With that, she dashed off into the forest. She must have been using some sort of magic to help her run, as she was out of sight in the blink of an eye.
There was so much I still wanted to say. But all the words had vanished from my mind.
“Liliana...” By the time I said her name, she was long gone.
Like a fairy from a children’s tale, she had disappeared, vanishing into the forest. It was as if I had awoken from a wonderful dream.
†††
That day, Demon King Gordogias was handling his paperwork as usual. Some of their contents even included reports from the front lines. However, most of his time was consumed by squabbles between the various tribes. Stolen livestock here, embezzlement there, a bloody scuffle over there... It never ended.
When it came to dispensing (what the demons considered) justice, the Demon King leaned heavily on precedent. He would peruse records regarding judgments rained down by the first Demon King himself. If a similar case was found, a similar judgment would be applied. If a precedent was nonexistent, he would rack his brain for a fair judgment of his own.
“I think it’s about time for a break...”
Exhausted by the endless line of petitioners, he was just about to call for his butler to bring some tea. But then, a voice resounded from outside.
“What?!” the person all but screamed, followed by a violent knocking on his door. “Report! I have a new report!”
“Enter,” the king’s expression tightened as he invited them inside. It was one of the Izanis messengers, posted just outside his office. They used their Transmission for urgent reports.
“Your Majesty, a report...!”
The messenger’s face was deathly pale, like he was mere moments away from collapsing. What could possibly be—
“There has been an armed confrontation between Lord Emergias and Lord Zilbagias!”
The king’s initial instinct was to brush it off as a squabble between brothers, but he knew that it couldn’t have been that simple. If the report was coming by Transmission, the situation had to be far more dire.
“I’ll put an end to it. Where are they?” he said, standing from his chair.
But the messenger continued, beginning to sweat profusely. “Fort Aurora, Your Majesty. But...the report says along with six Izanis warriors and seven dragons...Lord Emergias has been slain!”
Gordogias’s jaw dropped. He slowly sank back into his chair, feeling every bit like he had just been struck by lightning.
“Zilbagias?! What about Zilbagias?!”
“He has just returned to the castle by dragon... The report says he is...unharmed,” the Izanis messenger squeezed out, struggling to remain professional.
This entire situation was downright impossible. Why? The king was well aware of the fact that Emergias and Zilbagias were not on the best of terms. But there had been no sign their conflict would escalate to bloodshed anytime soon.
Thoroughly paralyzed by the news, the next report was devastating.
“Furthermore, the high elf under Lord Zilbagias’s control was lost in the battle. Her current whereabouts are unknown!”
“Sound the alarm!” the king shouted, jumping up with such vigor that it sent his chair clattering to the floor.
“Summon the royal guard and the rapid response forces. Have them search Fort Aurora’s surrounding area for any signs of the high elf. Send the dragons to patrol the area as well. Order the castle guard to prepare to defend the city. If anyone makes contact with the high elf, they are to report immediately. Killing her on sight is permitted, but I will handle it myself if needed.”
“Yes, sir! Muster the royal guard! Send them together with the rapid response force to Fort Aurora—” the messenger began repeating the orders he had just received.
“Send messengers to the outlying cities and the front lines. They are to be on guard and aid in the search. Particularly, regardless of the circumstances, the front lines are not to allow her to leave the demonic kingdom! Also...” The king kept his face stern, hands clenching into fists. “Call for Zilbagias. I need to hear the series of events from him...!”
†††
“My, what a ruckus,” First Demon Prince Aiogias commented to himself, distracted from his writing by the chaos erupting outside. Before he even had time to ring the bell on his desk to beckon a servant, panicked footsteps were racing toward his door.
“Your Highness! Lord Emergias has...!” One of his protégés tumbled into the room, not so much as knocking.
“Calm yourself, and show some grace. What has that idiot done this time?” he chastised the young man for his behavior before asking with a sigh.
Emergias was very much the problem child of their faction. After being on the receiving end of some bullying from their youngest brother, Emergias had claimed he was unwell and holed himself up in his room. He’d even gone so far as to spurn their usual family meetings. If his actions had threatened their position in the kingdom once again, Aiogias would have to really teach him his place this time—
“He has been killed!”
Aiogias’s jaw dropped.
“Lord Emergias took a number of troops to Fort Aurora, where he engaged in combat with Lord Zilbagias. He was killed in the battle...”
The pen in Aiogias’s hand slipped from his fingers.
†††
“Emergias is dead?!” Second Demon Princess Rubifya’s voice was shrill as she repeated the news her attendant brought her while another servant behind the sofa was working on her hair.
“Yes, ma’am! The details are not known at this time, but it appears he took a squad of warriors to attack Lord Zilbagias’s villa—Fort Aurora—and was killed.”
“And Zilbagias’s forces?”
“Nothing conclusive has been able to be determined as of yet. However, witnesses claim he returned to the castle on his usual white dragon, and his pet high elf was nowhere to be found.”
Rubifya folded her legs with a short laugh at the attendant’s report. “Serves Emergias right. Attacking with those kinds of numbers and not just losing, but being completely wiped out? Even in the afterlife, he’ll be too embarrassed to show his face. I guess you can’t expect much more from the Izanis family.”
“Princess, I do not believe this is a joking matter,” the attendant scolded her like she was no more than an unruly tomboy, but he didn’t deny her words in the least. In fact, he very much agreed with them.
“I wonder...how will father react to this?” Rubifya’s smile was unwavering, a ferocious light taking to her eyes.
“It is hard to say. At the very least, it seems he has called for Lord Zilbagias to give a report of his own,” the attendant said, stroking his red beard.
“What is Aiogias up to?”
“Aside from being actively engaged with the Izanis family, we don’t see any obvious moves taken by the first prince. That being said, the fifth princess and the Sauroe family seem unusually quiet.”
Rubifya gave a satisfied hum, her smile growing. “Quite the interesting turn of events, huh?”
“Princess, please. This isn’t something you should be smiling about.” There was an evident undercurrent in the attendant’s words as he echoed his earlier reprimand.
“You’re right. Send word back home. Tell them to ready their spears.”
“Yes, ma’am! Just in case, of course.”
The attendant bowed and took his leave.
After watching him go, Rubifya leaned back on her sofa, mind racing. It couldn’t be overstated just how monumental the loss of Emergias was. The balance of power between factions would crumble. The only question now was: What would happen to Zilbagias? Depending on how that turned out...
“Things are getting interesting all right!” She laughed savagely, unable to keep her magic from flaring out in an excited blaze around her.
†††
“What?! The dog escaped?!” In the night elf quarters, Sidar dropped his drink. The crystal glass shattered, spraying wine everywhere like a splatter of blood.
“Y-Yes, sir...she was lost in the battle with the fourth demon prince, but her remains were unable to be located...!”
“No... No... No!”
Sidar’s face went pale as he was unable to form a coherent thought. His monopoly over Zilbagias’s special healing quota had granted him so much power and authority. But all of that had only been made possible because of the saint’s remarkable healing abilities.
Now, the high elf was gone. And with her, the seventh prince’s ability to provide healing. There were still reservations waiting, and plans in place with that healing as leverage. The worst part? If this also meant the end of his ties with Zilbagias, Sidar would lose all of his backing.