Zwillingstürme, the current capital of Leithanien.
The land of music lives up to its reputation; even at midday, the beautiful melodies continue unabated.
Since the purge that symbolized the rebirth of Leithanien, the Origin Horn, which once stood in the center of the city, has been demolished.
As if to demonstrate the superiority of the new regime, the nobles built two taller and more magnificent black and white twin towers for the new Twin Empresses.
Now, the master of the Black Tower has crossed the long corridor that serves as the dividing line and stepped into the territory of the White Tower.
"Your Majesty! How could you...?"
Without answering the guard's question, the Black Empress swiftly pushed open the palace doors.
The White Queen, who was supposed to be receiving the envoys, was not present in the magnificent palace.
Where is Ivegnade?
"Your Majesty, another empress is in her own music room."
Frowning at the guard's incorrect address, Helinmat turned and left, but more important matters were at hand.
The door to the music room was ajar, and deep music drifted out from within, causing Helinmat's brow to furrow even deeper.
Caution, narrow-mindedness, and lurking fear—music that is not familiar to him.
"Helinmat, now that you're here, what are you doing standing outside?"
The music became rapid, then carefully stabilized.
"Not interrupting a musician from completing his piece is simply a matter of basic courtesy."
Helinmat entered the room. The White Queen was sitting in her usual seat, while another seat that should have been hers was occupied by a boy.
The messengers of Lupokan, musicians representing the Lupokan region to express their loyalty to the Queens.
As a region close to Siracusa, it had been in an awkward position during the reign of the Witch King.
Although she sided with the Twin Empresses when they overthrew their rule, she was still attacked and isolated by other nobles for allegedly condoning and inciting rebellion.
Upon seeing the legendary, ruthless Black Empress, the boy panicked and tried to stand up.
"Your mind is in turmoil. As a musician, you should at least finish playing the piece."
Helinmat stopped the boy's actions, and after the boy finished playing and calmed down, the White Queen gently gestured for him to leave.
You're still the same.
The Black Empress sat down in her seat, and the White Queen gently made her tea.
"This is a necessary consideration; to gain the support of the other regions, we cannot get too close to Lupokan."
The Black Empress silently sipped her tea.
Closeness is one aspect, attitude is another.
The fact that the envoy was not received in a formal setting indicates that he is not valued. What happens to those disliked by the White Queen?
The gentle White Queen certainly wouldn't take action; her supporters would clear the obstacles for her.
"Phew... Alright, Ivegnade, I'm not here to listen to your political sermons." The Black Empress took the initiative to get down to business.
"Was it you who temporarily assigned Golden Law Guard another task instead of the one he was supposed to arrive for?"
"... If this has interfered with your plans, I apologize." The White Queen's face showed a hint of confusion.
"What happened?"
"Count Urtica has disappeared, and the Witch King Remnants have revolted—you didn't know these things?"
The Black Empress stared intently into the White Queen's eyes, but unfortunately, she found no flaws.
"If I remember correctly, you were in charge of dealing with the remnants of the Witch King Remnants. Even though you saved the child who possessed the Voice of the Mundane, I did not stop you."
The White Queen's tone was sincere, and even the Black Empress couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
Indeed, as she said, even though the country had two kings, neither of them ever interfered in the other's territory.
The transferred Golden Law Guard will soon arrive in Utica, but could all of this be an accident?
The Black Empress downed her tea in one gulp, then rose and walked toward the door.
"Are you going to handle this yourself, Helinmat?"
The Black Empress did not turn around; she knew the other party was trying to dissuade her.
"Do you know what's going on outside? This world is becoming increasingly incomprehensible. Even the power of the Witch King... as long as it makes Leithanien stronger, it doesn't matter."
The uprising of the Witch King Remnants was no small matter, and she was the only one capable of suppressing the chaos as quickly as possible.
Helinmat admitted that she did have selfish motives in protecting the two children; no one understood the Witch King's power better than the Twin Empresses who were created with the Witch King's goal in mind.
Ivegnade hopes to eliminate this destabilizing factor, and she wants to regain control of the powers that belong to Leithanien.
"I know that no one understands your decisiveness and courage better than I do." The White Queen did not stop her, but instead made a new request.
"If you have some free time, how about a trip to the Winter Spirit Mountains?"
"Winter Spirit Mountains... is there a problem with the border?"
The Black Empress's voice turned serious, and the White Queen shook her head.
"It appears to be an unusual Catastrophe; the rift valley near the Winter Spirit Mountains is heating up abnormally, and reports indicate that lava is being ejected from the rift."
"... These kinds of problems should be solved by researchers."
The Black Empress was puzzled, while the White Queen handed her a photograph. The Black Queen took it and examined it, her sharp pupils suddenly contracting.
The photo shows an aerial view of the rift valley, where flowing lava has turned the abyss a deep crimson.
But the key point is not these things. There is a black figure in the rising black smoke, which would probably be difficult to spot if not for the Black Empress's amazing eyesight.
"Gods' People who have reverted to their ancestral ways..."
Watching the black dragon soaring through the black smoke, the Black Empress couldn't help but think of the news about Kazimierz from a while ago.
The battle Gods' People Overlord and the Flame Demon was a major event, with one of the main characters being a giant white dragon. However, few people knew that another Gods' People was also present, a tiny black young dragon in comparison.
Is that it?
"It should be."
The Black Empress solemnly took the photo back.
I will try to capture it.
The power of the Gods' People Overlord could defeat the Flame Demon is self-evident. Even if this black dragon looks like a white dragon's cub and its combat strength may not be strong, they have the time to nurture it.
"The true Gods' People Overlord may also be here."
The White Queen's tone turned worried, and the Black Empress sighed.
"Ivegnade, don't put on this act for me. You should know me."
Yes, of course I know you.
The White Queen stood up and Black Empress's face.
She knew the Black Empress wouldn't let go of any opportunity to make Leithanien stronger, and even though she said nothing, the Black Empress still chose that dangerous move.
Just as I expected...
"I need you, Leithanien needs you too. If I can't bring you back, there's no need to force it."
Regardless of how to control the black dragon after bringing it back, what are the chances of bringing it back while it's near the white dragon?
"I'll try, but I'm not crazy."
The mission was extremely dangerous, but the Black Empress was not afraid. She was willing to sacrifice herself for Leithanien, but she also knew that if she couldn't win, she had to run.
"If the capture fails, I will try to lead it to Ursus or Kazdel."
Without lingering, the Black Empress turned and left, intending to make preparations as soon as possible.
"Helinmat," the White Queen called out to her.
Will you hate me?
"... You know that." The Black Empress closed the door.
"We are all doing what we believe is right."
Turning her head, Helinmat looked at the trembling boy outside the door.
"You heard everything?"
The boy trembled and nodded in fear.
"..."
The Black Empress rubbed her temples. Even if the boy hadn't heard these words, the people guarding the tower wouldn't have let him leave.
Inside the room, the White Queen maintained her perfect, gentle smile.
"Name."
"Michael!"
The boy loudly proclaimed his name and awaited the Queen's verdict.
"... Follow me."
The boy looked up in disbelief as the Black Empress continued walking away.
Just as the boy, his eyes gleaming with hope, caught up, the White Queen's voice rang out.
"Oh, right, Helinmat."
Helinmat calmly turned around, shielding the stiff boy behind her.
"Is there anything else?"
In the silence, the White Queen spoke softly.
"Could you hand over to me the Witch King Remnants, who were identified through previous investigations, to deal with?"
Faced with the White Queen's gentle request, the Black Empress calmly gave her reply.
They're all dead.
"What's so strange about that? It would be strange if no one died there."
Listening to his companions discuss the news of another death in the Infected special zone, the man remained indifferent.
"No, no, no! This time it's different. The entire sewer system is full of corpses, and they're all wearing masks!"
"A mask? You wouldn't be talking about that, would you?!"
Shh—just keep it to yourself, don't tell anyone.
"... Didn't the council chamber issue a notice? What about the tower? Doesn't the tower care either?"
"Don't even mention it! I saw the body when the police pulled it out; one of the faces belonged to the receptionist in the council chamber!"
The thought that the receptionist who usually chatted and laughed with him was actually a terrifying Witch King Remnants sent chills down the man's spine.
She even invited me to dinner before, could it be that she's thinking of...?
"Oh, what a pity, such a good person died like that."
"Are you crazy! Those are the Witch King Remnants..." the man said in a low voice, unable to understand his companion's thoughts.
"How many people have those guys killed? Infected now, who knows, it could be you or me next."
"... Yes, you're right."
The companion forced a smile, without telling the man that she had been invited by them.
He almost agreed.
So what if the Witch King Remnants?
People say that the Witch King was cruel, but when that king was in power, even commoners could rise above their circumstances.
Historical records state that the king, in his later years, was so cruel that he enjoyed peeling people's faces off. But where would Witch King, engrossed in his research, find the time?
Was it someone using that king's name to commit atrocities, or was it malicious slander by ambitious people in later generations?
By joining them, one can gain access to knowledge that was previously unavailable to others. How could mediocre people be content to remain mediocre forever?
"You know that's good. I don't want to see your face among a pile of corpses one day."
The man tried to dissuade him again, and his companion nodded, changing the subject to something else.
"By the way, given what's happened, do you think the concert can still be held as scheduled?"
"Ha, don't make me laugh. That cowardly Earl is probably hiding in the tower, trembling with fear, and he'll probably send his agent to handle it again."
Bang--!
A muffled thud came from the dining table next to him. The man looked over in confusion and saw a family of four sitting at the table, with their children arguing.
"Don't you know anything about manners? That food is on my plate!"
"Chew... But you're eating so slowly, I Ceobe you couldn't finish."
"Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly is proper etiquette... What are you doing? Don't throw half of your food back!"
With one hand on each of his heads, he stopped the two children's fight. Seemingly acting as the father, the Ancients Pelo stood up and bowed to apologize to the disturbed diners.
Such a well-mannered family! Are they aristocrats?
The man waved amicably and looked at the girl Pelo was licking her plate.
My daughter doesn't seem very bright...
The man turned around, intending to continue his conversation with his companion, but noticed that the latter's expression was somewhat strange.
"What's wrong? Did you see someone you know?"
"... No, it should be that I admitted I was wrong."
Thinking of the portrait he had seen before, his companion's expression became somewhat strained.
"Let's go now, or we'll be late for practice and the teacher will be angry."
"Oh? But lunch hasn't come yet..."
"Let's go, it's okay to go hungry for a meal."
His companion got up and left, his steps hurried, and the man followed, completely bewildered.
"... I'm stuffed."
Ebenholz put down his cutlery expressionlessly, casually pushing it to the other side, where it was accepted by Ceobe.
Wasting food is hardly considered polite.
"But someone's eating it!"
Long-standing habit caused the boy to subconsciously raise his voice, but the next moment he realized that the other person wasn't being sarcastic. Just as he was about to apologize, a large hand touched the top of his head.
"They're gone."
After straightening the nearly tipped-over plate and paying, the group left the restaurant amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the staff.
Gregor didn't criticize Ebenholz's sensitivity; childhood trauma takes a long time to heal. Ebenholz himself, however, was struggling with whether or not to speak up.
But he soon stopped worrying about it.
The afternoon sun was warm and pleasant, and the soft music playing along the street helped me to sleep.
Ceobe placed his hands on Ebenholz's shoulders, rested his chin on the boy's head, and closed his eyes to rest.
What are you doing!?
"Hmm... Ceobe is taking a nap."
In his life in the wild, Ceobe often saw pack animals sleeping side by side, and now that he had his own little brother, he naturally wanted to try it out.
Ceobe shook its head, and Caprinae's horns fit perfectly in the center of its head, giving it a subtle sense of security.
Before the boy could react, a soft snoring sound came from above.
Before the Ebenholz and red temperature, Gregor picked up the silly dog and carried it on his back.
"If you dislike it, you can explain it to Ceobe. She's a good girl and won't make things difficult for you."
Actually, I didn't dislike it that much...
"Who told her to be such a fool? Doesn't she fear getting pricked by my horn?"
"It would be difficult for you to wound her on your own."
Ebenholz looked at Gregor with a bewildered expression, but the latter offered no explanation and continued to ask.
Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?
At Ebenholz's request, before leaving, I wanted to take a closer look at my nominal territory and experience some things I couldn't experience before.
They have already done a lot.
A simple outing, listening to street music, taking a walk in the park, and eating at an ordinary restaurant.
Ebenholz fell silent in the face of Gregor's question.
These novel experiences were things he had never had in the tower; they weren't particularly wonderful, but they felt very real.
The more the boy learned, the less courage he had to continue his visit.
Although Count Urtica never showed himself, everyone seemed to know Count Urtica and were discussing his evil deeds with great conviction.
Even though he had decided to sever ties with his past identity, the boy still couldn't let go when he heard those words.
Are you bothered by what you said before?
Seeing the boy's thoughts, Gregor comforted him:
"It's not your fault. The territory your agents governed on your behalf—you didn't do any of the things they said you were supposed to do, did you?"
"Of course I didn't do it! I don't even know those people they're talking about!"
Ebenholz growled angrily, then became dejected.
Inside and outside the tower, people seem no different from one another, and the world they yearn for is far less beautiful than they imagined.
Gregor, a newcomer to Utica, could see this fact, surely the locals could too?
If that were the case, then in Ebenholz's eyes, the people of Utica were nothing more than a bunch of fools, and he himself, who had placed expectations on them, was equally stupid.
"Honey cake..."
Ceobe mumbled in his sleep, Ebenholz turned his head away, gritting his teeth as he said:
"I hate idiots!"
"Do you really hate it?"
Ebenholz looked up angrily, only to meet the expressionless eyes of the masked man, and his carefully cultivated emotions instantly crumbled.
"And what do you know...?"
Are you happy?
"What?"
Ebenholz, confused, followed Gregor's gaze to a mother and daughter on the street.
They looked somewhat thin and weren't dressed extravagantly, but the soothing music they had just played was played by the two of them.
Ebenholz examined the musical instruments in the hands of the mother and daughter. In Leithanien, one could tell a lot about a family's economic situation just by looking at the musical instruments they owned.
It's very old, and the family doesn't seem to be in good financial shape.
But why...?
"They were laughing very happily," Gregor said truthfully.
"... What does that have to do with me?"
"You laughed like that when you experienced those things before."
Ebenholz subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that there was no change in his expression.
Stop lying.
Gregor shook his head at Mace, who sighed, squatted down, and extended his finger to adjust Ebenholz's smile into a U-shape.
"I'll give you a task."
Gregor bought a flower from the florist next door and handed it to Ebenholz.
"Keep that smile on your face and give them this flower."
Why do this?!
"You're leaving soon, don't you want to give your people a final word of comfort?"
"... I am not Count Urtica."
Despite saying that, Ebenholz still took the flowers and walked towards the street.
From afar, Gregor saw the mother and daughter laughing and saying something, and the boy's face instantly turned red.
What did they say?
The returning boy stammered, and finally lied through his teeth.
"He didn't say anything!"
Gregor shrugged and continued forward, with Ebenholz silently following. As they walked further away, he couldn't help but look back, where the mother and daughter were still smiling and waving at him.
"If only everyone were like them..."
"That's your task."
"Mine?"
They arrived at the fountain in the square with the Ebenholz, and the group sat by the fountain, watching passersby feed the pigeons.
"The world has both good and bad, that's the norm, but we can try to make the good outweigh the bad."
"You care about Utica, that's why you care about other people's opinions, and you're afraid of having your expectations dashed, so you don't look forward to anything."
"But what you fear won't disappear into thin air; you have to defeat it yourself."
The Fowlbeast, unafraid of humans, flew onto the headgear and pecked at the head. Gregor simply bought a bag of breadcrumbs and fed it to the beast.
Gregor handed it to the side, and Ebenholz casually scattered it, causing the Fowlbeast to swarm around his feet.
"... He can spout off a whole bunch of grand principles, even though he's clearly an Assassin."
"That doesn't conflict."
Ebenholz looked up, and the sunlight refracted by the fountain water blurred his vision, making the figure in front of him somewhat blurry.
Gregor truthfully revealed his purpose, using the Voice of the Mundane within him to meet the Witch King.
It's so simple, you could have just taken me away, why did you have to say so much? Why are you being so good to me...?
Ebenholz was willing to believe Gregor, but Count Urtica still voiced his doubts.
What exactly do you want me to do?
"Grow up well, live well, it's that simple."
Sensing the increasing number of prying eyes, Gregor pushed the Ebenholz a little closer to the mace.
Before the angry boy stood up and ran away, Gregor concluded:
"In short, no matter how unhappy you are now, you must believe that tomorrow will be better."
Sensing something amiss, Ceobe began to bare its teeth.
With a tacit understanding, Gregor took the dog and comforted it before heading towards the shop on the street corner.
Ebenholz instinctively stood up.
Where are you going?
"Go buy some drinks. Ceobe will wake up soon. If possible, play some music for her."
Ebenholz stood frozen in place, and behind him came the Ceobe. The boy reached for the musical flute, a magical artifact, in his robes.
He can play music, and he's quite good at it.
But the boy hadn't played in a long time.
He used to play because of the praise from those around him, but after realizing that the praise wasn't for him, but rather because he was looking at something else, the boy began to refuse to play.
Can the boy still play beautiful music now?
"Hello, do you have any drink recommendations?"
The shop owner's lips trembled as he slowly pointed to the shelf.
"Is it in the back? I'll go get it myself."
His eyes widened in terror, and the shop owner was on the verge of tears, but Gregor had already gone inside.
With a few muffled thuds, Gregor came out carrying drinks.
"He, they..."
"It's alright, just tell the police the truth."
Refusing the payment offered by his tearful boss, Gregor headed down another alley.
The sunlight was blocked by the tall tower, and the alley that should have been deserted was now full of people.
Gregor placed the drink the boss had given him in the corner, took out his twin swords, hesitated for a moment, then put them down and raised his shield.
"Does anyone want to quit?"
[Rapid music!]
"What... what kind of music is this?"
In the square, residents taking a leisurely stroll were drawn by the melodious flute music and looked toward the boy playing by the fountain.
Sunlight streamed through the spring, casting dappled patterns of light that adorned the boy's formal attire. Fowlbeast danced merrily, their rhythmic gurgling echoing the scene.
The crowd stopped and closed their eyes to enjoy the beautiful music.
Bang--!
A loud noise rang out, and nearby residents looked towards the alleyway entrance with displeasure.
Pelo bowed Ancients and helped his drunken friend into the alley.
When the music ended, the strolling crowd was startled to realize they had been standing there for so long.
Applause.
From sparse to dense, from light to passionate.
The residents were generous with their praise, making the boy in the center blush.
Remembering something, the boy looked around and finally saw Gregor clapping against the alleyway entrance.
Before he could greet her, the girl, Pelo, grumbled in dissatisfaction behind him.
"Ugh... you guys are so noisy, Ceobe can't sleep."
"... What?! This was specially played for you!"
The teenagers started arguing, and the surrounding crowd cheered them on with great interest.
At the alleyway entrance, Gregor silently recorded the scene and sent it to the group chat.
[Vane: Wow! It's a new CG! Is there more? Is there more?]
Ignoring Vane's insistence on more CG, Gregor quietly admired the beautiful scenery in the sunlight.
As time goes by, the sunlight tilts.
Gregor, leaning against the wall, was drawn into the shadows of the alley, while behind him, a group of "drunkards" lay quietly in place.
Footsteps came from the other end of the alley; the police from Utica arrived late.
Gregor turned and walked into the alley, pondering how long his explanation would take, when a shout made him stop.
Turning back, he dealt with Ceobe attack, glancing impatiently in this direction.
"All done? Ready to go?"
"Boss, boss! What are we going to eat next?"
"I've got my eye on where to go next: the theater in Utica. I want to hear some different music and see what's different."
"..."
Well, since they're so late, let the police deal with it themselves.
Gregor turned and stepped into the sunlight.
"They've arrived."