I kept flexing my hands over and over.
No matter how much strength I tried to use, it felt like I could only split an apple with my fists and nothing more.
On top of that, I couldn’t feel any mana in my body at all.
Since my mana sensitivity was especially high, the absence was even more pronounced.
To put it a bit dramatically, it felt like my insides were completely empty.
That abrupt lack of mana made everything feel rather awkward.
“I heard you’re dying.”
“Your Majesty.”
“Sit down.”
As the door opened, Aria walked in.
She glanced at my face, chuckled, and sat down on the chair in front of the bed.
“I mentioned I would go to the imperial palace…”
“I’m not the kind of king who would tell a fool to get up from their sickbed.”
“It’s fine since I’m not the type of fool who can’t manage my own body.”
“From the way you’re talking, you do seem to be quite alright.”
Aria smiled, then gestured toward the back.
A maid knelt before me, holding something wrapped in cloth.
When Aria swiftly removed the cloth, a large seal was revealed.
“Is this—”
“The royal seal of Trud. I escaped from the capital just yesterday and sought asylum in the empire.”
“Huh…”
“The king brought not only the crown and scepter but the royal seal as well, so those warlords must have thought they had no other choice but to surrender. Now it’s just a matter of time before the Trud Kingdom formally becomes a loyal puppet state.”
“I see…”
We could now officially incorporate the kingdom into the federation.
Of course, it wouldn’t erase the resentment of the kingdom’s people toward the empire immediately.
But since it was a monarchy by nature, once the king sided with us, proceeding with puppetization wouldn’t be too difficult.
Even if the warlords raised a ruckus claiming to establish a republic now, it wouldn’t garner much support.
The kingdom’s front was currently guarded by three divisions.
Now we could redirect those three divisions elsewhere.
“I have even more good news.”
“May I ask what it is?”
“Of course. The Elder Council of the Great Forest has been trying to establish contact. With the priestess, no less.”
“With the priestess… Is this to propose an alliance?”
“That’s still uncertain. But the possibility seems quite high.”
The Great Forest had also begun to move.
An alliance with them would be far more beneficial than one with the kingdom or the desert.
Ultimately, it would lead to the formation of a global alliance of humanity.
A united front against the forces trying to suppress mankind and uplift the Majin as rulers.
“Strangely enough, all I hear are good news. And here you are, lying around wrapped in bandages.”
“It seems I need to get hurt for things to go smoothly.”
“That seems to be the case. By the time you recover, who knows what sort of terrible things might happen…”
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it?”
“How do you know about my condition…?”
“I heard you had your heart removed. And that it was replaced with an artificial one? I imagine you’re deeply saddened that all your magical abilities and the meticulously honed internal circuits are useless now. But once you’re fully recovered, make sure to report for duty properly.”
“…”
Aria didn’t truly know about my condition.
She still hadn’t heard.
I decided to tell her myself directly.
“Your Majesty. That won’t be possible.”
“I’m not joking. Report for duty properly. Since you brought the alliance, it’s only right for you to handle the work.”
“I want to, but I can’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“I won’t live more than a week from now.”
“…”
Aria’s mouth slowly opened.
After briefly meeting my gaze, she waved her hand back.
The maid lowered her head and left the room.
“A week… Is that for real?”
“Yes. They say if a miracle occurs, I might last two weeks. Of course, that would be as a vegetable in bed.”
“…”
Maybe my words were too crass.
Aria’s expression hardened.
I said it to lighten the heavy mood, but I must have made her feel worse.
“I’m truly sorry, Your Majesty. For not being able to stay by your side until the end…”
“What are you saying? Didn’t you end up like this while protecting the empire? It was my oversight… I should have sent the Imperial Sword and the royal guard to protect you…”
If that had happened, Tilpitz wouldn’t have attacked in the end.
The hope of defeating the Majin while gloating over pummeling Tilpitz and forming alliances with the Elves was entirely due to the lack of guards.
So I can surely say this was indeed the best option.
I had no regrets.
This was the path for humanity’s victory.
Even if I wouldn’t be there at the end.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to pass everything on before I go. I’ll compile as much information about the future as I can in writing for you—”
“No need for that! We don’t need any of that nonsense!”
“Your Majesty?”
“Live! You’re the one who spoke such defeatist words! Find a way to survive! Haven’t you always done so?!”
I suddenly found myself being grabbed by the collar.
Before I knew it, the chair had toppled over, and Aria was glaring at me, furious.
“Don’t give up… Say there’s an answer…”
“…”
Tears sparkled at the corners of Aria’s eyes.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and droplets started to roll down her cheeks.
I instinctively caught one of those tears with my finger and wiped it away.
Yet I didn’t hear any reprimands for daring to touch her royal body.
While Aria bowed her head and sniffed, I secretly brought my finger to my mouth and tasted the tear.
It was salty and bitter.
“Actually, I do have one answer.”
“What is it?!”
“Heart transplantation. If I can find a heart that fits just right…”
“If you transplant that, it means you won’t die within a week, right? Is that it?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Aria’s eyes widened.
Her face gradually returned to its original color.
“I’ll find one… A heart that fits you perfectly…!”
“Erika von der Lichtenburg should have information about my heart. You can use that as a basis to find it.”
“Got it. Until I bring that heart, make sure to hold on. Even if you have to be a mess on the bed! Throw away all your pride and attach every artifact for prolonging your life!”
“I will do so, Your Majesty.”
Aria said this and hurriedly left the room.
Once again, silence returned.
Heart transplantation…
The probability of Aria finding a heart similar enough to avoid rejection was practically zero.
The hearts in this world weren’t merely blood pumps.
It seemed unlikely they’d share the same core of the internal circuit and core energy.
But what mattered to Aria wasn’t the probability.
What she needed was hope.
The hope that I could survive.
That hope would keep Aria from collapsing.
If I died in the end, Aria’s desire for revenge would drive her on.
For that time, I would need to diligently prepare the handover.
*Knock, knock…*
The sound of knocking echoed as the door opened.
I hadn’t even said to come in.
I could tell who it was without even looking, that rude brat.
“Looks a mess.”
“Are you feeling sympathetic?”
“Of course not. I thought it looked quite appealing.”
“You little…”
It was Hertlocker.
He closed the door and quickly set up a simple recognition interference barrier around.
“Why me?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“I came knowing everything. Why do you think I’m your successor?”
“Successor…? Do you really think that?”
“You intend to send me to the full-scale war against the Majin. If that’s not succeeding you, what is?”
That made some sense.
The one I chose to take over was none other than Hertlocker.
“Wouldn’t Sergey von Freust be a much better fit? He’s way stronger in direct combat.”
“No. That professor just has high endurance now; he can’t compare to you in close combat.”
“I think you’re overestimating me.”
“You must be joking…”
He was so exceedingly unpleasant that my irritation was rising.
I was reflecting a lot on my past as my death approached.
“You’ll be teaching the attribute lessons from now on, so stay here. I’ll drill all the traits, abilities, and combat patterns of the Majin into you.”
“Wait a minute…”
“What? Is there a problem?”
“No, not at all. I will follow your orders, Schlus Hainkel.”
He seemed hesitant for a moment, but soon steeled himself.
Right. That’s the cold-blooded Hertlocker for you.
That made me feel good.
I had a strong feeling that he would handle everything calmly and well even after I was gone.
‘So this is really death.’
As I methodically prepared before my end, I suddenly felt it in my bones.
The stabbing sensation in my heart had evidently intensified compared to yesterday.
It was signaling me how little time I had left.
If I die, will there be an ending?
Who knows.
Even if Schlus Hainkel destroyed the continent himself, there’s no way there would be an ending. There’s no way some ending would come from dying in a surprise attack.
I would die and vanish here.
But humanity will survive.
That is the final responsibility that some irresponsible fool who created this world has to bear.
I ran my hand over the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ placed on the table and thought about this.
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