“Wh-What’s wrong, Ide?” Titee asked, startled, her voice trembling.
Ide’s cry didn’t cease. The white Pieris Aicia that carried his voice shook, scattering its leaves and white petals. Then, a voice so loud it could curdle blood filled the second Dungeon town of Dahrill.
“Master Kanami! Master Kanami, Masterkanami, MASTER KANAMI!!!” Instead of calling out his sister’s name after finally reuniting with her, he kept shouting mine. Finally, Ide squeezed out a voice so hoarse it sounded like his throat might tear apart. “Master Kanami! No—despicable Founder! Kanami the Founder!!!”
Ide had always addressed everyone formally, no matter who they were, but now, as he singled me out, he let his true hatred for me show as he cursed me.
“How dare you do this to the Sovereign Queen Lorde! Again! You have enticed her again! You have deceived her again! The Sovereign Queen Lorde was a treasure surpassing even the sun for the North! She was the hope of all living beings! And you took her away! A thousand years ago the people of the North died a miserable death because of you! You intend to do that again without reflecting on the past!”
I was nearly overwhelmed by his words brimming with hatred. But I didn’t back down an inch. Without fear, I stepped forward instead. I had considered this possibility from the start, so I could reply to him calmly. “Ah, I understand why you think that. But please believe me. I heard Titee’s true feelings directly from her. Your sister has always been waiting for you, her younger brother. She was never waiting for a chancellor as the Sovereign Queen Lorde.”
But my words, coming from someone he saw as a traitor, could never reach him. He immediately dismissed me.
“You heard her true feelings?! Even a child could see through your lies! You are a...” After rebuking me, Ide pleaded with Titee, who stood there stunned. “Sovereign Queen Lorde, please remember! A thousand years ago, you wished for peace in the world! With that noble will, you said you wanted to save everyone! You swore to save the North! Please, remember that magnificent vow!”
Titee realized she couldn’t just stand there in a daze. Once more, she laid bare her true self without pretense. “Ide! That’s not true! What I wished for wasn’t that! I only wanted to save you! I’m not strong enough to save others as well! I’m weak! Weaker than you could ever imagine!”
But it didn’t have any effect.
“You are weak?! What are you saying?! There is no one in this world as strong as you! Ahhh!!! Kanami the Founder! You are making the heart of the Sovereign Queen Lorde confused! You are always corrupting the heart of that strong, wise, and noblest of rulers!!!”
“I told you it’s not like that! I was only straining to meet your expectations! I was merely pretending to be the strong, wise Sovereign Queen Lorde! The real me was neither strong nor wise! I was just a weak, foolish child like any other!!!”
Titee’s pleas didn’t reach him. From the tree conveying Ide’s words came the sound of a gasp and teeth grinding, followed by a quiet, cold voice.
“Damn it. I can tell my loyalties are being tested right now.” Ide gave up on Titee’s words, attempting to complete his answer within himself.
Feeling impatient at this reaction, Titee shouted, trying to stop him. “Ide!!!”
But her words still made no difference.
“Now, Noir and Rouge should be nearby. They were in the midst of spying—no, challenging—the second Dungeon town, Dahrill. Those two could go immediately.”
The conversation had stopped making sense. The scene reminded me of Titee and Nosfy, driven mad within the Dungeon. It was characteristic of Guardians rampaging due to their lingering attachments. Voices might cross paths, but thoughts never intersected.
“Noir and Rouge are two who underwent sorcererification as Jewelculi and are nearing a new stage. They should be just the right opponents to gauge the power of Kanami the Founder now.” Ide continued monologing matter-of-factly.
Titee, ignored by her beloved younger brother, frowned and approached the Pieris Aicia before her, desperate. “Wait, Ide! What do you think you’re doing?!” She touched the trembling tree as she spoke.
Only then did Ide finally answer her. “There is no need to worry, Sovereign Queen Lorde. I will definitely defeat Kanami the Founder myself. I will prove that I am worthier than him. I will restore your true self. This time, I will definitely...”
All that came back to us were words that missed the mark again.
“Ide! Don’t call me ‘Sovereign Queen Lorde’! Call me ‘sister’! Call me ‘big sis,’ like you used to!”
“Kanami the Founder, I will reclaim the Sovereign Queen Lorde.” Ide wasn’t even attempting to converse with Titee anymore. To save the queen whose heart had been corrupted, the chancellor would give everything to strike down the traitor.
“Ide!!!” Titee pounded the tree while calling his name, but there was no reply.
Seeing that any chance for discussion was completely gone, I called out to the rear. “Snow! Take care of Kunelle! Dimension!” I spread out my Dimension magic for battle.
“She’s already gone! While we were talking, she said her farewell and sprinted off at full speed!” Snow cried.
“This time, I’m grateful!” I replied.
Kunelle seemed accustomed to getting dragged into trouble. I admired her swift escape. Leaving without drawing my attention was quite good. Impressed, I filled Dahrill with Dimension, first finding the fleeing Kunelle. Then, I spotted a party running toward us from the opposite direction.
It was a party of five composed entirely of children. They appeared, at first glance, to be explorers who had come seeking the Dungeon. But upon spotting a familiar face among them, I immediately drew Lorwen, Treasured Blade of the Arrace Clan from my Inventory and turned toward the direction the party was approaching.
The moment I turned, a figure appeared from the darkened center of Dahrill—a Jewelculus clad predominantly in black. That Jewelculus curled the corners of her mouth upward, delighted at our reunion.
“Long time no see, Laoravia’s handsome hero. Do you remember me? Of course you don’t. You probably thought of me as nothing more than a pebble on the ground. But I’ll make sure you never forget me now. Yes, only the hero remains to erase that defeat from that time. All that’s left is to slay the hero.” As she drew closer, her body began to transform. Feathers sprouted from her back like buds. Yet these were not the soft down of birds but rather resembled the angular wings of a bat. They were black and purple. Though bat-like, they were not connected to her arms or hands, making them strange wings indeed.
Then, her ears sharpened into pointed elven ears, and sharp canine teeth peeked from a mouth twisted up into a half-moon shape. They were features strikingly similar to those of the vampire Kunelle, who had been beside us just moments ago.
Heightening my vigilance, I used Analyze.
[STATUS]
NAME: Proto S
HP: 156/156
MP: 712/712
CLASS: Saint
LEVEL 29
STR 4.45
VIT 4.11
DEX 5.78
AGI 3.89
INT 6.22
MAG 49.12
APT 2.70
[SKILLS]
INNATE SKILLS: Astral Magic 3.44, Elemental Magic 2.23,
Bloodknack 1.21
ACQUIRED SKILLS: Doll Body 0.35, Holy Magic 1.01
Her level had skyrocketed to more than double, and the class was strange, but it was unmistakably the Status of a Jewelculus I’d seen before.