and Snow as a half-demon priestess, closely linked with the long-standing benevolence of the Church of the Goddess of Fate. The public's animosity toward demons has already softened considerably," Loren shared the intelligence he had gathered with his old friends.
"Doesn't matter to me. Whether the demons restore their nation has nothing to do with me anyway; I only care if the Posen Demon Realm is fun to visit," Iphatia chuckled with a tourist's carefree attitude.
"Wouldn't that make your sister rather thrilled?" Migaiya asked Iphatia.
Long ago, he had heard Iphatia speak of her elder sister back home. Princess Talia's initial lifelong wish had been the restoration of their nation, which was what prompted her to embark on a long journey in search of an opportunity—a resolve vastly firmer than that of a princess like Iphatia, who had chosen to marry and slack off the moment she arrived in Ikerite.
The demons in Posen all claimed to have caught sight of the Demon King on the day of the City of Flowers Incident.
Demons of this era had originally thought nine-seal Demon Kings existed only in history and legends.
Even if the demons hadn't gotten a clear look at the Demon King's face back then, the demons of the Kingdom of Posen were now convinced that the silver-white songstress on the stage of the decisive battle in Brillda was their Demon King—for she was the last and only nine-seal Demon King in the world today.
"Sigh, Sister gave up on restoring the nation ages ago. All she wants now is to retire peacefully in Ikerite," Iphatia closed her eyes and spread her hands in resignation.
Her sister's dream was probably nothing more than living a carefree life in Ikerite.
And, of course, marrying a good man.
The world was full of such ironies.
When you desperately desired something, it eluded you by every measure; yet when you had finally let it go, it might suddenly come true out of nowhere.
Chapter 856