episode_0094

Everyone’s gaze wasn’t so bad.

I always went ahead of the group, so I was used to having countless eyes on me.

But this time was pushing it, pushing it, pushing it—!

Nix and Yuri, looking up at me with wide, awestruck eyes… still okay.

Eve, gaping and lost in thought… yeah, I can handle her too.

Kugugugu—

“Your Majesty…”

But this is a bit much—!

The giant statue kneeling in the center of the throne room, the one who identified himself as Argos, the Captain of the Guard… was, to put it mildly, enormous.

The suits of armor, previously just ornaments on the walls, all moved at once, filling the space that had seemed so empty a moment ago.

Well… it’s not surprising anymore that golems, statues, and inanimate objects move as they please; moving armor is hardly unprecedented.

It seems that all the moving things here have that special magic stone inside them.

Artemis’s final legacy, containing human souls for some reason.

A rather strange and unsettling object.

Though it is disappointing to crush the hopes of these innocent souls who have been working for nearly a thousand years.

I thought it was right to tell them the “truth.”

“…I’m not your queen.”

Even though I finally overcame my hesitation and spoke.

「…….」

It seemed I needed that power to interact with them.

Woong-

Holding my mother’s magic stone, imbued with pure white light, close to my chest.

Once again, I transmitted my voice with attributeless mana.

「How have you been?」

Kugung-

「Th-this is…」

It wouldn’t feel quite like her voice from my memory.

Because I’m not my mother.

「Do you understand? I am not your queen.」

「No… your voice is completely different, and the power I feel is much weaker—」

Gugung-

The statue raised its head.

「You are undoubtedly my liege…!」

Perhaps his heart was as hard as his stony body; Argos had no intention of listening to me.

「How long has it been since your queen left this place?」

「Exactly… 26 years, 7 months, and 12 days.」

Was that their last memory?

I gestured to Nix and created a black mist.

I made the history up to now and the current situation of this place, called the Artemis “ruins,” into a single memory.

Then, I spoke to Argos again.

「This is the truth.」

Srsr—

The black mist containing the memory became a storm, completely destroying the dilapidated hut that was clinging to the last thread of hope for the queen’s return.

And the gears of time that had been stopped for hundreds of years…

began to move again.

Kugung-

「Th-that… can’t be… I, we… are…!!」

The soul continued to scatter mana filled with emotion, as if still alive.

Hope and greed.

Memories and regrets.

Despair descended where false hope had crumbled.

Argos’s mana, falling like tears, was slowly absorbed by me as if it were a natural phenomenon.

And his fragmented memories flashed before my eyes like a slideshow.

‘Her Majesty said she would be away for a while. So… from now on, in accordance with her wishes, we will be the fence protecting all the people!’

‘We will not permit any actions contrary to Her Majesty’s will.’

‘No, this is the ultimate power Her Majesty so longed for!’

‘If we succeed, we will surely become Her Majesty’s sword and shield… let us quickly develop the magic and completely dedicate ourselves to Her on the day of Her return; that is the duty of a loyal subject!’

‘Kheung… if it’s Her Majesty’s wish, it will surely benefit the people. Let us start by gathering the will of all.’

‘It’s finally tomorrow… the ultimate magic will reveal its brilliant majesty before all the people!’

‘I hope Her Majesty will be pleased with it.’

‘Kuaaah—! Captain— save m-me—!’

‘Damn it— why did it fail—!’

‘Like this… I’m going to die like this.’

‘Please… forgive this foolish servant who has not yet fulfilled the wishes of his liege…’

The story ended abruptly, as if the film had been cut.

Argos, who now had all his memories back… hugged his petrified body and sobbed.

「Yo-Your… Majesty…」

He wept so sorrowfully that the entire throne room vibrated, as if it were about to collapse.

Should I comfort him?

…No.

That’s something only my mother, their queen, can do.

I, who am nothing, have no right.

But.

「Captain Argos, stop crying and lift your head.」

「Kheuek…!!」

What’s the point of qualifications?

I decided to just say what I wanted to say.

「And hear this, all the people of Artemis. You are nothing more than ghosts who died thousands of years ago. Your queen also mourned this and passed away not long after.」

I transmitted my voice with mana to all the ghosts of Artemis.

Kugugugugu—!

Soon, the entire ruin seemed to sob with the vibrations.

「This is the truth, and this is the result of your greed and arrogance. One wrong decision led your civilization to its demise.」

「Aaaaah…!!」

「Therefore, you are undeniably… sinners.」

The vibrations intensified.

Soon, the earthquake became so severe that the others could hardly stand.

It was time to finish.

「Listen closely. I, the one delivering this message… am the only descendant left by your queen.」

Kwaak-

I gripped my mother’s magic stone even tighter.

「I was created from her blood and flesh; though not perfect, I inherited her flawless power. It would not be an overstatement to say that I have inherited her will as well.」

「…….」

「I am the will left behind by the queen of Artemis… and I convey all of it here and now, to all the deceased people.」

The earthquake subsided slightly.

The silence that returned felt as if it was listening to my words and awaiting the next.

Kollak-

「I forgive your sins…」

「Your Majesty…!!」

「All the dried blood, the sullied souls. Not a single drop, not a single one will remain… I absolve everything in the name of the queen.」

Hwaaaat—!!

Their cry, echoing back, was probably only audible to me.

The mana of all the souls in the Artemis ruins poured into me like a flood of tears containing myriad emotions.

The moment the dying ember flared up again.

I answered their final plea.

「Therefore… I give my final order. You no longer need to obey the oppression of the magic stones—」

Tuk- Tuduk-

「From now on, please… live freely as you wish.」

.

.

.

It was a satisfying performance.

I don’t know why, but even I was overcome with emotion; I even shed a few tears at the end.

More than anything, if the ghosts remaining in this ruin can get their answers and move on, I’d consider that a great return.

Of course.

There were risks involved.

“Ama—zing, Unni-!!”

Yuri seemed excited and fascinated by the huge statue kneeling before me.

“Hm hm- I see.”

Nix seemed to have figured out what happened.

The problem was Eve.

“…….”

How much should I tell her who is waiting for my explanation with her arms crossed?

In the ‘Narias’ registry, my mother is still alive, so I can’t call this the remains of my deceased mother.

Should I just boldly declare myself a princess?

‘…….’

For a moment, I almost lost it.

It’s just an expression. It’s not information that I can easily reveal to someone from the Empire; unless it’s a court official who’s already known my identity.

Then I need to adapt the story accordingly.

What I thought of was, simply blurring it out.

“I seem to have a queen of Artemis among my ancestors.”

It’s impossible for a normal human to live for over a thousand years; therefore, I chose the setting that I am not related but a distant ancestor whom I’d never seen.

And within the range of things I can safely divulge, I revealed everything that I have discovered about the Artemis civilization and this ruin.

Because of some magical outburst in the past, all the Artemis people gathered in this space met their end;

and from the traps operating in the upper floors to the stone golems I just encountered, their souls were imbued in all the moving mechanisms.

“Then… I…”

Eve was quite shocked.

It’s understandable.

We crushed the golems in the lower floors, but she was the one who destroyed the magic stone for sure.

Blurr— I gently took her trembling hand.

“…!”

“If you think that you killed innocent people… that’s wrong. It was already a thousand years ago, all of them.”

Those who hurt the people I love will be killed without question.

Probably the same for eve.

But if she destroyed innocent souls, it would be quite a disturbing experience.

After patting her shoulder lightly, I looked her in the eye.

“Since you’ve already done it… will you give me a little help? There are still quite a few who haven’t been completely released… I think I need to send them all away.”

If they still have attachments to this world, there’s nothing I can do; but those who want to rest but cannot leave, I must free them.

And there is a lot more to do.

I have to find the “hidden lowest floor”, and mapping is also necessary.

First of all, I wanted to deal with the things bothering me, then search the remaining areas comfortably.

“Will you help?”

“… Yes.”

And it wasn’t just Eve.

“I’ll go too!”

“I’ll go with you.”

We all had the same mind.

Together, in order to return this ruin to its natural state, we once again went up to the lower floor.