Chapter 123

They were still holding each other tightly when Pons, who'd come looking for them, caught them.

"Honey practically dripping out of you both, this early in the morning."

"Teasing us, are you?"

"Not at all. Though it does make a single man wonder how he's supposed to live with himself."

"So why did you come?"

"Oh, right!"

At Lyssel's question, Pons gave his own head a light tap and held out a letter.

It was a missive from Cherity. Opening it, they saw word that the nobles were rallying with the emperor at the center.

According to Cherity, contact with Yelberk had been cut off for some time now, and though he didn't know how the emperor had managed to win them over, several nobles had crossed to his side.

"They're saying they'll mount a purge."

"A purge?"

"Yes. They can't leave the demonic energy in Lecashe alone any longer — they mean to do something about it."

"Wasn't it said the demonic energy in the forest came from the World Tree? Because it's corrupted."

"With the monsters having all moved out to the west, and the situation calmed down to some extent by Your Highness — it looks like the intent is to cut down the World Tree."

"What?"

Had they lost their minds?

The World Tree was the source of the demonic energy, yes — but it was also the very root of Aleta.

"Apparently they're stirring people up by claiming the reason the monsters were able to run wild was the World Tree."

"They can't even guarantee what'll happen if they cut it down, and they're just going to do it anyway?"

"That too, but I'd say the emperor has nowhere left to retreat."

Lyssel, who'd been listening quietly, added,

"With the temple gone, I think they're operating on the idea that the god doesn't exist anymore. They don't even know the god's name."

"…You're right."

He and Iberin had seen with their own eyes, so they believed — but the capital was already in chaos.

The temple had deceived the people for thousands of years and extorted their money.

And in this investigation, countless instances of corruption and human-rights abuses had come to light.

The temple was beyond any chance of recovery.

"I'd say they're planning to move forward as a new nation. If it succeeds, the ones who helped the emperor become founding heroes of that new state."

So in the end, like would stick with like.

Iberin shook her head.

Then again — the fact that they'd never even questioned a god who hadn't shown himself for thousands of years, that they hadn't even known the god's name, and yet the place had held together as a holy nation — that was a remarkable thing in itself.

Of course, she didn't believe simple faith had carried it this far.

It was all because of human greed for power and wealth.

"Are there a lot of nobles who've crossed over?"

"Not many yet, but most of them are from highly influential houses, so the lower-ranked houses look likely to follow."

"…That's not good."

"The noble faction is still firmly in Duke Cherity's grip, they say, but with the way things are going, even nobles trying to stay neutral seem uneasy."

All they had to do was prove the god existed.

For that, Demedeto had to purify the seed as soon as possible.

Would Demedeto finish purifying the seed first, or would the World Tree be cut down first?

"How long will it take Lady Demedeto to purify the seed? We have to protect this place until then."

"However long it takes, we'll hold."

"……Surely the southern nobles haven't all crossed over to the emperor's side too? Do they know how things are unfolding?"

"They all seem to know, one way or another. Letters have come from Marquis Bilson and Count Elton, actually."

"Really? When? What did they say?"

Iberin, with plenty she wanted to know, fired off questions without pausing.

Rotte looked a little flustered, but Lyssel was smiling as if even that was endearing.

"It wasn't anything to worry about."

"Really? That's a relief!"

Iberin let out a sigh of relief. She'd had good memories with them, and the thought of making enemies of them had been weighing on her.

"…That said, the situation isn't exactly rosy."

"…Why?"

"There have been some defections. The south doesn't have nearly as many as other regions, of course. And the ones who left were people who'd never thought well of Lecashe to begin with."

"Then that's fine."

Just being able to keep the ties that had been good from the start was enough.

"So when will the emperor get here?"

"Hard to say. Either way, we'll have to prepare ourselves."

Then, all at once, Iberin's expression clouded with worry.

"What is it?"

"It's just — however much of a Sword Master you are, however strong, without the seed of evil, will you be all right…."

Everyone said the reason Lyssel was strong was the seed of evil.

It was true that as a Sword Master he'd naturally be stronger than most knights — but there was no way the emperor hadn't thought of that.

If anything, knowing it, he'd come with that much more in reserve.

The stated reason might be removing the World Tree, but in the end, the aim of wiping Lecashe out was plain to see.

Then Rotte and Pons, who'd been quietly listening to the exchange, cut in waving their arms.

Their expressions were pure bewilderment.

"Hold on!"

"Hm?"

"What's the seed?"

"Huh? Didn't we tell you?"

So much had happened while they were asleep that she'd assumed she'd already told them about what happened in the temple.

"Ah. I think we just forgot to mention that part."

They'd heard about meeting the god and destroying the Demon King, but the seed of evil had tormented Lyssel his entire life.

Of course, others had only known of it as a curse.

To explain the seed, they'd have to go all the way back to the previous generation.

Once it was briefly explained, Pons — apparently overcome — shouted out,

"There are things you can forget about, and there are things you can't!"

For Pons, it would sting that much more.

His family had served Lecashe for generations, and they had known nothing.

"Waah….."

"…Steward, are you crying?"

"Hk, how could you — how could you do this to me, waaaah…."

"…Sorry about that."

"And I had no idea! Waaaaah!"

Pons just slumped down where he stood and wailed.

"Then, hk, hh! So the curse — no, everything — is all right now?"

"It is. The demonic energy inside me is gone."

"It's hurtful, waaah!"

And yet, somehow, he looked more moved than Lyssel himself, the one who'd actually been carrying it.

Then again, he'd watched Lyssel suffer for so long — of course he would.

"Thank goodness, truly thank goodness…."

Just like Pons sobbing his eyes out, Rotte was just as overcome.

He hadn't expected this intense a reaction. Blinking dazedly for a moment, Lyssel soon broke into a small smile.

"Thank you."

"…Then — Lady Iberin's health?"

"She said she'd take care of the rest once the seed is purified."

"Hh. We have to hold on, whatever it takes."

"Yes."

Rotte and Pons's eyes lit up with resolve.

They'd had to beat the emperor to begin with, and now there was one more reason.

"I'll send word to the southern nobles."

"Please."

"Oh — and now would be about the time the young master and miss should be waking up."

No sooner had Rotte spoken than the door burst open and the children came pouring in.

"Mommy!"

"Lady Iberin!"

Iberin smiled brightly and gathered them tightly into her arms.

---

She'd been gone only a single day, and yet the children clung to her side as if it were a long-separated family's reunion.

She told the children everything that had happened in the forest, too.

"So everything's okay now? And the god's coming back?"

"Looks that way."

"Wow. That's amazing."

Ether and Kal were just as amazed at meeting a god directly, but Rozelia's reaction stood out.

"So now Lady Iberin won't be sick anymore?"

"Probably."

"Then I won't be needed anymore."

"What. I told you not to worry about that."

"It's not worry — I just liked it, and now I'm a little sad about it."

A whole god had been met, and yet the Saintess Rozelia's reaction was decidedly not on the positive side.

"The god's busy, so I'd still be better, right?"

"……What are you talking about, Rozel."

"I'm not?"

"Of course you're better."

It seemed she'd decided the god was her next rival.

"Hehe, right?!"

This was definitely not how most people thought.

"More importantly, the emperor's coming — that doesn't worry you?"

"Not really. The god's on our side, so what's an emperor?"

"That's wight! The god's bigger than the emperor, right?!"

Kal nodded along quietly in agreement.

Ether broke into a wide smile and dangled off Lyssel's neck, nuzzling against him.

Lyssel had looked a little thrown at first by how much Ether was clinging, but he soon settled into it.

"It's so amazing. It's warm."

"I was amazed too."

What the children found most amazing was that warmth had come into Lyssel's hands.

That part had Iberin amazed too — she hadn't let go of his hand for the whole tea time.

"You used to say you liked it cold."

"…There's no summer here. And honestly, cold is good and warm is good."

"You'll hold my hand in summer too?"

"Of course!"

Iberin thumped her chest as if to say just trust me.

---

It was a brief tea time.

The hours when they could afford to take it easy wouldn't last much longer.

The children understood and accepted that Lyssel would be busier from here on and what was about to happen.

For how serious the situation was, the people of Lecashe were largely composed.

Even so, as the day the emperor said he'd come drew closer, an unspoken tension wound through the estate.

Not long after, Marquis Bilson and Count Elton brought their full forces to Lecashe, and the southern nobles close to them lent their strength too.

They knew, too.

That the stated reason might be cutting down the World Tree, but the real game was the emperor's move to kill Lecashe.

His true intent was already out in the open for all the world to see.

The temple's corruption had been such a massive matter that the imperial family's collusion with the cult had been buried under it. The emperor's manipulation of public opinion had played its part, too.

But the fact remained: he'd used the cult to oppress Lecashe all this time.

Seeing the temple fall, the emperor must have grown afraid this too would surface — and that was why he'd decided to wipe Lecashe out of existence.

With hypnosis no longer working either, the emperor's options were few.

From the emperor's standpoint, eliminating them might even be the smarter move.

"How is the capital these days?"

"With the temple's fall, cults are running wild. They're quite busy because of it, apparently. The one growing fastest lately is something called the 'Sun Cult,' and they say they worship a sun god."

"A sun god? There's a god like that?"

"There isn't. The leader is saying he himself is the reincarnation of the sun god, though."

"It's a cult."

"It's a cult."

Iberin clicked her tongue.

Cults, apparently, were all cut from the same cloth — whether in her original world or this one.

"And hypnotism?"

"After the Civelli incident the image of it is just awful."

"Caliman."

After having the viscount's household put under hypnosis, they'd released the viscount's family and kept Caliman under watch.

But now that the emperor had drawn his sword, leaving him alone was too risky.

"In the chaos he might end up colluding with the emperor and Viscount Sherburn, so we'll have to handle him quietly."

"Please do."

He'd been someone who ran experiments on innocent people anyway.

She'd meant to keep him alive and make him suffer, but with things this way, there was no helping it.

A merciful death was the only option left.

If Caliman died, the one who could undo the hypnosis on the viscount's household would be gone too, and they'd never escape it for the rest of their lives.

Iberin thought that alone was enough.