The bitter cold inside the snow globe. In that place the Giant had arranged as his own grave, Keiron spent the years frozen like a statue.
His conversation partner was the Giant.
The consciousness of the Giant, who had not yet managed to fall asleep, would occasionally tickle Keiron, and Keiron, speaking with him, thought about humanity and the world. He sank into strange contemplation.
The immortal known as the Giant probed into his own origin, but Keiron, whose life was finite, was certain of his own meaning. He held no doubts about it.
──Sofien’s guardian.
Was it a heavenly vocation, or a calling?
It likely had not been a goal bestowed upon him from birth. His mother and father could not have conceived him solely for Sofien’s sake.
It was Keiron’s choice alone.
The moment he first saw Sofien buried in ennui, that choice descended upon him like a duty. Watching that small body come and go through the Imperial Palace, Keiron decided what he would be.
──Humans live without knowing where they came from, or where they are going.
The Giant spoke. As an immortal, he discussed the lives of mortals.
──However, looking at you now, I know.
In the Giant’s eyes, the sea swayed. It was every sea he had ever seen.
──You are certain. That you need not know anything like your own origin. That the process itself is your origin.
The Giant looked up at the sky. Keiron’s gaze followed his.
──Many things come to mind. Humans seem different from one another, yet they are truly alike. One can know so much merely by looking into their eyes.
The Giant’s gaze slowly lowered and turned to Keiron.
He gazed generously upon a truly foolish human, one whose goal was “to protect another human.”
──Human. The time given to you is not enough to satisfy you. You pursue everything, yet in the end you fail to reach it and break apart. You strive, covet, seek, and die insignificantly. And yet you desire as though you will never die.
Suddenly, a faint light shimmered in his sunken eyes.
──……Now go back. Return, and tell the world.
The Giant closed his eyes.
──Tell them that the Giant, in the end, did not understand humans. And therefore, that “you,” who seek to witness an end that does not exist, are pitiful……
The solemn voice reached a quiet end. The Giant’s enormous body hardened like a stone statue. His final pulse was a throb that seemed to lift the world.
That was the moment Keiron took one step forward.
“Keiron.”
Feeling the Emperor’s voice calling him, he advances.
And as he advances, he recites proudly.
“……My life, to you.”
* * *
In the Imperial Palace’s gardens, parks, corridors, private chambers, dining halls, training grounds, theaters, underground prisons, courts, grand halls, annexes, secret rooms, flower gardens, auditoriums, military tents, outer walls—in every one of those places, the “statues of knights” begin to move.
Their appearance does not matter. Whether clad in armor, bare-faced, an archer holding a bow, a swordsman holding a sword, a spearman holding a spear—as long as the concept of that object barely falls under “statue.”
All of them move under Keiron’s control.
No, all of them act as Keiron.
Dooooong……
The corridor where Sofien stands. Enormous statues break free from plaster and step forward on two legs. Standing as though to block the path, they stare at the Altar’s group as they try to retreat.
They raise the swords clutched in their hands.
Whoooom── the colossal stone weapons rise.
For those who stare at them with eyes full of shock, there is no other option now.
“……Except to die.”
In that instant, Sofien’s command is handed down.
Kwaaaaaang──!
The statues swing their swords down.
—Charge! They’re only statues!
They are not merely statues.
Though their height reaches three meters, they are not sluggish. Rather, like Keiron himself, they unfold their swordsmanship with grace and agility.
Kraaaagh……
Release demonic energy— Guh!
Even if they somehow escape this corridor, there are far more statues in the Imperial Palace.
They, too, are Keiron, and so long as the Emperor’s command remains valid, they will hunt down and kill every enemy who dares invade the Imperial Palace. They will carry out a massacre.
Kuuuung───!
A greatsword crushed the Altar’s body. Severed limbs flew through the air. Violent fountains of blood dyed the Imperial Palace.
Through them, Sofien walked.
Step, step.
The sound of her footsteps rang clear. At the end of the red road the Emperor approached, a certain knight waited for her on one knee.
“Hmph.”
Sofien examined Keiron’s “aura.”
A vivid surge of mana, fiercely wavering and crying out with clarity.
Proof that he had ascended to the realm of a knight and transcended himself.
“So you did not come late for nothing. Zeit…… or perhaps beyond him?”
Even at praise comparing him to that “Winter King,” Keiron remained with his head bowed, waiting.
For Sofien’s next command.
“Raise your head.”
Keiron raised his head. In his transparent pupils was reflected the Emperor, covered in blood.
“Do you enjoy theatrics? Why were you so late? There were many moments when I needed you.”
It was a reprimand. Keiron closed his eyes as though in apology.
However, in this moment, silence was not a virtue.
To the liege he had awaited for far too long, the knight delivered a knight’s words.
“It was so that I might become the Imperial Palace.”
“…….”
At that, Sofien quietly looked around the area.
The statues moving alive within the Imperial Palace. The countless colossal stone figures mincing the Altar like meat.
Even if the Imperial Palace were to collapse, those statues would not disappear.
“……Hmm.”
That was why Keiron was saying it.
That “the Emperor’s palace” was not a building made of walls that blocked off all sides, or a ceiling that shut away the sky.
“I see.”
Sofien smiled faintly.
The Keiron of this moment held a rather bold will.
“So that was your meaning.”
To Keiron, the Emperor’s palace was every “statue” spread widely across the continent, watching over and protecting Sofien wherever she might be……
“From now on, I shall become Your Majesty’s palace.”
It was “himself.”
* * *
I looked at the Imperial Palace from the old mansion.
Even through the window, it was clearly visible. Extremely clearly.
As if I could open the door right now and walk outside.
“The situation at the Imperial Palace has been settled.”
Keiron. It was thanks to him arriving before it was too late.
Moreover, the growth he displayed now was extremely meaningful. It would no doubt be of tremendous help for the main quest that would soon arrive as well.
“No, Professor! That’s not the problem! I’m telling you, we’re trapped!”
Adrienne screamed shrilly. I glanced at her.
As she said, whether it was the Altar’s doing, or Dikailen’s trickery—
The door was closed.
“It suddenly won’t open!”
The hall of the old mansion. Adrienne rattled the front door and shouted angrily. Louina and Primienne, who had gathered here as well, wore tense expressions.
“No, why is it only me who can’t get out?! Just now Ihelm, Yuli, Gawain, and Isaac all went outside!”
Adrienne’s explanation was as follows.
About thirty minutes ago, Ihelm escaped carrying Yuli on his back. Gawain and Isaac followed him outside as well. However, Adrienne waited for a while because she wanted to hear the truth(?) about Yuli and me.
After waiting for me like that, now that she was about to leave, the door would not open. All communication with the outside had been cut off too.
“You reap what you sow.”
“What did you say?!”
Adrienne’s hair bristled. Her body trembled.
It was not that Adrienne’s personality was particularly violent; rather, fairies and the underworld, and ghosts, had quite poor compatibility to begin with.
Just as I responded to demonic energy, fairies responded to the dead and to dead spaces.
“Ah, seriously!”
“Please endure it.”
“Endure what?!”
“Shouting will not change anything.”
“…….”
At that, Adrienne’s expression settled coldly. As though she might explode at any moment.
Louina tugged on my arm and said,
“What are you doing? Don’t you know we’ll all die if Sir Adrienne explodes?”
“I know.”
I approached Adrienne’s ear and whispered softly.
—If you endure it, I will tell you. What happened between Yuli and me.
“!”
Her eyes popped open. Her ears perked straight up. Forgetting even her instinctive revulsion, she looked up at me with a bright smile again.
“You mean it?!”
What an incredible lover of gossip.
“Yes. I mean it.”
“……Well! Then let’s find a way!”
Adrienne once again swung her arms energetically.
At that moment, Primienne stepped forward.
“But what shall we do? It seems we must request support from outside. But how are we supposed to request support? The crystal ball connection has been cut off as well.”
It was a peculiar way of speaking. I turned to her and said,
“First, the Altar—”
“Ah~ I’ll say this in advance. It wasn’t us.”
All of a sudden, Sirio appeared, cutting me off.
Clank, clank— along with the metallic sounds of armor, numerous footsteps approached.
“……You’re the Altar?! What are you bastards doing?!”
Adrienne pointed and shouted. Sirio smiled amiably.
“Haha. Nice to meet you, Chairwoman.”
“What do you mean, nice?!”
“……First of all, we don’t know what this situation is either.”
Ignoring Adrienne, Sirio strode over and looked at me from right in front of my nose. Smiling brightly, he grasped the doorknob of the old mansion’s exit.
Naturally, it did not open.
“Ah~ we’re screwed.”
“What do you mean, screwed?! Don’t say unlucky things!”
“It’s not an unlucky thing to say. The solar eclipse is coming soon, you know. There shouldn’t be much time left.”
Sirio said it like a sigh.
“When the eclipse comes, everyone here goes to the underworld. Deculein, you know that, right?”
An event where the sun disappears. In this place, it was the worst possible one.
Adrienne busily looked back and forth between Sirio and me.
“Then, then what?! If the eclipse comes?!”
At her noisy question, I answered calmly.
“Even then, we can return. After six years and six months.”
“……Six years! Are you insane?! I’d rather break the door down!”
Sirio placed a hand on her shoulder.
“If you break it, we all die. This space is connected as one. No, it’s alive and moving.”
“……Alive and moving?!”
“Yes. We only found that out after coming here too.”
He laughed faintly, as though dumbfounded. Then he muttered like a sigh.
“Someone massively modified this old mansion with magic.”
“Magic modification!”
“Yes.”
Magic modification. As the words imply, it is a modification performed with magic, but it is not used in a very positive sense. Usually, if it is a normal modification of an item, one uses the word “enchant.”
I said,
“Dikailen?”
“Yeah. It could only be Dikailen. Nngh~”
Sirio stretched. He extended his hand to me.
“For now, let’s cooperate for a bit. If we want to get outside. If we don’t want to throw away six years.”
“…….”
I did not take his hand. Rather, I passed him as though shoving him aside with my shoulder.
In that instant, Sirio whispered in my ear.
—Did you know? If we don’t resolve this old mansion, the Emperor will be in danger too. Of course, Dikailen took your disciple as well.
The voice flowed in like wind.
I said nothing. As if completely unconcerned, Sirio now looked at Louina and waved happily.
“Haha. Hi, Louina~ It’s been a while.”
“……Huh? Yeah. It’s, it’s been a while……”
Louina answered with a somewhat ambiguous expression.
“Wow, with us gathered like this, it reminds me of the old days. Back then, we— Agh!”
Adrienne sent Sirio flying with 「Whistle」 and said,
“Then we have to find Dikailen first, right?!”
—No!
In that instant, a thunderous shout rang from the far side of the corridor. At the same time, two figures appeared triumphantly.
“There’s no need to find him.”
It was Epherene. Beside her was Lia as well.
Truly, the more I saw that face, the more uncomfortable it became.
“I, no, we will guide you. We met Dikailen.”
Epherene spoke. Sirio, who had been pushed back for a moment, quickly approached and said,
“What? I thought you guys had been kidnapped.”
“Kidnapped?! We ran away from you!”
Epherene sharply retorted. For some reason, her reaction was more favorable toward Dikailen than toward Sirio.
As if Sirio also found that questionable, his eyes went round.
“Hm? What happened? Hey. Did Dikailen brainwash you? Deculein. Check her.”
“What are you talking about?”
Frowning, Epherene walked over. Thump, thump— the sound of her footsteps was extremely loud.
The one who had been approaching so boldly—
Suddenly.
Threw herself—!
She hugged me very abruptly. She burrowed into me like a wild bird.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
It was truly unexpected, and no one in this space said a word.
I looked down at my chest to pull her away.
Epherene’s eyes were the first thing I saw.
……Strangely, a sorrowful light shimmered in them.
I think I know the reason.
“You delivered that mana stone.”
“…….”
Her tear-damp eyes trembled mournfully. Without saying a word, she hugged my waist tightly and exhaled a quivering breath.
“What is this! A scoop! Deculein, in a romance with his disciple!”
A voice rang out. Holding Epherene in my arms for the moment, I glared at Adrienne, who was making a racket.
“I have to take a picture of this! No! I don’t have a camera!”
Adrienne raved, shouting, “Camera! Camera! Camera!” while Louina looked at me with a confused expression.
“No. First, I should describe it in a drawing—”
I flicked Adrienne lightly on the forehead with 「Telekinesis」.
“Aaagh!”
Ignoring her as she staggered, clutching her forehead, I pulled Epherene away. Epherene lowered her head deeply and muttered,
……I’m sorry. I saw everything.