Volume 2, Chapter 1 – The Road to the Kingdom

At the western edge of the Alexia continent, the Human Alliance is divided into three major nations: the Norta Empire in the southwest, the Hels Kingdom in the northwest, and the Ymir Theocracy, considered sacred by many, lying between the two.

Though numerous weaker nations exist along the borders of these great powers, most are vassal states dependent on their larger neighbors, effectively rendering them extensions of the major nations. Among these three, the Norta Empire in the southwest is the most formidable.

For ages, a saying has circulated within the Human Alliance: if not for the looming threat of the Vampire Clan to the east, Hels Kingdom would have long been swallowed by Norta. As for the truth of the matter, neither nation has offered an explanation.

However, those with insight understand that large-scale war is impossible with the Ymir Theocracy wedged between them. Though its territory is small, the Theocracy’s number of top-tier powerhouses and the cohesion of its military far surpass that of any other nation.

At this moment, on the border between the Niru Diocese and Hels Kingdom, two small figures trudged slowly through the wilderness.

“This is supposed to be a major route connecting two nations, so why isn’t there even a paved road?”

With a sigh, the silver-haired girl with twin tails, Yisi, muttered under her breath.

Though she could have simply used Advanced Teleportation to reach the next city, she had proudly declared to Camilla before setting out, “Using teleportation magic instead of walking is completely missing the point of a journey!” Now, even if her legs were about to give out, she couldn’t bring herself to suggest using Advanced Teleportation to speed things up.

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As for why her hair was now silver and tied in twin tails—the former was due to Second Form Awakening, a disguise to conceal her race, while the latter was purely practical. Her waist-length silver hair would flutter wildly in the wind if left unrestrained, and twin tails kept the strands from flying into her mouth.

Compared to Yisi, who was visibly fatigued from the endurance of a noble’s eldest daughter, Camilla only showed a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her golden hair, tied with a large white ribbon, shimmered under the sunlight, and her deep crimson eyes and refined demeanor exuded an aristocratic grace. Even dressed in commoner’s clothing, her elegance remained unmistakable.

“Paved roads are usually only found in royal capitals and wealthy cities. If you’re referring to an official road connecting two nations, I don’t think such a thing exists anywhere.”

“Roads are the foundation of development, though…”

Yisi grumbled under her breath, too quietly for Camilla to hear. If she hadn’t been reborn as a noble’s daughter but instead as Count Pescia himself, the first thing she’d have done was mobilize labor to pave proper stone roads around the territory.

Camilla adjusted the bag on her back—merely a prop, as the real supplies were stored in a spatial magic container.

“Onee-sama, do you really think a letter alone will convince Father? If we’re leaving the Vampire Clan’s territory for good, I think it’d be best to see him in person…”

“Hm? I never said we’d never go back. This trip to human territory has a purpose.”

“Is it the same as what you mentioned in the letter—searching for Ouranos floating island and becoming the False King?”

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When drafting the letter, Yisi had worried her handwriting might differ from the original noble daughter’s, so she had Camilla transcribe it. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that Camilla knew its contents. Yisi shook her head.

“I’ve never actually considered that. For one, I have no interest in becoming a Demon King or managing a bunch of subordinates. And second, the ‘guidance of Ouranos’ in the letter was just something I made up to persuade Father—ah, I suppose it’s time to tell you. You’ve doubted before that I’m not the original noble daughter, right? You were correct. I’m just an outsider’s soul.”

Yisi glanced cautiously at Camilla, only to find her staring back. Embarrassed, she quickly averted her gaze.

“Well… taking over the noble daughter’s body wasn’t my intention. By the time I realized what had happened, it was already done. Even now, I don’t know why it happened. Do you… hate me for it?”

Camilla immediately shook her head.

“Not at all. If anything, I’m grateful. The onee-sama I love is the one before me now. What happened to the original noble daughter has nothing to do with me.”

“But what if my soul gets replaced by someone else?”

“I would imprison them and bring you back.”

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Isn’t it the same body, though…?

Though tempted to retort, Yisi held back. Camilla already saw her as someone irreplaceable. The thought made Yisi’s heart skip a beat.

“By the way, what was the important goal you mentioned earlier?”

“Eh? Ah, right. The goal is to find a way to bring back the original noble daughter. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when I wrote to Father—er, Count Pescia—I felt an indescribable guilt. So, if possible, I’d like to restore the original noble daughter.”

“Then what will become of you?” Camilla stopped walking, her deep crimson eyes filled with concern. “If you intend to sacrifice yourself to bring back the original sister, I will stop you.”

Yisi couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“It won’t come to that. What I mean is reviving the noble daughter—or myself—in a separate body, so we can exist as two independent people instead of sharing one.”

“I see… That’s a relief.”

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Camilla relaxed slightly and resumed walking.

Yisi continued explaining.

“Originally, I had no plans for this. I lacked trustworthy allies and had no idea what magic could achieve such a thing. But Bishop Niru’s words gave me an idea.”

“You mean reviving Vice High Priest Owen?”

“Yes. Before we left, Bishop Niru mentioned he would send Owen’s body to the Ymir Theocracy’s capital to petition the Pope for a resurrection ritual. Though the conditions for the ritual are extremely strict, and the chances of approval are slim, trying is still better than doing nothing.”

As she spoke, Yisi opened her Omniscient Map to check the distance to the next town.

“So you want to ask the Ymir Pope about a way to revive the original sister?”

“Exactly. Someone capable of resurrection must have deep knowledge of souls. Like Bishop Niru said, trying is better than regretting never having tried. That said, I’m not making this a short-term goal—since failure is likely, it’s fine if it takes years to accomplish.”