“No, it was because I was about to die and had no other choice.”

“Ah. Right.”

“And if Father hadn’t come rushing back from the capital, I would’ve wiped out another habitat or two around there—”

“But what does that have to do with this?”

At that, Leviathan burst out laughing.

“I’m telling you I had a very miserable childhood, you little punk.”

“...?”

Their eyes met.

“No adult wants to pass unhappiness on to a child.”

That was the kind of thing that made a person stop and think.

Had Leviathan Zebbert been unhappy when he was carrying a sword at twelve? Because he had seen too much death and too much blood?

Khalid pressed his lips shut.

He was strong, mature, and fearless.

A great many adults welcomed that about him. They even liked his quiet, cool-headed nature, saying it suited mercenary work.

“I don’t know how you lived before this... but those clothes you’re wearing.”

“...”

“For all you may think otherwise, I’m the commander there.”

Khalid narrowed one eye.

“That’s an order from your commander. For now, just smile and play around a little.”

“...”

“Forget the headaches. Go do all the pointless, stupid things you want. That’s the rule in my house.”

Khalid listened in silence, then answered.

“I do not understand a single word you’re saying.”

Leviathan muttered, “You understood every word, you little brat. Seriously,” then dropped the apple he was holding with a thump onto the crown of Khalid’s head.

“I’m going. Lock the window.”

Khalid whipped his head around.

A cool autumn wind was blowing through the slightly open window.

Rattle.

The apple rolled over his head and dropped into his hand.

After hesitating for a moment, the boy took a bite of the apple and shut the window.

*****

The Imperial Palace attendant topped off Leviathan’s teacup.

“Enough. Everyone out.”

The Emperor gave a light wave of his hand and dismissed everyone around them, then personally opened a cabinet, took out a bottle of liquor, and poured it into an empty glass.

Tap.

The Emperor moistened his lips with the strong drink and sat down. His face looked deeply /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ exhausted.

“As you probably already know, at next year’s Round Table, I intend to submit a proposal to remove the Magic Kingdom from the continental alliance.”

“That is exactly what you should do, Your Majesty.”

Leviathan replied while lazily swirling his glass.

“To be honest, the resistance from the elder nobles at today’s council could have become a real headache...”

“...”

“But, well, that hardly seems likely to be a problem anymore.”

The Emperor shrugged and let out a faintly bitter laugh.

“To think Balrok Zebbert would be the one to step up.”

The old Duke, who had lived in seclusion for nearly ten years, had suddenly appeared at the noble council today.

He had shown up with that distinct blazing gaze of his and bowed before the Emperor without a shred of hesitation.

“If there is any place this old man is needed, call for me!”

His voice rang through the chamber.

That greatsword clenched firmly in one hand.

Everyone in the chamber knew what it meant: not only support for the Emperor’s decision, but a knight’s willingness to march to war if necessary.

It silenced, in a single blow, those elder nobles who had been insisting that standing against the Magic Kingdom would be reckless.

Many of them had once believed in Balrok and followed him.

“Thanks to that, I only need to concern myself with next year’s Round Table now. More importantly, though... how does it feel? In the end, everything turned out exactly as you wanted.”

The Emperor gave a bitter little smile and drank again.

“...War may break out on this land again. This time, it’ll be a war against the Magic Kingdom. Against mages.”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Leviathan answered shortly.

“Did I not tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“If you strike down the head first, it all ends. I’ll bring you that bastard’s head myself, so don’t worry.”

There was undisguised killing intent in his darkened eyes.

“So all Your Majesty needs to do is make sure the justification for driving the Mage King into a corner is airtight.”

So that innocent mages would not be attacked.

“You really do say everything as if it’s easy.”

The Emperor gave a dry laugh. Watching him, Leviathan clenched and unclenched the fist resting on his thigh.

The time for grief and lamentation was over.

It was time to take up the sword again.

And the sword he was taking up this time was for the sake of protecting his precious daughter.

His heart thudded in his chest.

Calling it fear would be wrong, because he was not afraid of the enemy. Calling it tension would be wrong too, because everything felt too calm for that.

If he had to define it...

Perhaps it was something closer to exhilaration.

Now the identity of the enemy who had been terrorizing Rubian was clear. And once that thing was erased, he could finally believe the child would be able to live in peace and happiness.

All he wanted was to destroy the enemy as quickly as possible.

...First, I need to keep Rubian safe.

The movements of the Magic Kingdom were still unclear.

He could not act rashly while keeping the child beside him.

So for now, this was the time to raise a shield and lay the groundwork for the attack.

“You’re returning to the North in a few days?”

“Yes.”

“And... you still have no intention of telling me what happened between the princess and you at the Academy?”

Leviathan let out a small laugh.

“Why ask the same question twice?”

“...”

“If there were something I ought to tell Your Majesty, I would have already said it.”

The Emperor tossed back another drink and grumbled that Leviathan was insolent, maddening, and irritating.

It could not be helped.

Now that the Magic Kingdom had become an enemy, it was better if Rubian’s identity did not surface for the time being.

If you were still my close friend... perhaps I would have told you, Ditrian.

He was a good Emperor.

And that was exactly why, if the Empire and Rubian were placed on opposite sides of the scale, he would choose the Empire without hesitation.

That was why Leviathan had no intention of revealing everything about the child.

Not unless the moment became truly necessary.

“Still, before you leave, at least show your face to the princess.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You really are difficult. No, but wait. I heard the princess is not entering the Academy next year either... is that true?”

“Yes. More or less.”

Leviathan answered carelessly as he lifted his glass.

It was something they had decided after discussing it together with Rubian.

Given the magic conditions in the capital, and with the situation in neighboring countries unstable as well, Rubian was better off staying in the North.

For the time being, at least.

I have no intention of raising Ruby locked away.

Rosetta had agreed with that too.

Naturally.

Instead, so that Rubian could be safe no matter where she was—

creating that stage was his job from now on.

After draining the rest of the liquor in his glass, Leviathan rose to his feet.

“Then I’ll be on my way. Unless there’s anything else to discuss, I should leave. My daughter is waiting for me at home until her neck grows long.”

“Hah, honestly! Then bring the princess with you when you come to the Imperial Palace! You drag her around with you everywhere else, and only when you come here do you come alone?”

Leviathan ignored him cleanly and kept walking.

The Emperor smiled to himself and began scribbling wildly across a document.

“Excellent. Then next year’s Spring Festival will be held in Zelox outright—”

Thud.

The doors of the Imperial Palace closed.

*****

A few days later.

“Rubyyy!”

I was taking a walk in the townhouse garden when a familiar voice made my shoulders jump.

“Gah. Hide.”

“Where are you going? You really weren’t hurt anywhere? Then why didn’t you come out of your room? You scared me!”

Boyd came rushing over like a gust of wind and hovered around me.

“I was kinda busy...”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking! Busy with what?”

“It’s private!”

The moment I shouted that, Boyd recoiled with a wounded look on his face.

“...My little sister’s going through puberty?”

He had not even gone through puberty himself, and it had already hit me first?

I gave a huff and dashed across the middle of the garden.

The truth was, while getting plenty of rest, I had also been taking care of various things and keeping an eye on how the aftermath of the Academy incident was being handled.

“Let’s keep your identity from Liam and Boyd for the time being. Once the movements of the Magic Kingdom become clearer, it’ll be better to tell them together.”

“Mmm...”

“We’re not deceiving them, so stop looking guilty.”

The Magic Kingdom had gone suspiciously quiet.

Most likely... the Mage King was critically injured.

The moment Father cut down the second, I moved my magic and destroyed her magic core.

As a result, the Mage King’s magic that had pooled inside that body completely evaporated along with the second’s magic.

To be honest... that really is the surest way to break free from a mark.

Destroying a mage’s magic core.

But then there’s no telling how much it might shorten their lifespan.

At worst, they could suddenly drop dead a minute later.

Anyway...

With the Mage King in that state, and even Babilon having turned its back on him, there’s no telling when or how things might explode...

I swallowed a short sigh and ran along the path. The cosmos flowers blooming in profusion swayed softly in the breeze.

“Rub! Wait up... Ah, Liam! Over here!”

Boyd waved both arms.

Far off, a tall boy had just stepped out past the lobby and was walking toward us with a grim expression on his face. Or rather—

“...To think I actually saw an Iglius. An Iglius...”

“Is Liam really okay?”