Volume 7, Chapter 14 – The Sovereign

With eyes filled with uncompromising fury, Fia did not release her grip on Anastasia’s wrist until the strength in the elf’s hand weakened. Although they had only known each other for nearly a year, Anastasia’s personality was so easy to read that even if her soul was from another world, Fia could understand her thoughts.

Anastasia had clearly sensed Fia’s urgency and wanted to sacrifice herself to bring back the “original” Anastasia. Burdened by guilt and unwilling to occupy another’s body, she hadn’t hesitated to implement Laplace’s solution the moment it was provided—even if it meant damaging her own soul. She simply didn’t want to see Fia trapped in a dilemma because of her.

It was much like how Yelido disliked Anastasia, yet the Eldest Princess insisted on keeping her by her side, leading to a cold war between father and daughter. If Anastasia had a choice, she would leave the Princess’s side rather than let them quarrel over her.

However, the more she acted this way, the more Fia found it impossible to look away.

Anastasia’s gaze turned complicated. She didn’t look away, but instead stared deep into Fia’s eyes.

“If I don’t do this, how can the original Anastasia be brought back? Princess, I am already a person who should be dead. Even if you are the Princess of another world, dying for your sake is far better than returning to my own world to spend the rest of my life in a daze.”

“I said no, and I meant it. If you do this, how could you face the Dofilia who brought you back from the Land of Exile? Just because Laplace can’t find a way doesn’t mean no one else can. If there is no pioneer, then I will be the one!”

Fia’s declaration left Anastasia stunned. Those ruby eyes, brimming with a resolute will, forced her to concede, and her gaze gradually softened as she looked away.

“Princess, I am merely an outsider. You needn’t go so far for me…”

“Shut up.”

Anastasia’s words only served to irritate her.

Fia didn’t even look at Anastasia, turning instead to face Laplace.

No one had a stronger learning ability than she did. Since Laplace couldn’t create a vessel capable of housing a Fifth Rank soul, she would create one herself. She refused to believe she was inferior to Laplace.

“Is there really no other way?”

“None, Lady Fia. I truly wish to solve Anastasia’s problem, but you must understand that a soul swap between two worlds is unheard of for both myself and Knowledge. If even we cannot figure it out, it’s even less likely that anyone else has the answer. Perhaps only the Gods of this world might know—no, forgive my bluntness, but I do not believe the Gods of this world are stronger than you. At best, they are merely precursors; they are far from truly mastering everything. If you cannot do it, the Gods certainly won’t be able to either.”

“Organize your research results and hand them over to me. Also, don’t do anything unnecessary.”

“Of course. You have my word.”

Even though Laplace lacked a human appearance, both Fia and Anastasia felt it offered a bow to Fia.

I’ll have to find someone who might have the answer.

Without further exchange, Fia shared a few words with the Witches at the entrance and departed with Anastasia.

◇

“Ugh?!”

A heart that had been beating steadily suddenly jolted. The Second Prince of Silvar abruptly sat up in bed, his breathing ragged as if he had just woken from a nightmare.

Helian, who had been keeping watch by his bedside, opened her eyes as well. As a Ninth Rank demon, Helian had little need for sleep; a brief moment of light slumber while standing was enough to keep her energy levels high.

It should be noted that Helian originally had no right to watch over Kalsey’s bedside. However, The Sovereign had undergone a drastic change in personality, not only demanding Helian address him as “Highness” but also allowing her to protect him at all times. This led to the current scene—Kalsey was The Sovereign, possessing a strength only at the Fourth Rank. He had intentionally suppressed his power to blend in with the elves, all to hide in the safest place possible.

“Your Highness, what is wrong?”

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The massive dragon wings behind Helian unfurled slightly, causing the mana they drew upon to ripple through the room. If Fia were nearby, she would have certainly sensed Helian’s conspicuous presence.

“She’s back.”

“She?” Helian paused for a moment. “Do you mean Dofilia?”

“Mm. This place reacted.”

Kalsey, his dark green hair disheveled, pointed to the center of his forehead. There sat a triangular gem flickering with dots of green light. This was not Kalsey’s mana surge, but rather an Authority he had obtained from a god. Just as monsters drop mana cores upon death, gods leave behind highly valuable remains. Fia had done something similar, grinding the petrified remains of the Elf God into ornaments for Claire to grant her divine protection and immunity to curses.

In Kalsey’s case, it allowed him to perceive danger to a certain extent. In truth, the things he could perceive went far beyond that.

Helian’s face grew pale.

“The prophecy of the God of Calamity? She must be looking for you. We must leave immediately!”

Kalsey fell silent for a moment.

“…It’s about time. Pack up and let’s go. If possible, I wanted to stay in the world of the elves a bit longer; it’s far more interesting than our world. Unfortunately, time waits for no one.”

Helian remained silent, waiting for Kalsey to finish. The Prince rolled out of bed and spoke with a sigh of sentiment.

“My Eldest Sister really is a child favored by fortune. Not only did she stumble into Galil’s testing grounds, but she also ran into Ruth and that Absolute Evil fellow, coincidentally suppressing the Chaos beneath the continent and buying time for that thing… If not for that, the Netherworld and Cold Night would surely be in total chaos by now. Speaking of which, Absolute Evil actually chose to flee. I wonder what kind of monster the Witch of Hope has summoned.”

“Did you not mention this to me before…”

“Can you guess why she’s back now?”

Kalsey looked at Helian in the floor-length mirror, a wry smile on his handsome face.

“Your subordinate does not know.”

“A new outsider has arrived. I can’t sense who it is, but the aura of the person beside her does not belong to us.”

Helian’s eyes widened in an instant, her voice rising several octaves.

“Another outsider? Her presence alone brought the Apocalypse forward by decades, and now she’s brought another one? She’ll be the death of us all!”

“It’s already happened; saying such things is futile. On the bright side, she is strong. Our goal is to avoid being destroyed by Chaos, and in that regard, we’re in the same boat. She might even become our ally. This is a good thing.”

Kalsey quickly dressed himself. He straightened his collar, radiating an approachable charisma that felt as refreshing as a spring breeze.

“Helian, do you have any Demonic Puppets left?”

“Only one unfinished prototype remains. She cannot use magic.”

“How long would it take to create a new one from scratch?”

Helian bowed her head deeply in shame, her waist bending even further.

“At least a thousand years…”

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“Meaning we can’t create a new one before the Apocalypse arrives… Fine, let it be. Leave your Demonic Puppet here and tell my sister that the Apocalypse is coming. If she deals with those redundant people around her, the Apocalypse might be delayed a little. I’m quite curious to see what kind of answer she gives.”

“She will kill those people.”

“No.” Kalsey shook his head at the mirror. “She is no longer the original Dofilia. Helian, you must try to understand the emotions of humans and elves as I do. They won’t use any means necessary to achieve their goals; the process is just as important as the result in their eyes.”

Helian frowned, her head bowing even lower.

“Your subordinate finds it impossible to understand…”

“I can’t blame you; after all, you’ve never lived in the world of humans or elves. By way of analogy: if killing you would delay the arrival of the Apocalypse—”

“There is no need for you to act. Your subordinate will take her own life.”

“That’s enough.”

Kalsey turned his palm toward Helian, signaling for her to stop.

“That is exactly what I mean. The old me would have praised your sacrifice, but things are different now. Helian, I won’t let you throw your life away. Ultimately, your death won’t bring hope. Besides, I need you by my side to feel at ease.”

“What do you mean by that…”

A throb she had never felt before suddenly surfaced in Helian’s heart. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. Her gaze darted around, avoiding Kalsey’s, and her wings fluttered incessantly; she had essentially turned into an adolescent girl.

Kalsey simply curled his lips into a smile. He understood Helian’s feelings but knew now was not the time to speak of them. Once the Apocalypse passed, there would be all the time in the world for nostalgia.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

Forcefully suppressing the fluttering emotions in her heart, Helian reached out into the void. Soon, a stable black portal appeared in the room. Helian didn’t leave immediately; she waited a moment until another version of herself emerged from the portal. The true self and the Demonic Puppet exchanged a look before Helian and Kalsey stepped into the portal one after the other, leaving only the magic-less prototype Demonic Puppet standing in place.

Before leaving, the slender Kalsey took one last look back at the bedroom. His red eyes were filled with a sense of reluctance. He let out a long sigh, ceased his lingering thoughts, and stepped fully into the gate.

Peace was over; an era of chaos was about to begin.

◇

On the return trip, Fia remained silent, with Anastasia following closely behind. Although she felt a sense of novelty toward the bustling and peaceful Blossom, Fia’s mood was more important. Even though Anastasia had just arrived in this world, she understood that Fia was angry—and at her.

It wasn’t until they entered the solemn and majestic Royal Palace that Anastasia finally plucked up the courage to call out to Fia.

“Princess…”

“What is it?”

Though her voice hid her displeasure, she still answered.

Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief. Dofi hadn’t ignored her.

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“You—”

It’s good that you aren’t angry, Anastasia wanted to say. However, she realized that saying so would be looking for trouble, so she quickly changed the subject.

“You said your strength increased after being hit by the Unsinkable Moon. May I ask how strong you are? I saw your teleportation magic—teleporting from the Barony of Yarua to Blossom. I’ve never heard of teleportation magic over such a distance. Have you already broken through the Seventh Rank and reached the Eighth Rank like His Majesty? Also, the current Holy Tree is quite different from the withered one in my memory…”

“If I said the current me could kill the Elf God, would you believe me?”

“Uh…”

Anastasia froze. Clearly, her Princess was still angry.

Yet, despite being angry, she was still willing to talk to her.

As expected, regardless of which world’s Princess it was, her attitude toward her remained the same.

But the current Princess was a bit cuter.

Anastasia’s gaze softened as she looked at Fia’s back. In her view, the Dofilia of the past hadn’t been without emotion; she just didn’t know how to express it. In comparison, the current Dofilia could express her feelings directly, possessing more of a younger sister’s charm.

And her hair had such a pleasant scent…

Anastasia couldn’t help but regret not taking the sheets and pillows from the room when they left this morning.

No, now is not the time for that.

Anastasia shook her head quickly.

“Your subordinate didn’t ask those questions for any other reason, but because in my world, Prince Kalsey is The Sovereign.”

“Huh?” The huffing Fia stopped and turned around so abruptly that Anastasia nearly crashed into her. “What did you say?”

“Your subordinate said that Prince Kalsey is The Sovereign. I never personally saw the scene of Prince Kalsey becoming The Sovereign, but in the past battle reports from the front lines, there were reports of the Second Prince of Silvar becoming The Sovereign and defecting to Chaos.”

“Because of that, along with His Majesty launching a massive invasion of the humans, both sides were heavily damaged, weakening the combat power of the nations on the World Tree Continent. Consequently, the elves were heavily discriminated against during the fourteen years of the war; every race believed we elves were the cause of the disaster. Though this is another world and things might be different, have you confirmed Prince Kalsey’s power?”

“I’ve confirmed everyone in the Royal Palace—”

Fia’s voice trailed off as she recalled Erin Slate’s reports that no matter who was sent to tail Kalsey, he would always mysteriously lose them in the end. Although The Sovereign’s strength was inferior to Absolute Evil, both were powerful beings on par with the Gods. Absolute Evil had once bypassed her detection magic through unknown means; The Sovereign might be able to do the same—for example, by using a puppet to replace himself like Helian did, or by directly suppressing his own strength to the Third or Fourth Rank to avoid suspicion.

If she took the premise that Kalsey was The Sovereign, then Helian’s mysterious appearances in the Royal Palace would suddenly make sense—she was secretly protecting Kalsey’s safety.

But if The Sovereign was in the Royal Capital and doing nothing, what was his goal?

Questions arose in her heart, and Fia’s pace quickened. In any case, she couldn’t leave The Sovereign in the Royal Palace. Even if she had to disguise herself and feign an assassination attempt on Kalsey, she had to confirm his identity. Anastasia was important, but her father and mothers were important too.

“Anastasia, you remember where Kalsey’s quarters are, right?”

“I do.”

“You go through the front entrance; I’ll go in through the window.”

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“Yes.”

After finalizing the plan, they took action. Anastasia, dressed in her swordsman’s uniform, walked toward Kalsey’s quarters from the main palace gate. Fia went to an unnoticed corner and hid herself using the [Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea], flying straight toward Kalsey’s palace.

In less than half a minute, Fia successfully dropped through a window into Kalsey’s palace. At that exact moment, a faint and familiar mana emanated from a room in the distance. Being able to use magic within the “Citadel of Silence” spoke volumes. Not to mention, the aura of this mana was extremely similar to Helian’s. She immediately ran to the room door, cleaved the lock with an [Enchanted Blade], and gathered the prelude to a [Mind Blast] in her palm. If there was any unusual movement inside, she would unleash the [Mind Blast].

Appearing in her field of vision was a purple-haired woman—Helian. To Fia’s surprise, Helian was simply sitting quietly on the bed. Even as the door was cleaved open by “thin air,” she remained motionless, her eyes staring into the void like a lifeless doll.

Something’s wrong.

Fia scanned Helian with [Detection Wind], finding that the mana on her was only at the Second Rank. Clearly, she was a puppet.

Tch.

Just how many puppets does this woman have?

Fia deactivated her illusion and walked expressionlessly toward the Helian on the bed. She knew Helian could remotely control these puppets, so she wasn’t worried at all about being unable to communicate with her.

“Helian, we meet again.”

“…Hmph.”

In the blink of an eye, the puppet before her underwent a transformation from death to life. Her lifeless eyes focused. Even when facing Fia, who was several times stronger than herself, she showed not the slightest bit of cowardice.

“I’m so sorry to let you come up empty-handed again. You must be both angry and annoyed, right?”

“Shouldn’t the angry and annoyed one be you? Scurrying away like a rat every time you see me, unable to even protect your own master… some Ninth Rank demon you are.”

Helian laughed.

“How did you discover that Prince Kalsey is The Sovereign? We thought we had acted flawlessly. To blend in with you all, Prince Kalsey even put himself in danger and kept his strength at the Fourth Rank. Even the ‘you’ before your memory loss couldn’t discover any of this—what are you doing?!”

By the end of her sentence, a great deal of panic suddenly entered Helian’s voice. While she was speaking, Fia had closed the distance, pinning Helian’s legs with her knee. She pinched Helian’s chin with her right hand while her left was placed on Helian’s ample chest, her expression full of mockery.

Helian instinctively struggled, but Fia simply used [Telekinesis] to bind her hands. She pushed Helian back onto the bed. Helian’s seductive face instantly flushed red. She glared at Fia and sneered coldly.

“You elves are no better than us demons, not even sparing a Demonic Puppet.”

“Hoh, you even included the ability to blush? It seems this Demonic Puppet has seen plenty of use. Sorry, I’m not interested in old women. I only did this to see if a great demon would show a bashful expression when forced to submit.”

“You—”

The mockery stopped abruptly. Fia looked down into Helian’s eyes, her entire body radiating a chill that felt like being cast into a cellar of ice.

“Why did you specifically leave this doll here? What is your goal?”

Helian gritted her teeth and gave an unkind sneer.

“Heh, if not for Prince Kalsey’s orders… Outsider, you have no idea what you’ve done. It is because of you that the Apocalypse, which should have appeared decades from now, will soon arrive. Even now, they are about to break through the barrier protecting the World Tree Continent and swallow us all!”