Returning to the mansion, I recounted the events at the mausoleum.
From the Four Heavenly Kings’ Berna reviving Eldakrad to attack me, to the memories Eldakrad had passed on to me.
I told them everything that had happened.
“Is that so? You mentioned the names were similar. Berna, was it Bernoa?”
“Yes.”
“It seems your father mustered his remaining strength to pass on those memories to you when he broke free from Berna’s control.”
“Yes, that seems to be the case.”
‘Truly befitting of a hero,’ I thought.
Even in death, he had gathered his final will to convey it to me.
The thought gave me chills whenever I reflected on it.
“That wretched woman… to think she was the Saintess Bernoa all along.”
Just from the name alone, the similarity was apparent.
Berna, Bernoa—when you think about it, they sound quite alike.
“Shouldn’t the mausoleum be better managed?”
“Indeed. Since Berna has already infiltrated it once, there’s no guarantee she won’t try again.”
She had already come once.
There was no reason to believe she wouldn’t return.
The moment she regained her strength, she’d be back.
From the way she acted, that woman obsessed with Eldakrad was bound to return.
Now that the Demon King was gone, she would try to use Eldakrad as a substitute.
“If you’d allow me, I’ll set up a barrier around it.”
“You?”
‘I should be the one to handle it,’ I thought.
“If it was only about warding off the mausoleum, as I did with the capital, I could complete it in a short time. The mausoleum also needed an overhaul.”
“Yes. We need to bring the mausoleum above ground instead of extending it further underground. That way, I can set up a barrier and ensure its protection.”
“The fact that it was underground had been part of the problem. Berna could occupy it without anyone noticing.”
“It should be a single floor, and the council chamber should also be moved above ground. That way, any intrusion could be detected immediately and dealt with swiftly.”
“Understood. We’ll discuss it further later. For now, you should rest.”
“Yes.”
My right arm had already begun losing sensation.
I needed rest to control the encroachment of dark energy.
***
The head of House Ashtar summoned Katarina, naturally because of the recent mausoleum incident.
“Berna in the hero’s mausoleum?”
Katarina heard about the incident from her husband.
Everything their daughter Olivia had experienced, and the existence of the Four Heavenly Kings’ Berna.
“Yes. It seems Olivia resolved it again, this time with the help of the hero party.”
“And yet, they managed to infiltrate the estate until now?”
“The Ashtar territory was protected by a barrier similar to that of the capital. Only an intrusion on the scale of the Four Heavenly Kings Pector could breach it. But Berna?”
“There must have been a reason. Who knows what the demons are scheming? This time, your precautions with the assassin guild to protect the mansion were crucial. Who knows what they could have attempted within these walls?”
The head of the house had employed the assassin guild to guard the mansion while Katarina destroyed the mausoleum’s entrance.
After hearing Olivia’s story, he thought it was a wise decision.
After all, the mansion contained items belonging to Eldakrad, her father.
They might have tried to retrieve those.
“In that case, you should send word to the kingdom. We need to address the matter of Bernoa.”
“Indeed. The mausoleum must also be sealed.”
“Will you also press the church on this matter?”
“Hmm, perhaps. That might be for the best. Assigning you these tasks has made our workload heavier.”
The head of the house had delegated most affairs to Katarina and Rokton, stepping back from governance for some time.
But after hearing about his father’s story, he couldn’t remain idle.
“I will assist as much as I can. However, the church might feign ignorance.”
“They are an arrogant bunch with a misplaced sense of pride in their goddess. Even circumstantial evidence will provoke a reaction. And this—”
The head of the house handed Katarina a piece of old cloth.
“This is…”
“It’s a fragment of Berna’s clothing. It’s similar to the ones made by the church. Olivia gave it to me. It seems her grandfather, in his final moments, stepped on Berna’s robe as she tried to attack his grand daughter.”
Even as he spoke, his heart was heavy.
A hero who, even in death, sought to protect Ashtar.
He had saved his grand daughter and passed his will to the current Ashtar.
“How much anguish must he have endured to break free from Berna’s control and accomplish all this in such a short time?”
“This will serve as evidence.”
“We’ll need the church’s help.”
“Help?”
“Where is our second son currently?”
The second son would now be needed.
“He is stationed in the south, guarding the border.”
“Summon him.”
“Why so suddenly?”
Katarina sensed something unusual in her husband’s tone.
‘What exactly was he planning?’
“The Seven-Star Holy Sword and the hero party must also remain here. We’ll need maximum support from the imperial military, including cannons and firearms.”
Katarina couldn’t grasp the meaning behind her husband’s words.
“Please explain more clearly.”
“After the harvest, how many soldiers can we muster if we mobilize based on the expeditionary force?”
“Soldiers?”
Katarina listened intently.
“What do you mean?”
“No, not after the harvest. If we gather the crops beforehand?”
“If not during the harvest, it would mean harvesting the crops with the aid of the mage division’s magic.”
“Ashtar had recovered its wealth and pushed for increased grain production through the blessings of the mage division.”
Crops could be harvested even before the usual time.
“Excluding the guards needed to defend the territory, we could raise about 20,000 soldiers. Surely, you’re not thinking—”
Katarina began to understand her husband’s intentions.
Even so, she could hardly believe it.
The head of the house rose from his seat.
“The imperial hero, my father, met his end in the Demon King’s realm. Betrayed by a harlot who sold herself to the Demon King.”
A hero, killed not on his land, but in the Demon King’s domain, betrayed by his own trusted companion.
“How great must his resentment have been to pass everything he experienced to his grand daughter.”
As the current head of House Ashtar and his son, this was an insult that could not be endured.
After hearing about the events at the mausoleum from Olivia, the head of House Ashtar thought deeply and finally made a decision.
“Debts must be repaid.”
“Both the kingdom and the church would be held accountable using Bernoa as justification. They would secure military supplies, troops, and even high-ranking clerics capable of resisting the power of corruption. Additionally, they would request the imperial military for advanced weaponry in large quantities.”
“Yes.”
The Four Heavenly Kings had dared to make Ashtar their enemy.
The head of the house had resolved.
House Ashtar would go to war with the Four Heavenly Kings.
“He would take the heads of Seto and Berna and offer them to his father’s grave.”
“It would take some time to rebuild the mausoleum.”
“In the meantime, a new barrier was created, centering on the mausoleum.”
“It was a barrier strong enough to hold out even if Berna dared to return.”
“For now, Berna wouldn’t come back anytime soon. She wasn’t a fool. The presence of Natalia and the hero who wielded a holy sword—even if only in name—would deter her. Besides, she had already been significantly weakened after being struck by my magic bullets.”
***
“Why can’t the Four Heavenly Kings attack all at once?”
It was Noelle’s question, asked as she stood in my room.
“That’s because…”
It’s likely due to the Demon King.
If my guess was correct, even the Four Heavenly Kings perceived the Demon King differently.
Even in the Demon King’s lifetime, there weren’t any large-scale attacks.
I used to think their military command was unified under the Demon King, but I was mistaken.
Their command structure hadn’t been consolidated.
Back then, at least there was some semblance of order.
‘But now?’ The Four Heavenly Kings were…
“Perhaps they are still bound by the Demon King’s orders. But since the Demon King is dead, only Pector seems to act independently, while the rest are unable to make their own decisions.”
“In other words, they were like children.”
“Pector moved on his own accord, and while Seto seemed problematic, the other two—Clanis and Berna—were clueless.”
“Berna had been a saint, and Clanis… I wasn’t sure what she had been, but her behavior suggested she was just an eccentric.”
“Both of them had been utterly enamored with the Demon King, becoming Four Heavenly Kings but failing to command armies or act independently.”
“They had only followed the Demon King’s orders.”
“At first glance, it might seem like tragic love or loyalty.”
“But to put it bluntly, they were just incompetent fools.”
“That’s quite something.”
“Don’t believe me. It’s just my guess.”
But it was the most plausible explanation.
“Your guesses are always spot-on, sister.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. By the way, how’s your right arm?”
Noelle pointed at my right arm.
“Hmm, it was fine now.”
After resting a little, it had healed all at once.
“It’s fine.”
“Sis, you mentioned you saw the Demon King. And defeated him.”
“Yeah.”
“Then what happens to the Demon King now?”
‘I have no idea,’ I thought.
“I really don’t know.”
“Also, you absorbed a fragment of the Demon King, didn’t you? Could you become the Demon King?”
That wouldn’t happen.
For now, I was in control.
Rather than the fragment controlling me, it was more like I was forcing it into submission and drawing on its power.
“I’m managing it, so there’s no issue.”
“I was only curious about the nature of the fragment. If the abyssal mass was the Demon King, then what exactly were these fragments? Were they simply shards?”
Noelle, as usual, was pouring curses into her speculation.
The chances of me becoming the Demon King were slim to none.
If that fragment truly had the power of the Demon King, it would have consumed me long ago.
But it hadn’t.
Zerato was something Clanis gave me, but what could that foolish subordinate know?
“If you really did become the Demon King?”
“Honestly, it’s impossible. And if it did happen, so be it.”
“Wow, you’re so casual about it.”
“What difference would it make? I’m already living my life as I please. Becoming the Demon King wouldn’t change much. Besides, it won’t happen.”
‘Wait. This girl… Was she hoping for it?’
“Is that what you want? So you can hunt me down?”
“If that happens, I’ll take you down first. Now, confess already. Or are you scared?”
This girl, who claimed she would confess to the hero, was stalling right in front of me.
“Ha! Me, Noelle, scared?”
“Yep.”
“You’ll see. He’s already falling for my charm.”
‘The confidence was overwhelming. But where did she get it from?’
“Well, good for you. That confidence is impressive.”
“Back in the village, the older men always said I was the prettiest!”
‘That’s because you were the only girl around your age,’ I thought, suppressing the urge to say it out loud.
“Are you staring at my chest again?”
“Nope.”
“Then cheer me on!”
Noelle stomped out of the room.
Watching from the hallway window, I could already see Noelle and the hero facing each other behind the mansion.
“Hero, I like you!”
Well done, Noelle.
You confessed boldly.
She had done great, but now it was the hero’s turn.
He stood there, sword in hand, sweating nervously.
It was unexpected.
“Noelle… you like me?”
The hero looked genuinely startled.
“Yes, Hero. Please date me with marriage in mind. I don’t mind if you take the others as concubines.”
‘Such confidence.’
‘While Noelle might excel in intelligence and combat skills, her charm as a woman was debatable.’
‘If anything, as a woman in her twenties, I might be a better option.’
“Uh… well… I can’t accept that. If you want, we could spend time together, but dating and marriage are a bit…”
I knew it.
Noelle’s expression showed she hadn’t expected rejection.
“Why not?”
“For one, your body lacks the physical maturity for childbearing.”
“If it were any other girl, he might’ve bluntly said her body was inferior. But he was clearly holding back, likely out of gratitude for Noelle’s contributions to the party.”
“And?”
“When I see you, I feel like I’m looking at Noah. It’s hard to see you as a woman.”
“Exactly. That was the crux of it.”
“Is there truly no chance?”
She was practically begging now.
“Well, I already like someone else.”
‘What? He liked someone else?’