Myeolji’s Southward Advance.
All the wounds left by that harsh winter had healed. Emperor Sophienne had turned a historic calamity into an opportunity instead.
She distinguished between the dead and the living. The dead were the elderly, and the living were the young and the children. The old had died because they were weak, while the children had lived because they were weak. The old had died because they were too aged, while the children had lived because they were too young. The old had chosen death for themselves, and the children had gained life through the sacrifices of adults.
Emperor Sophienne had intentionally encouraged the deaths of the elderly. Those who were badly injured or unable to move were left to die without treatment. In their stead, she saved the children and the youth.
The elderly accepted it willingly.
In any case, the death of the aged was beneficial to the Empire in both the short and long term. There were fewer mouths to feed; if one judged by reason rather than sentiment, that was how it was.
It was a reform of the population structure.
The restoration of villages destroyed by magical beasts began. Since villages like landfill sites, slums, and ghettos that had endured under the fair name of tradition had vanished naturally, they were all incorporated into “Imperial land.”
The Emperor pursued thorough and planned development. The districts took reference from the efficient urban model of the Duchy of Yuren. She did not look down on it as “the mere work of a duchy” like the other stubborn retainers, but accepted it with an open mind.
As a result, Sophienne put that long and arduous chaos to rights in a mere three months.
At the same time, she achieved feats such as securing the Empire internally, strengthening imperial authority, and reforming the social structure.
“……It is all thanks to Your Majesty’s grace. The press, too, is singing Your Majesty’s praises.”
The lake of the Imperial Palace.
To Sophien, who was fishing while puffing on a pipe, Ahan conveyed the words of the press with a smile.
“The Empire now has only greater strength ahead of it……”
“……”
Sophien stared blankly into the lake.
The calm surface of the water holding her fishing line.
And yet, whenever she gazed at it like this, she was suddenly struck by an inexplicable sense of dissonance and déjà vu.
──At this lake.
She had undoubtedly heard something from “someone.”
“……Your Majesty?”
“Hand me the newspaper.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Instead of thinking, Sophien picked up the newspaper.
Freedom of the press was a social value she was attempting to foster these days. Of course, it was for the purpose of keeping her retainers in check. She hoped their eyes and ears would expose the corruption and misconduct of those vermin-like officials……
“……What madness is this?”
Sophien’s face twisted. She pointed to the huge headline at the top of the newspaper.
[ Deculein, Who Strongly Advocated the Extermination of the Jeokgwe, Blocked by the Mercy of His Majesty Emperor Sophienne. ]
Below it, the article was densely written.
─……In conjecture, Professor Deculein appears to have advocated not merely the suppression of the Jeokgwe, but the extermination of the entire race, only to be met with His Majesty Sophienne’s magnanimous opposition. No matter how sinful a clan may be, annihilation is—
Sophien crumpled the newspaper. Beyond the paper, Ahan wore an awkward smile.
“Ah…… that is…… you see. An excerpt was taken from a conversation Professor Deculein personally had with the Chairwoman……”
“……You are saying that professor said this.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ahan lowered his head and continued.
“If I may dare say so, perhaps the professor intends to shoulder the weight of suppressing the Jeokgwe in Your Majesty’s stead……”
“Tsk.”
Sophien read the newspaper again.
Every cruel or cold-hearted assertion belonged to Deculein, and only benevolence and grace belonged to her.
“I truly cannot understand what that man wants.”
A man whose inner thoughts could not be guessed from his outward appearance, and who never revealed what lay in his heart.
He seemed to hate the Jeokgwe more than anyone, and yet when it came to the most important policy, he had told her to consider that “it was not the fault of every Jeokgwe.”
Ahan spoke carefully.
“Perhaps the professor does not wish for Your Majesty to be hated.”
“……Hated?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hmph.”
Sophien sneered and lowered her gaze. She looked at Chiron’s snow globe placed by her feet.
“Thus, I have become certain. There is no one who thinks of His Majesty the Emperor as sincerely as the professor—”
“I understand, so shut your mouth. I can ask the professor himself about the truth later.”
She grasped the fishing rod again. There was no bite, but she stirred it this way and that for no reason.
“Tell that professor to visit me once this ‘Island of Voices’ or whatever it is has ended. I shall interrogate him thoroughly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Ahan bowed at the waist while suppressing a smile.
Indeed, though she spoke like that, a red flush had risen on both her cheeks—
“Why are you laughing?”
“Yes, yes? Ah, Your Majesty. That is……”
“……Bring me a snack. I am beginning to grow hungry.”
“Yes! I shall return at once!”
Ahan left as though fleeing.
* * *
The “Island of Voices” had appeared in the Empire’s western territorial waters. As soon as the news spread, hundreds of adventurers rushed in, but all of them were detained by Deculein, who had set up a cordon in advance, and the Imperial Guard forces.
─No. How does it make sense that we’re locked up here?
─Seriously. Is the Empire trying to make an enemy of the Adventurers’ Guild? Huh? We’ll boycott?
─I get that it appeared in Imperial waters. But does that mean it all belongs to the Empire? Then what about fishermen? Why do fishermen catch fish and sell them? Shouldn’t they be offering it all to the Empire?
Thanks to that, only the theater on the western coast was as noisy as a marketplace. The police station was too small, so the theater was being used in its place……
“Haaam~”
Yawning, Ganesha took out the radio she had newly purchased this time.
In truth, twofold and threefold preparations were only natural for an adventurer, so she had split the party in two even before departure.
“Dozmu. Can you hear me?”
─Yes, Captain.
The reply came immediately. Ganesha grinned and asked.
“Mm. Where are you right now~?”
─I’m right… here.
“……Huh?”
Bzzzt—
The transmission cut off, and a voice came from not far away.
“Here. Captain, I’m right… here.”
In the very back row of the theater. Dozmu and the other members of the adventuring party were sitting calmly, waving their hands.
A vein bulged on Ganesha’s forehead.
“Ah, that useless bastard, seriously…… Ugly as hell and can’t even do his job. I’m gonna grind his face off.”
“But this might actually be a good thing.”
Lia spoke. Then she looked around the inside of the theater.
There were at least over five hundred adventurers.
“We don’t know what would happen if this many people went in all at once.”
Just then, the theater doors opened again.
Every adventurer’s gaze focused there, and a man appeared, straightening his sleeves and wristwatch.
Deculein.
“Good to see you.”
He spoke as he looked around at the adventurers. However, every single adventurer wore a fierce expression.
“I am not unaware of your disappointment, but the ‘Island of Voices’ is within the Empire’s territorial waters. The law exists to be obeyed. Is that not so?”
An overbearing voice that cut off rebellion or rebuttal in advance.
“No! The agreement between the Adventurers’ Guild and the Empire—”
“Do you think my ability to interpret the law is inferior to yours? If you wish, we can debate it. All of you may come at me together.”
A certain bald man, a fairly famous adventurer named “Durok,” glared and tried to rush in, but he was immediately suppressed.
Ganesha, too, let out a hollow laugh.
“It’s no use. Since the main issue is law from the start, they can’t beat him.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Half the guys you see here probably haven’t even properly read the Adventurers’ Code. The smart ones who read that kind of thing are probably somewhere else, figuring out another method, right?”
“……True.”
Lia nodded and raised her hand high. At that moment, Deculein and several adventurers turned to look at her.
“Then are adventurers completely unable to enter the island?”
“No. If they undergo proper evaluation and selection, and if they take an ‘oath’ to leave the island after carrying out only a specific mission, entry is possible.”
“……Who does the evaluation and selection?”
Deculein narrowed his brow as though asking why she would ask such a thing.
“I do.”
* * *
Gulp—
Lia swallowed as she faced Deculein. Fortunately, Ganesha was beside her, but she was still nervous for no reason.
“Are you two the only members of the Red Garnet Adventuring Party?”
In a dark space that could have been an evaluation room or an interrogation room, Deculein asked while reading their adventurer identification cards and documents.
“……Yes. There are a few more outside. Should I call them in?”
“Call—”
“Oh~ Don’t be like that. We have ties, and debts, don’t we~”
Ganesha looked at Deculein and winked with a bright smile.
Deculein, however, showed no reaction whatsoever.
“……Ahem.”
Ganesha fluttered her twin tails a few times before speaking as usual again.
“What must we do to enter that island? No, what is your objective, Professor~?”
“My objective is to dispose of the entire ‘Island of Voices.’ If the erosion proceeds any further, the world will be devoured.”
Deculein returned Ganesha and Lia’s adventurer identification cards and continued.
“If the Voice spreads, the distinction between the living and the dead will vanish. This place will become no different from the underworld, and it will become a continent of undead not worth living.”
Lia marveled inwardly. Deculein had seen through the essence of the quest called the “Voice.”
Was that the Yukline family for you?
“To dispose of the island?”
“We must find and kill the ‘Master of Waves.’ The ‘Voice’ wearing a human shell. That demon should be inside that island.”
Ganesha thought deeply for a moment, then nodded.
“There will be a reward, yes?”
Deculein replied as though scoffing.
“Beyond your imagination.”
“……”
For a moment, Ganesha’s expression hardened.
Like this, there were times when the speaker mattered more than the content of the words. If some vagrant said such a thing, she would simply dismiss it as nonsense, but if it was a noble of Deculein’s caliber, the story was different.
The head of Yukline had said—the reward would be beyond imagination.
That simple sentence became a declaration that made even Ganesha’s heart tremble, she who had wandered the continent for over ten years and had held most treasures of gold and silver in her hands.
“What about the evaluation and selection? If we are selected, what exactly do we do?”
Looking at Ganesha, who had become quite serious, Deculein gave a faint smile.
“If you are selected, you will enter the Voice with me. Aside from our shared objective, you are free. I will not interfere with whatever you do there.”
“Mm, good. Then how do you conduct the selection? Is there a test?”
“There is a simple test.”
His selection criteria at the moment were extremely simple. The item he wished to evaluate, and the process of that evaluation itself, were both a kind of short quiz that would be over in an instant if possible.
“Facing me with your ‘mental strength.’”
Did they possess the mental strength not to be bewitched by the Voice?
“……That is all.”
For some reason, a wicked smile appeared on Deculein’s lips.
* * *
……Meanwhile, Yuli was rummaging through confidential documents in the basement of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.
The assignment given to her by His Majesty the Emperor: the mastermind behind the attempted poisoning. She was drawing closer to that truth, one step at a time.
“Do you really have to know that?”
Rustle— rustle— A voice approached Yuli as she sifted through the documents. Startled, she turned in that direction.
It was Sirio.
“Sir Sirio?”
“Mm. Looks like that’s your assignment.”
“You startled…… Hoo. It is confidential. Please keep it secret.”
“Of course. I’m tight-lipped.”
Sirio laughed cheerfully and sat beside her.
“What about the ‘Island of Voices’? Are you not going? It’s famous among the knights these days.”
“I will go. However, I hear no knight slot has opened yet, aside from Deculein’s connections.”
An island for adventurers. That place, clearly both a crisis and an opportunity, could only be entered by those connected to Deculein.
Though they were nominally receiving knight support from the Imperial Knights, since the person in charge was “Delic,” any faction that had earned even the slightest displeasure from Deculein was immediately excluded.
It was truly absurd.
The Imperial Knights, who cared for the Empire more than anyone, were being swayed by a mere professor.
“Really? Well, that’s like Deculein~”
“Yes. Right now, Deculein is no different from a cartel.”
Yuli’s voice was thick with hostility. Sirio looked at her and gave a small smile.
“Yuli, it seems you still hate Deculein.”
Yuli answered while putting several documents into her bag.
“……Yes.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? Sirio, you know. The things he…… did.”
“Mm. I know. I saw them myself.”
Sirio grinned.
“But all of that was for your sake.”
“What is that supposed to…… Never mind. I will be going now. I do not wish to argue with you, Sirio.”
Yuli slung her bag over her shoulder. The backpack, which had swallowed an enormous amount of documents, was larger than Yuli herself.
As Yuli grasped the doorknob of the intelligence room, Sirio spoke to her.
“Yuli. You might regret it. Once you learn what lies behind it.”
“……”
“And it might become dangerous.”
An ominous voice. Not Sirio’s usual clear tone, but a wind thick and sticky like blood wrapped around Yuli’s body.
She looked back at Sirio.
“What do you mean by that?”
“……”
Sirio’s face was expressionless. As she glared at him, now calmly sunken, Yuli placed her hand on the sword at her waist. Sirio, who followed her movement with his eyes, also smiled faintly.
“I said it’s dangerous. A truth that becomes dangerous once you know it. The Altar will target you. And you will be badly hurt too. Are you still fine with that?”
“There is nothing more for me to lose.”
Yuli nodded resolutely. She spoke while grinding her molars.
“The knight order that was my everything collapsed because of Professor Deculein, and I lost the two subordinates who were most loyal to me.”
“……So, you want revenge?”
Sirio’s words seemed mocking. Yet Yuli did not bother to deny it.
Revenge.
Perhaps it was revenge.
Even without attaching some grand belief or conviction to it, the emotion she now bore toward Deculein was simply revenge.
A flame burning hotter than a volcano.
“Yes. I want revenge. I do.”
“……”
It was a firm declaration. Sirio, who had been ominous, returned to his usual self in that instant. He gave off a clear breeze and smiled warmly.
“I see. Then there is no need to deal with you here.”
“……Sirio. You are—”
“You’ll find out everything later. I’m in that secret you’re searching for, too.”
“……”
In that instant, Yuli’s eyes widened, and she quickly drew the sword at her waist.
“Knight Sirio! If those words are true, then you are—ugh!”
Fwoooooosh──!
A gale swept through the sealed space. All kinds of papers were caught in it and surged up, blocking her vision, and when the floundering Yuli opened her eyes.
“……Sirio.”
The knight of Iliade, Sirio, had already vanished.