A Few Days Ago
“You’ve arrived…”
A middle-aged man weakly y on the bed, his face gaunt, and his hair showing signs of greying. Even after uttering those few words, he was gasping for breath.
“Father, what’s happeo you? How you have ged so mu just a few days!?”
A young woman, dressed in a long gowhe man’s hand, her voice trembling with ay.
“Aeroxia, I… I’m just…” cough cough cough
“Your Majesty, please don’t strain yourself. Your body o longer endure much longer.”
“Physi, what’s going on?”
The young woman, Aeroxia, turo the person in white robes—the royal physi.
“Yhness… A few days ago, he fell ill with an unknown, severe disease. Within just a day, it rapidly worsened. Now…”
The physi’s face showed guilt as he refrained from tinuing. However, his earlier words were enough for Aeroxia to uand: her father, the king, had little time left.
“Why… Why, after just a few days apart, Father, you…”
Tears welled up in Aeroxia’s eyes as her voice quivered.
“Don’t cry, my dear. I know this is sudden… but there’s nothing that be done… Birth, ageing, siess, ah, these are the natural ws of life.”
The kily wiped away his daughter’s tears with his wrinkled hand and softly stroked her head, which was adorned with long, sky-blue hair.
“From now on… this kingdom will be entrusted to you all.”
“Yes, this kingdom ot be without a king. After Father’s passing, I’ll take on the responsibility.”
“Brother Barol, you…!?”
Aeroxia turned sharply to the person who had spoken such a callous statement. His name was Barol, the first prince of the Kingdom of Lidolu.
“Brother, now is not the time. Don’t make Father’s passing even more sorrowful.”
Standing beside Barol was the kingdom’s sed prince—Dorol. Unlike Barol, who was muscur and well-built, Dorol was slender and had rained in swordsmanship. Instead, he devoted himself to studying various disciplines, which had caused him to develop poor eyesight, ating the use of gsses.
“…I uand.”
Although still somewhat disgruntled, Barol relutly plied with his younger brother and sister’s wishes.
“…That’s good. I don’t want any quarrels… As long as the four of you work together, you will surely guide this kingdom to a brighter future.”
“Yes, we will… wait, four?”
Aeroxia, who had readily agreed to her father’s wishes, suddenly realised that aside from her father and the physi, there were only herself awo brothers present. All the members of the royal family were already gathered, making a total of just three people.
“Ah… I must be losing my mind, so unwell… Well, if you’re all willing to work together, I rest easy…”
“…Father… Father!”
...
After the physi decred the king’s death, Aeroxia stayed by the bed, g for a long time, her eyes swollen. It took a while before she finally left the room.
“First, we should hold the royal funeral, to allow Father to rest in peace.”
Though Dorol had exited the room earlier, a closer look would reveal the faint traces of tears at the ers of his eyes.
“...No, time is of the essence. We should hold the ation ceremony immediately.”
“You…!? All you think about is the throne? Barol!”
In respoo her elder brother’s thoughtless words, Aeroxia shouted in fury.
“My poor sister, don’t you uand how dangerous it is for a kingdom to be without a ruler? I’m just fulfilling my duty.”
“Brother! The funeral won’t take long! Are you really suggesting that Father’s death is less important than a few days’ dey in the ation?”
“If I said yes?”
“Wha…!?”
After the old king was decred dead, Barol’s mask seemed to fall away.
“I’ve been waiting for this day for so long! That old man held onto the throne for so long without achieving anything. If it were me, I could lead this kingdom to greatness! The only thing he did was makih in royal treasury!”
Barol was visibly agitated, even showing signs of madness.
“You… you don’t deserve to be Father’s son!”
“Say what you like, but you’re all a bunch of failures. When I bee king, I’ll deal with all of you.”
Barol uttered these words, the without looking back.
...
A day passed. After Barol quickly asded to the throne, his attention turo the st dot reviewed by his deceased father.
“...The Abyssal federation… a nation formed by Beastmen, Monsters, Demons, and various weaker races…”
Looking at the letter from the Abyssal federation, Barol sneered.
“These lowly animals dare to challenge me?”
As the former prince, Barol had a tendency to look down omen, Monsters, and other races.
“...Wait a moment, isn’t this just door to us? After all these years, no one has cimed this nd. I k, these other races, and even that arrogant empire, are all a bunch of fools.”
As Barol thought about it, an idea for a perfe began to form in his mind.
“War has always been a way for nations to grow strohis try, made up of these inferior beings, is no match for us. If we seize this vast nd, I’ll bee a renowned figure throughout history…”
Barol picked up a uniagic device from the table and tacted someone.
“Hello, I’ve got a major task ahead, and I’m kindly bringing you in on this. You’ll receive part of the credit ter…”
k.
Suddenly, he heard a sound outside the room.
“Who’s there!?”
Barol quickly put down the magic device, drew his sword, and rushed out of the room.
However, outside the room, he found only a on bird and a fallen torch-shaped lighting device.
“…Was I being too paranoid?”
He had said things that could not be overheard, and perhaps he had bee overly anxious.
After cheg his surroundings and ensuring no one else resent, he returo his room, locked the door, and tinued his versation with the person oher end of the magic device.
What Barol failed to notice, however, was that just outside the window in the hallway, a young woman g to the wall. One hand gripped the windowsill while the other pressed against her chest, trying to stifle the sound of her rag heartbeat.
‘This is bad. I must tell Dorol… but… the guards are too tight right now, I ’t get through…’
Aeroxia’s mind raced, and in the end, she made a decision.
‘…I must leave here… to find…’
