Chapter 7 - Stories Go On

Drop me a message if you have LN raw vol 2-5

Beyond the small, iron-barred window, the morning sun streamed through a gap in the collapsed outer wall, illuminating the devastation of the Gato Kingdom Castle.

The castle tower was scorched black by the airships’ bombardment. The eastern half of the Armory Tower had been blown away, its foundation a scatter of stones below. Looking down into the courtyard directly beneath the window, charred corpses, burned beyond recognition, lay scattered like stones.

The stench of roasting flesh reached all the way up to this height of fifteen meters. Nanahara Yoshiharu turned his pleasant expression back toward the interior of the prison cell.

"In the coming age, castles must be built at altitudes higher than five hundred meters. It is the only way to counter an air fleet."

Across from him, the beautiful prisoner sat on a wooden chair, her back perfectly straight. She fixed her resolute eyes on Yoshiharu.

It was as if her presence alone colored the dark, damp air of the cell.

On closer inspection, however, her golden hair was frayed, her complexion pale, and dark circles shadowed her eyes. Having spent the previous night fleeing through the bombarded castle, the hem of her deep blue evening gown was torn, and the fabric was smudged and blackened with soot in several places.

But Mariana, Queen of the Gato Kingdom, maintained a transcendent composure, as if she had woken to a morning like any other. She confronted Yoshiharu.

"Answer me. Why did you betray His Majesty the King?"

The queen’s question was direct, wasting no time on pleasantries.

"Thirty years ago, who was it that took you in when you were a slave? Who gave you an education, land, a title, and privileges? Who, against all opposition, appointed you—a member of a discriminated people—as Chancellor?"

"…"

"His Majesty loved your talent for running the state. He confided in you secrets he kept even from his own children. Above all, for you, a man without kin in the court, His Majesty’s patronage should have been indispensable. …What could you possibly gain from betraying him, from destroying the very kingdom you worked so hard—with your own blood, sweat, and tears—to build?"

Her tone was rational, as devoid of emotion as she could make it. But at the edges of her words, the dignity of a queen who loved her country overflowed.

Yoshiharu fell into a thoughtful silence.

He had already informed the queen of King Dada’s death.

However, he had not told her that Second Prince Toto and Second Princess Lulu were dead, claiming only that their whereabouts were unknown. If he told her now, she might lose her sanity to despair, and that would be inconvenient. As for First Prince Gaga and First Princess Chouchou, who had likely escaped the country in the royal family’s private airship, he had told her they were "still searching the island." By leaving open the possibility that her four children were alive, the queen would wait for their return, remaining confined in this Prisoner’s Tower.

I need you to live.

Otherwise, it creates a problem for me.

Hiding his true thoughts, Yoshiharu smiled with his usual gentleness and answered the queen’s question.

"To answer that, I will need to give a rather lengthy explanation. Do I have your permission?"

"…"

"…When I was eleven, King Dada discovered my talents. I was made an apprentice squire to the chancellor at the time, Cassandra Cruz, and I studied under her tutelage. The memories are fond ones. Master Cassandra always said that the most crucial thing was to constantly grasp the movements of friend and foe and to see through to their objectives. She scattered spies known as ‘Spiders’ across the Grapeland Sea, listening daily to the subtle movements on both sides. But our enemies did the same, sending merchants into our kingdom to constantly probe our situation. So, how could we deceive them? Master Cassandra often said, ‘It is essential to sometimes act without personal gain, solely to confound your enemies.’ By deliberately taking actions that offered no advantage, only disadvantages, we could confuse the enemy and conceal our true intentions. …When I heard this teaching as a teenager, I was deeply impressed, yet I also found it strange. I thought, ‘If that’s the case, then if I continue to act without any benefit to myself, will anyone be able to stand in my way?’ I posed this question to Master Cassandra thirty years ago. She looked at me dubiously and asked in return, ‘And what is the content of this objective?’ I answered, ‘I don’t know. But if I had to name an objective, it would be to prevent anyone from reading my actions.’"

The queen could only hold her breath, watching Yoshiharu’s smile.

Yoshiharu continued.

"Master Cassandra spat, ‘A man who holds an empty objective just so his actions can’t be read is no knight. He’s not even human.’ And she said no more on the matter. I felt disappointed in my master. That night, wrapped alone in my bed, I made a decision. I would maintain my human form, but I would embrace an objective that held no benefit for me, and I would turn this world upside down without anyone ever realizing it."

Queen Mariana’s gaze, fixed on Yoshiharu, slowly transformed into one you might use to observe a bizarre insect.

Unconcerned, Yoshiharu went on with his long speech.

"Today, I have achieved a dream I’ve held for thirty years. No one could have predicted that I—a former slave, from a discriminated people, with not a single blood relative in the court—would betray King Dada, my only patron. It was an act that held no merit for me, and for that very reason, even King Dada was deceived. I have succeeded in turning the world upside down while retaining the form of a man. When the fall of the Gato Kingdom is recounted, the name of Nanahara Yoshiharu—who once had his ankles shackled to a galley bench, forced to relieve himself where he sat—will be recorded in the history books for all eternity. That fact alone is enough to give my life meaning."

Mariana stared at Yoshiharu, who said all this with a smile still on his face, a deep furrow in her brow.

The queen said nothing. Only a stunned silence filled the space.

Yoshiharu, his gentle smile unwavering, bowed to the queen.

"Your Majesty the Queen… no, Lady Mariana, you will be living in this tower for the foreseeable future. We will arrange for new handmaidens, so please wait a moment. Should you require anything, please contact me, just as you did before."

As Yoshiharu turned to leave the cell, the queen suddenly spoke to his back.

"...You turned the world upside down while retaining the form of a man?"

Yoshiharu stopped and slowly looked back over his shoulder.

A derisive smile played on the queen’s lips. It was the smile of someone who had seen through Yoshiharu’s true nature and was now looking down on him from above.

"…In my eyes, I see nothing but a fly. A pathetic fly who knows nothing of gratitude, nothing of compassion, nothing of a family’s love, now bragging about the filth it has spent a lifetime acquiring."

"…"

"After you’ve turned the world upside down, what will be left for you? For a cur like you who repaid His Majesty’s kindness with betrayal, only hell awaits. Are you going to live in that hell, clutching nothing but the self-satisfaction of having surpassed your master? Even a fly lives for its descendants, yet you cast aside even your own family to achieve your twisted idea. You are filth, lower than a fly. An abomination that exudes a foul stench without purpose, corrupting everything around it."

The queen’s tone was harsher than ever before. It was as if blood seeped from between her words. Yoshiharu received the brutal verbal assault with his usual smile.

"Your insults go too far. My feelings are hurt, my lady."

"Do not feign human speech. You are filth, without even a heart to be wounded. If you don’t like it, then kill me at once."

Yoshiharu let out something like a single sigh through his nose. It was a rare gesture from a man who displayed no emotion other than his smile.

"…To be spoken to like that, even I feel the urge to retort. …May I offer a rebuttal?"

"I have no desire to hear another word from you. My ears will rot. Begone."

With that, the queen turned her back on Yoshiharu and gazed out the small window at the ruined capital.

To her slender back, Yoshiharu spoke.

"…I will now say something I had no intention of saying. If I don’t, I will seem far too pathetic. …As I just said, it is true that as a teenager, my sole objective was to train myself so that no one could read my actions. However, in my twenties, I secretly succeeded in finding a true purpose in life. For more than twenty years since then, I chose to live while deceiving every single person in order to fulfill that purpose I quietly held."

The queen remained with her back to him. The light of dawn slanted in through the window, pooling like silver on the stone floor.

"Striving in my studies and connections to win King Dada’s favor. Taking the post of Chancellor and pouring my heart and soul into the kingdom’s development. Divorcing my wife and sending my own children to Athena Island. All of it was to achieve the purpose I found twenty years ago."

Yoshiharu revealed his hidden objective to the queen.

"It was for love."

A silence fell.

The queen, her back still to him, did not answer.

Yoshiharu continued.

"Everything. It was all for love."

The queen slowly turned her head, only her face, to look back at Yoshiharu. Her eyes were cold and sharp, the hatred in her gaze so palpable it felt as if it could pierce him.

His usual smile had vanished from Yoshiharu’s face.

His eyes, now harboring a cold, dark passion, were fixed upon Queen Mariana.

To the queen, who could stand next to her own daughter and be mistaken for her sister. To the queen, still praised as the "Most Beautiful Woman in the Grapeland Sea." To the queen, who was treated coldly by the king, who could only watch as his lowly concubines bore him two hundred children.

"Every sin I have committed was for love."

For more than two decades, Chancellor Nanahara Yoshiharu had served at King Dada’s side, watching the queen’s profile from closer than anyone else. Now, he revealed the objective he had let no one else see.



†††



In the great square before Gato Kingdom Castle, more than five thousand Minya citizens were gathered, surrounded by armed members of the Black Rose Knights. Many had fled their homes during last night’s bombardment and wandered the island aimlessly, only to be assaulted and robbed by the landing mercenaries and herded here.

Some citizens who had not been burned out of their homes, who had been cowering inside from the enemy attack, had also gathered in the square in response to the call from Commander Ilias of the Black Rose Knights. With the harbor sealed off and no escape by sea, those who hadn’t gathered were now hiding in buildings that had survived the fires and looting, or in the mountains and fields, waiting to see what would happen next.

Black Rose Knights were positioned in the colonnade surrounding the square, ready to cut down anyone who tried to flee. On the white stone buildings outside the colonnade—Saint Nina Cathedral, the parliament building, the official residence, government offices, and the Chamber of Commerce Building—flags bearing the crest of a black rose and sword on a black field had been raised. The white cat crest flags had already been burned.

The faces of the five thousand assembled Minya citizens were uniformly grim. Most were covered in soot, their faces and clothes stained, with dark blood caked on their hands and faces. Any weapons or luggage they had tried to bring had been confiscated by the soldiers. All were empty-handed. It was an unsettling scene: mothers clutching crying babies, people carrying old women on their backs, young boys leading small children by the hand, and fishermen and artisans with displeased looks on their faces.

Directly in front of the square, across the outer moat, rose the walls of Gato Kingdom Castle, now lined with the crest flags of the Black Rose Knights.

Normally at this hour, the drawbridge would be down, and a long line of townsfolk and carts would be forming, but today the bridge remained raised. Before the anxious crowd loomed an exceptionally large Gate Tower, and on its roof, protected by crenellations, stood a red-haired man in a military uniform adorned with lavish gold filigree, alongside a beautiful girl whose long, silver hair fluttered in the wind.

Don. A single drum beat sounded.

A chamberlain called out to the crowd in a loud voice.

"Commander of the Black Rose Knights, Count of Athena Island, His Excellency Ilias! Vice-Commander, Her Excellency Artemisia!"

The crowd quieted, all eyes focusing on the Gate Tower as Ilias stepped forward.

Beneath his blazing red hair, his violet eyes were utterly calm, devoid of emotion.

"…In the name of the Lord of Heaven and the Holy Angel Juno, I declare this. As of today, all authority over Gato Island has been transferred from the former King Dada to Pope Diocleios of the Holy Juno Orthodox Church. As the Pope’s representative, I hereby appoint Artemisia, who stands to my right, as the Governor-General of Gato Island. Governor-General Artemisia shall have discretion over all matters on the island and will exercise her authority when necessary. …This is not a small change, but a great one that will be accompanied by many difficulties. However, I expect all of you to obediently and wisely follow Governor-General Artemisia’s guidance and contribute to the further development of Gato Island."

From the Gate Tower, Ilias looked out over the five thousand citizens, but only a cold silence answered him. The women in the audience looked around anxiously, while the men scowled in displeasure or spat on the stone pavement.

Ilias’s speech was too difficult for most of the common people to understand. But the crowd, though uneducated, was sensitive to crisis and sensed that its content was ominous.

Suddenly.

Two brawny, stonemason-like craftsmen, their arms crossed, glared up at Ilias and began to stomp their right feet on the pavement.

It was not a cheer. They were stamping their feet on the ground. The act itself was simple, but the sound clearly carried the intent of protest.

After letting them make as much noise as they wished, Ilias nodded to Artemisia at his side.

Artemisia nodded back, stepped forward into the deafening sound of stamping feet, and puffed out her chest with dignity.

"Be silent. I am Governor-General Artemisia, who will rule this island from this day forward. From this very moment, I shall implement the reforms necessary for all of you. …All of your problems stem from heretical worship. As of today, all followers of Nina shall convert to the Holy Juno Orthodoxy. Cast aside the evil teachings that worship the kin of the Demon Lord and walk the path of redemption under the guidance of Holy Juno. Those who accept conversion will proceed to the cathedral and spit upon the Nina Statue. Those who refuse may remain here in the square."

After she finished in one breath, the square momentarily forgot its stamping, and silence reigned.

The five thousand Minya citizens stared up at Artemisia on the Gate Tower, their mouths half-open.

What in the world was this girl saying?

Abandon the teachings of Nina and switch to Juno?

To the Minya, their founder Nina was like a parent. Every home had a Nina Statue, they spoke their thanks to Saint Nina before meals, and both weddings and funerals were conducted before her. They couldn’t just "cast aside" a being who had been at the center of their lives since birth. Moreover, spitting on a Nina Statue was tantamount to doing the same to their own flesh and blood.

In unison, the stamping resumed. This time it was even more violent than before, and curses began to mix with the sound.

"Don’t mess with us, you whore!" "Do you even know what you’re saying!?" "The woman who killed her foster parents has a lot of nerve talking down to us!"

The sound of the stamping grew to a pressure that seemed to shake the Gate Tower itself. Emboldened, the women also began to stamp their feet, and the entire square became a single drum, booming as if to intimidate Artemisia. Not a single person left the square to convert; all five thousand raised their faces and their voices.

"Our god is Nina!" "The wars never end because of Juno! It’s Juno’s teachings that are wrong, for not accepting other faiths!" "We don’t steal other people’s beliefs! Only Juno’s followers do that!"

But Artemisia’s composed expression never broke as she cast a contemptuous gaze upon the crowd of five thousand.

"I do not blame you. It is impossible to purify minds that have been poisoned by heresy for over a thousand years with words alone. From this moment, Holy Juno herself will cleanse your rotten spirits. You will learn firsthand what a true god is."

As she spoke, she raised her right arm high—

"Filial Piety."

A golden halo of light formed behind Artemisia, and that single character began to glow with a blinding light.

A gust of cold wind swept through the square.

As if responding to the stamping on the ground, the sky let out a high-pitched hyuuu, and the wind blew again, and then a third time.

The direction of the wind was strange. It battered them from the east, from the west, from the north, with no discernible pattern. And it was gradually growing stronger.

"Huh…?" "Hey, what is this…!?"

The five thousand Minya citizens began to notice the anomaly. Even the fishermen had never experienced wind that blew this way.

"Aah!" "Whoa!"

The wind finally grew strong enough to make adults stagger. Dozens of hats were blown clean out of the square, and children and the elderly fell over. The crowd, exposed to the fierce winds, was rocked left and right, as if the Juno in the heavens had mistaken the great square for a cradle.

What was this wind?

The crowd’s eyes were fixed on Artemisia on the Gate Tower.

With her right hand held high and a golden halo at her back, Artemisia glared down at the bewildered crowd.

"Did Nina save you? No. Grace is bestowed only by Holy Juno."

As she spoke, the golden halo emitted an even brighter light.

The wind howled.

Fierce gales battered them from all directions, beginning to rock the cradle even more violently.

Screams crisscrossed the air. A gust strong enough to finally send adults flying blew through, and the five thousand citizens linked hands or clung to one another to endure.

But the gusts racing through the square collided in the center, twisting together into a spiral that began to lift nearby people high into the air and toss them aside.

An unmistakable tornado had formed in the center of the square. The vortex, easily two meters in diameter, writhed as it mercilessly scooped up people and belongings, lifting them high into the air before callously dropping them from the height of a two-story house.

At this point, the crowd finally began to flee.

"It’s a tornado, run!!" "It’s dangerous, get out of here!"

But the knights surrounding them on all four sides used the butts of their spears and their swords to push the fleeing crowd back into the square. Some were even punched by the populace, prompting them to draw their swords.

"Gah!" "Ugh!" "Hey, stop it, don’t cut us down!!"

It had finally escalated to bloodshed, and the chaos among the citizens was uncontrollable. But Artemisia looked down on the fleeing masses with a suppressed smile.

"You must not flee! This is the cleansing wind, a grace from Holy Juno! Expose your sins to the wind, atone, and be purified!"

Countless Minya were sent flying by the wind. Children, the elderly, adults—the dancing tornado swallowed them all, lifting them into the air and slamming them onto the stone pavement. Those caught in it screamed, crawled, and some stopped moving altogether.

"Stop, please stop!" "There are children here, stop the wind!"

Some citizens even dropped to their hands and knees at the edge of the outer moat, prostrating themselves before Artemisia on the Gate Tower and begging her.

Artemisia suppressed the urge to laugh out loud as she manipulated the wind to her heart’s content, tormenting the Minya. It was unbearably fun to see them swept into the air like trash and slammed onto the ground. She could almost hear the sound of their necks and backs breaking. But if she overdid it, it would interfere with the next event.

Once the citizens were sufficiently terrified of her power, she stopped the wind and surveyed the square.

It was a scene of devastation. Minya blown about, children crying, separated from their parents, and those who had tried to flee cut down by swords, spreading pools of blood on the pavement. The knights were capturing those still trying to escape, prodding them back with spears and knocking down any who resisted. But the silence had returned.

"You are truly fortunate to have bathed in the grace of Holy Juno. Your souls, rotted to the core and soaked in heresy, have been cleansed, if only a little. Now, I will tell you again. Those who convert, go to the cathedral and spit on the Nina Statue. Those who refuse will face a fitting punishment."

The thoroughly beaten citizens looked at each other, at a loss. They understood that Artemisia possessed terrifying power, but even so, they couldn’t bring themselves to spit on Nina, who was as precious to them as their own family.

Only four families went to the cathedral, all of them with young children, apparently prioritizing their safety. The five thousand citizens had produced a mere dozen converts; the rest glared up at Artemisia on the Gate Tower, their eyes filled with anger and hatred.

Hmph, Artemisia snorted inwardly.

This was to be expected. There was no way the stubborn Minya would convert over something like this. The real show was about to begin.

Her chest puffed out with resolve, Artemisia announced to the citizens remaining in the square.

"Your answer has been duly received. If you refuse to convert, then it cannot be helped. With the mercy of Holy Juno, I shall respond to your foolishness. …A proclamation. The entire assets of every Minya citizen present here are hereby confiscated, and you are to be taken into detention. …We have prepared concentration camps for you throughout the Apollodeo Lower Jaw Peninsula. Board the ships immediately and depart for the New Land."

At her declaration, the mouths of the five thousand citizens fell open once more.

Confiscation of all assets—did that mean their homes, their savings, their furniture and precious metals, even their slaves, would all be taken by the Black Rose Knights? And on top of that, an immediate move to concentration camps across the sea…? Without any time to prepare, right now?

Artemisia puffed out her chest with dignity and looked down on the five thousand.

"The sins of you who have refused to convert shall be redeemed through selfless labor! Holy Juno has given you an opportunity for redemption! Be grateful for this grace and willingly relocate to the Apollodeo Lower Jaw Peninsula!"

No more voices of protest rose from the five thousand citizens. What Artemisia was saying was so divorced from reality that they couldn’t believe she was serious. She must be joking. There was no way such an outrageous thing could be allowed to happen….

Artemisia smirked and spoke to the citizens staring up at her in a daze.

"It seems there are no objections. Excellent. As a reward for your obedience, I have a gift for you. This is the fate of those who defy Holy Juno. Look closely, burn it into your eyes, and when you arrive at your respective concentration camps, tell the tale of these fools’ final moments!"

At that, three lavishly dressed Royal Guards appeared on the Gate Tower where Artemisia stood, each carrying a long iron rod. On the end of each of the three rods was impaled something resembling a blackened rag.

The bases of the three iron rods were set into stone sockets.

The three rags, held high, were exposed to the eyes of the five thousand citizens.

The citizens saw that they were not rags, but the heads of three Minya with cat ears—

They saw that one was an old man, one was a young boy, and the other was a young woman—

The moment they realized who was being displayed, high-pitched screams and roars of anger engulfed the great square.

"His Majesty, King Dada!"

"Lord Toto—!!"

"Lady Lulu—!!"

The loud cries reached Artemisia’s ears.

A thrilling… shiver of pleasure shot up from the pit of Artemisia’s stomach.

Ah… yes.

Such perfect screams, all of you…

More, cry out more, show me your twisted, ugly faces…

Her eyes, moist with excitement, reflected the five thousand faces contorted in anger and sorrow. This was the happiest moment of Artemisia’s life, a moment of such elation that every cell in her body felt reborn.

"How could you do something so cruel!?" "Is that justice? Is that the will of Juno!?"

Roars of fury from the men, screams from the women, and among the children who knew them, some began to cry loudly.

Artemisia’s joyful, moist gaze turned to the heads of the three royals lined up beside her. The fresh heads, not yet coated in tar, were still clearly recognizable. Seeing their miserable dead faces made Artemisia’s heart dance with glee.

Artemisia stood beside Toto and Lulu, smiling at the two heads mounted at the same height as her own. She leaned in close enough to kiss Toto and whispered.

"I’m so happy I got to watch such a sloppy, poorly-made ending. If this were a play, it would be cancelled in two days—this story where you’re the main character."

Then, she turned to Lulu’s head and whispered into her cat ear.

"…All those crying Minya out there? They’re all being sent to concentration camps. They’ll have chains put on their legs, and they’ll clear forests and wastelands until they die. When the roads and fields are made, all the income will go to humans. The Minya will work until they die, and humans will live happily, kicking you around… That’s how the world should be. You understand now, don’t you?"

There was no reply.

The silent head could only stare out at the great square with its wide-open, whitish, opaque eyes.

Artemisia turned her face back to Toto and smiled.

"‘The White Nation’ that united all races… was it? You couldn’t do it, could you? From now on, it’s the Black Rose Knights who will conquer the Grapeland Sea."




A constant wave of pleasure welled up from the nape of Artemisia’s neck to the pit of her stomach, seeping into her hands and feet.

King Dada, Second Princess Lulu, and Second Prince Toto were dead.

It was necessary to make the Minya citizens aware of this fact. The quickest way to completely crush the Minya’s hope was to kill the Gattoland royals one by one and display them here.

Crows, drawn by the scent of death, were already gathering overhead. Their faces would soon be pecked away, and by tomorrow they would be unrecognizable, but she planned to keep them displayed on this Gate Tower for the tourists who would surely flock here from all over the Grapeland Sea, even after they became skulls.

Artemisia placed her hands on the heads of the unseeing Toto and Lulu and smiled gently.

"You must be lonely, just the three of you, a family of animals. I’ll catch Gaga and Chouchou soon and line them up here with you. My story will reach its ultimate happy ending then. It’ll be over soon, so just wait here, okay, my stupid big brother and stupid big sister?"

With a bright smile, Artemisia lifted her gaze. In the distant harbor, ships were already gathering to transport the citizens to the various concentration camps. Soon, the soldiers would begin herding these five thousand people onto those ships. It would be chaotic, and dozens would probably die. It would take some time, so she thought she might take a bath in the meantime. She’d been working for two nights straight, and her body felt sticky.

Artemisia spoke to the line of longbowmen standing before the crenellations.

"If they get too noisy, shoot a few of them to shut them up."

"Yes, ma’am."

Then she turned on her heel and walked down the dark castle corridor, her thoughts turning to the future.

Sending the five thousand in the square to concentration camps was to make an example of them. There were still 495,000 Minya citizens on the island, holding their breath and watching how things unfolded. It would be exhilarating to send them all to the camps, but doing so would make it impossible to run Gato Island.

Now that she controlled the greatest economic power in the Grapeland Sea, she wanted to squeeze every last drop of profit from it. First, she had to seize control of all the companies belonging to the Gato Kingdom and weaken the power of the wealthy Minya. She would let the businesses continue to operate while bleeding them dry with heavy taxes, gradually push the Minya out of the upper echelons of society, strip them of their privileges, steal their assets, know-how, and connections, and one day, she would strip all five hundred thousand Minya of their right to exist, enslave them, and ultimately, exterminate them.

It will take at least five years…

Artemisia calculated as she walked down the corridor. The resistance from the Minya citizens would be fierce, but as long as she had the Holy Orb of "Filial Piety," she could not lose. The only thing she had to worry about was not making the same mistake as King Dada—and being careful around male prostitutes.

As she smiled faintly, a sharp pain exploded from her left hand.

"Kuh…!"

A pain that shouldn't exist shot from the prosthetic hand she wore. She had been plagued by this phantom limb pain for hours, unable to sleep. And with every pang, the hateful images of two people surfaced.

Chouchou and Laggy…

The werewolf who had cut off her left wrist had broken through their encirclement all alone while carrying the blind princess, had slain Callistratus, and had somehow flown into the night sky to escape.

Artemisia’s face twisted with hatred.

Another sharp pain exploded from her non-existent left hand.

Humiliating. Humiliating. Humiliating. The indignity of having a part of my beautiful body severed by such an ugly werewolf must be repaid a million times over, or I’ll never be satisfied.

I won’t grant you an easy death.

I’ll cut off your hands and feet, pull out your tongues, and keep you in opposing pigsties.

You will die slowly, watching each other rot, Chouchou, Laggy…

Engraving this vow in her heart, Artemisia walked alone down the dark corridor.

Behind her, she could hear the distant roars and screams of the five thousand. The soldiers must have started herding them toward the harbor. Even if they resisted, they stood no chance against armed knights. The citizens would be forcibly crammed into cramped ships, sent to the wastelands of the Apollodeo Lower Jaw Peninsula, and forced to work clearing land and building towns until they died.

The Minya are humanity’s slaves.

From birth until death, they are humanity’s tools. That is the Minya’s role.

You should be glad you’ve been given a fitting purpose, all of you.

As the distant screams ebbed and flowed, soothing her heart, Artemisia pictured the crying faces of the five thousand citizens and distracted herself from the pain in her left hand….



†††



The darkness split into a horizontal line, and from that rift, light spread, revealing the boundary between the sea and the sky.

The dawn, viewed from an altitude of five hundred meters, was silent, chasing the stars from the eastern horizon.

Watching the winds from the west, Jangiacques angled the flying boat’s triangular sail to catch them, aiming south as it kicked up a seven-colored spray in the Floating Sphere. The narrow deck was hardly comfortable, crammed with seven people including himself.

First Prince of Gato Kingdom, Gaga, had taken his position at the prow of the boat, staring intently as the sky near the eastern horizon began to reflect the blue-violet of the heavens. Behind him, the mercenary pilot Noah Linoa, after tending to First Princess Chouchou’s wounded ear, was leaning wearily against the boat’s edge, unable to sleep. Her partner, the mechanic Leonardo, silently held the rudder, occasionally glancing toward the southwestern sea where the Gato Kingdom lay. Laggy sat cross-legged with his arms folded, fast asleep. Chouchou, her eyes and ears freshly bandaged, rested her head on his arm, also sound asleep.

And next to Jangiacques, who was managing the sail, stood the self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer, dressed as a squire, with her cheeks puffed out.

"Hmph! Honestly, I come along as you asked, only to be dragged into this incomprehensible mess. What is this pathetic little boat? Where are we even going?"

Jangiacques, tightening the mainsail and coiling the rope, gave a wry smile.

"You’re supposed to be my apprentice squire, you know. Don’t you think you could help a little?"

"What, you want my help? Good grief, it can’t be helped. The Demon Lord herself shall lend you a hand."

With that, Lucifer placed her hands on Jangiacques’s sides and began to tickle him.

"Uri uri, uri uri~"

"Stop, stop it."

As Jangiacques squirmed, Lucifer brought a mischievous smile close to his ear.

"Fuuu—"

"Whoa—!"

With a breath blown into his ear, Jangiacques writhed. Three months had passed since that nightmarish camp where they became master and servant, and the two had grown completely familiar with each other. The pilot Noah watched them for a moment with cold eyes before calling out.

"Hey, you newlyweds over there."

"What is it?"

"And you answer. Anyway… what’s the plan? We can’t go back to the kingdom, and Gaga and Chouchou are going to be hunted…"

At Noah’s words, Gaga, who had been sitting at the prow staring ahead, reacted. He slowly turned his whole body to face the other six people on the boat.

"About that… I have something to say. …Could you wake up Chouchou?"

Gaga said it with a completely serious face. Noah, who usually made it her daily routine to tease him, wasn’t in the mood right now. She gently poked Chouchou’s knee.

With her eyes bandaged, it was hard to tell if she was awake. But Chouchou’s lips soon parted slightly.

"Ah… was I asleep?"

"Yeah, sorry for waking you. The prince has something to tell everyone…"

Chouchou understood immediately and placed a hand on Laggy’s shoulder.

"Laggy, please wake up. The prince has something to say…"

As she whispered, Laggy’s eyes snapped open with an almost audible bachii.

"…? My apologies, was I sleeping?"

"Yes, I’m sorry. You were resting…"

"No, I am always at your service. If I do not wake, you have my permission to strike me."

"I won’t hit you. I could never do such a thing…"

Chouchou placed a hand on Laggy’s wound and smiled, looking troubled.

A weary Noah turned to Gaga and prompted him.

"The temperature difference between the right and left sides of this boat is a little much… So, what’s up?"

"Mm," Gaga nodded and addressed the six assembled people.

"The kingdom has fallen. Given the circumstances, there’s almost no doubt. King Dada, Toto, and Lulu are dead, their Holy Orbs have been stolen, and our trump card, the Firebird, incinerated the Gattoland fleet. By now, the landed Black Rose Knights are likely occupying Gato Island and indulging in all manner of plunder."

He had heard from Laggy that the Firebird had annihilated the Gattoland Air Fleet. Even the world’s strongest air fleet was helpless once King Dada’s Holy Orb of "Benevolence" was stolen. Gaga had concluded that the reason they lost a battle they should have won was King Dada’s lust, which had led him to invite Artemisia into his bed. No, it had started even before that. The ruin of the Gato Kingdom began the day he trusted Nanahara Yoshiharu and, following his advice, took Artemisia in as his ward.

King Dada didn’t even take Artemisia as a foster child for the purpose of having a hostage.

The king made peace with the Black Rose just because he wanted the "Jewel of the Grapeland Sea" for himself.

Never knowing that the bedroom arts hidden within that jewel would one day slit his own throat…

Frustration, shame, and disgust for Artemisia, who had worn the mask of a pure young girl for half a year, boiled like lava in Gaga’s chest.

The kingdom lost because it was destined to lose. But.

"This isn’t the end."

The boiling feelings turned to words.

"I won’t let it end, damn it."

Without realizing it, emotion filled his voice.

Memories of Toto and Lulu, with whom he had grown up since childhood, overlaid the sky before him.

Toto, who always pretended to be weak in sword practice to make his older brother look good. Lulu, who, despite her sharp tongue, was always mindful of the atmosphere, trying to ensure her siblings could live together happily. Why did his kindhearted younger brother and sister have to die like that? Why did their lives, which still had so much ahead, have to end so abruptly?

I am the First Prince of the Gato Kingdom.

I am Toto and Lulu’s older brother.

There is something I must do.

Gaga looked at everyone and began to speak.

"…I’m going to make a speech. It might be a little long, but I’m going to say what I want to say right here, right now. After you’ve heard everything, I want each of you to decide what you’ll do next. …This is a story from my and my siblings’ childhood. We had a half-sister about twenty years older than us. That sister, Lala, used to tell us, ‘Life is a story in which you are the main character. To write a good story, you must have a grand ideal and live to achieve it. A happy ending is surely waiting for you beyond that.’ Toto and Lulu loved Lala and took everything she said to heart. But I wasn’t as foolishly honest as they were, so one day I asked Lala, ‘There are countless people who held grand ambitions but died unfortunate deaths. Are you saying their lives were just poorly written, third-rate stories?’ Lala laughed and replied, ‘Even if a life meets a sad end, as long as someone is there to inherit that ideal and carry it forward, the story continues. Even if the one who inherited it falls, if the ideal is strong and pure, new people—dozens of them—will appear to take up the cause. No matter how long it takes, one day, the story woven from hundreds, from thousands of lives, will reach its happy ending. That’s how the world, and history, works.’ …At the time, I scoffed at her words. They seemed too optimistic, the words of someone who didn’t know the cruelty of the world. But now… I want to believe what Lala said. If things stay as they are, it would mean that Toto and Lulu living with their grand ideals was meaningless, and their story would be over. …So… from this place, I want to continue their story. …For my pride and honor. For Toto and Lulu. For King Dada, my mother, our subjects, the Minya, and for all the demi-humans and humans living in this world. I will begin the fight to establish the new order that Toto and Lulu dreamed of for this world, right here, right now."

As he spoke, he felt tears welling up.

But Gaga gritted his teeth and held them back, looking up at the sky.

In the morning glow, he saw Toto and Lulu’s smiles.

‘A world where humans and Minya can live together in peace.’

‘The White Nation that unites all races.’

He felt as if he could hear their words from beyond the sky.

Gaga had decided to start running toward that dream he had once dismissed with a laugh.

"Let them call me a fool if they want. Laugh all you want. But it doesn’t matter if we have a chance of winning or not. One day, I will raise the white cat flag, lead a great army, and challenge Ilias and Artemisia. I don’t know if we will win or lose. But even if we are defeated, I believe that someone will inherit our dream and continue to run. No matter how much time it takes, if one day a world where all races can coexist is established, that will be the meaning of Gaga Gattoland’s life. It will be the meaning of Toto and Lulu’s lives. I won’t ask you to follow me. This is a hopeless battle from the start. Anyone who wants to leave can get off at the next port. But if anyone still chooses to follow me, I will not forget their name. I will not forget their kindness. That’s all I can promise. …Is there anyone here who will raise the flag of a new ideal with me and challenge this utterly reckless fight?"

Gaga swallowed his fiery emotions and poured out his words in a single rush.

There was a brief silence.

Chouchou was the first to answer.

"I can only play an instrument… but I will follow you. After what happened to Toto, Lulu, and His Majesty, I don’t want to let it end like this either."

Gaga nodded and looked at Laggy beside her. Laggy, his arms still crossed, replied without hesitation.

"…I will simply follow Princess Chouchou’s will."

Beside him, the mechanic Leonardo looked straight at Gaga, and with a rare smile, he nodded. Leonardo possessed outstanding skills in maintaining holy relics, or Arks, and was an irreplaceable engineer who could even forge small, currently un-manufacturable parts by giving instructions to a blacksmith himself.

Next, Jangiacques spoke.

"Prince Toto and Princess Lulu made Lucy my apprentice squire, so Lucy wasn’t burned at the stake and was able to get her citizen’s papers. I want to repay their kindness. Please let me go with you, Prince."

Gaga nodded. Jangiacques was skilled in swordsmanship, sailing, and cooking, and had even shown a talent for leading troops on the training grounds. He was an exceptionally gifted one among the concubines’ children.

Beside him, Lucifer, whether she understood or not, looked at Jangiacques with a curious expression.

"Hmm…? So, we are going off to battle?"

Jangiacques gave a wry smile.

"Well, something like that. Won’t you help, Lucy? We need your power."

At his request, Lucifer crossed her arms with a look of resignation and puffed out her chest.

"Good grief, it can’t be helped. I really don’t want to, but I’ll endure it for the sake of the roast pork you make."

She agreed to accompany them in exchange for her favorite food.

Then Gaga turned his eyes to the person in the group least capable of reading the room.

"Ugh. Ugh. Uuuuugh…………"

The pilot Noah looked around at everyone with an expression of disbelief, then let out another obnoxious "Uuuuugh…"

"………I know it’s weird to say this in this atmosphere, but… isn’t the pay a little lame? Having you remember my name doesn’t really… y’know. If there was a more tangible benefit, I might consider it…"

She really couldn’t read the mood, Gaga thought with exasperation, but Noah had her own special skills.

"…To build a new order, we must first establish a nation. When we do, I will give you land, a house, and a noble title. The bigger the nation becomes, the bigger your land, house, and title will be. How about that?"

At his proposal, Noah crossed her arms again and thought for a moment.

"Hmm… If you can really build a nation, that’s fine, but… I mean, I left the Falco behind on Gato Island. …I have to get it back, so I guess I could cooperate… But the odds are pretty slim, huh… Well, for a little while, I guess I could stick around and see how things go…"

She agreed, in a condescending sort of way.

Noah had a personality problem, but when it came to piloting planes, no one could match her. She was so proficient with Arks that she could pilot a Mechanical Soldier she had never seen before. King Dada had valued her skills highly, which was why he had overlooked her disrespectful behavior and given her special treatment.

In any case, all six of them had now agreed to accompany Gaga.

Gaga nodded and looked around at them all.

"…My thanks. …From here on, not only the Black Rose Knights, but the Granadio Seven City Alliance of the Upper Jaw Peninsula, the Apollodeo Four City Pact of the Lower Jaw Peninsula, and all the great powers of the Grapeland Sea will be our enemies. …Be prepared for a million foes to stand in our way."

Those were not exaggerated words.

The maximum mobilized force of the Grapeland Sea powers was one million. On top of that, not only would there be a Naval Fleet of over a thousand ships, but the Floating Stones stolen from the Gattoland Air Fleet would be used to create an even larger air fleet that would block their path.

At this moment, from this place, a desperate battle of seven against a million began.

But.

"…I will follow you, Gaga," First Princess Chouchou said with a smile.

"…" The werewolf Laggy showed his consent with closed eyes, remaining silent.

"Let’s begin our story from here," the swordsman Jangiacques delivered with a smile of his own.

"…" The mechanic Leonardo gave a silent thumbs-up in agreement.

"By the way, I’m hungry," the self-proclaimed demon lord Lucifer said as her stomach rumbled.

"………Um, can we just, like, not?" the pilot Noah suggested with a straight face.

Gaga ignored Lucifer and Noah and looked at the remaining four.

"Then let’s get right to it. …The truth is, I have nowhere to go. We’re surrounded by enemies everywhere. Especially Chouchou and I, being royalty, there will be tons of people after our heads. …A temporary hiding place will do. Does anyone have any ideas?"

At Gaga’s question, the group looked at each other, searching for a lead.

No one raised a hand.

But after a moment, one person spoke up.

"Um… if you have nowhere to go… Though it may not be a very reliable suggestion…"

Chouchou spoke timidly. Gaga prompted her.

"It’s better than nothing. Tell me."

"Yes. Um… Viscount Salpedon has long been fond of my singing… Every time he came to the castle, he would invite me to Salpedon. The viscount said it’s a place with a pleasant climate, and I was welcome to stay for as many months as I wished…"

As he listened, hope slowly began to dawn on Gaga’s face. He nodded.

"I’ve heard that Viscount Salpedon, Lord Harry is a man of excellent character and is trusted by his people. His territory is on the frontier, but that also means it’s less likely for the Black Rose’s reach to extend there…"

Salpedon was located in the eastern part of the Grapeland Sea, in the Titus Wilderness—colloquially known as the "Usurper’s Wilderness." It was a region where monsters and bandits roamed freely, but the town itself was said to be coastal, with a thriving trade and relatively good public order.

"Of course, in this situation, it’s possible he’ll just close his gates to us if we actually visit…"

Chouchou said, sounding unsure, but Gaga had also heard that Viscount Salpedon was infatuated with her. The viscount was a music lover, and during last year’s victory celebration, he had apparently asked King Dada to have Chouchou sing in the great hall. The shy Chouchou had refused, so it never happened, but he had apparently continued to personally request a performance from her many times after that.

"…This might work. For now, it’s the most promising place to stay."

At Gaga’s words, Jangiacques spread out a nautical chart he had in the hold and added his thoughts.

"…If this wind holds, we should reach the Zeppeli Mountains in about two days. Our food will run out around then, too. We can hide the boat in the mountains, and a short walk from there will get us to Salpedon. I recommend it as well."

Gaga nodded, and after confirming there were no other objections, he looked up.

"It’s decided. Our destination is Salpedon. Our new journey begins there."

At his declaration, Jangiacques nodded, adjusted the sail, and turned the prow to the east.

A seven-colored spray rose from the bow. The sail, filled with wind, swelled to its fullest, and the boat carrying the seven of them began to race toward the morning glow.

Toward that light.

To a new land, to Salpedon.

Just as Gaga raised his face with renewed determination, Noah, behind him, started talking to Chouchou with a grin.

"Hey, I’ve never heard you sing, Chouchou. That’s an instrument, right? I’m bored, so sing something for us."

She said, pointing a finger at the instrument case Chouchou had been carrying so carefully.

Chouchou looked troubled.

"Ah… Um, I haven’t really… sung in front of people very much…"

"Ehh? You sang in front of that Sal-something-or-other guy, didn’t you? But you can’t sing in front of us?"

Noah tilted her head in dissatisfaction, and Laggy glared at her disapprovingly.

"Come on, sing! It’s kinda gloomy, so something that’ll brighten things up!"

Noah tugged on the sleeve of Chouchou’s dress, pestering her. To the troubled Chouchou, Laggy whispered.

"Shall I silence her?"

"Don’t. …Um… I’m not very good, but…"

"Oh, I’ve never heard you either, so I’d like to listen," Jangiacques added.

"I’ve heard her a few times, and she’s far better than any bard out there. I’d like to hear her again after so long," Gaga added.

Pestered by Jangiacques, Lucifer, and Gaga as well, Chouchou, though looking troubled, opened her instrument case and took out her lute.

"Um… I am just an amateur. So please don’t have overly high expectations…"

With a look of resignation, she plucked the strings of the lute, turned the pegs, and tuned it without using a tuning fork. It was a special skill that required absolute pitch, but no one there understood its significance and simply gave her a carefree round of applause as she settled herself on the side of the boat and got ready.

She cleared her throat nervously with a small cough. Chouchou spoke haltingly.

"Um… This is a humble performance, but… in prayer that our journey ahead will be a good one… I thought I would sing a song of courage and hope."

After her introduction, everyone sent smiles, applause, and whistles her way.

Chouchou tightened her lips, pressed the frets with her left hand, and plucked a chord.

A clear sound echoed into the sky, forming an elegant and gentle melody.

Chouchou’s mouth opened, and her singing voice flowed out.

"Whoa," Noah’s face lit up. Jangiacques and Lucifer also looked at each other in surprise. Gaga closed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. Laggy, by Chouchou’s side, leaned his back against the boat’s edge and surrendered his heart to her voice, while the taciturn Leonardo also smiled as he steered.

Kicking up a seven-colored spray, the flying boat flew toward the pristine dawn.

Chouchou’s song soared straight up into the morning sky.

The stars were driven from the center of the sky, and a new light spread ripples across the world. It was a song that was soaring and powerful, aiming for the heights of the sky, one that could instill courage and hope in all who heard it. The winds that passed by also seemed to bless the seven of them, scattering sparkling particles of water into the blue sky.



No one yet knew—not the seven of them, not Ilias, not Artemisia, not anyone in the world—that this departure marked the beginning of the rise of the greatest empire in history, one that would swallow the Grapeland Sea and bring both the Northdia Continent and the Southdia Continent under its dominion. Exposed to the clear light of dawn, what would later be called the "White Empire" was quietly born within that small flying boat.

With the pure singing voice as its lullaby, the "White Empire" opened its closed eyes, raised its invisible body, and glared at the morning glow ahead, pregnant with complex colors—

Its waking roar sublimated all color into pure white.

Drop me a message if you have LN raw vol 2-5