Episode 38. Just Give the Order
“What?”
Gerard shoved Leone off his lap and leaped to his feet.
“You call that a lie?”
Leone frowned for a moment, then smiled again, clinging to Gerard.
“Your Majesty, but if you prevent the marriage, it’s easy.”
“How?”
Leone’s eyes sparkled.
“You just have to punish Bercheria.”
“What?”
Her crimson lips curved into an arc.
“Isn’t she a sinful goddess? She made the guardian disappear, causing a third of the people of Periat to die in the war.”
“Ha. Yes, the war. It was the worst of times.”
“And on top of that, she dared to destroy Princess Kelita, Your Majesty’s younger sister, like that?”
“Huh? That was Lacrahan..."
“Your Majesty, if you punish Bercheria, then Grand Duke Lacrahan will naturally follow. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s it...”
“Execute that damned weather goddess.”
Leone’s eyes sparkled, as if she couldn’t contain her joy.
“Cut her off and hang her in the square. Let everyone know that no god dares to oppose Emperor Gerard, who rules the Periat Empire.”
Leone’s eyes sparkled.
Leone knew better than anyone how to influence him.
“Good.”
Leone squared her shoulders and shook her frail head from side to side.
“Where can I get mana? We need to open the portal quickly, even if it’s just for a few days.”
“Just give the order, Your Majesty. If you so desire, those with mana will be lining up.”
“I’ll have to tell the captain of the guards. Wait here for a moment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Leone furrowed her brow and went outside.
As the door closed, Leone patted the wrinkled clothes she had worn on Gerard’s body with her hand and glanced in the direction he had left.
“Idiot.”
Even after Tatiana left, Lacrahan and Bercheria lingered there for a while.
“Do you have any idea who that woman is?”
Shrouded in darkness, neither of them could see the face of the woman standing with Tatiana.
“Who she is isn’t that important. Ultimately, the Emperor will be the final destination of that news.”
“Emperor Gerard?”
“As always. He’s a dirty man. I’ve let the Emperor’s actions slide until now because I knew they wouldn’t lead to anything else. But things are different now.”
Bercheria wasn’t there then, but she was now.
By now, the news of that day would have spread throughout Periat.
Naturally, the Emperor would have heard.
Lacrahan, already under the Emperor’s thumb, now had to take responsibility for Bercheria as well.
Unfamiliar with his surroundings, Bercheria had to listen to and process the stories of people of the same gender for several days before she finally realized just how significant she was.
If she found power, she would become a tremendous force for good, but if she lost it, she would become a great nuisance.
Despite this, Lacrahan never once complained to Bercheria or looked at her with annoyance. No one in the castle who saw Lacrahan's behavior treated her rudely.
Even Wyatt, who always grumbled, was always polite.
"Lacrahan. I have a question."
"Yes."
"Why don't you blame me?"
Lacrahan furrowed his brow as if asking what she meant.
"The north is in chaos because of me, and more spies will emerge. Aren't you angry?"
Lacrahan looked at Bercheria's stern face and said,
"I'm not angry."
"Why?"
“What?”
Gerard shoved Leone off his lap and leaped to his feet.
“You call that a lie?”
Leone frowned for a moment, then smiled again, clinging to Gerard.
“Your Majesty, but if you prevent the marriage, it’s easy.”
“How?”
Leone’s eyes sparkled.
“You just have to punish Bercheria.”
“What?”
Her crimson lips curved into an arc.
“Isn’t she a sinful goddess? She made the guardian disappear, causing a third of the people of Periat to die in the war.”
“Ha. Yes, the war. It was the worst of times.”
“And on top of that, she dared to destroy Princess Kelita, Your Majesty’s younger sister, like that?”
“Huh? That was Lacrahan..."
“Your Majesty, if you punish Bercheria, then Grand Duke Lacrahan will naturally follow. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s it...”
“Execute that damned weather goddess.”
Leone’s eyes sparkled, as if she couldn’t contain her joy.
“Cut her off and hang her in the square. Let everyone know that no god dares to oppose Emperor Gerard, who rules the Periat Empire.”
Leone’s eyes sparkled.
Leone knew better than anyone how to influence him.
“Good.”
Leone squared her shoulders and shook her frail head from side to side.
“Where can I get mana? We need to open the portal quickly, even if it’s just for a few days.”
“Just give the order, Your Majesty. If you so desire, those with mana will be lining up.”
“I’ll have to tell the captain of the guards. Wait here for a moment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Leone furrowed her brow and went outside.
As the door closed, Leone patted the wrinkled clothes she had worn on Gerard’s body with her hand and glanced in the direction he had left.
“Idiot.”
***
Even after Tatiana left, Lacrahan and Bercheria lingered there for a while.
“Do you have any idea who that woman is?”
Shrouded in darkness, neither of them could see the face of the woman standing with Tatiana.
“Who she is isn’t that important. Ultimately, the Emperor will be the final destination of that news.”
“Emperor Gerard?”
“As always. He’s a dirty man. I’ve let the Emperor’s actions slide until now because I knew they wouldn’t lead to anything else. But things are different now.”
Bercheria wasn’t there then, but she was now.
By now, the news of that day would have spread throughout Periat.
Naturally, the Emperor would have heard.
Lacrahan, already under the Emperor’s thumb, now had to take responsibility for Bercheria as well.
Unfamiliar with his surroundings, Bercheria had to listen to and process the stories of people of the same gender for several days before she finally realized just how significant she was.
If she found power, she would become a tremendous force for good, but if she lost it, she would become a great nuisance.
Despite this, Lacrahan never once complained to Bercheria or looked at her with annoyance. No one in the castle who saw Lacrahan's behavior treated her rudely.
Even Wyatt, who always grumbled, was always polite.
"Lacrahan. I have a question."
"Yes."
"Why don't you blame me?"
Lacrahan furrowed his brow as if asking what she meant.
"The north is in chaos because of me, and more spies will emerge. Aren't you angry?"
Lacrahan looked at Bercheria's stern face and said,
"I'm not angry."
"Why?"
"Didn't we make a deal the day we first met? You wanted to find power, and I wanted to help my people."
Even when they first met, Lacrahan had been more concerned about his people than anything else.
Since Bercheria's arrival, his people no longer starved to death or committed crimes due to hunger.
However, the areas of the border region where the rain hadn't reached might have to be visited individually with her later, when she regained her strength.
Lacrahan suddenly noticed snow falling next to them.
He reached out and caught the snowflakes under his palm.
"Don't worry. There's no such thing as bad weather in this world. Bercheria."
Her eyes, turning her head, flickered imperceptibly.
Behind them, white snow was slowly falling.
“Did you do this?”
“...No.”
“I see. It’s such beautiful snow, I thought it was you.”
He couldn’t understand why her cheeks flushed at such a trivial remark.
Bercheria averted her gaze from him.
This feeling, perhaps, was similar to a low voice or the cool air on the back of her neck.
It seemed to be one of those moments when your heart flutters for no apparent reason.
Dylan, the captain of the guard, covered his nose with a handkerchief to avoid the pungent smell.
This dungeon, hidden deep beneath the main imperial residence, was filled with witches and wizards.
Gerard had never been particularly interested in other types of criminals.
Long before the war, his only interest had been in eliminating witches and wizards.
He didn’t care much about who stole, killed, or raped whom.
If a criminal was caught on the spot, the guards could execute them at their own discretion. If the crime was ambiguous, they could simply take them to the court for an immediate verdict.
Gone were the days of racking their brains for days to avoid punishing the innocent.
“Open the door,”
Dylan called to the guardsman standing guard at the middle door, his nose still pinched.
“Yes!”
He bowed, took the key from his pocket, and unlocked the door.
Dylan strode through the cellar.
Most of the cells were empty.
However, the largest cell, located a little deeper inside, was a different story.
When Gerard had first mercilessly captured witches and imprisoned them here, the dungeons were overflowing with people, leaving no room to step.
The foul stench of their waste never subsided.
Yet, after a week or so of deprivation, the young and the elderly would die and disappear.
With the population dwindling, the filth accumulated more slowly.
After another week of starvation, the dead now far outnumbered the living, and the prison remained as it was.
There were no more witches or wizards to capture in the outside world.
Dylan walked up to the prison's doorstep, peering inside where only darkness could be seen. He then tapped the iron bars with the sheath of his sword.
Kang Kang!
A sudden explosion was followed by a rustling noise from inside.
"I urgently need mana. If anyone can use it now, I'll prepare a feast so extravagant it'll break your legs."
There was no answer from inside.
"As expected."
Having no expectations to begin with, he was about to turn away without hesitation.
"Wait a minute."
A cracked voice came from inside.
Dylan raised an eyebrow and turned around.
"Have you found mana?"
A young voice, no, it sounded like a child's voice at first.
"Come closer. In front of me."
A skinny boy slowly walked through the darkness.
The sight of his long, skinny legs moving beneath the tattered hem of his trousers felt unnatural.
"Was there a wizard like that?"
Dylan's brow furrowed at the sight of his face as he drew closer.
Curly blond hair and large, double-lidded eyes.
"Blonde?"
Even the pupils within them were golden, hiding a dazzling light.
"You really know how to use mana?"
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose around the boy.
"Ugh!"
Blue waves rippled, enveloping the boy, emitting a soft glow.
At the same time, the previously dark prison was illuminated.
Dylan's lips parted involuntarily at the unexpected sight.
"A greater use of mana than even the famous great wizard of the past."
He had never heard of anyone being able to unleash such a level of mana on their own.
"There's a madman living in that prison."
Dylan's words caused the boy to instantly gather his mana, as if it were evaporating.
"...Is this not enough?"
Dylan let out a hollow laugh.
This was enough to open four or five portals and still have room to spare.
Dylan gestured to the guard beside him, pointing inside the prison.
"Come out. That's more than enough."
The boy shivered and stepped forward.
He hadn't noticed it while he was in prison, but he was taller than he'd expected, and his face looked as youthful as a child's.
The boy stepped through the prison threshold and walked out.
Dylan looked at the boy's hunched back and asked,
"What's your name?"
The boy tilted his mysterious golden eyes and answered,
"No."
His high nose, perky lips, and freckles on his cheeks hinted at how beautiful his features must have been, even hidden by the dirty dust.
"I was born here."
Dylan gulped, feeling an inexplicable elation.
Lacrahan was talking to the knights across the round table.
They were representatives of the knights stationed in each village, regularly reporting to him on the situation.
"The closer you get to the border, the more unsettled the people are. I don't know why it doesn't rain there."
"It's the closest village, but ours isn't doing so well either. The village right next to us was suffering from a drought, so we gave them this and that, and now we're suffering too. I'm worried that this will lead to another chain reaction of collapse."
"Hmm."
Lacrahan rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
With Bercheria in an unstable state, the weather seemed unlikely to stabilize completely.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”
At Timothy’s appearance, Lacrahan’s eyes urged him to speak.
“She has now entered the Grand Duke’s bedroom.”
The subject was omitted, but Lacrahan knew better than anyone who was referring.
“Enough of the meeting.”
He stood up.
“What about the drought? Shouldn’t we try another method?”
Lacrahan glanced at them.
“I’m going to try another method now. Everyone, go back for now.”
Dozens of men stood up and bowed to Lacrahan.
Even when they first met, Lacrahan had been more concerned about his people than anything else.
Since Bercheria's arrival, his people no longer starved to death or committed crimes due to hunger.
However, the areas of the border region where the rain hadn't reached might have to be visited individually with her later, when she regained her strength.
Lacrahan suddenly noticed snow falling next to them.
He reached out and caught the snowflakes under his palm.
"Don't worry. There's no such thing as bad weather in this world. Bercheria."
Her eyes, turning her head, flickered imperceptibly.
Behind them, white snow was slowly falling.
“Did you do this?”
“...No.”
“I see. It’s such beautiful snow, I thought it was you.”
He couldn’t understand why her cheeks flushed at such a trivial remark.
Bercheria averted her gaze from him.
This feeling, perhaps, was similar to a low voice or the cool air on the back of her neck.
It seemed to be one of those moments when your heart flutters for no apparent reason.
***
Dylan, the captain of the guard, covered his nose with a handkerchief to avoid the pungent smell.
This dungeon, hidden deep beneath the main imperial residence, was filled with witches and wizards.
Gerard had never been particularly interested in other types of criminals.
Long before the war, his only interest had been in eliminating witches and wizards.
He didn’t care much about who stole, killed, or raped whom.
If a criminal was caught on the spot, the guards could execute them at their own discretion. If the crime was ambiguous, they could simply take them to the court for an immediate verdict.
Gone were the days of racking their brains for days to avoid punishing the innocent.
“Open the door,”
Dylan called to the guardsman standing guard at the middle door, his nose still pinched.
“Yes!”
He bowed, took the key from his pocket, and unlocked the door.
Dylan strode through the cellar.
Most of the cells were empty.
However, the largest cell, located a little deeper inside, was a different story.
When Gerard had first mercilessly captured witches and imprisoned them here, the dungeons were overflowing with people, leaving no room to step.
The foul stench of their waste never subsided.
Yet, after a week or so of deprivation, the young and the elderly would die and disappear.
With the population dwindling, the filth accumulated more slowly.
After another week of starvation, the dead now far outnumbered the living, and the prison remained as it was.
There were no more witches or wizards to capture in the outside world.
Dylan walked up to the prison's doorstep, peering inside where only darkness could be seen. He then tapped the iron bars with the sheath of his sword.
Kang Kang!
A sudden explosion was followed by a rustling noise from inside.
"I urgently need mana. If anyone can use it now, I'll prepare a feast so extravagant it'll break your legs."
There was no answer from inside.
"As expected."
Having no expectations to begin with, he was about to turn away without hesitation.
"Wait a minute."
A cracked voice came from inside.
Dylan raised an eyebrow and turned around.
"Have you found mana?"
A young voice, no, it sounded like a child's voice at first.
"Come closer. In front of me."
A skinny boy slowly walked through the darkness.
The sight of his long, skinny legs moving beneath the tattered hem of his trousers felt unnatural.
"Was there a wizard like that?"
Dylan's brow furrowed at the sight of his face as he drew closer.
Curly blond hair and large, double-lidded eyes.
"Blonde?"
Even the pupils within them were golden, hiding a dazzling light.
"You really know how to use mana?"
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose around the boy.
"Ugh!"
Blue waves rippled, enveloping the boy, emitting a soft glow.
At the same time, the previously dark prison was illuminated.
Dylan's lips parted involuntarily at the unexpected sight.
"A greater use of mana than even the famous great wizard of the past."
He had never heard of anyone being able to unleash such a level of mana on their own.
"There's a madman living in that prison."
Dylan's words caused the boy to instantly gather his mana, as if it were evaporating.
"...Is this not enough?"
Dylan let out a hollow laugh.
This was enough to open four or five portals and still have room to spare.
Dylan gestured to the guard beside him, pointing inside the prison.
"Come out. That's more than enough."
The boy shivered and stepped forward.
He hadn't noticed it while he was in prison, but he was taller than he'd expected, and his face looked as youthful as a child's.
The boy stepped through the prison threshold and walked out.
Dylan looked at the boy's hunched back and asked,
"What's your name?"
The boy tilted his mysterious golden eyes and answered,
"No."
His high nose, perky lips, and freckles on his cheeks hinted at how beautiful his features must have been, even hidden by the dirty dust.
"I was born here."
Dylan gulped, feeling an inexplicable elation.
***
Lacrahan was talking to the knights across the round table.
They were representatives of the knights stationed in each village, regularly reporting to him on the situation.
"The closer you get to the border, the more unsettled the people are. I don't know why it doesn't rain there."
"It's the closest village, but ours isn't doing so well either. The village right next to us was suffering from a drought, so we gave them this and that, and now we're suffering too. I'm worried that this will lead to another chain reaction of collapse."
"Hmm."
Lacrahan rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
With Bercheria in an unstable state, the weather seemed unlikely to stabilize completely.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke.”
At Timothy’s appearance, Lacrahan’s eyes urged him to speak.
“She has now entered the Grand Duke’s bedroom.”
The subject was omitted, but Lacrahan knew better than anyone who was referring.
“Enough of the meeting.”
He stood up.
“What about the drought? Shouldn’t we try another method?”
Lacrahan glanced at them.
“I’m going to try another method now. Everyone, go back for now.”
Dozens of men stood up and bowed to Lacrahan.
“Yes! Your Highness, the Grand Duke!”
Lacrahan left Timothy in charge of the knights and headed to his bedroom.
He took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
“Whew.”
A sense of needless tension washed over him.
Lacrahan left Timothy in charge of the knights and headed to his bedroom.
He took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
“Whew.”
A sense of needless tension washed over him.
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