Free Web NovelGunther sits on the ground as his arms tremble violently. Neith is speaking with Rikuto, Kera’tai, and Jeavana, among others, in the large gathered group where the flares originated. Buckrokhs are arriving with carriages, but the number of people needing to be moved is rather large.
The elven sorcerer going by the name Yuna crouches in front of the young mage, asking, “Lord Gunther? How are you doing?”
Gunther can’t look away from his hands, still seeing the blood and feeling the crunching and stretching of the magic used to restore them.
“I… my hands…”
Yuna takes hold of Gunther’s right hand, snapping him out of his trance for a moment. She says sincerely, “They have been restored, Gunther. Can you feel them alright?”
Gunther nods, gripping her hand in return. He can feel his fingers, and there’s only lingering aches and tingles. But, it’s better than the mana-deadened arms he had an hour or so ago. He has lost track of time.
He’s not sure why, but he notices Rikuto staring at them as Neith is saying something about the situation. “... should be able to move the remaining group to the evacuation zone. With our mana depleted though, it’s probably too risky for us to attempt to rush the wounded by flight.”
Jeavana answers him, “I don’t think we’re depleted. I think it’s the effect of the cloud coming back down.”
Rikuto finally takes his gaze away, saying, “That’s almost a certainty. It means we’re being poisoned as well, so we need to get out of the area of effect and clean up as soon as possible.”
Kera’tai asks, “If I may, how stable are the dragons while, uh, walking across the ground? Would… Would you object to carrying us that way?”
Neith, Jeavana, and Roetta share a glance, with the pink dragon looming over them a few yards behind the group even in a simple resting posture on the ground.
“It’s moot if we can’t change back,” states Jeavana.
Neith cups his helmet’s chin, adding, “So long as everyone agrees to respect our dignity in the process, since this is an emergency, I see no reason to object.”
Gunther asks softly, “They’re worried about their dignity now?”
Yuna gently grabs and squeezes Gunther’s left hand to make sure it is working well, and she replies softly, “Dragons often carry their hatchlings on their backs, and during flight, no one can deny their superiority. But, crossing the ground like a beast of burden could be implied by malicious actors to be an act of fealty. With the factions in play on this field, it would not be surprising.”
Rikuto says sternly, “The Kingdom of Mornistae acknowledges the gracious aid the dragons of the Fievegal are offering, and their willingness to focus on the mission. Any rumors to the contrary will be swiftly suppressed. Knights, make sure to spread the word.”
“Yes, your Majesty!” reply the knights of Mornistae around them.
Gunther looks at his own hands. True to their word, Neith and Magnir were merciful in their swiftness, and before he knew it, he was swallowing something that burned all the way down, as if they breathed fire into his stomach, only for his arms to immediately regrow like a polymorph spell taking shape.
Neith instructs, “Sir Helbeit, Sir Resken, coordinate helping everyone onto our backs, please. Jeavana, don’t try to move your wings. I dread the thought of them not healing properly.”
The blonde shrugs. “I’ll just guilt the Harbinger into spoiling me for the rest of my life. I almost convinced him to cuddle with me and her Greatness at the command post. He’s already right where I want him.”
“Riiight,” retorts the grey dragon dryly while shaking his head. He then turns to Roetta, “Dame Roetta, don’t overload yourself. If you won’t be able to move at a comfortable pace, I’ll handle however many we need.”
“Understood, General.”
Helbeit then shouts, “Listen up, everyone! Those of us that won’t fit on the carriages will be going with the dragons! This is privilege, not a right! Show respect and do your best to stay on.”
Resken adds, “If you don’t think you’ll be able to stay on someone so large, we ask that you switch with someone in the carriages capable of doing so. We’ll be travelling for a couple hours, so minimal delays will be most important.”
“Come, come, Lord Gunther,” urges Yuna gently as she tugs on his arms. “I’ll make sure you don’t fall off. We’ll go on Lady Jeavana, since her scales are more comfortable to sit on.”
“Y-Yes…” mumbles the young lord.
Rikuto starts, “I’ll join…”
“Your Majesty, we’ve brought a buckrokh for you,” cuts in Sir Chebnom’s voice as he walks the saddled steed up. “We can ride ahead to regroup with the command team and report on the status of the mana fires, as well as the flares.”
“Leave escorting the group to us,” reassures Neith with a respectful bow.
Rikuto stammers slightly, glancing at Yuna, who looks over her shoulder. She smiles and bows her head respectfully.
Unfortunately for him, they’re right. As a king, he should be retreating before anyone else, now that the most important tasks are complete, and he should be ready to give more orders for the continued mass response, as well as the return journey back to Mornistae.
“Right, thank you, Sir Chebnom.”
Rikuto gives one last glance at Yuna, who doesn’t need to look this time to know. She stands with Gunther as Jeavana casts the spell, transforming before their eyes into her full, golden-scaled splendor.
The elven sorceress sighs.
Jeavana teases quietly, “Aww… You didn’t see his sad face, S-, er, uh, Yuna.”
“I can’t help him with that,” replies the black-haired elf as they gather in the growing line of people that will climb up Jeavana’s tail to take position on her back. “But, I can enjoy it a little more.”
“Do you… know his Majesty?” asks Gunther. He does notice that she has a similar appearance to Rikuto, as if they come from the same region of the world, even though Rikuto is otherwise relatively unique on Zenkon.
“You could say that,” replies Yuna. “Though, he has yet to heed much of any of my advice.”
Resken helps the two up onto Jeavana’s tail, and Yuna carefully helps him up her back. She’s lying down casually, watching as everyone climbs aboard. If she moves too much, she could toss people off. But, she’ll likely move all the slower because of her wings, so…
“Jeavana…?” asks Yuna after a moment.
“Yesss?” asks the golden dragon, turning her gaze back to them.
“Are you drunk?”
“Psh! I’ve been hammering down healing potations like you and your father have been mana potations. Don’t worry. My wings aren’t bothering me much now, but I’m gonna go slow anyways.”
Gunther glances at the elven sorceress, and she gives him an uneasy smile. “We should have gone with Dame Roetta…”
“Heeyyy…” grumbles the golden dragon. “I’ll have you know, I’m a mother now, so I have to be extra reliable.”
“Th-Thank you for this gracious assistance, my Lady,” replies Gunther with a bow. He never expected in his life that he would be on the front lines, but after the duel with Daniel, his father, Earl Montarre, strictly disciplined him on showing him some humility and ordered him to accompany Rikuto on the expedition. He knows that no small part of it is the hope that the Empire will be indebted to Mornistae, and by extension, Rikuto will recognize Gunther’s endeavors in a reputation-restoring light.
And, he reminded Gunther that, if he is to interact with the Fievegal, then dragons should not be disrespected in the least, since they can do devastating amounts of damage without warning, and his best bet is to stay out of their way or earn their favor enough to not bring retribution.
Jeavana nods slightly. “My pleasure. I’m just glad all of this is over.”
“Yes,” agrees Yuna. “Or at least, the worst of it is…”
Gunther, like many citizens of Mornistae, and likely much of the continent, had a prophetic dream a couple years ago. Afterwards, a Dawnsight by the Court Dawnseer foresaw a devastating attack, and Gunther knows at once that he witnessed that power this day.
The question is, were the Divine Summons that Mornistae brought to their world supposed to stop the attack, or to cause it?
Regardless, he has learned a lot during this expedition, and though he still feels cheated by Wenlianna and Daniel during their encounters leading up to the duel, it feels like an eternity ago.
He looks at his trembling hands once more, and the distinct difference in color between his normal, sun-tanned skin above his elbows and the crisp change to a sickly white pallor. He closes his hands into fists as he follows Yuna. She is gentle and kind, though she seems to have a distinct nervousness about riding Jeavana after hearing she’s ‘drunk’.
I… understand, though. I understand why everything happened the way it did… I still don’t understand why Wenlianna chose to favor Daniel so readily… but I understand why she held her own head so high after accomplishing what she has… It’s… It’s more than I ever learned or accomplished at the academy… And we’re still so… small.
He looks at the head of the dragon, who is casually waiting on the people she intends to carry upon her back, which already numbers around a dozen people.
They faced the end of the world and all kinds of danger, and even he can tell her wings are battered and worn, in spite of drinking healing potions.
Even the dragons felt small, and yet, they never gave up. And, if Jeavana is to be believed, the worst of it is behind them all.
Now, they just need to survive and recover.
***
Hekate pets Daniel’s head as his breathing finally settles. He is still clutching her thighs as she rests his head on her lap, but the tension in his muscles has finally relaxed, each sip of Doephluev’s special brew, spoon fed to him a little at a time, having swiftly taken the edge of his pain in noticeable amounts mere moments after each tiny amount.
“You’re sure this is safe?” growls Geirahoel, who is pacing behind Reignleif. The blue dragon has taken a kneeling position next to Hekate and Daniel, directly behind his back. frёeωebɳovel.com
“He’ll be choking on his own fluids before we can do anything about it,” retorts Heralesse.
Erimaya, for her part, is kneeling next to Hekate, watching Daniel and wringing her hands nervously.
Doephluev replies to Geirahoel’s question, “I’ve used this quite a few times in my life. Too much will wake a person screaming before they die, drawing attention, and too little will give them the deepest, most relaxing sleep a person can ever know, making them even harder to kill in combat when they wake up. As I said, the dosage is reliable, it is the hand that fails to use Laugur properly.”
“Yes, and I’ve heard of gardeners whose skin on their hands have all but sloughed off after brief contact with the blooms.”
“Mm-hmm,” retorts Doephluev, who has tried to explain it a dozen times or so. “It’s an intense irritant in high doses. That’s what I’ve been saying. It’s like the difference between Daniel’s wine and mana potations. One of them burns all the way down, or so I’m told.”
“But…”
“Please drop it,” mumbles Hekate, causing the orange dragon to halt her next protest. “He’s finally relaxing.”
Erimaya murmurs with teary eyes, “Daniel… I’m so sorry. I was just… I didn’t think things would go so wrong.”
Daniel manages to open his left eye and look up at her. He has his head mostly resting on the back, lest any contact with the right side of his face spike pain that even Doephluev’s pain-killer can’t fix. He does his best to smile softly, replying, “You… snapped me out… Just… It’s for… heart-stopped… next time.” His voice is absolutely ragged, barely able to rise above a whisper, and sounding completely alien to everyone’s ears right now.
“What should we have done!?” snaps Geirahoel.
“Geira!” retorts Hekate. “Relax. He’s exhausted. Please.”
The orange dragon bites her finger as she paces angrily, hating the feeling of being so impotent. “Where is that useless Onii-chan!? I should punch his face! I want to kill him! I…”
“Mukori…” rasps out Daniel, halting her immediately.
Reignleif leans closer, holding Guyalen and Samael at present, while Clover and Willow sleep in a stroller bassinet nearby, skillfully lulled to sleep by Brother Shomaldun. “What is it, Mukori?” asks the blue Dragon Empress.
“It’s… better. Just… help me stay awake, rather than yelling at each other… please. I am… th-thankful… To be alive is… enough…”
Heralesse crouches in Daniel’s field of view next to her younger sister, and she says, “If I may, then, Daniel, I… I have to know. And, I’m sorry… It can’t wait.”
“Why… did I… too early…?” asks Daniel, surprising her.
The younger Queen nods, saying softly, “Yes…”
“Your Majesty,” starts Doephluev, but Daniel does his best to sit up.
“Daniel…” cautious Hekate, trying to stop him, but he insists, and his breathing gets heavier as Hekate hesitantly helps him sit up to face Heralesse more directly.
“Mukori! You need to-...”
“Shh,” hushes Daniel softly. “This will be… hard enough…”
“I’m sorry, truly,” states Heralesse. “But… A lot of people died…” She looks aside.
Erimaya shouts, “Heralesse!?”
“Your Majesty!”
“You filthy!”
“Stooop!” blurts out Daniel as loudly as he can, which causes him to cough. Hekate hugs him, agonizing over his condition, but unsure what else to do. He wants to answer Heralesse, and even if it hurts him, he wants the truth to be known, no matter what else happens.
Everyone reluctantly falls silent, and Daniel adds, “Sorry… Please… let me speak… Everyone deserves the truth…”
Geirahoel’s eyes noticeably water, and Daniel smiles as much as he can, though he more noticeably ‘lazes’ the right side of his face to avoid moving his cheek.
Or perhaps, he can’t move it anymore.
He answers Heralesse, “I’m not a brave hero,... I… I’m a bit of a coward… It was easy… *cough*... easy to use… on the D-D-” He starts coughing, and Hekate fills in, “The Devourer. It was the giant monster forcing the Demon Covenant slowly east.”
Daniel nods in agreement, continuing when he can, “The volcano… Sayrdarralouche… The size… The mana… I was… *cough* afraid…”
Hekate’s ears shift a little, but they have been spending a lot of time drooped since she learned of Daniel’s eye, which is so severely damaged, she doubts even Earth could heal it. And, since the handprints of Lucy are so distinct even against the puffy scarring, it’s almost like a magic seal that portends the fact that even magic wouldn’t be able to heal it, if he could receive healing magic.
The feldrok teen listens to Daniel’s labored breathing, and she fills in as best as she can, “The mana of the mana fire could make the God-smiter less effective. Um, the ‘Alamogordo special’.”
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Baeka adds in agreement, “The very power we were relying on stopping the mana fire is simultaneously countered by it.”
“Everything was getting… worse,” adds Daniel. “I accept what I had to do… And, I’m certain… I wouldn’t have been able to do it the longer it went on…”
“And, the rest of you are alright with what he did?” asks Heralesse, looking at each of the women around her. “That your ‘Emperor’ killed hundreds or even thousands of people because he chose not to wait?”
Everyone is quiet, and Reignleif is the first to speak up after a moment. “None of us are happy that people had to lose their lives. But, could you have saved the whole world.”
“We had a plan! Daniel agreed with Zuzia and Rikuto! He-...!” She halts herself, her face twisting in a sort of disgusted shock. She glances at Daniel.
“You were afraid they would stop you…”
Daniel is silent, and Doephluev asks, “Is there an acceptable number?”
“What?”
“Is there an acceptable number? Did you truly believe every person could be saved? People of all races are animals in our own way. Mass evacuations prove that. How many people died from being trampled to death while following your evacuation?”
“I…”
“How many people were murdered in the chaos for the coins in their pockets? How many people took their own…?”
“Doephleuv…” growls Daniel with his weakened voice.
“No! Why would you take it so one-sidedly!? Even if there are deaths on your hands, I know everyone involved knew the true stakes going in! It was all or nothing! The world was saved, or no one survived. That was it. So, are the deaths during the evacuation acceptable as long as none of them were caused by a weapon!? If you have to kill one person to save one hundred, is it worth it? What about one hundred people to save ten thousand!? I was forced to kill people for far less noble reasons! Yet, this pampered princess…!”
Daniel tries to speak, but starts coughing, and Heralesse takes her own dressing down. Hekate tries to stay composed, saying, “Doephluev, let her answer…” This calms the archoneldwyn for now, and Hekate says to Heralesse, “Heralesse, you are my best friend’s older sister, so I care for you, and I respect you have… thoughts about this… But,...” Hekate holds Daniel’s hand, saying softly, “To answer your question, I, too, accept everything that happened as my own responsibility. If Daniel’s hands were broken, I would have done it for him. Not because I hate anyone, but because… I know… in my heart… it had to be done.”
Heralesse is silent for a moment longer, and Erimaya decides to speak up. “I think… I understand. But, it’s difficult to consider, because… i-... it’s still… murder… isn’t it?”
“No!” snaps several of the women on Daniel’s side, but his voice cuts through, “Yes.”
They gasp and everyone looks at him. “I would have saved them if I could… But, there was no way to know… when ‘too late’ would be for sure, and I couldn’t chance… being stopped… Especially by my own courage to act already faltering…”
Again, everyone is quiet, and Hekate does her best to comfort him, while Reignleif lays her forehead against his back, holding the two baby dragons in her arms. Geirahoel watches Heralesse as if waiting for her to answer ‘incorrectly’, and Baeka nervously fidgets.
The young blonde Queen of Mornistae takes a breath and exhales. “Regardless of what I actually think, this issue won’t just go away. You didn’t leave people to die, nor did a well-intentioned evacuation claim their lives. You used a weapon that killed innocent people that you were not at war with.”
“And I will… have to live with that for the rest… *cough* the rest of my life,” replies Daniel seriously. “But, the world is safe from the mana fire now.”
“The Fievegal is already and will continue to send aid,” adds Hekate sternly, climbing to her feet. Her legs wobble a bit from falling asleep while letting Daniel rest on her legs, and she stands a little taller than him in the kneel that he managed to rise to. “But, Daniel did the right thing. We’ll never know if everyone could have been saved, but we did all agree that the entire world was at stake. And the world isn’t dead.”
Heralesse nods solemnly. “I understand that… I’m just saying… it’s not… simple.”
“I think we should focus on that scaleless coward that started the mana fire and destroy him,” states Geirahoel sharply. “None of this would be a question at all if we had killed him sooner.”
“And then we’d be locked in a civil war with parts of the Empire,” retorts Doephluev. “But, otherwise, I agree. All of this stems from the Grand Prince’s actions. The world should never be allowed to forget that if they are so set on condemning Daniel saving it.”
Daniel sinks down onto his calves, slumping partially over, and Hekate, Doephluev, and Reignleif immediately cling to him to support him. “Daniel!” “Mukori!” “Darling!”
“M-M-More… please… D-D-D…”
“R-Right away!” exclaims Doephluev. She scrambles to straighten up, grunting as she rubs her belly a little. It’s not as bad as before, but it was a momentary pain that makes her somewhat regret getting pregnant in the first place. The dragons never seem to complain at all, even when the egg is at maximum size.
Regardless, she gets the pain-relieving decoction and carefully gets another spoonful of the medicine ready to feed to Daniel. “Here, Darling. Carefully…”
Daniel gratefully sips the liquid from the spoon, and Hekate guides him back down onto his back. “Here, Daniel. Continue to rest…”
“We could move him to his room,” offers Reignleif.
“Shhh…” whispers Hekate. “With all of you temptresses around, I hardly get to cuddle with Daniel at all. Daniel, if you wish to move somewhere more comfortable, I will…”
“Not yet…” whispers Daniel, sounding more quiet now, like he’s drifting off. “Find out… status… Make sure… it’s done…”
“Right. We’ll handle it. You rest. Heralesse, Eri, you’re both welcome to stay here to rest. I don’t think we’ll be able to return to where everyone is around Urful… city.”
“Urflasdat…” grumbles Doephluev, who wasn’t even there.
“R-Right, Urflatsdad.”
“Ugh…” grumbles Doephluev softly, while Hekate continues.
“Anti-magic was coming back down, and… I’m… almost out of mana again…”
“You need to be careful not to strain yourself too hard,” warns Reignleif.
“It was nothing I couldn’t handle!” complains the feldrok girl, hiding her tail, which still has some patches of greyish-white lingering.
“There’s a lot to be caught up on anyways. I’ll go get started on a meal.” With her own statements, Geirahoel starts to turn, and the acolytes pushing the stroller with Enya quickly make ready to follow her. However, the orange dragon whirls, saying with a fiery tone as she points at Hekate and the rest, “Don’t let Mukori fall asleep! He said it himself, and he’s very hurt! I won’t be long, so be ready to come to dinner right away. I’ll inform the others.”
Reignleif takes this cue to poke Daniel, and the human opens his eyes. “I’m hanging in there, but… she’s right… please keep me awake for now…”
“Please do, Geira,” replies Hekate. “Xyreko, when you can, find out what everyone’s status is.”
The golem bows her head. “Of course, your Greatness. There is much to report on already, but I shall prioritize on regrouping our forces and monitoring the relief supplies heading south as we speak.”
“Thank you.”
Hekate gently kneads Daniel’s scarf idly with her hands. Every notion in her body wants to rip it off of him and destroy it in hopes of punishing Lucy, but she withholds the impulse. Daniel has a lot more explaining to do, but so much information is compartmentalized simply by location right now, that everyone needs to get together and share what they learned, what happened, and what to do going forward.
For now, Heralesse replies, “Eri and I will take you up on your offer, though I will need to send a message to the front line to inform everyone, especially Rikuto, where I’m at. And, your Greatness Hekate, it would be… helpful; no, I would be honored if you would grant this humble young Queen a letter explaining as much bearing your seal.”
“M-... My seal?”
“Ryuogriar can sign it,” states Doephluev.
Hekate looks at her, and Daniel murmurs with his eyes closed, “Your signature, and usually… a stamp…”
“Ah! Of course!” replies Hekate proudly. “I knew that, of course…”
“Can you even…?” Baeka starts to ask, and Hekate shoots her a glare. Hekate can write… a little. She mostly focused on reading, and no one told her she has to write anything. Though, Aramellianna and Erimaya have each mentioned more training that Hekate requires.
Erimaya leans close, whispering, “Hekate, I’ll help you. I also have something to show you, though… Last I knew, Miss Balamae had it…”
Hekate nods agreeably, blushing slightly because she hasn’t had to readily admit that she’s able to read, but not able to write much at all.
“So, that’s the plan! We’ll gather everyone up and work on a steady stream of relief supplies to hide what Daniel did!” declares Hekate.
Everyone, including Heralesse and Erimaya, palm their faces as they groan, and Hekate’s ears droop.
“Wh-What?”
“You’re not supposed to actually say it…” mumbles Daniel, managing to chuckle a little before coughing.
Hekate’s face turns bright red, and the others simply shake their heads in exasperation.
For the ruler of the number one contender for most powerful nation on the continent, she definitely has a long way to go and even more to learn.
But, Daniel survived, meaning she didn’t need to destroy the world herself in anger and retaliation.
So, all in all, it’s a good enough day, all things considered.
***
Everyone present watches as Princess Silence, seated on one of her summons and surrounded by several more, effortlessly makes a small army of the winged angel-like beings, though with more gossamer appearances than their permanent counterparts and creator. She makes twenty of these summons, in spite of everyone’s diminishing ability to use magic because of the ‘poison ash’ that Zuzia and Aramellianna discussed.
She did use a sort of strange artform to pull mana out of mana crystals without endangering herself the way Gunther apparently did. As speculated, the mana fire being suspended by Zuzia with Rikuto’s guidance after everyone started returning to the evacuation zone. The majority of the forces are guiding the survivors to keep heading to various cities north of the Empire, particularly in Mattarglos, but it’s a long trip from the Kingdom of Ahmpur. The main goal is to escape the poison ash or ‘fallout’ as the otherworlders refer to it, but the Fievegal, while informed, is banking on the aftereffects being minimal, since they still have some control over their magic, even if it is being suppressed. This, to them, means that Daniel’s optimistic outcome is proving true; individual mana and the world’s ambient magic energy are counteracting the worst effects of the nuclear fallout coming from his use of the most terrible weapon of modern Earth; a weapon even the original users regretted in the end. It was a hot-button issue in every global discussion regarding upstart nations with the global equivalent of Napoleon complexes. USA was the first and only country to use nuclear weapons in combat, and quickly adopted policies and stances against their use, because of the devastating nature of their power. Several other countries managed to develop a stockpile that became the basis of ‘Mutually Assured destruction’, such that they would never aggressively attack each other, but countries with no such mutual respect for power presented a regular threat over the decades that followed, always causing issues.
Zuzia asks, “Uh… Princess Silence… Your Grandfather…”
“Is Daniel Lawson of Earth. That is your world, yes, Zuzia?” replies the blunt and monotone being.
“Y-Yes… But,... He’s only been here for a year or two…”
“Grandmother Vaergraes and… Hmm… Grandmother Hekate used magic together to summon my Mother, Arachne, but it was Grandfather’s gift of a name that sparked true life within Mother. Mother managed to summon me alone using the mana fire’s bountiful mana, and she named me Silence, after Grandfather’s… something. Though I am only “a day old” by your perspective, I was born to be a killing machine, so I recognize my own maturity is contradictory, but I am adult summoned to be an adult.”
“Yes, but…”
“You are only a few months old by this world’s calculation, yes?” asks the Princess, halting Zuzia.
Though obviously not literally true, what Silence is comparing is the fact that Zuzia has only ‘existed’ on Zenkon for a few months, which isn’t much different than Silence’s situation, who ‘spawned in’ at her adult stage. The only difference is…
“That may be true, but I had a consciousness before I came to Zenkon. Twenty-eight years worth, if we’re counting.”
“Perhaps. Regardless, I am proud and thankful to be the granddaughter of Daniel kos Lawson, Emperor of the Fievegal. I accept that you are a special case as my Grandfather’s friend, Zuzia, and so, I will not worry about any sort of formality. I hope you will accept the same from me.”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” replies the brunette.
Rikuto asks as the freshly summoned ‘angels’ take of towards the crater, and the recalled majority of Silence’s permanent summons returns, “Princess Silence, do you have any concept of what the Fievegal has done?”
“Saved the world,” retorts the Princess with a sort of finality that is almost brutal in how instant it is. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Rikuto even flinches, and he replies, “I meant… The weapon Daniel used…”
“Saved the world,” repeats the alien-like being, adjusting only her hands on her lap as she continues to sit on one of ‘her own kind’, while the others simply form ranks behind her.
“But, the casualties…”
“Your Majesty,” interrupts Silence without a care in the world. “I do not need to keep repeating the same simple phrase, do I? I was brought into this world days ago, and I understand the math was against us from the beginning. For a brief moment, I did consider that it would have been just fine for me to have never been born, if the apocalypse would strike me down mere days after being given life.” Silence holds up her hand near her shoulder level, adding, “If you wish to truly condemn my Grandfather’s Empire, you will only be making an enemy of the Fievegal. I may be a second-generation princess in an Imperial family FULL of superior Empresses and Princesses of higher rank, but I can say with confidence, the Fievegal saved the world. Anyone attempting to deny this fact is not worth our effort.”
Sundenelle speaks up, “The Empire formally recognizes the Fievegal’s aid in this matter. The cause must be… investigated, since it was the mana fire that was the true threat that forced the Fievegal’s hand. No financial or practical value can truly be assigned to the lives and land lost, nor the far worse fate that was averted.” The albino human places her hand on her chest. “But, each life lost will not be forgotten. This I swear.”
“I will speak to her Greatness Hekate about this matter as well,” adds Aramellianna. “The Fievegal is small, but efficient. I do not have numbers to speak of for aid that we can provide at present, but I will advise the maximum amount of humanitarian aid to be provided as soon as possible.”
Rikuto sighs, and Zuzia massages her temples. Everyone is focused on survival and recovery, not condemning the man that used one calamity to stop a worse one.
Zuzia states, “I want a promise that we, the ones who know, will not forget, nor allow Daniel himself to forget what has happened here.”
“I promise that I will personally remind my Grandfather,” replies Silence. “I could and would kill my Mother’s enemies without question, but I understand your attachment to the innocent. Within minutes of my existence, I witnessed the death of someone who gave his life to save the Grand Duchess Senior. I did not choose to be born a killing machine with a sapient mind, unlike my ‘children’ here. Nor did those who died choose to be ‘sacrificed’ for this greater good. But, if Grandfather is as honorable and caring as my Mother, then his actions were not without an immense burden on his conscience, and yet, he chose to save the world anyways. I am proud to be his humble granddaughter, and if reminding him of both the cost and the reward of his actions is my duty, I will gladly accept.”
Zuzia immediately says, “I want literally anyone else other than her Highness to remind Daniel.”
Sundenelle replies in his defense, “I feel I have gotten to know Daniel well enough in my encounters with him, in spite of my betrothal to him, that he will carry this guilt without our involvement.”
“Yes, and we could have saved everyone,” growls Zuzia.
“We might have lost everything,” retorts Sundenelle. “I could not have done it. At all. If I had any concept of this weapon like Daniel did before he used it, I would be too weak to use it. And, I recognize that my failure would lead to the death of the known world. I regret the deaths that came of it, but… I don’t think we can simply condemn the Emperor of the Fievegal, because… Silence is ultimately right.”
“At what point do we blame the one who caused this?’ asks Treia a little sharply. “Grand Prince Yaulander fired his void artilleries, which sparked this thing. We may know ways to combat it now, long after the fact, while it’s small. However, if it is neglected long enough… Either you and Rikuto are blowing the entire threat out of proportion, or, as Silence pointed out, Daniel saved the world. He simply decided to pay a higher cost than he might have needed to without knowing when the price was going to skyrocket beyond what any of us could ever afford, combined.”
“It’s easy to defend him because you love him!” snaps Zuzia. “But innocent people were lost! They didn’t chose the risk or this ‘reward’!”
“You can yell at us all you want, but only because we’re still alive! And, we were caught by surprise just as much as you! You and Rikuto were the ones who decided we had to wait. I’m more upset that Daniel didn’t trust me enough to include me in his plan. Hell, I would have distracted you two if it meant helping him.”
“What he did is murder!”
“What he did saved our lives!”
Zuzia and Treia face off almost literally nose to nose, with Treia showing no fear. Even if Zuzia wanted to, harming or killing Treia would only prove Treia’s point, that Zuzia can hold her principles easily when she’s the one commanding the situation.
But, Zuzia has a point. In terms of the secondary Trolley Problem; Daniel pushed hundreds or possibly thousands of people onto the tracks to stop the train that was the mana fire. He made an active decision to take lives in exchange for a swift resolution to the problem at hand.
Rikuto states as the two prepare to bicker further, “That weapon has potentially made this entire area a dead zone for months or years. We don’t even know if the cap of the cloud, which contains the fallout, reaches the Imperial capital. That’s how ridiculous large this devastating weapon and its effects are. I… I’m not saying we should kill Daniel or anything… It’s just… Where’s the justice for the innocent civilians who died as a result. This wasn’t a war that could be won by “crippling a nation’s morale” or “will to fight”. He all but literally used a city-killing weapon to “fight fire with fire”.
“And yet, I must circle back,” retorts Silence. “This weapon saved the world. Had you permitted Grandfather to use a smaller version far sooner, we wouldn’t have had this conversation. When does your refusal to act carry as much or more accountability as Daniel’s acceptance of the weight required to act? You all seem to know him better than I do, and I have heard accounts that suggest he is a weak, emotional human who chose to suffer guilt for the rest of his short life for the fate of a world that is not the one he hails from. If that world chooses to be ungrateful, well then, it seems I have a great deal to learn from my Grandfather as a potential heir.”
This silences everyone. Zuzia couldn’t care less about the Fievegal itself, really, other than they represent a shield that, for now, is unbreakable, which will allow her to live a free life in this world where she is more valuable as a weapon than a mercenary or adventurer.
Rikuto, on the other hand, knows exactly the implications Silence is making. Even if he doesn’t live long enough to see it, if Silence does inherit the Fievegal for any reason, and decides “the cold calculus” is that it’s not worth risking her own life or assets because of the risk of condemnation, she could just as easily advise they withdraw their support right away and cloister themselves beyond the mountains.
Silence stands up slowly, since she’s still exhausted. “Fret not, friends and my beloved seniors, your Majesties; though my summons are presently dropping like stones on the sea, I can confidently say that all mana fires have been extinguished. The volcanic activity is also stabilized.” She clutches her heart slightly, as if in pain, but she maintains composure.
“Already?” asks Zuzia skeptically.
“Yes. I had them not waste any further time.” She looks at everyone as she continues, “The crater is deadly, as expected. Higher altitudes are also stronger in anti-magic, it seems, even outside of the crater. But, we can commit to recovery efforts now.”
“And, you’re certain?” asks Rikuto. “Your Highness, even a single tiny ember…”
“I understand the weight of my words, your Majesty. I have spoken only the truth.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation anyways,” states Aramellianna. “But, I believe we can certainly lower the urgency with which we do so.”
“Agreed,” replies Sundenelle. “I’d hate to think anything, even an unstoppable spell, could withstand that…”
“Which is why I won’t be dropping it,” reiterates Zuzia. “I agree we need to focus on other things, but I insist we do something about the fallen. And, I want to hear it from Daniel’s mouth himself.”
Silence nods. “I speak not for Grandfather, but I suspect he will agree with you more than me, Lady Zuzia.”
***
