Catastrophe – 2
Just moments ago, the sky was clear, but now it was stained crimson, so naturally, people’s reactions weren’t exactly normal.
The members of the Silver Dawn Knights on guard began to stir anxiously, and the maids busily going back and forth in the garden displayed looks of utter confusion.
Even the wizards of the Mage Tower were stepping outside one by one. Every visible human was gazing at the sky.
“Commander Delta!”
A knight who recognized me saluted. I approached the cluster of murmuring silver-armored figures.
“Isn’t the atmosphere a bit off?”
“It’s not just off; it’s downright catastrophic. Inside the Imperial Palace, people are shocked, but I can only imagine how the outside world is reacting. It’s the worst.”
“Do you happen to know anything? Is it just here, or is it like this everywhere?”
“It’s probably the same wherever you go. Even including the Holy Kingdom, it’s likely the same. You can safely assume the whole continent is in chaos.”
The grip on the silver gauntlets tightened. If the entire continent’s sky looked like this, it was clear that immense chaos would follow.
“It’s hard to tell if it’s day or night like this. Who knows how long this will last? I can’t imagine it’ll be like this forever.”
“Not forever. It won’t last forever, but…”
How long this sky would persist depended on me. If I killed the Creature that Devours the World quickly, it would end faster; if I failed or, worst case, ended up dead myself, that would be the end.
In the game, when the sky turned crimson, the distinction between day and night gradually faded away. In other words, triggers that only appeared during day or night would be turned off.
If the same phenomenon occurred here, it meant a very bad omen—disappearance of day and night.
—That phenomenon was added based on the other worlds that were devoured before. So, it’s likely similar here.
Eclipse’s voice flowed into my mind. The fact that day and night would essentially disappear was a certainty. There was one more reason to confront that creature as soon as possible.
“Some of the knights have gone to report to the commander. They’ll discuss strategies with the commanders—”
“They won’t be at their posts right now. They’re busy handling other matters.”
“Pardon? What do you mean by that? There weren’t any special schedules today.”
A bewildered question bounced back. Those knights would likely be preparing to acquire the True Death technique by sharing my memories.
I subtly advised against that, but the chances of my worries reaching them were slim.
Not to mention, the four from the Holy Kingdom who regard me as a living Holy One would accept it, and of course, Kaiquilia, Lize, and Iris would too. Minerva, Erica, and Claudia were a bit iffy but…
‘They’d likely accept it.’
The one with the least chance of acceptance would be Aurora. It wasn’t about willingness; it was about her capability. She had lived a life far from fighting.
“There you are, Delta.”
They say when you mention a tiger, it shows up, and a familiar voice came from behind. Seems like she really decided against acquiring the True Death technique by coming all the way here.
I turned my body. Aurora was walking toward me. Above her head—
‘…The Empress’s crown?’
It was the crown symbolizing the Emperor of the Aiternum Empire.
Behind her, a swarm of knights clad in silver armor rushed in. Even though their faces were hidden by helmets, their every action betrayed their anxiety.
“The Empress’s crown? What happened, my Lord?”
“I’m no longer a lord; I’m an empress now. My aunt passed this onto me. Using True Death wouldn’t really help much, so maybe that’s why.”
“…You’re saying Kaiquilia gave up the throne?”
I was stunned. Just how much resolve did she have to give up the throne?
“Exactly. It’s her way of helping me, wanting me to manage things this way. Not that I asked for this kind of help. If only I had learned to wield a sword earlier—”
I quickly covered Aurora’s mouth. I didn’t want to hear any self-reproach filled with sadness.
“There’s no need for self-blame, Aurora. Don’t dwell on the past; just focus on what needs to be done now.”
“…You’re right. I’ve never wanted anything like this before… but I’ll have to do what I must. So, what should we do now, Delta?”
“Are you asking me?”
“I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. But you might have. You could have seen it in the world you lived in. And you’re not panicking; it seems you have a plan for this situation.”
I hadn’t imagined she would catch onto even such trivial details.
It was true. I couldn’t deny that I was more familiar with the situation. But that didn’t mean I had a solid plan.
After pondering deeply, I eventually provided a straightforward answer.
“I need to go stop that creature, so you should keep those folks from panicking as best as you can.”
Trying to address Aurora formally felt incredibly awkward. It seemed she felt the same way, as a forced smile appeared on her face.
“Calling you ‘Your Highness’ feels strange.”
“It feels weird for me to call you ‘my Lord’ too. I’m not even used to casual speech yet.”
Strangely, calling her by informal speech felt much weirder than addressing the popes or Kaiquilia. The reasoning behind it was unclear.
Despite having the appearance of the youngest of them all, it was indeed odd.
“Forget it. Just call me Aurora. We’ve got that kind of relationship, right? What does it matter?”
While we exchanged such dialogue, the knights standing nearby couldn’t hide their bewilderment. With enormous incidents happening back to back, it was only natural for them to feel that way.
“Aurora, I believe you can handle the Emperor’s position well. Without a doubt.”
Upon hearing my words, Aurora gazed at me intently and closed the distance. Her delicate arms gently wrapped around my back. I also placed my arms around her and squeezed tightly.
“My aunt said the same. She believed I would do well. So, when all this is over, please prepare a place for us to return to. I’ll make sure you’ve got a space, as long as you are there…”
Aurora buried her face in my chest and muttered as if to herself.
“I’ll make sure you have a space. Yours, no, a place for everyone around you…”
Thud, her head lightly tapped my chest.
“Come back alive. This is both a command as your empress and a request as your woman. Got it?”
I felt like I had heard something similar from Kaiquilia too. With such similarities, could it be that they share this kind of bond? I nodded promptly.
“Understood, Aurora.”
As I answered, Aurora slowly lifted her head. Our faces drew closer, and our lips met. Aurora was on tiptoes while I leaned down, and we were both frozen for a while.
“…”
Our lips parted. Aurora changed her expression as if to say, “When did I get emotional and kiss you?” The characteristic commanding expression of Kaiquilia appeared on her face.
‘No wonder. She really is a spitting image of Kaiquilia.’
Until now, she looked slightly younger and more innocent compared to Kaiquilia, but with that change in expression, the resemblance was undeniable. If either of them were to grow a bit more, distinguishing between them would be impossible based on looks alone.
“Silver Dawn Knights, I give you orders.”
“Yes, your Highness. Command us.”
Even amidst their daze, the knights in silver armor promptly gathered around Aurora as they had been trained.
I watched Aurora issue commands with determination before heading toward a secluded corner of the garden.
—Do you have plans moving forward?
“I need to stop that creature before it shows up and drop by the Holy Kingdom first. Aurora can handle the chaos in the Empire, but all the popes and Inquisitors have vacated in the Holy Kingdom.”
Considering my position in the Holy Kingdom, just below the Sun and Moon, even without the popes, I could manage the situation alone.
“However, to expedite things, I’ll need the goddess’s aid.”
—Will you take it? Please use it as much as you wish.
With those words, as I blinked, I found myself transported to the domain of the popes, where the Sun Cathedral and Moon Cathedral were located. The central plaza in front of the cathedral was filled with countless people.
Those trembling and kneeling in prayer toward the cathedral quickly turned to me at the sight. If I were to liken it to anything, it felt reminiscent of a scene from a zombie movie.
“Listen.”
As I opened my mouth, the murmuring sounds vanished entirely. Silence enveloped the place. The sudden stillness gave off an eerie feeling—it felt like I could hear a butterfly flapping its wings.
At the same time, the crimson light source was cleared away, revealing a golden and silver light mass. The sunlight and moonlight illuminated every corner. Here and there, people were covering their mouths, desperately stifling their cries.
They probably didn’t want to disrupt my words.
“Considering the situation, I won’t drag this out. You must have witnessed the sky stained crimson. This is the work of heretics who defy and blaspheme against the Sun and Moon. Think of it as ‘an evil god’ descending upon this world.”
Sunlight and moonlight began to concentrate solely on me. I couldn’t help but wonder what I was trying to do.
Even if visual impact is significant, this seemed over the top.
But thinking such a thing aloud was out of the question, so I tried my best to ignore the surrounding brightness, like being under dozens of spotlights, and continued speaking.
“I will now go to stop that evil god. I shall put an end to this blasphemy. However, to do so, you must also fulfill your duties.”
No sooner had I finished speaking than my body began to float toward the sky. The spectacle, akin to a miracle, elicited gasps from everyone present.
‘This is crazy.’
Suddenly finding myself under the shining sunlight and moonlight, gazing down upon the ground through the light mass, I chuckled inwardly while maintaining my composure.
“I ask you. Do you wish for me to fight alone?”
Someone shook their head, desperately denying it. The desperate refusals spread throughout the assembled crowd.
“Do you wish for yourselves to tremble here while praying and me to fight alone?”
Once again, the people shook their heads vigorously, indicating their outright refusal.
“If that’s the case, then rise and protect the Raphael Holy Kingdom. Calm the chaos, unite, and arm yourselves. Take this chance to eradicate all the unholy things that creep in.”
Assuredly, at least thousands of pairs of various colored eyes were fixated on me.
I didn’t have a talent for this kind of thing, so I simply said things as they came to me, but given my position and appearance, it had a tremendous effect. The people who had been kneeling collectively stood up.
“As your Holy One, I command you.”
—The moment has arrived to prove your faith.
I concluded my statement. My final words echoed softly, as if the goddess had cast a spell, reverberating like a well-placed echo.
Unlike a movie where cheers could be heard reverberating after a speech, there wasn’t a single person cheering loudly.
Instead, all united in bowing their heads toward me.
“That’s sufficient. The rest will be managed by the others in the kingdom. It may take some time, but we don’t have to—”
“You don’t need to worry about that, my dear.”
“Pardon?”
“Your voice has already resonated throughout the entire Holy Kingdom through the Sun and Moon. All believers of the Raphael Holy Kingdom are bowing their heads toward you. Once their prayers conclude, they’ll surely rise and arm themselves.”
“…….”
Suddenly, I began to worry about what would happen after this all ended.
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