episode_0094

“Hiiiing… I was only trying to save Arina…”

Marin, tears pooling in her eyes, pouted as she stroked her head. The round shape of her skull had a distinct bulge—each time her fingers brushed over the spot where she’d been hit, her hand jerked unnaturally upward.

“Still not in your right mind? Want another hit?” “N-No…”

Though she denied it verbally, the way her lips jutted out betrayed lingering dissatisfaction. Arina considered throwing another punch but eventually lowered her fist.

Their last major falling-out had been brushed under the rug awkwardly, but maybe this settled things. Marin wasn’t the type for solemnity or looking dejected anyway.

Looking back, Arina had been too emotional then. In reality, Marin had never truly harmed her—in fact, she’d only ever helped, time and again. There was no doubt Marin was well-meaning toward her.

Still, apologizing in return didn’t sit right either. No matter the world, what Marin had done wasn’t exactly good.

So this was enough. Their relationship was too tangled to resolve neatly—acting as if nothing had ever happened might be the best approach.

But now, another problem demanded attention.

As Elin released the slave contract binding Arina, she turned her gaze to the side.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me, Emperor Eitri?” “…I’m sorry, Noona.” “Hwah?! The Demon Tower Lord is… part of the imperial bloodline?!”

Marin shrieked upon learning this hidden backstory. Though she hadn’t known, the game’s community had long speculated about the connection between the Demon Tower Lord, Elin Martina, and Emperor Eitri Martina Haizan.

“You didn’t know that? Even for you, that’s impressively clueless.” “I, uh…”

Her excuse—that she wasn’t originally from this world—wouldn’t hold up. It had been over 20 years since she was reborn here.

Elin Martina Haizan—not as the Demon Tower Lord, but as the Imperial Princess—fixed her gaze on her younger brother, now the emperor. Though he looked twice her age, his stiff posture and nervous deference were nothing unusual between them.

Had Elin, the most talented of their generation, not chosen the Demon Tower, he never would’ve ascended the throne.

“Eitri. You dared touch my disciple, knowing she’s mine? My little brother’s grown so bold. Should I be happy?”

Her words dripped with insincerity, her smile false. Her eyes didn’t even pretend to be amused.

The emperor forced his lips into an awkward smile. Though he maintained an outwardly calm expression, his fingers twitched restlessly. Some childhood fears were impossible to shake.

The Demon Tower Lord’s current dignified demeanor might’ve reassured others, but the emperor couldn’t relax. If that mask slipped—what would she do? Even he, her own brother, couldn’t predict the actions of the imperial family’s once-little hound.

“…It was necessary for the empire. The right to dispose of Riel Frost lies with the kingdom that captured her. If the royal family keeps her unchecked, the empire will fall behind in the coming power struggle.”

He didn’t ask for forgiveness—he wouldn’t get it anyway. But he insisted that anyone in his position would’ve done the same.

“Hmm… And what of His Holiness the Pope? Does he still intend to persecute my disciple?” “Persecution? Hardly. I am merely a servant of the Goddess’ will. All events in this world are under Her governance. If this, too, is Her wish, I accept it.”

The kingdom had already fallen completely. Once they’d made their judgment, the emperor and the pope swiftly withdrew. Lingering further in another nation’s affairs would only risk their own power.

“You bastards—!”

Only the king gnashed his teeth in fury. The kingdom he’d desperately nurtured was now on the brink of being stolen—no, looking back, had he ever truly sought to protect the kingdom, or just the royal family?

“Kyle.” “Why call me, Father?” “I bequeath to you all the authority I possess. Survive. Carry on the family’s will—the House of Foldragon.”

Millen, restrained by the king, scoffed at the old man’s delusional rambling. Couldn’t he accept that the kingdom no longer belonged to them?

“Foldragon must survive. Grow stronger. Until we become the dragons who rule the world.”

Only Kyle recognized the family creed. Others wrinkled their brows, baffled—until the next act plunged them into horror.

Thunk.

A dagger plunged deep into his throat.

Trickling blood became a violent gush as the blade was yanked free.

SPLAAAASH!

The sound of a waterfall crashing, the metallic stench of blood—Millen, momentarily dazed, frantically waved her hands at the stares aimed her way.

“W-What the—?! It wasn’t me!”

Not that excuses mattered. Everyone who witnessed it already knew—but Millen rushed to explain anyway.

Her panic was understandable. If a king chose to impale himself on his own blade, who wouldn’t be shocked?

Frozen silence fell as they stared at the king’s corpse—eyes dilated, body cooling.

“Ha. What a bothersome old man. How many times must I say I don’t care about such things?”

The most indifferent reaction came from Kyle, the one who should’ve been most shocked or grief-stricken. Ruffling his hair, he eyed his father’s death without a shred of sentiment.

“What was the king planning? Explain, Kyle.” “Slow on the uptake, Riel? What else could he do here? You know about it, don’t you? Well, I suppose hearing about it and seeing it are different.”

At that moment, a shadow fell over the blown-open conference room.

Everyone—those inside, the armies outside, the capital’s residents, even the former hero party members and sovereign rulers—looked up. None had ever seen it move in person before.

As all eyes locked onto the colossal silhouette blotting out the sun, Kyle spread his arms wide and declared:

“To put it simply—the rebellion ends here. Traitors.”

A barrier flared around Kyle. Arina, Elin, and a few quick-thinking mages erected shields to protect themselves and those nearby. Then—

KABOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The castle—and everything around it—erupted into annihilation. The once-beautiful gardens, opulent decorations, and masterfully crafted architecture shattered into debris.

Unlucky souls crushed under rubble coughed blood. Those less fortunate—unshielded—were obliterated without even corpses left behind.

“H-Hwaaa! I thought I was dead for real!”

Millen, quick enough to duck behind Arina, could claim she’d survived by her own wits.

“I’d heard it was powerful, but this from just a fall?”

Arina narrowed her eyes, assessing the foe. It had been a while since she’d faced someone this overwhelmingly strong.

“That’s… a Guardian—” “He set it up so his death would summon the Guardian? Classic king.”

A stone colossus over 20 meters tall. Though humanoid in basic structure, its backward-jointed legs and massive wings were distinctly bestial.

Guardian Colossus.

The kingdom’s ultimate weapon stood tall, the prince perched atop it. Amplified by the Guardian’s magic, Kyle’s voice boomed across the capital:

“Swords of the kingdom, hear me! I, Kyle Foldragon Gilias, successor to my father, Karl Foldragon Gilias, command all able warriors to gather at the castle! Annihilate the traitors who murdered my father and sought the throne!”

Distant war cries echoed as masses surged closer. The kingdom’s knights and soldiers had evidently been outside the blast radius.

The mages were mostly unharmed, but private soldiers had suffered heavy losses.

“Seems we’re past peaceful resolution. Arina, you can still fight, right? Honestly, you’re my last remaining strategy.”

Ian gripped Arina’s hand tightly as he spoke.

“Obviously. I’ve had a few embarrassing moments lately, but I’ve never been the type to just be protected.”

As Arina nodded, her hand slipped free—now clad in the black gauntlet she’d left behind when captured in the Demon Tower.

Schlick.

She tugged the glove firmly into place. Cool, smooth fabric encased her fingers.

“Huu.”

A frost-laden breath escaped her lips as mana circulated through her body.

It had been long. Too long—an era of humiliation and oppression. She was sick of being swayed, of being shielded.

Goodbye to the weak self who only needed protection.

It was time to return as the Archmage Arina.