Leaf Empire.
The empire of humans that occupies the most fertile lands on the continent.
It is, in effect, the largest and strongest barrier holding back the demons—yet at the same time, it is the sharpest blade poised to strike at their very heart.
However, in recent times, the people of this mighty Leaf Empire were gripped by an overwhelming sense of crisis.
“The Imperial Army that went on the expedition was completely annihilated?”
“T-That’s right… The once-mighty army was wiped out in a single spell from the Demon King.”
“No, that can’t be… Even the Hero participated in that expedition. How could it all end so futilely…?”
“Even the Hero fell before the Demon King. According to the soldiers who barely managed to escape, the Hero’s head was severed by the Demon King’s sword…”
The news spread rapidly from the mouths of the battered soldiers who had fled for their lives.
Of course, given that these reports came from men who had barely escaped the jaws of death, exaggerations were inevitable.
And as rumors spread, details would inevitably be embellished.
Even so.
Regardless of the finer details, one truth was undeniable: the Imperial Army had been defeated.
Furthermore, neither the Hero nor their companions had returned.
This stark reality was more than enough to plant deep-seated fear in the hearts of the people of the Leaf Empire.
“W-What do we do now? At this rate, the Empire will truly fall…”
“That will not happen. No matter what, His Majesty the Emperor still stands strong, and our walls and soldiers remain steadfast…”
“But… the Hero is dead. And wasn’t the expedition force made up of the Empire’s finest elite? If even they were wiped out…”
“Mmm…”
The expedition had been meant to turn the tide, a grand campaign widely publicized by the Empire.
At the time, the goal had been to raise the people’s hopes and maximize the impact of victory.
But now, with everything ending in complete failure, all it had done was deepen the abyss of despair.
As the atmosphere grew heavier, the people of the Empire trembled with anxiety.
But even more than those common citizens, the ones at the very heart of this nation—the Emperor and the nobles gathered within the Imperial Palace—were not merely anxious.
They were gripped by a far more tangible, bone-chilling fear.
“Truly… we have truly lost? The soldiers of the Empire… Hero Irushil as well?”
“…Your Majesty…”
Unable to believe it, Emperor Hiren III repeatedly ordered investigations to confirm the truth.
However, no matter how many times he demanded answers, the results never changed.
The Imperial Army had been defeated.
The Hero had almost certainly been slain.
Meanwhile, the demon forces had suffered minimal losses and secured a resounding victory.
And now.
With these grim facts confirmed beyond all doubt, Emperor Hiren III finally regained his composure and looked upon his gathered retainers.
“…So this is how it is. There is no choice but to accept the truth… We have been defeated. The Hero… and our ten thousand elite soldiers… all lost.”
“…Your Majesty…”
“But that does not mean we can simply wallow in despair. For now, we must reorganize our forces as swiftly as possible and contact the Church to prepare for the selection of a new Hero.”
“By your command, Your Majesty.”
Hero Irushil’s strength had been nothing short of invincible.
Now that such a warrior had fallen, there was no telling how effective choosing a new Hero would be.
Especially in this situation—where even the Holy Sword had been lost.
But this was not merely an issue of military power.
“If we appoint a new Hero, it may help stabilize public morale, even if only a little.”
“That is true, Your Majesty. However… at best, it will only serve as a temporary measure. We must swiftly take additional action.”
At his vassal’s words, Hiren III let out a heavy sigh.
How had things come to this?
Just a year ago, the Empire had managed to maintain a balance of power with the demons.
They had even been planning to form a grand alliance with the elves, dwarves, and orcs to launch a decisive campaign to eradicate the demons once and for all.
But over the past year, the sudden collapse of that delicate balance had thrown all of those plans into chaos.
And at the heart of it all…
It had all begun with the purge of the Great Witch, Mari.
‘Was I… too hasty? Would it have been better to use that woman a little longer before disposing of her…?’
Mari may not have been as powerful as the Hero, but as the Master of the Magic Tower and the Great Witch, her strength was undeniable.
She had played a crucial role in the Imperial Army, contributing to numerous victories.
That was an undeniable fact.
Even so, while the Emperor regretted the timing of her execution, he felt no remorse for eliminating her.
Her death had been…
Not just necessary for him.
But inevitable for the Empire itself.
‘If I had let that woman live, she would have become a great disaster. In the worst-case scenario, the Empire itself could have been torn in two.’
As that thought crossed his mind, Emperor Hiren III tightened his grip on the royal scepter in his hand.
A symbol of the Emperor’s authority.
Yet the way he clutched it revealed the intense obsession lurking beneath.
Although Hiren III was the Emperor, his power was weaker than that of his predecessors.
This was due to a fundamental flaw in his birth.
He was a concubine’s son.
Born to the late Emperor’s mistress, Hiren III had still managed to claim the throne.
Had that been the only issue, his authority would have naturally strengthened—especially in times of war, when the Emperor’s power was expected to solidify.
And yet, his rule remained fragile.
Because the truth was.
The throne he now sat upon had never truly belonged to him.
By Imperial law, the heir to the throne was always the child of the Empress, regardless of age or gender.
For many years, however, the Empress had remained childless.
Because of this, Hiren had assumed that the throne would naturally become his, even though he was born of a concubine.
But that expectation had been shattered.
A child had suddenly been born.
His younger sister.
She was a daughter, but she was still the legitimate firstborn of the Empress.
As long as she existed, Hiren’s claim to the throne would never be recognized.
That was unacceptable.
How hard had he worked to claim that throne?
To overcome the weakness of his birth as a concubine’s son, he had done everything in his power to win the late Emperor’s favor.
After all that effort, how could he possibly give up now?
The throne was his.
No one would take it from him.
And so, his decision was made.
At last, he drew his sword.
Late one night, Hiren sent assassins to the palace.
They murdered the ailing Emperor in his sickbed—and the Empress, who had been nursing him.
That woman, though of elven blood, still maintained a youthful appearance despite the years.
Yet, the moment her life was extinguished, Hiren immediately turned his attention to his true concern—the child.
The very child who threatened everything he had worked for.
But… regrettably, Hiren never found her.
He later learned that, in her dying moments, one of the Empress’s handmaidens had smuggled the baby away.
That maid, too, succumbed to her wounds, leaving behind no clues to the child’s whereabouts.
At the time, however, Hiren didn’t concern himself too much with it.
What mattered most was covering his tracks.
And securing the throne.
So, after setting fire to the palace to erase the evidence, Hiren finally ascended to the position he had long coveted.
Yet, the seed of unease he had overlooked that night would one day return—
In a way he never expected.
Thirty-five years had passed.
Unlike the youthful man he had once been, Hiren was now entering the later years of middle age.
And before him.
She had returned.
The Great Witch, Mari.
The Master of the Magic Tower, bearing the face of her dead mother.
At first, he had dismissed it as a mere resemblance.
But unable to shake his unease, he investigated her background—and the results confirmed his worst fears.
She was the very child he had once tried to kill.
The filthy wretch who had nearly stolen everything from him.
Unfortunately, killing her now was no easy task.
As the Master of the Magic Tower, Mari held a position even he couldn’t touch so easily.
Worse yet, her reputation continued to soar, as she led the Imperial Army to victory after victory against the demons.
For the time being, he put on a smile and feigned trust.
But as Mari’s fame grew.
As she became more dangerous by the day.
And worst of all…
As her disciple became the Hero.
In the end, the Emperor made his decision.
Even if it meant bleeding in the process, Mari had to be eliminated—before it was too late.
And so, he orchestrated a plan.
By bribing General Iskal and Mari’s own disciples, he set everything into motion.
At last.
The Emperor succeeded in killing Mari.
The greatest threat to his throne had been erased.
“…And that is how it happened.”
Hero Irushil finished speaking in a quiet voice.
Hearing the truth of a past even she had not known, Mari was left speechless for a moment.
Then.
After barely managing to compose the storm of emotions within her.
Mari slowly turned her gaze toward her disciple and spoke in a cold voice.
“It seems… I have one more reason for vengeance.”