kscans

Chapter 58 - The Twilight of the Gods and Kobito-san ~Seven~

"Chihiro, my dear, come sit on my lap."

"I’d rather not, Father. We have a guest coming today, don’t we?"

"Ah, he should be meeting with Consort Habirush right about now."

"I will come to your lap, Father-in-law."

"Now, Mirtishia."

"That’s a fine cravat you’re wearing, Theo."

"My elder sister embroidered it for me."

Now then, whose line was whose?

With a faint, flat smile, Kobito-san stared off into the distance. The lounge in Chihiro's room was incredibly lively. The members of the royal family had appeared from who knows where and were leisurely enjoying some tea. Honestly, it was a little chaotic.

"Is that so. Your elder sisters should be four years old now. Their lessons must be progressing well."

As Wilfe traced the three-dimensional embroidery on Theodore's cravat with his finger, he kept glancing at Kobito-san. In contrast to her usual frog-like appearance, Chihiro's ladylike demeanor had him mesmerized.

Among his many younger sisters, she was an exceptionally outstanding princess. She had caused her fair share of problems, but her talent, which far surpassed them, was what had made Chihiro's presence known throughout the royal palace. Some praised her as befitting the Golden King, but such a title was probably just a bonus. There were whispers of wanting her to be the ruler of Frontier, but his father paid them no mind, insisting that the First Prince would be the next king. Chihiro herself had no interest in the royal family and was always running around like a wild child.

With a faint, bashful smile, Wilfe looked around at his family. His father and mother. Mirtishia, Uncle Romel. And Theodore and Chihiro. There were also his father's other siblings and consorts, and Wilfe's own younger siblings, but these six were his immediate family. He rarely saw the others. The consorts were in the Inner Palace, and his siblings under the age of seven were there as well.

Having learned of Chihiro’s visit by chance, the family members had gathered in this room, though not by any prior arrangement.

It was a strange thing.

Into the room of the harmoniously chatting royal family, Sakura announced a visitor.

"His Excellency, Marquis Ansbackh, requests an audience with Lady Chihiro-sama."

He’s here.

Her smile deepening, Kobito-san gave a small nod. Seeing this, Sakura turned on her heel to guide the marquis in.

"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Heburaiheru La Ansbackh. I look forward to your acquaintance."

"I am Chihiro La Giorge. It is a pleasure to make yours."

In the reception room adjacent to the lounge, Kobito-san received Heburaiheru’s greeting. The elderly man before her stared at Chihiro as if appraising her.

"You must be tired from your long journey. I hear you have something to discuss with me. Please be brief so that you may relax at your leisure."

His eyes widened at the child who implicitly told him to hurry up if he had something to say, and Heburaiheru cleared his throat lightly.

"Regarding the plan that constitutes this national project, is it correct that it was your proposal?"

"That is correct. It is my proposal."

The little girl replied with quiet grace.

Her eyes formed a gentle arc, but a provocative light flickered in their depths. Exuding a sharp aura unbefitting her cute appearance, the little girl, perched on a large chair, looked down at the kneeling Heburaiheru and tilted her head.

"Is our business concluded?"

A shiver ran down Heburaiheru’s entire body at her smug face.

"No... Is that plan absolutely necessary? Do you believe that magic will eventually disappear from Frontier?"

While struggling against the goosebumps covering his body, Heburaiheru voiced the matters he needed to confirm.

"...It’s not that I think it will disappear, I am planning to make it disappear. Me, that is."

He couldn't understand the meaning of her words.

Heburaiheru’s eyes showed a flicker of puzzlement. Kobito-san gave a wry smile and repeated the explanation she had given to Romel and the others for Heburaiheru.

The gods were protecting the Kilfan Empire. And they were pleased with the spread of that culture, which did not require magic. From this, one could surmise that the gods wanted to erase magic from the land of Arcadia. That was why the surrounding countries had forgotten the blessings of the Forest Masters and were in their current state. It was by chance that magic remained only in Frontier, where the Golden King descended. This must have been unexpected even for the gods. In that case, following their will and voluntarily relinquishing magic would be the way to repay them for the grace they had shown until now.

"The nationwide soil improvement is part of that. The gods may wish to erase magic, but they would not wish for the people to suffer. Therefore, so that they have no lingering worries, we must show the people the path forward. We will improve the farmlands and livestock husbandry, and return to the proper order of the world. This is our urgent task."

The border marquis listened with a dumbfounded expression.

"In other words, it is not being lost, we are returning it. The divine magic we have relied on until now. Humanity will step out from under the gods’ protection and stand on its own two feet. In the land of Arcadia. A child must leave the nest someday, after all."

Heburaiheru, listening without blinking, understood the correctness of her words. Her perfectly ordered words settled comfortably even in his elderly heart. Until now, people had been steeped in the grace of the gods. Like infants clinging to their mothers, they had enjoyed the blessings of magic and sorcery as a matter of course.

Only now did Heburaiheru finally realize that it was something borrowed from the gods.

What is borrowed should be returned, and those under warm protection must eventually leave the nest.

When framed in human terms, it was all a perfectly understandable story.

But then, why did the god who sent oracles to Castrato desire the revival of magic?

The conflicting wills of the gods.

According to the stories, this little girl had received a blessing directly from the Creator God. As proof, several thousand people from Kilfan had been instantly transported to Frontier. Such a feat could only be performed by the gods.

The Golden King, graced with radiance. The little girl who controlled golden magic and had the Forest Masters as her servants was undoubtedly one who belonged in the hierarchy of the gods.

She was a being far more venerable than the prophet of Castrato.

In that case, was the oracle of Castrato mistaken? Or was it being falsified?

He didn't know...

Heburaiheru, born and raised in Frontier, had inherited his great-grandfather’s fervent wish from generation to generation, yet he knew a freedom that did not exist in Castrato. Of course, his loyalty to his homeland, Castrato, was unchanged. The pride of being a descendant of the Castrato royal family had been drilled into him since he was a child. A curse carved into the marrow of his bones, sometimes with words, sometimes with violence. The Ansbackh border marquis family had repeatedly performed irresistible brainwashing, with words and pain for the boys, and with drugs for the girls. That was the right thing to do, and it was also a sign of their resolve to use any means necessary to achieve their homeland’s dearest wish.

Therefore, he had no objection to the imperial order from his homeland.

But that didn’t mean he would meekly march to his doom.

He had to be sure.

The revival of magic and sorcery may be his great-grandfather’s wish, but if it did not align with the divine will, it could bring disaster upon his yet-unseen homeland, a land he had never set foot in.

Heburaiheru left behind the tea he had brought as a gift and swiftly departed from Chihiro’s presence.

Things were always in motion around Kobito-san. Unexpectedly so.

Kobito-san’s words and actions, having broken free from the gods' domain, shattered the measuring sticks of all sorts of people and forged ahead. This was involving neighboring countries and closing in on the gods' own will.

Slowly making her existence known to the world, Kobito-san is full of energy today.