About 20 years ago.
Eastern Principality.
The empress of the Grandeum royal family, Yuriel Grandeum, was pregnant with the emperor’s child.
It should have been a time for celebration and praise from all the people, but the timing was not right.
The empress had tasks assigned by the emperor that needed to be accomplished in the Eastern Principality.
The Summer Sun.
As a magician who was once the daughter of the Eastern Duke, she had the duty to manage the Summer Sun.
The emperor, thinking it would be difficult for her to handle this in her pregnant state, wanted to call her to the imperial palace, but she refused.
Even though she had become the mother of all her people, she took pride in her duties.
The emperor respected her will but was unaware of a crucial fact.
At that time, the Eastern Principality was preparing to declare independence from the empire and establish itself as an empire.
Realizing this, the empress sought to return to the empire to inform the emperor of the situation, but it was practically impossible to embark on a long journey while pregnant.
With the communication methods accessible to the duke’s retainers blocked due to her suspicious behavior, she bravely attempted to escape, clutching her heavily pregnant belly.
Naturally, the prince could not allow her to escape and sent pursuers after her.
Misfortunes compounded.
By the time the empress reached the territory of the empire, she gave birth to the first princess, Epherna.
They were forced to delay in one location, and the pursuers did not miss that opportunity.
As a result of the guards who had sworn to protect her fighting valiantly at the cost of their lives, Epherna miraculously entered the world, but the empress lost all her protective forces.
Her condition was not good immediately after childbirth.
It was clear she would be caught, so the empress made a resolution.
To gather all her mana, life, and essence.
All of it to manifest her powers.
So that her daughter could be safe.
She could not determine what form it would take.
But please.
Desperately wishing that someone would save her.
To create a miracle.
Thus, after the death of Empress Yuriel Grandeum.
The empire declared war on the Eastern Principality.
Numerous factors combined, leading to a conquest war.
Much blood and time flowed.
*****
The essence of the Divine Kings is an object of immense power and life itself.
Only those who are not hero-class warriors dare not touch it.
In that respect, it should have been suspected from the beginning.
How could she have contained the Summer Sun?
What had happened in the Eastern Principality?
The Winter Blizzard spoke of her past.
[…That child has done something unnecessary with the essence.]
“It seems so.”
It was an operation conducted with only two teams.
I thought it was too easily resolved, and my anxiety was confirmed.
“We fell nicely into a trap.”
I would never allow Epherna to perish.
The leader of Evergreen understood this point better than anyone else.
Even better than myself.
Even if I make a wish, the essence does not vanish.
It merely returns to its original owner.
Epherna cannot escape her limited time by herself.
There is only one exception.
If it’s not the ‘wish’.
[Descendant! That is exactly what the child desires!]
“I know.”
If I wish for Epherna’s survival, it will be impossible to eradicate Evergreen, nor to grant the immortality the leader possesses.
So, what I have chosen is:
“I will become a traitor never seen in history again.”
Epherna wanted to bring peace to the empire and become a holy monarch.
But I know that it is difficult for him.
No, I already know it is wrong.
“I will wish to eliminate the religion of Evergreen from the world. I will kill the leader. And I will save Epherna.”
Even if it means sacrificing everything I have.
[…]
The Dragon King would understand these words.
If it is my ancestor, no one other than him would understand what I want to say.
And.
To achieve this, I need his help.
“I was contemplating how to view this situation when you happened to show up.”
It was the same as last time. Having used a power similar to a wish, I now truly have the opportunity to make a wish.
“I need power. A power strong enough to dominate the world.”
Not just power, but the authority and miracles to control the world.
Including the ‘cost.’
Only one being possesses all of that throughout history.
“Grant me your existence.”
A being that even the Divine Kings and the Gods of Time and Space cannot aspire to.
Only the ancient Dragon King.
*****
After finishing my discussion with the Dragon King, a space for wishes unfolded before my eyes.
Epherna, Temur, Achaz.
The masters of three powers were present, and we sat facing each other around a round table.
“Where is this…?”
This place is probably a space for making wishes.
-At least, that is what I presume, but it seems it is not solely that.
I hear a voice in my head.
That the wish has not been determined.
That the will has not been established.
“It keeps echoing in my head that the will has not been established, but haven’t we already determined the wish?”
We had previously agreed.
The wish we would make is to undo the immortality held by the leader of Evergreen.
However, one person here does not wish for that.
“Is there something everyone wishes for separately? Feel free to speak honestly, even now.”
“Me.”
From now on, I must persuade them.
“…Mister?”
“Yeah.”
Epherna asks in surprise.
Did she not expect me to contradict her decision?
If it were me a few days ago, perhaps so, but now it’s different.
“At first, I agreed, but now my thoughts have changed. I think it would be better to erase the existence of Evergreen.”
“Why?”
“Because I absorbed the power of the Winter Blizzard.”
The Winter Blizzard’s ability is cold.
Unlike the crystal magic that has a clear limit like ice that eventually melts, the Winter Blizzard can freeze the very concept of melting and can eternally trap it.
“If used properly, it can be trapped forever without killing. Then, there would be no need to undo the immortality.”
My words were half-truth, half lie.
It is true that I can freeze the leader of Evergreen.
However, even though it is a power utilizing the essence of the Divine Kings, to freeze for an almost infinite duration would require tremendous and overwhelming strength.
Epherna asked why I only mentioned this now, but I replied that I had only recently absorbed the essence.
“I think it’s fine. If Evergreen disappears, we just have to search without needing to fight, right?”
Temur nodded, agreeing with the point.
Epherna continued to ponder, seeming somewhat uneasy about something.
On the surface, my opinion seemed unassailable.
Therefore, she had no choice but to agree.
She probably couldn’t even imagine that I would speak a falsehood.
*****
The wish was determined.
The will was established.
With that thought echoing in my head, the space prepared for our discussion vanished.
As if nothing had happened, we returned to where we originally were.
Immediately after making the wish, we had to endure a lot of hardship to confirm it.
The existence of the religion Evergreen became “as if it never existed.”
We had wished for this considering all the effects it would cause, and I had heard from the “wish” that the adjustment of causality would be somewhat manageable, but what changes would actually occur remained uncertain.
The four of us, who could perceive these changes, had to undergo quite a laborious task.
We had no choice but to follow the subtle changes that emerged.
As time passed, today marked just two days until Epherna’s coming-of-age ceremony.
“…It’s already the coming-of-age ceremony.”
After finishing her day’s work, Epherna murmured as she lay on her bed.
Everything was finished except for the coming-of-age ceremony.
The religion Evergreen, which had tormented the empire’s subjects, had been completely erased, and she was gradually getting used to the changes brought about by causality.
Yet, why did she feel this way?
It felt unsettling.
She had a premonition that things were not over yet.
“It’s probably just unnecessary worry.”
Epherna shook her head dismissively.
It was literally just unnecessary worry.
More importantly, there was something else.
“Whew…”
Even though she had only imagined it, warmth rose to her forehead.
Epherna was preoccupied with how and where to start, deep in thought.
Confession.
The act of expressing emotions or thoughts.
Simply attaching the word “love” to it could change the relationship between people in many ways.
It could turn an awkward relationship that couldn’t even maintain a friendship into something deeper.
Or it could become a bond to last an eternity.
Faced with the impending and inevitable change, Epherna could not contain her trembling heart.
*****
Night was coming to an end as dawn approached.
Ern, who had not gone to his bedroom and was instead outside feeling the air, walked naturally towards somewhere.
There were very few strong individuals within the imperial palace who could spot him hiding his presence.
And since even that small number was asleep at this hour, Ern could arrive without anyone suspecting him.
To the Second Prince’s palace.
