When the Abyss Formed

"Aeti, you're going to be my queen. Do you know that?"

"Yeah… I know," the little girl said, nodding hesitantly. The boy's face

changed from stern to smiling in an instant. That sweet smile reassured

Tinasha somewhat.

She hadn't intended to do anything bad. She'd just had a fit of anger,

and her magic had leaked out and shattered a flower vase in the room.

Startled, the court ladies called over the boy, who had stopped by rather

coincidentally.

Tinasha felt devastated that the one person she didn't want to learn of

her failure had discovered it.

He was the only one she didn't want to hate her. She'd been alone here

for as long as she could remember. In a sense, the boy was the only family

she had who thought of her and helped her.

Tinasha clenched her fingers in the hem of her dress. The boy seemed to

sense her grief. With a half smile on his face, he opened his arms to her.

"Come to me."

"Lanak!" Tinasha cried, leaping into his arms, and he stroked her hair

gently.

Tinasha closed her eyes, wanting to cry at how warm his hand felt.

Now was the one time she could forget all her worries and her

loneliness. Once she became his queen, she was sure she'd never suffer

such thoughts again.

"Lanak, I'm sorry."

"It's all right. Just promise me you won't do it again."

"Yeah. I'll try hard… So please don't hate me."

"You needn't worry," Lanak assured her. The voice floated out over her

head, and she hugged the boy all the tighter, wishing desperately that he'd

never abandon her.

She had loved him.

She had trusted him with her heart and soul.

But why?

Tinasha's quarters in the castle had been completely emptied. The

transportation array linked to her tower was gone, too.

Rumors traveled through every corridor on hushed whispers as everyone

wondered why the witch had so suddenly disappeared without notice.

While some guesses held kernels of truth, not one of them struck upon

the whole story.

It had now been a day since Tinasha's disappearance. Lazar left the

study and let out a long sigh. The man waiting for him out in the hall waved

to him. Lazar looked up and murmured the man's name. "General Als…

Everyone."

Standing before him were Als, his officer Meredina, as well as the court

mages Sylvia, Kav, and Doan. The entire group took a few paces down the

corridor before Als dared to ask, "How's His Highness doing?"

"Not good. At first glance, he looks the same as he ever does, but…,"

Lazar answered.

"And yet he's still able to do his job. That's just like him," remarked

Als.

"He won't tell me what happened," Lazar admitted.

"I want to know, but I'm afraid I won't like what I hear…," confided

Als.

Sylvia joined the conversation, her eyes full of tears. "Where did Miss

Tinasha go? …It was right after the ball, wasn't it? Did I do something she

didn't like?"

"I don't think that's it. She wasn't that sort."

Their discussion was getting nowhere, and everyone lapsed into silence.

Just then, Oscar emerged from the room. He surveyed the entourage

with a frown, but he walked right up to Lazar and handed him some

documents.

"I'm done. You handle the rest."

"Th-that was fast…," Lazar said, accepting the stack.

Next to him, Als inquired suspiciously, "Your Highness, where are you

going with your sword on?"

"Lucrezia's forest."

"What?!" exclaimed the entire group in chorus.

Recalling what happened before, Lazar rushed to stop him. "Please wait.

What if something dangerous happens?"

"It won't, so I'm fine. Let me go."

"Your Highness, I'm going with you. Please wait," Lazar insisted

"I—I am, too," Sylvia added.

As the scene devolved into chaos and everyone spoke over one another,

there came a peal of laughter from above their heads. Oscar looked up to

see a woman with chestnut-brown hair floating in midair.

"You don't have to go anywhere. I'm right here," the Witch of the

Forbidden Forest said with a wink.

"So she really did leave after all." Lucrezia sighed as she looked out at

the group now seated by the windows inside the study. She looked

unusually low-spirited.

"What do you mean 'after all'?" Oscar asked, sitting behind his desk

again. He picked up on something unsavory in what she revealed.

"I mean, I was invited to Cuscull, too," Lucrezia said.

Kav had just taken a sip of tea, and he broke into a coughing fit when he

heard that.

"What did you decide?" Doan inquired timidly.

"I said no, of course. I'm sure the other witches did, too. Witches have

no interest in countries and politics. Oh, well, one of us does but rejected

the offer, too. The fact that our little Tinasha has gone means there'll be

troubles among the other countries."

Everyone except Oscar gulped, their expressions heavy.

It was true that until now, a witch had never backed a country and

assisted its invasions into other nations. When Tinasha had fought on the

front lines seventy years ago, that had been in opposition to an invasion,

and the use of her force had been limited to fighting the demonic beast.

Every nation maintained that the witches were beings who were not to

be trifled with largely because of how powerful they were. It was also due

to the fact that witches didn't intervene in international skirmishes among

mortals.

That the most powerful witch had seemingly allied herself with a nation

set on invading other countries was concerning to say the least. The panic

this development would cause would no doubt result in serious trouble.

A dark expression on his face, Oscar swung his legs up on top of his

desk and crossed them. He looked up to the witch sitting behind him. "Do

you know what kind of a relationship Tinasha and that Lanak guy have?"

All the courtiers tensed upon hearing the name Lanak for the first time.

They realized he must have something to do with Tinasha's disappearance

but judged it wise to say nothing, considering Oscar's mood.

Lucrezia, on the other hand, broke into a grin. "I do. She's been looking

for him ever since she became a witch. Now that they've finally been

reunited, isn't that a good thing?"

"Something's off about that guy."

"Are you jealous?" teased Lucrezia.

"I am, but there's still something off there, though I can't rightly tell

what."

The man who'd taken Tinasha away appeared to have one foot in a

dream. It was obvious he was a powerful mage based on how he'd

transported himself and Tinasha away with no incantation, but he left a

general impression of being dangerous and not entirely sane.

Lucrezia floated into the air, then flipped upside down and got a closer

look at Oscar's expression. "Does it really matter? Tinasha was okay with

it, after all. How about you just let her go? No one likes a persistent man."

"I can't," Oscar stated bluntly.

"Oh, how stubborn. She made her choice all on her own. Who are you to

go sticking your nose in? Shouldn't you worry about yourself more?"

Lucrezia inquired, gazing at Oscar with a bit of a mocking smile.

It was the gaze of a witch who ensnared, compelled, and controlled

people's hearts. Oscar looked back into those eyes without faltering—and

made a decision. "I will not give up on her no matter what anyone says. In

my eyes, she's my one and only. If I kill that man and bring her back and

she still says she'd rather have someone else, then I'll let her go."

Oscar was positive that he knew Tinasha better than she thought he did.

What she liked, what she hated. What she loved, what made her upset.

He knew her loneliness, as well as her stubborn refusal to rely on others.

It was that understanding that drove Oscar to reach out after Tinasha.

There was already a boundless distance between the two of them. If he

stopped here, he'd never reach her.

Oscar's fierce determination burned in his eyes, and Lucrezia met his

gaze evenly. Time stretched out between them, feeling both endless and

momentary.

Someone sighed. Lucrezia wiped the scorn off her face and sat down on

the study's desk. "First, I want you all to promise me that you won't tell her

you heard anything from me. I don't want her to kill me. I will reveal

everything I know about Tinasha to you. She only ever recounted

indifferent recollections of her past to me, so think for yourselves about

how she may have felt back then." Breaking off there, the witch gazed out

at the entire group. "And finally…I will only tell these things to those who

are prepared to fight to the death with Tinasha. If you aren't ready, then you

shouldn't hear this."

Oscar closed his eyes and didn't move.

Als looked at his friend Meredina. After some hesitation, she stood up.

Lazar and Kav stood up, too. They had gone back and forth in their minds,

but in the end, they bowed to those who remained and left the room.

Doan and Sylvia stayed. Doan met Lucrezia's gaze with conviction,

while Sylvia clenched her hands into tight fists. Als smiled wryly at that.

His eyes still closed, Oscar spoke. "Good. Go ahead and begin."

With a sweet smile, Lucrezia launched into a long tale that took place

many years ago.

"Before I begin my story, let me tell you her true name."

"True name? It's more than just Tinasha?" Oscar asked.

"Yes. Her full name is Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna Tuldarr. Aeti is a

nickname for Aeterna."

"Tuldarr?!" exclaimed Doan and Sylvia, thoroughly startled.

Timidly, Sylvia asked for clarification. "Tuldarr as in the Magic Empire

that vanished overnight four hundred years ago, correct? I never expected

her to carry the name of that ancient place…"

"So she's royalty," Oscar concluded. He was a little surprised, but it

made sense. Tinasha had occasionally shown signs of such a heritage. This

explained where it all stemmed from.

Lucrezia listened to everyone's surprised remarks and laughed. "She is

royalty, indeed, but perhaps not in the way you're imagining. Strictly

speaking, she was a potential queen. Tuldarr was a monarchy, but the throne

wasn't inherited based on lineage. Instead, rulers were decided purely by

power."

"If it was decided by power, then what happened if someone dangerous

was also incredibly strong?"

"That was why candidates were educated in the castle from a young age.

Soon after Tinasha was born, she was taken from her parents and raised in

the castle. That was how preeminent her power was."

Als let out a deep sigh. Lucrezia smiled in a motherly way. "So both a

boy and girl would be chosen as potential regents, and they would become

engaged. In Tinasha's case, the boy was the king's only son—Lanak. In

terms of status, he was about equal to her, but in terms of power, he was no

match for her. Everyone thought she would be queen and he would be her

consort."

"What a world," Oscar commented.

"That's what royal families are like. You have Akashia, don't you?"

Lucrezia said, looking at Oscar. The prince shrugged. It was true that

without the royal sword, Oscar might not have been able to brave all the

dangers that led him to Tinasha in the first place.

"Even so, Lanak apparently doted on this girl five years younger than

him. They'd been together ever since Tinasha was a baby and as close as a

real brother and sister. But all around them, unrest was brewing."

Lucrezia narrowed her eyes and pointed to Oscar. "At the time, Farsas

and many other countries were growing stronger. Tuldarr had broken off

diplomatic relations with all other nations, and internal debate raged over

whether that should continue. The Reformists urged Tuldarr to engage with

foreigners and exchange technology with them. The Traditionalists insisted

that Tuldarr was a special country that was better not intermingling. Neither

side would yield. Eventually the king fell ill, and the Reformists

championed Tinasha while the Traditionalists sided with Lanak. They

argued over which would be heir."

"You say they argued, but wasn't it basically already decided that Miss

Tinasha would take the throne?" inquired Als.

"Yes, it was. Which is why the Traditionalists hatched a plan. They

plotted to kill two birds with one stone by preventing Tinasha's coronation

while also fortifying Lanak's power."

Lucrezia took a breath, licked her red lips, and continued.

"At the time, Tinasha was thirteen. One night, she woke up and found

herself being spirited away in Lanak's arms. She wondered why, but Lanak

told her, 'Something good's about to happen,' and she trusted him. For

someone like Tinasha, who was separated from her parents and brought up

in the castle, Lanak was the one person who understood her circumstances.

He carried her into the cathedral and laid her down on the altar…

"And then…very slowly, he cut open Tinasha's belly with a dagger.

"I remember Tinasha told me that it was 'the kind of thing that happens

all the time.' She'd been smiling, her dark eyes closed, as if she hadn't even

been the one it'd happened to."

"…What did you just say?" Oscar asked, swinging his legs back onto

the floor and sitting up.

The others were staring at the Lucrezia, varying degrees of terror on

their faces.

The witch giggled, although her eyes were filled with anger. "Oh, did

you not catch that? Lanak and the Traditionalist mages used the blood and

guts of Tinasha—a powerful mage—to summon magic. They didn't want

her to die partway through, so they used a life-prolonging spell but did

nothing for the pain. When the magical power appeared, Lanak absorbed

it."

"Didn't he think of her as his sister?!" Als shouted, half rising out of his

seat.

Lucrezia curled her lip scornfully. "He did. But he had his wounded

pride to think about, too. A young girl who relied only on herself had a

power that far outstripped his, guaranteeing it was she who would succeed

to the throne, not him, despite him being prince."

"Unbelievable…," Sylvia faintly murmured as her eyes welled up with

tears. Next to her, Doan was uncharacteristically biting his lower lip in fury.

Oscar recalled Tinasha's strange reaction when he'd picked her up and

placed her in bed. That incident far in the past, four hundred years ago,

must've left an unforgettable mark on her mind.

With everyone's hate stirred up, the witch went on with her story.

"But the magical power they summoned was much greater than they'd

imagined. The plan was to split it up using five names and affix each one to

a part of Lanak's body. But ultimately, they failed to control it. One of the

mages working the spell ran away; one was eaten by the magic and died.

The power whipped up into a huge vortex surrounding Tinasha…and it

destroyed Tuldarr. That's why the country fell to ruin overnight."

The two mages paled. They had learned about the ancient Magic Empire

and its mysterious downfall. Lucrezia gave a limpid smile and returned to

recounting Tinasha's history.

"Tinasha was on the verge of death but still conscious. She saw Lanak

and the other mages escaping and grew frantic… This next part I don't

personally think had anything to do with her talent or power. Whether it

was the willpower or the tenacity of someone half-dead, Tinasha succeeded

in bringing the magic under control and absorbing it. However, she couldn't

absorb it all, and the parts that she couldn't scattered all over the world,

forming the magical lakes."

Lucrezia lifted up her ivory hands. Before their eyes, a map of the

continent appeared in midair. Five locations glowed red—the remaining

magical lakes.

"Though the storm of magic vanished, the country was already in ruins.

All around her were heaps of rubble. She lay there in exquisite pain for

three days while her stomach wound healed."

The map disappeared. Lucrezia smiled, biting back her sorrow. "And

once it was all over—she became a witch."

That was the tale of how a thirteen-year-old girl met with a checkered

fate in a time long past. It was a long-forgotten tragedy that couldn't be

altered

"After that, Tinasha built a tower in a corner of the Tuldarr territory and

made it her home. Through the years, she continued to search for Lanak.

I've never dared to ask her why. That's the end of the story. What do you

think?"

Lucrezia looked at Oscar. She appeared to be grinning, but she wasn't.

Slowly, Oscar let out a long exhale.

When he closed his eyes, it felt like visions of a distant past sprang up in

his mind's eye.

There was a desolate landscape and a girl. One who'd lost everything

and had become a witch.

How much despair had she suffered? Despite it being more than anyone

could've rightly endured, Tinasha had still managed to smile so naturally

before everyone. How long must it have taken until she could get that smile

back?

Oscar thought of his witch.

He recalled her fragile body. Her proud soul. Her whims, her love, her

loneliness, her cruelty.

Oscar wished he could have been there to take her hand in the

beginning.

He cursed himself for not being at her side when she was suffering the

most.

Those were ancient memories, however, which meant the only thing he

had any hope of reaching…was Tinasha as she was now.

"Do you think she still loves the man who slit her belly open?" Oscar

asked Lucrezia.

"Who knows?"

"Then how do you think she feels about me?"

"Don't ask me things you know the answer to," Lucrezia replied,

pointing a red-painted nail at him. "She left the barrier on you, didn't she?

And she left you her dragon? There's your answer."

Oscar touched the back of his left ear.

The night before, Tinasha had written a sigil in her own blood to

temporarily seal off his protective barrier. If Lanak had seen the barrier, it

seemed unlikely he would've let Oscar be.

Tinasha's silent gift to Oscar was still protecting him, even in her

absence.

Oscar stood up and addressed the group. "There are no changes to the

essential plan. I'm going to kill that disgusting man and bring Tinasha back.

That's all."

Als nodded, his eyes closed, and Doan bowed. In tears, Sylvia bobbed

her head over and over.

The Witch of the Forbidden Forest looked at them and smiled like a

mother of children who had done well.

A memory of a past that could never be recovered.

"You can sleep," Lanak told Tinasha, and she closed her eyes. She was

in his arms as he walked along, and they were warm.

To Tinasha, he was the only family she'd ever had. That was why she

found herself comfortable enough to act so defenseless.

For a while, she lingered in a hazy dream, but she blinked her eyes open

once she realized that the air around was suddenly different.

The pair were in a dim, cavernous room. It felt cool, and Lanak's

echoing footsteps were the only sound.

After noticing that Lanak was carrying her up some stone steps, she

murmured, "Is this the cathedral?"

"Ah, are you awake? Your magical resistance is strong, so of course you

woke up."

"Magical resistance…"

Lanak was talking as if he'd used magic to put her to sleep.

The alabaster man climbed the stone steps. At the top was a ceremonial

altar, with rays of moonlight streaming in from a skylight onto the chilly

platform made of pale stone. Tinasha finally noticed the figures all around

them. Countless mages in robes, faces shadowed by hoods, were clustered

around the altar in silence.

"…Lanak? Who are these people?"

He didn't answer her.

Smiling limpidly…he placed her down onto the cold altar.

When she tried to get up, he pressed her shoulders back down against

the carven slab.

"Stay still, Aeti," he said and took something from a recess in the dais.

Rays of moonlight caught something white.

Tinasha saw it, but she couldn't comprehend what it was. She just lay

there on her back as if frozen, staring at the dagger Lanak was holding.

"Lanak…?"

The blade plunged down.

The tip pierced her belly.

"…Aaaaaahhhhhh!"

Her body arched up like a bow, but Lanak held her down and brazenly

cut her stomach open.

Blood spurted and flew, and her guts were dragged out.

She heard the sound of multiple people chanting. No matter how she

shouted and struggled, Lanak kept cutting her open.

Her high-pitched screams didn't stop until they turned at last into bitter

sobs.

Thus, in a tale as old as time, that loathsome country came to an end.

"…!"

Tinasha jerked awake.

She clutched her head with shaking hands. Inside her mind, dreams and

reality and the past and the present were all jumbled up.

She looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar room. She sat up

in bed, tugging on her long nightgown.

After several deep breaths, her heart finally stopped pounding. Once she

got out of bed, she began to pace around. Before long, she caught sight of a

full-length mirror on the wall.

For a moment, she saw a skinny little girl there and she gasped.

"Ah…"

Breathless, she looked again but now saw only her adult self reflected

back at her.

Tinasha looked nothing like the child she'd once been. The years had

worn her down and caked her with despair and hatred. She knew that deep

in her heart, however, that same self was still there. That girl who'd been

driven mad four hundred years ago was still there.

Tinasha stepped up to the mirror and placed a hand on the icy glass.

"This is why I told you not to get too close to a witch, Oscar…"

Her lips curled into a self-deprecating smirk, as the dark eyes of the

woman inside the mirror seemed to avert her gaze.

Tearing her eyes away from that reflection, Tinasha went through the

basic steps of getting herself ready. She had many things to do now. She

couldn't stay in a dream forever.

When she arrived at the castle's main hall, three mages were having an

audience with the king. Seated atop a white throne, Lanak noticed her and

called, "Good morning, Aeti. Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you. Who are these people?"

"Ah yes. Apparently, they're about to head out to a city in Tayiri."

Lanak chuckled.

The way he phrased this made it sound like it had nothing to do with

him, and Tinasha cocked her head innocently. "To go burn that city?"

Her question sounded like a little girl's, and one of the three mages

nodded with emphatic aggression. "Yes. A declaration of war."

"Then I'll do it," Tinasha decided.

"What?! But…"

She'd made the statement rather lightly, twirling her hair, and the three

mages exchanged bewildered looks.

The beautiful witch smiled fearlessly. "I'm allowed to ask for whatever I

want. I will go to the city. You three go prepare for war or something."

Tinasha fixed the mages with powerful eyes the color of darkness and

the bearing of royalty. More than anything, however, the witch possessed a

power that afforded no room for disagreement.

One week after Tinasha disappeared, Oscar was buried in diplomatic

materials in Farsas Castle, very far from Cuscull.

Cuscull, the northwestern part of Tayiri that had broken off and declared

independence, shared no borders with Farsas.

Reaching it would require first going through Old Druza in the

northwest or Cezar in the northeast, then Tayiri itself.

"Or first go west, then north through the territory of Old Tuldarr, and

surround Cuscull from the west," Oscar observed.

"But supposedly the magical power fields are unpredictable in Old

Tuldarr," Lazar said.

"Some people say that land was cursed to begin with, but no matter how

you look at it, the real source of the problems has got to be him," Oscar

spat. "Because the land is permeated with a large-scale forbidden curse… I

never would've thought the magical lakes stemmed from the same source."

Oscar stared at the unfurled map of the mainland on his desk.

Beyond the western borders of Farsas lay deserted, desolate land

belonging to no country—the wasteland where Tinasha's tower resided. The

presence of the witch's spire was certainly a part of why the area had been

abandoned for over three hundred years, but there was more to it than that.

That barren strip of land ran along the western edge of the tower all the

way up to western Tayiri. It had been regarded as cursed since the Dark Age

because of the fall of Tuldarr.

"I never considered it much before, but was all that land under Tuldarr's

rule? It would had to have been almost as big as Farsas is now. That was

unusual for the Dark Age, wasn't it? Tuldarr must've been mighty indeed,"

Oscar observed.

"It certainly seems to have possessed the power befitting the title of

'Magic Empire.' According to Miss Lucrezia, Tuldarr was originally

founded as a place to shelter persecuted mages," Lazar explained.

"So it grew more and more powerful from there, until it rose to become

the most powerful country on the continent by way of magic alone. Then

one day it was brought to absolute ruin leaving only forbidden, magicsoaked waste behind. I've never heard something so ridiculous."

When Tinasha had told Oscar of how their current era came to be known

as the Age of Witches, she'd said the spell that was supposed to use the

Witch Who Cannot Be Summoned as the catalyst would have irreversibly

altered the mainland. Apparently, Tinasha herself had been used in the very

same way, and the effects of that incident could still be felt to this day.

The mere thought of that served only to infuriate Oscar. He knew if he

dwelled on that idea too long, he'd want to march into Cuscull alone and

cut that man named Lanak down where he stood. The others definitely

wouldn't allow him to do that, however. Even Oscar had to admit it was far

too brash.

That said, spurring the military into action because of his own personal

feelings was even more out of the question.

"I guess all I can do is wait until Tayiri comes running to us in tears…"

"What if Miss Tinasha gets married in the meantime?"

"…Now there's an interesting thought," said Oscar, indicating that Lazar

should lower his head. Then Oscar used his fists to slowly apply pressure to

Lazar's temples.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

"According to Lucrezia, Lanak is a spirit sorcerer, too. If he's going to

get married, he'll wait until the fighting's done."

"I—I see…," Lazar whimpered.

Oscar let go, releasing Lazar. Instantly, he sprang out of his lord's grasp,

rubbing his sore temples with tears in his eyes. "Your Highness, did you do

this to Miss Tinasha, too…?"

"I use different amounts of force on different people, obviously," Oscar

replied. Lazar was looking at him reproachfully, suspecting him of treating

his protector rudely. If Oscar had put real force into the move with Tinasha,

he'd have crushed her delicate skull.

Oscar folded up the map and snapped, "I don't know who he thinks he

is, sweeping in and shamelessly spiriting Tinasha away, but I won't be

satisfied until I cut him into forty-eight different pieces."

"I don't think it has to be that many pieces," Lazar protested.

"Anyway, I guess I'll make sure we're ready to ship out at any time

while we wait to see what Tayiri's move is," Oscar said, scratching his

temple with the end of a pen.

As it happened, he didn't have to wait very long. That evening, two

letters addressed to Farsas arrived.

In a castle hall, the king looked out at the cluster of royal council

members and showed them the letters in his hands. "Here they are. One is

from Tayiri, asking for aid from neighboring countries against Cuscull's

violent attacks. It says that Cuscull appears to be plotting to conquer the

entire mainland and that it will not be satisfied with Tayiri alone," the king

detailed in a leisurely tone.

One general, Granfort, raised his hand and stepped forward. This man

was in the prime of life, and he spoke in a measured, dignified voice. "My

apologies, but it is hard for me to believe that Cuscull truly does have that

intention based solely on the word of their current target. Isn't this simply

some internal skirmish? I must express doubts as to the wisdom of sending

our troops into the situation so recklessly."

"Ah, you would think so normally. But there's one more letter…from

Cuscull. This has gone out to all the Four Great Nations—Tayiri, Cezar,

Gandona, and Farsas. It's a request for surrender."

The king's words sent a shock wave of fright through those assembled.

Just as quickly as the fear had come, the royal council started to murmur

among itself, with some snickers mixed in. The Four Great Nations were all

powers with extensive, storied histories and unquestionable sovereignty.

For a tiny country founded less than a year ago to demand submission of

these superpowers was ludicrous beyond belief. Surely, Cuscull was getting

too far ahead of itself.

Oscar and Als were the only ones not laughing.

What would the reaction have been like if it weren't Cuscull trying to

annex the Four Great Nations but the former monarchy called the Magic

Empire? In the war-torn Dark Age, Tuldarr was a powerful state that

successfully repelled invasions from other countries without surrendering

ground. What would happen if that country that had once existed to protect

the rights of mages now sought to attack other countries as a means of

ensuring that goal?

More and more mages were flocking to Cuscull by the day, including

incredibly powerful spirit sorcerers. Fighting against them would

necessitate anti-magic warfare. There hadn't been a mage-centric war on

the mainland in the past two hundred years, however. Chances were high

that one wrong move could lead to getting mowed down without even

knowing what was happening.

The king, famous for his mild nature, surveyed those present with a

stern look. "We don't yet know if this will end up as something we can

laugh about. I would prefer not to misread a nation and do something that

cannot be undone. Five major Tayiri cities were destroyed all at once the

other day. Casualties are estimated to be in the thousands. These were not

cities that happened to be close to Cuscull, either. The attacker appears to

have simply chosen the largest settlements. One of them was not far from

Cezar at all."

A hush fell over the audience.

Ultimately, the study of magic was rather lacking in most countries.

Many were content to simply learn what had already been recorded in

books. At best, a kingdom kept around fifty court mages. Cuscull had many,

many more. It was beyond most people to accurately predict when and

where such a sizable force of mages would attack. A city in Farsas could be

struck the next day.

After making sure that the hall was quiet again, the king opened the

letter in his hand. His gaze dropped to it. "Finally, this is for Oscar."

"What is it?"

"In the cities in Tayiri that were destroyed…the people vanished, but the

buildings were left intact. They say it's the work of the Witch of the Azure

Moon."

Everyone in attendance suddenly stiffened.

A witch, who'd previously been content not to involve herself, had

finally started using her immense power to interfere in war. Those who

understood how unprecedented this was shuddered with fear, confusion, and

horror. Some of them looked reproachfully at Oscar, knowing the witch in

question had been at his side until very recently.

Oscar himself was like a rock, and his expression didn't change.

With his eyes trained on his son, the king continued. "Tayiri requests

that you, as the current bearer of Akashia, slay the witch. This is separate

from the request for aid made of Farsas; they want you to kill her. Can you

do it?"

"I can," Oscar answered immediately. Behind him, the color drained

from Als's face. He raised his hand, intending to say something.

Before the general could speak, however, Oscar added, "I refuse to do

so, however."

The king looked puzzled, and a faint line creased his brow. "I won't ask

you to endanger yourself by going if you can't win."

"I'm the only one who can kill her. But I won't. If Tayiri wants aid, let's

go give it to them. But only if Cuscull is our enemy. Tinasha's a separate

matter."

"Didn't she join up with Cuscull of her own free will?" inquired the

king.

"It might look that way, but I don't think so," Oscar replied.

The king's face darkened in an exceedingly rare display of anger. His

full intimidating aura, normally held in check, was laid bare. As the royal

council members grew pallid, the king rose from his chair and looked down

at Oscar. He took in a short breath and then proceeded to berate his son.

"Are you a fool to get so possessed by a witch?! Have you forgotten that the

lives of the people are riding on your shoulders?!"

Everyone shrunk inward at their lord's earsplitting roar of indignation.

Oscar only offered a wry huff, however.

The witch had said the same thing to him. It wasn't very long ago, but

Oscar felt oddly nostalgic about it already. Everyone was chewing his ear

off, trying to test him.

Oscar met his father's angry gaze, his bright sky-blue eyes blazing.

"Father, we don't need to go back and forth. I've already made up my mind.

I don't plan to lose, and I also don't plan on giving anything up."

That much Oscar had decided a while ago. Perhaps everything had been

leading up to this ever since Oscar had learned the truth of Tinasha's past

from Lucrezia… Or maybe it'd been from when Oscar had first reached the

top of Tinasha's tower.

Regardless, the prince's answer was clear, calm, and wholehearted. The

king eyed him silently.

After only a moment, the king's rage seemed to quiet and he gave a

heavy shrug of resignation. "It really must run in the family…"

No one in the room understood the meaning behind their ruler's

mutterings. With a pained smile, the king sat himself back down.

"All right, then. Do as you like. In exchange…"

"In exchange?" Oscar urged.

"You take the throne. I think I'll abdicate."

"Y-Your Majesty!" cried Minister of the Interior Nessan in a panic.

The king received the concern rather nonchalantly. "It's a little early, but

I don't mind. He's already handling almost all the official duties. The one

who rules this country is supposed to also be the bearer of Akashia anyway.

It's the perfect opportunity for Oscar to do some important things."

Even Oscar was taken aback by his father's rather sudden decree. It was

true that kings in Farsas took the throne unusually quickly compared with

other countries, though. This was because the king of Farsas wielded

Akashia, meaning he had to be a capable swordsman.

In accordance with that tradition, it would not have been strange if Oscar

had been crowned as soon as he'd come to possess the mighty weapon. His

father had just been occupying the throne since that day.

Oscar snapped out of his shock, and a smile broke across his graceful

features. "I can't believe you… All right, I accept the throne with the

utmost gratitude."

The king nodded, a dark smile on his lips. It very much resembled his

son's. He seized upon the opportunity to give Oscar another warning. "You

must always be aware that your decisions affect the entire country."

"I will take that to heart," Oscar declared, silently wondering what

Tinasha would think of him saying such a thing.

He tried to imagine it, but the Tinasha in his mind had her back turned to

him.

"I'm a witch, and you possess Akashia; you really might have to kill me

someday."

At the time, the witch had said that in partial jest, but it was the truth.

Oscar was the owner of the only sword in the world capable of killing

the Witch of the Azure Moon—his protector. Maybe Tinasha had so

enjoyed her time together with Oscar because she'd known all along that it

was ephemeral.

What role did she expect Oscar to play in the war that was to come? Did

she instead wish him not to get involved at all?

Oscar could only grasp at an answer as the tale hastened onward, faster

and faster.