“Is it time?”
Tommy smiled wryly at my question. “Time for what? Is this about the Celden Republic?”
“Yes.”
“Then yeah, it’s time. They’ll make their move today or tomorrow. The flames of the public’s frustrations can’t be tamped down any longer.”
“Ah yes, I believe their motto is ‘The Demon Lord must fall,’ correct?” I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous title.
“It is kind of absurd,” Tommy said, stifling a chuckle himself. “Celden has deemed Ausgrid to be a country of devils ruled by an evil demon lord, and everyone’s raring for war. The results of Celden’s magic research will probably manifest in the upcoming battles.”
“Ahh, yes, that’s true. But the fact that they so brazenly refer to me as a demon lord just cracks me up!” I giggled.
“You like your new nickname, huh?”
“Maybe a little.”
Right then, Gilbert burst into the room. “The Celden Republic has declared war!”
“Finally. What is their statement?”
“‘We shall save the citizens of the Federal Kingdom of Ausgrid from the heartless Demon Lord.’”
“Just as we predicted, Tommy.”
“Everyone is in position.”
“Good. Let us begin.”
I summoned the Sacred Sword of Wisdom. Tommy and his subordinate Dudley watched me intently. They nodded as I looked at them.
“Citizens of Ausgrid. This is Luxeria von Ausgrid, the thirty-eighth ruler of the kingdom.”
With the Sword of Wisdom amplifying Tommy and Dudley’s combined magic, I was able to project my voice across the entire kingdom.
“Our kingdom was founded and forged by magic. The ruler wields the Sacred Swords to protect Ausgrid’s beloved citizens with sincerity and wisdom. We have become a nation of great honor, which we pray will last through eternity. The swords shall thus be handed down to each new ruler.”
This was a direct quote from the opening of The Genesis of Ausgrid, the very book I jokingly referred to as my ideal utopia.
“You’ve all done well to answer the call. The ruler of each generation has supported those born with or without magic, and the bond between the two has protected our nation’s honor. Our kingdom has survived alongside magic itself. It is a country where those with magic can live in peace among those without it. I hold the history we share with great pride, and I hope that you do as well.”
Nobody could respond to me; I was essentially thinking out loud. I paused, took in a deep breath, and resumed my speech.
“Today, the Celden Republic has declared war on the Federal Kingdom of Ausgrid. They claim they want to free Ausgrid from an unjust ruler, but the true reason for invading our land is their fear of the Sacred Swords and their fear of magic itself.”
As I spoke, I wondered how the public was reacting to this news.
“You may know someone who is afraid of magic, much like the people of Celden. That is a natural fear to have, but I ask all of those listening to remember that our nation was founded on magic.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.
“Soldiers of the Kingdom’s Army! Mages loyal to the palace! I grant you all permission to destroy our enemy, the Celden Republic!”
After my speech ended, I had Dudley send me and Tommy to the border of our nation using Transfer. Our destination was atop a hill, giving us a good vantage point to observe the battlefield. As I had ordered, the mages began intercepting the would-be invaders from Celden’s army. Magic flew across the field as our soldiers encroached on theirs.
“Ha ha ha!”
Godfrey’s laughter was loud enough to be heard above the commotion. He had fewer troops than Celden—by all means, he should’ve been struggling. Perhaps the challenge was what gave him so much pleasure.
I couldn’t afford to rest on my laurels, so I gave my next orders. “Tommy, Dudley, go on.”
Once they did as I said, I summoned the Sacred Swords. Five brilliant colors floated in the sky.
“It’s the Demon Lord!” a soldier cried.
I couldn’t help but crack a sinister grin, acting the part of a great villain in a fairy tale. Frankly, I wished I’d taken the time to dress the part as well.
Of the five blades, I grasped the Sword of Honor.
“To the ruler, the honor of victory. To those opposing the ruler, decay.”
The power of the Sacred Sword of Honor was the strongest spear and the sturdiest shield. With a gentle flick of my wrist, a jade-colored wave flew from the blade and tore through a number of Celdenian soldiers. All my allies stood awestruck at the carnage—except for Godfrey.
“H-how incredible!”
Godfrey was more fascinated with the Sacred Sword itself rather than what I did with it. Holding back a chuckle, I reached upward with my free hand and grasped a blade of radiant amber. With both swords in hand, I pointed them toward the ground.
I grunted with the effort. Using two swords at once took more magic than I anticipated, nearly sending me to my knees. I pushed past it and continued to channel my power. Eventually, I managed to conjure a transparent shield that surrounded all of Ausgrid, bathing it in a jade and amber glow. Such luminescence was proof of the Sacred Swords’ might. Tommy’s group and Godfrey must have seen the magical barrier; they took it as a signal to begin their operations.
“Ugh!”
Fatigue and dizziness assailed me in tandem. Even with the Sacred Swords supporting my weight, a great unease welled up inside me and forced me to double over. I held my hand up to my mouth, trying to hold back the blood that threatened to gush forth—but I couldn’t. Scarlet spilled from my lips, staining my hand. It seemed my life might end sooner than I’d anticipated, but I could not die here. After wiping the blood on my dress, I looked up to see a scene playing out in the sky. Looks like Tommy’s team was successful.
In a world where televisions did not exist, the very idea of a recorded moving image would be shocking for anyone to witness. People across the nation would no doubt gawk at the projected images in the sky with mouths agape.
The moving picture was produced by a trio of Light mages who had teamed up with Tommy and Dudley. It showed a research institute where children were being held against their will. Our own agents stood by outside before rushing in. Scenes across the lab were shown: a room for practicing magic, a room to study mages, a room where the children slept. My agents swept each and every one, taking down the adults and rescuing the children one by one.
The children had wasted away to the point that their despair no longer reached their vacant eyes. The sight was horrific, one the average person couldn’t bear to watch. But until every child was saved, the scene would continue to play in the sky.
Once the images faded, Tommy and Dudley appeared by my side.
“As you saw, the children have been secured,” Dudley reported.
“Where are they now?” I asked.
“In the royal palace’s infirmary.”
“Excellent,” I said. “Tommy?”
Tommy nodded in response, anticipating my request. I began to speak once I confirmed that his magic was up and running again.
“Attention, Citizens of Celden, as well as other neighboring nations: I am the thirty-eighth ruler of the Federal Kingdom of Ausgrid, Luxeria von Ausgrid. You have all now borne witness to Celden’s heinous secret. Despite their claims that magic is the power of the devil, they forcefully captured child mages from other nations and performed brutal, inhumane experiments on them. Everything you saw was true.”
The Celdenian soldiers became absorbed in my speech, with some reeling in disbelief.
“Your leader claims he wishes to dethrone a vicious tyrant. Oh, dear ruler of Celden, you simply weren’t satisfied with abducting our children, were you? You wanted to take my entire kingdom, one where so many mages live.”
Their ruler was likely furious and denying my words even now. But he could not be heard, and he never would be. My words would become the truth—not just to the people of Celden but to other nations as well.
“I have activated magic that will repel all attacks. You are no longer able to invade Ausgrid. You are free to confirm if I am lying or not, if you so dare.”
My breathing became heavier and heavier as I strained to speak.
“This battle is over. To the troops of Celden, I demand that you leave. Failure to do so will result in your annihilation.”
“Y-you monster!” an enemy soldier screamed.
I laughed. “You think I am the monster? You insist your nation, which engaged in child trafficking, is the innocent one? How dare you say that when we were the ones who rescued the children from a wicked fate!”
The soldiers fell silent.
“Submit to me. Admit my power is the greatest of all, for I have ended Celden’s attempt at war. Even if you have mages on your side, my victory is assured. Ruler of Celden, this battle no longer means anything. Withdraw your troops immediately!”
Despite my speech, some Celdenian soldiers ran in my direction. Facing them, I swung the Sacred Sword of Honor. A jade-colored wave ripped through one soldier, killing him instantly. The remaining Celdenian soldiers went pale in the face.
“Leave this place! Now!” I yelled.
They heeded my command and fled, screaming.
“Are you sure this is all right, Your Majesty?” Tommy asked, concerned.
“I fail to see a problem.”
“The way you confronted them just… I don’t know. Those who hate mages are no doubt going to direct their hatred toward you now.”
“True, but I will accept that.”
A coughing fit overtook me. Not now. I need to last a little longer. Please, I begged. But my plea went unheard. My vision went dark, and I shivered uncontrollably.
“Wha—?! Are you all right?!” Tommy cried.
The last of my strength gave out, and I fell to the ground.
I was so close.
Tommy ran over and gathered me into his arms. “We need to get back to the palace, now! Oh, hell, the Sword of Wisdom’s power is fading too! Dudley, get a medic! We have one at the garrison, right?! Get Godfrey too!”
“Yes, sir!” Dudley replied, acting immediately.
My coughing would not cease, and my consciousness began to fade. The last thing I saw was my own blood flying out of my mouth.